High Schoolers READ!!

[Guest dent03]

There always seems to be some questions regarding the difficulty of univeristy out of high school. Well, just finishing my first year allows me to speak very personally on the distinction. UNIVERSITY IS TOUGH!!! Lets get one thing straight, this dosen't mean that the coures are particularly difficult, but handling five courses per semester (full course) and doing them in only three months (and well) is quite a challenge. I had a 92% out of high school too, and though univeristy would be a breeze. My first semester I pulled two 4's and two 3.3's. (at my school, 3.3 is 80 - 84). Don't get me wrong, those marks are good, but when your used to 90's it hits you a little hard. My second semester, after having settled into the way things are done, I pulled four 4.0's and a 3.7. The trick is you have to settle into the university way of learning things. A 3 hour test in high school seemed like the end of the world, and in univeristy, you wish you had more time. The moral, prepare yourself. University will be one of the most amazing times of your life. Don't be like me and try to cram the 'hardest' courses you can into your first year because you think it will make you 'shine' on your application. You wan't some real advice, make your first semester a little easier than the others you will be taking. This will allow you to adjust to the new learning style. (ie- save organic chem for second year).

 

One more thing, relax, like Ian has posted, don't become one of those hyperactive pre-meds; your life will suck. I know, I was that person my first semester. Good luck!

[Guest Smile]

I totally agree with what you have to say, but I was wondering how much you dropped(in terms of % GPA in your first year).

 

I dropped like 15% and so did the rest of my friends at UBC!

 

Crap!

[Guest dent03]

My first semester my average was around an 85%, so I dropped by 7%. (But I was lucky, most of my friends dropped about 15% also, I think that's pretty much standard). See, at my school, the marking scheme is pretty crazy, a B+ is 80 - 84 (3.3), an A - is 85 - 89 (3.7) and a A is 90 - 100 (4.0), so that's why my first semester gpa is like a 3.65 even though my average was still fairly high.

[Guest tina]

I am curious to know where you went to University. Were you in a B.Sc. program. If you have the option of taking Physics in first year first semester, would you? Is it as hard as everyone says it is?

[Guest Smile]

1st year physics isn't that bad......only the labs are crap...

 

I found 1st year compsci to be hard because I never did any programming b4!

[Guest Biochem Student]

Just to echo some thoughts here. I'm about to finish a four year program with honours (and all that Bull).

 

University sucks first of all! And it only gets worse as you progress to upper years. I ripped through 1st and 2nd year with high 80's and low 90's. Fourth year proved to be the most challenging (third wasn't bad, but I slacked!). Looking back, what would have taken me 1 week to study for in 1st year now takes me about 2 days. Endurance does increase as you progress - which I guess is why by the time you enter meds you're superman (or superwoman) when it comes to cramming your brain full of facts. Time management is key to doing well. Keeping up with the information as it is presented to you also helps. Sometimes that is just not possible and you just have to cope.

 

Anyway, just to end off: Stay away from Queen's... they try to kill you here.

[Guest sunshinesmiles222002]

I went to UBC for my BSc. and your grades will drop compared to high school! My grades dropped like about 12% in 1st year, but once you get the hang of things, your grades will get better! Just don't get discouraged because a lot of my friends got really discouraged by this and ended up ruminating over their horrible grade in 1st year..which ended up carrying over to second year (and they ended up doing badly there as well). It's almost like a domino effect. If you get a not so good mark, deal with it, assess what you did or didn't do, and change that for the next time. What I'm saying is, learn from it! Another thing, choose a major that you're going to enjoy. And maybe consider going into a major that not many people go into. Majority of people will go into something like biology (if they're BSc.) but, you'll find that if you go into something like chemistry or physics, not many people are in it. You'll get more of a prof/student interaction with this. That's what one of my friends did. But then again, he enjoyed the physical sciences. But, there are advantages to going into a program that not many people pursue.

[Guest Da Birdie]

hehe you don't know about UofT man~

 

1st year was sort of a breeze...but a "harder" breeze than some other schools....

 

2nd and 3rd years begin to turn into slaughter houses...if you choose to go into those "hot" / "competitive" programs like Molecular Genetics or Biochemistry...or Immunology (to humour Cheech10)

 

And you meet a lot of really bright people here -- I know at least 10 classmates who were at THE top of their respective high schools~~~

 

This is a pretty crazy place to be~ competition-wise (yet, it's fun to have very smart classmates around )

[Guest cheech10]

I totally understand. As an immunology student at UofT, we get some of the most difficult courses here (shared with the Molecular Genetics and Biochem specialists of course). And if we thought first year was bad, well, it was nothing. In immuno, genetics, and biochem here, you need at least a 3.5 GPA to get into these programs (you did in immuno in my year, and the others are similar), so everyone in these 3rd year classes has at least a B+ average coming into 3rd year. But, does the class average stay at a B+? No way, it plummets back down to a C average. So we select for the best students in the first 2 years, and still end up with low averages in the last two years. That, IMO, is what makes UofT so difficult. Plus there are always those geniuses at UofT that get 95 no matter how hard the test was, so the profs make these ridiculous tests that screw everyone and then point to the geniuses and say "it wasn't hard, 1 % of the class got over 95.

 

I don't mean to say UofT is the hardest school -- even if I thought so, I don't know what the other schools are like, and I do think UofT is manageable -- but it sure is hard.

[Guest cool]

Hey sunshinesmiles,

 

I'm thinking about going into the physical sciences(probably Math or Phys) at UBC and I was wondering if you've heared anything bad about it?

 

Also, is there a lot of competition in the life science programs at UBC? or do most Bsc Peepz go into things like compsci?

 

Thanks!

[Guest governorgeneral]

"As an immunology student at UofT, we get some of the most difficult courses here (shared with the Molecular Genetics and Biochem specialists of course)."

 

same story at mcgill, and at most places i'd guess - biochemies and immunologists are a "special" bunch.

[Guest Smile]

Yeah, bch and imm are tough at ANY SCHOOL!

[Guest guest]

Buddy, until you have gone to U of T, you don't know what hard is.

[Guest UofT student]

You guys thought that first year was a walk in the park? Man, I must be really stupid.

[Guest sunshinesmiles222002]

Hey!

 

Math/Physics at UBC? Well, I've known a few people who have taken it, and I haven't heard anything bad about it at all. Apparently, compared to biological science classes, the class size is a bit smaller. That's all I know about it!

[Guest cheech10]

It wasn't *easy*, but the first semester was mainly review (although the new chem courses aren't anymore, chm137 was a joke). As long as your high school was a strong one, you could do well first year with some work.

[Guest Smile]

What's with all the UT guys thinking that they're school is the toughest school in the country(especially for programs like Immu or Bch)? I agree that it has a lot of competition, since its the largest school in canada, but how do you know about the other schools without attending them.

 

There are lotsa tough schools in Canada and a lot of competition as well. If you go into Biochem\Immunology\Physiology at UBC, McGill or QUeen's, you'll be up to your elbows in competiton and work!

 

In fact, my cousin is in the life science program at Queen's and he says that it's FREAKEN BRUTAL. Apparently, there's a crapload of people willing to backstab you at every corner, and the fact tht 90% of first year students live on compus doen't exactly help!

[Guest UofT Student]

Say what you like, but it is a well know fact that U of T has the most difficult life sci program in the country. As for CHM 137Y, that has become CHM138H (Organic Chemistry) and CHM 139H (Inorganic Chemistry), so it isn't such a joke anymore.

[Guest Smile]

Quote " Say what you like, but it is a well know fact that U of T has the most difficult life sci program in the country."

 

WELL KNOWN FACT???? Comon man!

[Guest UofT Student]

Look, I have talked to many people taking life sci at many schools and their curriculum doesn't even compare. Tell me of any other school that makes you take Organic Chem in first year.

[Guest kosmo14]

Are you for real, "Tell me of any other school that makes you take Organic Chem in first year." Geez, I go to UofS and we have to take Organic Chem. in first year of Biochem or Micro/Immun programs.

[Guest YongQ]

At UBC they do a heck of a lot of Organic in first year - not comprehensively but it's a major chunk in at least 2 of the standard first year chem courses.

 

And IMO it isn't a well-known fact that U of T has the hardest lifesci program, by mere fact that few here except U of T'ers agree with you... I mean, how can you compare the difficulty of two schools' programs until you've taken the courses there yourself, learned from their syllabus, had their lecturers, and taken their exams?

 

YONGQ

[Guest aneliz]

You learn a good chunk of organic chem in first year at Guelph. True you don't take an entire course of organic chem but it is a significant portion of general chem I. At Guelph they basically do a 'tour' of orgo I and orgo II in about 8 lectures. You are expected to know all of the major reactions (even the dreaded aldol condensation) but they don't teach you *why* the reactions occur or introduce any mechanisms or intermediates. This makes it incredibly difficult to do well in this section because you are basically reduced to memorising about 50 reactions that you don't understand! Organic chem is then tested by playing 'mix and match the reactants and products' where they give you half a reaction and make you fill in the missing pieces from a 'box' of different choices.

 

Orgo chem is taught in first year at Guelph because, depending on your major, you may not be required to take an actual organic chem course. So, they figure that it is important to introduce as much material in first year as they can squeeze into general chem I. Apparently there used to be an entire orgo chem course in first year (CHEM*1060???) but it is no more.

[Guest cheech10]

Okay, all the other UofTers, just relax. Our school is hard, but not impossible, and I don't think we're by far the most difficult or anything (and if we were, do we deserve an award or something?). If you think you can get higher marks elsewhere, go there. Otherwise, stop whining. Most of us haven't gone elsewhere, and don't know what the other schools are like, so we're not qualified to say they're easier. And this bickering accomplishes nothing. Everyone should go where they think they'll do well and enjoy undergrad, and not where "the school is the hardest". And for any high schoolers, don't be scared of UofT; it won't kill you if you're prepared and work hard. I personally know of 3 people with 3.98+ GPA's in third year, and at least 10% of each class gets an A in all the courses I've taken (and they weren't bird courses, much the opposite. damn immuno program...). So it's definitely do-able.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Yeah. . . can't comment on U of T myself, having not been there, but I would like to point out that the difficulty of a course really depends on the PROF and not the school. At Dalhousie (where I did my undergrad) our 2nd year Organic Chemistry class had midterms with MEDIAN marks of 36% and 47% - meaning greater than half the class got less than that mark. Then again, I had another prof who gave a median class mark of A-. . . you never know until you sign up.