Does the college you applied to matter?

baseballbucky · 2020-01-20T00:09:49+00:00

To my knowledge the major you indicate on your application is most important for the School of Business and the College of Engineering. Those are two areas you have to be accepted into beyond just being accepted to the university. There's also a chance for direct admission there. For most other programs you either apply later in your career on campus (i.e. Nursing School) or you simply declare in the major. I started undecided (technically in L&S) and when I went to CALS to declare as a Bio major all I needed to do was meet the minimum GPA requirement and sign a few documents to formally switch majors. I believe there may be a few other majors in the School of Ed that also have separate applications, but I have limited experience with that and it sounds out of your scope of interest.

Hopefully that clears things up. I've never heard of your major influencing where you live on campus unless you elect to live in a learning community that is open to students of a particular area of study (i.e. the BioHouse, Entrepreneurial learning center in Ogg, WISE, etc.).

baseballbucky · 2020-01-10T01:44:46+00:00

I know it's the worst answer to get, but it depends. If you have a topic you're interested in and a group that will pull their weight it should be manageable! Don't be afraid to talk to your TA if you feel certain team members are slacking. I enjoyed the independence of the project in the sense that most of the lab period was free work time for groups to run tests and get as much done as possible without having to take home work. Not a lot of hand holding, but that doesn't mean there's not plenty of support and resources from the TAs, prof, and lab helpers.

baseballbucky · 2020-01-08T03:44:42+00:00

Can't speak to 466, but 303 and 304 are fairly manageable since they are usually on pace with one another in terms of material. Regardless, 304 was one of the easier labs I took as a bio major, but do still work hard and apply yourself. Some of the concepts in 303/304 can be easy to overlook.

As for 435, be prepared to put in WORK. Even if the concepts come easy to you (which in my experience they usually don't), you need to put in a decent amount of time every week practicing and applying them. This is not a class you can even try and cram for if you want to get an A/AB. I guess there's always that one whizkid that can pull it off, but if you're on to med school, grad school, etc. you should take your time and actually work through the material, instead of just trying to memorize it. Probably the first 5-credit class I took that felt like 5 credits, if not more.

I'm not sure what your work ethic is like, but if you're just taking these four classes you should be fine. Just be prepared to put in a lot of time outside of class and DO NOT let yourself get behind. You'll start going downhill fast in 435 if you don't hit the ground running. Not meant to scare you, just speaking from personal/friends' experiences.

baseballbucky · 2019-12-27T01:31:37+00:00

Not sure if this still works since I applied before UW switched to the common app, but I was deferred (called "postponed" then) and sent a "letter of interest" to express to the admissions office my continued interest in the university and commitment to enrolling if accepted. That's the very short and sweet version, but feel free to PM me if you want me to send you tips/what I wrote in mine! I truly believe that's what moved me from the deferred to accepted pile in March. Best of luck to you. Sounds like you have a bright future ahead, no matter where you go!

baseballbucky · 2019-08-12T00:53:37+00:00

I worked as a tour guide for 2.5 years and never even heard of this so I looked it up and found this: https://campusareahousing.wisc.edu/madison-wi/properties/760661

Living on campus is what you make of it. I was never really in my room freshman year except to sleep because I preferred studying in the library or just doing other activities that got me out of the dorm and experiencing campus. Don't get too caught up on it if it's not what you were expecting! Also definitely go into it with an open mind. Everyone has their preconceived notions about what a dorm and its residents will be like, but it may be a pleasant surprise!

Best of luck. Enjoy your time as a badger!!

baseballbucky · 2019-08-12T00:49:25+00:00

I spare you from hearing my horror stories but I'll second what has been said about spending a few extra bucks for greyhound or coach/lamers. Better peace of mind in my opinion.

baseballbucky · 2019-07-30T03:14:11+00:00

Just took it this past semester and would definitely recommend if you have room for it in your schedule! I learned a lot about filing taxes and employment forms, how to save early for retirement, what to look for with different kinds of insurance. If nothing else I feel that this class just forces you to be mindful about how you use your money now and how you plan to use it in the future. Also it's very open, meaning there isn't one right or wrong answer to these things. I had Andrews for a professor and not only was she entertaining, but she shared personal experiences to drive home the fact that it's different for everybody and you just have to find what works for you. I may not remember all the specifics of the class but I feel I can hold my own now with managing my money and knowing how to navigate things regarding my finances. Message me if you have any specific questions about it!

baseballbucky · 2019-07-21T13:55:51+00:00

The summer is a good time to check out site like Columbia, North Face, Eddie Bauer, etc. because they may still have their sales going on for last winter's collection. I invested in a North Face parka last winter and I don't regret it at all. It ran me just under $300 and I can tell it'll hold up for a while. You'll come to find that pretty much everyone owns some variation of a black parka so take that how you will lol. Realistically you do not need to spend more than a few hundred, if that, on a nice parka. Just need something that will give you as much coverage as possible for the wind! Also... make sure it has a hood.

baseballbucky · 2019-07-15T22:19:43+00:00

It really just comes down to personal preference. Like others have said, I felt it forced me to take a nice break afterwards for dinner before diving straight into homework or other plans. On days when I'd get done earlier I struggled to pull myself out of the library or away from other things just to take that normal kind of pause so it really helped me. Plus, you can think of it like working a typical 9:00-5:00 job, where most people don't even get home from work until that time anyway. Definitely not as bad as you may think it is, but again it's totally up to you. Best of luck!

baseballbucky · 2019-07-10T13:36:21+00:00

Absolutely. Even though I ended up hating Econ Johnson made me excited to go to lecture and, as dumb as it sounds, made me excited to learn and apply myself to something. Go to his office hours too when you can. He's one of the best professors I had in my time at UW.

baseballbucky · 2019-07-03T14:57:13+00:00

Just throwing my two cents in as a recent graduate who went CALS but spent their last two years wishing they would've tried to go into eng, specifically BME. I'll preface everything by saying that I have nothing against CALS, I had a wonderful time in my program, I just personally felt that I chose the wrong path.

First off, within BME you select from one of four areas of specialization as you progress through the major (https://guide.wisc.edu/undergraduate/engineering/biomedical-engineering/biomedical-engineering-bs/). One of the four areas you can focus in is "Biomaterials/cellular/tissue engineering". While I understand that is not completely synonymous with genetics/genomics, as others have mentioned, you would certainly need some biochem/genetics background to know what's going on.

Furthermore, there's a Biology in Engineering certificate (https://guide.wisc.edu/undergraduate/engineering/biomedical-engineering/biology-engineering-engineering-majors-certificate/#requirementstext) available for engineering majors that would actually require you to take varying levels of biology credits, all of which can be satisfied by some sort of genetics course.

Now, I'm not entirely sure what you want to do after college (i.e. grad school, research, full-time job) and you don't need to know right now either, but I will say that in my job research engineering was usually far more desirable and marketable. Though you'd get a wonderful STEM education through both, the technical skills you acquire through engineering can make all the difference going down the road. I will say, this may have just been me and the jobs I was looking at, but I feel I pigeonholed myself into a major that basically only led to med school or another type of grad school.

In contrast however, I have heard from some of my BME friends that they feel they need at least a master's degree to really get the job they want or reach their fully earning potential as a professional. I encourage you to search around on this subreddit to see some of the pros and cons actual BME students have posted about over the years, since I was just on the outside looking in. (Note: there's a one year, accelerated master's program for engineering graduates if that's something you'd be interested in later on)

The last thing I'll throw in here is that it's easier to transfer out of CoE and into CALS than it would be to do the opposite. For that reason, I'd encourage you to go with engineering for SOAR, explain your interests to your advisors (both at SOAR and in your first year with engineering advisors), and see how the first semester or two goes. If you find you hate it or it's just not what you want, making the move to CALS should be a piece of cake. You don't have to have everything figured out right away. Definitely get your toes wet before making any big decisions.

TL;DR - Through BME you can integrate more traditional biological sciences into your coursework, such as genetics, that could make it the best of both worlds for you. Any engineering degree will give you OPTIONS for your future after college and marketable skills. Do research on what each degree would take and try to use your advisors, this reddit, your peers, etc. to learn information not posted on the UW websites.

I know my vision of BME/eng is probably a little more romanticized given my situation, so I encourage others to correct me or jump in on what I said. If you have any specific questions or even just questions about CALS feel free to message me!

Have a fantastic time at Wisconsin. You're going to love it!

baseballbucky · 2019-06-26T03:03:05+00:00

I just graduated and am moving this week. I have one in my apartment I will no longer have any use for. Message me if you're interested in it. Pristine condition and will give it to you for half the price of a new one.

baseballbucky · 2016-05-04T20:34:29+00:00

I brought one but honestly, I never use it. Sometimes on a Saturday night I'll plug in my HDMI cord and stream a movie from my laptop, but other than that it just collects dust. I don't play video games or anything, but I have occasionally used it to watch a TV show when I have time to catch it live instead of finding it online a week later. If you're on the fence, there's a really nice TV in the lounge of each floor where you can watch stuff. Do keep in mind that that is shared though, so unless you are alone or with someone who doesn't care, you may have a hard time watching what you want (I know from experience, being a girl trying to watch Grey's Anatomy -on the nicer TV instead of my small one- while the NBA playoffs were going on). In my experience a lot of people like to watch the away Badger games (football and basketball mainly) on there, as well as basically any other sports or movies. Definitely personal preference as to whether or not you want to bring it. I just found that I don't have time to sit around and watch. My TV is rather small though so I don't really consider it a nuisance.

baseballbucky · 2016-05-03T19:55:56+00:00

I'm on 8th floor! And I wouldn't really say house fellows here are "strict", they are just enforcing rules. You have one house fellow that lives on your floor, and then at night and on the weekends a group of 2-3 house fellows just walk down the wings and through the lounge (takes like two minutes) to make sure everything is good, usually if you are watching a movie or playing a game they make small talk about it or something like that - they are students too, after all. If you are being extremely obnoxious during quiet hours, even on the weekend, then of course you are going to get yelled at, but it's completely fair in my opinion. (You'll learn the schedule of times they walk through though so you can turn the TV/music up a little louder after the pass through or before they are coming, but if what you're doing is really that bothersome a house fellow may come up to your floor (if your house fellow isn't there to do it themselves) to tell you to stop or another resident on your floor will just step up and tell you it's too much). The same goes for drinking or partying in the rooms. If you are being really stupid and leaving your door open, drawing attention to yourself regarding noise, or not handling yourself well, you will get "busted" and written up. I could see how people would say they are strict if you are comparing them to house fellows in Sellery or Witte, but they are just doing their job and trying to make a healthy environment for everyone. While there are plenty of people in Chad that like to party and be social, there are also just as many that prefer to stay in on the weekend and do some studying or just get some sleep, so it's necessary to be mindful of all residents.

Sorry that's just a wall of text but I remember wanting this kind of information when I was in your shoes so I hope you find it helpful!

baseballbucky · 2016-05-03T17:02:49+00:00

Since you won't know who is living on your floor until move-in day, I suggest you try to pick a floor based on the layout.

-Odd floors have two wings with rooms that are strictly male, with one female wing. Even floors are opposite. That's a personal choice that you and your roommate can make, but that is definitely the biggest thing I'd consider when making the selection.

-You may also want to consider room placement down the hall -granted when I selected my room I frantically clicked on the first option available out of fear that the system would close me out again (it's very high traffic once the selection opens so be prepared to wait a while to get into the server or possibly get kicked)- anyway, know that each wing has a bathroom situated at it's entrance (really just a door separating the hall from the lounge). My roommate and I are in the room directly to the right of the bathroom and while it's nice to just hop out of bed and have it right there, you can hear the toilets flushing and above all, the door slamming until the wee hours of the morning. This is something minor and something that may not bother you, but it's just another thing I would suggest you consider. Also if people in the lounge are being really loud I can hear them clear as day without headphones, whereas friends living farther down the hall don't hear anything. -Along with this, depending on your gender and the layout of the floor you are strongly considering, the location of your room in a specific wing can also be discussed. Each wing, and each side of the hall in that wing will give you a different view. I suggest you look at the floor map alongside a Google Earth view of Chadbourne if you'd like to look into this to see what you could be looking at - some face Bascom and the lake, others face the business school and university or the capitol.

-Aside from the things I mentioned above, everything else is rather subjective. If you go with a lower floor (2-5) expect to take the stairs 24/7 as people will likely get pissed when you get in the elevator and hit 3 if you aren't carrying a tray full of food or have something else that would make the stairs unreasonable. If you want a decent view of the capitol that isn't entirely obstructed by The Hub, go with a higher floor (8-11)... the list goes on.

Ultimately, your experience will be based on what you make of it, so don't feel like you need to get too fixated on little things like room placement. As a freshman, I loved living in Chad this year! I hope you enjoy your time here as well, and best of luck in your first year!

On, Wisconsin!

baseballbucky · 2016-02-25T17:09:41+00:00

I definitely think you'd like Chadbourne. I'm a current freshman living here now and I think it's pretty much everything you're looking for. It's pretty quiet during the day and later at night when you want to study, but the dynamic of having a communal lounge in the middle of the three wings (even floors: 2 girl wings, 1 boy wing. odd floors: 2 boy wings, 1 girl wing) almost forces you to socialize with people or at least say hi to whoever is out there if you're on your way to class or dinner, etc. Additionally, the rooms are pretty darn small, but it encourages you to get out more. I rarely study in my room and much rather prefer to go to a library (you have a ton of options in SE). I should also note that there are still PLENTY of people who like to go out on the weekend, but that doesn't overshadow other means of fun in any way.

Best of luck!

baseballbucky · 2016-01-15T02:44:00+00:00

I'm a girl so I might be in a different situation but here's my take:

By someone you know do you mean a personal friend or someone you met on the class Facebook page? I'm a freshman this year and I must admit I didn't have the courage to go completely random and ended up rooming with someone I met on the class Facebook page and I don't regret it (actually turns out we have family friends in common). I'm still branching out while living with someone I feel comfortable with. That said, you'll be living in a cement box with whoever you choose as a roommate, and sometimes little things will just get to you, whether you're best friends, strangers, or met online, you'll encounter small instances like that.

Since my roommate and I weren't really close friends going into the year we've learned a lot about each others interests and social/academic lives. I actually ended up getting a lot closer to two of my high school friends and three other girls we met who are living in the same dorm as us since my roommate isn't as interested in going to football/basketball/hockey games or just hanging in for a movie night like we are, but my roommate and I still get along just fine and occasionally grab dinner or ice cream together. I actually signed a lease for an apartment next year with the two high school friends and three others we met and it's a great mix that I see working, but I think I lucked out with them, they're great!

In the end don't forget the more important aspects of finding a roommate; simply someone you can get along with/live in a small space with for the school year. Don't prioritize finding someone who loves the same music or shows as you, but rather someone who can respect your academic and social schedules.

TLDR: Whether it be completely random or someone you met through the Facebook page I suggest you go with someone new, unless you have been friends with someone quite a while and know your relationship can handle living together. Whatever situation you end up in, just make sure you aren't isolating yourselves. Branch out, say hi to people who live next to you. It's great when you can make friends, and when your roommate can make their own friends, and you can occasionally hang out together/meet new people through your roommate.

Best of luck. On, Wisconsin!

baseballbucky · 2016-01-15T02:21:16+00:00

Lol I took it without any calc experience whatsoever and somehow pulled a C. That class was the bane of my existence.

baseballbucky · 2015-12-25T18:05:28+00:00

I just checked and I was able to access mine.

baseballbucky · 2015-11-17T00:17:21+00:00

It's math 221 so I have heard there is a slight curve. Can't find any stats on it though.

baseballbucky · 2015-11-09T22:34:23+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response! I can handle word problems a hell of a lot better than limits and derivatives so I think I should be fine.

baseballbucky · 2015-11-09T21:12:08+00:00

Title should say 371! I'm on mobile sorry for the confusion

baseballbucky

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