18.03 and 8.02 ASE

Physics08 · 09-08-2007, 01:03 PM

Does anyone have any opinions about taking the 18.03 and 8.02 ASE's during IAP?

Olo · 09-08-2007, 04:15 PM

Try it. It can't hurt you (as it will appear in P/NR). Having said that, I think you have a lot of better things to do during IAP, but if you really, really, want to get through those classes, go for it.

I'd really only go through 18.03 ASE if you want to take a class which has it as a prerequisite in the spring. I'd take the 8.02 one if you want to become a physics major and wish to progress along that track faster. If you don't plan on taking any 18.03-requiring classes or, say, 8.03 next term, I don't really see the point. You can always do what a small but significant number of people do: put off 8.02 until like junior year.

Physics08 · 09-09-2007, 06:46 PM

Ok thanks Olo. Will actual grades for the ASE appear on my transcript or is it still P/NR? Also will these grades on the ASE affect my GPA?

pebbles · 09-09-2007, 07:40 PM

P/NR so no effect on GPA

Olo · 09-10-2007, 07:46 AM

Grades appear internally, but not on anything official and sent out. They do not factor into your GPA. It won't hurt you to try.

differential · 09-10-2007, 04:37 PM

8.02 exam is not very hard. Go through the book, look at old practice exams and listen to Prof Lewin's lectures and you're set.

crazyray · 09-10-2007, 10:03 PM

actually, it's A/B/C/NR when you take it during IAP. that's how it worked out when i took 18.06

their reasoning is that by taking/getting credit, you exceed the freshmen limit, so it should go into the next semester's grading bracket. and also, i somehow also conveniently lost my NR for second semester, as I exceeded the other freshmen limit by passing out of 18.06 and signing up for 4 more classes. you should talk to your advisor about it, but they might not know much either. i'm just passing along what happened to me

and no matter when you take ASE's, they never affect GPA. so if you don't mind explaining to grad schools why you may have an F for a certain class, go for the ASE at any given time =)

Physics08 · 09-11-2007, 12:25 AM

I actually contacted the person in charge and they did say ABC/NR but the letter grades will only appear on the internal record.

pebbles · 09-11-2007, 12:29 AM

The only way to exceed the freshman credit limit is by petitioning for sophomore standing... or so they say. You give up NR for more flexibility but you could hardly have not noticed applying for and receiving it... maybe you suffered at the hands of a clerical error, crazyray

Physics08 · 09-11-2007, 04:45 PM

Speaking of sophomore standing, what are the requirements? Someone told me it was having four GIRs out of the way and taking a HASS/ CI first semester.

Physics08 · 09-11-2007, 04:46 PM

Oh and if I'm offered sophomore standing but decide to take the ASE anyway, will failing grades on the exam during IAP still show N/R?

molliebatmit · 09-11-2007, 07:32 PM

The Academic Guide says

Quote:

After one semester freshmen may advance class year only if they are offered early sophomore status by the Associate Dean for Academic Resources and Programming. To be eligible for early sophomore status, a student must have completed by the end of the first term 25% of the undergraduate program, including a majority of the Science Requirement and an appropriate Communication Intensive subject (either a CI-H or CI-HW), . Eligible freshmen who wish to declare early sophomore status may do so in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP), any time on or before Add Date of their second term at MIT.

That reads to me like having finished at least 5 classes in the science requirement, plus a HASS-CI, plus 45 units outside the GIRs.

rxhu123 · 12-30-2007, 11:27 AM

I am a little bit confused. Are most of you NORMAL students in MIT ? Do most of MIT students take ASE to skip the class ? My son just got admission to MIT. He probably can pass 8.01 and 8.02 in ASE. But what is the advantage ? Take more advanced courses ? This will make him having different schedule with other freshman. and make him isolated and work along in most of the classes. Can I hear the pro and con for skipping the classes ? I think he will major in Biology (7)

molliebatmit · 12-30-2007, 12:02 PM

Generally, students take ASEs in order to free their schedules to take classes of their choosing rather than having to take the GIRs over again. Especially considering that there's a cap on the number of classes freshmen can take, many freshmen want to take courses in which they're interested rather than retaking material in which they're already proficient.

The con to taking ASEs is that students may not know the material as well as students who actually took the MIT classes, and may be at a disadvantage in further courses in the subject. However, if your son plans to major in biology, he wouldn't need to take any further courses in physics.

Most students do not take advanced standing exams. Information on the number of students taking ASEs and passing out of freshman classes via AP credit can be found here and here, from the MIT student newspaper. This year, 16% of the freshman class passed out of 8.01 via AP credit; about another 3% of the class passed out of 8.01 via the ASE, and about another 5% passed out of 8.02 via the ASE.

rxhu123 · 12-31-2007, 08:49 AM

molliebatmit. Thank you for your reply. Biology is always my son biggest interest. However, after he went to the USPho training camp last summer, he becomes very interested in Physics. He is reading the books "Modern Physics" and the Feynman "Lecture in Physics" all the time. I am not sure that he wants to get a minor in Physics just for the fun of it.
I looks at lecture note and assignment in 8.01 amd 8.02 from MIT website. I can see he know most of the subjects, But there is some areas such as polar coordinate he can learn more if he takes the course. I think it is better for him to decide by himself once he arrives the school.