Course Ranking Criteria
- 1 minAs a Computer Science Major at UBC, I’ve completed 20 different CS courses, served as a TA for three courses, and tutored for the BCS program. I want to share my experience to help you make informed decisions when selecting electives or structuring your course schedule. My goal is to provide you with all the details you need to choose courses that align with your academic goals and interests.
I’ll be reviewing each course based on a set of criteria that should give you a clearer idea of whether it’s a good fit as an elective, or, if it’s a required course, how prepared you need to be and when you might want to take it. Here are the key factors I’ll evaluate:
Concept Complexity
How challenging is the course material? Are the concepts easy to grasp or do they require significant effort and background knowledge?
Grade Difficulty
How tough is it to achieve an A? Is this a course where you’ll need to struggle just to pass, or can you reasonably aim for high marks?
Content Engagement
How engaging or interesting is the material? Is it something you’ll be excited to learn, or is it more likely to put you to sleep in lectures?
Task Intensity
How heavy is the workload? Will you be scrambling to meet deadlines, or is there a manageable balance between assignments and study time?
Career Relevance
How useful is the course content for your future as a software engineer? Will the skills and knowledge gained be directly applicable in a professional setting?
Lecture Attendance
How critical is it to attend every lecture? Let’s be honest, missing a class here and there happens—will it impact your success, or can you catch up without too much trouble?
By rating courses based on these criteria, I hope to give you a better sense of what to expect and help you make choices that suit your personal goals and study habits.
Ritik Keswani
A Man who travels the world eating noodles