advice on electives
bill england, vp university affairs


SA150 Introduction to Sociology
Professor: G. Otero
Material covered: socialisation, deviance, culture, ethnicity, protest.
Review: Learn what life is like for jocks. This is the definition of a bird course. Coursework: 3 one-page assignments, 1 two-page assignment, 50 question multiple choice midterm, 70 question multiple choice final. The second lecture hour was always a video. Can it GET any easier?
Rating -
Difficulty: 2/10 (it would have got a 1, but tutorial attendance was mandatory)
Interest: 6/10 (gives interesting perspective into behaviour of people, but more often than not it tiptoed around sensitive issues like abortion, racism, etc.)

CMPT 320 Social Implications of Computerised Society
Professor: C Atchison
Material covered: computer law, computers and education, piracy, theft, computers and health
Review: Chick factor is nonexistant (can I say that?), but the teacher is well informed and has funny cynical sense of humor. If P Bearley is teaching this course, DON'T take it, you'll want to kill yourself/her by the end.
Coursework: 2 ten-page essays, 1 twenty-page term paper, 1 ten-minute presentation, final exam.
Rating -
Difficulty: 4/10. Not exactly easy, but workload isn't too much
Interest: 7/10. Relates well to computer/electrical engineering, however the views of classmates don't vary too much because they're all computer scientists.

PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology I
Professor: RW Day
Material Covered: research methods, brain components, sensation and perception, learning, memory, altered states of consciousness, drugs, motivation, and emotion.
Review: This course is great. The material is interesting, the professor can teach, and it's brain dead easy.
Coursework: 2 short article summaries, 1 seven page research proposal. Tutorials are mandatory but enjoyable. 1 midterm, 1 final, both multiple choice with some short essay questions.
Rating -
Difficulty: 2/10. Reminded me of a high school course
Interest: 9/10. If you're getting bored with all your technical courses, this is a nice break.



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