Computer Science Canada

Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Author:  sudn3sc3d [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 3:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Hey there,

So im totally stuck and don't know what courses to pick. There's tons of options here: http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/navigation/Current/crseguide/

from pages 2-14. It has everything from business to history to learning Russian. Can anyone suggest two good courses for a CS major? It would be good if I could get something related to business or any thing else related to computers (or software engineering).

Thanks a lot!

Author:  endless [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

think of a job you would ultimately like to do and do courses in that direction.

example: i would like to possibly work in a financial management business, so i am taking ECON 101 and ECON 102 as my 2 non-math courses.

if you wanted to get into more hardware, possibly some physics courses.

i guess the 13th is coming up quick.

Author:  sudn3sc3d [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Thanks for the quick reply. I want to work as a software engineer in the future so I guess it would be better for me to pick courses related to that.

Trying to avoid hardware/physics, not really interested in that. Business wouldn't be bad either, but I am trying hard to find something related to software engineering.

Are there any other courses related to software engineering/programming/computer science that I can possible take?

Author:  endless [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:13 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

i just went through all of the classes and didn't notice anything in the direction of software engineering, i guess you have to wait until later years to specialize your computer classes in that direction. did you choose the software engineering specialization?

i guess for first year just pick the 2 that interest you the most.

Author:  Dan [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

The reason most universites want you to take X number of credits out side of your department (or math/sci) is they want you to be a well rounded student. So i don't think you should go about this as picking courses out side of math that are most like math and compsci but look for things that will expand your knowadge base into subjects that noramly would not be covered in your core courses.

I would sugest picking topics that intrest you but are out side of what you would noramly be studying.

Some popular none math electives here at Lakehead (witch you may or may not have at UW) are astronomy, meteorology, photography, world religions, occult and the paranormal, philosophy of science fiction, and computer art.

You might also want to consider working towoard a minor in somthing like business, psycology or philosophy.

Author:  aramadia [ Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Additionally, there is a Cognitive sciences option for almost every uwaterloo program.
Psychology, Philosophy, linguistics and neural science = awesome. Start with Psych101.

Author:  jbking [ Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

My suggestion would be to take a couple of first year language courses, with one being a non-Latin alphabet. This can be useful to see how hard English can be at times as well as what a different kind of alphabet can mean as well as another set of symbols to use as variables in your Math assignments. Smile

Business or accounting would be another line you could take. Though you could take one of each and see how that works for you.

Author:  sudn3sc3d [ Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:36 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Thank you for all the help guys. I have to take an approach towards business and see how that goes. I have also contacted my CS advisor as there are 5 business related courses that I am interested in, and am confused on which ones to pick.

BTW, seems like the business courses at UW are taught at WLU. Anyone has any experience with this? Would it be too much of a hassle going to UW for my core courses then going to WLU for my business courses?

Author:  Dark [ Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

I'm in the same position as you...I wanted to take physics and chemistry as my electives but I never took those in high school (not even 3U), and I hate biology I don't want to take that again :S

But instead of mechanics and waves I might take the newbie phys 111 since I have no background in physics. For my other elective I might pick a geography or anything that doesn't involve a presentation, but I'm still not sure :S

Author:  endless [ Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:28 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

Dark, did you enroll in the physics-based calculus 1?
i kind of want to, but i signed up for the normal one.

Author:  Dark [ Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: RE:Help picking 2 non-math courses for UW Comp Sci Coop

endless @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:28 pm wrote:
Dark, did you enroll in the physics-based calculus 1?
i kind of want to, but i signed up for the normal one.


I signed up for the normal one as well (non-advanced), but I still want to take a physics course Neutral


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