<p>I'm a pre-business/econ freshman taking the following as of now:</p>
<p>Econ 1 (4 units)
UGBA 10 (3 units)
Asian American Studies 20A (4 units)
Music 27 (4 units)
Physics for Future Presidents (3 units)</p>
<p>18 units sounds like a lot, but three of my classes are breadth courses. I'm currently debating whether to drop UGBA 10, but I'm not too sure. My courseload seems doable because I've only got two pre-reqs, with the rest being breadths. I'm not sure though. I hear Econ's tough and the competition in UGBA is brutal from what I've seen. </p>
<p>All of these courses are reading-based. The schedule seems doable, but if you feel swamped I suggest dropping AA Studies. Music 27 is a easy A, so keep that class for sure.</p>
<p>I took AA 20A w/ Choy and it was the easiest class ever. The final was open book. The main assignments were based on 1 book on primary sources. The weekly readings were not much. You can literally not do any readings and still understand what's going on, most likely earning yourself an A. It also helps if you're Asian American or good with American history. </p>
<p>Coupling this course along with the easy PFFP and Music 27 (which is easy according to the above poster) leaves you with 2 important Haas prerequisites. It was wise to choose these 3 courses to supplement the 2 harder ones. Nevertheless, you will need to do a lot of memorization for UGBA10 and PFFP (small details for the exam essays). I don't know how many breadths/prereqs you need to complete, but if you have the opportunity, you can always just drop Econ 1/UGBA10. The curves are both tough in these classes. If you think you can handle it, take on both, or if not, why don't you just take one of the others as a sophomore?</p>
<p>sparetire, I didn't have a good first semester. I've taken Math 1A to fulfill my math pre-req for Haas, but I only got a passing grade. I'm much more focused now and I know what to expect. I've been thinking about taking both Econ 1 and UGBA 10 this semester so that I can take Stats in the upcoming fall semester. Haas only looks at the first three semesters, so I'm trying to do what I can to make up for my lackluster first semester by trying to complete the 4 technical pre-reqs so that they can see them when I apply. Would that help my chances, as opposed to only completing 3 of the technical pre-reqs by the time I apply? I'm not sure about summer school, but I'm leaning towards just working part-time during summer break.</p>
<p>A lot of units, but no class is superbly more difficult than the others, so if you can maintain that kind of courseload, go for it. </p>
<p>But, people often make the mistake of trying to 'compensate' for a bad 1st semester by doing more units than normal the next semester. This usually has the opposite effect, and you could end up digging yourself deeper. I'm saying it will happen to you, just watch out for it.</p>
<p>Smallz, I think you meant that you're not saying it will happen to him/her right? ... lol</p>
<p>And RaNe, I didn't do too hot in Math 1A either, but I'm thinking of retaking it. (Might be a bit odd after taking 1B this semester, but it can definitely improve my GPA)</p>
<p>umm Batman, you realize retaking it wil not significantly improve your GPA unless you received a "D" or lower the first time around and think you can get MUCH better this time right? if not you will just be averaging your new grade with your old one..(not replacing as you might think)</p>
<p>if you got a passing grade, just move forward from here on out and take other easier classes that would inflate your GPA-NOT math 1a</p>
<p>oh i see...i am sure you can get much higher this time around then -esp. if you are taking 1B first lol</p>
<p>question: why didnt you just retake 1a now then this sem? it would be fresher in your head since you just took it in the fall and 1B is suposed to be a weeder so i imagine it would come in handy</p>
<p>Don't overdo it. Haas cares about the grades you get in your classes much more than about how many classes you've taken. UGBA10 and Econ1 are both very important classes that you NEED to do well in. I would seriously recommend dropping a class.</p>
<p>Hmm, now I'm having second thoughts. The adage, "It's better to be safe than sorry" keeps recurring through my head. Should I drop UGBA 10 and focus on my other classes?</p>
<p>From my experience, many people who come to Berkeley were highly bright and motivated individuals in high school. They loved to take the more advanced classes and see how many APs they can cram into one year. Unfortunately, at Berkeley, no one really cares what classes you're taking and when you're taking them, except that you finish all your required courses and you do well in them. And it's much harder to do well in them than it was in high school. Some people learn this the hard way.</p>
<p>If you drop UGBA 10, focus on Econ 1 since that's going to be the important one.</p>
<p>Waiting: I was really considering taking it this semester but I just needed time away from those proofs. (Pretty much the reason why I ended up where I did...slacked off on homework and didn't bother memorizing half those darn theorems) I mean, I hope it won't bite me later; seeing as how 1B seems to be all about integration though, I don't think it will (fingers crossed). Plus, I actually like the teacher (Borcherds).</p>