Hi everyone,

I'm in first year life sciences and would really like some advice, I would like to know if having maths 1aa3, physics 1b03, bio 1m03, psych 1xx3 and chem 1aa3 in one semester seems like a good idea. Right now I want to consider dropping maths 1aa3 for a relatively easier course (by this i mean lighter work load). I was thinking about med phys 1e03 (but i don't know if it has lighter workload, there is only one review for this year in course review section), and whatever else anyone thinks would be a good idea.

I want to drop maths 1aa3 because in first semester i got an 8 in maths 1a03 and i reaallly would like to bring my averages up to an 11 or 12 [wouldn't we all ] and i don't want to get rid of any other of my chosen courses since i need them.

Also I would also like some advice on how people manage their time with lots of readings and homework problems from different courses. I know it depends on work load, motivation (got a lot of it), and schedules. Thing is I did all of this I made schedules to track time and work, but I found that I couldn't follow it very well in terms of doing practice problems in 1.5 hours and when I scheduled time to finish assignments I found that other courses would take up on that time and I couldn't stop doing that work to get going with assignments. I tried talking to an academic adviser, but she was in third year and could only help me very little. I think its prioritizing work that I'm having trouble with but I don't know how to fix this.
Please help!

Thanks, Mahnoor

Yeah, I would recommend dropping Math 1AA3, especially if you don't need it. If you want an easier math course, you can take Math 1LT3, it is a joke compared to Math 1AA3. Physics 1B03 alone will be keeping you very busy. If I could do it again, I would switch Physics 1B03 to summer because you really need to dedicate a lot of time towards it, which can be hard when you have 4 other courses to balance.

To answer your second question, I found that creating schedules helped a lot, and whenever you have free time make sure you do some work, or else all your work will just pile up. If that is happening, you need to allocate more time to your tasks. I usually like to get small tasks out of the way first (such as labs, assignments) and then go to the big tasks such as studying for midterms because if you do big tasks first, chances are you won't be finishing your small tasks. And get small tasks done as soon as you can, because then you can focus a lot of your time on the big tasks. I would try to do practice problems on weekends, and keep up with my notes on weekdays, and I found it worked out well for me. Breaks between classes are good to keep up with your readings and do practice problems as well. As long as you try to spend a few hours on work everyday, you will be on track. Good luck, if you have any other questions you can ask me

I'm in first year physical science and got 12's in Physics 1C03, Math 1A03, Chem 1A03, Astronomy 1F03, and a 10 in Envir Sci 1G03. Astronomy was a bird course for me as I've read about in my free time, and for Envir Sci I simply studied the day before tests (don't do this).

For math and physics, I highly suggest you tackle assignments as soon as they're available. I did mastering physics assignments a week before they were due, and Math 1A03 assignments as much as 3 weeks before they were due.

Physics didn't take too much of my time (but I have a strong background from highschool), the key is to understand basic principles and how each principle builds upon another. Don't try to memorize "types" of physics problems, figure out WHY an answer has to be true. Try to picture physics problems in your head and make analogies with everyday phenomena that you do understand.

For Math, read all of the relevant textbook chapters. Read it every single weekday. I commute by Go bus to Mac, and if I wasn't too tired I would read the book during rides. Dedicate certain days to completing several chapters from the suggested problems. Make sure you complete all of the suggested problems for each test. Do all of the sample tests. Paul's notes is also a very good place from which to learn math: http://tutorial.math.lamar.e du/ In lectures, try to solve problems on your own instead of just copying what the professor writes down.

For chemistry, I dedicated 3 to 4 hours on Saturday or Sunday to taking notes from an online module and completing the weekly quiz. Do all of mastering chemistry (if you have it). Do all tutorial problems (on your own) except for the problems that require knowledge outside of the course. Do all the sample tests, and make sure you can answer even the hardest of problems. Be able to explain why your answers have to be true. I spent a good amount of my time explaining problems to other people on Avenue, and I found it helped me as much as it helped them. I found no need to read the textbook or do any problems from it.

Personally, I take a spontaneous rather than a structured approach to life. Starting a problem set early allows you to focus on it without stressing over other things.

Another tip is to exercise, especially before midterms. I would jog for 20-25 minutes before a test and it would really help to get my brain moving.

By reading ahead and doing assignments weeks early, I had a ton of free time. I probably spent more time watching anime than doing homework. The key is to work first and then slack.

take econ 1b03 instead of math. math 1aa3 is not needed and if it is for professional schools or something, take 1lt3 in upper years like most people do.

Hi thank you for all the replies. Yes I did consider maths 1lt3 but then i found that its not being taught in term 2 :(. Also this is directed to Silver, its interesting you mention econ 1b03, because my friend told me to stay away from it, but not too sure why, can you please explain if it is good to take as an elective?

Also does anyone know about med phys 1e03 and if it's good to take as an elective? What about any other courses?
Thank you

Originally Posted by mm99mm

Hi thank you for all the replies. Yes I did consider maths 1lt3 but then i found that its not being taught in term 2 :(. Also this is directed to Silver, its interesting you mention econ 1b03, because my friend told me to stay away from it, but not too sure why, can you please explain if it is good to take as an elective?

Also does anyone know about med phys 1e03 and if it's good to take as an elective? What about any other courses?
Thank you

First, it is false that math 1LT3 is not being taught in term 2. In fact, it is ONLY taught in term 2.

Second, whether or not econ 1B03 (or med phys 1E03, or any other course for that matter) is a good course to take is completely subjective, so different people will tell you different things. Some people may think a course is an excellent elective and others will think it's an awful one.

There's plenty of reviews on Econ 1B03, I recommend you take a look at the course reviews section. Econ 1B03 is a very easy elective in my opinion. Easy 12 with minimal workload, involving only basic math and if you have Holmes she gives quite a bit of bonus marks, so it's very easy to do well. However, just like with any course, try to pick something that interests you, as you will likely do well in courses you enjoy.

Thank you for that,
This is directed to Starfish, I realize that maths 1LT3 is only taught in term 2 however when i go to course timetable it doesn't show me anything for term 2 or term 1, so I was a little confused by that.

Originally Posted by mm99mm

Thank you for that,
This is directed to Starfish, I realize that maths 1LT3 is only taught in term 2 however when i go to course timetable it doesn't show me anything for term 2 or term 1, so I was a little confused by that.

https://adweb.cis.mcmaster.ca /mtt/... =1LT3&t=2&d=E

Math 1LT3 is offered 2nd term at 7pm-10pm on Thursdays. And it is not full on SOLAR!

Also, I can second that Econ 1B03 is a very easy elective - possibly the easiest course you will ever take in undergrad. As long as you study early, and can do all the math in her notes, and do the sample tests/exams she posts, you will ace it. And she gives a lot of bonus marks to help you out. I definitely recommend it as an elective.

Originally Posted by mm99mm

Thank you for that,
This is directed to Starfish, I realize that maths 1LT3 is only taught in term 2 however when i go to course timetable it doesn't show me anything for term 2 or term 1, so I was a little confused by that.

You are looking at the wrong course timetable then, or you are using it incorrectly. I checked before posting just to make sure, and bradyr posted the link.

Anyways, if you're not interested at all in econ then you won't enjoy it as an elective. I got a 12 in econ and hated every second of it, wouldn't recommend it to anyone.