UCB Extension - physics lab question / Overall plan

[mspeedwagon]

Hi All,
I know there are a number of you that are taking post-bac classes through UC Berkeley Extension. I wanted to run the following schedule by you and see what your thoughts are. My main question is whether or not it is possible to take Physics I and II labs concurrently through extension (would not having completed Physics I lab impact my ability to do well in Physics II lab?). I've been working full-time, but that will no longer be the case come end of this year so I'd like to accelerate my classes next semester.

Here is my schedule for this fall.
- Physics I course (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- MCAT course (PR in SF)
- Full-time work + travel for work.

Here is my tentative schedule for spring:
- Physics II course (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- Physics I lab (Berkeley Extension in Redwood City)
- Physics II lab (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- G-Chem II and lab (Canada College)
- Continue MCAT course (PR in SF)
- Work remotely a few hrs a week and possibly volunteer at the library.

Aim to take the MCAT in June 2011.

- Take o-chem labs through UC-B main campus (or another school that offers two semesters of o-chem labs over the summer... suggestions welcome) and apply to medical school summer 2011.

Any feedback on the above plan is appreciated.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I'm taking Physics 1 lab at CC too and it's a joke. Pretty much don't have to know last week's material to be able to do next week's. It all just revolves around doing a few equations on excel and then predicting if the experiment will work or not.

 

[sharmi]

Hi All,
I know there are a number of you that are taking post-bac classes through UC Berkeley Extension. I wanted to run the following schedule by you and see what your thoughts are. My main question is whether or not it is possible to take Physics I and II labs concurrently through extension (would not having completed Physics I lab impact my ability to do well in Physics II lab?). I've been working full-time, but that will no longer be the case come end of this year so I'd like to accelerate my classes next semester.

Here is my schedule for this fall.
- Physics I course (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- MCAT course (PR in SF)
- Full-time work + travel for work.

Here is my tentative schedule for spring:
- Physics II course (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- Physics I lab (Berkeley Extension in Redwood City)
- Physics II lab (Berkeley Extension in Berkeley)
- G-Chem II and lab (Canada College)
- Continue MCAT course (PR in SF)
- Work remotely a few hrs a week and possibly volunteer at the library.

Aim to take the MCAT in June 2011.

- Take o-chem labs through UC-B main campus (or another school that offers two semesters of o-chem labs over the summer... suggestions welcome) and apply to medical school summer 2011.

Any feedback on the above plan is appreciated.

UCBEx will be offering OChem I at RWC campus in the Spring and I plan to take it. I am taking Physics II Lec (RWC) and Lab (Canada) and Gen Chem II Lec (RWC) and Lab (Canada) - all through UCB Ex, now. The Physics I and II labs are pretty much independant of each other. We have the same professor teaching the Physics I and II lab and he is very good. Are you planning to take Gen Chem II Lec and Lab through UCBEx (RWC/Canada)? If so, then they probably won't be offering them in the Spring. They are offering them now and will offer Gen Chem I Lec and Lab in the Spring. You may be able to take it through UCB or Canada directly.

Your courseload looks fine - at least to me. I am taking these 2 lectures + 2 labs + working full time + volunteering for 4 hrs + some MCAT prep this semester. And I am the kind of person that doesn't settle for anything less than an A. Next semester I plan to take OChem I lec and lab + MCAT prep - and take the test in March while continuing to work full-time. Sping 2010 I had 3 lecs + 2 labs + worked full-time and managed A's/A+'s. So you having 2 lecs + 3 labs in one sems isn't that bad. Granted that you will be working towards the MCAT - but at the same time, you won't be working - so right there you can carve out 9-10 hours of your weekdays. I have a husband and 2 little children - so I have to carve out time for them - help out in their HW at times, take them to soccer lessons, etc.- you at least don't have kids to take care of - based on what I last remember about your background from previous posts!

 

[ruraldocmom]

Sounds intense, but do-able. My only concern would be your plan to take labs over the summer through Cal's main campus.

As you probably know, all regular Cal students get first dibs on those classes/labs and they fill up quick. Your timing has to be impeccable & you've got to know some kind of secret handshake to get in a class as a non-Cal student before it gets full. I know first hand, because I tried. And failed to get into an O-chem class. I ended up taking it through Berkeley Extension (but I did get to study with Dr. Kelleher--that man just, straight up rocked!). Anyway, I was an adjunct professor at the time I was trying to get into the regular-campus class, and was even (terrible, I know) hoping for some kind of special treatment. Yeah, not so much.

Anyway--if you know someone who has made it happen, that route, find out what they did! I just know that all those MCB pre-med kids fill up the classes & labs crazy-fast. There are so many of them, and they are quite vicious.

So, I'm not trying to discourage you, just saying--make sure you can get in to those classes before you bank everything on that timeline! Good luck!

 

[sharmi]

This is so true. Labs in almost every California 4-year univ - fill up so fast, that you almost have to enroll at the stroke of midnight (when the enrollment window opens online) to get into one. Though I know of a couple of UCBEx students that got into Ochem I lec and lab this past summer at Cal. Labs fill up way faster than the lec. Even at UCBEx they started a second Gen Chem 2 lab session after the first and only lab session was full and there a terrific demand for it.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Thanks for this response. It was really helpful. I decided NOT to go ahead with my schedule above and made a few changes for personal reasons.

I was laid-off from my full-time role, but have several offers to do various things at this point (some require very heavy travel... as much as 75%) and these interfere with my class schedule. However, I am going to aim to take O-Chem 1 lab and Physics I lab in the Spring (if possible).

That would leave me with Physics II (+lab), OChem II lab only and G-Chem II (+lab). In addition to the MCAT. I'm going to aim to spread these out across the 2011-2012 academic year.

This works nicely since my applying will be on hold until I figure out where my gf matches allowing me to apply strategically.

UCBEx will be offering OChem I at RWC campus in the Spring and I plan to take it. I am taking Physics II Lec (RWC) and Lab (Canada) and Gen Chem II Lec (RWC) and Lab (Canada) - all through UCB Ex, now. The Physics I and II labs are pretty much independant of each other. We have the same professor teaching the Physics I and II lab and he is very good. Are you planning to take Gen Chem II Lec and Lab through UCBEx (RWC/Canada)? If so, then they probably won't be offering them in the Spring. They are offering them now and will offer Gen Chem I Lec and Lab in the Spring. You may be able to take it through UCB or Canada directly.

Your courseload looks fine - at least to me. I am taking these 2 lectures + 2 labs + working full time + volunteering for 4 hrs + some MCAT prep this semester. And I am the kind of person that doesn't settle for anything less than an A. Next semester I plan to take OChem I lec and lab + MCAT prep - and take the test in March while continuing to work full-time. Sping 2010 I had 3 lecs + 2 labs + worked full-time and managed A's/A+'s. So you having 2 lecs + 3 labs in one sems isn't that bad. Granted that you will be working towards the MCAT - but at the same time, you won't be working - so right there you can carve out 9-10 hours of your weekdays. I have a husband and 2 little children - so I have to carve out time for them - help out in their HW at times, take them to soccer lessons, etc.- you at least don't have kids to take care of - based on what I last remember about your background from previous posts!