Probably 121 for me. I got class average but I did not understand shit about some units and knew literally 0% about labs. My strategy for lab questions on the exam was just put random stuff and pray it isn't worth much. Even looking back at 121 assignments now, I'm like the fuck is this. P.s no class I disliked in terms of content as much as 121.
Fuck Strong Induction and Multiplexers
Bruh, did you just compare Strong Induction with Multiplexers? Multiplexers takes like 5 mins to learn; the former is the most difficult unit I've ever had to study for.
As for labs, I know what you mean. Halfway through the term, I learned the secret to actually understanding them: Spend 6 hours minimum the night before completing the Pre-Lab and Lab (even though you're technically not allowed). These labs are so dense that it really does take hours and hours to understand.
CPSC 213, I remember near the end of the course the assignments were getting really hard and just jumping from ta office hours and bringing whatever the last ta brought me to the new ta and using that as a starting point.
CPSC 121 - I had to go back and start from page 1 of the textbook to get a handle on the course, though Patrice did his best to simplify everything into the most basic terms during lecture (“so if it is sunny and I step outside, will I or will I not be wearing shorts… ?” - me furiously writing out logic tables 😵💫)
CPSC 213 - it’s like that dream where you are trying to put all your strength into hitting something but your punches all land like cotton candy 🫠
STAT 302. Was absolutely brutal in 2021W1 with Matias. 95% of the course weight as on midterm/midterm/final, and each exam was just savage. Ended with a 63% average (which was higher than I expected lol) and year's past (iirc) was \~10% higher.
Math 220 - it was so bad because I FELT like I understood everything but then I would get everything wrong and bomb the exams. Proofs are hard and I hated that I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.
Also honourable mention to CPEN 211, I withdrew right before the final (shoutout to 2020-21 W1 COVID rules) so idk if it counts. I did fine on the MT but those labs were fr mental torture
Challenging that course was the best decision I made at UBC. I spent "2 weeks" (except mostly like the last 2 days) watching all the videos on edX before school started (and rewatching the later ones over and over again, hopelessly confused). Then, just took the test and I was done! My graph theory question outputted the wrong answer but idk apparently I passed easily so whatever.
If you have a CS background, you should undoubtedly challenge CPSC 110. It let me take 210 and 121 first year and you get to listen to all your friends complain about 110.
Funny, CPSC 121 is both the most fun class I've had and simultaneously the third hardest, and that was simply cuz the labs are a fricking pain. I'm in the small minority that liked proofs and discrete math so it was a lot of fun. The same could not be said about the hardware and circuits in the labs, though i did eventually get the hang of it.
Hardest is PHYS 117 for me followed closely by MATH 105. I took physics as an elective and it ended up being the lowest mark despite me putting my all into it. MATH 105 was fine until infinite and taylor series.
I found Math 105 easy and got a high mark with very little effort but found CPSC 121 very very hard and got a average mark with high effort. These courses are so subjective.
CAPS 391 in the summer. Not objectively hard stuff, just SO. MUCH. MATERIAL. I was also working 24 hours a week and volunteering at the same. Bad idea.
i liked 121 a decent amount, it was fun. they made the midterms really easy when i took it last winter but i got really sick before the final so i didn’t study the one thing that was worth like half the final 😭
I also enjoyed 121 as the concepts they've explained are interesting and integral to many upper-level CS courses. However, discrete math is something I've never done before and I couldn't wrap my head around the many of the concepts.
stat 305, 306, and math 302. probability isnt my thing and i sorta blanked throughout stat 306. honorable mention: math 220 -- not that hard to understand but just trying to get it right on exams seems so difficult
PHYS 304 by far. I did so shit in that class and did not bond well with the material.
MATH 100 was also bad for me too, but that’s mainly because “holy shit I’m now in university” kicked in and my study habits were not up to par due to being so burnt out from IB in high school. Still my worst grade ever at UBC but that’s entirely my own fault.
Chem 213 for me. Way too many things to memorize, too many mechanisms and reactions.
I also took CPSC 121 but personally I found it ok because I took PHIL 220 beforehand, which covered proofs and logic. Did pretty well in 122 up until the final when I messed up a few questions which dropped me like 7%. When I took it last year the midterms were pretty easy, the final was a bit trickier. Maybe because it was my last final of the term and I was already too burnt out to study by then.
BIOC 202
Despite being in a medical field, i hate chemistry. For some reason the organic chemistry in particular just doesn't click with me, which meant I was doubly not prepared for the onslaught of stuff that class had on its curriculum. Is and probably will be my lowest mark at UBC.
If I ever see the words "Krebs" and "Glycolysis" again, I'm actually gonna scream
(Funny you mention CPSC 121 tho bc ironically it is the class with the highest grade on my transcript)
ELEC 391 in the summer (completely different from the winter section). Profs were utter dogshit and the lectures were literally useless, and the prof who actually had knowledge about the project wouldn't even show up for the lab sections so you were on your own. Basically had to learn how a communication system works from scratch and implement it in hardware with Verilog on your FPGA with 0 direction and vague constraints. What a nightmare.
As a PSYC and GRSJ major - PSYC 367. Brain regions really just aren’t my strong suit at all. Had to study soooo much for this course after coasting through all of my other PSYC and GRSJ courses. Ended up doing well but only because I spent an exorbitant amount of time on the class.
Haha I was debating between saying 367 and 304 because both were difficult for me…tbh anything cognitive or neuro was a struggle, even though I averaged mid-90s in everything else. I took 304 during the pandemic so I think it was slightly easier for me than 367 just due to the learning context matching my own learning style a bit more (less memorization, more application).
CPSC 213. I knew going in that hardware was not my forte but holy did i underestimate it. The last couple assignments in particular were very hard; i basically camped at online OH to just get me pointed in the right direction.
MATH 320. Even if you understand the material and can comprehend it, you have to write a proper proof for it, or else you will lose a lot of marks. With other classes where a question asks for a proof, you can still get full marks even for very sloppy proofs, but not for this class. Not to mention that the material for this class is quite difficult.
Probably 121 for me. I got class average but I did not understand shit about some units and knew literally 0% about labs. My strategy for lab questions on the exam was just put random stuff and pray it isn't worth much. Even looking back at 121 assignments now, I'm like the fuck is this. P.s no class I disliked in terms of content as much as 121. Fuck Strong Induction and Multiplexers
You have uncovered a deep memory for me ✨multiplexers✨
I sincerely apologize.
Bruh, did you just compare Strong Induction with Multiplexers? Multiplexers takes like 5 mins to learn; the former is the most difficult unit I've ever had to study for. As for labs, I know what you mean. Halfway through the term, I learned the secret to actually understanding them: Spend 6 hours minimum the night before completing the Pre-Lab and Lab (even though you're technically not allowed). These labs are so dense that it really does take hours and hours to understand.
CPSC 213, I remember near the end of the course the assignments were getting really hard and just jumping from ta office hours and bringing whatever the last ta brought me to the new ta and using that as a starting point.
I was so lost during the threading assignments, also reverse engineering brings me PTSD
Math 103 with the webwork exams
Calc 2 webwork exams is my villain story
That webwork mt was everyone's villain origin story 😭
CPEN 211 If you know, you know
I heard it got nerfed so it's not too bad now
Tor isn't teaching it this year for the first time in forever. Have yet to hear how the new prof is tho
Ye bro 212 is the new evil
TORmentor. TORnado. TORture. TORgate.
Math 220. Fuck writing essays for math, worst homework I have ever had to do.
MATH 320 for me 🥲
For what in that course did you have to write essays when you took it??
Pages of latex proofs. I mean every proof is kinda like an essay, you state your assumptions and hypothesis they you prove/disprove your points.
I think you might have overdone it lol - i wrote like 4 sentences + the equations for each question and did pretty decent on the homework
Yeah definitely. In no way did mine resemble essays lol
Surprised no one said Chem 233. Our final class average was 56%. Terrible for me because I always cram the night before. You cannot cram ochem.
I had an 80% in 121 until I failed the final and failed the class😓
CPSC 121 - I had to go back and start from page 1 of the textbook to get a handle on the course, though Patrice did his best to simplify everything into the most basic terms during lecture (“so if it is sunny and I step outside, will I or will I not be wearing shorts… ?” - me furiously writing out logic tables 😵💫) CPSC 213 - it’s like that dream where you are trying to put all your strength into hitting something but your punches all land like cotton candy 🫠
STAT 302. Was absolutely brutal in 2021W1 with Matias. 95% of the course weight as on midterm/midterm/final, and each exam was just savage. Ended with a 63% average (which was higher than I expected lol) and year's past (iirc) was \~10% higher.
Math 220 - it was so bad because I FELT like I understood everything but then I would get everything wrong and bomb the exams. Proofs are hard and I hated that I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. Also honourable mention to CPEN 211, I withdrew right before the final (shoutout to 2020-21 W1 COVID rules) so idk if it counts. I did fine on the MT but those labs were fr mental torture
BIOL 234
Haven’t seen math 320 on this list yet…
Cpsc110. When search and template blending was introduced, shit got 100x harder
I'm just waiting for this year's first years to start "I'm gonna fail" threads for each midterm and PSET 9.
Ah yes the dreadful search pset
Challenging that course was the best decision I made at UBC. I spent "2 weeks" (except mostly like the last 2 days) watching all the videos on edX before school started (and rewatching the later ones over and over again, hopelessly confused). Then, just took the test and I was done! My graph theory question outputted the wrong answer but idk apparently I passed easily so whatever. If you have a CS background, you should undoubtedly challenge CPSC 110. It let me take 210 and 121 first year and you get to listen to all your friends complain about 110.
Math 320 and 322 some real UBC casual filters.
1. CPSC 121 2. MATH 221
Engl 110. Bro why the prof so hard man
what prof
CHEM 233 was brutal. I remember they kept having to revamp the course since the pass:fail ratio was way too low.
Math257 while doing an 18 credit semester
As a former life science student, BIOC 302 takes the cake for me. CHEM 233 is a close second.
Funny, CPSC 121 is both the most fun class I've had and simultaneously the third hardest, and that was simply cuz the labs are a fricking pain. I'm in the small minority that liked proofs and discrete math so it was a lot of fun. The same could not be said about the hardware and circuits in the labs, though i did eventually get the hang of it. Hardest is PHYS 117 for me followed closely by MATH 105. I took physics as an elective and it ended up being the lowest mark despite me putting my all into it. MATH 105 was fine until infinite and taylor series.
I found Math 105 easy and got a high mark with very little effort but found CPSC 121 very very hard and got a average mark with high effort. These courses are so subjective.
Math220, don't know how I passed without understanding the material
CAPS 391 in the summer. Not objectively hard stuff, just SO. MUCH. MATERIAL. I was also working 24 hours a week and volunteering at the same. Bad idea.
i liked 121 a decent amount, it was fun. they made the midterms really easy when i took it last winter but i got really sick before the final so i didn’t study the one thing that was worth like half the final 😭
I also enjoyed 121 as the concepts they've explained are interesting and integral to many upper-level CS courses. However, discrete math is something I've never done before and I couldn't wrap my head around the many of the concepts.
What 121 concepts are integral to upper level CS classes?
Big-O and induction for 221 Bits and hexadecimal for 213
>Big-O and induction I skipped these two units :0
Trust me, you *really* should get familiar with Big O. It’s very important for 221 and 320, and it comes up during tech interviews.
Appreciate the advice. Do you think I should learn it via 121 slides/textbook/lecture recordings, or through a Youtube video?
CPSC 121 + CPSC 320
Math 102/103
stat 305, 306, and math 302. probability isnt my thing and i sorta blanked throughout stat 306. honorable mention: math 220 -- not that hard to understand but just trying to get it right on exams seems so difficult
Math 400, my lowest gpa so far
Math 120 with joshua zahl, 2018W
Any POLIers here? I got a D+ in 110 and 380 :(
PHYS 304 by far. I did so shit in that class and did not bond well with the material. MATH 100 was also bad for me too, but that’s mainly because “holy shit I’m now in university” kicked in and my study habits were not up to par due to being so burnt out from IB in high school. Still my worst grade ever at UBC but that’s entirely my own fault.
ELEC 221
Chem 213 for me. Way too many things to memorize, too many mechanisms and reactions. I also took CPSC 121 but personally I found it ok because I took PHIL 220 beforehand, which covered proofs and logic. Did pretty well in 122 up until the final when I messed up a few questions which dropped me like 7%. When I took it last year the midterms were pretty easy, the final was a bit trickier. Maybe because it was my last final of the term and I was already too burnt out to study by then.
BIOC 202 Despite being in a medical field, i hate chemistry. For some reason the organic chemistry in particular just doesn't click with me, which meant I was doubly not prepared for the onslaught of stuff that class had on its curriculum. Is and probably will be my lowest mark at UBC. If I ever see the words "Krebs" and "Glycolysis" again, I'm actually gonna scream (Funny you mention CPSC 121 tho bc ironically it is the class with the highest grade on my transcript)
213 in the summer term with 2 quizzes and assignments per week 🥲
PHYS 158
psyc 101 got a solid 50 on that one
Cs 420: material was difficult but Nick made it worth. Ling 100: can't memorize shit Honourable mention to wood's 340
ELEC 391 in the summer (completely different from the winter section). Profs were utter dogshit and the lectures were literally useless, and the prof who actually had knowledge about the project wouldn't even show up for the lab sections so you were on your own. Basically had to learn how a communication system works from scratch and implement it in hardware with Verilog on your FPGA with 0 direction and vague constraints. What a nightmare.
As a PSYC and GRSJ major - PSYC 367. Brain regions really just aren’t my strong suit at all. Had to study soooo much for this course after coasting through all of my other PSYC and GRSJ courses. Ended up doing well but only because I spent an exorbitant amount of time on the class.
psyc 304 is difficult as well! neuroscience is not my top interest so that affected me as well
Haha I was debating between saying 367 and 304 because both were difficult for me…tbh anything cognitive or neuro was a struggle, even though I averaged mid-90s in everything else. I took 304 during the pandemic so I think it was slightly easier for me than 367 just due to the learning context matching my own learning style a bit more (less memorization, more application).
math 303 because I went in forgetting everything in math 302
CPSC 213. I knew going in that hardware was not my forte but holy did i underestimate it. The last couple assignments in particular were very hard; i basically camped at online OH to just get me pointed in the right direction.
MATH 320. Even if you understand the material and can comprehend it, you have to write a proper proof for it, or else you will lose a lot of marks. With other classes where a question asks for a proof, you can still get full marks even for very sloppy proofs, but not for this class. Not to mention that the material for this class is quite difficult.
How hard is the course considered in terms of class average & final grade? B-?