<p>I am a current junior and plan on attending the summer program next summer. i had a couple of questions on the rigor of the classes offered. how do they compare to honors/AP classes taken in high school? will i be overwhelmed in work? will bad grades scar my transcript (I plan on transfering over credits to my high school.) </p>
<p>Also, does anyone have any info on housing, how/where to get a dorm room, food plan, etc? thanks for all input.</p>
<p>They are definitely a notch above AP classes, both in terms of the material/depth, and the quality of competition (nearly all will be college students).</p>
<p>Bad grades will scar your transcript. It's not recommended that you transfer the credits over unless you're absolutely confident that you'll be getting an A.</p>
<p>Housing info is on the website.</p>
<p>I think it's doable to take a course or two, depending on your ability, commitment, and the courses in question.</p>
<p>if i did go, i would probably be taking two courses, one for high school credit, and the other just for personal interest. i will be taking physics and than another course pertaining to electrical/mechanical/computer engineering.</p>
<p>the physics class will be transfered over for high school credit. i would like to get an A, but i think a B may be ok as well. i would be willing to put forth alot of time, seeing is how i would like to get an A and that i only have 1 other course to worry about. also, i wouldnt be taking a very advanced physics course, sumthing simple, basic physics.</p>
<p>Oh no...the instructors for Phys 7A and 7B are terrible, and their curves are very unfriendly. The same instructors return every summer: Bloxham for 7A and Weston for 7B. Only half of Bloxham's class receives A's and B's (compared to 65% in the regular year), and Weston curves around a B-/C+, with the top sixth of the class or so receiving A's and A-'s. Weston's exams are pure and utter BS, and even my TA's concurred. Most of his problems involve heavy mathematics with very rigorous computations and derivations rather than physics. (Think integration by parts/u&trig substitutions, geometry, partial derivs; and, to make things worse, all tests are non-calculator.) If your math background isn't extremely solid, you simply cannot do well on his exams. (I got an A in multivariable calculus here and a 5 on my Calculus AP, and this wasn't nearly enough.) For the remaining problems, he picks random exercises in the textbook that are many times harder than the examples he does in class. (Good luck trying to do all of them, since there are 80-100 of them per chapter and no complete solutions.) He often tests the class on material he's never touched upon. From what I've seen, the professors in the regular year give much fairer exams that test students on physics rather than math, and assign grades more generously per departmental guidelines (25%+ guaranteed an A, and 65%+ guaranteed a B). Of course, if you're not a Berkeley student, then this isn't an option for you, so you should definitely choose another class if you can. Simply put, don't regret taking physics over the summer like I did...</p>
<p>^^^^^</p>
<p>Student, thanks for your response. actually i read your thread on the physics course/teacher b4 i made this thread. i appreciate your post, but i need more than 1 person's input. i was wondering if anyone else can comment on the berkeley summer camp.</p>
<p>bump for me... thanks</p>
<p>hmmm, anyone else have some input? i was also wondering if, by going to the summer session for high schoolers, if it will help my chances of being accepted to Cal. thanks!</p>
<p>It will help insofar as you will be spending your free time pursuing academic subjects at a high level. It's far better than doing nothing, and a good thing that you can do. It's not super unique, but so what? Not everyone can do Nobel worthy research as a high schooler.</p>