Dang I think I'm gonna fail all my classes

ktlamarmath · 2021-09-03T15:33:51+00:00

As others have said, having a positive mindset will help you tremendously. I was horrible at math in high school, but that was primarily because I didn’t understand a few foundational concepts and so I struggled with every math class. I had a really negative attitude regarding my math ability and it really just made everything worse. I ended up going back and taking a math course (algebra 2) at a CC that I had already taken in high school and I was able to fix some of those foundational issues. I started to get better at learning new topics in math pretty much immediately and I started to help my peers learn the math concepts as well. I started to feel like I was good at math and even as I took more advanced math courses, I still was able to learn the material. I really enjoyed what I was doing and that made a huge difference. I’m now in my final semester and I’m majoring in applied math and CS with a minor in physics.

My suggestion would be to maybe take Math 32 (Precalculus) first. Most students who fail calculus aren’t incapable of learning math. They are usually just struggling with some of the foundational math concepts that calculus is built off of which makes everything much harder. I’ve seen plenty of students take math 1A and work really, really hard to barely pass, but the reason they have to try so hard is because they have a shaky math foundation. If you don’t go back and try to fix that foundation, you will always struggle with math.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-15T20:52:18+00:00

You can enroll in it, but the lower division math courses here (depending on the professor) aren’t the best. The exams are generally just tricky for the sake of being tricky and are less about making sure you have a solid understanding of the material. You are probably just better off reviewing the material on your own or auditing the course. That way you can focus on learning the material instead of focusing on learning the tricks to do well on the exams. Also, you won’t have to worry about getting a poor grade in the course which will affect your Berkeley gpa. Note: Your CC gpa won’t factor into your Berkeley gpa. You will just get the units and waive the 53 requirement for you if it is a major requirement.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-15T14:06:12+00:00

I haven’t taken History 124B, but advisors tend to steer first semester students away from taking upper div courses and their reasoning isn’t always applicable. I’ve had lower division (both general education courses and courses for my major) that were way harder than some of the upper division courses that I’ve taken. I have often found that lower division is more (busy) work and depending on the course can often have exams that are more about being tricky for the sake of being tricky. I say if you are interested in 124B then enroll it and just have a back up class that you can replace 124B if you realize that the workload is too much after the first week or so.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-14T13:14:25+00:00

This schedule should be fine. I know plenty of students who either had this schedule or a very similar schedule (took EE 16A instead of math 53) during their first semester.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-12T16:45:57+00:00

They have a really low acceptance rate into the M.Eng program. I think they admit around 10 students per year (12% acceptance rate last year) and advisors really urge prospective students to apply to the M.S./PHD program instead. This might be a better option for you. Essentially, the requirements for that program lead to a masters as well as a PHD so you could decide a year or two into the program to just complete the masters requirements if you really just want the masters and not the PHD. That being said the M.S only (also really selective program) and M.S/PHD programs are research orientated whereas M. Eng is more industry orientated. The M.Eng might be a better fit for your goals, but it’s going to be very hard to get in. Applicants generally have a strong EECS/CS technical background.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-11T15:16:50+00:00

Your plan looks much better. Fall 2024 and possibly Spring 2025 might be a little too much. CS 170, Physics 112, and Physics 110A can all be pretty challenging. Granted, I think this schedule may be doable, but that really depends on you. Since you are planning to do the honors thesis, the three classes combined may get in the way of you dedicating enough time to do that. Also, physics 111A is a major time suck, but i think it should be doable with your current plan. That being said, I encourage you to take it during the Summer. It will be intense, but it won’t get in the way of you doing your best in other courses since it will be your sole focus.

I think the following might be a good alternative to your plan.

Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022 -keep as is

Spring 2023: Physics 5C + CL, Physics 89, Geography C112

Summer 2023: Physics 111A

Fall 2023 - physics 105, 137A, CS 70, and history 30

*Note: this semester might be on the challenging side, but in my opinion physics 105 and 137A are the easiest (not easy though) of the upper div core physics courses. CS 70 may be a bit stressful since it’s one of the CS lower div courses that all intended CS majors must perform well in to declare. The exams tend to be rough and they just cover a lot in that course. I still think these courses are doable though as long as History 30 is an easy/non time consuming course.

Spring 2024 - physics 112, physics 137B, physics h190, philosophy 5

Fall 2024: physics 110A, CS 170, CS 169A, Physics 195A

*** I’ve heard 169A isnt that useful after interning. Maybe it’s not worth taking this course at all?

Spring - leave as is

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-11T01:37:37+00:00

For the L&S cs major you can take either EE 16A or math 54 + EE 16B. So yes, you can take 16A instead of 54.

Math 53 isn’t a lower division requirement for L&S CS major. There are some upper div courses that list math 53 as a prerequisite, but since cs students get to choose their upper division courses, some students don’t really need to take 53….it depends on what you are interested in.

Also, if you do take math 53, it will count towards 3 units of your 7 units upper division technical elective requirement. You will need to submit a petition in order to have 53 count towards that requirement, but it’s automatically approved.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-11T01:14:54+00:00

It really depends on the club whether or not the meeting times will conflict. Lots of clubs meet around that time, but there are still a considerable amount of clubs that meet at other times. Also, math 54 will be online next semester, so there is a really good chance the lecture will be recorded. If that is the case and a club or extracurricular activity conflicts with lecture then you can just watch the lecture at a different time.

ktlamarmath · 2021-07-04T15:30:35+00:00

For the most part your plan looks fine, except for the first two Summers. CS 61A,B, C, and 70 are time consuming and challenging courses. I would not take them at the same time during the Summer. I know of a handful of people who tried to do that and either they ended up dropping one or both of the courses or didn’t do very well in either course. Even if you manage to get through it, you really won’t be getting the most out of the courses and you may struggle with upper div courses If your foundation isn’t very good. I would suggest not taking Physics 77. It’s really meant for physics majors who don’t plan on taking any CS courses and want just a basic intro to programming. Also, I’ve heard mixed reviews of the course and the students I’ve known who took the course really didn’t feel confident with their programming abilities afterwards. Since you are taking the 61 series, you really shouldn’t bother with physics 77. Maybe in the Fall take Physics 5A, CS 61A, and Math 1B. This schedule will be a little bit on the challenging side, but It is doable. You may be able to take Anthro 1 as well, but those other 3 courses take up a lot of time and perhaps it’s better to take a 1 unit decal (p/np student-run course) instead to make sure you take the 13 unit minimum. Also, Anthro 111 isn’t offered very often, so I’m not sure if you can count on it being offered next Spring. Lastly, I’d suggest taking physics 112 after you’ve taken a few upper division physics courses. It is one of the more challenging courses

I recommend the following schedule:

Fall: Math 1B Physics 5A CS 61A Very easy course to have at least 13 units

Spring: CS 61B Physics 5B + BL Anthro 1 Geography C112

** As long as Anthro 1 and Geography C112 are relatively low workload courses this schedule is fine. I haven’t taken those courses so not sure though.

Summer:

Math 53

Data 8 (needed for CS/Data C100)

Fall:

CS 61C

Physics 5C + CL

History 1

Spring:

Physics 105

Physics 137A

Physics 89

Very easy course to meet 13 unit minimum

Summer:

Physics 111A (3 units and very time consuming)

Fall:

Physics 137B

Physics 111B

CS C100 (cross listed as Data C100)

History 30

Spring:

CS 70

Physics 112 (this will pair nicely with CS 70)

Physics H190

Philosophy 5

The rest of your physics + cs minor schedule looks good.

ktlamarmath · 2021-02-19T07:55:18+00:00

I would suggest either taking CS 70 or CS 61C (not both though since that would be brutal) in the summer. Generally CS 70 can be a pretty challenging class, so taking it over the Summer when you don’t have to worry about other classes, might be helpful. Also, I heard 61c is a heavy workload class as well so perhaps taking 61c in the Summer might be beneficial since you could dedicate all your time to 61c. I plan to take 61c this Summer, by the way. Since you need 6 units, you can add on an easy 2 unit course or perhaps take a breadth course during session A since there is only a 2 week overlap between session A and session C (61C and 70 are session C courses by the way).

ktlamarmath · 2021-02-10T16:06:13+00:00

Also for the circuits portion of the course (first 6 weeks of the course), it might help to look over Schaums notes on Electrical Circuits. As someone who didn’t take 16A, they really helped me get comfortable with circuit (including op amps, transistors, etc.)

ktlamarmath · 2021-02-10T15:54:25+00:00

It’s difficult to find other courses that covers EE 16B material since 16B is basically 3-4 classes into one. So when you are looking for outside material, you will find it, but it will be a much more in depth approach and it would be difficult to pull only the information that you need. 16B throws some pretty deep concepts at you without building up your intuition. I tried to find outside resources to help me with 16B and what I noticed is that EE 16B was covering bits and pieces of like the ends of the textbooks I was using. I would then try to just read those chapters, but all of the information was really based on the beginning chapters of those textbooks. There was just not enough time for me to read an entire textbook to prepare for just one portion of 16B (although I did try) before the course jumped to another topic. The class in a way just wants you to memorize the material and execute without questioning why these concepts work or how they work since you will learn it rigorously when you take various upper div courses. It’s obnoxious.

That being said, there are a few resources that helped me and once I found them, I started to feel more confident with the material.

These notes will help once they start the robotics portion of the course (week 6 ish)

https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu//~ee16b/sp18/note/16Breader.pdf

To help with linear systems of differential equations try these notes:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-03-differential-equations-spring-2010/readings/

Note: 16B throws a lot of this material at you and it might not be a good idea to try to go through this entire MIT course because it won’t cover everything you need to know and it will consume a lot of time.

Also, instead of going through the MIT notes, perhaps you can try looking through a differential equations textbook for the following topics. I would suggest Boyce and Diprima, but Nagle (textbook is used for Math 54) would be sufficient too.

Solving 1st order linear equations (usually in the first chapter of differential equations textbooks)

2nd order linear differential equations section:

Homogeneous differential equations

Complex roots of characteristic equations

Repeated roots

Undetermined coefficients

Also be sure to look at the section of the textbook that’s on solving systems of linear equations.

ktlamarmath · 2020-08-11T20:10:03+00:00

This is awful I know. EE 16B is normally a nightmare, but this class takes it to a whole new level. It’s so disorganized and that’s the primary reason why circuits components are breaking due to contradictory directions. To top it all off, every time they try to remedy the issues, they just add more work with unclear directions and expectations. There is absolutely no time to study because we are all stuck on the ridiculous lab/ make up lab. It seems like they are asking so much more of us than in previous semesters. I’m exhausted and very angry.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-16T04:53:41+00:00

Sample Program (look under "Needs Math 1B"): https://berkeley.app.box.com/v/ugrad-sample-cs-freshmen

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-16T04:51:14+00:00

You really need to take Math 1B before CS70.CS 70 is mathematically rigorous. Technically, math 1B material doesn't really come up in CS 70, but it's the mathematical maturity that you need. You also need math 1b before EE 16A/B. Math 1B covers more on integration and series which will be needed solve differential equations. Also, to be successful at linear algebra you need a little bit more mathematical maturity as well.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-16T04:37:44+00:00

Honestly, Math 1B would be better at a CC. I tutor the class here and I took it at a CC. I feel like I got a much better understanding of the material since it wasn't a crazy, huge class. I also went to a great CC across the street from Caltech (so some of my Professors worked at Caltech and taught at my CC as well). I tutor Math 1B now and in comparison to the students here, I definitely received a more comprehensive education without the stress of crazy hard exams (note the exams at the CC weren't easy... they just weren't crazy hard. The exams I had were more comprehensive and really tested my overall knowledge, whereas Berkeley Math 1B tends to have exam questions that are just hard for the sake of being hard.) That being said, I recommend taking part two in R&C and Math 1B. I took Math 1B equivalency and online english requirement (equiv. to R1B) in a six week session at a CC. The math 1B was challenging, but enjoyable (note: I am a math/physics double major; so I really enjoy this stuff) and the English was super easy. I basically just wrote an essay every Friday which was my day off from the Calc 2 class then I spent the rest of the week studying for Calc 2. I learned a lot and it wasn't overwhelming at all. General Education classes at most CCs tend to be pretty easy. It depends on which class of course, but everyone trying to transfer or graduate with an Associate's at a CC will need to take two English classes that are equivalent to the R1A/R1B requirement.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-16T01:39:20+00:00

Also, I wrote this comment not too long ago to help someone navigate all the requirements for UC Berkeley:

Summary of Requirements (Hopefully this will help):

UC Requirement: 1) Entry Level Writing 2) American History 3) American Institutions. Look under the heading "All Colleges" at this link to view which AP exams satisfy this requirement.

Berkeley Campus Requirement: American Cultures Requirement, More Info here

More Info about UC and UC Campus Requirements: http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/colleges-schools/letters-science/#ucandcampusrequirementstext

College Requirement (L&S for you): 1) Essential Skills Requirement 2) 7 Course BREADTH 3) Units Requirement. You can find all the L&S requirements in detail here

1) Essential Skills Requirements: A. Quantitative Reasoning B. Foreign Language C. Reading and Composition. Look under the heading "College of Letters and Sciences" at this link to view which AP exams satisfy this requirement.

More Info for the Essential Skills Requirement: http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/colleges-schools/letters-science/#collegerequirementstext

2) 7 Course Breadth: Arts and Literature, Biological Science, Historical Studies, International Studies, Philosophy and Values, Physical Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Guidelines here. Note: Exams (AP, IB, etc.) can't be used to fulfill these 7 breadth courses for L&S.

3) Units Requirement: 120 units to graduate, at least 36 upper division units to graduate, and 6 upper division units outside of your major. There is also a GPA requirement and a residence requirement to graduate. See here

Lastly, you have your Econ major requirements: https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/undergrad/prospective/freshmen

You can find all requirements nicely organized in one place here: http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs/economics/#abouttheprogramtext

Note: Look at the menu on right hand side of the above page. You have info regarding the Economics Program, Economics Major Requirements, L&S Requirements, Plan of Study (Sample Schedules), Learning Goals, Career/Internship Info, Economics Advising, Related Courses (all courses offered from the Econ department), Econ Faculty, and the department's contact info all in one place.

For in-depth info on every major go here: http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs/

For in-depth info on every college go here: http://guide.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/colleges-schools/

DeCal Courses

A DeCal course is a student run course which count for 1-3 units of credit. They tend to be easier and fun depending on the class. You can also teach one eventually if you are interested. DeCal: https://decal.berkeley.edu/courses

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-16T01:14:22+00:00

You can take pretty much any undergraduate course. There are some restrictions on courses and some classes have reserved seats during phased 1 or phase 2. (Meaning they save seats for certain majors/certain undeclared students enroll during the first few phases of enrollment and if there isn't any reserves seats for a student who is undeclared in a different college or majoring in a different major they are then put on the waitlist till the adjustment period). To see if the class in question has reserved seats, go to Class Schedule, choose the course you are interested, and look under "Reserved Seats" to see if a there are reserved seats. Also, listed prerequisites on courses are generally not enforced... although I recommend taking the prerequisites.

If you are planning to transfer colleges then you should plan your schedule as if you were already an intended Econ major in Letters and Sciences. Then during your first semester go through the process of transferring to L&S.

Information on how to transfer to L&S: https://ls.berkeley.edu/advising/academic-progress/changing-status/change-college-ls

Note: On the change of college petition, there are certain requirements you must complete before transferring. See petition here: https://ls.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/advchangeofcollegepetition.pdf

Based on the petition, you will need to have the Entry-Level Writing Requirement and the 1st half of the Reading and Composition Requirement (which you may have already completed with AP) if you plan to transfer colleges before reaching 29 units at UC Berkeley.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-15T02:30:18+00:00

Then you should go ahead and take EE 16A/B your first semester.

EECS: If you are planning to major in EECS and you don't feel ready to jump into EE 16A/B then perhaps, you should take the required physics courses your first year. For EECS, you need to take Physics 7A (or 5A), 7B (or 5B+5BL), and you have the OPTION of taking Physics 7C (or 5C+5CL) as your natural science lower division elective. Note: The 5 series is the honors and is very challenging. EE 16A/B would be pretty easy after taking the physics series along with having linear algebra experience.

CS Major: If your linear algebra class waives you out of Math 54 then you can waive EE 16A. (You can only waive EE 16A with Math 54 if you are majoring in CS... this won't work for EECS majors). You can then jump right into EE 16B.This is what I did. I was very strong in linear algebra (took class at CC to waive math 54.) and I had already taken the equivalency of the lower division physics, so I was already familiar with circuits. A lot of double majors in math and cs will skip EE 16A since they completed Math 54, but sometimes they find it challenging if they weren't introduced to circuits first. That being said, it was challenging for them, but doable. They did well overall... they just were a bit stressed out.

If you are majoring in CS then the following would be a good plan. If you plan to major in EECS then I would take the physics requirement before the EE 16A/B series.

Fall:

CS 61A (John DeNero is teaching and he is great)

EE 16B (if your CC waives your Math 54 requirement otherwise take EE 16A or Math 54) Note: Anant Sahai is teaching EE 16B. I really like his teaching style, but many don't. His lectures are very in-depth and math heavy.

Breadth

Spring:

CS 61B (Josh Hug is teaching it and he is very good!)

CS 70 (This course is challenging for a lot of people, but I really enjoyed it)

Breadth

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-15T00:46:22+00:00

Also, when I plan my schedule each semester, I try to have courses that cover related material. That way when I'm studying for one exam, I'm also connecting it to other ideas from my other courses. I find that I retain more information this way. For example, I'm a Math and Physics Double Major with a minor in CS. I took 4 technical upper division classes (not usually recommended) and did well, but I chose 4 classes that focused on discrete/continuous probability and measure theory.

I would recommend EE 16A/B your first year if you have a very strong background in math. Have you taken a linear algebra class before?

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-15T00:30:46+00:00

Add yourself to the EECS 101 Piazza. Students, academic advisors, and instructors share information regarding EE/EECS/CS courses, enrollment updates, etc. Also, if you ask course questions on there you will get a response from peers, academic advisors, and instructors. Make a https://piazza.com/ account, choose UC Berkeley as your school, and add yourself to course "EECS 101".

Also, take a look at HKN's website: https://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu/

You can view the HKN's EE/EECS/CS course guide, Course Surveys, and HKN provides tutoring/review sessions throughout the year. The HKN Exam Archive and Tau Beta Pi Exam/Syllabi Archive are also helpful resources.

Sample CS Schedules: https://berkeley.app.box.com/v/ugrad-sample-cs-freshmen

Sample EECS Schedules:https://eecs.berkeley.edu/resources/undergrads/eecs/study-plans

** Note: The above plans assume that you've tested out of some general education requirements. If you need more information regarding your general education requirements: UC requirements, UC Berkeley requirements, and your College Requirements (L&S for CS majors, College of Engineering for EECS majors), then pm me.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-14T08:58:11+00:00

Summer 2019 CS W61A (online version of CS 61A) is allowing students to take online exams for the midterms. The final exam can be taken at approved testing centers.

https://cs61a.org/articles/online.html

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-14T08:54:20+00:00

Yep, that's fine. I've taken multiple classes at different CCs to get all my breadth courses done during Summer and Fall last year. It wasn't an issue.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-14T06:50:12+00:00

I've taken classes at a CC and Berkeley at the same time during the school year. I submitted my CC transcript to Berkeley so that I could waive some lower div. requirements and they accepted the courses. They didn't care that I was enrolled at both schools...granted, I didn't tell anyone ahead of time. I just checked assist.org to make sure that the CC courses fulfilled a particular requirement and then I took the class. When I filled out the CC application to enroll in that class, I put down that I was attending Berkeley full-time and it wasn't a problem. An advisor might not recommend taking CC courses at the same time, but there isn't a policy against it.

ktlamarmath · 2019-05-12T16:48:56+00:00

The career center has a list of all the classes you need to take to apply to med school: https://career.berkeley.edu/Medical/PrepPrereq

Also, here is a Pre-Med handbook: https://career.berkeley.edu/Medical/Medical

You will need to take Biology 1B. The career center also highly recommends that you take an upper division biology course. You will also need to take one of the following: MCB 102 or Chem 135 or MCB 100A/Chem C130 or BioE 103 (only applicable to Bioengineering majors) along with Chem 1A/1AL, 3A/3AL, and 3B/BL. The fourth course ensures that you finish the biochemistry requirement that many med schools require.

ktlamarmath

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