<p>I’m taking EE10 with Abidi as well. The hours got me confused too but I don’t really mind since it fits the sched anyway.</p>
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<p>It’s generally a good idea to take 35l before any upper division programming cs class, as it touches on a wide range of topics and gives you a feel of software development.</p>
<p>On the topic of upper division CS courses can you suggest any mid-level programming ones before getting into the really intensive classes like CS111/CS131?</p>
<p>CS118/143 aren’t very difficult. But CS111 was my first upper div and I did fine.</p>
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<p>It doesn’t mean anything other than it’s not very popular.</p>
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<p>I don’t think UCLA is known for its ChemE program, but i don’t know.</p>
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<p>you don’t have to be in a fraternity or in a lot of clubs to have a social life. you just have to be able to socialize with people. Just start conversations.</p>
<p>@Tom1215 and Grassbandit: As a bioengineering major, I’d like to correct a few misconceptions, and provide my input on various other questions as well.</p>
<p>Bioengineering = biological engineering = biomedical engineering. There’s zero “agriculture” - this isn’t ChE environmental option or Evo / Eco Bio.</p>
<p>Regarding med school, please, PLEASE do engineering. I hate it when people choose an easy major just so they can get into med school with a higher GPA. I’m learning way more in terms of content and real-world problem solving by being a man about what I study. There’s a reason why there are few excellent physicians, and also why most MDs are terrible at research and problem-solving. If you choose your major based off of “difficulty”, I have no respect for you. I have friends who were engineers at MIT, Stanford, Cal, and UCLA, and they all were accepted to top tier med schools. Call me pretentious, but I wouldn’t have my family see a doctor who was some weak-ass “pre-med” major. But be nice to your friends in that boat; we need them around to make our stats look good ;)</p>
<p>UCLA’s ChE department is strong. They are the top provider of ChE’s to SoCal, and ranked moderately among the nation. I took ChE for my tech. breadth - the material was very detailed, and the professors are quite accomplished. Be sure you understand what ChE entails - it’s all thermo and mass transfer.</p>
<p>There are always lots of questions about the “strength” of a department. Look, UCLA isn’t MIT; all the engineering programs are on about the same page. The Engineering school as a whole is decent. Look at the website, look up the statistics, and see where people go. The most accurate information is not from other undergraduates, but from the departments that compile all the information available.</p>
<p>As for a social life, how successful do you want to be? If I could name one regret at UCLA, it’s that I cared too much about enjoying myself and friends during my freshman and sophomore year. I would take it all back and study like mad if I could. But I know plenty of successful engineers who have great social lives as well.</p>
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<p>That’s the way the world works. If you want to risk going to a lesser ranked med school just so you can pat yourself on the back that’s up to you.</p>
<p>don’t hate the player. hate the game.</p>
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<p>because you won’t get anywhere by studying like a woman. :rolleyes:</p>
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<p>There’s a reason why there are few excellent electrical engineers that specialize in analog circuits. What I am saying is that not all programs are equal, and there are a lot of programs out there for engineering. I imagine this is the reason there also so few excellent doctors out there.</p>
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<p>they are probably exceptional students, but how many more students didn’t get into a med school or got into lower tier schools?</p>
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<p>So you’re saying you would see a doctor that went to lower tier med school over someone that graduated from Harvard, JHU, Stanford, etc. just because they did engineering as an undergrad? Sure. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>It’s like saying I wouldn’t hire an MIT engineering PhD graduate because he got his undergrad at a “weak-ass” program like UC Merced. Everyone knows that the only degree that matters is the most recent (highest level).</p>
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<p>too bad some of them will get into your top choices because of high GPAs and application packages. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughtful reply, GrassBandit.</p>
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<p>I’m starting to believe too that Abidi might have changed it so he can teach us more.
And, yes, the 30 minutes do matter when it comes to traffic on 405. 
Anyways, after reading your reviews of Abidi, I’m sort of excited about taking his class. I just hope this excitement won’t die out too fast once the class starts…</p>
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<p>But class ends at 4:00 PM so you still have plenty of time beat the worst of it. It would be worse if it was 5:00 PM. </p>
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<p>He is intimidating! Just hope you have a great TA too. Remember that you can drop the class by the 4th week, which is a good option if you don’t plan on pursuing the circuits pathway.</p>
<p>Has anyone here done the exchange program or EAP for engineering? If so, would engineering courses be able to be completed in the foreign schools, specifically upper division courses?</p>
<p>I haven’t done EAP, but know some who have. Be very careful before you go to ensure that the classes you will take will transfer back to UCLA. If an OASA counselor can’t tell you, show a UCLA prof who teaches the subject the foreign school’s description of the course (see if you can find a syllabus for it showing the schedule of topics covered) and see if s/he thinks it’s equivalent or would count for a UCLA course. Ideally, try to get something in writing. Realize also that once you get to the foreign school, you may not be able to get into all the classes you planned to (perhaps because of a last minute schedule change or cancelled class).</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply darwink.
I’m pretty interested in studying abroad for a quarter or more, but was thinking that it would be difficult in completing chemical engineering courses while i was there. I don’t want to delay my graduation date at all, and if it did, I don’t think my parents would let me do it anyways. So I guess the best bet would be going to a counselor when school starts!</p>
<p>I’m planning to take CS111 this fall, but it’s been a while since I completed those lower div CS classes. I’m afraid I’m a bit rusty with programming right now, so I’d like to prepare myself for the class if I can. </p>
<p>Can any of you give me suggestions on how I can prepare, if at all? What programming language is used primarily in that class? Should I read the textbook? Any tips on how to survive that class will be helpful too.</p>
<p>The hardest part about CS111 is the constant flow of work. You can work on the labs with a partner, so try to take it with a friend who’s a solid programmer.</p>
<p>All the code for the class is C. The projects take a long time, so start early and don’t procrastinate. As for the midterm and final, they’re based off the lectures and projects. Frankly, I never opened the book (if you insist on getting it I can sell it to you).</p>
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I have done exchange with EAP. The first thing you should do is to narrow down which programs you want to attend. It’s best if you are planning for just one school, and you should begin this process once you start your EAP application.</p>
<p>Assuming you know which EAP program you are applying to, the next step is to look for classes in the exchange university. Look at their website, usually they will post the courses for the upcoming semesters for inbound exchange students to look at and plan. If it is not available, you may email the school’s exchange advisor for more information. Here is a link of pre-approved courses which past EAP students have taken and received UC credit: (<a href=“https://myeap.eap.ucop.edu/Galileo/Service/CourseCatalog/CourseCatalog.aspx[/url]”>https://myeap.eap.ucop.edu/Galileo/Service/CourseCatalog/CourseCatalog.aspx</a>) By looking at the course description, you should get an idea of what is equivalent and what is not (partner university vs. UCLA). The courses on the list are 100% transferable back to UCLA. Everyone should fill out a Course Equivalency form (Submit it to BH6426) to verify that you can get UC credit back for specific courses - a course auditor will let you know through the results through email. </p>
<p>For courses not on the list, the Course Equivalency Form (<a href=“http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/OASA/updates/Course%20Evaluation%20Request%20Form%201.13.2010.doc[/url]”>http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/OASA/updates/Course%20Evaluation%20Request%20Form%201.13.2010.doc</a>) becomes very important. Attach a course description, textbooks used, grading scale, and the course listing (CHEM 405 at exchange university - MAE 105A at UCLA) so the auditor has enough information to make a decision. You should get a response within a few weeks. It takes longer to process requests for major courses than GE courses.</p>
<p>If you plan to transfer more than 3 or 4 upper division courses back to UCLA, you will need to plan the program very carefully. Submit as many Course Equivalency Forms as you need, you can do this for more than just one program.</p>
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<p>If you’re talking about those study abroad programs, then make absolutely sure that the class you take is equivalent to UCLA. You don’t want to have to stay an additional quarter to retake a course that was not transferable.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply BoelterHall and zer0c123.
I will definitely look more into the subject. I feel that studying abroad is a great way to experience something different (although I am an international out-of-state student).</p>
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<p>That is what I really needed to know! I don’t think I have any friend taking cs111 with me, so I’m gonna TRY to be a solid programmer myself just in case. Thanks for all the helpful tips, arklogic. :)</p>
<p>Grassbandit, I would love to address your statement point-by-point in a more coherent fashion if it was even moderately worth my time to do so. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, so I’ll generalize.</p>
<p>Having talked to and finding agreement from multiple medical school admissions counselors, as well as faculty that sit on admission boards, I stand behind what I said about majoring in something useful, albeit more difficult.</p>
<p>You failed to make the proper argument, so I’ll make it for you for the sake of completeness. The majority of students who even ask the question “what major” are the ones who obviously aren’t interested in what they do for undergraduate - they just want to get into medicine. It’s safe to assume most of them have no desire for a PhD at the most, and at the least will probably not perform any sort of significant research.</p>
<p>A degree in BME or EE means much more than a degree in sociology. To whom, and by how much is up for debate, but a 3.8 in sociology versus a 3.8 in an engineering major paints a fairly clear picture about usefulness to society, and ability as an individual in generic scientific endeavors.</p>
<p>I suppose there was a misunderstanding, so I’ll clarify. Assuming an individual interested in medicine is GENUINELY ambitious, intellectually capable, and motivated, I would highly recommend them to ignore rumors of “difficulty” and pursue what is actually captivating. For me, and many of my peers, engineering is a clear choice. Assuming an individual does not give a rat’s ass about things outside of the clinic (and I mean excluding things even remotely related), or lacks the capacity to do otherwise, then [insert pre-med major here] may be for them.</p>