UVA fall schedule- please review and help!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>Hey, everyone. I hope the upcoming first-year class is getting excited to leave home for grander adventures at UVA (I know I am!). Enjoy these last couple weeks of summer break- they'll dwindle quickly, and then it'll be time to say goodbye to friends and family.</p>

<p>Anyhow, I was hoping some fellow UVA students could help me evaluate my fall semester course schedule. I got pretty lucky at orientation by getting an early sign-up time (10:40 AM). My schedule is as follows:</p>

<p>MONDAY
10:00 - 10:50 AM -- PSYC 2200 Lecture (Gilmer Hall 130)
11:00 - 11:50 AM -- LATI 1010 Lecture (New Cabell Hall 311)
12:00 - 12:50 PM -- CHEM 1410 Lecture (Chemistry Building 402)</p>

<p>TUESDAY
12:30 - 1:45 PM -- LATI 1010 Discussion (New Cabell Hall 424)
2:00 - 3:15 PM -- PSYC 2400 Lecture (Gilmer Hall 130)
4:00 - 4:50 PM -- CHEM 1411 Lecture (Chemistry Building 402)</p>

<p>WEDNESDAY
10:00 - 10:50 AM -- PSYC 2200 Lecture (Gilmer Hall 130)
11:00 - 11:50 AM -- LATI 1010 Lecture (New Cabell Hall 311)
12:00 - 12:50 PM -- CHEM 1410 Lecture (Chemistry Building 402)
2:00 - 5:30 PM -- CHEM 1411 Laboratory (Chemistry Building 312)</p>

<p>THURSDAY
12:30 - 1:45 PM -- LATI 1010 Discussion (New Cabell Hall 424)
2:00 - 3:15 PM -- PSYC 2400 Lecture (Gilmer Hall 130)</p>

<p>FRIDAY
10:00 - 10:50 AM -- PSYC 2200 Lecture (Gilmer Hall 130)
11:00 - 11:50 AM -- LATI 1010 Lecture (New Cabell Hall 311)
12:00 - 12:50 PM -- CHEM 1410 Lecture (Chemistry Building 402)</p>

<p>I have a couple concerns with my schedule. I'm going to list them so that I don't accidentally forget something as I try to collect my thoughts.</p>

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<li><p>I'm worried about my MWF class stack. I've got three back-to-back courses, but that's not what worries me. What worries me is that I have ten minutes to get from Gilmer Hall to New Cabell Hall, and then ten minutes to get from New Cabell Hall to the Chemistry Building. I'm not planning on biking, so my method of getting from point A to B is on foot. I'm honestly at a loss in regards to how to fix this, if it needs fixing. The Latin lecture is only available in that one block- MWF, 11:00 - 11:50 AM. Dropping that class would be the most logical way to get myself out of a time crunch, but then I'm not starting to fulfill my language requirement on time. I'd like to take Latin and have not taken any courses in it before, so I'd definitely need the 1010 course. I'd be REALLY appreciative if someone could offer some guidance here.</p></li>
<li><p>I plan on double-majoring in psychology and neuroscience, while fulfilling the requirements for premed (I'm considering going to medical school after UVA to try and become a neurologist/neurosurgeon). Does this schedule look good in regards to starting those two majors/starting the premed requirements? I do have a substantial amount (43) of AP credits coming into UVA that have helped me bypass courses like PSYC 1010, BIOL 2010/2020, CALC 1310/1320, et cetera.</p></li>
<li><p>I plan on taking part in a couple of music courses (chamber music and the symphony orchestra), which require an audition when I get to UVA at the end of August. So far I have 15 credits. Is it feasible for me to manage this course load, or should I consider dropping a course (probably one of the PSYC courses) in order to avoid stress?</p></li>
<li><p>When I signed up for Introductory College Chemistry (CHEM 1410), the woman signing me up was unable to get me into a discussion session. Is this a required part of the class, and what happens if I'm unable to get into a discussion session without having a schedule conflict?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Essentially, I have a load of worries about my college schedule, and I thought I would ask the people at CollegeConfidential what they thought (especially since Add/Drop starts tomorrow). Thank you very much in advance for your help, everyone! I may ask more questions as they come up, but this is all for now. Thanks again!</p>

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<p>not a problem you’ll be fine. just don’t stay late or walk slowly.</p>

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<p>I was under the impression that med schools do not (or some do not) accept AP credits for pre-med reqs</p>

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<p>won’t be a problem, everyone has extracurriculars so those will be yours</p>

<ol>
<li>no idea sorry :&lt;/li>
</ol>

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<p>I’m in a very similar academic mindset as you, but plan on doubling in Psych and Human Bio. As far as med school stuff goes, most of them will only accept credit for the intro classes if you take more advanced courses in that subject. For example to get credit for a bio pre-req and keep the AP credit you’d need to take the similar 3000 level Bio classes.</p>

<p>I have the same problem with my CHEM 1410 Discussion (same lecture btw lol) and the lady who was signing me up said I should just pick one from the closed sections if I can’t pick one up after tomorrow, and go anyway. The TA should understand.</p>

<p>Hope this helps :)</p>

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<p>Keep checking SIS for open sections through the first week or two of classes…and if that fails, have a course action form signed before the add/drop period ends :)</p>

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<p>pretty legit course selection, but just hope to god you don’t ever have a test in those back to back classes(in other words you will have no review time in between classes, which sucks)</p>

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<p>If you’ve never taken a class in neuro, then don’t plan that. Sorry if I seem harsh, but it’s silly to plan around something you’ve never been exposed to. And AP Psyc doesn’t count.</p>

<p>Neuro is a capped major (so you’ll have to apply for it), and it is a time commitment. The focus is on research, so you’ll be in the lab for long hours.</p>

<p>I came in to UVa thinking I was going to major in Neuro; I took a class in it before at another university and loved it. After taking PSYC220, that all changed. I hated that class. I’ve heard good things about PSYC240.</p>

<p>Hazel’s spot on about the time issues; don’t dawdle and you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>Discussion sections for 141 are optional. They’re like Q&A sessions. I personally thought they were worthless.</p>

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<p>JC, Human Bio is not what you think it is. It’s not the study of anatomy and medical related things. The human bio major is more about the relationship of biology and society, the role that biology plays in today’s world, things like that. Not your phalanges. Also, Human Bio is a distinguished major program. It’s silly to plan that you’ll be in the DMP, especially since you haven’t taken college classes yet! There will be significant competition for human bio, so if you really want to do it, then your grades better be spotless. If you think your grades being good is an automatic given, then remember that the vast majority of students at UVa excelled academically in high school. Not everyone does well here.</p>

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<p>Thank you, everyone, for your replies. You’ve all been very helpful. I’d just like to clarify a couple things.</p>

<p>First, thanks, Hazelorb, for your reassurance about getting from Gilmer Hall to New Cabell Hall and back to the Chemistry Building. That was my biggest worry.</p>

<p>As far as medical schools not accepting AP credit, I’m fully aware of that. I intend to take upper-level biology courses in order to satisfy the biology requirement for premed, and I’ll be taking chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics at UVA. As far as math and English courses go, I’ve satisfied those competency requirements/area requirements via AP credit, but I’ll likely have to take something anyway.</p>

<p>DB123, while I appreciate your advice, I think it’s kind of arrogant to tell someone to “not plan” a major. It does seem a little harsh, like you said. While I haven’t taken any neuroscience courses (I am, after all, just entering college), I have been exposed to the field in various ways. AP Psychology and AP Biology both touched on the physiological workings of the brain, but more importantly, I have actively subjected myself to the field by reading all sorts of books by neurologists, cognitive psychologists, and other accredited authors. I think the field is incredibly interesting. While one class you took might have put a bad taste in your mouth, I don’t think that’s license to tell other people “not to plan” to be a neuroscience major.</p>

<p>I appreciate your telling me that neuroscience is a capped major. I’d already known that, but neglected to mention it. I went on UVA’s website a few weeks ago and looked up the prerequisites necessary to apply to be a neuroscience major. A couple of them have been satisfied by AP credit, and the others would have to be satisfied anyway because of my psychology major/premed prerequisites. For the time being, I’m planning on my second major being biology, which will switch if/when I get selected to be a neuroscience major.</p>

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<p>That’s not why I said it. Here’s why: Neuro is a capped major and difficult to get into. You have yet to take a class at UVa, and although you may have read a few articles here and there about it, it still doesn’t change the fact that you haven’t taken a class on it. Interest is great, but not enough.</p>

<p>You sound a lot like me when I was coming in last year. I wanted to double major in FA and Neuro, and I loved Neuro before I came to UVa. We’re only here to help. :)</p>

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<p>Hey db123 did you take PSYC 220 in the fall or spring? I took it in the Spring with Illig. Why do you think you didn’t like the class?</p>

<p>At first I was really excited to take the class. However, when I took it I learned I like the information that was taught and etc. But the grading seemed a bit harsh. You had to read a lot and it got pretty boring material after a while.</p>

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<p>In regards to major planning…Some majors/programs are capped, or have tight competition. And honestly, students often change their mind on majors, several times. </p>

<p>I started thinking Government, then thought History, then History and Econ, then Government and Econ, then just Government, then Government and Sociology. (I only ever formally declared Government and Sociology). That eventually stuck, but the funny thing is that I enjoyed and learned more about myself and what I wanted to do for a career from Sociology which came from totally out of left field. I took a “Law and Society” course to complement my Gov’t major, then took “Schools and Society” as an elective just because I like studying education/ed politics, and the rest, as they say, was history. :)</p>

<p>Other people are more sure and know from Day 1 what they will major in, and others don’t figure it out till much later. The important thing is to try different courses and keep an open mind – don’t be too quick to dedicate yourself to a major, you don’t have to declare until I think the end of 2nd year. You don’t know what you might discover.</p>

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<p>I know many, many people who change their major plans, especially when they involve being pre-med. A lot of people drop out of the e-school as well.</p>

<p>OTOH, I knew I was going to do math and the ed school. I came in only needing 8 classes for the entire math major (I had all of the pre-reqs and Diff Eq from dual enrollment), so it was a no-brainer I would do that. I wondered if I would change my major, and if I were not in the ed school with the ridiculous scheduling conflicts I might have considered an interdisciplinary program on science/math history, or computer science, or something. If I had given up every elective I had I could have done a minor in either of those (both through e-school I think) but I’ve been taking languages and fiction writing and other silly classes instead. :wink: I actually think it is better that way because then I can take just the classes I want in those areas and none of the lame classes you always have to take as part of an official major/minor. But in the end I love math more than any of those so maybe I wouldn’t have changed my major even if I had more time for things. And I’m going to be an elem teacher so it doesn’t matter at all.</p>

<p>A lot of people in the ed school know not only that they want to teach, but what they want to major in. There are also plenty of people just know they want to teach elementary and don’t care about the primary major and end up doing psych.</p>

<p>If you find yourself jaded with neuroscience but still like the pre-med angle, you might consider taking a bioethics class. Professor Childress is well known and respected in the field, and he wrote the textbook for the class. It is under general religion (RELG).</p>