<p>Assuming I get a 4 or 5 on Calc BC, which one should I take? I was thinking 215 but I searched through the forum and it sounds like the common opinion around here is that 285 is better, but since it’s honors I’m wondering how much more difficult it is and how much larger the workload is. I’ll also take Orgo I & lab, english 124, and a philosophy seminar, so I feel like my first semester will be tough as it is.</p>
<p>I took 215 and I would personally say it was the worst class I was in frosh year. Material is just taught poorly. I will say that my friend took honors when I took calc 3 and she would always end up helping me with homework and stuff…but in the end I got a better grade than she did… so i dunno. i guess you learn more in honors, but grading is tougher cuz theres smarter kids. I would never recommend 215 to anyone</p>
<p>Thanks pistons08, I’m leaning towards the honors course I guess I just hope I can live through it and orgo.</p>
<p>I took Chem 210 and 215 too frosh year. Chem 210 was alright (B). 215 was terrible. Worst Prof. Impossible Exams. Worst grade (C). Ive never taken Math 215 but I hear that class is really tough too. I took a freshman seminar first semester and that was a joke (A). We read one book all semester and the Prof gave everyone either A or A-. Its def a nice GPA booster. As for English 124. Its a lot of reading, as opposed to 125 which is more writing (so keep that in mind). Good Luck!</p>
<p>Thanks ndesai256 - I have an orgo question also. The lab portion (chem 211) seems to have an hour lecture once a week along with the three hour lab. Is this a mandatory part of the lab, or is it similar to a discussion section of another class?</p>
<p>That lecture was packed, and I never paid much attention. I had mine Fridays at 4 o’clock lol. My lab was on Mondays from 11-2. It was probably bad timing. But there is no attendance taken at those lectures. Dr. Nolta will explain lab concepts that will be novel for most students so it will be a good idea to go. In Chem 211 you learn all organic laboratory techniques which you will put to use in Chem 215 (where you will do actual organic chemistry- that is the synthesis of organic compounds). Everyone gets A or A- in that class but for some reason she gave me B-, because my GSI was the biggest ***** in the world and told Dr. Nolta " I had a complete inability to work independently". Its only a one credit course so I wouldnt worry about it too much</p>
<p>Take 285 and make sure you get Prof. Kriz. With effort and studying for every test and participating you can pull off a solid A.</p>
<p>Yea 215 SUCKED. Professor was terrible, material was tough, but it’s manageable to do well if you just study the practice exams thoroughly before each exam. The exams mimic the practice exams. You’ll probably have a better time and learn more in 285, but it might be easier to do well in 215 because of the curve.</p>
<p>What about MATH 255 (Applied Honors Calc III). Is this easier or harder than MATH 285? I’m strongly considering a major in financial mathematics. If I do that, which would be better for me to take? I’ve actually already taken multivariable calculus in high school and got an A easily, but I’d rather retake it to boost my GPA then have to study to place out of it.</p>
<p>255 isn’t offered in the fall… so i opted for 285 because i did not want to forget my BC stuff.</p>
<p>Calc III at Michigan is MUCH harder than the multivariable class taught in high school, I took both. Do not underestimate the class, it certainly is FAR from a given GPA booster. And you can’t place out of Calc III I’m pretty sure.</p>
<p>Maybe your high school MV class wasn’t that great, but mine was as good as any college’s, and I definitely learned the material. And I’m pretty sure that the dept lets you place into higher math if you take a placement test, but like I said, I don’t want to go that route. I have no problem taking MATH 217 (Lin. Alg) and taking MATH 255 2nd semester if that’s a better option. I’d just like to know how MATH 255 is.</p>
<p>I went to a top 100 public school, so I would say my high school mv class was pretty good. It’s just different when you get to a top university. I could be wrong, but I would be surprised if your high school mv class is as good as any college’s.</p>
<p>According to a friend two years older than me who went to Dartmouth, MV Calc and Linear Algebra were easy As in college after taking it in high school. I don’t think that means my high school class was better; what I mean to say is that I think it’ll be easy taking it the second time through.</p>
<p>215 is a very straightforward class. It is essentially just use the equations to get the answer, with a few projects on the side (unless that has changed since I took it almost 3 years ago). From what I have heard, the more theoretical courses are where you have to prove most of the things you learn, and the exams are not straightforward as far as using the equations, but the curves are more generous and it is difficult to bet below some sort of B. As far as grading goes, however, that is very much not the case with 215.</p>
<p>So you’re saying the curves are more generous in the honors classes? Because, otheres have posted that it’s the other way around. And does anyone have anything to say on the difference between MATH 255 and MATH 285?</p>
<p>Well in the normal classes, ie 115,215, etc they have a distribution of everything from A+ to F (or whatever the failing grade is), but in honors, I think the lowest they give is a B-. I know a couple of my friends thought they were going to fail their honors classes, but ended up with B’s, and all throughout they had no idea what the grading scheme would be. In 215, we all knew what was going on and how we were doing and where we would end up more or less. In my opinion, the extra grade assurance isn’t worth the difficulty of honors classes unless you really want to learn the theoretical knowledge, which some people do. I preferred the more straightforward class b/c I was/am premed and I knew how well I was going to do b/c of all the hw and practice exams available.</p>
<p>Fwiw, a couple of my friends and I had the same dilemma at orientation, whether to take 215 or 285.</p>
<p>take 285 with Kriz… and you won’t have any problems… and besides the Prof. teaches the class with about 25-30 other students… makes it more like high school and you can ASK questions freely. I believe 215 is taught in a big lecture hall.</p>
<p>Hey everyone… I thought this thread died haha. The section of 285 that I can do is with T. Howard… I think I’m going to go for 285 for reasons like smaller class size, better teaching, etc. Thanks for all the advice and replies!</p>