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Old 08-20-2009 at 12:07 PM   #16
ViktorVaughn
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Originally Posted by Ownaginatios View Post
Anyway, you guys had it easier in some ways back then. From what I heard from the upper year TAs, you had no 1C03 project and 1P03 was a free twelve and no project. There were also way less people in engineering back then, so it was probably easier to talk with the professors / get help, I don't know.
1C03 was awesome! We didn't have a project, just lots of sketching and Solid Edge labs. We didn't have a project in 1P03, but we did have to write essays. I hate essays more than anything on earth though.

I don't think those are the classes that would potentially cause difficulty though.. back then or now. Its probably math, physics, chemistry, and programming (if you didint take any in highschool). I don't know if those courses have changed at all.
Old 08-20-2009 at 12:12 PM   #17
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1C03 was awesome! We didn't have a project, just lots of sketching and Solid Edge labs. We didn't have a project in 1P03, but we did have to write essays. I hate essays more than anything on earth though.

I don't think those are the classes that would potentially cause difficulty though.. back then or now. Its probably math, physics, chemistry, and programming (if you didint take any in highschool). I don't know if those courses have changed at all.
Oh, essays sound a lot worse, lol. I'm not particularly bad at writing essays, but I just really dislike it (especially when I'm arguing something I don't care about). We had assignments, which were sort of answered in essay format. International students suffered greatly from that :p.

And ya, 1C03 and 1P03 are pretty light classes, but those projects require a significant amount of work. Some people suffered greatly that had 1C03 during second semester, because they had both projects at the same time.

What did you find made years two and three harder?
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Old 08-20-2009 at 12:38 PM   #18
ViktorVaughn
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What did you find made years two and three harder?
Well, I'm in management, so my course structure might vary a bit from some people, but here are the main things I found challenging:

2nd year

1) Math. It was a whole different game compared to first year. I found it very hard, wheras I had done very well in the first year math courses. I dropped it half way though (this was back when it was a single 6 credit course all year long), and took the alternative two math courses in the summer for the credits I needed.

2) Marketing 2MA3. The name "Cossa" still sends chills down my spine. That course wasn't so much an issue of difficulty as it was of frustration and the immense amount of time it consumed.

3) A generally much increased work load and time required in all courses.


3rd year

1) Partial differential equations. More than half of my class (including me) was failing going into the final exam. I squeaked by with a 1 (and it obviously had to do with a mark adjustment, since I didn't fill out half of the exam)

2) A man named Dr Judd. Look him up. If you are in mech... have fun!

3) Weekly numerical methods assignments which took an ungodly amount of time.

4) Our stats course was taught by this antisocial old guy who, with a straight and honest face, told us that the best part of his job was failing students. He's dead now, and I hear stats is prety reasonable these days.

5) An even bigger work load.


4th Year

Everything mellowed out. I rediscovered a place called the outdoors, and my marks were prety decent. The only noteably hard course was control systems.

---

Generally speaking, compared to first year the main factor was an increase in workload in all the following years. Enjoy the free time you had!
Old 08-20-2009 at 12:55 PM   #19
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4) Our stats course was taught by this antisocial old guy who... told us that the best part of his job was failing students. He's dead now...
Did one of his students kill him in a fit of rage about their mark?
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Old 08-20-2009 at 12:55 PM   #20
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Any idea how was 2nd year Comp or Ele Eng courses? Easier than 2nd year math? Harder?
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Last edited by Bobby66 : 08-20-2009 at 03:02 PM.

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Old 08-20-2009 at 01:20 PM   #21
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Any idea how was 2nd year Comp or Ele Eng courses? Easier that 2nd year math? Harder?
Not sure what you're asking here.

Can't really compare a math course to an engineering course. It's like asking "is the paper you made out of the tree better than the tree?"
Old 08-20-2009 at 01:21 PM   #22
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Are you saying that a lot of engineering students stick around even though they hate what they're doing? lol
No, rather that they should have failed or moved on before 4th/5th year hits; around the time they lost interest in the applied part and decided to just pass classes and get the piece of paper.
Old 08-20-2009 at 01:32 PM   #23
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No, rather that they should have failed or moved on before 4th/5th year hits; around the time they lost interest in the applied part and decided to just pass classes and get the piece of paper.
Oh, so you mean there aren't enough people around that are actually interested in engineering :p.

Ya, I remember talking to someone in second year comp sci last year, and he said it kind of sucked because most of the people there were only there to pass. He had a hard time finding anyone who just codes or experiments with stuff for fun in their own time.

I unfortunately find that there are a lot of people who aren't passionate about what they're learning. It's nice to hear how a lot of people on this site really like what they're learning, and do stuff in their own time with it away from class.

I think it probably has to do with the fact that anybody can go to university now as long as they pretty much don't fail high school.
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Old 08-20-2009 at 01:35 PM   #24
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Quote:
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Any idea how was 2nd year Comp or Ele Eng courses? Easier that 2nd year math? Harder?
Second year Elec is brutal.

2EI5, 2CI5, and 2CJ4 are your main circuit courses and they are killers. Test averages were 48-50%.

The math courses (used to be 2P04/2Q04) were brutal too. A lot of people dropped 2P04 and even more dropped 2Q.

2FH3 is electromagnetics and is mostly composed of triple and quadruple integral problems..

2SH4 and 2SI4 are programming classes in Java and are pretty easy for the most part.

Second year comp is very similar, I think there are two course changes.
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Old 08-20-2009 at 01:46 PM   #25
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Looks like I better start studying for Math 2Z03/2ZZ3 now then... =P
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Old 08-20-2009 at 03:03 PM   #26
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Quote:
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Second year Elec is brutal.

2EI5, 2CI5, and 2CJ4 are your main circuit courses and they are killers. Test averages were 48-50%.

The math courses (used to be 2P04/2Q04) were brutal too. A lot of people dropped 2P04 and even more dropped 2Q.

2FH3 is electromagnetics and is mostly composed of triple and quadruple integral problems..

2SH4 and 2SI4 are programming classes in Java and are pretty easy for the most part.

Second year comp is very similar, I think there are two course changes.
Thanks, just the cup of tea I needed.
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Old 08-20-2009 at 03:34 PM   #27
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I have a little question to ask... Do Comp Sci students have to take that Math test too (I did get the letter saying that, just confirming :o)?
Old 08-20-2009 at 03:43 PM   #28
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I have a little question to ask... Do Comp Sci students have to take that Math test too (I did get the letter saying that, just confirming :o)?
I can't remember; is comp.sci considered a part of the engineering faculty? If so; then yes, you also have to take the test. It was pretty ridiculous, considering we hadn't learned a lot of the stuff yet... someone in my room actually started crying because they thought it counted, lol. The math/physics professors just use it to judge which units they should spend more time on. Their conclusion last time was apparently everything .
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Last edited by Ownaginatios : 08-20-2009 at 06:41 PM.
Old 08-20-2009 at 03:45 PM   #29
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Quote:
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I have a little question to ask... Do Comp Sci students have to take that Math test too (I did get the letter saying that, just confirming :o)?
The Honours Computer Science (B.A.Sc.) program in the Faculty of Engineering has replaced the Honours Computer Science (B.Sc.) program in the Faculty of Science.

Yes, it's part of the Faculty of Engineering.
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Old 08-20-2009 at 04:25 PM   #30
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OK! So come out to the math test. Faculty day is right after anyways, which is SUUUPER fun
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