What to do about courses that can't be taken...

BioCore

Hi,

So I was going over my course selections for my next three years and I after putting aside the courses that are required by my program I noticed that I might have enough time/space for some of the other courses I would like to take during my time here at university.

These are specifically Chemistry and some Biology courses. I was wondering what your advice would be in this case? Would it be to just find other textbooks/books on the same topics and teach myself over the summer that way saving my self the trouble and money or should I try to somehow squeeze in the extra courses and make my life miserable.

Advice is greatly appreciated. By the way most of these course are not required for me to obtain my degree but are rather additional interest courses that fall under Bio and Chem though.

mgb_phys

Can you just sit in on the lectures without registering or taking the exam?

I don't know your system - but I think I had a right to attend any lecture in the university (in fact I think I still do after graduating)

Howers

You can either stay an extra year to get them done, do them in summerschool (or change your schedule so that you can do some courses over the summer to make room for those not avaiable), or you can learn them on your own during summer. I wouldn't reccommend sitting in on lectures, as this would deter you from your real courses. The best option is learning them on your own. Just go into the first class and see what text they are using.

BioCore

Well yes I can go into any lecture even if I am not registered.I was not trying to be dense it was just something I was wondering if possible to do. I mean most of the courses on the list that I can not take are from upper years (advanced topics somewhat). So how feasible is it to study on my own? But thanks for the suggestion Howers.

tmc

At most universities, you're allowed to register for any courses (as long as you satisfy the prereqs) regardless of whether you'll need them to graduate. By the end of my degree, I'll probably have about 12-15 such courses myself. It's definitely feasible, and often encouraged. After university, you probably will never again have such an easy opportunity to learn new material like this. You mention saving money: do you actually have to pay per-credit even as a full-time student?

If they don't allow you to actually take the course, then see if you can sit in on the lectures and study on your own. The hardest part of studying by yourself is the pacing, and figuring out what's really important, and what can be skimmed over. By attending the lectures (or following online if they post good summaries of what was done in class), you can take care of this problem. And if you can get a copy of the assignments and tests, that would also help knowing where you stand.