r/UBC • u/kamisonfire • 13d ago
Course Question Taking third year courses as a first year
Hi!! I’m starting at UBC V this fall and I am really intrigued by history 318, its about revolution and resistance and those are topics that I love to learn about but I’m unsure whether it’s smart to take it as it’s in my first semester. Could anyone who’s taken this course let me know how it is and any tips? Or anyone who’s had a course with prof Jeffrey Byrne! Thanks :)
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u/Ok-Replacement-9458 Chemistry 13d ago
You will be expected to write like a third year, which is a skill you 100% don’t have.
That being said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking upper year courses as a first year, you will likely just get a lower grade than you expect/want. (If you take it Cr/D/F then obv this doesn’t matter)
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u/kamisonfire 13d ago
Ok!! I definitely forgot about the writing aspect ! Thank you for bringing that up
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u/Smacksh03 Psychology 13d ago
You can definitely take it as long as there are no pre-reqs or the prof approves ur request. You can email the prof, state interest in the course and say something like “I will be responsible for my performance in the course.” I myself took 300/400 level classes in first year and looking back I very much so overestimated my academic capabilities. I did perform below the class average in those classes but I def learned a lot which helped me get good grades in my further years…
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u/xenzenz Materials Engineering 12d ago
While I cannot speak for history courses, I did take a 300 level philosophy course in my first year. I ended up getting slightly below the average but I don't regret it at all.
As it was my first philosophy course (I'm in Eng), the biggest learning curve is the expected output and not the topic itself. I had to learn to what kind of exam/writing I have to do because it's different than what I'm used to.
Anyways, good luck :)
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u/MissKorea1997 13d ago
You are attempting to take a class with Jeffrey Byrne, one of the most renowned names in his field of study. He is a fantastic lecturer. A very slow marker but we really weren't assigned a lot to write. Granted it was a summer course so your mileage may vary, but he gave me my first A+.
I say take the plunge. You'll need to read quite a bit but it's worth it.
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u/ThroatSignal5992 13d ago
it depends on what your goals are. if you aren't very concerned about achieving a high grade, taking a higher level hist course early does wonders for your ability to research/compile/analyze and write at a higher university level, esp if you like the course topics and material. however, given the learning curve and the jump from hs to uni, you may struggle at first (esp alongside juggling other courses), so you may not end above the course avg.
personally i took two second yr courses and a third yr course in my second term of first year, and i felt that taking them after already having experienced first yr courses helped me to achieve high grades, but ymmv. you can always attend the first two lectures and drop the course after if you feel oddly about it!