<p>I just need some opinion as to the standards of academics at UT.</p>
<p>I've heard that the classes are really hard, in that professors don't curve and that especially in the science tracks, more than 1/2 drop out after the weeder intro classes.</p>
<p>Also, it seems like people generally recommend going slower at UT, as in, doing about 14 credit hours per semester. Anything more than that and people start saying "are you crazy"?</p>
<p>So I'm just wondering if UT is really that difficult, would it be wiser then to go to another school with a similar level of challenge but with a higher prestige?</p>
<p>Please share with me some of your thoughts. Thanks</p>
<p>Some classes/professors are harder than others, the science track can be grueling, but it is like that at any university. Use pick a prof wisely, it can help you with your section selections.</p>
<p>I have the same question too. I'm concerned about the CS major specifically. I'm choosing UT over Berkeley for certain reasons but if UT is as tough as UCB then I might have to reconsider. :S</p>
<p>I honestly don't know much about CS. Most of the people I know are either in the business school, Plan II, or Liberal Arts. </p>
<p>I know of a couple of people who started out "pre-med" science track and bailed after the freshman science (for science majors) courses. I know that the science-for non-science majors is not hard at all. My son is taking Chem 2 now, took Chem 1 last semester, and said that the material was all covered in 8th grade science or 1st year highschool chem - not hard to get an A. I have heard that Calculus 2 is a TOUGH course. Many kids have dropped it and are planning on taking it in the summer. Besides that, the humanities courses and electives are not that hard, it matters who you get as a professor though.</p>
<p>Many people only take 12-14 hours either because they came in with so many AP/duel credit hours, that they can, or because they just want a light load.</p>
<p>It's not as difficult as you make it out to be. Granted 25% of students taking Calculus will fail out...but there are curves (a letter grade for Cal; a few points in Chem/Bio).</p>
<p>I would not recommend taking less than 15 hours a semester if finances are an issue. 15 hours a semester is the minimum you can take with no advanced standing and still graduate.</p>
<p>So unless you can afford to pay for a 5th year or summer school, take at least 15 hours.</p>
<p>I'm a big fan of taking classes over the summer at a community college.
If you have like 9 or 12 hours from APs and you take a few classes over the summer at your community college before and after your freshman year, you are afforded the freedom to take only 4 classes a semester and still be able to graduate in 4 years.</p>
<p>I was pretty lazy in high school, so I wasn't one of those kids who had to work my ass of to do good in high school.. other than having to improve my time management skills, I am not having too many problems. Its not that hard.. Micro econ was pretty easy(I took only one class), and I would suggest taking it with Ledyard since she is a good teacher. As much as people hate the top ten percent rule( my self included), I can't help but appreciate in retrospect it since it has to play some part in the curves in my favor haha..</p>
<p>Take as many classes at community college and by AP as you can. Had I had the choice to do it again, I would have worked way harder to get those AP credits that I just threw away..</p>
<p>If your SAT Writing Score was 600 or your ACT writing score was 26, you have credit for RHE 306.
If you took either math SAT II, you probably have 3 credits coming for 305, which I think is a geometry or trig course.
If you took the physics SAT II and you don't need to take physics in college as part of your major, a 600 or higher on the SAT II will get you 8 credits.</p>
<p>Also, if you got A's in honors chemistry but didn't take the AP chem test, sign up to take the chemistry test during orientation. All you have to do is PASS it and you will get 3 credits for Chemistry 301. </p>
<p>That's 17 credits without a AP. </p>
<p>Also, if you took a general econ class or macro econ or micro econ and didn't take the AP test or only got a 3, it is worth stopping by a CLEP center (there is probably one near you) to see if you can get a 60 on a CLEP test to get credit for 304 K or 304 L. If my daughter doesn't feel 100% confident she got a 4 on each of these two AP tests, I'll talk her into taking CLEPs on them. CLEP tests are easy multiple choice tests - it's like taking a computerized learner's permit test.</p>
<p>^so are CLEP just simple test you can self study for? I took a general Econ class.. so I'm kinda thinking about maybe reviewing my old notes to take a CLEP for credit..</p>
<p>Based on daughter's experience, you should give it a try. Study a CLEP Macro book and try taking the Macro test. </p>
<p>My daughter took Macro last fall and was not sure she got a 4 on the AP Macro test in May, so last week she took the Macro CLEP at a the CLEP testing center in our town. She got a 75. That's 3 credits closer to graduation. And if you get under 60, you can try it again six months.</p>
<p>Again I think the level of difficulty really lies in what major or program you are involved in. Obviously some majors like Engineering, Business, and Plan II Honors get a reputation of having challenging and stimulating coursework but some of the liberal arts majors like history and government are much less intensive.</p>
<p>CS has about about a 40%-50% failure rate for the pre-computer science sequence (3 CS, 2 other courses). You can only take the CS courses once without extra permission, and you need a 2.5 gpa to be guaranteed admission to the full major.</p>
<p>UT is one of the few “Public Ivy” institutions… contrary to the common belief, UT is a very hard school. Intro classes tend to weed out many students… classes in all schools are rigorous… the engineering school at UT is ranked 9th in the nation and the school plans to be in the top 3-5 schools (competing against MIT and CalTec) its a great school with renowned faculty and hard courses…</p>