J-Section Overview

Section 900 (J-Section) Courses & Rewrite Exams

Overview

The Extended Program is designed to give those students who have academic difficulties in their first year in Applied Science a second chance at some of the courses thereby allowing the student to recover and proceed into second year with a clear record. It can also be used by students to improve their overall average and to retain scholarships. The program originated at Queen's in the early 1970's and has proven to be very successful at reducing the failure rate in first year engineering. In fact, the overall failure rate in first year is only approximately 6%.

After the December examinations, a student may opt to join the Extended Program (often referred to as J-Section). A student in Section 900 will take a special 5 week long version of lectures in the major fall term courses in Mathematics (APSC 171), Physics (APSC 111) and Chemistry (APSC 131), starting in January. Final examinations in these courses are held during Reading Week, a one week school break in mid-February. At the same time, a Section 900 student would be taking three of the normal Winter term courses. (APSC 142 - Introduction to Computer Programming, and APSC 100 - Practical Engineering Modules). After reading week, a student in Section 900 starts special versions of the other four Winter term courses (Physics (APSC 112), Chemistry (APSC 132) and two Mathematics courses (APSC 172 & 174)). During the examination period in April, a Section 900 student would write only one of the normal six examinations (APSC 142). Lectures in the other four Section 900 courses continue for an extra six weeks and the final examinations for those courses are held in early June.

The overall result is that a student has a chance to recover from academic difficulties encountered in the Fall term, take an enhanced version of the four major Winter term courses, and have examinations spread out over a longer than normal period of time.

Although no-one enters Queen's Engineering expecting to enter the Extended Program, it is there as a safety net if needed.

Enrolment in Section 900 is voluntary, however, APSC 111, 131 & 171 are all pre-requisite to winter term courses. At the beginning of January, the Associate Dean, Academic will write to those students who would benefit from the Extended Program.

Note: Even if a student passed all fall term courses, the Extended Program Courses or Rewrite Exams can be used to improve understanding of fundamental material, improve marks and improve one's average.

If a student wants to improve his or her average to retain a scholarship, be aware that the marks for fall term Extended Program or Rewrite Exams (APSC 111, 131, 151, 161, 171) are included in the winter term sessional average. The marks from June rewrite exams (APSC 112, 132, 142, 172, 174) are not included in the winter sessional average which is the average considered when making scholarship decisions. However, the marks from the June rewrite exams will be included in the cumulative average.
Note also that the second mark for a course counts in the average, even if the second mark is lower than the first.

Roadmap

	900 Review Begins Jan. 16	900 Rewrites Reading Week Feb.20-24	900 Winter Begins Feb. 27	Exam Period April 12 - 28	900 Spring Begins April 30	900 Exam Period June 4 - 8
900 CLASSES	(review from fall)
APSC 111J	---------------------------------Exam
APSC 131J	---------------------------------Exam
APSC 171J	---------------------------------Exam
REGULAR CLASSES
APSC 100	(as per regularly scheduled)------------------------------------Exam
APSC 142	(as per regularly scheduled)------------------------------------Exam
OPTIONAL:	APSC 151 and 161 (optional)
APSC 151	(no scheduled class) \|\| Rewrite Exam
APSC 161	(night class)----------------------------------------------------------Exam
			900 CLASSES (new for winter)
			APSC 112J -----------------------------------------Exam
			APSC 132J -----------------------------------------Exam
			APSC 172J -----------------------------------------Exam
			APSC 174J -----------------------------------------Exam
			_______________________ (optional) \|\|APSC 142 Rewrite Exam