Â
    With the deadline to sign up for classes coming up quickly many people are looking for that fourth, fifth or for the braves ones sixth class to fill their schedule. Or perhaps that one class that sounded really interesting on paper ended up being a snooze fest? Do not fear, Her Campus is here to help you find that one class. An elective should be a class that you find interesting, and can be taken as a chance for you to dig your fingers into something outside of your faculty.
    Bird Classes or easier classes include many courses from different subjects. Roman Civilization (CLA1102) is a broad overview of the activities of the Romans, and can include a lot of content. It is definitely a class for people who are interested in history. Another class with heavy content but that is very interesting is Drugs 101 (BPS1101). Do not let the name fool you, you will not be learning how to make meth and live life like in Breaking Bad. The class is actually quite interesting as you learn practical knowledge about drugs and the human body. Work Shop in Essay Writing (ENG 1100) is a good class for anyone hoping to brush up on their writing skills, and easy for anyone who is already a capable writer. However, some professors do have a heavier workload than others in this class (up to an essay a week). It is a good class if someone is looking for a practical elective. If you are looking for something different, Witchcraft (SRS 1110) is definitely the class for you. This class is supposedly one of the easier first year classes, and a “guaranteed A” for anyone. But in order to curve off the number of people trying to get into this class it is often scheduled as a night class. If you are a math-type person, enjoy gambling, or just learning how to gamble, Poker 101 (MAT 1374) is a great pick. You learn probability, game theory, and rumor has it: how to count cards. This class screams instant money maker from any family member, or a profitable trip to any casino. Maybe you are from a faculty outside of the sciences and want to “get your nerd on” with The Earth and How it Works (GEO 1301), which is designed for non-science students. In a few words; dirt, mountains, earthquakes, natural resources, environmental issues BOOM there’s the class. However, the class is built more around application rather than memorization, making the class a bit difficult. Macro (ECO 1102)/Micro (ECO 1101) Economics, is another class more on the difficult side of the first year electives. They tend to be a hit or a miss in the enjoyable/ interesting category but if you ever wondered how economics work or affect our lives then it may be worth a look or two.
           The best advice on electives comes from other people. Asking around with either your friends or an academic advisor could really help. You can also look online on different websites like birdcourses.com for easy electives or rate my professor to see what kind of course load you would have or the quality of the professors. Our university also has a whole list of classes one does not need any type of prerequisites for (http://www.registrar.uottawa.c…).  Finally, choosing a class is up to you; you need to ask yourself what your interests are. Do you like European films? Then go for Italian Cinema (ITA 1113), which may be more your style rather than the previously mentioned classes. Do you like to read? Then go for Children’s Literature (ENG 2110) or another English class. Do not worry, most of them do not need a prerequisite. The University of Ottawa has a vast repertoire of electives across any discipline for their students; do not be afraid to try something new. Who knows, you may end up changing programs because you discovered a new interest you never knew you had.
With the deadline to sign up for classes coming up quickly many people are looking for that fourth, fifth or for the braves ones sixth class to fill their schedule. Or perhaps that one class that sounded really interesting on paper ended up being a snooze fest? Do not fear, Her Campus is here to help you find that one class. An elective should be a class that you find interesting, and can be taken as a chance for you to dig your fingers into something outside of your faculty.
           Bird Classes or easier classes include many courses from different subjects. Roman Civilization (CLA1102) is a broad overview of the activities of the Romans, and can include a lot of content. It is definitely a class for people who are interested in history. Another class with heavy content but that is very interesting is Drugs 101 (BPS1101). Do not let the name fool you, you will not be learning how to make meth and live life like in Breaking Bad. The class is actually quite interesting as you learn practical knowledge about drugs and the human body. Work Shop in Essay Writing (ENG 1100) is a good class for anyone hoping to brush up on their writing skills, and easy for anyone who is already a capable writer. However, some professors do have a heavier workload than others in this class (up to an essay a week). It is a good class if someone is looking for a practical elective. If you are looking for something different, Witchcraft (SRS 1110) is definitely the class for you. This class is supposedly one of the easier first year classes, and a “guaranteed A” for anyone. But in order to curve off the number of people trying to get into this class it is often scheduled as a night class. If you are a math-type person, enjoy gambling, or just learning how to gamble, Poker 101 (MAT 1374) is a great pick. You learn probability, game theory, and rumor has it: how to count cards. This class screams instant money maker from any family member, or a profitable trip to any casino. Maybe you are from a faculty outside of the sciences and want to “get your nerd on” with The Earth and How it Works (GEO 1301), which is designed for non-science students. In a few words; dirt, mountains, earthquakes, natural resources, environmental issues BOOM there’s the class. However, the class is built more around application rather than memorization, making the class a bit difficult. Macro (ECO 1102)/Micro (ECO 1101) Economics, is another class more on the difficult side of the first year electives. They tend to be a hit or a miss in the enjoyable/ interesting category but if you ever wondered how economics work or affect our lives then it may be worth a look or two.
           The best advice on electives comes from other people. Asking around with either your friends or an academic advisor could really help. You can also look online on different websites like birdcourses.com for easy electives or rate my professor to see what kind of course load you would have or the quality of the professors. Our university also has a whole list of classes one does not need any type of prerequisites for (http://www.registrar.uottawa.c…).  Finally, choosing a class is up to you; you need to ask yourself what your interests are. Do you like European films? Then go for Italian Cinema (ITA 1113), which may be more your style rather than the previously mentioned classes. Do you like to read? Then go for Children’s Literature (ENG 2110) or another English class. Do not worry, most of them do not need a prerequisite. The University of Ottawa has a vast repertoire of electives across any discipline for their students; do not be afraid to try something new. Who knows, you may end up changing programs because you discovered a new interest you never knew you had.
Â
Photo credits:
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/university%20of%20ottawa
Â
Â
Â