UofT Complementary Studies Course Recommendation for Engineering Student

[student]

I just completed first year and now I have to worry about the Complementary Studies courses I am to take next semester without knowing my timetable to see what course would fit.

I was wondering if anyone here has gone for the Preventive Engineering and Social Development certificate and taken APS203 - Technology in Society and the Biosphere I, APS302 - Technology in Society and the Biosphere II and APS304 - Preventive Engineering and Social Development.

Or maybe any of the other courses the faulty offers (http://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/English/page-1-2206-1.html) and ECO100/ECO105?

I don't know what to decide and any recommendations or comments are appreciated.

[mystro]

if I remember right, stay away from the courses geared towards engineers, even if they're meant to be artsie courses (some englishes fall into this category, and most of the APS courses). They're generally boring (unless you are REALLY into it) and you won't get very much out of it.

I'd recommend checking out the arts and science anti-calendar, picking out the simplest course possible and running with it. Last year I took POL108, which was a full semester course. I stopped going to lectures second semester because my Design course took up all my free time. I wrote the second term essay in 6 hours and studied for the final in one day and did quite well in the course, all things considered (much better than I realistically should have)

Of course, if you need a single semester course, this is no good for you, but check out the anti calendar anyway :)

I'm entering third year nsci, if it makes any difference :)

[student]

I am going into 2nd year engsci. Looking at the anti-calender doesn't really give me much info about the course. I can't decide which courses will be the simplest.

Was the design project really hard or just time consuming?

[Coolin]

I'm thinking of doing either Philosophy 100 or Sociology 100. Have any of you taken these courses or have had friends in these courses? How were they?

[reflux0]

I took SOC101 for my 2nd year engsci elective, it was meh. What you learn you should have mostly figured out by yourself. It's a very broad overview of sociology, too broad to be really useful or memorable. Also, the tests (all multiple choice) are extremely vague, so you have to essentially memorize the textbook to do really well.

Also remember that arts averages are 65, so you'll probably get an 80 with standard engineering effort, and more if you really memorize the book.

I'd say take phl, maybe even two of the 200 level courses, they are much more interesting.

The APS courses are boring as hell, stay away.

And yes, design will take up all of your time. Hopefully if you're in a good group it should all be fun time.

[student]

Has anyone here tried ECO105?

reflux0, what was the mark breakdown for the SOC101, how many tests and such?

[PlayerOne]

I just completed first year and now I have to worry about the Complementary Studies courses I am to take next semester without knowing my timetable to see what course would fit.


if you're still trying to decide what course to take right now, then you are most probably too late

and you do know your timetable for next two semesters, they've been up on ROSI for bout 10 days now

some of the courses' sign up was this morning at 6am toronto time (Aug 14th), and the time of their lecture/tutorials were posted here (http://www.undergrad.engineering.utoronto.ca/Assets/Calendar+2006-07/Special+AS+List+4.pdf)

ROSI was overloaded this morning with people trying to sign up for courses, took me approx 1 hr just to sign up for 2 courses, and i was considered lucky too, i had friends that took 2 hours just to sign up for 1 course

space is really limited for some of the courses , for example, most of the courses only offer 10 spots

but the 2 APS courses you listed begins enrolling on the 22nd, so just remember to wake up early that morning to sign up, be ready for some major ROSI-crashing action