So I am graduating life science this year so I want to post my reviews of courses I took to give a heads up for people thinking of taking them.
This course was hard. I took this course alongside orgo and physiology and I would rate that this course probably required more work then both. The prof, chow fraser gets a lot of heat for playing favorites, and in all honesty she does play favorites. She takes pictures of your face in the beginning to probably help her mark you when. But thats an assumption. She also seems unapproachable at times and acts condescending towards the students. The assignments are BRUTAL. They involve using statistical methods to figure out an answer to a rather broad question. They require LOTS of work. I had to start them a week and a half in advance and I would usually end up still lost towards the end... if it wasnt for the TAs then this course would be impossible.
Now theres two options that this course can take
A) Students dont take it seriously and do the assignments a day before and do poorly. or they just plain cheat. Chow fraser gives them a D or fails them on the assignment, students get mad and the whole cycle repeats. If you end up in this category dont expect to see above a 6.
B) You realize that your in your 3rd/4th year of university and thats its useless to try and "stick it to the man". You proceed to do the work necessary and start assignments early, you come to class, you don't argue and you don't cheat. You stay on the good size of the proff and you find that ONE idea that each assignment was looknig for. Youll get 10+. (by find that idea I mean find one of the TAs during their office hours and you ask them for the answer lol
)
I ended up in high double digits basically b/c i knew that theres no point of arguing with the proff and stayed on her good side.
OVERALL : stay away if your looking for an elective. This course should not be taken unless you are willing to put in work and kiss lots of @s$$