skipping classes

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvey Mudd College
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<p>After reading the course catalog and attending the accepted students' day, I have the impression that not a lot of people skip courses, even if they are proficient in it. (i.e. single variable calculus) The only thing I heard about was math though.</p>

<p>Do people skip the intro chemistry course? Is it easy to? (I know it's an exam rather than AP credit) Would I want to? What's covered on the course/in the exam?</p>

<p>I've got two years of chemistry, and being on the science team has pretty much given me a third year, so I'm not too interested in repeating chemistry yet again, unless it's supposed to be super-interesting.</p>

<p>Also, do people place out of intro to biology? I don't think I'm going to want to do that, but there was nothing in the catalog about skipping that course, so I was just wondering.</p>

<p>If there are any current HMC students that could answer these questions, I'd be very grateful. Thanks.</p>

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<p>I'm a parent, not a student, but will give you a partial response and a bump to top. (Your thread title may be hurting your response rate--I thought you were talking about skipping, say, friday's classes for a long weekend when at Mudd!)</p>

<p>Keep in mind, I'm conveying what I remember my son telling me last fall, so accept it as a general overview, not as a highly accurate technical specification. Bottom line: Be wary of confusing "AP," "College Level," and Mudd core--and remember that everyone in your class would be an Allstar at most schools..</p>

<p>From what I've seen and heard (S1 is frosh) the level of courses is quite a step up from what even most of the mudders had. In physics, for example, I believe those with 5 on their APs and/or success in other college level classes were invited to test for placement out of the first year core. Not even a handful were successful (I'm not sure if any were, but maybe one or two?)--although Mudd did institute an advanced section of that class for the second semester to make sure that no one was able to coast. Some of those kids had multiple years of "college level" physics--and still failed to pass out. </p>

<p>Chemistry--again, the test was a bear and an AP 5 or equivalent may have been required to take it. Son said he personally didn't know anyone who passed out--although it is possible that someone he didn't know at the time did.</p>

<p>N.B.--in one or both of those courses, he submitted his lab book(s) from the prior classes as part of the process to place out. Dunno if that was required or not . . .</p>

<p>Bio--dunno anything about this one. He had the typical mudder AP score, but apparently didn't do anything regarding placement. As you say, maybe not an option?</p>

<p>It probably is worthwhile for you to try placing out. It has been done--and if you are able to do so, the faculty clearly thinks you are capable of skipping the course without harm. (In math, S got credit for some of his post-AP classes by submitting the transcripts and syllabi; he hasn't experienced difficulty in the second year of the core, so that system seems to have worked for him.)</p>

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<p>Most Mudders have taken about as much chemistry as you have and they arent able to pass out. In general the classes at Mudd are designed around people having already seen a decent amount of the material in high school. The one subject area people can pass out of and still probably be alright is core math. Physics is doable, but in all honesty I would recommend taking the classes for the depth. </p>

<p>As of right now, you cannot skip out of Bio52.</p>

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<p>I took 1 year of honors chemistry and 1 year of AP chemistry in HS. On the AP test, as I left I told our principal that I got a 5. It was a breeze. </p>

<p>I came to Mudd and thought frosh chem was going to be super easy. I was wrong. I think I ended up with a C+ second semester.</p>

<p>I hear that, on average, less than one person a year passes out of frosh chem. If you've only been prepared with AP chem I don't think you really have a shot. If chemistry is an obsession and you've taken college-level classes in it and/or studied on your own, you probably have a decent shot of passing that test.</p>

<p>Also, Apathy, Mudd assumes that everyone has taken AP-level classes in HS. Unless you are a savant, passing because you don't want to do it typically doesn't work. Most of the time when someone is good enough to skip a class it is because they are extremely proficient at it and that often comes from an interest in the subject matter.</p>

5

<p>This is one specific example of a personal experience at Mudd:</p>

<p>I was the best at physics in my HS. I aced AP Physics with little work and it all came natural for me. I did every physics event for Science Olympiad at the national level and placed top 20 in the country in all of them. I came into Mudd thinking that freshman physics would be an easy A. </p>

<p>I was so wrong. I got totally destroyed in a lot of the course. The homework was impossible and I struggled through all of it. I ended up getting a B-. It's pretty depressing to go from being amazing at physics in one environment to average, or below, in another. I have friends who go to other schools and ask me for homework help with their freshman physics courses. The problems that they get stuck on are total jokes for me. I tell them the answer in ten seconds and get jealous of how easy they have it.</p>

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<p>So the bottom line is that you shouldn't skip courses at Mudd. I have to admit that I skip way more than I should because I can never seem to wake up for my 9 AM DE II class. Now I'm struggling to catch up and paranoid about failing the final. The material in the book and the notes from lecture doesn't make any sense without going to lecture.</p>

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<p>Ok, now I'm just scared that I sent my deposit check to this school. I'm sure it will be crazy fun though.</p>

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<p>Quick note - you can actually skip out of bio 52 (my last statement was incorrect), however you must take a biology course of some kind in its place. This was recently told to my recitation section which was met with a lot of O.O</p>