Hi aska,
I’m an incoming freshman from the states and I had a few questions…In the U.S., you’re not required to take calculus in high school. I took precalc in 11th grade and then took AP Stats in 12th grade. Apparently, in Canada, you’re required to take calculus in high school in order to graduate. Is this a significant set-back? Will it be much much harder for me in my math class? (I’m taking MAT135 by the way, at UTM)
Also, I have taken both AP bio and AP psych exam and gotten a 4 and a 5, respectively. I wanted to receive credit for PSY100 instead of bio due to the fact that I’m a med school hopeful (I know, I know…but I still want to try!) and I felt that I did not learn enough in my AP biology class. The thing is though, I want psychology to be one of my majors and due to the fact that I want to pursue a double major in Psychology and Economics, my schedule is going to be tight and I want to move on to the 2nd year courses in hopes that it will save some time (and yes, I have already talked to the department of psychology about this and they said it’s fine to register for 2nd year classes). However, I’m not entirely sure if it’s a good idea because I’m afraid it’d be too much for me to handle. So far, I signed up for PSY201H5F, PSY220, and PSY270. I would take just one each semester, but in order for me to declare psychology as a major, I need to take PSY201 and two psych classes.
So…I guess my question all boils down to this: is going into 2nd year classes too much for a freshman to handle? Are they significantly harder than 1st year courses? Just as a reference in case you need it, my other classes are ECO100, MAT135, and PHY135/136 (so…yes, 4.5 credits in total). Oh and also…are there any tips you would give to an incoming freshman?
Sorry for the really long question…and thank you so so much!
Kate
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Hey there,
I?m not sure who told you that little Calculus tidbit, but be sure to give them a piece of your mind ASAP. In Canada?or at least in Ontario?we don?t need to take Calculus to graduate either. Technically, you don?t need to take any Math classes at all in grade 12 to graduate. Believe me. I wouldn?t have made it if we did. But while MAT135 does recommend having taken Calculus in grade 12, it is still just a recommendation. How have you been doing thus far? You?re the judge, really. But if you do feel like you?re having trouble, the UTM Mathematics Department apparently offers workshops for first-year Calculus courses on Fridays from 3PM to 5PM at William Davis 3093.
Now as for your Psychology problems: no, second year courses aren?t too much to handle for a first year. Of course, this all really depends on your work ethic and how well you handle your studies. If you do take them though, it might be wiser to put them into the second semester so that you can spend the first one getting a vibe for what university is like. Just make sure you take the introductory courses at least so you have some groundwork.
And tips for an incoming freshmans?
- Go to your all of lectures. Seriously. Seriously.
- Stay on top of your readings and/or assignments. It’s never fun having to reread the same sentence over and over again because it won’t set in the first time around because you’re that tired.
- Join clubs/student societies/etc. Meet lots of people! You’ll have a much better experience that way.
- Go to office hours. No, it doesn’t make you a brown-noser. But it can definitely be beneficial when some time down the road you need an academic reference or something. Likewise, it won’t hurt your participation marks to have your Professor actually know your name.
- Take a writing course at some point. There are many, many people that make it into university who cannot write and it is absolutely mind-boggling. University is about research and critical thinking and being able to express what you find in an understandable way is just as important.
Good luck!
aska