<p>I just had a quick (or maybe not-so-quick) question about scheduling classes in the fall. I just went through the course catalog and time schedule so that I could get a feel for what classes are available. I am hoping to take a light first quarter- or as light as it can be at Uchicago- so that I can adjust to the new environment (i.e. a humanities or sosc class, core bio, and maybe some arts class ideally). </p>
<p>While I was looking through timeschedule, it seemed that with the sequences, if you didn't start with with them in the fall, you miss out on the class for the entire year. Like, for example, with biology- if you don't start in the autumn quarter, there doesn't seem to be a way for you to start in winter or spring. Or with the humanities/sosc sequences; it seems like if you don't make the right choices right off the bat regarding classes, you are kind of stuck for the rest of the year. </p>
<p>Like in highschool, if you don't take the first semester of biology right at the start of school, you can't take it for the entire year. I know at my brother's college, for each semester you get the full curriculum of classes offered each semester- at Chicago, it seems more like you get a third of the curriculum, and that it's all part two or three of a sequence that begins in the fall. </p>
<p>I'm sorry if this isn't quite clear, but if anyone could shed some light on the sequences/scheduling/felixibility of courses at Uchicago, I'd really appreciate it!</p>
<p>This question will be better answered more specifically. Ask about specific sequences/classes and I’ll try to help.</p>
<p>Some sequences need to be started in the fall (hum) while others can be taken in parts, even in different years. Other sequences “start” every quarter so it wouldn’t matter.</p>
<p>It is confusing, but I’m sure you’ll be very happy with what you end up with. Upperclassmen and your adviser will be able to help as well.</p>
<p>It’s confusing to me even… and I’m an upperclassmen. Essentially, it boils down to the sequence. For example, for civs, about half can be taken out of order–starting in any quarter–and the other half require starting with the first class. Some sequences have overlaps, where two different sequence levels are taught each quarter, such as Econ 200s. Some are as you described above, such as the compsci sequences. </p>
<p>However, I’ve found what you described above to be slightly more prevalent than other patterns.</p>
<p>Sorry for the late response (and confusing post)- I took some time to go through the catalog and talk to the CPO to clarify some things so that I could be more clear. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>From what I understand, it seems that with HUM and SOSC (i.e. HBC and PIR, respectively), you have to start in the Autumn quarter to take these sequences. I couldn’t begin HBC in the winter quarter because it only offers the second part (HBC II) of the sequence. This is what I meant by ‘if you don’t take the class immediately in the fall, you miss out on the class for the rest of the year’. </p></li>
<li><p>For the biological sciences, I know multiple sections of Core Bio are offered each quarter. I have credit for BIOS 10130; does this mean that if I choose to, I could immediately take the topics courses in the autumn (for example, 15115- Cancer Biology)? Or is the 10130 course part of a larger sequence that I need to complete? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>For some reason, I thought Core Bio was a three part sequence that took an entire year to complete, but I can’t find that anywhere (no idea where I got that). </p>
<ol>
<li>And then mathematics: if I am able to choose whether or not to take math my first quarter and I choose not to, would I be able to start a sequence in the winter quarter? Or is it like with the HUMA and SOSC classes, where if you don’t sign up for it and begin in the fall, you have to wait until the following year to take it? </li>
</ol>
<p>I hope this is a little bit more clear, and thank you for the help!</p>
<p>And Sarquois, I’m assuming with the two different sequence levels of Econ 200s that if a student started at the higher level at the start of the quarter and found it not for him, he could choose to step down to the other level (which would also apply to math, I think)?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Correct. HUM and SOSC need to be commitments from the beginning. 1st years are required to take HUM in the fall btw.</p></li>
<li><p>Correct. Feel free to go into your topics course.</p></li>
<li><p>What math class were you thinking? The 150’s work like this:
Fall- 151/152/153 available
Winter- 152/153
Spring- 153 only.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you have math credit, you can jump into whichever class matches anytime so long as the class is being taught that quarter.</p>
<p>The 130s work similarly although there is one section that does 131 in the winter and 132 in the spring.</p>
<p>160s have only 161 for fall, 162 for winter, and 163 for spring.</p>
<p>I haven’t decided about math, and I don’t know how placement will go. It’s not my strongest subject (meaning, the one I worry most about), so I wanted to have a math-free first quarter so that I can adjust and see how just how intense classes can be. </p>
<p>Just in general for scheduling: </p>
<p>How intense is taking HUM and SOSC at the same time? I’m leaning towards saving SOSC for the following year, rather than this year. </p>
<p>What are languages like at UChicago? Specifically Spanish- I’ve got a friend struggling through French at another intense school (though she hadn’t taken the language since soph year in highschool) and another at a state school who is breezing through it (though she was the best at the language in our class and spent a summer abroad in Spain, she says it’s more that the other students are less experienced). </p>
<p>I don’t know if this something you can answer for me, so if anyone else wants to chime in with their own experience, that’d be great!</p>
<p>Taking Sosc and Hume at the same time is definitely doable, even if you choose the hardest sequences of each one. That said, you should try to balance it out with easier or at least less workload heavy classes, given that you’ll be reading A LOT. I took what could be considered some of the most reading heavy sequences for both (based on comparing my workload with my friends and upperclassmen opinions), but I balanced it out with one of the easier math sequences and a language that I already had a lot of experience in. In terms of difficulty, I personally didn’t struggle with my language classes. It seemed to me like you were guaranteed a good grade as long as you put in the work. That’s just one department though, not sure about the other languages, but my impression from friends that are taking other languages is that it shouldn’t be too intense. I know quite a few that took Spanish, and while they were always working on some essay or studying for a quiz, they didn’t look too stressed out. PM me if you want more details.</p>
<p>I know people who’ve aced every quarter of both classes and others who have crippled. It’s definitely possible but be prepared to adjust and compensate (this will happen naturally as you get used to college courses). If you are going to take 3 quarters of both HUM and SOSC, make sure that your major doesn’t have any conflicts such that you wouldn’t be able to fit both HUM and SOSC in the same quarter. </p>
<p>Regarding math, do you have any AP credit? Can’t help you with languages since my friends and I haven’t taken a language course.</p>