New Freshman Schedule Help!!

newbluedevil2012 · 06-13-2008, 12:15 AM

Hi, I'm going to be a freshman in the class of 2012 at Duke, and I am going into premed. I am getting a little worried about how difficult class loads will be at Duke, so I have the classes I was planning on taking Fall 2008. I would really appreciate it if you guys tell me what you think about it:
Seminar- Biotech and the New Genetics
Biology 103L
Math 32
Spanish 76
I've taken a lot of AP classes in school and I hope that skipping some classes won't make the classes too difficult. Thanks

SBR · 06-13-2008, 01:03 AM

Unless you have first registration window, you might want to choose an alternative to Bio103, it looks like that class has only 3 seats left.

newbluedevil2012 · 06-13-2008, 01:05 AM

Also, I understand that Biology 25L is an introductory/weeding course, but can I get some pros&cons for taking that over Biology 103L?

HiWei · 06-13-2008, 09:03 AM

I don't know about Biology 103, but I can talk about Bio 25...

Pro:
*A group of lecturers so you don't get too bored
*Some people seem to enjoy bio?

Con:
*Huge class, hard to see from the back
*Tests are really ambiguously graded. They're mostly essay tests and sometimes you'll write like half a page thinking you included everything there is to know about crosslinking and mysteriously get 5/8
*4 hour labs. Seriously I can't stress this con enough. You can't leave early, can't work ahead... you basically feel like you're in elementary school because most of the TAs treat you that way. Sooo out-of-your-mind boring.

I would not recommend this class unless you need to take it, or really like biology. As you can see, I don't as much.

loveduke22 · 06-13-2008, 02:36 PM

Oh gosh I agree with HiWei completely...I've commented on this on another thread, but if you don't have to take Bio 25 DON'T.

It was horrible. Strange, ambiguous grading. Labs are just not exciting at all. Plus, the curve is just killer. If the class average is over an 80, which it was when I took it, the 10 point grading scale is used and they don't curve. So basically if you're like, a bit below class average you have a very good chance of getting a C. If the average is below 80, they do curve. My average ended up being a few points below the class average (which, if I remember correctly, was an 81 when I took it) and I got a C, which SUCKS because I've taken classes where I've been obscenely below average (::cough:: Math 103 and Physics 53/54) and gotten C+'s, and taken classes where I sat right about where I did in Bio 25 and got B's.

I actually liked Biology, but for me, it was a miserable class. You'll find much more interesting courses, I promise. Don't do it.

SirGecko · 06-13-2008, 04:47 PM

And see, I hate most intro classes and absolutely loved Bio25. I liked the long labs, I found them relaxing. I thought the tests were graded fairly (though I did do well on most of them) and while I'll admit that the curve was a little harsh, I had long since given up on the illusion that I could get A's in even most of my classes at Duke so I didn't mind it so much. (probably hurts more as a freshman, I took it sophomore year)

It also might depend on the lecturers? I had mostly Grunwald and Nowicki lecturing (some of the best lectures I have had at Duke, the one that wasn't lecturing would sit in the audience and ask stupid leading questions and such; then again if you don't like that sort of thing you might have found that annoying, I dunno) and my lab TA was great.

So I guess to each his own.

Edit: oh and the solution to that huge class, hard to see problem? Sit near the front! Now that doesn't address the more serious concern about being in a huge class that the professor doesn't really know who you are which can make asking for help harder (at least for me) among other problems.

newbluedevil2012 · 06-16-2008, 06:31 PM

Do we have to take a math class within the first semester to fill the prerequisite requirements for other classes? I took AP Calculus AB and got a 5- so I should be eligible to skip MATH 31. Sorry for the trouble guys :P

SBR · 06-16-2008, 09:51 PM

NBD2012: what other classes? when are you planning to take them?

newbluedevil2012 · 06-16-2008, 09:55 PM

My new schedule that I think I want to take is:
Seminar- Biotech and the New Genetics
Math 32L
Spanish 76
Chem 21L

SBR · 06-16-2008, 10:14 PM

I meant the classes that require a math class. Depending on when you want to take them, you could choose when to take math.

turbo4g63 · 06-23-2008, 08:21 PM

a piece of unsolicited advice: don't take Math 32 lightly. I just finished 108 (diff eq) and I thought 32 was the hardest math class out of the four I've taken at Duke (everyone has a different opinion... 103 has a terrible rep, I didn't think it was that bad). Part of that could have been adjusting to the collegiate teaching pace.

Who is teaching Chem21 now?

newbluedevil2012 · 06-24-2008, 12:03 AM

Chem 21 is being taught by Cristopher Roy... I haven't heard much about him. I've always been pretty good at math- but do you think that Math 32 is really that hard? Everywhere I've been reading has said that 103 is the really difficult one.

SBR · 06-24-2008, 12:14 AM

Chris Roy is a great teacher, wonderful sense of humor, clear organized lectures. His tests though, are challenging, fair but challenging. I had him for chem 152, best chem teacher I could've gotten for that class.

SirGecko · 06-24-2008, 12:18 AM

As Turbo said, it really can depend. I thought 108 was the hardest and really didn't mind 103.

SBR · 06-24-2008, 12:25 AM

108 was pretty hard to grasp conceptually, but some of it was pretty formulaic. You basically do problems until you can do it in your sleep and just regurgitate that. At least that's how some of my friends got through it.