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content/resources/articles/reducing-second-year-workload.md

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+---
+title: "Ways to Reduce Your Second Year Workload"
+date: 2025-06-16T00:00:00Z
+last_updated: 2025-06-20T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+layout: article-question
+summary: "Strategically selecting courses in your first year can help reduce your second-year workload and set you up for academic success."
+contributors: 
+- Matthew MacRae-Bovell
+- Jacc Padmakar
+sources:
+related:
+- should-you-take-z-section
+---
+
+Strategically selecting courses in your first year can significantly lighten your second-year workload. One popular option is taking the COMP 1405/1406-Z section, and we've put together a [full guide](/resources/articles/should-you-take-z-section/) to help you decide if it's the right fit for you.
+
+However, the Z section isn't the only way to ease your second-year course load. There are many other approaches that are worth considering to build a more balanced academic path.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 1. Take a 2000-Level COMP Course in the Summer
+
+COMP 2401 and COMP 2402 have now been offered in the summer for the past few years. If you were to take any 2000-level COMP course during the summer of your first year, you could reduce the number of “heavy courses” you need to take in your second year fall term from four to three.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 2. Take STAT 2507 in First Year
+
+Taking STAT 2507 in first year reduces one of the required courses you’ll otherwise likely want to take in second year.
+
+By taking it in the Fall Term of your first year, you will end up with four perfectly balanced terms of “heavy” courses. This is the simplest way to logically lessen your 2nd year course load.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 3. Take MATH 2000+ Credit in First Year
+
+As early as winter of first-year, you can take a MATH 2000+ level course, which is a requirement of your major.
+
+However, by default you will have likely placed one of each of your 1000 level math requirements in each term to spread them out. 
+
+This means if you blindly throw a MATH 2000+ course into your Winter Term, you will likely now have four heavy courses in the Winter Term of your first year.
+
+If you plan to do this, you should also move either your opposite MATH 1000 level requirement or COMP 1805 requirement to the fall to maintain having three perfectly balanced course loads.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 4. Push a 2000-Level Course to Third Year
+
+Instead of pushing courses earlier, you can also push them back further.
+
+Courses like STAT 2507, or your 2000 level MATH credit do not impact you gaining access to 3000 level COMP courses.
+
+You also are not going to take all your 3000 COMP courses in third year. So you do not need to complete all the necessary 2000 level prerequisites right away.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 5. Taking COMP 1805 in First-Year Fall Doesn’t Necessarily Lessen 2nd Year Course Load
+
+Taking COMP 1805 in first year fall does not really lessen your 2nd year course load unless you anticipate taking COMP 2804 in the winter of your 1st year.
+
+We recommend you **do not** take COMP 2804 before taking STAT 2507. Taking STAT 2507 before COMP 2804 makes the course experience easier because there is overlap between their material.
+
+If you just move COMP 1805 to the fall term of your first year, you’ll just end up with 3 “heavy courses” in the fall and 2 “heavy courses” in the winter.
+
+<br/>
+
+## Benefits of Reducing Your 2nd Year Course Load
+
+<div style="height: 0.1rem;"></div>
+
+### 1. Better Prepared for Co-op or Internships
+
+Most students begin seriously preparing for internships and co-op placements in their second year, as that’s when co-op becomes available. Having extra time in your schedule means more opportunity to:
+<ul style="list-style: disc">
+  <li>Work on personal projects that strengthen your resume</li>
+  <li>Research and apply to jobs earlier</li>
+  <li>Prepare for technical interviews</li>
+  <li>Attend networking events, info sessions, or career fairs</li>
+  <li>Get feedback on your resume and cover letters</li>
+</ul>
+
+In contrast, students who are overwhelmed by the number of assignments in their heavy second-year course load often don’t have the time or energy to properly prepare—despite this being the most critical time to do so.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 2. Improved Grades and Wellbeing
+
+When you’re juggling too many demanding courses at once, it becomes harder to perform well in any of them. By spreading your required courses more evenly, you give yourself space to:
+<ul style="list-style: disc">
+  <li>Spend more time understanding difficult concepts</li>
+  <li>Start projects and assignments earlier</li>
+  <li>Avoid burnout and maintain a healthier academic routine</li>
+</ul>
+
+This often results in stronger grades and a more sustainable university experience.
+
+<br/>
+
+### 3. More Flexibility in Upper Years
+
+Finishing some required courses early can unlock more 3000-level COMP courses ahead of schedule giving you access to more scheduling options.
+
+<br/>
+
+## Why Shifting Courses to Your 1st Year Could Be a Bad Idea
+
+While there are clear advantages to lightening your second year, it’s important not to underestimate the adjustment period of the first year.
+
+You’re entering a brand-new environment and taking on too much too quickly can make it harder to adapt. 
+
+Having a lighter first-year schedule gives you time to:
+<ul style="list-style: disc">
+  <li>Attend campus events and club meetings</li>
+  <li>Make friends and build a social network</li>
+  <li>Get used to university-level studying and time management</li>
+  <li>Explore your interests and other domains of study</li>
+  <li>Ease into the higher expectations of post-secondary life</li>
+</ul>
+
+The reality is: most first-year students benefit from a slower start. You’ll have plenty of time in future years to push yourself academically. Don’t burn yourself out before you even find your footing.
+
+<br/>
+
+## Which 2000-Level COMP Course Should I Take?
+
+The best options to take early are **COMP 2401** or **COMP 2402**, as both serve as prerequisites for a large number of proceeding courses. Taking either of these in your first year will give you more flexibility and more course registration options in second year.
+
+<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
+
+**COMP 2401 (Introduction to Systems Programming)** is a prerequisite for:
+- COMP 2404 (Introduction to Software Engineering)
+- COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)
+
+<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
+
+**COMP 2402 (Abstract Data Types and Algorithms)** is a prerequisite for:
+- COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)
+- COMP 3005 (Database Management Systems)
+- COMP 3007 (Programming Paradigms)
+
+<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
+
+If you haven’t taken COMP 1805 in the fall (which is required before taking COMP 2804), then your only other real option is **COMP 2406 (Fundamentals of Web Applications)**. While COMP 2406 does teach valuable, practical skills that can be leveraged for industry jobs, it doesn’t unlock any new courses by itself. It’s a prerequisite for COMP 3004, but COMP 3004 also requires COMP 2404, which you can’t take without first completing COMP 2401.

content/resources/articles/should-you-take-z-section-2000-level-comp.md → content/resources/articles/should-you-take-z-section.md

@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 ---
-title: "Should You Take COMP 1405-Z and 2000-Level COMP Courses In First Year?"
+title: "Should You Take COMP 1405/1406-Z?"
 date: 2025-06-16T00:00:00Z
-last_updated: 2025-06-16T00:00:00Z
+last_updated: 2025-06-20T00:00:00Z
 draft: false
 layout: article-question
 summary: "Taking the accelerated COMP 1405 Z section enables you to take 2000-level COMP courses earlier, but it’s not necessarily the right choice for everyone."
 contributors: 
 - Matthew MacRae-Bovell
-- Aditya "Jacc" Padmakar
+- Jacc Padmakar
 sources:
   - name: COMP 1405 Z Syllabus
     link: https://outline.scs.carleton.ca/media/2023/F/COMP1405ZF2023/COMP-1405-Z-F-2023.pdf
 related:
-- 
+- reducing-second-year-workload
 ---
 
-Enrolling in the accelerated COMP 1405/6-Z section allows you to receive credit for both COMP 1405 and COMP 1406 by the **end of your first-year fall term.**
+Enrolling in the accelerated COMP 1405/1406-Z section allows you to receive credit for both COMP 1405 and COMP 1406 by the **end of your first-year fall term.**
 
 This unlocks the ability to take **2000-level COMP courses in the winter term** of your first year.
 
@@ -189,130 +189,7 @@ You now have four perfectly balanced terms of **three heavy courses each**.
 
 Yes. There are other ways.
 
-While taking COMP 2000-level courses early is the most direct method and comes with the added advantage of enabling you to learn job related skills earlier, there are other strategic ways to balance your course load and reduce the pressure of second year without overloading your first-year schedule.
+While taking COMP 2000-level courses early is the most direct method and comes with the added advantage of enabling you to learn job related skills earlier, there are other strategic ways to balance your course load and reduce the pressure of second year.
 
-<br/>
-
-### 1. Take a 2000-Level COMP Course in the Summer
-
-COMP 2401 and COMP 2402 have now been offered in the summer for the past few years. If you were to take any 2000-level COMP course during the summer of your first year, you could reduce the number of “heavy courses” you need to take in your second year fall term from four to three.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 2. Take STAT 2507 in First Year
-
-Taking STAT 2507 in first year reduces one of the required courses you’ll otherwise likely want to take in second year.
-
-By taking it in the Fall Term of your first year, you will end up with four perfectly balanced terms of “heavy” courses. This is the simplest way to logically lessen your 2nd year course load.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 3. Take MATH 2000+ Credit in First Year
-
-As early as winter of first-year, you can take a MATH 2000+ level course, which is a requirement of your major.
-
-However, by default you will have likely placed one of each of your 1000 level math requirements in each term to spread them out. 
-
-This means if you blindly throw a MATH 2000+ course into your Winter Term, you will likely now have four heavy courses in the Winter Term of your first year.
-
-If you plan to do this, you should also move either your opposite MATH 1000 level requirement or COMP 1805 requirement to the fall to maintain having three perfectly balanced course loads.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 4. Push a 2000-Level Course to Third Year
-
-Instead of pushing courses earlier, you can also push them back further.
-
-Courses like STAT 2507, or your 2000 level MATH credit do not impact you gaining access to 3000 level COMP courses.
-
-You also are not going to take all your 3000 COMP courses in third year. So you do not need to complete all the necessary 2000 level prerequisites right away.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 5. Taking COMP 1805 in First-Year Fall Doesn’t Necessarily Lessen 2nd Year Course Load
-
-Taking COMP 1805 in first year fall does not really lessen your 2nd year course load unless you anticipate taking COMP 2804 in the winter of your 1st year.
-
-We recommend you **do not** take COMP 2804 before taking STAT 2507. Taking STAT 2507 before COMP 2804 makes the course experience easier because there is overlap between their material.
-
-If you just move COMP 1805 to the fall term of your first year, you’ll just end up with 3 “heavy courses” in the fall and 2 “heavy courses” in the winter.
-
-<br/>
-
-## Benefits of Reducing Your 2nd Year Course Load
-
-<div style="height: 0.1rem;"></div>
-
-### 1. Better Prepared for Co-op or Internships
-
-Most students begin seriously preparing for internships and co-op placements in their second year, as that’s when co-op becomes available. Having extra time in your schedule means more opportunity to:
-<ul style="list-style: disc">
-  <li>Work on personal projects that strengthen your resume</li>
-  <li>Research and apply to jobs earlier</li>
-  <li>Prepare for technical interviews</li>
-  <li>Attend networking events, info sessions, or career fairs</li>
-  <li>Get feedback on your resume and cover letters</li>
-</ul>
-
-In contrast, students who are overwhelmed by the number of assignments in their heavy second-year course load often don’t have the time or energy to properly prepare—despite this being the most critical time to do so.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 2. Improved Grades and Wellbeing
-
-When you’re juggling too many demanding courses at once, it becomes harder to perform well in any of them. By spreading your required courses more evenly, you give yourself space to:
-<ul style="list-style: disc">
-  <li>Spend more time understanding difficult concepts</li>
-  <li>Start projects and assignments earlier</li>
-  <li>Avoid burnout and maintain a healthier academic routine</li>
-</ul>
-
-This often results in stronger grades and a more sustainable university experience.
-
-<br/>
-
-### 3. More Flexibility in Upper Years
-
-Finishing some required courses early can unlock more 3000-level COMP courses ahead of schedule giving you access to more scheduling options.
-
-<br/>
-
-## Why Shifting Courses to Your 1st Year Could Be a Bad Idea
-
-While there are clear advantages to lightening your second year, it’s important not to underestimate the adjustment period of the first year.
-
-You’re entering a brand-new environment and taking on too much too quickly can make it harder to adapt. 
-
-Having a lighter first-year schedule gives you time to:
-<ul style="list-style: disc">
-  <li>Attend campus events and club meetings</li>
-  <li>Make friends and build a social network</li>
-  <li>Get used to university-level studying and time management</li>
-  <li>Explore your interests and other domains of study</li>
-  <li>Ease into the higher expectations of post-secondary life</li>
-</ul>
-
-The reality is: most first-year students benefit from a slower start. You’ll have plenty of time in future years to push yourself academically. Don’t burn yourself out before you even find your footing.
-
-<br/>
-
-## Which 2000-Level COMP Course Should I Take?
-
-The best options to take early are **COMP 2401** or **COMP 2402**, as both serve as prerequisites for a large number of proceeding courses. Taking either of these in your first year will give you more flexibility and more course registration options in second year.
-
-<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
-
-**COMP 2401 (Introduction to Systems Programming)** is a prerequisite for:
-- COMP 2404 (Introduction to Software Engineering)
-- COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)
-
-<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
-
-**COMP 2402 (Abstract Data Types and Algorithms)** is a prerequisite for:
-- COMP 3000 (Operating Systems)
-- COMP 3005 (Database Management Systems)
-- COMP 3007 (Programming Paradigms)
-
-<div style="height: 0.25rem"></div>
+If it’s not the right fit for you, check out our guide on [reducing your second-year course load](/resources/articles/reducing-second-year-workload/) to explore other ways to plan ahead and build a more balanced schedule.
 
-If you haven’t taken COMP 1805 in the fall (which is required before taking COMP 2804), then your only other real option is **COMP 2406 (Fundamentals of Web Applications)**. While COMP 2406 does teach valuable, practical skills that can be leveraged for industry jobs, it doesn’t unlock any new courses by itself. It’s a prerequisite for COMP 3004, but COMP 3004 also requires COMP 2404, which you can’t take without first completing COMP 2401.