docketgold

Changing your IHUM is certainly possible. I don't remember the exact process but you'll have to petition and it's likely that your pick of the remaining choices won't be guarenteed, i.e. you could end up with a time slot you REALLY don't want if you switch out.

cosa nostra

How do you guys know your schedule already??? And how is the cedro dorm room in comparison to other freshman dorms?? And can I buy a bike at stanford for less than $100, or will i have to go to a store in the area?
And finally on a less serious note, how good lookin are the females??

Sly Si

Cedro's a standard all-frosh dorm. It's pretty nice, I'd say--about 90 people including staff, and everyone has spacious 1-room doubles (almost everyone--a few frosh might get tiny singles). Very strong dorm spirit and sense of community.

IHUM can be changed, and a schedule conflict is a very good reason that they will grant.

About voice lessons, the audition is probably just to make sure you can sing. The teachers don't take on beginning students, so if you're just learning to sing, they have you take a voice class first, which I think is sort of like group lessons. My guess is the audition makes sure you don't belong in that class.

The only PWR that I recognize at all is "If These Walls Could Talk: The Rhetoric of Places and Spaces". Most PWR classes are only around for a year or two before they change, and that one's the exception; I think this is its third year, at least. Your best bet for picking a good one is to look at the course descriptions. Note that some have different requirements from others (in particular the CWP ones).

About getting to campus, I recommend against taking public transportation from SFO, especially with two bags. If you do that, you'll need to take the AirTrain to the BART station, take two different BART trains to get to Millbrae (used to be just one, then they changed it earlier this year), Caltrain to Palo Alto, then the Marguerite shuttle to a point close to your dorm. You'll be ready to collapse by the time you get to your dorm. Take Super Shuttle instead--you can catch one right outside the terminal, and it drops you off right at your dorm. Well worth the $25-$30.

For courseload, I'd recommend three academic classes your first quarter. If you take four, make sure it's an easy load (for example, make the fourth an introsem). Activity classes (music groups, P.E. classes, social dance, marching band) don't count towards your three.

superwizard

Here's a few pictures of Wilbur (all the dorms in wilbur look the same) Associated Student of Stanford University

I agree with sly si. Don't take 4 academic classes-not your first quarter at least!

johno12345

Thanks for answering these questions guys. I appreciate it.

Is taking Physics 45 before Physics 41 going to be a problem? My high school was pretty anti-AP so I have no credit, and my yearlong high school physics course was a bit of a joke. Also, do I need to take Physics 46 when I take 45? I am taking it as a prereq for an engineering major.

Thanks again.

frog139

Ooh I have the same question as above except I took AP Physics C junior year then forgot it all... I'm assuming this completely throws out the 60 series too even though I was great at physics at the time? I want to be a physics major, not engineering.

superwizard

Frog: If you're planning on majoring in Physics I'd suggest taking the 60 series because if you take the 40 series you'll need to take another physics class as well (at least that's what my physics major friend tells me). If you took AP Physics C and did well in it then give Physics 60 a shot!

cosa nostra

thx for that link of the wilbur pictures! Oh and what about my questions about the bikes and the girls???

masterharper

thanks for the heads up. but i have to wonder, how do some of you guys already know what you're taking? i thought we couldn't pick until after meeting our advisors during NSO.

and question! what exactly are these intro seminars? i just got my course catalogue for those today.

also, i heard that they offer a hip-hop class during the fall quarter. is it difficult to sign up for this class? and other activity classes?

predictable

"how do some of you guys already know what you're taking? i thought we couldn't pick until after meeting our advisors during NSO."

I reccommend that all of you go through the bulletin and try to find out which classes you would take this quarter. Although you will speak to an advisor, they will not pick out your courses for you but only provide advise or suggestions on how to make the most of your time at Stanford. Don't show up unprepared with no idea of what kinds of classes you want to take.

superwizard

cosa: sorry I forgot about your other questions. No you can't buy a bike on campus for 100$ you'll have to go to target to get one that cheap. The ones in the bookstore cost over 200$.

You'll hear a lot of people complain about the girls on campus but honestly I think they're exaggerating. This isn't model school or anything but there definitely are some good looking girls here-dont believe the hype. More importantly most of them are really smart and nice.

Introsems are small classes that you take with a professor. They're usually not difficult and its usually a good opportunity to get to know a professor.

Sly Si

johno12345: They won't stop you from taking 45 before 41. But it probably isn't a good idea. It's OK to hold off a quarter on starting the physics sequence; you can use the extra time to get other things out of the way (PWR, GER's, other prereqs) or take something that just looks interesting.

frog139: If you still feel comfortable with the AP C material, you can start straight in at 45 in the fall and move on to higher level classes (or take care of GER's) in winter and spring. If you'll do that, you'll also need physics 70 at some point, as superwizard refers to. Your other option is to take the 60 series (the whole thing; they don't let you skip any with AP credit). There will be some material you've already seen, but I promise you will never be bored.

Introsems tend to focus on a very specific topic that you wouldn't hear much about in other courses. The topics are also often of some special interest to the professor--an area of research or expertise, or sometimes even a hobby (the most well-known being Nobel-winning physicist Doug Osheroff's seminar... on photography). Note that you have to apply to get in; some are more competitive than others. Don't be afraid to apply for a sophomore seminar as a frosh, or vice versa.

masterharper: There's a class called "Intermediate-Advanced Hip-Hop" offered in the fall, but I don't know anything about it.

For everyone: AFAIK, the hardest activity classes to get into are the social (i.e. ballroom) dance classes. If you sign up shortly after enrollment opens (or for this quarter, as soon as you meet with your advisor) and go a little early on the first day, you should be fine. By the way, everyone should take at least Social Dance I sometime in their Stanford career.

About your advisor meeting: Unless you really have no idea what to take, you should go in with a short-ish list of potential classes and ask for your advisor's opinion on those. Don't start from scratch at the meeting. And make sure your list isn't just prereqs for your major--it's important to explore a little, especially your first year.

Finally, have a look at stanfordcourses.com. It's a much better search tool than Axess if you're browsing for classes.

fliegbieg

Hi Everyone,

My son will be a freshman in class 2012. He is thinking about taking Math 51H, but we are not sure he will be able to do it since he has only done a bit of epsilon-delta proofs at the beginning of his single variable calculus course. Would you mind giving us some advice about the class. Whether is it really hard to get an "A" there?

Thank you very much!

fliegbieg

By the way, my son will live in Mirlo House of Florence Moore Hall. How is the dorm room there? Thanks!

1230wc

cosa nostra: Cheap bikes don't last long. Save yourself some hassle by spending a little more money. Punctured tubes, misaligned chains, and other problems from poor construction are not fun to fix.