Although everyone in Asper is completing the same degree, you have plenty of options regarding the courses you take so there may be more variety in a first year course load than you think! To see specific requirements for first year level courses be sure to look at the “Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Program Guides” in the first year resources, as it has specific degree outlines. But although seeing the course names and codes can be helpful, what else should you know about your first year courses aside from the name?
One important thing to consider is the differences in the content of the various courses you will sign up for. As a first year student, the courses you are recommended to take are typically vastly different in the type of work you will be doing, as the more specialized and major specific courses tend to come later in your degree. In fact, many entry level courses required for your BComm degree aren’t even Asper specific courses; courses in areas like math, economics, and statistics are all offered by other faculties. When considering the different courses you have signed up for, it’s often a good idea to try and balance your course load in different types of work. For example, it may be a good idea to pair a written course with a theory heavy course and a math focused course. Rather than trying to take on all of your theory heavy courses at once, variety can feel refreshing in the long days of lectures and studying.
Another important thing to be aware of while planning your first year courses is credit hours. Each separate course will have a different number of credit hours assigned to it, typically 3 or 6. A course that is 3 credit hours lasts 1 semester and (as you may have guessed), a 6 credit hour course spans both the fall and winter semesters with the same professor. Credit hours are directly correlated to your student status. All students are either part-time or full-time students, and it is important you are aware of your status as it can be directly related to things such as scholarship and financial aid eligibility as well as many other things. To be considered a full-time student, you must be enrolled in 9 credit hours (3 courses per term) and any less than that qualifies you to be a part-time student.
You may be wondering how many courses you should take per term, and the answer is it is entirely up to you! Taking 5 courses in a term is considered a 100% course load, which some choose to do while others choose to take 4 or 3 courses. It all depends on what you have the capacity for, it is important to consider external factors like employment commitments, and other various time consuming activities in your life. Your mental health is important so make sure to not overwork yourself to the point of exhaustion. Know your limits!
When it comes to your first year courses, it’s also important to know you have the option to drop them if needed. There are 2 different ways to drop courses as a student and it all depends when in the semester you decide to withdraw. If you make the decision to withdraw from a course near the beginning of the semester, before the refund deadline, you will be refunded the entire amount of money spent on the course. However, if you need to drop the course later in the semester you Voluntarily Withdraw (VW) from the course. This means the course will be dropped from your transcript and GPA, but you will not be refunded for it.
Be sure to check if your courses are virtual or in person and see who your professors are before they even start! Although everyone’s first year is unique, by following these tips and planning your course load carefully hopefully it will be manageable and even fun!