Advising

The UBC Learning Commons has a wide variety of learning resources, guides, and tutors that can support your research and assignments.

The CWSC, located in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, is pleased to provided dedicated support to all WRDS 150 students in a variety of ways.

One-on-One Sessions with a Peer Consultant
Students can sign up for a one-on-one, 25-minute-long appointment to talk about their written work with a peer writing consultant at the CWSC, 3rd floor, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Writing consultants work with students to improve their writing, shape their writing process, and meet their academic goals.

Profs-in-Commons
Profs-in-Commons is part of the Profs-in-Spaces network, a UBC wide project that seeks to increase meaningful engagement between students and professors outside of the classroom. The intention is that multiple academic supports delivered by a combination of professors, TAs, and student leaders, will lead to innovation in holistic approaches, learning support, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Workshops
The UBC Learning Commons host a series of workshops led by faculty members that are designed to help improve various aspects of your writing.

ScWRL is an interactive tool that provides students and instructors with resources to support them in developing skills in and in teaching science research and communication.

Koerner Library, as well as other libraries on campus, are well-equipped with materials, guides, and staff that can help guide you through your research assignments.

Since WRDS 150 is designed to prepare you for university-level scholarship, it should be taken early in your time at UBC, ideally in your first or second year. Students in the Faculty of Arts must attempt three credits in a writing-focused course within their first 30 credits and complete them within 54 credits. 

Students in Faculties outside of Arts should confirm deadlines with their individual programs.

If WRDS 150 classes fill, we will be opening up waiting list seats. Please register on either a time-specific or general waiting list for the term in which you plan to take the course.  Space permitting, you will be registered in WRDS 150 when a seat becomes available.

If you fail WRDS 150, you may repeat the course once. If you pass the course but want to improve your grade (perhaps in order to gain access to a particular program of study), you may also repeat it once.

You are welcome to check Workday Student to see if a space becomes available in the section of your choice. There are often seats that come open at the beginning of term as students adjust their schedules.

Please note that we do not use add/drop forms for WRDS 150 classes. Instructors do not control registration for their sections and cannot add your name to their class lists.

While they all meet the writing component of the Writing and Research Requirement for completing the BA degree in the Faculty of Arts, WRDS 150 is a single term course. CAP is an 18 credit standard timetable made up of a cohort of courses. Arts One is an 18 credit course which includes the disciplines of English, History and Philosophy. In CAP and Arts One you take the majority of your courses with the same group of students and the subjects you study make up a pre-arranged theme, which changes year by year. WRDS 150, in contrast, is a single course in your overall program of study.

Please note: Students should only take ONE of WRDS 150A, ENGL 100, ASTU 100 or 101 (through CAP) or Arts 001 (through Arts One) to meet the Faculty of Arts Writing Requirement.

Students in the Faculty of Arts must attempt three credits in a writing-focused course within their first 30 credits and complete them within 54 credits.

You should take WRDS 150 if you:

• haven’t taken a college-level writing or research methods course.
• are concerned about your proficiency in standard written English.

You should take WRDS 350 if you are:

• in third or fourth year standing at UBC.
• transferring to UBC from another post-secondary institution and have previously taken a college-level writing, discourse studies, or research methods course.

If you are in second year and would like to take an advanced writing elective or transfer credits for a course you have taken elsewhere, please contact Arts Academic Advising.

If you believe that a writing course you took at some other school satisfies the course objectives of WRDS 150A, you may request that the writing requirement be waived. For further information, consult this site. Note that AP and IB English are not accepted as the equivalent of WRDS 150A.