Transition: First year to second year

This post has been created upon request and will contain some general information about the transition from first year to second year, especially for those in UBC Sciences.  Information in this post will be from the UBC Calendar, the UBC Science website, and other various sources.

This post will mainly talk about applying for specialization in a major (and possibly minor), summer courses and my general thoughts about my second year.  I will try my best to ensure that the information in this post is as accurate as possible at the time of writing but since mistakes can be made, I highly recommend consulting a ‘professional’ (e.g. advisor, counsellor).

Some other relevant posts:
Second-year Courses in UBC Sciences!
My Second year schedule and a bit on Cr/D/F

First-year Courses in UBC Sciences!
Transition: High school to first year

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Table of Contents

1. Summer Courses

1. What are some of the major advantages to taking summer school?
2. What are some of the major disadvantages to taking summer school?
3. If I only take one course, it’ll be pretty lax, right?
4. Why did you take summer school in first-year?
5. I am not sure which courses to choose, or whether the workload is appropriate for me.
6. I heard that the grades you get for courses you take in the summer do not count towards your GPA.  Is this true?

2. Specializations

1. What do I need to get into Honours?
2. Should I apply for a specialization that I do not have the prereqs for?
3. What if I just take the prerequisite course(s) that I am missing in the summer before second-year?  Wouldn’t that be fine?
4, What if I do not get into my first specialization of choice?
5. What if I got NONE of the three choices that I wanted?  What if I am not sure whether I can get into a specialization?
6. When/where do I check whether I got into my specialization of choice?
7. What happens once I get my specialization confirmed?  Does this mean I am guaranteed a spot in the specialization for the rest of my degree?
8. What is the Combined Major in Science specialization?  Do I apply for it if I want to get a combined major in say, Mathematics and Computer Sciences?
9. How do I find out about different specializations?
10. None of the specializations really appeal to me in particular.  I want to learn about microbiology but not the immunology part, and I want to learn about biology but not plant biology.
11. How do I apply for double majors (both in Science) and minors?  What if I cannot choose between two majors?
12. How/where do I contact a departmental advisor?
13. What specializations did you apply for?

3. Registration and Courses

1. How will I know which courses to choose if I do not even know which major I got accepted into?
2. I did not get accepted into my first specialization of choice, which courses do I choose?
3. Aside from the courses listed under each year level on the Calendar Entry, what should I consider when choosing courses?
4. What electives should I take?

4. Co-op

5. Involvement, Work, Extracurriculars

6. Getting help with Academics

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1. SUMMER COURSES

A common question asked by first-year students is: “Should I take summer school?”  I kind of already answered this question as a reply to someone who asked on my blog, but I’ll repeat myself again here.

There are advantages and disadvantages to taking summer school.  One of the main reasons why summer school is offered to students is so that students who failed a course in the winter term of first year can retake it in the summer and thus still be able to graduate within four years (or whatever many years they want to).  Some of these courses commonly offered in the summer session include CHEM 121, 123, 233, 235, BIOL 112, 121, 200, 201.

The summer session runs from early May to late August and is generally split up into two terms, just like in the Winter Session.  The first term runs from early May to mid July and the second term runs from early July to late August.

For example, CHEM 233 runs from May 9th to June 17th (6 weeks) this summer.  In fact, this is usually the case from what I’ve seen for first term summer courses.  Pay particular attention to the deadlines (shown by the bottom purple arrow in the diagram).  These deadline dates tell you the date you need to drop a course by without getting a W and the last date after which you cannot withdraw from the course at all.  Supposedly, they give you less time to drop a course in the summer.

Top arrow shows the course duration, bottom arrow shows the course ‘deadlines.’

Another example of a course offered in summer is MICB 202, which runs from July 4th to August 12th this year (6 weeks as well).

However, there are also courses that run for more than 6 weeks, such as STAT 200 which runs from May 9th to July 29th.  Due to this, STAT 200 is only on 2 days (4 hours a week, labs already included).  But for most courses that last 6 weeks, you can expect to be attending school for three or four days per week at approximately 8 hours a week for just that one course.  There are also courses that do not start in May, but rather in June.  These are a bit uncommon but they do exist – for example, PHIL 120 runs from June 20th to July 29th this year.  There are also courses that last less than 6 weeks, like BIOL 200 (3 weeks) and CHEM 121 (4 weeks).

1. What are some of the major advantages to taking summer school?

In summer school, courses are usually condensed into 6 weeks (from 13 weeks, usually).  If you learn quickly, this may be good – the pace may be better suited for you and since the course is condensed, more information may be retained when you get to the final exam.  Another advantage to taking summer school is that you are able to focus on only one course and can therefore “get it over with.”  Furthermore, when you take courses in following winter session, you may not need to take as many courses (depending on whether you want to qualify for certain scholarships and Honours), which means you’ll be able to focus on less courses in the Winter Session as well.  Some courses in the summer session don’t have many people taking them (especially MATH from what I’ve seen) which may result in smaller classes which some people prefer.

2. What are some of the major disadvantages to taking summer school?

As previously mentioned, summer school is very condensed.  If you find Winter session courses (13 weeks) condensed, then summer school may be too rushed for you to keep up.  However, you should also consider that you would only be taking one course (do not underestimate it though).  Since summer school is condensed, you will need to review more for one course everyday than you normally would in the winter session (2 – 3 times as much for that course).  From my experience, I find this to be extremely tedious.  Purely reviewing and pre-reading for 3+ hours for JUST one course everyday can become very tedious, very quickly.  And if you slack, you will really fall behind due to the sped up pace.  A particular example of a very crammed course would be BIOL 200, which lasts only 3 weeks – lectures are everyday Monday to Friday and each lecture is 2.5 hours each.  This is almost like going to school during the Winter Session with 4 – 5 courses.

Course evaluation during the summer tends to consist purely of midterm(s) + final because there is not enough time (or TAs) to mark things.  This simpler course evaluation may be advantageous, or the opposite.

The last disadvantage that I can think of is the final exam.  In the summer, the final exam is usually a few days after the course has finished, or less.  In fact, many courses in the summer have the final exam scheduled on the day after the course has finished.  This can be disadvantageous as you will not have much time to study.

3. If I only take one course, it’ll be pretty lax, right?

You might think that taking one course in the summer would be relaxing, but this is not always the case.  I didn’t feel relaxed even though I was only taking one course at a time in the summer, because I had to go to school 7 hours a week which is half as much as I would during the winter for FIVE courses.  Some courses are much worse – if you take BIOL 200 this summer you will have to attend class at least 14 hours a week (BIOL 200 lasts 3 weeks).

You may be able to avoid this by picking courses that only run on 2-3 days a week, or perhaps distance education courses.  I would also not recommend taking two courses concurrently.

4. Why did you take summer school in first-year?

I had spare time during the summer so I thought I might as well do some coursework.  I took MATH 200 in first term and MICB 202 in second term.

5. I am not sure which courses to choose, or whether the workload is appropriate for me.

You can always register in the courses that you are interested in taking (see below for “alternate method”).  Then, go to a few classes before deciding whether to continue in them or not.  If you decide not to continue with one or more of them, make sure to drop the course on the SSC by the deadline.  This is very important because you cannot drop the course after the deadline has passed.  Note: You have to pay a $100 non-refundable deposit (for returning domestic undergraduates) in order to register for courses in the summer session.  This fee cannot be transferred to other sessions (e.g. the next Winter session) unless you haven’t registered in any courses yet. (edited April 2013) – see UBC’s Policy on Fees. Another somewhat related page is UBC’s Policy on the Refund of Tuition Fees – according to this page, tuition is NOT 100% refundable in the Summer (it is in the Winter if you drop the course by the specific deadline).

 

Edit (2011): “Alternate method”: What I usually find for many but not all courses is that people tend to drop out after a while.  What I’ve seen some people do is that they don’t register for ANY courses, which means they don’t have to pay registration fees or tuition fees.  Then they attend some classes that they’re interested in taking.  And then later on, they can decide to register in it, or just stop attending and take it some other time.  For classes that are in high demand, it might be hard to register, but often people will drop out of the course nearer to the drop deadline.

6. I heard that the grades you get for courses you take in the summer do not count towards your GPA.  Is this true?

No, grades you get in the summer still appear in the grades section of the SSC. (See Academic Performance and Continuation.) Credit obtained during the summer session also counts toward the degree program, but it is important to note that they do NOT count as part of the full-time program of the Winter Session.  This means that for example if you take 15 credits in the winter term and 8 credits in the summer term, even though you will have received 23 credits total that ‘year’, you won’t be considered a full-time student.  (Note: A full-time student in the Winter Session needs 9 credits per term and a full-time student in the Summer Session needs 9 credits over all summer terms.)  (See Credit at UBC and Elsewhere.)  This may have repercussions for you – Honours programs, scholarship eligibility, loan eligibility, etc. require a minimum credit load OR full-time status.

edit (2011): Grades received in courses taken in the summer session will not count towards calculating GPA for the purpose of determining registration dates for the coming Winter Session (Thanks to Tyler).  Grades received in courses taken in the summer session may or may not count towards calculating GPA for the purpose of admission to certain programs in certain schools like UT Medicine (thanks to ‘asdf’).  Essentially, the question “Will summer GPA count?” really depends on what the purpose of calculating it is.  But generally speaking, UBC summer courses are not courses you can just do poorly in and expect no consequence and should be treated the same as with winter courses.

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2. SPECIALIZATIONS

Before the start of second-year, you will need to be accepted into a specialization (you need to be in a specialization in order to register for second year).  A specialization is the specific field that you plan to major in, such as Chemistry or Biology.

There is an application process for gaining entry into your specialization of choice and it begins edit (April 2013): June 4th this year (2013) and will end on June 18, 2013. June 6th this year (2011) and will end at 11 pm on June 21 (see http://www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply for the most updated information and times/dates).  The process, which is online, allows you to pick your top 3 choices for specializations (in order of preference).  Entry into the specialization is for the most part based on your grades and NOT based on a first-come first serve basis.  So make sure you are sure about which specializations you want to apply for before you submit the application.  It’s best to start researching about specializations as early as possible (perhaps during the winter break of first-term?) and you should have a decent idea of which specialization(s) you want to choose by the end of first year.

Some specializations require in addition to the Science specialization application, an external application; or they may look at factors other than grades for admission.  For example, Pharmacology requires you to go through an interview.

A list of all the specializations is given on the UBC Science Program Specializations page.

You can basically apply to any specialization, but make sure to click on the Calendar Entry on the page above with the list of specializations so that you know you have the correct prerequisites.  If you do not have all of the prerequisites, you probably won’t get admitted.

The UBC Science site has an overview of the entire degree planning progress.  The application for specializations is done at this page: http://www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply.

1. What do I need to get into Honours?

Many Honours programs are not available to apply for before second year.  You will know when you apply for the specialization and only see the majors choice.  Rather, you apply for the regular major before second year to get into the specialization and then at the end of second year you may apply for the Honours option.  Also, you may need to take certain courses in first and second-year to qualify for Honours in your specialization – see the calendar entry links on the UBC Science Program Specializations page.

Calendar Entry

Also, to get into Honours, you need a 68% average to qualify and you need to take at least 30 credits in first-year (summer credits do not count towards this). This average may be higher depending on the department. If you took fewer than 27 credits in first year and/or you failed a course, you will most likely not get into Honours by second year (assuming the application begins that early).  You still might be able to get into the Honours program at the end of second-year (by third-year) if your average improves and you take 30 credits or more during the Winter Session.

However, even if you do take 30 credits and you get a 68% average in first-year, this does not guarantee access to the Honours program in your specialization – whether you get in will also depend on the number of the seats as well as the demand, which will vary by specialization.  Once you get into Honours, you must maintain the 68% average and 30 credit course load for the Winter Session (many specializations require 75% and I think most Honours programs require more than 30 credits per Winter Session).

2. Should I apply for a specialization that I do not have the prereqs for?

Probably not, because the chances of getting into that specialization without having the pre-reqs is slim.  Although you could, technically speaking, still choose that specialization as your first choice and have two backup choices – that’s what the second and third choices are for anyway.

But you should be realistic and don’t apply for something like three Honours specializations all of which you don’t have the prereqs for, because you risk not getting into any of your top 3 choices.

You can check out what prereqs you need for your specialization of choice here: http://www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply/req.

3. What if I just take the prerequisite course(s) that I am missing in the summer before second-year?  Wouldn’t that be fine?

Generally, no.  That might be a good idea so that you can get into the specialization in third-year, but it probably won’t help you get into the specialization by second-year simply because of timing issues.  The admission decision for the specializations are based almost entirely on the courses that are taken during Winter Session of first-year.  If you get credit for a summer course before the application for the specializations is over (it will be over June 21 for this year – 2011), then they may consider that when they go through the specializations admission process – however, there is no guarantee that they will.

edit (April 2013): Certain specializations are “open access specializations” which means if you complete the prereqs by the end of summer, they will still consider you.  These specializations are listed on the UBC Science website here (near the bottom of the page).

4. What if I do not get into my first specialization of choice?

If you don’t get your first choice because it is full or you did not have the right prereqs, then they will try to put you into your second choice, and then your third if you didn’t get into your second choice.

If you want to switch out of your second choice specialization and into your first choice, you may be able to do so at the end of second-year and before third-year starts.  Many specializations have some spaces for students to enter in third year, although it is probably harder to do so since many of the spaces in the specialization are already filled.

Programs like Biochemistry and Chemistry are particularly difficult to enter in third year if you did not get into the specialization in second year.  I think the reason for this is because you need special second-year Chemistry courses like CHEM 203 and 204 that are ONLY available to Biochemistry and Chemistry majors usually.

If you want to get into a specialization in third-year that you did not manage to get into in second-year, you should contact the departmental advisor as soon as possible (at the start of second year or even earlier) to see what can be done and to make sure you are taking the right second-year courses or enough courses to qualify for entry into that specialization in third year (but if you don’t get into that specialization by third-year, then you might be in an unfavourable situation if the second-year courses you took only count towards a major in just that one specialization that you failed to get into).  In some cases, they may just change your specialization right away instead of having you wait until the end of second-year (in most cases, you do have to wait until the end of second-year).  In the case of Chemistry/Biochemistry, maybe they can squeeze you into the course(s) CHEM 203 and 204 during second-year; I think that’s what one of my friends did (this may be a rare exception) – in any case, contact the departmental advisor in whichever specialization you are interested in.

5. What if I got NONE of the three choices that I wanted?  What if I am not sure whether I can get into a specialization?

Again, avoid this situation by picking specializations reasonably.  Don’t pick all the high demand specializations for your top 3 choices like (for example) physiology, pharmacology and biotechnology unless you are very confident.  Your grades should be well above the recommended minimum average specific to that specialization.  According to the UBC Science website, the minimum averages for certain popular specializations are:

Biochemistry – 72%
Biology – 64%
Biotechnology – 70%
Chemistry – 68%
Microbiology & Immunology – 78%
Pharmacology – 82%
Physiology – 82%

If you don’t get into any of your top three choices, you’ll probably be contacted by the Science Information Centre to put you into another specialization.

Specializations that are generally always open to students (ie. pretty much guaranteed entry) are Astronomy, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Geographical Biogeosciences, Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics.

So even if you get into none of the three specializations that you chose, you should be able to choose one of these specializations above and then you’ll be able to pick the second-year courses that you want that will be pre-reqs for the specialization that you want to get into for third-year.

6. When/where do I check whether I got into my specialization of choice?

I’m looking through conversation and e-mail logs and it seems that I checked that I got into my major on June 29th, 2010.  I checked by logging onto the SSC, going to the Course Schedule, then MyProgram (on the left) and then looking under Specializations.

I then got an e-mail from UBC two weeks later telling me to go check what specialization I got into by telling me instructions to the same place, lol.

7. What happens once I get my specialization confirmed?  Does this mean I am guaranteed a spot in the specialization for the rest of my degree?

You congratulate yourself and enroll in the courses (on your registration date, which is sometime in July) as per the Calendar Entry on the UBC Science Specializations page.

However, you usually need to maintain your grades to avoid being kicked out of the specialization, especially if it is an Honours specialization which requires 30 credits (sometimes higher) per Winter Session and a 68% (sometimes higher) average.  For example, if you enter the Microbiology & Immunology specialization in second-year, this does not guarantee you a spot in the specialization in third-year.  Rather, it will depend on your second-year performance relative to the other people who are also interested in the program.  There is a chance that you may kicked out from the specialization between second-year and third-year, especially if your marks drop.  Many specializations “officially” admit in third year.

8. What is the Combined Major in Science specialization?  Do I apply for it if I want to get a combined major in say, Mathematics and Computer Sciences?

No, the Combined Major in Science (CMS) is actually a major by itself. See the UBC Science Specializations page (link above).

There should be a separate specialization code for each combined major (e.g. combined major in mathematics and computer science), just like the majors.

9. How do I find out about different specializations?

There was a “Beyond first year – Choose your major” workshop on February 28th, 2011 that informed first-years about what they needed to do to choose their major and there was also a place where all the students got to go around booths from each specialization to get info, ask questions, etc.  Each booth representing each specialization usually had students and professors from that specialization.

Here are some “notes” from this event – http://www.science.ubc.ca/sites/science.ubc.ca/files/students/forms/beyondfirstyear_notes.pdf. edit (2013 version): http://science.ubc.ca/sites/science.ubc.ca/files/students/forms/2013-03_Choose_Major.pptx

There is also information on the UBC Calendar (see the UBC Science Program Specializations page, again) as well as on the departmental websites (see the same page).

You could also contact departmental advisors and ask them for information.  Some departments offer info sessions and those are usually advertised through classes or posted on sites like http://www.sus.ubc.ca/.  I don’t know if any other sites have information about these info sessions (comment if you know any).

10 None of the specializations really appeal to me in particular.  I want to learn about microbiology but not the immunology part, and I want to learn about biology but not plant biology.

If you have interests that span across multiple disciplines, you should consider the Integrated Sciences program, an alternative to the traditional major/honours program that will allow you to design your own curriculum according to your interests.  Also see the UBC Calendar entry and this blog post about a student’s decision to enter Integrated Sciences.

11. How do I apply for double majors (both in Science) and minors?  What if I cannot choose between two majors?

According to the UBC Calendar, you should try to speak to departmental advisors from both specializations by the end of first-year.

See http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,1468 for more details, and for information about Dual Degrees in Science and another Faculty (e.g. Arts).

The application forms (and possibly useful information) for double majors is available here: http://www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/types.

If you want to specialize in two or more disciplines, you can consider doing a Combined Major (or Combined Honours), a Minor, or applying for the specialization of General Science or Integrated Sciences.

If you want to apply to a minor, you should contact Science Advising by the end of second-year.  Minors in Science or other Faculties usually require 18 upper-level (3xx or 4xx) courses in the specialization.  You need to speak to departmental advisors in both specializations (the major and the minor).  The application forms for minors are available on the same site as for double majors: http://www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/types.  This page will also have useful information about minors.  You can also see the calendar entry: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,410.

The Integrated Sciences specialization is one that allows you to design your own program with the help of an advisor, which is great for people who don’t want to stick to only one major and want to gain a wider perspective of Science by studying multiple disciplines concurrently, which also allows for exploration of the links between these disciplines.  There also an Integrated Sciences calendar entry.

12. How/where do I contact a departmental advisor?

See the UBC Science Program Specializations page.  Instead of Calendar Entry, click on the Program Advisors link above your specialization of choice.

13. What specializations did you apply for?

My first choice was the Microbiology & Immunology major.  The Honours option was not available to me since I was only going to second-year at that time.  My second choice was Pharmacology.  And my third choice was Mathematics.

I just finished second-year, and had to apply to the specialization of Microbiology & Immunology again – officially, this time, through the Microbiology department website rather than the coordinated specialization application that is done in second-year.  This application was a form that I submitted in early May, online, to confirm my grades in some second-year courses that they would use to decide whether I would get into the program or not.  They also looked at some extracurricular activities.  They said they were more likely to consider people if they’ve had lab experience.

edit (2012): Looking back, I should have applied to Pharmacology as my first choice, because I think I would enjoy smaller classes.  I also should have considered the combined major in Microbiology & Immunology and Computer Science, which is only 12 credits more, and then I would be able to find computer science-related jobs for co-op and after graduation.

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3. REGISTRATION AND COURSES

You should read the Calendar Entry for the specialization of your choice when choosing courses to take in second-year.  But there may be similarities among second-year Science students – for example, the courses taken during second-year are very similar among Life Science majors.

There is a Calendar Entry for every specialization in Science.  For example, if you got accepted into Chemistry as your specialization, you would visit the Chemistry page on the UBC Calendar for a guide when choosing courses.  The pages for all the specializations are listed on the UBC Calendar here (scroll down a bit).

Some courses may be deferred to third-year or fourth-year.  Read the footnotes on the Calendar Entry and/or e-mail the departmental advisor.

1. How will I know which courses to choose if I do not even know which major I got accepted into?

You will be sent an e-mail from UBC Science regarding which major you are accepted to for second-year.  This e-mail is supposed to be sent before your registration date.  If you do not get an e-mail and you know that your peers did, then you should probably e-mail Science Advising, especially if you haven’t received an e-mail by your registration date.

2. I did not get accepted into my first specialization of choice, which courses do I choose?

Read what I said above about applying to specializations later on – you can apply after second-year to your specialization of choice.  You could just take the same courses as you would if you had been accepted to the specialization before second-year.  Depending on how confident you are about being accepted into your first specialization of choice before third-year, I might also consider taking other courses that are required in second-year for your second/third choice major that you got into, in case you do not get into your first choice by third-year.  It may be risky to take courses towards a major that you are not accepted into because if you do not get accepted later on, then it might have been for naught, depending on if the courses also count for other majors too.

3. Aside from the courses listed under each year level on the Calendar Entry, what should I consider when choosing courses?

Make sure you take enough credits.  UBC Science’s website says the following:

• To hold a UBC award you need to register in at least 24 credits in winter session. To be considered for an award after first year you must register in at least 27 credits in winter session of first year
• To qualify for an Honours option in second year you must successfully complete at least 30 credits in winter session with no failed courses
• To live in student housing you need to register in at least 12 credits a term
• For local government-sponsored student loans, you need to register in at least nine credits a term
  (Source: http://science.ubc.ca/students/new/courses)

Another important thing to consider is the lower-level requirements in the Faculty of Science.  Lower-level requirements are requirements that you should definitely already be familiar with – they are requirements that Science students must meet within the first 60 credits that they take.

Summary of lower-level requirements in Science – to fulfill them you must take:

1. Any two of ENGL 110, 111, 112, 120, 121, SCIE 113, 300, or ASTU 150, or their equivalents.
2. A differential Calculus course plus 6 credits of Computational Sciences (STAT, MATH, or CPSC).
3. 6-8 credits of CHEM and/or PHYS lecture courses at the 100-level beyond CHEM 111 and PHYS 100.
4. Usually 3 credits of BIOL (see link above for details/exceptions).
5. Two lab courses from ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, EOSC, GEOB, PHYS, and PSYC.

Please see the link above for details of the lower-level requirements.

It is also necessary to consider promotion requirements when choosing courses.  Choose courses in second-year such that you will be granted promotion to third-year after your second-year (unless you do not want to be promoted for some reason).  The requirements for promotion to third-year include the successful completion of 48 or more credits.  You must also complete a large chunk of the lower-level requirements (see above).  Details about promotion requirements (there are more requirements than what I have just covered) are on the UBC Calendar here.

Not only are there general promotion requirements, but also requirements that are specific to you depending on which major you are in or which major you want to go into in third-year.  For example, even if you met the promotion requirements for third-year, you will NOT be promoted to third-year standing if you are in say, Environmental Sciences but did not take ENVR 200.  All the specialization-specific courses that you need to take by third-year and fourth-year are listed on the UBC Calendar here.

4. What electives should I take?

You can choose electives from whichever subject you want.  Can’t really say much about this, I can only tell you to choose electives that interest you.  You don’t even necessarily need to take electives in second-year, as long as you meet the requirements (promotion requirements, degree requirements for BSc).  The Calendar Entry for your specialization can tell you whether you have space to take electives or not.

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4. CO-OP

The Science Co-op program is a great way to get real, paid work experience, ideally in a field that is related to Science or your specialization.  Many students do their co-op term in an academic lab on campus (or at another university); at a pharmaceutical or biotech company; at a government lab facility, etc.  Students are able to do their co-op term not only out of province, but in another country.

The Science co-op website has plenty of information.  They also have info sessions, see their schedule.

The deadline to Science co-op depends on your specialization, but for most specializations, it is sometime during second year: http://www.sciencecoop.ubc.ca/prospective/applydeadlines. If you want to read about my co-op experiences, see my Involvement & Extracurriculars post.

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5. INVOLVEMENT, WORK, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Being involved on campus is a great way to develop skills, meet other people, diversify your experience, and have fun.  University isn’t all about studying, after all.

See Get Involved for a fairly comprehensive list of things you can do to get involved. I recommend joining a club or two that interests you.

EDIT: Unfortunately, the above link is no longer a list and you’ll have to explore several pages to learn about all the different involvement opportunities.

The UBC Birdcoop is a fitness facility available to students for $30/term.  It is subsidized by your student fees; and unfortunately it is often crowded.  UBC Rec is also a place you can go to exercise — they have free drop-in basketball/badminton/volleyball and they have classes (martial arts, yoga, etc).  They also have competitive leagues (different levels) for those sports and others, including soccer and ultimate.  The UBC Aquatic Centre also has a fitness centre and pools obviously, and they are both free for student use.  If you look at the list of AMS clubs, you’ll see that some of them are dedicated to exercise related activities, such as the Quidditch club (lol), Weightlifting/Powerlifting Club, Fencing club, Tennis club, etc.

There are several ways to get a job on UBC.  For starters, I recommend looking at CareersOnline and the Centre for Student Involvement & Careers (CSI&C).

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In terms of getting volunteer/research/work positions, especially in the summer:

-A general rule of thumb is that you should start looking for a summer position or placement no later than March. For certain programs, the deadline to apply may be even earlier than that.
-Summer Work Learn positions get posted in mid-March.
–Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program positions get posted starting December
-I highly recommend checking out CareersOnline periodically if you are interested in finding a job
-Consider placements out of the area, for example UToronto has a research program open to any undergrad student around the globe (this is just one example)
-Talk to your professors if you are interested in their research, and ask if there is space in their lab.
-Your Department will often post opportunities for research/volunteer positions, so watch for those e-mails/bulletins.
-Also look out for the Distillation E-mails sent to all Science students.
-Check Facebook pages, such as the one for UBC Science Students (this is just one example)
-Do your own research/talk to other people and see what’s out there.

See my Involvement & Extracurriculars post for a list of most of my on campus non-academic activities.

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6. GETTING HELP WITH ACADEMICS

For any degree information related help, you should see your Departmental Advisor(s) or the Science Information Centre.

Other than tutoring, there are other ways to improve your grades!  One of these ways is by getting help through Academic Coaching.  Students coming in to university often do not adapt their study strategies for university courses, because they don’t know how or they don’t know to do so.  Academic coaches meet one-on-one with students to assess their study skills/strategies, and give them appropriate tips so that they can study more efficiently and more effectively, leading to less stress and possibly better grades.  We are often asked for tips in improving time management and general study skills.

Science Peer Academic Coaches (SPAC): http://www.my.science.ubc.ca/spac/.  Currently, we offer one-on-one academic coaching both via appointment and via drop-in basis in the Chapman Learning Commons in IKB.  We also offer workshops such as Deal with December Now! and Deal with April Now! which focus on exam prep strategies for final exams (see the website).

Another resource is the Wellness Centre.  Health and well-being are important for doing well in school, it’s not just about studying hard/smart.  You can drop in the Wellness Centre to talk to a Wellness Peer about any questions you have concerning health and well-being.

Free tutoring is available courtesy of AMS Tutoring and the Math Learning Centre:

AMS Tutoring, for help with a variety of subjects: http://tutoring.ams.ubc.ca/and http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/what-we-offer/tutoring/
Math Learning Centre, for help with math courses: http://www.math.ubc.ca/Ugrad/ugradTutorials.shtml
Writing Centre (Chapman Learning Commons) for help with writing essays and the like: http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/what-we-offer/writing-centre/
Chemistry Resource Centre

There is a Biology Learning Centre on the second floor of Wesbrook that is open from 9 to 5 weekdays for help with courses such as BIOL 112, 121, 200, and possibly others.  Your instructor should mention it at the beginning of the course.

 

If you have a question, please submit a comment below and I will probably respond within a few days.  If you have a suggestion (e.g. topics to cover), please submit a comment below and I will take it into consideration.

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