Summer school and other questions

[tomash95]

Hey,

I'm doing the BSci and are picking my subjects. As I didn't do chemistry in Year 12 I have to do the pathway of Fundamentals --> Chem 1 and then Chem 2 as a summer school subject. However, on their subject selection site, Chem 2 is greyed out as only available in semester 2. How am I meant to set it as a summer school class?

Furthermore, as breadth, I wanted to learn a language such as Japanese, but apparently I need to take an assessment to see how eligible I am. I haven't taken Japanese since grades 5/6. Has anyone else been in a similar position? Do they accept students that don't have much background in the language? I want to take the first year class.

On that note, though, do you guys recommend learning a language for breadth? My current plan is Bio of Cells and Organisms, Calculus 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry for Sem 1 with Genetics & Evolution, Linear Algebra and Chem 1 for sem 2. Considering my current aim is microbiology and immunology, do you guys recommend any specific breadths? I'm kind of only learning Japanese since I thought it'd be cool to know a third language, and I'd really, really like to learn it.

Thanks.

[simpak]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure (BUT NOT ENTIRELY) that if you want to do a summer subject you can't register for that until later in the year.  So for now, just put down your subjects for semester 1 and 2 and you'll have an opportunity to register for Chemistry 2 later on!

Secondly, you can definitely take a language without much background knowledge - you can pick up a language you've never ever learned before if you want.  I think the placement test is if you want to skip Japanese 1 - the description in the handbook says and/or when it comes to the placement test so I think you are only expected to take it if you try to argue you have prior knowledge in Japanese.  You should be able to do the subject without taking a test as Japanese 1 assumes no prior Japanese knowledge.

Thirdly, I did Micro/Immuno as my major and I recommend you take Japanese as breadth because you would "really, really like to learn it".  The point of breadth isn't to help strengthen your performance in a major or help you to know more about that topic, it's to learn about something entirely different.  Go do something you're interested in because then you'll enjoy it and do well in it more easily!

[vox nihili]

You've misread the handbook. It says that Chem 2 is available as a summer subject. It always is because it's got a huge fail rate and is an important prereq.

What simpak said. I think they're making some people take assessment now because they come in with background knowledge then just kill the class and get 95+

Would definitely encourage a language. They're great and you really do need a break from science, science, science. They're also—dare I say it—a lot more useful than other breadths. There's also a greater sense of achievement.

[charmanderp]

Summer semester is for the following year, not the current year itself. What I mean by that is that you currently want to do Chem 2 during the summer semester of the 2015 academic year. You can't enrol for 2015 subjects until the end of 2014, thus the option to do Chem 2 during summer semester is greyed out. I hope that makes sense. It doesn't really even make sense to me.

[vox nihili]

I'm doing the BSci and are picking my subjects. As I didn't do chemistry in Year 12 I have to do the pathway of Fundamentals --> Chem 1 and then Chem 2 as a summer school subject. However, on their subject selection site, Chem 2 is greyed out as only available in semester 2. How am I meant to set it as a summer school class?

This is what I was referring to. It is available as a summer school subject