Summer getting too hard for you? Post your Fall Schedule to cool down

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses participants' fall course schedules, primarily among college students in STEM fields, including physics, engineering, and mathematics. The focus is on sharing and comparing course selections, with some expressing concerns about workload and course difficulty.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a schedule including Engineering Mechanics and Nuclear System Dynamics, considering adding Nuclear Criticality Safety.
  • Another participant is mixing physics and electrical engineering courses, with a schedule that includes Programming Fundamentals and Classical Mechanics I.
  • A participant expresses concern about their Reacting Flows course due to a lack of chemistry knowledge, while also taking Rocket Propulsion and Linear Control Systems.
  • One participant lists a schedule with Classical Mechanics II and Advanced Mathematics for Scientists and Engineers, expecting a challenging semester.
  • Another participant's schedule includes Partial Differential Equations I and Classical Mechanics I, with a preference for the following winter semester.
  • A participant discusses being a transfer student and weighing two potential schedules, including courses like Intro to Aerospace Engineering and Differential Equations.
  • One participant mentions their last semester of sophomore year, with a schedule that includes Physics w/Calculus II and General Chemistry II.
  • Another participant reflects on their experience with Calculus III, suggesting it clarifies earlier calculus concepts but acknowledges a heavy course load.
  • A participant plans to take Cosmology and Electronics I while preparing for the PGRE, expressing excitement about their courses.
  • One participant shares a schedule with courses in Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, indicating a focus on advanced mathematics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share their schedules and express personal concerns about course difficulty and workload, but there is no consensus on the best approach to managing these challenges. Some express enthusiasm for their courses while others voice apprehension.

Contextual Notes

Several participants mention uncertainties regarding their schedules, such as pending course registrations and the impact of course conflicts. Concerns about balancing course loads and personal experiences with specific subjects are also noted.

Who May Find This Useful

Students in STEM fields, particularly those planning their course schedules for the upcoming semester, may find insights and shared experiences relevant to their own academic planning.

Thermalne
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Summer has started and I know a lot of college students have already made their schedule for fall. Post them here!

I'll start...

Engineering Mechanics
Thermal Science
Nuclear System Dynamics/Control
Numerical Methods and Fortran
Nuclear Engineering Lab

I'm also considering adding Nuclear Criticality Safety
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Starting second year, and I'm starting to mix physics and electrical engineering courses. (I still haven't decided whether physics is going to be a minor or a second major)

Fall 2011:
Programming Fundamentals
Digital Circuits
Honours Calculus III
Classical Mechanics I
Applied Physics Laboratory I

Winter 2012:
Computer Organization
Circuits II
Electronic Devices and Materials
Modern Physics II
Classical Mechanics II
 
My schedule isn't final at this point, but here is how it looks at the moment:

Reacting flows (I'm a little concerned about this one - my fluid mechanics is fairly up to speed, but my chem knowledge is a bit rusty...)
Rocket propulsion
Linear control systems
Graduate projects
 
Last edited:
Classical Mechanics II
Foundations of Advanced Mathematics
Modern Physics
Advanced Mathematics for Scientists and Engineers(PDE's n' stuff)
Sociology(hey, had to have 1 easy course)

Expecting a challenging semester.
 
Introduction to Real Analysis I
Graph Theory
Combinatorics
Computer Science II
 
Fall:
Partial Differential Equations I
Classical Mechanics I
Electromagnetic Theory I
Senior Lab
Stars Galaxies and Cosmology

Winter (better semester imo):

Quantum Mechanics I
Intro to Thermal Physics
Computer Simulations
Electromagnetic Theory II
Gravitational Cosmology and Astrophysics
 
Quantum Mechanics
Galaxies and Cosmology
Digital Electronics
Teaching and Learning in a Diverse Society
Capstone Project (will last 2 semesters)
 
I'm not sure yet. I'm a transfer student who's just about to start classes, so naturally I'm going to be screwed by all the freshmen and returning students who have snagged classes. However, I've narrowed it down to two possibilities:

Intro to aerospace engineering (a throwaway class for the wishywashy, but it's required, so.. sigh)
Differential equations (mostly ODE's, but some PDE's towards the end)
Vector calculus (mostly calc III stuff, which is funny, since I've already done calc III -- but it's going to be way more advanced this time)
Freshman sig course (probably one involving religion and politics -- I'm a militant atheist, so I should have a lot of fun arguing with the theists)
Statics
Intro to programming in MATLAB (I've never programmed anything in my life, and this is the course they recommend for people in my predicament -- I'm going to self-study over the next couple months and maybe be able to drop it)

OR

Intro to programming in MATLAB
Freshman sig course
Engineering design and graphics
Statics
Differential equations
Technical communication for aerospace engineering majors

I'm thinking it's going to end up being the second one, if only because the other schedule had a really wacky set of conflicts.
 
Angry Citizen said:
I'm not sure yet. I'm a transfer student who's just about to start classes, so naturally I'm going to be screwed by all the freshmen and returning students who have snagged classes. However, I've narrowed it down to two possibilities:

Intro to aerospace engineering (a throwaway class for the wishywashy, but it's required, so.. sigh)
Differential equations (mostly ODE's, but some PDE's towards the end)
Vector calculus (mostly calc III stuff, which is funny, since I've already done calc III -- but it's going to be way more advanced this time)
Freshman sig course (probably one involving religion and politics -- I'm a militant atheist, so I should have a lot of fun arguing with the theists)
Statics
Intro to programming in MATLAB (I've never programmed anything in my life, and this is the course they recommend for people in my predicament -- I'm going to self-study over the next couple months and maybe be able to drop it)

OR

Intro to programming in MATLAB
Freshman sig course
Engineering design and graphics
Statics
Differential equations
Technical communication for aerospace engineering majors

I'm thinking it's going to end up being the second one, if only because the other schedule had a really wacky set of conflicts.

Have you contacted your engineering Adviser yet? I did that and was able to register before them.
 
  • #10
Going to talk to them when I go for orientation on thursday. I have to be officially advised in order to register for classes.
 
  • #11
Fall will be the last semester of my sophomore yr :approve:

Fall 2011
Physics w/calculus II
General Chemistry and qualitative analysis II
Calculus III w analytic geometry (taking DE this summer)
Intro to speech comm.

Looks nice and boring -_- I was also thinking of squeezing C++ in there somewhere, but I'll see how I'm feeling after summer.
 
  • #12
Calc III is actually a really cool class in my experience. Maybe it was just me, but everything you learned in calculus I just becomes so much clearer in calculus III. The generalizations to higher dimensions are actually pretty neat.

One thing I'll tell you is, I had my hands full with physics II, gen chem II, and calc III. Maybe it was just my lackadaisical attitude (which I'm working on), but the course load was a little rough at times. I'm not saying you won't be able to squeeze your C++ course in, but it'll probably be difficult with your speech course too.
 
  • #13
Looks like it's going to be:

Honors Advanced Calculus I
Introduction to Group Theory
Electricity and Magnetism
Experimental and Statistical Methods of Physics
Statistics I
 
  • #14
Angry Citizen said:
Calc III is actually a really cool class in my experience. Maybe it was just me, but everything you learned in calculus I just becomes so much clearer in calculus III. The generalizations to higher dimensions are actually pretty neat.

One thing I'll tell you is, I had my hands full with physics II, gen chem II, and calc III. Maybe it was just my lackadaisical attitude (which I'm working on), but the course load was a little rough at times. I'm not saying you won't be able to squeeze your C++ course in, but it'll probably be difficult with your speech course too.

Thanks Angry Citizen!

Yeah, you're probably right. I was feeling burned out at the end of Spring because I pulled like three all nighters, and it spilled into the summer. This summer I have physics I, chem I and DE. Sometimes the coarse load is a bit much. Plus my physics class is a nightmare and I'm trying to be optimistic -_-

Thanks for the info about calc III too!
 
  • #15
Fall will be the first semester of my senior year. Having only 1 required course left and having taken some interesting electives up to my 3rd year, I've decided to only take 3 classes and continue research in order to prepare for the PGRE during the semester.

Fall 20011:
Cosmology
Electronics I (+ Lab)
Mathematical Methods for Physicists I (Graduate Course)
Undergraduate Research

I was planning to take an elementary particles course as well but it got canceled last minute. Should be a relaxed semester. I'm specially excited about Cosmology and the graduate course. Electronics should be a useful practical course. However, I'm stressing over the PGRE already!
 
  • #16
Introduction to Partial Differential Equations and Applications I
The Theory of Differential Equations I - Essentially Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos Theory
Analysis I
Linear Algebra I
 
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  • #17
Electricity and Magnetism I
Quantum Mechanics
Real Analysis I
Astrophysics Seminar
Intermediate Lab - Electrons
 
  • #18
HeLiXe said:
Fall 2011
Physics w/calculus II
General Chemistry and qualitative analysis II
Calculus III w analytic geometry (taking DE this summer)
Intro to speech comm.
Well I just withdrew from my physics I course -_-
So fall will be all the same except Physics I with calc
 
  • #19
Precalculus
Intro to Chemistry
Freshman Seminar
Chinese 1.

Don't judge me. I'm just starting my undergrad in the fall as an Evolutionary Bio/Chinese double Major.
 
  • #20
That is freaking cool!
 
  • #21
chez_butt23 said:
Precalculus
Intro to Chemistry
Freshman Seminar
Chinese 1.

Don't judge me. I'm just starting my undergrad in the fall as an Evolutionary Bio/Chinese double Major.

Why would we judge you? That's a perfectly reasonable semester.
 
  • #22
Yeah I was really quite curious how you could deal with a workload like yours over the summer. Physics I is hell, especially if you've never had a physics class before.
 
  • #23
Jack21222 said:
Why would we judge you? That's a perfectly reasonable semester.

Maybe it's the fact that he's starting out pretty low in math, and not taking any biology classes (no intro bio class, chez?)
 
  • #24
Fall:
Intermediate Electromagnetism
Oscillations and Waves
Multivariable calculus I
Linear Algebra I
Ordinary Differential Equations

Winter:
Modern Physics
Properties of Materials
Physics Lab
Multivariable calculus II
Linear Algebra II
 
  • #25
Angry Citizen said:
Maybe it's the fact that he's starting out pretty low in math, and not taking any biology classes (no intro bio class, chez?)

Precalc isn't a low place to start in math for a bio major. Heck, even a math major could pull it off, depending on circumstances.
 
  • #26
Jack21222 said:
Precalc isn't a low place to start in math for a bio major. Heck, even a math major could pull it off, depending on circumstances.

Well, I'm not very familiar with recommended high school coursework for intended biology majors, so I suppose I'll accept this. However, I thought biology required the basic calculus sequence, so I would've thought a rigorous treatment of mathematics would've been necessary in high school.
 
  • #27
Angry Citizen said:
Well, I'm not very familiar with recommended high school coursework for intended biology majors, so I suppose I'll accept this. However, I thought biology required the basic calculus sequence, so I would've thought a rigorous treatment of mathematics would've been necessary in high school.

Even if the full calc sequence is recommended in high school, that doesn't mean it's a necessity. A friend of mine is a bio major at UMBC, and they only require calculus up to Calc 2 (integration techniques, series and sequences, introductory diff eq), and they allow non-calc physics.

I tutor physics at Towson University, and many of the bio majors that I see coming through even struggle with algebra.

I'd say doing well in precalc will put a student well ahead of many bio majors I see in the tutoring center.
 
  • #28
Angry Citizen said:
Yeah I was really quite curious how you could deal with a workload like yours over the summer. Physics I is hell, especially if you've never had a physics class before.
so sad -_- I was already burned out from last semester. We'll see how I do in the Fall. With the demanding load of work I do not have time to teach myself everything. If I did not have to go to lecture I think I would have done fine.
 
  • #29
HeLiXe said:
so sad -_- I was already burned out from last semester. We'll see how I do in the Fall. With the demanding load of work I do not have time to teach myself everything. If I did not have to go to lecture I think I would have done fine.

You must've had a bad instructor then. Lectures should HELP you understand things. You shouldn't have to teach yourself everything.
 
  • #30
Angry Citizen said:
You must've had a bad instructor then. Lectures should HELP you understand things. You shouldn't have to teach yourself everything.

Agreed. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. I've definitely had some classes where I only went to lecture for the quizzes and to turn in homework, and I had to learn most of the material myself.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to my semester. All of my classes sound interesting, and the courseload shouldn't be too bad (12 hours, graduate). I made the mistake last year of signing up for a miserable fall semester, and I ended up with a huge amount of stress and work throughout the entire fall that definitely negatively impacted my ability to learn

(Last fall, my schedule was:

Astrophysics 1
Fluid mechanics (Graduate)
Senior Projects
Materials
Intermediate microeconomics
Aerospace mathematics (Graduate) (Tensors, ODEs, and numerical methods))
 

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