  Generic open quantum systems are notoriously difficult to simulate unless one
looks at specific regimes. In contrast, classical dissipative systems can often
be effectively described by stochastic processes, which are generally less
computationally expensive. Here, we use the paradigmatic case of a dissipative
quantum oscillator to give a pedagogic introduction into the modelling of open
quantum systems using quasiclassical methods, i.e. classical stochastic methods
that use a 'quantum' noise spectrum to capture the influence of the environment
on the system. Such quasiclassical methods have the potential to offer insights
into the impact of the quantum nature of the environment on the dynamics of the
system of interest whilst still being computationally tractable.
