PiperXP

Haha, don't be bitter rainynightstarz =D. Plenty of people take 8.01.

RabbitHole - there's a decent amount, yes, I believe this fall had 2 TEAL classes full.

jessiehl

Augh, augh, augh, taking that class was the worst mistake I made first term.

However, it sounds like you have a better chem background and more chem talent than I do. Most people in the class didn't get hit as hard as I was - I was simply in over my head.

Note, though, that I still passed it, on the first try, even if barely. If it was doable for me, it's doable for someone with more aptitude for the subject and better background.

NeobiuM.90

can I take my bio GIR next fall (2009)? Because I want to take 18.01, 8.01 and 5.112 classes this fall. And I really want to attend Lander's class :P

PiperXP

Technically you can take any GIR any time - the danger is when it interferes with your major. If you plan on majoring in, say, 7 or 10B or 20, you need to get bio in the first year. If you're majoring in 3, then you can put it off as long as you want =D. But I would still try to get GIRs over this year...

Another thing you can do is take 18.01, 8.01, 5.112, and 7.012 in the fall, and take 18.02, 8.02, and 2 HASS classes in the spring. I really wish I had gone that route, actually, because 5.111 is better in the fall.

molliebatmit

Well, even if you're 7 you can take 7.012 in your sophomore fall -- 7.012/3/4 is really a co-req for 7.03, and they'll allow you to take them concurrently during sophomore fall.

But yes, it's pretty common to put off the bio GIR until sophomore or junior year if you're not majoring in a biology-requiring subject.

iPutSTUDinStudy

I've heard so much about Lander and his class! What makes him so popular? And how difficult is his class... honestly?

ask-paul

Lander is an amazing, hilarious, famous, and - most important - brilliant lecturer. Many of MIT's professors are fantastic researchers but only average lecturers; Lander excels in both.

His class is really not that difficult - it's an introductory biology class for people of all majors, after all - but biology tends to demand more memorization and a different kind of problem solving than other classes (e.g. math/physics), so perhaps that's why some people consider it to be difficult.

iPutSTUDinStudy

Ohh ok, that makes sense. Did you take this class freshman year?

Do you have to have credit for any other classes before being able to take this one?

kryptonsa36

Intro bio (7.01x) has no pre-reqs.

iPutSTUDinStudy

Is Lander's class offered only in the fall?

iPutSTUDinStudy

**Because I've heard from several people NOT to take chem in the spring. So what would be the best way to schedule bio/chem if I want to take Lander's class?

Why do so many people warn against spring semester chem?

molliebatmit

Because spring semester chem is taught by lecturers that aren't as good as the lecturers in the fall, and since fewer students take the class in the spring (and many of those who take it in the spring failed it in the fall), it's harder to find a problem set group. The evaluations are uniformly worse in the spring than in the fall.

If you want to take 7.012, you can take it either freshman or sophomore fall. If you want to take it freshman fall, it's going to work out best if you have credit for another one of the GIRs, so that you're not putting yourself off-semester for 8.01, 18.01, or 5.111. Otherwise, just take it sophomore fall. You could also do what Piper suggests in post #34, taking 4 technical classes in the fall and doubling up on HASSes in the spring, but I would consider that a last resort.

kryptonsa36

One could also opt out of 7.01x altogether by passing out of the ASE, then watching Lander (and Weinberg) give their lectures on YouTube for fun. :P

iPutSTUDinStudy

There's a bio ASE?? I had no idea.. lol

kryptonsa36

There are ASEs for all the technical GIRs (and more).