Is this a reasonable courseload?

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
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<p>I am an incoming freshmen majoring in political science and a premed. I am planing on taking Math16A, English R1A ( i will take English R2A if i get a 4 on the english lit. AP test, but i wont be abel to get out of both semester because there is no way i can get a 5 on the test), Political Science 2, and Chem 3A. Is this too much for my first semester or is this pretty doable? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice</p>

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<p>sorry about the mistake above…i would be taking Chem 1A, not 3A</p>

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<p>Absolutely doable.</p>

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<p>Thanks Umlimited</p>

<p>Since i am a pol sci major applying to med school, i am not going to be taking as many classes as a science major would, therefore i have to do really well in the science courses i do take. Do you think i can pull of an A-/A with 3 other classes to deal with?</p>

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<p>Those 4 courses you are taking seem to be a fair (doable) amount of work. Poli Sci 2 and English R1A will have lots of reading (R1A will require several papers), Math 16A should be pretty chill if you have taken Calc AB in high school, and Chem 3A may be the most time consuming of all (very easy to fall behind, you have to be diligent and read before lectures to get the most out of them).</p>

<p>English R1A and Math 16A are the two easier courses. Start your papers early and get help, get it revised and read by the professor until perfection. Poli Sci 2, which my roommate is taking, seems pretty chill as well (lots of reading though). Chem 3A isn’t an easy A/A-, and you will have to nail down every single concept to earn a high mark on the exams.</p>

<p>Then again, the professor who teaches the course matters a lot, so use <a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessors.com%5B/url%5D”>www.ratemyprofessors.com</a> :)</p>

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<p>thanks a lot Unlimited…i think im gonna stick with this schedule</p>

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<p>Ab_Med: I took PS 2 with Prof. Price. Completely doable. Unless he changes up his course, it’s not too difficult. 2 papers 3-5 pages in length, a midterm and a final. I recommend using the Student Learning Center (SLC) for a study group. It’s so helpful in preparing for tests since it forces you to review. </p>

<p>If you get a 4 on the English Lit, then you’ll be taking R1B, R2B, or R5B not R2A. The Reading & Composition (R&C) requirement go by letters (for the halves).</p>

<p>I recommend you check out:</p>

<p><a href=“http://complit.berkeley.edu/courses.php[/url]”>http://complit.berkeley.edu/courses.php&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://english.berkeley.edu/courses/Fall2006R1A-R1B.html[/url]”>http://english.berkeley.edu/courses/Fall2006R1A-R1B.html&lt;/a&gt; *
<a href=“http://rhetoric.berkeley.edu/courses_1A1B.html[/url]”>http://rhetoric.berkeley.edu/courses_1A1B.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And others in Celtic Studies, History of Art, African American Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, German, Italian, French, etc.</p>

<p>The individual department website has the course description of the class. That way, you can find a R&C class that interests you. For example, I’m enrolled in Italian Studies R5B that will look at Italian Art, translated readings, etc. It will use The Da Vinci Code as a way to whet our appetites for more formal readings.</p>

<p>*The descriptions are not online yet. </p>

<p>And yes, completely doable. Though I recommend you find a back up for the R&C. They tend to fill up quickly, particularly for the “B” series.</p>

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<p>thanks eiffelguy, the websites were really helpful</p>