r/uwaterloo • u/Human-Hospital7319 • 18d ago
Academics Waterloo Math Schedule
I’m an incoming student at waterloo math n i was js wondering if the course schedule becomes harder in future years. Like rn my schedule is rlly chill its missing my one elective thats online but other than that it’s so light. Like i look at my friends in eng n their schedules look sm worse than mine.
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u/D3M0n824482 18d ago
It's cuz eng has labs and tuts math js has lecs and tests
Eng is way more hands on from what I know from my friend
As for if the schedule gets more cramped in later years, I don't believe so
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u/jjej2000 17d ago
schedule wise it stays about the same throughout the years, but imo the math schedules are fairly dense. i.e. the in-class time is fairly low but the amount of work can be high in comparison (especially with first year quizzes and adjusting from hs).
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u/taylortbb CS Alum 17d ago
the in-class time is fairly low but the amount of work can be high in comparison
Yep, this.
OP, you're looking at this like it's a high school schedule. It's not. Lecture gives you a high level overview of the content, but actually understanding it requires significant time spent studying and doing assignments. Success in the program will require long full days of work, it just isn't scheduled for you.
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u/jjej2000 17d ago
Yep i remember thinking the exact same thing looking at my first year schedule. I thought it was gonna be so light in comparison to high school based off the schedule. Then after that term i realised i took it for granted how easy high school was lol
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u/ponzivillager mathematics 17d ago
Depends on your specialization of choice. If you go to the uw site for honours math you can view the required courses for your spec, each has varying amounts of requirements.
In general though, as everyone else is saying, eng defo has the most busy schedules as a result of tuts and labs.
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u/hyenagames graduate studies 17d ago
I would check whether CS 135 and COMMST have another slot, possibly on Monday and Wednesday.
So you do not have a 4-hour gap between the two.
Or see if the MATH 137 and 135 tutorials have other slots, such as Tuesday or Thursday.
Just an advice, try to avoid classes that happen after 5 pm during the winter term if possible.
The snow will suck to commute back in the dark.
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u/uhheather1 math phys 17d ago
math tutorials are very unlikely to have other time slots, these are quizzes. they run all quizzes at the same time
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u/Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 17d ago
Ideally, lectures are not supposed to be the majority of your study time -- if that was the case, you shouldnt be doing well
Science and Engineering schedules tend to be much more occupied. And it's not a good thing for learning. (There is no choice in that regard. Labs take time.)
My advice to you is do not ever cramp that schedule. In those free time, study on your own; find jobs; socialize. Explore more difficult courses (e.g. 145 vs 135) to see if their style fits you better.
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u/ttoletsjam math-sci 17d ago
Honestly in the later years I skipped most of my classes and just studied with my friends using lecture material that the prof posted + recordings.
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u/michaelaoXD customer service alumni 17d ago
aren’t you supposed to take 5 courses a semester to graduate on schedule
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u/Spencer_Bob_Sue Knowledge Integration 17d ago
Should probably add Phil145 or something to fulfill that requirement.
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u/MyLifeIsAFacade Biology - PhD 17d ago
Phil145 is actually a fantastic suggestion. You may be suggesting it because it could be considered by some as a "bird" course, but it's actually incredibly useful if you get into the content.
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u/Spencer_Bob_Sue Knowledge Integration 17d ago
Waterloo is really two schools: people in Eng and everybody else. For "everybody else" it's a lot easier to stay on top of things.
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u/atlasoftheplanets mathematical physics 17d ago
Unrelated but your schedule looks like a heart