Some opinions about what to do....?

[slothpomba]

Hey guys, i'm currently studying Bsc @ Monash.

This thread actually has a couple questions..

I'm either going to major in pharmacology or physiology, the one i don't major in will probably be my minor.

As part of their Bsc program and the way i structured it, i need to take an earth science subject and a math subject to graduate.

However, i'm considering swapping to Melbourne Bsc at end of year. So, if i do that i won't really need those subjects.

Melbourne pharmacology does need chemistry  but monash doesn't.

So, i'm not really sure what i should do.

As it stands now, my timetable is:
CHM1022 - Chemistry
SCI1020 - That math/stats subject
ATS1309 - The Global Challenge
BIO1022 - Biology

If i stay at monash i don't need chemistry:
xxxxx - xxxxxx
SCI1020 - That math/stats subject
ATS1309 - The Global Challenge
BIO1022 - Biology

If i decide to transfer to melbourne at the end of the year, i don't need math/earth sci:
If i stay at monash i don't need chemistry:
CHM1022 - CHM1022
xxxxx - xxxxx
xxxx - xxxxx
BIO1022 - Biology

I really don't want to take subjects i don't need. I'm not sure whats the best mix of subjects i should take especially as a contingency if i somehow don't get the marks for my end of year transfer? Anyone care to suggest something? I was thinking maybe, even if i do option #2 and i'm stuck at monash, i can always maybe pick up those subjects i missed out on in year 2...if that is possible? I think theres a limit to how many 1st year subjects i can take?

I might get better answers on the Monash board but anyone care to suggest a really easy subject or subject matter as well? I might take one to boost my GPA...

[Mao]

As it stands now, you don't really meet the prereqs to do any second year units. And if you do attempt them, you probably won't do very well (second year is pretty full on, unless it's astro. I'ver heard first year astro is a joke).

So your safest bet is the first list.

[Eriny]

I think trying to fulfill all the possible prereqs, just in case, is a good plan. And plus, there is surely a reason why those different units are compulsory at the two universities, unless there is another course you would like to do really badly, doing your first list would give you a good grounding and minimise all of your potential risks.

[Fyrefly]

Cover all your bases... do the prerequisities for both, like in your first list.

It's true there's a limit of 10 1st year units... but how many were you planning on taking? Have you mapped your course out?

[slothpomba]

Sorry guys, i haven't really explained it very well i think.

As it stands now, you don't really meet the prereqs to do any second year units. And if you do attempt them, you probably won't do very well (second year is pretty full on, unless it's astro. I'ver heard first year astro is a joke).

Not sure what you mean here, the 2nd year physiology and pharmacology subjects at monash only need BIO1011 & BIO1022 which i will have covered either way. I like bio and almost all the majors need it so i'm not dropping that.

I think trying to fulfill all the possible prereqs, just in case, is a good plan. And plus, there is surely a reason why those different units are compulsory at the two universities, unless there is another course you would like to do really badly, doing your first list would give you a good grounding and minimise all of your potential risks.

At Monash, they require every science student to do a math unit and one of two options of unit combinations, to ensure "breadth of studies" (Their rationale i guess is you sample a little bit of all of the sciences).

So, these things must be done before you graduate. Well, thats what the handbook tells me anyway. The lady that advises students also told me this.

I chose the second option which basically states you need to take at least one Life science, Physical science and an Earth science subject. This was the better option than No.1 considering how i structured my course.

At Monash the math/stats unit and the earth science unit they require me to take is more or less because they can. It doesn't really have any relevance to my degree/major.

The 2 Monash subjects - SCI1020 & an earth science/geography subject (ATS1309) i need to take are only to satisfy the requirements Monash have for their degree, to graduate anyway. They're not in anyway prerequisites for any 2nd year subjects i will ever take. I don't know why they impose a rule like that but its what they do. My logic was, if i was going to be at melbourne next year and i only need these to graduate from Monash, why do them now or at all? Especially since i don't really like these subjects either. I'll save money and get to do something i like.

Even if i don't get into melbourne or choose not to, i can always just go back and do them(SCI1020/ATS1309) in 2nd year. I worked out i will have about 4 empty spaces in my 2nd year timetable, so there is room. So, i think i won't do them just yet and replace them with something i actually want to do or a little more relevant.

I will take CHM1022(Option #2) because it is actually a prerequisite for something, well for UoM pharmacology anyway. Not for Monash pharmacology but i figure its a good idea to take it anyway.

So, i think ill probably go for option #2 unless someone can point out some kind of major flaw.

[slothpomba]

Can't really find many downsides to that plan unless someone can point them out anyway, will be greatful since i gotta put it in by tomorrow

[Eriny]

I didn't realise it was a science thing rather than a major requirement. Plan two seems fine if you can do those second year subs later on. I don't know much about Monash though, so it's probably best that someone who goes there confirms the okay-ness of plan two.

[slothpomba]

Yeah, i just went through with that .

I really wanted to do some art subjects anyway.