Should I do some homework now for choosing my subjects?

[we235t]

I am about to go to University of Melbourne to take Bachelor of Science in February. I've got some questions about choosing the subjects. Do I choose my major before the semester starts and choose the subjects according to it? Or I'll just have to choose the subjects that I want to take? If so, I'm now interested in Electrical Systems; Spatial Systems and Computing and Software Systems. What are your suggestions? What subjects should I choose for them? The handbook on the website is quite confusing to me.

[notveryasian]

You don't have to make a decision right away about what you want to major in, but rather think about what areas of the Science degree interests you the most. You seem to have interests in Engineering Systems, so choose subjects from these areas and related areas; such as mathematics.

A course plan for your first year shown in this Computing and Software Systems sample plan contains the prerequisites for the 3 majors you mentioned, so you can keep your options open. http://www.bsc.unimelb.edu.au/software-systems
Also note that the subject Engineering Systems Design 1 is not a prerequisite, and hence can be substituted for another 1st year Science subject or another breadth subject.

[we235t]

You don't have to make a decision right away about what you want to major in, but rather think about what areas of the Science degree interests you the most. You seem to have interests in Engineering Systems, so choose subjects from these areas and related areas; such as mathematics.

A course plan for your first year shown in this Computing and Software Systems sample plan contains the prerequisites for the 3 majors you mentioned, so you can keep your options open. http://www.bsc.unimelb.edu.au/software-systems
Also note that the subject Engineering Systems Design 1 is not a prerequisite, and hence can be substituted for another 1st year Science subject or another breadth subject.

Hey bro, I wouldn't worry too much about it at the moment (I personally didn't choose any subjects until February 2014).

For engineering, you don't exactly have to choose your major in first year, but you do have to do the subjects that fulfil the prerequisites for the subjects that will lead to your major in second/third year.

You can read all this in February; but if you're bored at the moment or just simply really keen, here are a few things you should know/look at.

- I agree the handbook is pretty confusing to fresh first year students, so treat this page as your new bible.

http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/study/undergraduate/

I did not know this page existed until about three quarters of the way through semester 2 this year. It helps so much.

If you look at all the three majors you listed, you'll see the Year 1 Semester 1 subjects are pretty similar. (You don't need to worry about semester 2 subjects until you've finished semester 1.)

- DO NOT DO ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DESIGN 1 UNLESS YOU ARE CONSIDERING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. DOES NOT HELP AT ALL IN THE FUTURE. BAD SUBJECT!

If I were you, I would do these subjects in semester 1:
- Physics 1
- Foundations of Computing
- Calculus 1 or Calculus 2 (you go straight to Calculus 2 if you got over 27 in Specialist Maths in VCE)
- Breadth of your choice

This leaves all 3 majors you listed open, along with basically every single other engineering major listed on the page I gave to you.

Enjoy the rest of your well earned holiday

Thank you guys! You've been really helpful! Expecting my life at UoM already~

[Whynot123]

I choose my subjects second week into first semester LOL, don't do what I did...
Personally, I think the earlier the better, so you should do a bit of homework now if you have time, but it's up to you.

My advise: Don't leave it till the last minute

[slothpomba]

Majors arent really set in stone until your second or even third year. You dont need to choose a major immediately but you do need to narrow down what you want to do a bit. If you like the biology/biomedical field, it'd be a very smart idea to take first year biology because all the second year biomedical/biology type science subjects will probably need it as a prerequisite.