ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Universities - Victoria => University of Melbourne => Topic started by: magnum on June 16, 2010, 04:12:31 pm

Title: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: magnum on June 16, 2010, 04:12:31 pm

I was wondering what would be a good breadth subject for semester 2. One that is pretty easy and doesnt require much work lol. Can be level 1, 2 or 3.

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Gloamglozer on June 16, 2010, 04:41:27 pm
Sports coaching, wine tasting and pretty much any of the inter-disciplinary breadth subjects I've heard are pretty bludgy.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: AzureBlue on June 16, 2010, 04:53:38 pm
Sports coaching, wine tasting and pretty much any of the inter-disciplinary breadth subjects I've heard are pretty bludgy.
Lol yeah there are heaps of random awesome breadth subjects! How's African drum and dance? Heaps of people do it apparently :) Sounds fun!
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 16, 2010, 06:47:29 pm
If you come from a science background, Genetics Health and Society is obscenely easy (don't attend first 4 weeks of lectures, get 100% on the test worth 10% of your mark).

Otherwise creative writing is pretty simple if you're into that, since there's no exam and it's pretty low in terms of writing requirements.

A friend said Sex, Science and the Community was really awesome but didnt comment on how easy it was, might be worth looking into that.

edit, i heard someone say that African Dance and Drum is only 6.25 credit points, perhaps don't do that unless you're willing to make up the other points by overloading or summer semester?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: laynie on June 16, 2010, 07:10:53 pm
I'm doing random arts subjects which have no exam, which I find easy.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: AzureBlue on June 16, 2010, 08:25:17 pm
Otherwise creative writing is pretty simple if you're into that, since there's no exam and it's pretty low in terms of writing requirements.
edit, i heard someone say that African Dance and Drum is only 6.25 credit points, perhaps don't do that unless you're willing to make up the other points by overloading or summer semester?
Ahh ok I'll check it later - I really wanted to do creative writing as a breadth but I also want to do Principles of Business Law and there's only 1 breadth each year in actuarial... :(
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 16, 2010, 08:29:12 pm
I'm doing random arts subjects which have no exam, which I find easy.

This is how I pick my breadth as well.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Noblesse on June 16, 2010, 08:56:37 pm
I pick subjects related to my course/future :O

I must be in the minority lol
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: AzureBlue on June 16, 2010, 10:19:21 pm
I'm doing random arts subjects which have no exam, which I find easy.
This is how I pick my breadth as well.
I love arts subjects too! :) I guess it'll be a toss-up between business law and creative writing then...
So what are the easiest art subjects (breadth)?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: chops_07 on June 17, 2010, 01:13:39 am
contesting australia :)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: gemgem49 on June 17, 2010, 01:47:52 am
if I get into Melbourne Ill be doing Choir 2. haha
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 17, 2010, 06:56:26 pm
I pick subjects related to my course/future :O

I must be in the minority lol

Everyone does that for the 75% of their course that is, you know, part of their course. For the breadth options, most of them won't make a difference, pick the easy ones to boost your GPA

And the easiest breadth vary depending on the person, when you get to uni you can decide for yourself (typically no exam is a good sign, or if it's not an academic subject like Choir or Australia in the Wine World)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: gemgem49 on June 17, 2010, 08:51:27 pm


For the breadth options, most of them won't make a difference, pick the easy ones to boost your GPA

And the easiest breadth vary depending on the person, when you get to uni you can decide for yourself (typically no exam is a good sign, or if it's not an academic subject like Choir or Australia in the Wine World)

how do they work out GPA if the class is only Pass/Fail ?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 17, 2010, 09:08:13 pm
No idea, never done a pass/fail only subject. Got a feeling it won't be counted towards GPA but you might want to check that?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: AzureBlue on June 17, 2010, 09:52:13 pm
For the breadth options, most of them won't make a difference, pick the easy ones to boost your GPA
And the easiest breadth vary depending on the person, when you get to uni you can decide for yourself (typically no exam is a good sign, or if it's not an academic subject like Choir or Australia in the Wine World)
how do they work out GPA if the class is only Pass/Fail ?
Even if there are no exams, there should be assignments, performances or essays or some form of assessment,

Even for choir:
Assessment will be on a pass/fail basis and will be based on preparation of parts, individual and/or sectional practice and active participation in all rehearsals, classes and performances as directed (75%); attendance and submission of a concert report of three appropriate concerts (500 words each, due weeks 4, 8 and 12) (25%). Less than 80% attendance will result in a fail. All assessment components must be passed in order to pass the subject, including the timely, satisfactory completion of all three concert reports.

And Australia in the Wine World:
Examination - Theory (2 hours) = 40% (During Teaching Block)
Examination - Practical (1 hours) = 20% (During teaching block)
4 online quizzes = 20% ( one each week following the teaching block)
Practical book = 20% (Submitted 4 weeks after the teaching block)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 18, 2010, 09:49:01 am
^^
Well...yes..obviously there's going to be assessment but not having exams is a major bonus when you've already got six of them for three subjects or you want to focus on your "important" classes.

Plus the wine world subject doesn't run during semester anyway.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: AzureBlue on June 18, 2010, 10:50:43 am
Plus the wine world subject doesn't run during semester anyway.
I think it runs on a different campus too - does it run as a summer course?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 18, 2010, 01:39:23 pm
No idea about campus, I haven't checked it, but yeah it's only offered between semesters.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: darlok on June 18, 2010, 02:22:52 pm
I pick subjects related to my course/future :O

I must be in the minority lol

Your'e in the minority as far as the whole university, but as for the people that are going to get decent jobs, you are in the majority. Most of the top commerce kids take the math stream in the first two years, the difference in caliber and dedication between the students taking probability/statistics this year and the ones taking QM2 is astounding. If I was in arts, I would be taking the economics stream for breadth, not doing those stupid university wide breadth subjects that people are going to know are full of shit.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: simpak on June 18, 2010, 03:56:31 pm
Someone told me Music Psychology is like the easiest subject ever created, but I'm not sure if that's true or Sem 2, and also, I don't know how easy breadths are meant to be considering I don't take any.
However, I have one for you - FROM HOMER TO HOLLYWOOD I HEAR IT'S REALLY EASY AND EVERYONE JUST LOVES IT.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Akirus on June 18, 2010, 04:20:50 pm
You know, I was always under the impression that students paid the university to learn. Guess I was wrong.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Gloamglozer on June 18, 2010, 06:34:09 pm
You know, I was always under the impression that students paid the university to learn. Guess I was wrong.

Not really.  For a lot of local students, the government is paying on our behalf.  We'll pay them back through our taxes...  in many, many, many years to come.  :)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: squance on June 18, 2010, 06:59:46 pm
Easiest Breadth would probably have to be the practical music subjects.

The easiest breadth out of the three breadths I have taken would have to be Music Psychology.
Quizzes are worth 40% and are really easy. Essay worth 60% and thats easy too.
I skipped about half of the lectures because they were Monday morning 9am ones and I had always fallen asleep in them...got a good grade :)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 18, 2010, 07:23:03 pm
Friend said music psych was really easy now that you mention it, so +1 to that idea.

And honestly, picking easy breadth subjects isn't going to disadvantage you if you can present a high quality academic transcript. If it's solid Ps and H3s then yeah, your employer might wonder what motivated your breadth/subject choices but otherwise you're fine. The university wide breadth are interesting and relevant (they just also have the fringe benefit of being easy).

However, I have one for you - FROM HOMER TO HOLLYWOOD I HEAR IT'S REALLY EASY AND EVERYONE JUST LOVES IT.

Nice try :P

Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Edmund on June 18, 2010, 11:31:00 pm
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2010/460-680
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: jasrulz63 on June 19, 2010, 01:22:36 am


For the breadth options, most of them won't make a difference, pick the easy ones to boost your GPA

And the easiest breadth vary depending on the person, when you get to uni you can decide for yourself (typically no exam is a good sign, or if it's not an academic subject like Choir or Australia in the Wine World)

how do they work out GPA if the class is only Pass/Fail ?

I went to the student centre in Brownless Library, who told me that pass/fail subjects, don't count towards your GPA at all.

I do Choir btw  :laugh:
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: gemgem49 on June 19, 2010, 03:39:14 pm
Someone told me Music Psychology is like the easiest subject ever created, but I'm not sure if that's true or Sem 2, and also, I don't know how easy breadths are meant to be considering I don't take any.
However, I have one for you - FROM HOMER TO HOLLYWOOD I HEAR IT'S REALLY EASY AND EVERYONE JUST LOVES IT.

my friend said from homer to Hollywood was terrible, heaps and heaps of reading and really boring
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 19, 2010, 05:29:32 pm
yeah, she was being facetious (i assume). every arts student ever has said the same thing about that subject
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: collundo on June 19, 2010, 05:37:30 pm
homer to hollywood is easily the worst thing ive ever done in my life
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: QuantumJG on June 26, 2010, 07:33:11 pm
I pick subjects related to my course/future :O

I must be in the minority lol

Well I did Introductory Personal Finance and that has to be the most strongly related thing to anyone's future.

But next semester I'm doing Plato to Einstein, I need to do something that's stimulating. Over the summer semester I'm doing Business Finance and I will do Intermediate Personal Finance next year (well if I pass Introductory Personal Finance).   

Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on June 26, 2010, 08:06:11 pm
But next semester I'm doing Plato to Einstein, I need to do something that's stimulating. Over the summer semester I'm doing Business Finance and I will do Intermediate Personal Finance next year (well if I pass Introductory Personal Finance).   



Plato to Einstein is good, but it suffers from the same problem as Philosophy/History of Science, namely that you will either love or hate the different segments. But overall it's a pretty good breadth choice (start your final essay EARLY, studying for science exams and writing an essay at the same time is horrible)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: laynie on June 26, 2010, 11:27:45 pm
Completely agree with Russ.
I did Darwinism last semester, which is under History and Philosophy of Science. Some topics were pretty interesting and I was really captivated, but overall it was a relatively boring, low paced subject where you could chill aside from the week the assignments are due on. Also, no exam (Assignment 1 was 35% and 2 was 65%) meant you got to focus on your other subjects during exam period too.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Sah123 on July 06, 2011, 04:47:40 pm
Does anyone have any experience with music breadth subjects? I was all of a sudden considering Choir or Great Opera Choruses and would like to know what others think :)
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Massofbubbles on July 06, 2011, 05:21:06 pm
Ecological History of Humanity was insanely easy imo.

I put in about 30mins to 1hour each week on the blogs. 2-3 hours on the tute paper, and two days on the research assignment. Ended up with 88 - and I've never been a good writer.. Didn't have to listen to one lecture, do any of the weekly readings, or contribute in any of the tutes (you get 10% just for attendance).

Not sure if it's only semester 1 though.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: rustic_metal on July 06, 2011, 05:43:57 pm
This.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Edmund on July 06, 2011, 05:47:10 pm
This.
Yep I'm doing that this semester ;D
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: dptjandra on July 06, 2011, 09:22:18 pm
I did a University Breadth (critical thinking with data) which was quite easy.  A large proportion of it was stuff like, "Don't trust internet surveys - they can be dodgy."  Be warned - I found large chunks of it very boring.  Though I think I just expected to learn too much from it.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: rustic_metal on July 07, 2011, 04:42:02 am
This.
Yep I'm doing that this semester ;D

Same. Such a joke haha.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: simpak on July 07, 2011, 03:36:24 pm
This.
Yep I'm doing that this semester ;D

As if that is a subject.  I want to do it.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Blakhitman on July 09, 2011, 03:52:02 pm
This.
Yep I'm doing that this semester ;D

As if that is a subject.  I want to do it.

why don't you?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: murano on July 14, 2011, 12:31:33 am
This.
54 contact hours, so 4.5 per week? Anyone actually doing this subject want to confirm from their timetables?

Any other ideas for an easy breadth? Currently have finance 1 down but the lectures/tutes aren't really suiting my timetable. Had it too good last semester with principles of business law, 1 lecture per week that I never went to and all multiple choice tests for assessment. So easy.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: jacob_power on July 14, 2011, 11:11:46 am
Why would anyone want to choose all the easy breaths?

Where's the challenge in that?

People should choose something interesting instead of "picking" any old thing which seems easy at first however really actually a demanding/boring subject.

Also, you paid all this money for uni, you might as well pick the most complex and interesting.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Russ on July 14, 2011, 12:32:24 pm
Yeah I agree, I've never taken breadth because it's "easy"
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: mikee65 on July 14, 2011, 01:10:14 pm
Russ you're the paragon of academic integrity
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: murano on July 14, 2011, 02:49:53 pm
Why would anyone want to choose all the easy breaths?

Where's the challenge in that?
That's the point, some of us don't want a challenge. For most of us, our breadth subjects are pointless so why not pick an easy subject to boost our GPA and give us more time to study for the subjects that are important.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: rustic_metal on July 14, 2011, 04:39:40 pm
This.
54 contact hours, so 4.5 per week? Anyone actually doing this subject want to confirm from their timetables?

Any other ideas for an easy breadth? Currently have finance 1 down but the lectures/tutes aren't really suiting my timetable. Had it too good last semester with principles of business law, 1 lecture per week that I never went to and all multiple choice tests for assessment. So easy.

It runs for one week in the summer break, so it will probably be something like a 2 hour lecture and two 1 hour tutes each day.
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Edmund on July 14, 2011, 04:58:33 pm
This.
54 contact hours, so 4.5 per week? Anyone actually doing this subject want to confirm from their timetables?

Any other ideas for an easy breadth? Currently have finance 1 down but the lectures/tutes aren't really suiting my timetable. Had it too good last semester with principles of business law, 1 lecture per week that I never went to and all multiple choice tests for assessment. So easy.

It runs for one week in the summer break, so it will probably be something like a 2 hour lecture and two 1 hour tutes each day.
For the forest subject, it's 1 week in September with 5-6 hours of coursework each day
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: mikee65 on July 14, 2011, 08:44:35 pm
This.
54 contact hours, so 4.5 per week? Anyone actually doing this subject want to confirm from their timetables?

Any other ideas for an easy breadth? Currently have finance 1 down but the lectures/tutes aren't really suiting my timetable. Had it too good last semester with principles of business law, 1 lecture per week that I never went to and all multiple choice tests for assessment. So easy.

It runs for one week in the summer break, so it will probably be something like a 2 hour lecture and two 1 hour tutes each day.
For the forest subject, it's 1 week in September with 5-6 hours of coursework each day
1 week intensive over all your existing subjects could get messy..
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: bangbros on July 15, 2011, 07:53:51 am
This.
54 contact hours, so 4.5 per week? Anyone actually doing this subject want to confirm from their timetables?

Any other ideas for an easy breadth? Currently have finance 1 down but the lectures/tutes aren't really suiting my timetable. Had it too good last semester with principles of business law, 1 lecture per week that I never went to and all multiple choice tests for assessment. So easy.

It runs for one week in the summer break, so it will probably be something like a 2 hour lecture and two 1 hour tutes each day.
For the forest subject, it's 1 week in September with 5-6 hours of coursework each day
1 week intensive over all your existing subjects could get messy..
it's during mid-sem break..
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: Sah123 on July 24, 2011, 12:56:39 am
Has anyone done Principles of Marketing? It looks kinda interesting but the thought of a group assignment gives me the heebie jeebies. Opinions?
Title: Re: Easiest Breadth?
Post by: gongchan on August 07, 2011, 05:18:11 pm
Personally I found introductory microeconomics to be pretty easy, although it does require you to think logically.

I thought intermediate microeconomics (level 2) wasn't that much of a jump either, although it does use a bit of calculus and algebra which the intro one didn't have, but most of that was at year 11 math methods level.

I found introductory macroeconomics (level 1) to be significantly harder than both introductory microeconomics and intermediate microeconomics for some reason.