▲ 0 r/uAlberta
Incoming CS International Student: Ambitious 3-Year Plan, Honors Math, & Course Advice Needed!
Hey everyone, I’m an incoming international student going into Computing Science. Because I am starting a year late, my goal is to try and finish my degree in 3 years.
I’ve put together a pretty ambitious schedule involving Honors courses and spring/summer terms, but I want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for failure. I’d really appreciate your thoughts on my plan!
My Current Situation & Plan:
- CS Path**:** Initially applied for CS with a Psych minor. However, I convinced the CS dept to let me take CMPUT 274! If my grades are good, I'll take CMPUT 275 and transfer to Honors.
- Spring/Summer Fast-Tracking:
- Taking PHYS 124 (Particles & Waves) in Spring.
- Taking CMPUT 291 in Spring (junior requirement for upper courses).
- Taking WRS 102 in Summer (dropping it from Winter so I don't have 6 courses once enrolled in CMPUT 275).
- Taking PHIL 125 (Practical Logic) in Summer.
- Managing Course Load: I didn't include any basic sciences (physics/chem/bio) for the common requirements right now to keep the load manageable. I also wanted NS 115 instead of NS 201, but the class is currently full.
My Questions for You:
- Physics: I initially wanted PHYS 144 (Newtonian Mechanics), but I’m taking 124 because 144 isn't offered in the Spring/Summer. Am I correct about it not being offered? Is there a big difference between the two courses in terms of knowledge?
- Honors Math Load: I am confident in my abilities, but is taking Honors Calc 1 & 2 (MATH 117/118) plus Honors Linear Algebra 1 & 2 (MATH 127/227) too much for a CS major?
- Linear Algebra: The Lin Alg requirement is only 3 credits. Should I just drop MATH 227, or will I actually need the information from it for senior CS courses?
- Stats Strategy: I skipped STAT 151/252. My plan is to take STAT 265 directly next Fall as a corequisite with MATH 217 (Honors Calc 3) to get more advanced knowledge without wasting credit space. Is this a good move, or will postponing courses that need 151/252 prerequisites to the winter of my second year mess me up and would prevent me from advanced CMPUT courses in the second year fall?
- Breadth Requirements: I'm uncertain about ECON 101. Is the knowledge worth it, or would you recommend LING 101 or PSYCH 104 to meet the outside-faculty breadth requirements?
Thanks in advance for the advice!
u/Alarming_Mobile6962 — 2 days ago