<p>I am very happy that I got accepted to UCSD BUT I hesitating if I still want to go because of the GE requirement of ERC :|</p>
<p>First....I am a terrible writer, never got anything above a B on a history paper....
Second...I am merely OK in history (never took any AP class related to history)</p>
<p>If I do attend, I'm afraid that MMW will totally ruin my GPA.
P.S My major is: sociology (medicine+science) and I am planning on taking pre med req...</p>
<p>In conclusion I have two questions:
1. If I enroll in Sociology (medicine + science) major +taking ERC GE requirement + taking pre med req classes, is it possible for me to finish in Four years? If so How? Am I bound to take some MMW over summer?</p>
<ol>
<li>Is it really hard to get a high grade in MMW? How harsh do the TA grade? For those that had already took ERC what tends to be your grade on papers (i know this is kind of private....so omit this)?</li>
</ol>
<p>Sigh...I really need some answers now..THIS IS LITERALLY THE ONLY THING THAT IS STOPPING ME FROM SUBMITTING THE SIR TO UCSD....</p>
<p>Make a four year plan, and put in all of the requirements for your major, your college, and medical school. See if you can graduate in four years. That’s how. And if you can demonstrate that you can’t actually graduate in four years with ERC’s requirements, then you can petition to switch colleges. I believe if a certain college’s GE requirements will make you delay your graduation, they will allow you to switch.</p>
<p>Why would you have to take some MMW classes over the summer? There are 5 MMW classes that you have to take, and 12 quarters in 4 years. If you take one MMW class every quarter (which I’m assuming is the typical sequence), then you should finish within two years. There’s nothing magical about the other students who take MMW. Clearly, it’s possible, since many students do it every year.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I got B’s and C’s on my papers in high school, but then I went on to get A’s in my papers in college and I didn’t really change anything. In my opinion, writing is a very important skill (yes, even for a doctor), and if you are a terrible writer, you should take a writing class. You should take lots of writing classes, to be completely honest. There’s a writing center if you need help, and TAs are willing to help as much as they can.</p>
<p>In general, you’re going to have to take a year of writing classes in college for med school prerequisites any way, so you won’t be able to escape writing entirely. Just because you were never a star in history doesn’t mean that you can’t work hard and learn the material. It’s good for people to challenge themselves.</p>
<p>Thank you very much @baktrax…since I am gonna have to improve my writing skill anyways, why avoid it in college. It is gonna be a great opportunity for I to improve my writing skill…!!UCSD it is…</p>
<p>Also a quick question…when you say " I got B’s and C’s on my papers in high school" is it from a AP/Honors History class?</p>
<p>If you were to compare the AP history class you had taken in highschool vs MMV is there a huge increase in difficulty??</p>
<p>I was talking about English classes (AP/honors) throughout high school. I don’t know if I ever even wrote a paper in a high school history class, and if I did, I don’t remember what my grade was. I didn’t take MMW but I didn’t think Muir writing was that unreasonable. Just stay on top of it. Start everything early so that you have time to ask for help. Use the writing center, talk to your TAs/professors, and keep on top of the reading. Maybe someone who was in ERC can speak more about what MMW entails specifically.</p>
<p>Hey adsfgqwr1577,</p>
<p>Congrats on being accepted to UCSD! I am currently a junior at UCSD, also within ERC college. I think it’s awesome that you’re on a pre-med track, so am I! I managed to finish MMW within 2 years. I didn’t appreciate mmw much because I was a science major, but honestly, I appreciate it more now because it really helped me to be more well-rounded. </p>
<p>Don’t worry too much about MMW bringing down your GPA because med schools will consider your Major or Science GPA above all. </p>
<p>In MMW, there are a lot of readings and sometimes it’s hard to keep chipping away at a research paper. I strongly suggest finding a group of friends to share the load of readings. Like a study group, or creating a think tank on google doc that everyone can access. In your first MMW class, you don’t write a paper. In the second MMW class (MMW12), the TA’s and professors really help ingrain the research paper process in your head. That’s why it’ll be the most intense one in terms of time commitment (discussion twice a week). They’ll really help you write your essay so you can get the best grade you can get. In MMW, your TA will probably determine most of the grade. Participation within section(discussion) is super important. I honestly think that a laid back TA and a more hardcore TA is the difference between an A- and a B+. Unfortunately you can’t really control which TA you get, but stay positive and just be aware of rumors about each TA and professor. It’ll help you take the right approach to the class. And there’s a general feel of camraderie among the students from having to suffer the same GE’s so there’s always someone who understands and is willing to help out or study. I think you’ll be ok! If that’s the only reason why you’re very reluctant about committing to UCSD, I think you have nothing to worry about!</p>
<p>Worse comes to worse, you do have an option to transfer out of ERC college if you have a good case. If it is not possible for you to graduate in 4 years within your major as well as within ERC with all their GE requirements, you can make a case to transfer to another college! </p>
<p>Good luck and congrats again! </p>