<p>-shrugs- Caltech feeds more than is humanly possible for most people to learn and fully master in a decade, into two years. Welcome to core.</p>
<p>I don’t really have the same thoughts about core as a lot other people, I think. I don’t actually believe you’re supposed to learn the material in core, but rather, you’re supposed to learn how to learn in core.</p>
<p>The way that I think about it, core is basically a rundown of the current view of many branches of math and science, it takes you through the thought processes that people have thought about problems in the past. The homework sets, are all solved problems, often times with multiple solutions (especially so in math). If you have time to develop a creative, personal solution, great! If not, oh well, you’ll at least have learned different approaches to the problem. Core is also often graded on a relatively low curve, so honestly, as long as your approach is solid, even if you don’t get the problem completely, you’ll probably end up with a B or higher in the class. I think the people who just go around asking for answers, are just shooting themselves in the foot, especially since you don’t need to get the right answer 100% of the time to get an A in the class. And even less, if you’re okay with a B. </p>
<p>With that said, after core is over, I definitely find that it’s helped a ton, not necessarily material wise. (I don’t remember much of core, tbh.) But rather, I do remember different approaches to problems. My junior and senior level classes are rather proposal based, with very open ended questions, and homework problems and test questions that are NOT solved problems. And in that instance, being familiar with multiple attacks to the same problem is more useful than knowing and fully understanding quantum mechanics. Regardless of what field you’re in, you will use problem solving skills (if you are in science and math). You may not use Quantum Mechanics, but you may find yourself using some of the same thought processes that people used to solve quantum mechanics, in whatever field you end up in.</p>
<p>With that said. That’s only my two cents, from a senior, nonetheless. (btw, if you guys get a chance, you guys should all congratulate lizzardfire/wish him luck, even with the ungodly amounts of time he spends telling y’all about caltech, he’s still managed to be a Hertz finalist, I’m so happy for you, man!!!)</p>
<p>PS: I’m also a TA. We’re here to help, but- honestly, people who whine and complain about learning annoy me a little bit. You are always in control of your own learning. Always. The best thing about Caltech, is that there are a million people you can go to who are all very bright and can all teach you stuff, I learned my Phys 2a and Phys 2b from a senior who lived down the hall who’s now a grad student at Harvard. If you only open up your brain to the prof, and not to the TA’s, the other students in your dorm, the other people in your lab, it’s your loss. Caltech is seriously a phenomenal place when it comes to a concentration of people who really know their **** when it comes to science. <- that is really just an aside for people who complain about poor teaching, which while is not excusable, poor learning is really just as inexcusable, especially with all the resources you have at your beck and call at a place like Caltech.</p>
<p>Anyways, Cheers from England guys!!</p>