Reviewing My First Year Classes

I just finished my first year of classes at UBC, and as the year wraps up, I want to take a look at the classes that I took during my first year. In my opinion, the classes you take during university can make or break your experience, so I want to think about my thoughts for each of these classes.

Disclaimer

I am in the Faculty of Science at UBC attempting to major in Computer Science and Statistics, so my experience will be different than someone else in a different faculty. In addition, I also was able to skip vital classes like MATH 100, MATH 101, and WRDS 150 due to my AP credits from high school. I’d also note that I’m not going to comment on the professors themselves since I don’t think it’d be appropriate and because I would rather want to focus on the content covered. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

CPSC 110: Computation, Programs, and Programming

This is a mandatory course for anyone at UBC planning to take anything related to computer science. It uses a language called Racket, which seems annoying to work with at first but is chosen to make it easier for people who’ve never had experience with programming to learn. Essentially, Racket forces you to learn how to design a program, rather than to do it with the tools of a specific programming language. The course has a lot of pre-class edX material, which is essentially mandatory if you want to do well in the class, as there is a lot of content that is skimmed over in the actual lectures. There’s a weekly lab which is just 3 hours of completing questions from the recent lecture. It’s a good place to get help and figure out how much you learned in the last week’s lecture. One gripe I had with the class was that the rubric for points is VERY harsh, as you will lose points if you do anything like write a comment wrong or forget to indent your code. However, it does instill a work ethic that you carry even after you finish the course. Overall, it’s a challenging course that teaches you quite a bit on what CS is about, so it’s definitely an iconic one for me.

DSCI 100: Introduction to Data Science

I took this class because I wanted to open a pathway for the new Data Science major that UBC is introducing. Overall, the class is a snoozefest if you have any experience in CS. There are 2 weekly assignments, and one of them is covered completely in lecture, and the other assignment is just a similar one without guidance. The class comes in two flavors, R and Python. The content doesn’t differ much, rather the formulas and code snippets you use. Even if you don’t know much about coding, it’s not that hard to grasp enough to get a good grade in the class. The class generally covers basic data science concepts, like cleaning and sorting data. You also learn how to use statistical models to make interpretations based on data given. It has a lot of practical applications, since data science has a very human element in terms of interpretation, so I recommend taking the courses.

CHEM 111: Structure, Bonding, and Equilibrium in Chemistry

There’s actually another version of this class, CHEM 121, which is meant for people who’ve taken 2 years of chemistry in high school. Since I didn’t take AP Chemistry and most American schools only offer 1 year of standard chemistry, I was stuck in this course. This class is a watered-down version of CHEM 121; it’s moreso meant to reintroduce core chemistry concepts from high school and segway it into some newer concepts for courses like CHEM 123. You start from learning about basic atomic structure to learning how those atoms form into molecules, and how those molecules interact with each other. It’s an interesting class, but it doesn’t stand out in a way where you want to learn more about the subject, which is partly because the course lacks some context which is reserved for 121. However, it still has some merit on its own, and if you do have to take it, you will be learning quite a bit, so be prepared for that.

CPSC 121: Models of Computation

This course is probably what had me spending the most energy on the last semester. This course has no coding, and is instead focused on theoretical computer science concepts, such as proofs, time complexity (how fast code runs), and low-level computing, as in manipulating individual bits. This has 2 lectures a week, one discussion section, and a lab, all of which take at least an hour and require some effort to take. The second half of the course ramps up in difficulty quite a bit, with the introduction of proofs. These seem easy on the surface but quickly turn into a mess with indirect proofs and weak and strong induction. You’ll require a lot of practice to grasp the concepts explained in class. This class is also required if you want to graduate with a CS degree, so you’ll have to face it. The examlets are pretty easy, but the final exam hits you like a 18-wheeler, so be prepared going into this class, as the wrong mindset will quickly have you regretting your life choices.

SCIE 113: First-Year Seminar in Science

This one is going to be short, since your experience will WILDLY differ based on who your professor is. However, the class is heavy on writing and following the rubric to a T, so don’t be discouraged if you get a substandard grade on your first essay. The class generally wants you to understand how to think going into scientific fields, and many in-class activities and assignments are structured around this learning goal. The essays are the hardest part of the class, so make sure you plan out what you’re going to write ahead of time, and don’t be afraid to talk to your professor if you need any assistance.

EOSC 110: The Solid Earth: A Dynamic Planet

This class is actually an easy one, but it does give you a really good appreciation of the Earth. It essentially covers how the Earth works, from plate tectonics to other process like rivers and glaciers. It also teaches you about a lot of natural disasters caused by the Earth’s inner mechanisms, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides. Outside of class, you have a couple assignments that are meant to explore a place important to you and apply class concepts to the formation of that place. You also have in-class activities which help digest the content in that lecture. If you’re looking for something to finish your Science Breath requirement, or you want to go into Earth and Ocean Sciences, this is a recommended course to take.

MATH 200: Calculus III

This class is essentially MATH 101 (Integral Calculus) with the z-dimension included, but is surprisingly not as difficult. It does require you to have good knowledge of concepts from Calculus II, such as u, trig, and integration by parts, since they’ll be used quite a bit. The class is a bit tough to follow, and the concepts are touched on a bit too lightly in class, although the midterms and final are fair on how they test you. You go from learning about vectors to understanding differentiating with 2 or more variables to integrating with 2 or more variables. It’s a bit fast-paced, so do yourself a favor and watch Organic Chemistry Tutor to help yourself understand some tougher concepts.

This summer I only have Linear Algebra to worry about, but next year will have a lot more applicable courses to worry about, so it’ll be interesting to see how those go!