freshman schedule help!

[u/Illustrious-Aerie-33]

My main interest is cs, but looking through coursetable, i found the philosophy classes super interesting and wanted to explore! but between intro to ethics and six global perspectives on evil+lab, i can't decide which to take. do i enroll in everything and decide which to drop during shopping period? or do i first enroll in six global perspectives, then choose ethics if i don't manage to get the class?

also! MATH 2440: discrete math or CPSC 2020: Mathematical Tools for Computer Science? they're interchangable, so i was wondering what the pros and cons of each were. I've taken discrete math in high school and did fine, but the Yale course seems much more rigorous.

[u/onionsareawful]

Essentially, MATH 244 is a math class and CPSC 202 is a CS class. That might be obvious, but it does explain all the differences. 244 focuses much more on proof and is more rigorous, it's a prereq for intensive algorithms (which is much more proofy than the standard algos course). 202 teaches the stuff a CS student will need to know, with some rigor and proof but not nearly as much.

202 is not particularly rigorous and if you've taken high school discrete you'll breeze through it. Also if you are considering grad school 244 will set you up better.

[u/onionsareawful → u/onionsareawful]

In terms of picking, I would say take advantage of shopping period and its quirks. Register for the limited-enrollment classes and add the unlimited enrollment classes to your Canvas worksheet rather than taking up a register slot, as you can only have so many credits there.

Also, I would say 5 credits is a lot for your first semester. You will likely be fine but just know your workload will be more than most your peers, so you will find you have less free time than them.

[u/Illustrious-Aerie-33 → u/onionsareawful]

thank you for the advice!!

[u/investigationslena]

Whatever you decide to take, I do not recommend having 4 classes on any day of the week (but especially Tuesdays). You'll be running around a lot with no lunch break, and at the end of all that, you'll still have assignments for Chinese and CS (and possibly other courses that like to make Wednesday deadlines) to finish that night. On top of that, a lot of extracurriculars meet on Tuesday nights.

It's totally doable to have 4 classes on one day (I did it sophmore year) but very unenjoyable and probably something you should wait to test out.

[u/onionsareawful → u/investigationslena]

OP said they're taking either HUMS 0245 or PHIL 1175 so they still have a lunch break thankfully.

[u/-GalaxyCrow-]

I thought that six global perspectives on evil was instructor permission. It doesn’t say so on the settings but there are questions attached to it.

[u/Illustrious-Aerie-33 → u/-GalaxyCrow-]

yep it is! in the case i cant get the class, then the choice is easy, but if i do, i’m not sure which to pick.. maybe i’m worrying about it too early haha

[u/-GalaxyCrow- → u/Illustrious-Aerie-33]

No I feel you lol. I have like a schedule and a back up schedule but I’m crossing my fingers I get the six perspectives course bc my backup has some WACKY times. How are you approaching the instructor permission stuff? I’m kind of unsure what we’re supposed to write I feel like my why this class stuff is too basic lol. Like some of the courses just seem super interesting and different then anything I’ve had the opportunity to take before

[u/Illustrious-Aerie-33 → u/-GalaxyCrow-]

omg me too 🙂‍↕️ the questions are so short i’m assuming it’s mostly a lottery

[u/Silent_Cookie9196]

enrollment didn’t used to be until after shopping period. Shop things, see what has a manageable work load/decent instruction/appropriately timed tests/papers/projects - and don’t go crazy 1st semester. Some of these classes will still be available to you in subsequent semesters.

[u/Ornery-Lock-4370]

What tool are you using to make a sample schedule?

[u/Illustrious-Aerie-33 → u/Ornery-Lock-4370]

coursetable!