• life science,  neuroscience,  research

    the vibes are good, methinks

    Hello! Got accepted into life sciences ’24. What are the research opportunities like, how hard are the courses if I’m planning on neuroscience and how’s the general atmosphere (competition, friendliness etc)?

    Thank you 🙂


    hey there,

    welcome and congrats!!

    research opportunities 

    so, asking what the research opportunities are like is like asking where the uoft library is. there are so many in so many different directions, and it really depends on what you’re looking for.

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    personally, i would say that the research opportunities for neuroscience are very good—from what i’ve heard and general vibes. disclaimer, i am not a neuroscience student. however, i am in another life sci program and there’s a lot of overlap/similarity between life sci programs.

    once you get here, there are always events and panels going on (if you know where to look) where you can learn about research opportunities and future pathways for your program. i would recommend checking out the u of t undergrad research students’ association, @uoftursa on instagram, since they post about great opportunities and events on there. also check out this site about research opportunities program courses to take in your upper years. it’s never too early for you to be looking into this stuff, but do keep in mind that research is something people start getting into after their second year.

    i would say the best way to hear about opportunities in my experience is from being on the mailing list for your program—you’ll get on this when you get into your program after first year. i currently receive an email every few days about research/experience/scholarship opportunities to do with my program.

    also, one of my friends is a neuroscience major, and she has said you can also get into research just by getting to know your profs and asking them if they have any opportunities for students. for example, they might be working on a research project and could use an assistant. however, this is a bit iffy and less common, and i honestly don’t know how she managed to do this.

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    courses

    you can see all the courses you’ll have to take for the neuroscience major listed on this handy dandy arts & sciences website. (i open these pages too often but i do appreciate how convenient it is all laid out like this!!!! big fan.)

    though i’m not a neuroscience student, i have taken some of the same general first year courses required for the neuroscience major. specifically, out of the courses listed for neurosci, i took mat135, chm135, and bio120. i’d say in comparison to high school, these courses go through material very fast, condensing a lot of content into each lecture. though some of first year is kind of review, they assume you remember everything you learned in high school and pile new concepts on with the same sort of speed.

    my main message to you though is to not be overwhelmed or scared going into your first year life sci courses. everyone around me was literally scaring me so much, telling me it was super rough and difficult, but i don’t think it’s as bad as its reputation makes it seem? the hardest part is just staying on top of the amount of content each week, and not falling behind. like, it’s less about stuff not making sense but more about the amount of stuff and being able to balance all your courses.

    general atmosphere

    i would say that the competition isn’t too bad in life sci. people are just trying to get through the courses, and nobody’s out to get you or trying to step on you to get ahead (like in rotman). however, in terms of friendliness, it really depends how hard you try to make friends. people mostly keep to themselves, but if you are friendly, you’ll find friendly people! hit ’em with an “it’s so cold today” or a “it’s too early for this” and you’ll be fine.

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    good luck with everything!

    over and out,

    aska

  • neuroscience,  newly admitted

    xoxo anon internet entity

    Do you know anyone who graduated in four years with a neuroscience major? I want to know which courses they took over their four years because I seriously don’t know what to take, and I need to plan ahead to make sure I have the correct pre-requisites.

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hi!

    i don’t PERSONALLY know anyone who fits this exact description, but i’m sure they’re out there.

    judging from your question, i’m assuming that you’re an incoming first year who’s interested in neuroscience as a potential major? hopefully that’s what you mean!

    the neuroscience major is a 2L (limited) program. meaning that you need to apply for the program after first year, and that there is a limit to how many students they admit into the program.

    so, if you want to do a neuroscience major, you will need to complete BIO130 with at least 55% and CHM135 and CHM136 in order to be eligible to apply. meaning that you should definitely take those courses during your first year so that you can apply for the major after. check out this link for all the requirements of the program, which’ll give you some idea what courses you’ll be taking in later years.

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    as for seriously not knowing what to take in your first year, that’s ok! at u of t, most students take 5.0FCE (full course equivalents) worth of courses per year. this allows students to graduate in four years (5 credits X 4 years = 20 credits needed to graduate). at u of t, first year is general. meaning that you aren’t tied down to a program of study (or POSt, in u of t lingo) until after first year. so, you can kinda take whatever you want. of course, as i mentioned above, you should keep your desired programs in mind and take the first year prereqs/ courses involved.

    another thing to keep in mind is that you need to complete either a specialist, two majors, or a major and two minors in order to graduate. so, if you want to do the neuroscience major, you will need to pair it with another major or two minors. i suggest that you look through the programs that are offered in the faculty of arts and science and pick some that might interest you. then, you can pick your first year courses based on the prereqs for the other programs you’re interested in.

    oof, that’s a lotta info, especially for someone who isn’t even technically in first year yet.

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    i highly suggest making an appointment with an academic adviser at your registrar’s office. some registrar’s offices even have their own first year adviser!

    i hope that this all helps, i know it can be super overwhelming when some anonymous internet entity just throws info at you.

    good luck!

    xoxo,

    aska

    PS- don’t forget that you can check your course enrollment start time on july 20 and you can start enrolling in courses on the 26th.Â