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Am I the only one...

DesolateDesolate
edited February 2010 in General
that plans their courses incredibly far ahead of time?

It's midterm time and I've just now finalized what I want to take in the summer. Now I just have to hope there's no exam conflicts.

Then again, that could be because I'm so far behind after not being sure what I wanted to do for these past two terms and now I finally have in mind what I need to work towards for transferring into business.

Comments

  • Moshi
    edited February 2010
    nah...planning ahead is good. Everyone has their long term and short term goals, but few will really plan it out and stick to the end.

    I'm in business and planning to major in finance. I have all my courses planned out up to the final semester on a piece of paper tugged in my drawer. The goals may change, but it's good to plan them out first.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    Business eh? Mind giving me an opinion then?

    I'm going to take MATH 157, BUEC 232, BUS 272 and ENGL 101W in the summer. That seems manageable, yes? I know I'll likely want to kill myself, since it'll be the summer and I'll be stuck doing a lot of homework, but those four fit perfectly in my schedule, provided exam conflicts don't arise.

    Also, what profs did you have for the courses I mentioned?
  • justinbh2
    edited February 2010
    I planned three different degrees centred around CS and MBB. Each with unique courses(aside from core). I had all the terms planned out as well for the first two years of each.

    I found it a great way to understand SFU's degree requirements.

    In hindsite, not much has changed except that I have lowered my course load expectation due to work and family.
  • Moshi
    edited February 2010
    I took math 151 with a bad professor and I don't remember his name. Buec 232 with George zhang. Bus 272 with Ashley Bennington. Didin't take engl 101 and don't plan to.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    How was Bennington? He's teaching 272 in the summer.

    I have BUEC 232 with Michael Johnson in Surrey. If his RMP scores are any indication, he's much better than Zhang. Is the course pretty intense, since it's 4 credits and deals with statistics? Weekly homework?

    Math 157 prof isn't announced yet. I'm hoping it'll be Jungic, but we'll see.

    I just inquired about ENGL 101 because I assumed most business students take that as one of the ENGL/PHIL requirements, but I know some people prefer other forms of literature or philosophy.


    @justinbh2: Yeah, I've learned a lot from doing all the research into the courses and stuff. I found that, by doing all this planning ahead of time, it's really gotten me adjusted to the university well, as with being an executive member in a club has taught me a lot about the campus and all the various programs available. I think I'm going to apply to be an OL for the Fall 2011 orientation, since I'll have a good grasp on everything by then and would be easily able to help any new students in my clan.
  • Moshi
    edited February 2010
    Ashley is good, take it with him if you can. Other profs make the course way to difficult than what it really deserves IMHO.

    When do you register?
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    I'm assuming mid-March, since it seems like registration is about two months before the term starts.
  • vonnie
    edited February 2010
    I've planned from now till graduation *shrugs*
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    Good to hear. I've always wondered because a lot of my friends that go to SFU don't plan anything until they see their registration date, then they decide what to take that term, not paying attention to overall requirements or anything. I've always felt like an anomaly, in the sense that I plan everything ahead of time and very meticulously.
  • EricJ
    edited February 2010
    the cs courses offered at sfu surrey aren't posted more than like a semester in advance, so i can't plan very far.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    I'm starting to question whether I should take ENGL 101 in Surrey.
    It's basically coming of age novels in the summer, mostly female. Doesn't sound very appealing to me, but I've heard that the prof is good. Ogden's books appeal to me more, as I've already read the Da Vinci Code and Douglas Coupland is my favourite author, but two of my friends who took a class with him absolutely despise him. I'm split.

    Maybe I'll take a different class in the summer and take that in the fall or spring 2011, since English is a bit out of place with Math and BUEC.
  • Moshi
    edited February 2010
    I took engl 103 and 105. If you want, you can take engl 103 instead of 101. My favourite books are mostly non-fictions. Take what you're interested in. It will turn out to be more rewarding and less of a chore.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    I love fiction. Hate poetry and some plays. So 101 and 105 are pretty much my only options. >_>
  • NukeChem
    edited February 2010
    Coming-of-age novels explore a rather unique time in peoples' lives. By the time you've hit 30, your basic emotional and mental place pretty much stabilizes right out and you kind of know where you are in life. 15 years prior it's a way different story. :)

    Anyway, in all seriousness, I'd try to plan ahead but allow for flexibility. For example I purposely delayed taking PHYS 385 because I hated Sonier and didn't want to take a class with him. I'd also try to plan around certain courses ONLY offered in the fall or spring once a year.

    That said, I delayed 385 so long it turned out I didn't even need to take it because CHEM 464/462 together pretty much covered it. :teeth:
  • xxk1nky
    edited February 2010
    Haha. Nope. I've planned out what I wanted to take in the summer since last month.
  • BSang
    edited February 2010
    Desolate;63358 said:
    I'm starting to question whether I should take ENGL 101 in Surrey.
    It's basically coming of age novels in the summer, mostly female. Doesn't sound very appealing to me, but I've heard that the prof is good. Ogden's books appeal to me more, as I've already read the Da Vinci Code and Douglas Coupland is my favourite author, but two of my friends who took a class with him absolutely despise him. I'm split.

    Maybe I'll take a different class in the summer and take that in the fall or spring 2011, since English is a bit out of place with Math and BUEC.
    I don't recommend taking a class with Ogden. His final exam apparently made someone cry in a previous semester. You can't get away with just reading each novel once, as the final requires you to recall specific page numbers for quotes. Also, in first year English courses in general, most of your grade, if not all of it, is determined by your TA. When I took ENGL 101, I had a great TA and ended up with an A. When I took ENGL 105, my TA was horrible and I got a B-.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    BSang;63373 said:
    I don't recommend taking a class with Ogden. His final exam apparently made someone cry in a previous semester. You can't get away with just reading each novel once, as the final requires you to recall specific page numbers for quotes. Also, in first year English courses in general, most of your grade, if not all of it, is determined by your TA. When I took ENGL 101, I had a great TA and ended up with an A. When I took ENGL 105, my TA was horrible and I got a B-.
    Some girl ran out crying after my brother's Calc II midterm. Then again, his prof is Randall Pyke, who tries his hardest to fail everyone, so no surprises there.

    But recalling individual page numbers is just insane. Especially when you're reading five or six novels.
  • justinbh2
    edited February 2010
    Desolate;63349 said:
    ...I think I'm going to apply to be an OL for the Fall 2011 orientation, since I'll have a good grasp on everything by then and would be easily able to help any new students in my clan.
    Sounds like a great plan and you are most likely very well suited for that type of role.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    I've been toying with the idea of applying for this year, but I think they'll prefer more seasoned students and, with Balding for Dollars near the end of March and a full-time course load in the summer it could be hard to find time for all the volunteer hours needed.
  • historydude
    edited February 2010
    I took ENGL 102, poetry, loved it, least amount of reading by far. But it does require you to think more, but I enjoy that. The final exam was pretty easy, its open book so you bring your poetry book into the exam. I took it with Whatley by DE and I got an A+, but I think the rest of the class didn't do so well, like B-. Poetry is funny, you either get it, or you don't.

    Anyways, ENGL 101 sounds alright, but I think it's like 6 novels you have to read, basically 1 novel every 2 weeks, that's heavy, plus if its true that you have to remember all those page numbers for the final, that's crazy.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited February 2010
    I just don't like reading poetry, that's why I'm skeptical.

    And Coley is annoying me right now. He chose a translation of the Canterbury Tales which is basically like prose. The fact that such a translation exists disappoints me, because the rhyming couplets that make up the other translation that I own is what makes me love it so much. And on top of that, the original is made of rhyming couplets. asdfasdf
  • mcgilluniversity
    edited February 2010
    justinbh2;63346 said:
    I planned three different degrees centred around CS and MBB. Each with unique courses(aside from core). I had all the terms planned out as well for the first two years of each.

    I found it a great way to understand SFU's degree requirements.

    In hindsite, not much has changed except that I have lowered my course load expectation due to work and family.
    haha i am gonna guess u took math 100 last semester? who ever takes math 100 with nadia is gonna get OWNED (espcially when they use ratemyprofs to select a prof). i dont understand how i did poorly in precalc( math 100) but mange to get one of the highest marks in math 154 midterm so far.
  • justinbh2
    edited February 2010
    mcgilluniversity;63400 said:
    haha i am gonna guess u took math 100 last semester? who ever takes math 100 with nadia is gonna get OWNED (espcially when they use ratemyprofs to select a prof). i dont understand how i did poorly in precalc( math 100) but mange to get one of the highest marks in math 154 midterm so far.
    Howd you guess? I am assuming you read one of my other posts where I posted my math 100 grade(B-) and mentioned which prof I had(Nadia). In any case, good call. Math 100 with Nadia was a little insane. I mean seriously, it's just precalulus. I didnt expect it to be so difficult.

    Were you in that same class?

    If so, do remember someone who asked lots of questions who sat third row centre? That would have been me.

    Also, the reason why you did so well in calc is because math100 was so hard. Its probably by design.
  • mcgilluniversity
    edited February 2010
    justinbh2;63403 said:
    Howd you guess? I am assuming you read one of my other posts where I posted my math 100 grade(B-) and mentioned which prof I had(Nadia). In any case, good call. Math 100 with Nadia was a little insane. I mean seriously, it's just precalulus. I didnt expect it to be so difficult.

    Were you in that same class?

    If so, do remember someone who asked lots of questions who sat third row centre? That would have been me.

    Also, the reason why you did so well in calc is because math100 was so hard. Its probably by design.
    i was in your class. not blowing my own horn or anything but my brain is very good at connecting infomation/notice very small details and i can piece things together...
  • justinbh2
    edited February 2010
    mcgilluniversity;63411 said:
    i was in your class. not blowing my own horn or anything but my brain is very good at connecting infomation/notice very small details and i can piece things together...
    all good, didnt take it as such.

    How did you figure out i was in math100 with you?

    What info did you use? If you dont mind me asking, of course.

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