What do you guys recommend?

<p>Ok so I have all of my courses figured out, and I will be planning to transfer to CALS under a Agricultural Sciences/Devolpemental Sociology major for Fall 2008.</p>

<p>I'll be taking the following classes at my first year college:</p>

<p>-Bio (2 semester sequence)
-Stats
-English Comp I/II
-Entomology or Horticulture</p>

<p>Now I read this somewhere:
"When I spoke to CALS, the first thing that they asked me was if I had taken chem because chem is a pre-req for most science classes. So just as a note, ensure that you take chem so that you can take upper division bios like biochem."</p>

<p>I didn't ask to take Chem yet, but I can change my mind and try and fit it in. What classes do most transfers usually take during their freshman year though? Can someone help advise me if I'm taking classes that are typically the classes most freshman take? I will be going into pre-med and need to get those reqs off, so can someone add on and tell me about classes that I haven't listed that I SHOULD be taking? Like Physics and stuff.</p>

<p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------Another question:</p>

<p>All of that comes out to around 17 credits, which is 34 credits in two semesters. So would I still be considered in this category, even if I'm a few credits over?</p>

<p>"For transfers entering as sophomores (two full-time college semesters completed or in progress at time of application, approximately 30 credit hours):"</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>I think I came in with 31 credits and they classified me as a second semester sophomore, but I asked to be registered as a 1st semester sophomore.</p>

<p>I think a lot of pre-med freshman take english, biology, chemistry, calculus and maybe a humanities course....this is what I did.</p>

<p>Dewdrop, you are pre-med right. What courses did you take in your fresh yr, if you don't mind and what did you major in? When did you take biochem 1 and biochem 2 and how difficult are they? Thanks.</p>

<p>My freshman was like this (at my old school, keep in mind). I was a Biology major.</p>

<p>1st semester:
Biology
Chemistry
Honors English
Orchestra
Pre-Osteopathic Seminar
Individual and Society</p>

<p>2nd semester:
Biology
Chemistry
Calculus
Honors English
Orchestra
Pre-Osteopathic seminar</p>

<p>I took Biochem I 1st semester junior year and I took Biochem II 2nd semester senior year. I had this flexibility b/c I opted to take a year off after graduation. </p>

<p>Biochem I was amazing...the professor is fantastic and the material isn't too complicated. I had a little more difficulty with Biochem II but the material wasn't bad.</p>

<p>Were you a regular bio major or did you specialize. I was curious about your courses at Cornell what classes did you take in Cornell after you transferred in your soph yr?</p>

<p>I did a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology at my old school and then changed to Biology and Society/Nutritional Science when I got to Cornell. I also had Statistics credit from a college course I took while in HS. </p>

<p>1st semester sophomore:
Orgo
Orgo lab
Physics I
Animal Physiology
Macroneconomics</p>

<p>2nd semester:
Orgo
Sociology of Medicine
Food Choices and Issues (for CALS credit)
Earthquake (for CALS credit)</p>

<p>Took Physics II during the summer</p>

<p>1st semester Junior:
Introduction to Nutrition
Biochem I
Introduction to Oceanography (for CALS credit)
Ethical Issues in Health and Medicine
Life Sciences and Society
Dinosaurs (for CALS credit...total waste of time)</p>

<p>2nd Semester Junior:
US History 1865 to Present
Nutritional and Physicochemical Aspects of Food
Biochemical Basis of Human Nutrition
Organizational Writing (for CALS writing distribution)</p>

<p>1st semester Senior:
Microbiology
Microbiology Lab
Nutrition and Disease (best class ever)
Social Studies of the Human Sciences
Sociology of Health and Ethnic Minorities</p>

<p>2nd Semester Senior:
Biochem II
Kosher and Halal Food Regulation (for CALS credit)
US Health Care System
Science Writing for the Mass Media
Introduction to Wines</p>

<p>I had a GT for fall 2008 as a Development Sociology major in CALS. I did my first year at a community college. My schedule looked like this:</p>

<p>Fall Semester
General Bio 1 + Lab - 4 credits
College Composition 1 - 3 credits
Intro to Macroeconomics - 3 credits
Statistics - 3 credits</p>

<p>Spring Semester
General Bio II + Lab - 4 credits
College Composition II - 3 credits
Intro to Sociology - 3 credits
General Botany + Lab - 4 credits</p>

<p>My required courses were Bio 101 and 102 (or equivalent), English 101 and 102 (or equivalent), and Statistics. Economics or Sociology were recommended. I came in with 27 credits and will be a first semester sophomore this fall. Hope this helps! :)</p>

<p>How was animal physiology? Also how was science writing and the Halal class? Was orgo lab tough w/ first semester orgo? When did you take evolutionary bio, at your old school?</p>

<p>Dew, two things:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How was taking Orgo, Orgo Lab, and Physics all at once your first semester? I'm trying to take Orgo, Orgo Lab, Micro, and Micro Lab all in one semester, but people are telling me that's too much. Did you manage well? Did you have to study all the time?</p></li>
<li><p>Can you explain Nutrition and Disease? I love nutrition...and I love studying diseases/viruses/bacteria...so it sounds like the perfect class, lol.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Any particular schedule help/hurt your chances? Or is it all a matter of convenience for the student?</p>

<p>
[quote]
How was animal physiology? Also how was science writing and the Halal class? Was orgo lab tough w/ first semester orgo? When did you take evolutionary bio, at your old school

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Animal physiology: great prof, fun material...the prelims were difficult but he used an MCAT style testing format so it was great prep for the exam. Only downside is that the class meets at the vet school.</p>

<p>Science Writing: A lot of work for 3 credits but there's a new prof now. Class was really wonderful and my writing skills improved.</p>

<p>Kosher and Halal: Way too much work for 2 credits and the prof thinks he's God. But...I got an A+ and the class median is usually a B so I can't complain.</p>

<p>Orgo lab: Orgo lab was not difficult at all...just a lot of busy work between labs and the prelim was a killer (b/c of length...not difficulty). There's a new prof though, so I don't know how he will run it. </p>

<p>Evolutionary Bio: I never had to take it.</p>

<p>
[quote]
1. How was taking Orgo, Orgo Lab, and Physics all at once your first semester? I'm trying to take Orgo, Orgo Lab, Micro, and Micro Lab all in one semester, but people are telling me that's too much. Did you manage well? Did you have to study all the time?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Orgo, lab and physics was a huge mistake for me. It was my first semester at Cornell and I just wasn't ready to handle something like that. I should have dropped physics...but I was too stubborn. Also...I took the autotutorial physics which was another mistake b/c I've always had difficulty in the subject. I fared well....but I really don't recommend it. </p>

<p>I know people who did orgo and micro + the labs and they did fine. Micro really isn't intensive (biweekly quiz, 2 exams and extra credit opportunities). Micro lab is a lot of fun but it is a lot of work...not difficult though. </p>

<p>
[quote]
2. Can you explain Nutrition and Disease? I love nutrition...and I love studying diseases/viruses/bacteria...so it sounds like the perfect class, lol

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Nutrition and Disease is the BEST course I took at Cornell. It has a lot of pre-reqs though (biochem, NS 115, NS 331) and it's only offered in the fall, so plan ahead if you want to take it. </p>

<p>The class focuses mostly on how to manage disease exclusively with nutrition. We discuss nutritional aspects of all diseases or conditions: diabetes, cancer, alcoholism, burn victims, cardiac disease, liver disease, obesity, etc. The professor is an M.D. and so she uses her Friday morning section to discuss aspects of medicine you don't normally consider...once we discussed death and the dying process and what patients really want but can't express.</p>

<p>When you say MCAT prep style, can you elaborate please. Did he have passages, or quest like "which of the following is most incorrect" or a ton of true and false or all short answer? Thanks.</p>

<p>Also, what are some easy CALS credit courses that you took? </p>

<p>Btw you used science writing to fulfill your 9 credits for the writing and communications req for CALS, right? What other easy courses fit this category b/c I have heard mixed reviews about COMM 201.</p>

<p>No...science writing was used to fulfill a requirement for my major. </p>

<p>I believe all CALS students have to take COMM 201 now...so I don't think you can escape that one. I took COMM 263 to fill the only writing requirement I had left since my 2 freshman english courses took care of 6 credits...good class though.</p>

<p>When I say MCAT style...I meant that he'd give you a passage about an experience and ask you a bunch of questions. No short answer. A good mix between true/false and multiple choice. </p>

<p>I think I've mentioned my easy CALS classes before...but I recommend: FDSC 150 and DSOC 220 (Sociology of Health and Ethnic Minorities).</p>

<p>So dewdrop you wouldn't recommend a transfer student take orgo, orgo lab, and physics their first year at Cornell? cuz that's what I was gonna do. someone also suggested I not take physics my first year at Cornell. What Physics class and professor did you have by the way? Was the professor good?</p>

<p>I took autotutorial physics....no prof really.</p>

<p>As for taking the 3 together....I'd say 50% of pre-meds do it and the other half don't. It honestly depends on you. Some can handle it and some can't. If you want to take them together...go ahead and you can always drop one of them if you need to.</p>