<p>Ok, I’m about to transfer from a community college to a top UC. I’ve finished most of my lower division credits. Unfortunately, this leaves me with only 8 quarter units left to take during spring. Now I know that its been mentioned before that it isn’t a good idea to be below full time. But I’m going off the fact that adcoms dislike community college so, the less units the better. Also, I was thinking that if that doesn’t work, I could bank on the fact that I don’t need anymore lower div units and thus adcoms would understand. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Can you add in something fluffy just to make up the difference? Not a premed course or a science course, but, say, a history course of some kind?</p>
<p>What about something really easy like a pass no pass international studies class? </p>
<p>But the thing is, I’m really tired of taking these fluff classes. I’m not learning anything and I’m still getting A+s without trying. This whole year has been filled with fluff classes. I’m not getting any smarter. And that is frustrating. </p>
<p>And what I’m more concerned about is how well I’m going to do after I transfer. After all, Cal does have the second highest ranking math department. So most certainly, I’m lacking in the fundamentals when taking into account the prodigious difference in level between Cal and DeAnza college. So what I’m getting at is that I plan to prep for the intense level of academics I’m in for. Obviously no class at the JC can do that for me. So I ordered some of the most rigorous mathematics textbooks used at MIT and Caltech. After having started on some problems, I noticed that they are extremely time consuming, yet nessacary for developing my understanding. And I plan to continue this for the next 6 months. So I don’t know if I have time to take the extra class. </p>
<p>I’m just wondering how great the tradeoff would be.</p>
<p>It’s not a case I’ve ever seen, but my thought would be that the low courseload would compound, not mitigate, the perceived “easy-ness” of the CC. Plus – if you’re getting A+'s without even trying, then just add one more.</p>
<p>It’s bad for med school, and it could potentially be bad for other things that are tied to you being a full time student - like remaining on your parent’s health insurance.</p>
<p>Is it better just to not take anything at all?</p>
<p>No, at least it wouldn’t be for most people. I don’t remember your exact situation, but again, there are a number of social things that require you to be a full-time student - like getting the “good student discount” on your car insurance, or remaining on your parents medical insurance. Student loan payments kickin 6 months after you go below full time, and from what I’ve heard it’s an absolute pain to get them deferred again when you return to full-time status. </p>
<p>If none of these things apply to you, then there’s less of an issue. But the academic side still remains.</p>
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<p>I don’t even drive a car. lol. But seriously, my concern is the academic side. I was thinking that if worse comes to worse, I would forgo all my spring classes( maybe through a petition). But I want to get straight A’s after I transfer. So I have to spend alot of time prepping for upper div courses. So I’m stuck in a dilemma.</p>
<p>This is a terrible idea. Almost every secondary will ask you for an explanation if you dip below full-time status. Simply saying “I ran out of lower division courses” is not a valid reason. Find some random course and get up to full-time student status.</p>
<p>But as long as its barely the minimum that should be fine right? The minimum at my school is 12units.</p>
<p>If the classes are so easy for you then why wouldn’t you take another one? Also, stop wasting your time studying MIT/Caltech math books. Here at Cal most of the math professors teach straight out of their books and have book problems (that were not assigned) show up on exams. So, strictly gradewise, its to your advantage to study out of the Cal books. </p>
<p>If you want to get A’s at Cal its not terribly difficult as long as you are diligent during the school year. Previous knowledge barely helps here.</p>
<p>Finally, if you really want to go all out, you can webcast many of the lectures for the classes you are taking. </p>
<p>So, you have much better options than reading MIT/Caltech textbooks.</p>
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<p>Well, I’ve heard that some of the questions that show up on Cal math exams are of the crazy brain teaser types. Sure I can use Cal’s text books(e.g Stewart). But the problem with a book like Stewart is that most of the questions are a cakewalk. You only get 1 or 2 brain teasers at the end of each section. So there is not much practice there. Just doing 1 or 2 brain teasers probably won’t help me do a 3rd one fast(plus I really don’t like memorizing problems). However an extremely rigorous book like Spivaks or Apostols Calculus or especially Rudins Principals of mathematical analysis is loaded with these brain teaser questions. Thus I would get more practice. Basically my philosophy is that if I can do something hard then I must be able to do something easy in a related topic. Or by doing lots of hard problems, I’m in shape to tackle any hard problem.</p>