Readying for another semester

It’s that time of year again. BYU is starting again on the 4th of Sept.
Despite having lived in Provo for the entire summer, I didn’t get around to buying my books. With all the stupid freshman around, I don’t dare try to get them now, so I suppose I’ll just be looking over my shoulder in class 🙂
Don’t you just hate the first 2 weeks of fall semester. It’s worse than a summer full of EFY kids. Not only are they everywhere, but they block hallways, stairs and are just loud.

I’m taking:
ECEn 483: A robotics class
Physics 281: Solid State Physics
ECEn 320: Advanced Digital Logic Design

I’m also taking a religion class, and HEPE.

I’ve found that 3 tough classes is enough for me in any given semester (especially when working 20 hours a week). Even with that, I’ll be pretty much full between 9-5.

It annoys me how the BYU Bookstore is.
Instead of trying to get your business by actually being better than the competition (i.e. by being cheaper) they use the unfair advantage of being part of BYU, and don’t list what books your classes require until right before school starts.
This is intended to stop would-be buyers from purchasing their books online, and at half the price.
I know plenty of people who, by waiting for the list to come out, then spend the first 2 weeks of class waiting for their book to be shipped to them.
Disgraceful.
And no, I don’t need to be majoring in business to figure that one out.
I understand that some classes might be restructuring, or might be changing to a new book, but for the most part, BYU knows exactly what book you’ll be using, yet refuses to tell you until it’s too late to buy from the competition.

Still, there’s nothing I can do but whine, so I will…

Another bit of good news, I found out I got a minor in CS (Computer Science)
The CS department decided to change (read: lower) the requirements, and only require 5 classes (3 of which are required for my major anyway; I took the other 2 as Technical Electives)

It just goes to show just how ridiculous the EE (Electrical Engineering) major is.
You have to take so much Maths, physics and computer science, that without taking a single additional class, you can minor in all 3.
Isn’t that unbelievable ?

The EE Core classes put you short 2 classes for CS, 1 class for Maths, and 1 class for Physics and, since you have to take several electives from a list of approved “Technical Electives” (almost any 300/400 level Maths/Physics/CS/EE) anyway, you could just pick those.

My Technical Electives so far are CS 236, CS 324, (thus getting me the CS minor), and both 320 and 483.
I’ve considered getting the Maths minor, but I think I’d rather get hit by a bus.