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People are optimizing for the wrong things. They take these and get credit for their first year classes that would have probably been not so difficult anyhow. T

People are optimizing for the wrong things. They take these and get credit for their first year classes that would have probably been not so difficult anyhow. Then they get destroyed in the next stage, for my major it was organic chemistry that handed the 50% marks like candy and there was nothing a high school could offer you to prepare for that. How could they even, nothing they offer demands you spend 20 hours a week outside of class scribbling reactions like a mad man in a cold library basement, but thats literally what needs to happen to do well. Its a total whiplash but even this is still removed from learning how to actually work in the field, experience you can’t really get unless you can get a professor to let you work under them. Who goes on to the next stage with ease is now who lucked out here during the slog and got some extra experience from time they could afford to lose.

alephnerd 3y ago
> They take these and get credit for their first year classes that would have probably been not so difficult anyhow You need to take the AP Exam and score a 5 to get full credit for these classes at the college level. If you did not a score a 5 on the AP Exam, you aren't getting out of the intro class at the UC or occasionally CSU level. > the 50% marks like candy I don't think you're American based on that statement alone. It sounds Indian or British - especially because in the US a D- is 60%, a C- is 70%, and so on, and we don't use the word "marks", and you need a C- average to graduate from a UC. > even this is still removed from learning how to actually work in the field, experience you can’t really get unless you can get a professor to let you work under them Idk about where you are in the Commonwealth, but internships have been normalized in the US since the 2010s. Almost everyone in a decent program (aka every UC - even Merced) can land an internship or research experience after finishing lower div requirements
- jeffbee 3y ago
  > If you did not a score a 5 on the AP Exam, you aren't getting out of the intro class at the UC or occasionally CSU level. At some UCs, and in some subjects, you can get more credit for a 5, but in some subjects you get full credit for a 3, even at Berkeley. It depends on whether the test is relevant to the main topic of your university studies, or tangential to them. A 3, 4, or 5 on either AP Calculus exam will get you entirely out of having to study math at Berkeley in the College of Letters and Sciences.
  - alephnerd 3y ago
    > but in some subjects you get full credit for a 3 Fair point! That said, you get full credit but it won't exempt you from major related coursework in most cases. Circa a few years ago, I think AP Lit had the best RoI for AP Class to Cal Class Credit as they took you out of the intro writing classes in LAS. > A 3, 4, or 5 on either AP Calculus exam will get you entirely out of having to study math at Berkeley in the College of Letters and Sciences. Quant Reasoning/Math1a (intro calc) yes, but you'd still need to take Math1b/53/54/55 depending on your major in L&S. If you're an English major it probably doesn't make sense to do anything beyond 1a, but if you're a STEM major then 53/54/55 are de facto requirements and they will require 1b. Every other AP required a 4 minimum at Cal
jcranmer 3y ago
> it was organic chemistry that handed the 50% marks like candy and there was nothing a high school could offer you to prepare for that. My high school was definitely far from typical, but it did have an Intro to Organic Chemistry that did provide some extra practice for the gruntwork of organic chemistry (especially organic nomenclature).
- kjkjadksj 3y ago
  The most I’ve seen thats typically offered at the highschool level is taking community college classes that your eventual actual college would transfer over. That being said community colleges are significantly easier than normal colleges. Our math and chem department would specifically advise people to get certain classes done at the local cc and transfer the credit if they were at risk to not pass these classes at the main college. Cheaper per credit hour too.

alephnerd 3y ago

> They take these and get credit for their first year classes that would have probably been not so difficult anyhow You need to take the AP Exam and score a 5 to get full credit for these classes at the college level. If you did not a score a 5 on the AP Exam, you aren't getting out of the intro class at the UC or occasionally CSU level. > the 50% marks like candy I don't think you're American based on that statement alone. It sounds Indian or British - especially because in the US a D- is 60%, a C- is 70%, and so on, and we don't use the word "marks", and you need a C- average to graduate from a UC. > even this is still removed from learning how to actually work in the field, experience you can’t really get unless you can get a professor to let you work under them Idk about where you are in the Commonwealth, but internships have been normalized in the US since the 2010s. Almost everyone in a decent program (aka every UC - even Merced) can land an internship or research experience after finishing lower div requirements

jeffbee 3y ago
> If you did not a score a 5 on the AP Exam, you aren't getting out of the intro class at the UC or occasionally CSU level. At some UCs, and in some subjects, you can get more credit for a 5, but in some subjects you get full credit for a 3, even at Berkeley. It depends on whether the test is relevant to the main topic of your university studies, or tangential to them. A 3, 4, or 5 on either AP Calculus exam will get you entirely out of having to study math at Berkeley in the College of Letters and Sciences.
- alephnerd 3y ago
  > but in some subjects you get full credit for a 3 Fair point! That said, you get full credit but it won't exempt you from major related coursework in most cases. Circa a few years ago, I think AP Lit had the best RoI for AP Class to Cal Class Credit as they took you out of the intro writing classes in LAS. > A 3, 4, or 5 on either AP Calculus exam will get you entirely out of having to study math at Berkeley in the College of Letters and Sciences. Quant Reasoning/Math1a (intro calc) yes, but you'd still need to take Math1b/53/54/55 depending on your major in L&S. If you're an English major it probably doesn't make sense to do anything beyond 1a, but if you're a STEM major then 53/54/55 are de facto requirements and they will require 1b. Every other AP required a 4 minimum at Cal

jcranmer 3y ago

> it was organic chemistry that handed the 50% marks like candy and there was nothing a high school could offer you to prepare for that. My high school was definitely far from typical, but it did have an Intro to Organic Chemistry that did provide some extra practice for the gruntwork of organic chemistry (especially organic nomenclature).

kjkjadksj 3y ago
The most I’ve seen thats typically offered at the highschool level is taking community college classes that your eventual actual college would transfer over. That being said community colleges are significantly easier than normal colleges. Our math and chem department would specifically advise people to get certain classes done at the local cc and transfer the credit if they were at risk to not pass these classes at the main college. Cheaper per credit hour too.