Can I request a special prerequisite waiver to get into the course? I have a very very special case because …
The only way I can grant waivers is when you follow the department's process to request a waiver. If you send an email, I'll just be saying this to you.
I want to plan to take courses and want to know if I'll be granted a waiver. Can you answer my special case?
My rule is that if you can show the following, I'll grant you a waiver:
With all of the above, if you understand and commit to the extra load, I'm fine.
I haven't taken CSC343 or CSC309 but plan to take this course because they are not officially prerequisites. What's your advice?
You don't necessarily need them. But your team likely does. As long as you have people in your team who have taken CSC343 or CSC309 AND you can work well together, you should be fine. Making them a prerequisite will just delay you taking this course, which is not ideal. It is on YOU to choose your team right.
I'm number n on the waitlist. Will I get in?
I have no way of knowing. I usually do my best to encourage students who are not willing to commit to drop the course so expect around 10-15% of students to drop the course in the first week or so.
I'm still on the waitlist. Should/Can I attend the lectures and tutorials?
Yes. If you are high enough on the list, you should plan on participating actively in the tutorials and trying to find a team so you are not left alone when you get in.
I'm still on the waitlist. Should/Can I look for teams?
Yes. I recommend looking for teams and projects even if you haven't enrolled in the course yet but don't spend too much time on it.
I just got in (or about to get into the course)! Can you add me to Quercus, Piazza, or send me the course material?
Quercus and Piazza sync automatically based on registration. I cannot manually add you to Piazza and by the time I add you to Quercus, you may already be added.
Your best bet is to reach out to someone else in the course for anything you need.
We don't have any set deadlines until after a few days after the last day to add courses. Please review assignments and announcements as soon as you get in. We will not grant special extensions because of late enrollment.
I'm still on the waitlist. Do I need to submit coursework?
Yes. I usually set deadlines a few days after the add/drop date and expect everyone to catch up if they are in the course. We don't have much time to lose in this course.
Can you increase the class size so I get in?
No. It's outside of our capabilities to increase class sizes for many reasons.
I've heard that I can take CSC301 and get an easy A if I find a good team. Is it true?
That may have been the case in the past. Moving forward, the expectation is that every student will contribute and participate to earn an A. Having a great team interested in working on your projects may make it easier but is not a guarantee.
I have a lot of experience and know enough to skip lectures and tutorials and build the project on my own. Is it right?
No. If you don't participate in tutorials or do not work with your team properly on your deliverables, you'll be losing a good % of the overall grade. Our assessment is not based on how much students know but how actively and meaningfully they contribute. So you are probably better off dropping the course if you don't plan to work with your team.
Are there classes during reading week?
There are no classes or tutorials during reading week.
Can we attend a section we are not registered in?
Yes. As long as you can attend the same tutorial with your team, your registered section doesn't matter.
What is the team size for this course?
6-7. If a team signs up with fewer people, we may add more students or break the team apart. Teams of 8 are not accepted under any circumstances.