Summer breadths

[lzxnl]

I've left this really late, I know.

As I'm doing a maths diploma with minimal cross-crediting, I have three breadths left that I have to complete over two summers. My original plan was to do Music Language 1 and Finance 1 this summer and Music Language 2, Business Finance or even BLAW20002 (Privacy Law and Social Networks) the next summer. However, I've come across two problems.
1. I left the timetabling like a day late and there are no more Finance 1 tutes that don't clash with my Music Language class. I emailed the Commerce department and they're not willing to open up a spot in one of the existing tutes for me.
2. The AN reviews for Finance 1 are pretty scary. Out of 5 reviews, the scores are -3, -1, 1, 0 and 4 for an average of 0.2/5. That is scary. I'm not sure just how awful the subject is and I don't exactly want to do another subject that I'd hate so much (I've had enough hating first year bio)

So, the options I can see are as follows:
1. Stick to my original plan, go to a different tute time for Finance 1 and just balls it through the subject
2. Only do Music Language 1 this semester and see if I can do BLAW20002 in the summer of 2016 (I again forgot to register for that on time; I'm so disorganised -.-) as well as Music Language 2 (which seems like fun)
3. Fit 6 subjects in a semester (I'm not going there)
4. Cross-credit one more maths subject and as such miss out on a science subject (not going there)
5. Plead with the subject coordinator of BLAW20002 to let me enrol in that (the enrolment deadline was 9/12; I doubt this would work but it'd be absolutely awesome if it worked)

What do you guys think?

[Limista]

So, the options I can see are as follows:
1. Stick to my original plan, go to a different tute time for Finance 1 and just balls it through the subject
2. Only do Music Language 1 this semester and see if I can do BLAW20002 in the summer of 2016 (I again forgot to register for that on time; I'm so disorganised -.-) as well as Music Language 2 (which seems like fun)
3. Fit 6 subjects in a semester (I'm not going there)
4. Cross-credit one more maths subject and as such miss out on a science subject (not going there)
5. Plead with the subject coordinator of BLAW20002 to let me enrol in that (the enrolment deadline was 9/12; I doubt this would work but it'd be absolutely awesome if it worked)

What do you guys think?

So I just crossed out 2/5 that you weren't comfortable with (and I agree with you on this -- number 3 and 4 don't seem like good ideas). Now we're left with options 1,2 and 5.   

1. I can see why you'll be going into Finance 1 feeling insecure, since the AN reviews don't lie. Are the reviews on Finance 1 on the forum recent? If they are, you'd be best to follow the advice given by prior students on the subject, just so there is minimal chance of risk to your GPA. Personally, I know that the subject handbooks given by unimelb are not as accurate as student reviews, since they're designed to make the subject more appealing; whereas, AN reviews are designed to tell the truth.

However, if your GPA isn't a big issue for you, and you're looking for a breadth subject that's really challenging (or whatever Finance 1 is described as being), then go for it.

2. There is no harm doing only one breadth subject over the summer. I'd say that for most people, doing 2 breadths over the summer is going over the top actually. So if you do only Music Language 1 this summer, then you can pick up another breadth to replace the Finance 1 summer one, throughout the course of first/second semester, which is very doable and quite feasible. I think this would be the smarter option.

Plus, you can remind yourself to be more organised and register for classes on time by the commencement of summer 2016, so you can do the two subjects you wanted -- Music Language 2 and BLAW20002!

5. You could try this option, there is no harm in it. However, you'll have to have a good argument ready. There's no point telling the coordinator, "I want to register for BLAW20002 now, because I didn't like the tute times for Finance 1", for example. So maybe to be persuasive, come across as though BLAW20002 would be the best thing to happen to you.

If you do get accepted to study BLAW20002 this summer, this would be the best option (since it sounds like you're set on doing 2 breadths over the summer), so then for summer 2016, you can do Music Language 2 and another breadth of your choice.

[Belgarion]

I did Finance 1 last summer and it was one of the easiest subjects i have done. There seems to be a large difference in Finance 1 when comparing the summer semester to a regular semester. I have read the reviews too and to me they dont really describe my time in the subject last summer. Its a lot more relaxed and the exam was way easier (i looked at the past exams).

[notveryasian]

Definitely agree with Belgarion. I did Finance 1 last semester and the exam was ridiculously hard compared to summer semester and semester 1 exams, all because of the lecturer Jordan Neyland(but even then there was some heavy scaling.)

Finance 1 has some dry content but given you'll be doing it in a 6 week semester it won't be too bad. Also, if tute times are much of a problem you could always go to commerce student centre in person, there are some really helpful people there.

[lzxnl]

How dry is the content? I did some commerce subjects in high school and it was SO boring. So many definitions for the sake of definitions.

I'm leaning towards sticking with Finance 1, but I want to be confident of this decision.

[notveryasian]

Eh, on the content side of things it's quite dry and not too interesting in my opinion. There's not so much learning definitions but more of learning the purpose of different things in finance, which can get quite tedious. In all honesty the financial maths part was probably the most interesting but it was also extremely easy.

If you want I could PM you some slides from last semester. They won't be the same ones as summer semester but the content should be the same.

[lzxnl]

That would be much appreciated