<p>What is the overall workload... how hard is it to get a B or B+?</p>
<p>What is your major, race? That probably will have something to do with it. </p>
<p>Piggybacking onto your thread (sorry, but it’s a related question, I think): are there any classes known to be “weed-out” classes for certain majors?</p>
<p>i plan on pre-med at rice next year. what are my chances of survival? (:</p>
<p>It varied depending on your classes, how many classes, and it also varies week-by-week. The workload is generally pretty demanding, and it ranges from a couple of “easy” weeks to many “hard weeks” and a few “HELL weeks” throughout each semester. How many of each type you have depends on your major.
If you’re premed, expect more hard weeks than easy weeks, and you will have a few hell weeks here and there. It all depends on you, though.</p>
<p>In general, it’s not particularly difficult to get a B or a B+. It really depends on the class, though. However, B’s are probably the most common type of grade at Rice.</p>
<p>cpq1xbtu, really? Race as a determinant of academic performance? This is the United States in the 21st century… not Nazi Germany. As far as weed-out classes go, Rice doesn’t really have any. Professors want you to do well, and they don’t try to discourage you from declaring a certain major by making it’s required introductory classes ridiculously hard or competitive. Granted, most of the intro-level classes are indeed difficult, but that’s only because they cover a broad range of material in a short amount of time.</p>
<p>Pre-med isn’t particularly hard. There is no pre-med major, just a pre-med track. Being pre-med just means you’re fulfilling the requirements to get into med school: </p>
<p>1 yr Biology (Bios 201,202)
with lab (Bios 211, etc)
1 yr Chemistry (Chem 121,122 OR 151,152)
with lab (Chem 123,124 OR 153,154)
1 yr Physics with lab (Phys 101,102 OR 111,112 OR 125,126)
1 yr Organic Chem (Chem 211,212 OR 251,252)
with lab (Chem 215)
1 yr English
source: [RPMS</a> PreMed](<a href=“http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rpms/premed.html]RPMS”>http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rpms/premed.html)</p>
<p>These classes are tough, but they’re more than doable. You’ll end up having to do more a lot work within your major than you will to fulfill pre-med reqs when all is said and done. This might help, as well: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/specific-med-schools/24863-rice-pre-med.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/specific-med-schools/24863-rice-pre-med.html</a></p>
<p>“cpq1xbtu, really? Race as a determinant of academic performance? This is the United States in the 21st century… not Nazi Germany.”
I guess Rice’s Reading Comprehension department isn’t all that strong.</p>
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<p>■■■■■. Hermes… cpq1xbtu said “race” referring to “race64,” the OP’s username. Please read carefully next time. Or actually, “understand” is a better term, haha.</p>
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<p>Not all of us are like this. And there isn’t a “Reading Comprehension department” anyways ;)</p>
<p>Oh, that is funny! I didn’t even think about how that looked. Of course, I was referring to the OP’s name. Next time, I’ll put race64, so as to avoid confusion.</p>
<p>Along these lines, I have a few more questions. Do most of the students use AP course credit to place out of introductory courses like the first chemistry (chem 121) or first calculus (math 101) class? Or is this a bad idea because the AP courses really don’t prepare students for the 2nd class in the sequence?</p>
<p>These are all questions that will vary from student to student. It’s best not to worry too much about it now, as there should be a lot of time for academic advising during O-Week, directly before new students register for classes.</p>
<p>Definitely use those AP’s. Trust me. Get as many 4’s and 5’s as you can… and skip the damn intro classes. Some of them are harder because they are easy, meaning everyone gets good grades so there is no curve and you get screwed in the end because of one stupid mistake on a test.</p>
<p>Ah, so sorry, cpq1xtbu! I completely misread that! I promise, I really am a nice person.</p>
<p>“cpq1xbtu, really? Race as a determinant of academic performance? This is the United States in the 21st century… not Nazi Germany.”</p>
<p>HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAA :D</p>
<p>icyfresh -you’ll definitely survive, and you’ll probably thrive. Rice kids work hard, but they still have fun. Re: placing out of classes using AP; I held my breath when DS did just that with Chem and Calc - but he seems to have managed fine. :)</p>
<p>You want to be careful when using AP credits while being pre-med, as some medical schools frown upon it. The question is probably better answered in the pre-med forum.</p>
<p>Hermes-- no worries. After I reread my post, I realized how easily it could be misconstrued.</p>
<p>Anxiousmom, glad to hear things worked out well for your son. Some of my friends’ children have had trouble with more advanced calculus classes (at other universities), after placing out of the intro courses. It’s probably a function of how well the course is taught in the high school and the student’s level of preparedness and skill in the subject.</p>
<p>Are there any majors that are considered “easy” by some?</p>
<p>There are majors that are considered “easy” by some, but that doesn’t mean that they are actually easy. That said, because there’s more academic choice in the humanities and social sciences, you could theoretically coast through on easier classes. But very few people do that.</p>
<p>What is the workload like in social sciences classes? Specifically Polisci and Econ?</p>
<p>depends on the class. Many have weekly problem sets. Poli Sci normally has tests and papers due.</p>