English prerequisites

[MomOfTwo]

I was considering using the ten year rule, but it would mean that I would have to re-take six credits of first year English. The English exemption test is out this year.

 

Is it worth the time and money to gain a max of 3 percentage points on my overall GPA?

 

I would have to do distance ed to accommodate my full time job and two kids. Can anyone recommend any good distance ed English courses?

[IMPgirl]

It really depends how you feel your application is on the whole. If your NAQ is weaker, perhaps a boost in your AQ score could make the difference in getting an interview. But if your GPA is already 85%+ it might not matter.

 

Keep in mind that English courses are very subjective and therefore hard to ace. Its unlikely it would be an easy A or A+, and you may not get the max 3% boost. Is anything less even worth it to you?

 

I'm not sure about distance courses, but I did 1st year English on campus in the summer term. It was only 3 weeks (everyday for an hour), which meant it was short and sweet. My friend also did it and he was working full time and somehow managed to come on his lunch break for the class. Again, 1st year English is such a subjective course that you can do relatively well even if you barely showed up to class.

 

Having 2 kids and a full-time job would make the credits difficult to redo....so is the POTENTIAL 3% GPA boost really going to improve your application drastically?

[kylamonkey]

I'm in the same boat as you are, but for me, applying the 10-year rule means a nearly 10% increase in my overall GPA! Yes, it was that bad.

 

UBC distance ed has some courses available, Athabasca (AU) does as well. TRU has a few but they don't seem to be as varied, and I didn't like their course format as much as AU anyways.

 

If you have already taken 100-level English, you will probably be asked to take 200-level or higher, which may be even harder to 'ace'.

 

I'm also looking at taking some evening courses at the community college (now called Vancouver Island University) near where I live. It's a pretty small town so my options may be limited.

 

You'll have to message them directly and ask if specific courses are allowed in your specific case or not. I mailed them today about it and should hear back soon.

[AndreaM]

I did ENGL 101 and 102 thorugh TRU. I found 101 was good and an easy A, but I hated the readings for 102 and ended up with a B-.

[kylamonkey]

They emailed me back right away, so I should be able to start soon. They've given me lots of options, but you need to clear it with them before you register for anything.

Also, it seems that they will allow me to retake a 100-level course I took 12 yrs ago... FYI.

[sfinch]

Be very careful in selecting your english requirement for UBC. This mark WILL be looked at - and is often the lowest mark many applicants will get.

[isaiah4110]

My friend did a distance ed course for ENG 102 and found it really easy. Her TM was apparently an easy marker!

[Guest morningstar]

Be very careful in selecting your english requirement for UBC. This mark WILL be looked at - and is often the lowest mark many applicants will get.

 

Sorry about the bump, will they look at this even if someone takes it during the year they were applying? How will they even get the marks in time if the course is done by April 30th.

[hking03]

Sorry about the bump, will they look at this even if someone takes it during the year they were applying? How will they even get the marks in time if the course is done by April 30th.

 

I believe, and I could be wrong about this, that if you are offered a spot in the 2015 class it would be contingent upon final transcript marks. This is something that graduating or current students require to send in if they are offered a spot or waitlisted. The question to ask is: Do you need to have a very high score, a pass, or a solid B in the course if you have already been offered a spot? I'd say the answer would most likely be- solid C+/B or above to ensure you are safe which is definitely attainable.

 

I also remember reading (on here) that a friend of a friend had their offer rescinded because of a few crummy marks on their final transcript. So, just work hard because the course will matter- either for this year or next year.

 

good luck!

[AndreaM]

Sorry about the bump, will they look at this even if someone takes it during the year they were applying? How will they even get the marks in time if the course is done by April 30th.

 

When we were offered acceptance it was contingent on our final marks, but we were told that unless there was a significant drop in our overall GPA (full letter grade type drop), it probably wouldn't affect our admission status.

 

The worry is not necessarily about this year's admission, it is that if you don't get in this year, how would it affect subsequent year's applications. For many people they apply 2 or more times, so it is an important consideration.