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Enrolling in classes at SFU

Mango
edited August 2010 in General
Hi all,

I just got accepted two days ago for behavioural neuroscience program at SFU fall term 2010. I already completed two years of post-secondary education at an university in Ontario, doublemajoring in bio/psych. I know I will sound like a complete noob but I am a bit overwhelemed with SFU's registering system.

1. Is registering for classes done on SIS?
2. When does registering for classes actually begin?
3. Has anyone here transferred from another university? Who did you have to contact for transfer credits?
4. If you are in the behavioural neuroscience program, what is your general thoughts/opinions on the program? I understand that it is a fairly new program offered at SFU...And also, how fast do classes fill up for this program?

On a not-so-academic note, do you recommend living on residence? Or is there better, more affordable housing available elsewhere off-campus in close proximity?

Sorry to bombard you all with these noob-sounding questions, especially this post being my very first! If anyone can answer all, or if not any of the questions, I will be very grateful :)

Thanks again for your time!

Comments

  • IVTIVT
    edited July 2010
    1. Yes
    2. Everyone gets an email telling them when they get to register
  • NukeChem
    edited July 2010
    If you get assigned to live in McTaggart-Cowan, skip rez and find an apartment near the uni. Whoever built McCow should be shot, drawn and quartered, then buried in the midst of nowhere with quicklime.

    I should know; I lived there, and the walls were like PAPER. You could hear just about any goddamn thing on either side of you. Now, suppose you have a girl or boy over for the night... I think you start to get the picture.

    If you get Shell House or the Townhouses, *thumbs up!* you're good to go.

    If you want to be sure your transfer credits are in good order, use the goSFU Student Information System to check that they're all there. If not, start raising some hell and keep raising it until someone does something.

    The way I had my Langara transfer credits applied was... damn, I don't remember now. I think I forwarded my transcript and requested that it be applied. Talk to someone in Academic Advising; they'll know more than I would about this.

    http://www.sfu.ca/ugcr/For_Advisors/WQB_Transfer_Credit.html

    That'll get you started, anyway...
  • combray
    edited July 2010
    Re transfer credit, I just had my college send an official copy and SFU added the courses without me doing anything else. Though this was a BC institution so perhaps it is more streamlined as courses may match up better.
  • Thanatos
    edited July 2010
    I was a first year biology student, taking Bisc 101, Chem 121, Math and Physics, and majoring in Biology, when I took a Psych course and decided I liked Psych better, but STILL liked Biology a lot too, so the best thing since SFU doesn't offer a BSc in Psych would be to get the BSc in Behavioural Neuroscience.
    I have since then changed my mind and decided to just get a BA in Psychology and take a few Biology courses on the side. The reason I changed my mind is because the Behavioural Neuroscience program is structured so that you have to take Kinesiology courses with Psych courses, but no Biology courses. You have to do everything from forces in muscles to histology to human motor systems to human physiology... if you're really interested in how humans move and how their organs function then the Behavioural Neuroscience program is definitely for you, but if you're interested in Psychology and animals, ecology, evolution and so on (like me) then I would recommend just doing a BA in Psych and minoring in Biology.
    MSc programs like Human Cognitive Neuroscience at UK universities don't actually require you to have a BSc in order to enter them, you can have a BA in Psych, so you can ditch the Kinesiology courses if you don't like Kines.
  • Mango
    edited August 2010
    Thank you so much guys for your help and advice! :)

    Ok...kinda random question but how come the residence people aren't picking up the phone??? They told me to call them at the end of July/early August if I don't get an offer on residence (which I didn't). I guess it is partly my own fault for applying a little late (in June) for residence but honestly I thought that residence was guaranteed for first-year students. lol And then found out that it wasn't...(wth)

    Am I screwed now? I am coming all the way from Ontario and even if I were to look for places off-campus, how the hell am I going to check it out? lol So yeah...should I give up on residence seeing as I've yet to receive an offer?

    p.s. On the website it says that "some spaces are full" ha...very vague indeed. Just like the email I got from them in July.
    p.p.s. How come the admin staff at SFU is so effing grumpy??? Is it like an everyday thing or is it just when I call them lol
  • NukeChem
    edited August 2010
    Mango: What you could do is ask on here if anyone needs a roommate for the next four months, or something. That would give you a semester to have a "base", and if you don't like it then both sides know you've taken the option to move out and neither person is left hanging.
  • Mango
    edited August 2010
    NukeChem;64827 said:
    Mango: What you could do is ask on here if anyone needs a roommate for the next four months, or something. That would give you a semester to have a "base", and if you don't like it then both sides know you've taken the option to move out and neither person is left hanging.
    @NukeChem
    Thanks a lot for your advice. Actually yesterday I did get a hold of someone on residence department and they said that I should start looking for offcampus housing. Which I did (albeit quite reluctantly) and I got in touch with a few landlords. But today I just got an offer for residence via email! Yay!!!

    Hope to see y'all in fall on campus!
  • NukeChem
    edited August 2010
    Which rez are they putting you in, by the way? (Glad to hear rez came through!)
  • Mango
    edited August 2010
    @NukeChem

    Either Shell house or McTaggart-Cowan hall. I really hope its not McTaggart-Cowan considering what you said about the place above!
    BTW I keep getting emails to register for orientations. So If I were to go, I guess I would be going to the mature/transfer student one and perhaps the residence one. Do you guys recommend going to either of the orientations? Right now I am not so sure as I have a list of things to take care of while I am still here at home...if I were to go to the orientation I would be leaving a week earlier.

    So if in fact orientations are really important and will give me a 'headstart' (or so they claim on the website) I guess I will consider going. I just feel like I have already been there, done that haha.
  • NukeChem
    edited August 2010
    It can't hurt to go to Orientation as far as I can see. Certainly you'd get to tour the lovely university I've called my academic home for eight years. :P

    OTOH if it would cause problems for your schedule to leave a week early you may want to make the judgement call to skip Orientation and try to just navigate the campus yourself with a good map and some time on your hands. :)
  • Mango
    edited August 2010
    @Nukechem

    Thanks again for your advice! I have decided to be there early and attend orientations. I don't know the campus too well, and I don't really remember much from the guided tour that I took earlier this year. Hey, is there a bank on campus? Or bank ATM machines? If so, please let me know :)
  • NukeChem
    edited August 2010
    Scotiabank, as well as Scotiabank ATMs. Note that the Scotiabank branch on campus doesn't do currency exchanges so you're screwed if you need American money from them.
  • DesolateDesolate
    edited August 2010
    I would say go to orientation for sure. I haven't remained friends with anyone in my clan personally. All the friends I've made have been from classes or from volunteering. But that may be partially because I was in one with political science students, and my interests have shifted a lot since I started at SFU and I'm now working to transfer into business. Still a good experience, you really get adjusted to the campus well.

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