<p>You could go through the old course home pages for each course to see if one or the other is easier for you to learn on your own. If there is a significant difference, take as a course the one that is harder for you to learn on your own – the easier one you can more easily learn on your own on the job later.</p>
<p>I would put 162 as being somewhat more important than 169, though. 169 may also be better taken after some of the other upper division courses, since knowing the other courses’ concepts may help you in choosing and doing the project of your choice for 169.</p>