First Year Anti-Calendar

Presented by: The Academic Advocacy Committee

About The Academic Advocacy Committee

The Academic Advocacy Committee is a standing committee of the Engineering Society Board of Directors and has a mandate to provide advocacy on academic improvement and lead student run academic initiatives that will improve the overall undergraduate experience.

About The Engineering Society

Founded in 1885, the University of Toronto Engineering Society, also known as EngSoc, is the student government for students at Skule™ — the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. EngSoc manages Skule™ services and provides club funding, professional development, and extracurricular opportunities to over 4800 members, proudly continuing the traditions and storied history of Canada’s oldest and largest engineering school.

Acknowledgments

This Anti-calendar is brought to you by representatives of the Academic Advocacy Committee and the first year representatives of the Engineering Society. Special thanks goes to the Academic Advocacy Committee (Ernesto Diaz Lozano Patino, Marissa Zhang, Praneet Bagga, Ryan Gomes) and the other volunteers who helped put this anti-calendar together (in alphabetical order): Amir Sheidaei, Ashley Mcllvena, Dayna Lau, Joshua Calafato, Kevin Vincze, Ozan Coskun, Rossdan Craig, Shreyas Upadhyay, and Syed Imam.

Legend

This booklet uses the following rating system:

Low: Somewhat low: Medium: Somewhat high: High:

APS104 - Introduction to Materials and ChemistryLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “This course is an introductory chemistry course that all ECEs and TrackOnes take in their first year. As the name suggests, it combines topics of basic material science and introductory thermodynamics. The first part of the course covers the fundamentals of atomic structures in materials, nature of bonding, macroscopic properties and types of structures with defects in the nature. The second part of the course includes thermodynamics. This portion covers the laws of chemical thermodynamics. It also introduces topics of chemical equilibrium and electro-chemistry from a thermodynamics perspective.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Although the content is simple, it is very easy to fall behind in this course. You can keep up if you attend lectures and practice a few of the assigned problems. This course also offers numerous opportunities for "free marks" in the form of labs and tutorial quizzes, so make sure to utilize them.”

APS105 - Computer FundamentalsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing

Insights into this course: “In programming, you have to learn to break down a big problem into many little problems and solve them individually. This course tries to go about teaching how to do this within the context of program. As such, there is a ton of code writing in this course.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “If you are new to programming, go to tutorials and either pay attention in class or practice on the notes you take down at home. With programming, lectures and tutorials are always helpful, but it is lots of practice that will help you do well.”

APS106 - Fundamentals of Computer ProgrammingLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Memorizing

Insights into this course: “You have to break down programs into many small problems and tackle them one at a time, so problem solving is a huge factor in the course. You write a lot of code throughout the course as well, so 'writing' is a major component of this course.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “If you are new to programming, go to tutorials and more importantly PRACTICE! If you have programmed before, this course will be quite easy. Regardless of your experience, though, you should pay attention in tutorials and make sure to attend lecture.”

APS111 - Engineering Strategies and Practice ILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Group Work

Insights into this course: “Exam and Quizzes are based on lectures, so lectures form a big part of this course. Tutorials are not very helpful, but the marking for assignments is done by the TA, so it can make or break your mark.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Attend all lectures even though they are at 9 am classes and are quite boring. The videos are also online, so that can be helpful at least. Be sure to stay on top of all the material though!”

APS112 - Engineering Strategies and Practice IILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Memorizing, Group Work, Presentations

Insights into this course: “Essentially, the whole course is based off of how much effort you put into memorizing all of the facts thrown at you. They may seem insignificant at first, but plenty of small details come up in quizzes and tests.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “It'd be expected to tell you to study your hardest for this course, but after going through it first hand I've noticed that the more people study, the worse they do. Lectures are your only friend…”

APS150 - Ethics in EngineeringLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Memorizing

Insights into this course: “This a pass or fail course that you can study for through the lecture recordings posted online. You probably only need to spend one day working on it; it takes minimum time and is mostly common sense.

Tips for doing well in this course: “Though it is an easy pass/fail, make sure to stay on top of it! You NEED to pass it before you graduate. It would be quite embarrassing to fail an ethics course... so don’t let it come to that!”

APS191 - Introduction to EngineeringLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Attendance

Insights into this course: “APS191 is a seminar course for students entering TrackOne. This course is offered on a credit/no credit basis, and runs once a week. Each lecture will have presenters from different departments talking about the core 8 disciplines to introduce TrackOnes to different areas of engineering. Presenters will usually be a mix of students, professors, and professionals, each going through topics such as curriculum, career opportunities, and research in each field.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “While you only need to attend 10/12 lectures to pass, I would strongly recommend making the effort to attend every one. Each lecture is really interesting, and it will help you a lot in your decision to choose a discipline. The presenters are usually very engaging, and they will introduce you to aspects of each engineering discipline that you've never heard of before. While it is tempting to just go on your phone or do homework through the presentations, paying attention to these presentations will ensure that you will make the best decision when choosing a discipline.”

CHE112 - Physical ChemistryLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “This course's content primarily consists of several examples of various topics presented in Chemistry. Luckily, the course only deals with mathematical and numerical concepts in Chemistry, and thus the course is heavily based on problem solving.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Both lectures and tutorials of this course consisted mainly examples, and very little theory is discussed. Be sure to copy the answers to each of the examples and do homework problems. The problems

presented on examinations are very similar and sometimes the same as homework problems. Do your best to try these homework problems on your own!”

CHE113 – Concepts in Chemical EngineeringLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Theoretical Knowledge and Group Work

Insights into this course: “For this class, you will actually be spending 3 hours in the lab most weeks. Don’t expect the labs to follow the lecture sequences or be related to the concepts covered. Tests and quizzes are based on lecture material however and the labs have their own quizzes.

Tips for doing well in this course: “Make sure to read the lab descriptions beforehand as there will a quiz pertaining to that specific lab procedure beforehand. Also, attend lectures as things that may not be in the class notes but were covered in lectures may be tested.”

CIV100 - MechanicsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Group Work

Insights into this course: “There are weekly assignments for easy marks, so it's very helpful to work with friends and ask a lot of questions during these tutorials. Be sure to attend all of your lectures and keep up with them!”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Do a lot of practice problems, especially in groups. Once you get the concepts down, you can do almost any question because they're all pretty similar.”

CIV102 - Structures and MaterialsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Presentations

Insights into this course: “CIV102 basically crams 3 years of civil engineering theory into a semester. This shouldn't dishearten you, however, as the material is incredibly interesting and you'll have plenty of opportunity to ask for help with teachers and

classmates. The course is also taught with a large historical background in its curriculum. Although this aspect is not tested on, it brings the material to life and can help you understand the importance of what you're learning. Lectures are crucial as there is no textbook and the exam mark can potentially be your final grade, so study hard.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Pay attention in lecture and ask questions. Prof. Collins is a genius, so he may not understand that you can't see how he got his numbers in class, but he is incredibly helpful in office hours. Pay attention and take detailed notes in class, as all tests will allow you to bring your notebook with you. Some people take the historical interjects in lecture as sleep time, but they are actually really interesting and can act as tethers for recalling the info later. Finally, study hard for the exam. Take past tests and heavily understand concepts, as they will help you on the final, which could be your final grade if you do well.”

CME185 - Earth Systems ScienceLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Lectures in this courses aren't very helpful as they consist of PowerPoint presentations of usually more than 100 slides. The tutorials however, are done collectively in groups and are generally a lot of fun.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “This course allows for a one page (double-sided) cheat-sheet for your midterm and a two page (double-sided) cheat sheet for the final. Put ALL of the information from your course into those sheets. Also, do your best to learn how to complete mapping problems early.”

CSC180 - Introduction to Computer ProgrammingLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “This introduction includes all the basics you’ll need to prepare you for second semester programming, even if you have no previous coding experience. Topics include if statements, for/while loops, variables and their types, as well as data structures in Python (arrays, lists, dictionaries, classes, etc). You will do individual labs every week or so, and you will have to submit them using either a Git repository (which you will learn how to use) or just online.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “In programming, there is not usually a "right answer" rather than simply understanding the problem and what you want to achieve using logical procedures. That's why practicing is essential. You won’t get

the logic/mindset required from programming just by reading it from a textbook (it may help, but only to a certain extent). Bring your laptop to class to code on the spot – however, your laptop might become a distraction, so judge for yourself. Slides are also posted online, so don't worry if you missed a lecture.”

CSC190 - Computer Algorithms & Data StructuresLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “This course teaches C, unlike CSC180, which deals with Python. Things you will learn include allocating and freeing memory, different types of data structures (linked lists, stacks, queues, hashtables, binary trees), and neat keyboard shortcuts! This year, we had weekly assignments which were pretty tricky and only worth completion marks, but they served as good preparation for the two midterms. There were also two ridiculously difficult projects that took some people a full week each to complete; but don’t panic ! There’s no way they’ll make you guys go through that like we did (at least I hope they don’t)...”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Practice beats theory. The best way to learn programming is to fiddle around with code yourself. Check out other people’s code after you finish the assignment. There is no “best” way of coding, and you’ll get to see how other people approach the problems and compare it to your own methods. Also make sure to keep up with lectures!”

ECE101 – Introduction to Electrical and Computer EngineeringLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Attendance

Insights into this course: “Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering is a seminar course that every ECE takes in first year. The purpose of this course is to introduce concepts of the field to the students. In this seminar series, professionals from different fields within ECE come in to give lectures on their research/work. Topics may include control systems, analog and digital electronics, electromagnetics, energy systems and computer hardware/software.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “There are no quizzes, tests or exams in this course but you have to attend at least 70% of the seminars to receive the credit for this course.”

ECE110 - Electrical FundamentalsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “There are a LOT of formulas that need to be memorized. The first half of the course is a lot more theoretical, but as the course progresses it gets harder. There is a lot more problem solving in the later sections and the exam”

Tips for doing well in this course: “In my opinion, this was the hardest first year course, so it is very important to go to these lectures. Don't fall behind, because it takes a while to really pick up the concepts. A few missed lectures, and you may find yourself drowning...”

ECE159 - Fundamentals of Electrical CircuitsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “ECE159 is not as theoretical as the rest of your courses, but it involves a lot of problem solving. It's lectures may get boring, but don’t fall asleep! Tutorials are also a little hit and miss, depending on your TA. Some are excellent, and others are worthless. You may want to tag along with your friends if they have a better TA. The way to excel in this course is practice. The textbook is not fantastic, so office hours will be your best friend, but make sure you know what you don't know. You don't want to hit the exam realizing you can't draw a resistor!”

Tips for doing well in this course: “The adage "practice makes perfect" applies here. Make sure you do ALL of the assigned questions (and more). I would recommend 45 minutes to an hour a day of solving circuits (if you have the time). The problem with this course is simple - the concepts aren't incredibly difficult, and the professors are really good at solving circuits, so lectures make it seem incredibly easy, but this is DEAD wrong. Trust me. Force yourself to do as many questions as possible!! On top of that, try to google some real circuits to see what your diagrams are actually representing. This may help you see the practical side of your math.”

ESC101 - Praxis ILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Group Work

Insights into this course: “Praxis I may seem easier than your other courses because of its simplistic nature, but it is one of the more mentally straining classes you will take. This is because the faculty wants you to think of novel, creative solutions to problems, and it requires significant amounts of after class research to succeed. You will find that the decisions you make need to be carefully thought out and defended, which is reflected in the heavy written component of the course. The lectures are incredibly useful, as they expose you to the world, and the lecturers will teach in a way that is reflective of the way you should think in this course. The tutorials are useful for reflection with your peers as well.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Take this course seriously, even though it starts off slow. Praxis I teaches you how to think and reason on your own, as well as discipline, the importance of being meticulous, and the need for careful thought before approaching projects. If you work hard in this course the rest of your life will seem easier and the rest of your work will be completed more efficiently. I recommend spending at least 30 minutes a day to reflect on how the lecturer taught you, what they taught you, and what you can take from it. On top of this, begin asking yourself questions about why things are made/run the way they are, and how you can improve them. This will help you immensely.”

ESC102 - Praxis IILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Group Work, Presentations

Insights into this course: “Similar to Praxis I, Praxis II's lectures are incredibly important for helping you see the processes needed to succeed in design work. The tutorials are less important here, as they just provide you with team meeting times, but it is useful to discuss any problems you have with your TAs. This course is basically a single, large scale group design project which culminates in a formal presentation. Make sure to know your group well and meet often.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Talk to the teaching team frequently. They are incredibly helpful if you approach them with defined concerns and questions. On top of this, I would recommend meeting with your group consistently (twice a week or more) to stay motivated and updated on each others progress. Finally, use all the knowledge that Praxis I taught you: think everything through, and have a design philosophy to back up your choices.”

ESC103 - Engineering Mathematics and ComputationLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “This course starts off with vector algebra and solving linear systems of equations, and eventually moves on to using approximation methods to solve engineering problems. The tutorials will take up the previous week's problem sets, and they are great place to ask questions. MATLAB sessions will help you prepare for the 15% evaluation on numerical analysis near the end of the semester. The midterm is worth 35% of the final mark, and the final exam is worth 50%. These are big evaluations, but the questions tend to be similar to those assigned to you throughout the term.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Do all the problem sets! They're really good practice, especially since there's no textbook. Also you'll be trained in how to approach the problems from a general step-by-step process. It's easy to do well (>90%) on the MATLAB evaluation if you prepare appropriately.”

MAT185 - Linear Algebra (EngSci)Lecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Linear Algebra teaches a certain way of thinking, especially when approaching the logic problems that you will often face throughout the course. You might intuitively know that something is true, but you will also have to prove it using mathematical logic in this course. The topics covered include vectors, axioms, linear independence, matrices, determinants and differential equations, and they are cleverly linked together by the professor over the course of the semester.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “There isn’t a textbook for this course, but the professor writes his own set of notes in the form of a story, with logical and thorough explanations. The lectures in class are nearly identically to the course notes. It’s really rewarding to read the content ahead of lectures, because you can then focus more on the concepts you don’t initially understand. All your marks come from midterms and the final, so make sure to try the exercises at the end of each chapter in the course notes as well as previous exams. Try some of the questions with a friend too!”

MAT186 - Calculus ILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “This course's tutorials were very important, because tutorial consist mainly of examples from homework and past tests. This is mostly a recap of high school and university intro calculus, so keep on your toes!”

Tips for doing well in this course: “To be successful in this course, do as many practice problems as you can from the textbook and previous tests. Any problems you can't do, make sure to bring them in to your tutorial for your TA to solve.”

MAT187 - Calculus IILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Group Work

Insights into this course: “Problem solving is a given, because all the questions require rigorous problem solving skills. There is quite a lot of group work in this course because of the online problem sets and the overall nature of the subject. Many students tend to work together to study, and everyone ends up helping each other figure out different problems.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Keep up with what is going on in lecture. Do not get left a couple chapters behind. It is extremely hard to catch up if you fall behind and even if you do, you will have a hard time retaining the concepts you have learned.”

MAT188 - Linear AlgebraLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “The first half of the course is heavily theoretical and abstract; as such, it takes some considerable time to understand. The second half of the course still contains theory, but has much more of a practical application to it, which makes it easier to understand.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Get good at doing matrix calculations, and do as many true and false problems as you can. Those are the questions that are often the most tricky!”

MAT194 - Calculus I (EngSci)Lecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “This course covers limit concepts such as limit laws, differentiation and its applications, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and Riemann sums, integration and its applications, and differential equations. Most of your semester is swimming in integration and involves setting up the problem in creative ways that only come through practice. As well, you will be required to regurgitate proofs. There are 9 quizzes, of which 3 can be dropped.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “The textbook is EXTREMELY helpful, especially when packaged with its solution manuals. The lectures follow the textbook very closely, so when you don't understand the material from lecture, you have a solid backup. Doing previous exams are useful for preparation, but not so much as questions from the textbook.”

MAT195 - Calculus II (EngSci)Lecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Calculus II continues right where Calculus I left off and is slightly harder. The course covers integration techniques, parametric equations and polar coordinates, infinite sequences/series, vector geometry, and multivariable calculus. There are two midterms, 10 weekly quizzes, of which you may drop two, along with the final exam.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “This course is very similar to MAT195 (Calculus I) in that it follows the textbook very closely. The book questions and past exams are extremely helpful to prepare for tests.”

MIE100 - DynamicsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving

Insights into this course: “Definitely one of the more difficult courses you will take in first year, so make sure to go to the lectures. Tutorials can be helpful but are not entirely necessary to doing well in this course.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “There are a ton of formulas so make sure you have a good organized formula sheet. You need to stay on top of your work weekly in this course because it is fast paced and easy to fall behind. Also, don't think you're fine just going to lectures; you need to do a lot of practice problems.”

MIE191 - Introduction to Mechanical & Industrial EngineeringLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Attendance

Insights into this course: “This is a seminar course that is based on attendance. You need to attend 9 lectures out of the 12 the get the credit. Because it’s a pass/fail credit, don’t forget to show up to lectures”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Listen to the seminars that you go to and ask questions, because they can be really useful in choosing a stream for third year. They can also provide insight into the applications of mechanical and industrial engineering.”

MSE101 - Introduction to Material ScienceLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Memorizing, Group Work, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Problems in this course usually combine a strong understanding of theory and a lot of problem solving skills. Group work on the problem sets and various textbook questions is quite common and helpful.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “If you don't get something, ask the professor to explain it again immediately. If you don’t figure out things quickly, your only recourse is the T.A, and beyond that, you could find yourself very lost in the course…”

MSE160 - Molecules and MaterialsLecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Molecules and Materials is split into two parts, one for each subject. Molecules covers high school chemistry and some more advanced topics, while Materials goes into material type and analysis of properties. Both sections have two quizzes and a “final exam”. Tutorials are once a week where you write bi-weekly quizzes and chill with your classmates... So don’t sweat this one.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “Warning: The textbook is very boring. However, if you can manage to stay awake while studying it is really useful – It’s generally much better than the lecture slides (albeit much longer). His course is probably the only one where you can “plug and chug” for most questions. It’s useful to check out the past quizzes to get a general idea of what formulas to use. Many would say this course is the easiest to do well in but don't be surprised if the professor tosses you some "Explain why" questions where you just have to quasi-guess the answer.”

PHY180 – Elements of Physics ILecture Value: Tutorial Value: Relative Difficulty:

This course was often described by previous students as requiring: Problem Solving, Writing, Group Work, Memorizing, Theoretical Knowledge

Insights into this course: “Classical Mechanics covers topics such as kinematics, static and kinetic friction, torque, linear and angular momentum, and angular and tangential acceleration. There is a lot of overlap from high school. There is once again a weekly quiz in your tutorial. Definitely on of the easiest courses in first year EngSci conceptually, but the lab reports can take a long time to complete. You do them with a partner though, so at least you get to suffer together. Problem sets also make weekly appearances, but don’t fret! Sharing the methods of solving them on Facebook is common, and they are not to difficult to solve anyways. There are two midterms in this course too.”

Tips for doing well in this course: “The lectures focus on the derivation and proofs of formulas which is cool but you don't need to know that for the tests. Read over the lab the night before and highlighting important instructions and information. Otherwise, you may not have time to complete the experiment. Labs are typically submitted electronically, but the TAs that mark it are still looking for diagrams. You’ll have to do some fairly tedious calculations for error propagation - make use of a pre-programmed excel sheet so you can be prepared.”

If you have any questions pertaining to the Academic Advocacy Committee, please email

vpacademic@skule.ca

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this anti-calendar are those of upper year students having previously taken these courses in the 2013-2014 academic year. The Academic Advocacy Committee and the Engineering Society cannot guarantee 100% accuracy on the evaluation of first year courses as changes are made to these courses on a yearly basis. However, this booklet should still serve as a valuable asset for the upcoming academic year.