Does it look bad taking first year courses during second year?

[Guest duffman1234]

Hey

 

I finished my first year at waterloo and im taking 2 courses that are considered "first year". I was just wondering, does that look bad when professional schools are looking at your transcript?

 

Thanks!

[mrsceejoy]

I dont think it would look particularly bad especially if you are planning on taking the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year courses that follow after completing the first year courses. Then again Im not sure but I cant see it looking bad....

[charmer08]

2 first year courses are fine

[JC5]

Of course not, this entire process encourages shortcuts like that.

 

Go to an easy university, pick easy courses and ace them. Nothing looks bad to the admissions committee, because figuring out what's easy and what isn't is too "subjective" and thus, they refuse to do it.

[Guest duffman1234]

ah, i always assumed that it's all university courses, so it doesn't matter. The first year courses are my electives, my schedule for year 2 is already filled with science and math, so i wanted interesting electives that i enjoy, and turns out they're in first year.

 

So i guess it's fine?

[shannn]

You are fine

[goose]

as other have said there is nothing to worry about here. just be sure that in 3rd and 4th years not too many of your course are at the 1st and 2nd year level.

[Quester]

as other have said there is nothing to worry about here. just be sure that in 3rd and 4th years not too many of your course are at the 1st and 2nd year level.

 

But in our 4th year, only 60% of the course load MUST be 3rd/4th year courses to satisfy Western's requirement, correct?

[miss_indep]

But in our 4th year, only 60% of the course load MUST be 3rd/4th year courses to satisfy Western's requirement, correct?

 

I'm kind of confused with this because I hear so many different things, does it have to be just 4th or 3rd/4th?

[nosuperman]

I'm kind of confused with this because I hear so many different things, does it have to be just 4th or 3rd/4th?

 

Ya they count as the same "senior level courses" or something like that... basically there are 1st yr, 2nd yr, and senior level

[miss_indep]

Ya they count as the same "senior level courses" or something like that... basically there are 1st yr, 2nd yr, and senior level

 

Oh okay, its just because on the website it said "corresponding year of study" or something like that

[Quester]

Oh okay, its just because on the website it said "corresponding year of study" or something like that

 

Yeah, that's where I got confused with too.

[Guest duffman1234]

ahh, looks like im taking 3 first year courses plus component lab, and thats first semester. I really hope there's no medical/pharmacy school requirement that goes against what im doing

[nosuperman]

ahh, looks like im taking 3 first year courses plus component lab, and thats first semester. I really hope there's no medical/pharmacy school requirement that goes against what im doing

 

It gets calculated as 60% per year so as long as you take no more than 1 first year class in the next semester you'll be fine. (assuming you're in second year)

[Guest duffman1234]

is this for a degree requirement or proff. school requirement? May I ask where u got the info?

 

thanks

[nosuperman]

is this for a degree requirement or proff. school requirement? May I ask where u got the info?

 

thanks

 

Med School requirement. AFAIK there are no degree requirements with these sorts of stipulations. The stipulation of 60% comes from UWO's admissions requirements, which are right on their website, but other schools may have it as well... in either case most of the related posts on pm101 concern Western.

[MedDream]

It gets calculated as 60% per year so as long as you take no more than 1 first year class in the next semester you'll be fine. (assuming you're in second year)

 

From what I read on the website it says that 3 out of the 5 classes must be taken at "the level of the year of study". I was wondering about this too because 2 of my courses in first semester of next year are first year... had to do it to get in my arts electives.

[nosuperman]

From what I read on the website it says that 3 out of the 5 classes must be taken at "the level of the year of study". I was wondering about this too because 2 of my courses in first semester of next year are first year... had to do it to get in my arts electives.

 

Yeah, as long as 6/10 in one academic year are your current year or above then you're fine. You can take 4 first year courses in the fall term so long as all of your winter term courses and the remaining fall term course (1 fall + 5 winter = 6/10) are from your current year or higher.

[MedDream]

Oh haha makes sense. I must be tired

[Guest duffman1234]

is it okay if 2/5 classes from my first semester are first year courses, but my overall year would be more than 6/10 second year courses?

[thatonekid]

is it okay if 2/5 classes from my first semester are first year courses, but my overall year would be more than 6/10 second year courses?

Yes. They look at overall year (not per semester).

[Guest duffman1234]

I'm assuming this is only for UWO?

[Quester]

I think it's also applicable for U of T:

"Students should also note that the level of courses should correspond to the 'year' of their program. For example, a student who applies for admission to the Faculty of Medicine while registered in the third year of his or her undergraduate work should have at least three third-year or higher courses in his or her program (60% of course load)"

 

I'm also gonna assume that it's alright to take 60% of course load on 3rd year courses in my 4th year like UWO?

 

As for full-time 100% course load requirement, does it HAVE to be lecture courses? For example, even if the course is only for a couple of weeks in Winter, but it's registered as a 0.5 credit for the year?

[Guest duffman1234]

How about if you take a course that's not your year level during the summer? Would that be okay?