<p>Im torn trying to decide which physics courses to take. The 7 series are for engineering majors while 8 series are for humanities major. Since Im pre-med, I should take the 8 series and get the good grade, but med schools will probably not like it coz i took the easy way out. any suggestions?</p>
<p>Med schools won't care unless it's just not scientifically as rigorous.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>At my undergrad the 141/142 sequence was algebra based physics, while the 211/212 sequence was calculus based. Both classes covered the same concepts, just the math was different (sure the 211/212 sequence probably did a little bit more). But I (and most of the non engineering/chem/physics pre-meds) all took 141 b/c it was easier and that's all you need.</p>
<p>Now there was a course that was like 130 or something which was physics for non-science majors, as well as a 135/136 sequence for teachers. Neither of these were at all scientifically rigorous. They were just discussions over the general concepts with hardly any math and no labs. These would not have been accepted by any medical school, nor would they have been sufficient background for the MCAT.</p>
<p>So if your 8 series is more like my 141/142 and has a lab associated with it, go for it. If it is like the other courses I talked about, then yes you do need to take the 8 series.</p>
<p>Finally, remember, most admissions committees are not going to be familiar with the course sequences and numbers unless you are applying to a school that a lot of students from your undergrad apply to (like Nebraska-Lincoln -->UNMC in my case).</p>
<p>Intersting, so I should take the easier course just as long as it meets the med school standards. Only reason I asked was coz i thought course difficulty mattered a lot. Thanks a lot for your advice, hopefully you will get accepted to your med school.</p>
<p>BRM's already a med student, actually.</p>
<p>I think at some level, higher-level classes might, under some circumstances, help.</p>
<p>I will warn you of this: physics at many schools, including mine, is more competitive for premeds. The content is tougher for engineers, but the grades come back higher.</p>
<p>For engineering pre-meds that fact that its calc based makes it easier for us. I personally like how calc makes everything easier and when doing physics problems I prefer using calc to memorizing formulas and doing things the long way. The engineers way for circuits and other physics stuff is also fun and much easier then anything I learned in normal physics in high school as far as circuits are concerned.</p>
<p>yes, engineering physics isn't necessarily much harder than regular cal based physics.</p>
<p>absolutely take the easier one</p>
<p>do you think the physics i learned in a normal (non-AP) physics class help me in college level physics..I will be taking the 7 series physics that blueElmo is talking about at Berkeley</p>
<p>i took ap physics B in high school, i think that might help me in the 8 series. y arent u taking 8 series ab-med?</p>
<p>So BlueElmo, are you gonna take physics 8A?
What other classes are you taking in your first semester at Berkeley?
And what's your major?</p>
<p>im pre-med and MCB major so im not gonna take physics 8 in my first year.
Im prob gonna take chem 1a, math 1a or 16a, english r1b. That makes about 11 units. So I still have 2 or 3 units more to take. I dont know what to take. Maybe something that satisfies the american cultures or 7-breadth requriement. </p>
<p>I will finalize it at CalSO.</p>
<p>When are you gonna start taking biology and physics classes?
And also, does English r1b get rid of the english requirement for med schools?</p>
<p>for your first question, probably my sophmore year. For your second, I believe so.</p>
<p>BlueElmo, my last post was a typo...I will be taking the 8 series.</p>
<p>Would one semester of creative writing (english department) course cut it for a premed english requirement?</p>
<p>That's what I did, and it caused no problems. Be warned, though, it's harder than most lit classes and also perhaps less relevant to what you need for med school type writing.</p>
<p>I liked it, though.</p>
<p>Writing classes are preferred over lit classes. Even creative writing. But BDM is right they are going to be harder than a lit class (my 20th Century fiction class was the most ridiculous grading scale ever - 7 out of 12 points on a quiz was a B-). Class was great though.</p>
<p>Creative writing course includes writing poems, short stories, poem explications, etc? The reason why I asked this was due to the fact that I already took the class over a high school summer and the credits transfered to my school. I was wondering whether I have to carve out two or one more slot(s) in my college career for english courses.</p>
<p>BRM- isn't the 20th century fiction class classified as a lit class?</p>
<p>Yes, the fiction class was a lit class. I was using it as an example of how easy a lit class can be. It was an affirmation of BDM's previous comment.</p>
<p>The idea is that lit classes don't just comprise reading - the involve your structuring logical arguments based on a close reading of the text and extrapolating.</p>
<p>That kind of writing is in the same style as expository writing generally, and that's more useful for argumentation and reading comprehension than, say, writing fiction.</p>