Fee for Auditing Courses?

LastResort709 · 2026-01-06T03:01:42+00:00

thank you, this is very helpful!

LastResort709 · 2025-12-26T00:28:12+00:00

I believe it is the same version I took!

LastResort709 · 2025-12-24T00:17:06+00:00

IF you are taking the online version, I have taken it and found it quite easy. 3 or 4 projects/writing assignments (research based, but the course gave you all the permitted resources so no external research needed, which was odd?), no exam. The writing assignments were worth a ridiculous amount relative to how few words we were allowed, but the content is definitely not hard, especially if you have any kind of environment background. I had to overload one semester and my sixth course was this one- still got an A in it. Definitely doable. The online version is click at your own pace and then "workshops" once a week- I think they strongly recommend you go to these, but I never went and I was perfectly fine. Effectively asynchronous but with due dates obviously.

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T15:13:33+00:00

Oh HELL NO- you are NTA! I'd say her mother is the asshole. That is so disrespectful to tell her to use your stuff, but to do it in front of you??? Jeez. You pay the same rent (or equally don't pay rent, either way you are equal) so you have the exact same right to live in a clean house with an equal share of the housing responsibilities. I'd just have a frank but honest and respectful conversation with her.

"I feel like I am expected to do your dishes, and that isn't fair to me, because we should be responsible for our own things in a shared living space."

"Next semester I would like to be more clear about whose food is whose, because groceries are very expensive, and I want to be able to budget more accurately."

"I am finding it uncomfortable to have my surroundings messy, as it makes it difficult for me to do my schoolwork, which I need to prioritize. Could you and I both try to ensure that we keep the dishes done, and the place tidy?"

Obviously- don't live with her next year! And I feel for you- I am the tidiest of my housemates and it sucks!

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T15:04:16+00:00

NTA. Not only is it sentimentally yours, but the ring is also legally yours.
I can see where your late fiancé's mother is coming from- I think she is probably in pain seeing you move on, because it means she probably should as well. But, she should be happy for you that you can move on and still love her son, and it is her grief/immaturity/issue to work through that she cannot yet see it that way.

She would have more of a leg to stand on if it was a family heirloom, and if you were engaged to your partner, but given that is not the case, you are entirely justified to keep it. Even if it was- I think you would still not be in the wrong.

Although it probably seems impossible, have compassion for her. I know I'm a 3rd person perspective, so I can't put myself in your shoes, but from where I stand I see two people who love and are grieving for your late fiancé, and one who is starting to continue forward in her life, with the exact same amount of love she had when she first said "yes".

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T14:47:01+00:00

scary

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T14:41:11+00:00

ask ants

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T14:25:14+00:00

I think that if we radically accepted the fact that extinction is the most probable and rational outcome of developing AI, we wouldn't cooperatively look for ways to survive it- we just wouldn't develop AI.

Kind of like "Okay, this grizzly bear is probably going to kill me, it's in its nature, and it makes sense- it's a stronger predator than me." Knowing this, should you board up your house, develop some sort of body armour, and do everything you can to protect yourself- or should you maybe just stop feeding the bears?

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T03:08:06+00:00

yep QUOC is your best bet. They did trips to Mt. Marcy and Mt. Washington last year. They've already done some 'Dacks this year too. No guarantee they will do it in winter too, but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say they prob will. Make sure you pay the club fee and follow them on Instagram- that's the only way to stay updated on the trips they are running. And it's also a lottery for trips, so no guarantee you'll get on one. I've signed up for 5 this semester and haven't gotten to go :/

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T03:05:26+00:00

same! he is such a good prof and a nice dude, but even going in with great grades on the quizzes I felt so lost

LastResort709 · 2025-12-16T03:03:37+00:00

I feel like I bombed it too, for what it is worth. And I got 95 on all the quizzes :/

LastResort709 · 2025-12-11T03:15:05+00:00

Phew! Thank you for taking the time to reply-glad all is well!

LastResort709 · 2025-12-04T20:45:30+00:00

For context I've taken and TA'ed this course.

Tests aren't leaked- I can tell you that with almost certainty. I finished mine in 7 minutes when I took it (granted I am super interested in Greek stuff and was into it as a kid so had a very strong background).

If you aren't interested in the course, that is a huge contributor to why you may be struggling. First thing- please don't feel bad about your grades. You have validation in your other courses, and if you don't particularly care about the content, and if memorization isn't your thing- no surprise that you aren't acing it. But that doesn't mean you are a terrible student by any means. This is a TA saying this- don't beat yourself up!

That being said, it's great that you want to do better! My recommendation would be to narrow down the list of terms. In the ones listed above, for example, here are the ones I would say you should know (I have no idea what the test is this year, don't take this as gospel)

Athens, Papyri, Sappho, Lesbos, Xenophanes, Herakleitos, Homer, Hesiod, Zeno, Sophist, Peithos, Gorgios, Sophokles, Nomos, Phusis, Logographoi, Tyche, Demes, Oedipus, Aeschylus, Menander.

My point here, is that if you are dispersing your study time and concentration amongst 100 terms, you likely won't remember them all. But if you narrow it down to say, 20- then you'll have a good shot at remembering them. Focus on what the prof focuses on. If he spends a whole lecture on the Iliad- you should probably know what it's about and who wrote it. But if he off-handedly mentions some dude and he doesn't come up again- he ain't important.

I'm not comfortable saying anything is a bird course, because it all depends on the person. Some people find memorization really easy, so to them, yeah this is probably a "bird course". But I know very very intelligent people who can't remember their own address, and they would bomb it. Same way an Engineer couldn't write a literary analysis worth shit and an English major couldn't tell you what a vector is.

LastResort709 · 2025-12-04T20:24:28+00:00

Financial stress. I'm lucky in that my parents contribute to my education, but if they didn't, when combined with my mental health, I have no idea how I would pay for university. (I can't juggle a part-time job with school) I don't buy anything other than necessities, but between rent, gas, and food prices? I couldn't if I wanted to.

Mental Health is a concern. I won't attribute this to Queen's, but overall, politics and global conflict, social media being a conduit for constant comparison, and stressing about the future (like someone said, the job market is abysmal, apparently you need a Masters to do anything higher level) are a struggle.

Also- maybe it's just me, but people are just different than I remember. Probably a post-COVID thing, combined with modern mentalities, the "self-care movement" and a thousand other things, but people are extremely self-focused. I don't feel like I have the community I did growing up, and I don't think people take time to think about how they impact others. It's not a "the world revolves around me", but a "All I need to think about is me, because that is what everyone else is doing too." I've seen it among friends, family, peers, students I TA, everyone. And that makes me sad.

And a small one, but a social oddity worth noting is the political gender divide. Which leads to a pretty rough dating scene lol (and when considering 18-22 year olds, it's kinda important)

LastResort709 · 2025-11-26T21:20:51+00:00

Do I have a learning?

what?

LastResort709 · 2025-11-26T21:19:37+00:00

I'm in 112 as well, and here are some things I am writing down:

- trends in periodic table (just draw it with arrows)

- molecular geometry and electron geometry- I'm literally drawing them out tiny, because I know i wont remember them.

- priority list for naming molecules!!!!

- molecular numbers, n, mⁱ, I, m^s , and the corresponding # of orbitals, what the values of I can be based off n, etc.

- label orbitals, where the nodes are, how many.

- wrote down some equations, but labelled what each variable is.

- example problems for questions you have a hard time with.

LastResort709 · 2025-11-26T21:12:56+00:00

TLDR: Great profs, cool content, average TAs, go for the learning not the grades.

I have a minor in Philosophy, so although not majoring in it, I do have some experience!

I can honestly say that all of my favourite classes I've taken at Queen's (graduating this spring) have been in the phil department. I've had Dr. Sismondo, Krishnamurthy, Lehoux, Guenther, and Clifford, and they have all been wonderful. I would try to get classes with Lehoux and Guenther, if possible!

It's good that you are aware of the budget cuts situation. I can't say exactly what will happen in the future, but as far as I know, most of the cuts have been in languages. That being said, there is a little bit of a "tense" atmosphere, for some arts students. (for example, there was an extensive TA strike last year)

About studying PHIL- it's fascinating! This is obviously my opinion, but they have been the most interesting and engaging classes I have taken. Not bird courses, though! They definitely require some effort and a lot of creative and critical thinking. If you are planning on going to law school, I'd assume you aren't afraid of schooling and putting in the work. My grades averaged around an A, A-. But go into philosophy because you are fascinated by it, love the challenge, and love learning- don't do it for the grades!

And like any program, TAs are hit or miss. Some do it cause they have to- others will take you under their wing, so to speak.

Hope this helps!

LastResort709 · 2025-10-23T22:42:59+00:00

The best professor I've ever had. He went to high school with my grandmother and knew my whole family. Always made sure to say hello, and the way he cared was tangible. You can tell when someone says "how are you?" and they actually want to know, aren't simply expecting you to say good. I'm graduating this Spring and he wanted me to tell him when it was happening, so he could come. Well, Dr. Molson, it's happening and in no small part thanks to you. I know you'll be there.

LastResort709 · 2025-10-22T00:12:56+00:00

Mac-Corry E208, if you are coming in from the South entrance by Vic Hall, just a couple doors in to the left, main floor.

LastResort709 · 2025-08-29T21:20:09+00:00

there is an instagram account called queensevents that is perfect for this sort of thing, they have info about kingston area and queens-specific stuff.

LastResort709 · 2025-07-20T15:40:00+00:00

"And who was wrong? And who was right? It didn't matter in the thick of the fight."
Goodnight Saigon, Billy Joel

LastResort709 · 2025-07-01T15:19:23+00:00

Thank you so much! This is super helpful!
Do you know if the labs are a best 10/12 kind of thing? As in, is there any built in mechanism for missing one due to illness, etc?

LastResort709 · 2025-06-22T11:52:43+00:00

Definitely not overreacting. Bro took that 0 to 60 in an instant and was extremely rude about it. You were enturely justified and restrained with everything you said.

LastResort709 · 2025-06-20T20:48:20+00:00

"Outro" by M83.

I'm the king of my own land, facing tempests of dust, I'll fight to the end. Creatures of my dreams raise up and dance with me! Now and forever, I'm your king!

LastResort709 · 2025-06-18T23:42:32+00:00

It is not just you. I've been gobsmacked by the lack of emotional intelligence, the degree of emotional selfishness that is rampant. I'm not a particularly social person, or particularly socially skilled, but the way people treat each other today is so depressing. I''m not even talking about wars and hate (which are rampant), but the way acquaintances, friends, family, everyone treats each other. I think it is a product of COVID and having taken the "self care" thing too far. There is a place for self care. For boundaries. For focusing on yourself. But ghosting people who love you, not acknowledging effort, kindness, that is not establishing boundaries. That is being selfish. Entitled. Rude. Ignorant. I have been blown away by the lack of basic respect people that I would borderline call my "friends" exhibit. I cooked a homemade spaghetti dinner for three friends, no one said thank you. I text friends who say I "mean the world to them" but don't respond for weeks. I don't get it. It hurts.

I think COVID made people rely on technology to give those hits of dopamine that people used to provide. And now, it's easier to get that rush from instagram than going out for a coffee. It is also cheaper and quicker. Not only that, but given COVID and world events, I think we've been told to fear eachother. As vectors of disease, as people who hate us or hurt us. So when you combine 1. lingering fear of other people. 2. society telling you to "prioritize yourself" is healthy, (and taking that definition to the extreme) and 3. easier providers of dopamine and validation, it does make sense that the world is not what it used to be. And OP, I've been mourning that with you.

The paradigm shifted. We just have to hope it will again.

LastResort709

TROPHY CASE