<p>There is no need to take E7 your first year. Taking it second semester would be quite time-consuming. I would say there is little difference in terms of time consumption between Math 53/54, Physics 7A/7B, and Chem 4A/4B (considering the special project in 4B). Ultimately, how much time you spend on your classes in a way matters more in terms of planning out courseload than their relative conceptual difficulty. </p>
<p>If you really wanted to get it over by sophomore year, you could take E7 in the summer. If not, I would wait until second semester of sophomore year. First semester you’ll be plenty busy with Chem 112A and Chem E 140, which are the respective introductory classes to their subjects.</p>
<p>By the way, have you even been accepted to Berkeley yet? Just curious.</p>