UChicago CORE Sequences

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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Hey Everyone! I was hoping to get some further insight on the rigor/curriculum differences residing between the subsequent UChicago Core Sequences in the Sciences and Humanities.

  1. Core Biology VS Metabolism (Do you actually learn alter your dietary and exercise schedules through the Metabolism course? How much harder is it than the traditional Core Biology Sequence?)
  2. Self VS Power (Which one is more enriching? I am personally angling towards pursuing an Business-Econ/Global Studies major.)
  3. Physics for Future Presidents (Could one enter this course without background knowledge on physics? I took one Physics course in Freshman year of HS but that was about it.)
    I do appreciate all your insight! Thanks for all your help :smiley:
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I can’t tell you which is better, but I can tell you my son took Power and LOVED it.

3

Considering that my information is somewhat out of date:

  1. My daughter and most of her friends took the Core Biology class. They were contemptuous of it, and all of them wished they had taken more rigorous regular Bio (because, of course, they were University of Chicago students, even if they were also painters, cartoonists, and actors). For them, Metabolism was literally beneath contempt.
  2. My kids both took Self, Culture, and Society. It was a great core course.
  3. Physics for Future Presidents didn't exist when my kids were at Chicago, but the name suggests a play on the traditional "Physics for Poets" course. Which means no one will expect you to know a lot of physics or a lot of math going in.
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My daughter (Class of '21) took Core Bio. in the spring of her first year and enjoyed it. She wasn’t looking forward to taking biology so the course was a pleasant surprise for her. She enjoyed it far more than the topics course she took for part two of the sequence.

My son (Class of '23) will be taking Metabolism beginning this fall and he’s very much looking forward to it. Yes, you presumably will be altering your exercise and diet practices throughout the two quarter sequence. He wanted to take Physics for Future Presidents but it was nearly full by the time he pre-registered so he decided to put it off till next year.

PFP is a non-major sequence so you don’t need to have a physics background or even calculus to take it. Course descriptions are pasted below.

Part One: “This algebra-based course presents an introduction to many of the foundational concepts of physics with applications to modern society. These concepts include energy and power, heat, sound, gravity, electromagnetism and light, nuclear physics and radioactivity, and Newton’s laws.”

Part Two (energy and sustainability): “This course treats both the past and future of how the principles that govern the conversion of energy to useful work have impacted and will impact civilization. The principles of kinetic, potential, thermal, mechanical, and nuclear energies will be considered in the contexts of societal issues such as energy sustainability, modern technologies, war, information, food, and health.”

The course was originated at Cal Berkeley. Perhaps it actually is the modern version of Physics for Poets but updated for current issues and perhaps a tad more rigorous (though for all I know those poets were solving algebraic equations too). My son tells me that the math for physics isn’t the hardest part - it’s the concepts that are challenging. Anyway, if you google the term you’ll find several hits, including interviews with and lectures by the guy who started the course at Cal, along with his textbook (which is, in fact, the textbook required for the UChicago course). The links below will get you started and hopefully you can figure out if it’s for you. Keep in mind that any physics course at UChicago, even if for non-majors, is going to be taught well and include relevant concepts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocwxNvM6uLU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCdDFplPfMQ
https://press.princeton.edu/titles/9226.html

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@JBStillFlying @JHS @BrianBoiler Thank you for all your responses! It is very much appreciated!