<p>Okay, so I'm trying to become a Cognitive Science major right now, and I'm seriously considering making Computational Modeling my focus. This would mean I would have to take CS61B, CS70 (or I think Math 55 would also work...), and CS188. The problem is, I took 2 years of calculus in High School, and only 16A here at Berkeley. I need to know if this is doable, or if it's not the best idea... Any tips or advice you guys have will be greatly appreciated. :)</p>
<p>You should be fine.</p>
<p>CS61B – you’ll be expected to apply basic math really creatively
CS70 – it’s the branch of “logic-based” math that doesn’t rely on background but does rely on maturity / ability to think outside the box
CS188 – you have matrices, etc., which can be a learning curve but is definitely doable; it’ll just be hard</p>
<p>It’ll be like learning how to fix aircraft without first learning how to learn cars. Sure, they’re really different in most aspects, but intuition gained in one will really help in the other.</p>
<p>In CS classes you should be fine, but computational modelling is pretty mathematical (I am guessing by the name). You have to take CS70 which won’t require calculus, but what it does require is strong analytical/logical/mathematical thinking. </p>
<p>The average or maybe even 3rd quartile student in 16A would (again, this is all an assumption) have a very difficult time in CS 70. </p>
<p>I think you have to take CS 170 too?? but maybe I’m wrong.</p>
<p>The sort of math you learned in high school and 16A (trig, calc etc.) aren’t really applied in CS. CS is more like discrete mathematics, which is more dependent on creativity and thinking outside the box rather than memorizing formulas. It does help to have an intuitive grasp of logic and mathematics though, something which may only develop through mathematical maturity.</p>