<p>To clarify, WAMOM is referring more to a situation where a student passes out of a freshman core class entirely, Gravity Fields is referring to placing into more advanced sections of freshman core classes. </p>
<p>Placing into Physics 24A is recommended because: 1) it’s a more mathematically rigorous treatment of mechanics; 2) one lecture per week instead of two; 3) the average grade is an A-, rather than a B- as in Physics 24. 4) The last few years, the instructor for 24A has been fantastic.</p>
<p>Placing into Math 30B is recommended because: 1) homeworks have a more abstract/theoretical focus, rather than a computational one; 2) pass/fail, so no risk; 3) more interesting faculty tend to teach 30B</p>
<p>Placing out of freshman core classes is a much more difficult decision. Generally, core classes are well taught, provide an opportunity to meet others during group homework sessions, and cover the material much better than high school does. Thus, for someone majoring in physics, doing 24A is probably a good idea even if you can pass out of it. <strong>Exceptional performance in a core class can lead to a faculty invitation for research, or can at least strengthen your case if you ask a prof. for research during freshman year</strong></p>
<p>The one exception is Frosh Chem. While most departments treat their core classes as opportunities to recruit for their major, the chemistry department sees it more as a burden. The upshot of this is that the chemistry department reserves its best faculty for classes taught for its majors. The other departments tend to have their best faculty split time between upper-division classes and core classes. Thus, anyone who has the opportunity to pass out of Frosh Chem (few people) should take it. Frosh Chem is usually the earliest class you’ll have, so passing out of it means more sleep :)</p>