manageable course, definitely, but like bernard says (hey bernard ) doublecheck and see if you even need 1B03 physics at all. have you put any thought into your second year programs?

as for you taking a refresher course/upgrading course in the summer, i don't know about you but that's personally the last way i would want to spend my summer prior to university. haha, kudos to you for wanting to get ready though.

physics was also my weakest subject in High School, but like what everyone's been saying above, it's basically a repeat of Grade 12 Physics in terms of concepts (the only things I hadn't seen before in High School physics was fluids...)

erm, also BE PREPARED TO GET A LOT OF CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS ON THE MIDTERMS/EXAMS, like not so much calculation based so much as understanding the concepts and applying them without any numbers being involved.

those were BRUTAL, and were definitely responsible for bringing down my mark on the final exam (that and my lack of studying).


just study hard DURING THE YEAR (don't fret too much over the summer in my opinion), practice those conceptual questions (they post a few past midterms and past exams online, so those are definitely useful practice),
AND IF YOU DON'T NEED 1B03 for some Pre-Med requirement or an upper year program, just dont take it haha

L03 is the other option xD

i took B03 physics thinking I was going into biochem...
but now that i'm headed to honours biology it was like the biggest waste ever :|

No need to be scared. There will be lots of people in your position. It all comes down to you and how hard you work.

Originally Posted by Bernard

Well before you completely write off taking the course, you should see whether the second year program you want to go into requires 1B03 because in that case you have no choice, but to take it.

However, I would recommend taking the course over the summer. That way, you have way more time to do your readings and learn the material, as opposed to during the school year, when you have to learn the chemistry and biology and whatnot

Do you mean take the 1BO3 course over the summer, or the upgrading course that I mentioned? If you meant the first, how do I go about signing up for that?

Originally Posted by IBB9780

Do you mean take the 1BO3 course over the summer, or the upgrading course that I mentioned? If you meant the first, how do I go about signing up for that?

I meant 1B03. No need to worry about signing up now, registration for summer school next year will start in early 2012. If you're planning on taking the course at another university you're going to have to go to their site and find out how and what documents you need (usually a transcript and a Letter of Permission from McMaster). If you're planning on taking it at McMaster you probably register for it on SOLAR next year.

Well, take it if you have to, but if you absolutely DON'T...no need to be tough and take it on as a challenge (I'm prone to do things like that). Like others have said, it's not the material that's hard, it's just you having to put in enough effort. I got off on the wrong foot from the beginning of the course and never managed to get back on track, so I ended up barely passing the course. All of my other subjects were > B, so yeah.

That said, it's not impossible to do well. You're coming fresh from High-school, so if you think you need to take Physics 1B03, I suggest you take it in the first term. Maybe revise a bit during the summer. After that, all you can do is STAY ON TOP OF THINGS. Finish your CAPA assignments by yourself. If you don't understand how you got the answer, you won't be able to do the exam (my mistake #1). Read your lab manual before doing the labs, so if you're stuck with people who are extremely physics-smart, you won't feel so dumb and useless/worthless (my mistake #2). IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, GO CLEAR IT UP NOW! Don't wait for the day before the exam, which might end up being an unexpected holiday (mistake #3). Find a study partner who likes physics and is good at it, or alternatively, make an effort to go to the drop-in hours REGULARLY (mistake #4). Don't do the opposite of what I've listed up there (mistake #5).

And that's all there is to it. Also, this forum is a great place to ask questions, too. People are always willing to help out and explain stuff, so don't worry about being totally lost! Good luck!