[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']what are the major differences b/w physics 1LO3 and Physics 1BO3? Also, I'm going into life sciences I and am thinking about going into the honours biology (core) which doesnt require 1BO3, but would I be at a real disadvantage if i only took 1LO3?[/font]

Originally Posted by The Effekt

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']what are the major differences b/w physics 1LO3 and Physics 1BO3? Also, I'm going into life sciences I and am thinking about going into the honours biology (core) which doesnt require 1BO3, but would I be at a real disadvantage if i only took 1LO3?[/font]

If you're looking into grad school or something along those lines, I'd say Physics1B03. You don't have a major disadvantage from just taking Physics1L03 but almost everyone I know who look Physics 1L03, ended up taking 1B03 at some point later for different reasons. 1B03 is just useful to have under your belt, but 1L03 is supposed to be easier from what I've heard.

1L03 is easier than 1b03, but qwerty is right, pretty much everyone ends up taking 1b03 by the end of 2nd year. If you took 12u physics, take 1b03.

I took gr. 12 physics and did pretty well, but does the fact that i took gr. 12 phys. not allow me to enroll in 1LO3?

You can enroll in 1L03 even with grade 12 Physics. I did. It was...kind of useful and a nice brush up but, to be very honest, it was a waste of money. Should have just gone for 1B03.

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

You can enroll in 1L03 even with grade 12 Physics. I did. It was...kind of useful and a nice brush up but, to be very honest, it was a waste of money. Should have just gone for 1B03.

okay, thanks for clarifying. i think i'll probably just do 1LO3 and get a really high mark. if you dont mind me asking, what did you get when you took 1LO3

I think you should definitely go for 1B03. Even though biology doesn't require it, that *could* change, and you might change your mind about what program you want to do. Also, some medical schools (and other professional schools) require a year of physics, and it's much easier if you already have 1B03 and can just take 1BB3/1BA3. 1L03 doesn't count towards any physics requirements because it doesn't have a lab component.

I had to fight the academic advisor people to let me take 1B03 instead of 1L03. First, I registered for 1B03, but they strongly encouraged me to switch it to 1L03 when I went to their 'course registration' workshop thingy, and then by the end of first term I decided I wanted to take 1B03 instead. 1B03 was full, and they didn't want to open up a spot for me because I could have taken 1L03 to fulfill the Life Sci requirements and done 1B03 later. I refused to waste my money on 1L03 though, so they eventually opened up a spot. Even though my 1B03 mark wasn't the greatest, I definitely don't regret taking it.

does anyone know anything about the profs for 1LO3, and how they might compare to the profs for 1BO3?

Originally Posted by The Effekt

does anyone know anything about the profs for 1LO3, and how they might compare to the profs for 1BO3?

I didn't have 1L03, but I did take 1B03. I had Professor Hughes. Not sure if she's teaching it again this year, but I thought she was a great prof. While she had no exact notes, and only did random scribblings in chalk, she was good. Very clear in explanations, always willing to stop and chat after class, encouraged class discussions, and really MADE YOU THINK. If there was someone in lecture who was clearly having problems with a concept, she'd stop and try to explain it to the best of her ability every time. I was lucky enough to have her again for Physics 1BA3 and she was just as good there, probably more so thanks to the small core size (I think there were about 50 of us or less..)

i heard that the professor for 1L03 had a really thick accent that made lectures hard to understand

Take 1B03! One of the main Bio courses, Animal Physiology, is soon going to have it as a prerequisite.
I am SO glad I didn't take 1L03. I've heard that class is a waste of money if you have taken Gr 12 U Physics.

Originally Posted by ragedevil67

i heard that the professor for 1L03 had a really thick accent that made lectures hard to understand

It wasn't so much his accent as his lecturing style. Coming into the course with no physics background whatsoever, I did not feel prepared for evaluations and I didn't really seem to learn anything from the lectures. The whole time I was just kicking myself for not sucking it up and taking 3U and 4U physics, as I'm sure the course would've been a breeze with those courses under my belt. The material seemed like it wasn't that hard, but I struggled because of this.

Personally, if I had taken 4U physics, I would just go for 1B03. Taking 1L03 and 1B03 seems like a waste -- you could take a more interesting elective in 1L03's place.