Are the second year math courses like MATH 2A03 very proof-based? How different is it from high school math?

I like math but the type where you do calculations only. I don't like theory or proofs so would MATH 2A03 be right for me?

I'm asking because I would have to take 3 first year courses to meet pre req requirements for 2A03. And I don't want to later hate it.

If not can someone suggest pure calculation based 2nd year courses? I like math based courses because the marking is more objective than subjective in those classes.

Thanks!

well you should take first year math courses first and see how you like those.

High school math is so ambiguous in terms of difficulty, teaching style, and in some case the information because of the variety of different high schools no one but people at your own school could compare.

The university math courses are faster pace and require you to do alot more hmwk. The tests tend to be most difficult with the exams easier since it is the whole course with all of the theories and concepts being tested. I would recommend talking with your faculty academic advisor because some faculties don`t allow you to take 2nd year courses first year

I don't think I was being clear in my first post lol.

I don't want to take a 2nd year math right now, I just want to know what courses I should take right now.

So here's my dilemma:
For a 3 year degree you are allowed no more than 42 units of first year courses = 21 units electives.

I really want to take (over a couple of years):
PHYSICS 1B03
PHYSICS 1BB3
MATH 1A03
MATH 1AA3
MATH 1B03
ECON 1B03
FRENCH 1Z06

You'll see that this comes up to 24 rather than the allowed 21. I would not take MATH 1B03 unless I had to do an upper year math for which this is a pre req. So I'm stuck right now. What do I take and what do I leave out?

Originally Posted by Galleria

I don't think I was being clear in my first post lol.

I don't want to take a 2nd year math right now, I just want to know what courses I should take right now.

So here's my dilemma:
For a 3 year degree you are allowed no more than 42 units of first year courses = 21 units electives.

I really want to take (over a couple of years):
PHYSICS 1B03
PHYSICS 1BB3
MATH 1A03
MATH 1AA3
MATH 1B03
ECON 1B03
FRENCH 1Z06

You'll see that this comes up to 24 rather than the allowed 21. I would not take MATH 1B03 unless I had to do an upper year math for which this is a pre req. So I'm stuck right now. What do I take and what do I leave out?

How does 42 units of first year courses = 21 units electives?

In your schedule you have 24 first year units out of the 42, I don't see anything wrong.

First year Health Science mandatory courses are 21 units.

So for us 42-21 = 21 units of first year electives that we are allowed in total

Originally Posted by Galleria

First year Health Science mandatory courses are 21 units.

So for us 42-21 = 21 units of first year electives that we are allowed in total

Link to the 3 year Health Science degree please?

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/bhsc/bhsc_courses_year_1.h tml and http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/bhsc/bhsc_courses.html

Originally Posted by Galleria

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/bhsc/bhsc_courses_year_1.h tml and http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/bhsc/bhsc_courses.html

Ah ok, weird... never knew there was a normal Health Science degree as opposed to Honours.

Anyways, you can still take the extra 3 units of level I courses but it won't count towards your degree so you'll have to make up those 3 units by either overloading, summer school or staying another year.

Actually in Math 2A03 there are no proofs at all. I never took it, but I took Math 2X03 and 2XX3, which are the advanced calculus courses. The textbook has proofs for its theorems, and the prof might present a proof here and there in lecture, but there are no questions that require you to come up with a proof on a midterm or exam. All second year maths are still very computational, just a little more difficult. The only class (as far as I'm concerned) that involves you to do proofs on tests is Math 2S03, which I found pretty difficult.