<p>I know it's early and we won't receive our schedule forms probably until May or June. But it's pretty hard to focus on finishing out this year and I've been thinking about Princeton next year a lot, especially about my schedule. </p>
<p>I'm going to do engineering I'm pretty sure, and I'm thinking of chemical engineering. So of course, I need to take Math and Physics. For these, I'd either take the combination of Multivariable Calc (201) and physics (103/5), or the integrated engineering/math/physics class (191). That covers two classes. I'll take Writing Seminar in the fall. Frosh Seminar and Computer Sci in the spring. As an engineer, I need to take 4 classes in fall and 5 in spring, so that leaves me with one free slot in each semester. As a chemical engineer, I would have to take organic chemistry at some point, but I'm worried that it might be too much for me to handle first year, so I might just take an easier, more enjoyable class instead. I don't know exactly, and I guess I'm waffling between taking orgo now or later.</p>
<p>Feel free to either comment on my dilemma or to share your own thoughts about your schedule next year!</p>
<p>A couple comments...
1: You don't get to pick which semester you have writing sem in. It's pretty work intensive, so if you're going 5-4 or 4-5 classes, try to stick the writing sem in the smaller courseload.
2: EMP is a viable option, but it's supposed to be a LOT of work. If you're willing to handle that, it's definitely an option. If you're considering a courseload that difficult, you might also want to think about MAT 203 / PHY 105. Both are more conceptual and difficult than their 201/103 counterparts, and students who get through both generally tend to enjoy them.
3: Probably a good call on orgo--I don't know of any non-CHM-major freshmen who are taking 301 or 303. I've seen a couple take CHM 207 or 215, which is something you might want to consider if your memory of chem isn't amazing.
4: If you're done with your language requirement already, you might want to either start a new language or fulfill distribution requirements.</p>
<p>If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot away. I'm not a ChemE major myself, but that usually doesn't change TOO much, and I have a lot of close friends who are ChemE.</p>
<p>mark427, you say we'll receive our schedule forms in may or june, is this true?</p>
<p>i thought we only choose our courses once we arrive on campus?</p>
<p>For now, I find it really hard to focus on anything else too. I've completed high school and am currently just waiting to attend Princeton in September. </p>
<p>I'm planning to do engineering too, and I'm particularly interested in aerospace engineering. Any advice, quirkily? What do you know about this program?</p>
<p>Out of interest, which freshman seminars are good? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>You get a sheet with a bunch of papers in June/July that you'll fill out, one of which is a course sheet. These DON'T decide your schedule for the fall. This is just to get an idea of what you're thinking of taking, so that 1: they can assign you an advisor, and 2: give you an idea of what you're going to do. You'll actually figure out your schedule when you get to campus--you'll meet with your advisor over orientation week and figure it out then.
There isn't too much to say about engineering, especially as a freshman. You'll have to take physics (103-104/105-106), math (201-202), computer science (126), and chemistry (201/207). The full list can be found in the Undergraduate Announcement: <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/catalog/ua/%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/pr/catalog/ua/</a>
I'd suggest looking there to check requirements for your majors and everything at some point before you pick courses.</p>
<p>Re: freshman seminars. They often change from year to year, so you won't really be able to tell until the list comes out. Don't just look at the class--the quality of the professor really makes a difference...</p>
<p>I would like to reiterate that the EGR 191-192 program (commonly known as EMP, short for Engineering-Math-Physics) is much more difficult than the ordinary PHY 103/MAT 201 track (though it is worth the same thing). The problem sets are more difficult, and tests are substantially harder. The physics might not be as difficult as PHY 105, but its definitely closer to 105 than to 103. The math hardly even resembles MAT 201 -- it follows a completely different path than the textbook, and the test problems are very conceptually challenging. Its not too uncommon for students to stay at problem sessions from 7pm to 1, 2, or 3am trying to finish a problem set. EMP pretty much becomes your life, creating another drawback: you tend to forget about allocating time to your other classes.</p>
<p>That being said, it is definitely much more student-focused; the precepts are taught by professors rather than assistants and grad students, the class size is smaller, the harder problem sets lead to more collaborative and interactive review sessions, as well as nice large tables for finals :) you also meet some awesome people in your class year that you get to spend A LOT of time with. Also, the lab is much more interesting than the regular PHY 104 lab (think soldering an accelerometer vs. bouncing balls and graphing its acceleration) although it is still more difficult.</p>
<p>Gosh, everything you guys mentioned above sound really intimidating... I only have a vague idea of what I am going to major in. How will I be able to select classes?</p>
<p>For language classes I am anticipating a 4 on the AP Spanish exam so that I can start at 200 level classes but if I dont get a 4 for some reason does anyone know how difficult the placement tests are and where I might be placed within the 100 levels with a moderately good command of the language?</p>
<p>Don't be intimidated! It's true that when you arrive on campus, a lot of people know what they're planning on doing, but that might change at any moment. If you're an engineer, there's a little more pressure on knowing what you want to study (many engineers who already know their major take intro engineering classes freshman year, which is a little daunting for the undecided), but even then you have a year to figure things out. If you're an AB student, you have two entire years to decide on what you like, and thats quite a bit of time. Also, Princeton offers so many open houses/majors fairs/chances to help you choose a major.</p>
<p>That being said, I'm an engineer and I don't really know what my major is going to be...</p>
<p>lol, the reality of math/science/engineering precepts and labs :p (actually it's probably true for other topics, too, but particularing sciences) is that the preceptor or lab TA will be a grad student who doesn't speak particularly understandable English and who might not understand you very well. In labs, however, the professor in charge is always around, and is always available for questions. Humanities and social science preceptors tend to be much better at English :D</p>
<p>I'm actually taking this really cool history class that has no precept because the class only has 6 students in it. I luuuurve it.</p>
<p>JDS 345/REL 345 Eye-For-An-Eye: The Nature of Law, Justice, and Legal Literature in the Bible & Ancient Near East</p>
<p>'Historically, the law of literal retribution, "an eye for an eye," has given the Bible a black eye. With one eye trained on ancient Near Eastern counterparts, we will examine the distinct lives this and other biblical laws--like slavery and sacrificial altars--led in literature and in practice.'</p>
<p>Sometimes the description of a class sounds less appealing than the class actually is -- you have to read it a few times and try to see the potential of the class, then go to the first meeting (since we have a shopping period). Other times a class could sound really appealing but actually suck for various reasons (one of my classes that I was really excited about turned out to not fit the description very well and be far away enough to be on another planet. ie near the e-quad.)</p>
<p>The nice thing about EMP is that the precepts are taught by the professor as well. Whether this necessarily better depends on the student though -- You form a closer relationship with your professor, but he/she might not be as approachable as a TA (or you might be more afraid to miss class). Sometimes the preceptors are awesome, and as far as I've heard, the physics ones aren't bad (though it IS usually more likely that they don't speak English, like frozen-tears said).</p>
<p>ahhhh god i dont even want to think about the courses im taking yet.....not that im not excited, its just stressful because i dont want to find myself overwhelmed or taking boring courses</p>
<p>and i have a really bad dilemna becuase i have such wide unrelated interests that there is no way i can take courses in all of them before sophomore year. im interested in Latin, Molecular Biology, Creative Writing, Woodrow Wilson School....</p>
<p>does anyone know (esp current Pton students) if there are any Princeton easy courses? (becuase there is no such thing as easy courses as Princeton)</p>
<p>becuase im freaking out whether i can even pass courses at Princeton----i know i got in, but its beginning to hit me how hard these courses are</p>
<p>Don't stress! It'll come, and it won't be as bad as you think. Really, everything always looks more intimidating or impressive when its in the future -- When you actually get to it, it just becomes life. Princeton is hard, but it's nothing you can't handle. If you're going to be an AB student, then having a wide variety of interests is perfectly fine; you have two years to explore whatever you want! And there are easy courses and hard courses, just as there are on every campus. Just be excited for college :) (and enjoy your homework-free summer!)</p>
<p>I recommend taking a interesting variety of classes first semester. For example, I took Calculus 103 to get QR out of the way, an amazing historical linguistics class, a freshman seminar about travel, and German 101. That schedule worked really well for me and wasn't too taxing. </p>
<p>Don't worry about majors yet, but just pick classes that interest you. (I'd never taken German before, but even after a semester and a half I'm considering it as a major!)</p>
<p>D is majoring in Psych with a Neuroscience concentration but is also learning Mandarin. Most interesting class this year (sophomore) ---18th Century English Literature.</p>