CC is great option! My son doing R&C A and B at the local CC.
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Yup, D is already enrolled in a summer course in Microeconomics through Peralta to satisfy one of her prereqs - her CNR advisor actually recommended she do this, saying that students really hated the Microecon required class at Cal and that this would be a much easier way to get it out of the way.
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During the 90s, hitting the mean in a class like Math 1A/1B meant getting a C+.
I remember this came as a huge shock for alot of kids who got 5s on BC and expected to crush.
Same with any other class that was curved, which was pretty much most weeder classes (Physics 8A/8B, Chem 1A/3A Econ 1A/1B). Can any Cal parents confirm if this is still the case that most weeder classes are curved, and mean is still a C+?
Also, my kid is terrible in Math and is currently doing the 1B equivalent at the local CC as well.
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I’m sure weeder classes with a curve are still a thing, but the curve itself may have slid about +0.2 to +0.3 grade points to the right. See the attached GPA by major over time. Unfortunately only goes back 10 years, but you can that most majors have higher average GPAs in 2022 vs 2012. Imagine how much lower the average GPAs would be if the table went back to 1992?
https://pages.github.berkeley.edu/OPA/our-berkeley/gpa-by-major.html
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Ugh, wish I’d known that before. My son is currently stressing about finals in that class.
Thank you. This is helpful and does seem to indicate that there has been significant adjustment over time. Alot less grade deflation.
I’ll have to ask my kid if he knows.
All Cal families should know about www.berkeleytime.com to see final grade distributions for classes and different professors. It has other helpful functions too.
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Question about scheduling for those in the know…
It appears that there is no time built in between scheduling blocks for changing classes. Is is therefore impossible to take back-to-back classes? We heard people joke about “Berkeley time” during Cal Day (not the scheduler, but the concept of time at Berk)…what does that mean? Do classes begin late to allow students to arrive?
Thanks!!
“Berkeley time” refers to the practice of all classes / sections / labs at Cal starting 10 minutes late to allow students time to get from one part of campus to another. So an 8 am class listing will begin at 8:10 am. Guess it’s easier to start 10 mins late than to remember to end class 10 minutes early, for reasons that elude me.
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Great! So it’s totally acceptable to schedule back-to-back classes, as long as the building distances are walkable in less than 10 minutes?
Yes. And as has been pointed up thread, many students skip the in person lectures so usually back to back classes are never an issue even without Berkeleytime.
Also many of the classes allow time conflict and there is a general air of “come if and when you want” about the lectures.
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Hi! I was wondering if anyone’s planning to join the Fall Semester for Freshman First year pathway, or what people’s thoughts are on it?
My daughter had considered it. We really liked the opportunity to make a big college feel small and have more interactions with professors (professors actually do the labs/discussion sections for the classes in it).
The main reason my daughter decided not to do it is most if not all the classes are off campus at the Golden Bear Center. She felt that she would not feel like she was part of the campus or get to know the campus until her 2nd semester. That was one of the cons that previous students who did it talked about during our information meeting we sat in on and it really made her decide not to do it.
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When do dorm decisions come out for first year students?
I thought someone said late May but cannot seem to find it on this thread.
In the Incoming First-Year Student FAQs page on the housing web site it says:
Q: When will I receive my residence hall housing offer?
A: First-Year Admits & Fall Program for First Semester students: If you applied by the application deadline (May 2), you will receive an offer via email in mid to late May. We use the main email account you list in CalCentral (usually your Berkeley account).
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We looked into it, but if you can not use CalVet or VA tuition waivers for that program, so it was an easy no for us.
staying on parent’s insurance is enough right? we don’t need SHIP and file waiver in this case?
My son did FPF this last fall and it was his choice. He didn’t mind going to Golden Bear Center and one of his classes was on main campus. 2 of his suite mates were also in FPF. On really hot days he would take the bus back to the dorm.
I think it was a good, slower introduction to Cal and having smaller classes, was helpful for him. He took 3 breadths and a math class. His favorite was the Intro to Dinosaurs class. I also think his gpa is probably a bit higher to start out with.
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It should be, especially if you have good insurance and are local. Our son stayed on our health plan because he could keep his primary care physician, save $2k a year on SHIP, AND take advantage of the generous HSA available to us. If he was on his own plan, then our HSA $ could not go towards his out of pocket expenses.
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If you like contests and peregrine falcons: