bdstudent Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 i'm a current uoft student. my grades are very poor so i'm planning to transfer to uwaterloo's science. can anyone give advice on whether it'll be easy to raise gpa and how others have done in the past? And since i'm planning to apply to med school would this be a good opportunity in terms of gpa and extra curriculars?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 i'm a current uoft student. my grades are very poor so i'm planning to transfer to uwaterloo's science. can anyone give advice on whether it'll be easy to raise gpa and how others have done in the past? And since i'm planning to apply to med school would this be a good opportunity in terms of gpa and extra curriculars?? sigh..good god.. >can anyone give advice on whether it'll be easy to raise gpa no, it won't be easy >how others have done in the past? those who studied did well >would this be a good opportunity in terms of gpa and extra curriculars?? you mean if undergrad is a good opportunity to get a good gpa and participate in EC activities? Yes, it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandemia Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 sigh..good god.. >can anyone give advice on whether it'll be easy to raise gpa no, it won't be easy >how others have done in the past? those who studied did well >would this be a good opportunity in terms of gpa and extra curriculars?? you mean if undergrad is a good opportunity to get a good gpa and participate in EC activities? Yes, it is. I think he strictly wants to know how waterloo is terms of academics and ec's. @ tooty I wouldn't be so inconsiderate to the OP considering U of T is one of the hardest schools in Canada. I personally don't go to waterloo so those that do are welcome to answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 well I do I May I ask which program specifically at Waterloo? I took biomedical science and found it to be pretty standard overall with a work load similar to Guelph, and Ottawa based on what my friend were saying. It had a lot of labs though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdstudent Posted May 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2009 well i applied to honours science...i don't know whether it would be same easy or more difficult. Any comment is welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 26, 2009 Report Share Posted May 26, 2009 i came from uw honours science. it's good. it gives you flexibility with course selection and doesn't make you take rapefest labs like biol 140L phys 111L 112L chem 237L. good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 26, 2009 Report Share Posted May 26, 2009 I would agree - honours science is very, very flexible and thus you can select courses you think you will do well in. The main drawback as I see it is that honours science may not provide an obvious backup plan if you don't get into med. It isn't like a biomedical,chem or biology degree that jump off the page and say "hey I am good at this...". Be careful to met the schools regulations about particular course loads/levels per year as well. Since Western needs a honours degree ot apply, I may wind up with Honours Science at Waterloo even though I signed up for biomedical as there are 2 courses remaining I am taking this summer. Not that I am complaining - a biomed degree kind of loses its importance relative to an m.d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 **** backup plans i hate the idea of backup plans. it means you're settling in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC_Ma Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 Well good choice on honours science at waterloo, it sure is easier than biomed because u can avoid some known GPA killers and lots of labs. However if you think its easier than Toronto then u might be wrong since I talked to a lot of uofT friends and we compared course loads and material they are fairly similar actually. Also if u want to do cutting edge research, DO NOT come to waterloo for that because our labs are nothing compared to the ones in uoft for life science (I did both). Thats all I got to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandemia Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Well good choice on honours science at waterloo, it sure is easier than biomed because u can avoid some known GPA killers and lots of labs. However if you think its easier than Toronto then u might be wrong since I talked to a lot of uofT friends and we compared course loads and material they are fairly similar actually. Also if u want to do cutting edge research, DO NOT come to waterloo for that because our labs are nothing compared to the ones in uoft for life science (I did both). Thats all I got to say. bro the course load and material may be the same and its not a surprise. The way that ur tested is whats different and is much harder at Toronto. I go to U of T so I'd know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobes74 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just because you're at U of T doesn't mean you can comment on it being easier or harder than Waterloo. If you're looking solely to raise your average, Waterloo's Honours Science should be ok, as it's essentially a "choose your own adventure" program where you can take a wide variety of classes and have a lot of electives. Plus, you can take the "easier" versions of classes.. ie. organic chem for biologists and kids in biomed sci as opposed to the organic chem the chemists and biochemists (like me) had to take. However, let's say you don't get into med school, or at least not right away. Honours Science COULD be a hard degree to do anything else with (for example, grad school), as it lacks focus and doesn't leave you fully prepared to actually deal with science in a research or laboratory setting. I'm not saying it's impossible to get in grad school etc. with Honours Science, not at all. It just could be a very unstructured degree, depending on what you make of it. Btw, I did Honours Biochemistry at Waterloo. If you want to talk about GPA killers, that's one right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just because you're at U of T doesn't mean you can comment on it being easier or harder than Waterloo. If you're looking solely to raise your average, Waterloo's Honours Science should be ok, as it's essentially a "choose your own adventure" program where you can take a wide variety of classes and have a lot of electives. Plus, you can take the "easier" versions of classes.. ie. organic chem for biologists and kids in biomed sci as opposed to the organic chem the chemists and biochemists (like me) had to take. However, let's say you don't get into med school, or at least not right away. Honours Science COULD be a hard degree to do anything else with (for example, grad school), as it lacks focus and doesn't leave you fully prepared to actually deal with science in a research or laboratory setting. I'm not saying it's impossible to get in grad school etc. with Honours Science, not at all. It just could be a very unstructured degree, depending on what you make of it. Btw, I did Honours Biochemistry at Waterloo. If you want to talk about GPA killers, that's one right there. he was talking about UT being "hard" as in hard to get a good GPA. honours science is also fine for grad school. i got in to M.Sc. neuroscience and i now have a decent size scholarship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobes74 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Like I said, I think it depends what you make of it. Honours Sci can get you into grad school, but I know a number of students from my masters program (Physiology/Pharmacology) who were refused admittance because of lack of background knowledge. It just depends on the classes you choose within your degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Like I said, I think it depends what you make of it. Honours Sci can get you into grad school, but I know a number of students from my masters program (Physiology/Pharmacology) who were refused admittance because of lack of background knowledge. It just depends on the classes you choose within your degree. exactly Honour's science can be a dangerous thing, you can take a bunch of unrelated courses that kill your chances at graduate work or you can form your own coherent plan for success. I have seen it go either way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 who cares about grad school anyway. if honours science eliminates some grad school choices, then so be it. the fact of the matter is: hon. science is way better for medicine, which is why we're all here. the people who go to grad school are going to apply to medicine anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandemia Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just because you're at U of T doesn't mean you can comment on it being easier or harder than Waterloo. If you're looking solely to raise your average, Waterloo's Honours Science should be ok, as it's essentially a "choose your own adventure" program where you can take a wide variety of classes and have a lot of electives. Plus, you can take the "easier" versions of classes.. ie. organic chem for biologists and kids in biomed sci as opposed to the organic chem the chemists and biochemists (like me) had to take. However, let's say you don't get into med school, or at least not right away. Honours Science COULD be a hard degree to do anything else with (for example, grad school), as it lacks focus and doesn't leave you fully prepared to actually deal with science in a research or laboratory setting. I'm not saying it's impossible to get in grad school etc. with Honours Science, not at all. It just could be a very unstructured degree, depending on what you make of it. Btw, I did Honours Biochemistry at Waterloo. If you want to talk about GPA killers, that's one right there. I'm only saying that if you do to go to U of T especially in the life sciences then its hard to get a good gpa. And frankly I didn't say its harder than waterloo in every way I just made it clear that the way you're tested is a lot different than waterloo due to the cut-throat competition, having a large number of people and having keep only the best students to themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobes74 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Obviously, I'm not sure how you're tested at Toronto, so that could definitely be the case. I find classes at Waterloo could go either way with tests. Again, for classes like orgo, if you're in Honours Sci/Biomed Sci you take the "easier" versions and the tests are multiple choice. In orgo for chemists/biochemists, its all written. However, there are obviously other classes that apply for both groups of students that are entirely written as well. The other consideration at Waterloo are labs. Labs at Waterloo are, almost entirely, a separate "class" entirely, ie. you have a separate exam and mark for your labs, they are not a component of a course and do not contribute to a course grade. This can make it a) harder to earn high marks in a class and harder to earn a higher GPA overall, as all of a sudden you could have 8 final exams a semester if you have 5 classes + 3 labs. So choose carefully! I don't think you need much lab work for an Honours Sci degree; however, some med schools, especially in the states, would like you to have so many hours of a lab in conjunction with a class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandemia Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 thats insane... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Obviously, I'm not sure how you're tested at Toronto, so that could definitely be the case. I find classes at Waterloo could go either way with tests. Again, for classes like orgo, if you're in Honours Sci/Biomed Sci you take the "easier" versions and the tests are multiple choice. In orgo for chemists/biochemists, its all written. However, there are obviously other classes that apply for both groups of students that are entirely written as well. The other consideration at Waterloo are labs. Labs at Waterloo are, almost entirely, a separate "class" entirely, ie. you have a separate exam and mark for your labs, they are not a component of a course and do not contribute to a course grade. This can make it a) harder to earn high marks in a class and harder to earn a higher GPA overall, as all of a sudden you could have 8 final exams a semester if you have 5 classes + 3 labs. So choose carefully! I don't think you need much lab work for an Honours Sci degree; however, some med schools, especially in the states, would like you to have so many hours of a lab in conjunction with a class. Yeah, isn't that fun? Oh the labs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooty Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 yes, waterloo labs are definitely the suck. best stick with biol courses that have an integrated lab component. there are some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 yes, waterloo labs are definitely the suck. best stick with biol courses that have an integrated lab component. there are some. Or ecology courses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Yeah, isn't that fun? Oh the labs! All 11 of the stupid things. They really gum up the works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Or ecology courses or field biology courses! Last year I operated on sharks on a moving boat - for credit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyM Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 I just finished my first year in the waterloo biomed program and THANK GOD I don't need to take any more physics labs. I went into the exam with a 95 and left with an 80... gluh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 or field biology courses! Last year I operated on sharks on a moving boat - for credit I wish I had known about those sooner.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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