• choosing,  programs,  switching

    this person’s got some major problems

    hi aska,

    I already changed up my major a few times (you might remember me based on some info, i settled on Cellular and Molecular Bio) and now im in 2nd year catching up on CHM135, 136, BIO130, and MAT135, and BIO270 (and i have no room for 136 this year, so I’ll either take it in the summer or another year). I was considering dropping my other major (PoliSci) down to a minor and picking up chemistry as another minor depending on how well I do in CHM135 (the registrar said I’d just have to apply for the PoliSci minor in the second session before march) and hopefully switching to a chemistry double major. The only problems are

    1) I’ve already taken 2 credits worth of PoliSci classes and I’m currently enrolled in another credits worth.

    2) My parents REALLY want me to graduate in 4 years.

    So should I risk it for the Chemistry major (with the potential for wasted classes — my breadth is already complete) or just do a double minor, or keep everything the way it is?


    hey there,

    so it seems like your main problem here is figuring out if you can fit these programs into a four year degree, if you switch into them now. let’s start off with what seems like your ideal choice: to major in cellular and molecular bio, major in chem, and minor in poli sci. to graduate, you’ll choose a program combination from the following options (i’m sure you already know this, but just in case anyone doesn’t know this):

    1. a specialist
    2. a major and two minors
    3. two majors

    but these are just the minimum requirements, and some people choose to do more! so if you were to do two majors and a minor, the two majors will satisfy your graduation requirement, and the minor will just be an extra program.

    Amelia Parker & The Parker Andersons 105 byutv marblemedia amelia parker GIF

    when taking a double major and a minor, you’ll want to try taking courses that will count towards two of your majors. a poli sci minor requires 4.0 credits to complete, a chem major requires 8.0 credits to complete, and a cmb major requires 8.0 credits to complete. this means that you need to complete 20.0 credits over all your programs. cmb and chem have some overlapping courses, which will help. for you, most of the first year chm and mat courses are the same between a chem major and cmb major. for example, you can use mat 135 and chm 135 for both your chem and cmb majors.

    however, keep in mind the 12 distinct credits requirement. this would only apply to your two majors, since the minor is extra. between your two majors, there are 16.0 credits, so you can overlap a maximum of 4.0 credits.

    and then there’s your other option—to major in cmb, and have 2 minors in poli sci and chem. this would include a total of 16.0 credits to complete. again here, you can overlap a maximum of 4.0 credits. i think this kinda seems simpler, but if you want to major in chem, i say try your best to make it happen! you only have one chance at an undergrad degree (and it’s kinda miserable), so you might as well come out of it with programs that you want to have.

    Thats What I Think Episode 5 GIF by Curb Your Enthusiasm

    if you have 2 years left after this one, it’s hard to tell what option will work. it honestly could be possible to do a double major and minor, but i literally can’t tell without knowing what courses you’ve already taken, and if taking summer school is possible for you. i really think you should take some time and plan out each option for yourself. i would recommend mapping things out on degree explorer, and counting exactly how many FCE’s you need, while making sure you have 12 distinct FCE’s. (this can be confusing, which is why i am gifting you a 12 distinct credits worksheet).

    finally, in terms of your first problem, you say that you’ve already taken 2 credits of poli sci courses and are enrolled in 1 credit. tbh, i’m unsure what the problem is here? if you wanted to drop the poli sci major down to a minor, i don’t think you would be wasting courses, since it still would require 4.0 credits to complete? unless the courses you took aren’t counted for the minor.

    again, i will always point y’all to your college registrar for these kinds of complicated, multiple pathway questions! i am unfortunately not a psychic or fortune teller. but man, i wish i was.

    what do you want apple GIF by Team Coco

    but for real, i hope this was helpful either way, and literally send another ask if it wasn’t.

    over and out,

    aska

  • first year,  internal transfer,  switching

    i don’t want to have to deliver unfortunate news, but

    Hi there!

    I am an incoming 105 first-year who has applied to Psychology at UTM, and is hoping for guaranteed residence as I’ve submitted my residence application before the deadline. I’d like to switch my program to Social Science at UTSG instead, and I was told by the Faculty of ArtSci that switching admission categories was not going to be a problem.

    If I am admitted to Psych, what are the chances I could request/apply for a switch or internal transfer to UTSG Social Science before starting in the fall? Would I also be allowed to switch my residence application/admission to UTSG, and could I still retain my theoretical guaranteed spot, or would it be considered a rolling admission and I may not be offered residence? I understand I can apply as an Internal transfer with OUAC in November, but I am hoping to avoid having to take my first year in a completely unrelated program, and campus.

    Hope that makes sense. Thanks so much for your time and much love.


    hi bestie,

    much love right back at you. 

    I Love You Reaction GIF by Warner Bros. Deutschland

    yes, it’s true that switching admission categories once you’ve been admitted to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences isn’t a problem – you don’t really need to do anything. the only thing to note is priority enrolment for classes, which just means you sometimes have to wait an extra week or so to enrol in certain classes offered by a program you’re not in. but, this is definitely not anything to worry about. 

    so what you want to do is called an internal transfer, which you’d need to go through another admissions process to do. you seem aware that you’ll just have to make sure you meet all the prerequisites and then fill out an internal application by the deadline for your faculty (arts & science for you). but generally, you can’t do an internal transfer at this time of year.

    Sesame Street Reaction GIF by Muppet Wiki

    you can reach out to the UTM registrar to see if they’ll tell you differently, but as far as i know internal transfers are only done through OUAC, and you would have to do this during the normal application period (which is more than a few months past). so unfortunately, you might need to take your first year at UTM, as it may be too late. and, i guess if you can’t transfer right now, this also answers the residence part of your question.

    i hope this was helpful and not too discouraging. best of luck!!

    over and out,

    aska

  • colleges,  current student,  switching

    the good ol’ college switcheroo

    Hi! I’m in woodsworth college and I’m hoping to try and switch colleges to trinity, Victoria or UC. I’m wondering if you have any advice for how to do this successfully! What kind of reasons are they looking for to switch? What can I do in an application that will make my chances better? Thanks!


    hey there!

    i think a few things would help make a strong application. firstly, try to reach out and apply as soon as you can! it’ll be easier to convince the college that you’ll be a great addition to their community if you join early on in your undergrad career, with plenty of time ahead to experience the college that you want to transfer to. vic actually states that they will not accept transfers from students that have completed more than 10.0 credits, so applying earlier is definitely an advantage.

    a good gpa would help, too. for example, vic requires a cgpa of around B (3.0) or higher. the requirements for other colleges aren’t really publicly available, but i’d assume that a higher gpa would be beneficial.

    anyhow, moving on to the part that you’re really here for… how to actually write your transfer application. college transfer applications are somewhat of a black box. vic is nice enough to lay out some application questions right on their website, but you’ll have to reach out directly to the other colleges to find out their exact requirements.

    do i know anything about how colleges judge their transfer applications? not really. have i even personally transferred colleges before? also no. am i gonna throw some ideas out here anyway? well yes. based on my general experiences applying to stuff, here are a few things that might help.

    • find out more about the college, and talk about what you like about it. try to be as genuine as possible. get a sense of the vision and values of trin, vic and uc,  and describe specific aspects which resonated with you.
    • write about what you’re hoping to get out of the transfer. this shows that you’ve done your research and have a clear idea of why you want to transfer! are there certain college-specific resources that you are hoping to access? is there any aspect of student life in the college which drew you in? if you’re interested in uc’s beloved writing centre, vic’s sweet sweet scholarships (read: “generous financial support”), trin’s small and close-knit community, or anything else for that matter, then write about it!
    • describe what you can bring to the table. how have you contributed to your student community thus far? what kind of a role do you see yourself playing in the college and its community? are there any student groups or activities at the college that you’d like to get involved with? you might want to reference specific initiatives at trin, vic, and uc.

    the college transfer process can be tricky, but hopefully this gives you some ideas for your application! remember that other factors such as the number of spots available at a college could also affect your chances of landing a transfer. as one of the smallest colleges at uoft, i feel like trinity will probably be particularly hard to transfer into, while it may be easier to transfer to a large college like uc. in any case, good luck and give it your best shot!

    all the best,

    aska

  • prospective student,  subject POST,  switching

    it’s too early in the year for clever post titles

    hi! i’m a prospective student and i was wondering how hard/easy it is to switch between programs (specifically in the arts and science fac)

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    just kidding, this is a good question! compared to what i’ve heard from friends at other canadian universities, it’s relatively easy to switch between programs within arts and science.

    how the whole system works is that usually, after first year, you’ll apply to a program of study (POSt), or two, or three, or more. there’s a program selection period during which these applications occur, and there are several program categories that determine what you’ll need to apply.

    if you think that switching programs could be in your future, you should familiarize yourself with those program categories and make sure you know what boxes your prospective programs fall into. the general rule is that the larger the number, the more intense the admissions process is. it would therefore make sense that it’s easier to switch into a type 1 program than a type 3 program, because a type 1 program will require almost nothing of you whereas some type 3s will look at your GPA, your grades in specific prerequisite courses, AND a supplemental application .

    so, to sum that all up: there’s a specific time of year during which you can apply to programs (and therefore switch into a new program), and there are specific requirements to get into some programs. it’s easy enough to switch as long as you (1) time your switch well or plan for it ahead of time, and (2) have the required prerequisites and grades to be admitted into a program. if you have a specific program in mind and want to find out what those prerequisites/required grades are, look that program up in the calendar! 

    if you’re a prospective student, though, try not to worry too extensively about POSts right now! once you’re admitted and join u of t as a student, you’ll have access to academic advisors who will be able to talk you through all things program-related. you’ll be able to get much better advice through a phone conversation with them—advice tailored to your specific interests and situation. if you’re particularly keen on getting things sorted out, you can even schedule an appointment with them the summer before you begin your studies.

    good luck with your application! happy new year.

    be Boundless,

    aska

  • switching

    she doesn’t even go here!

    I’m currently a commerce student at McGill, completing my final year (finishing in 3 instead of 4 yrs). Over the past few yrs, I’ve become increasingly disinterested by commerce, and finally embracing my natural passion for prison & criminal justice reform. The problem-I have barely anything to show for it, is it still worth applying? This past summer I worked a little in sociology as an RA (in commerce tho) -wrote a 30 page history on the police, attended an academic conf on reinventing police?

    ——————————————

    hi there,

    a mcgill student! wow. don’t get a ton of those around here.

    she doesnt even go here mean girls GIF

    i’m not really sure what you’re applying to, as you didn’t specify? but i’ll do my best to give what advice i feel like i can.

    your natural passion sounds very cool to me— we definitely need good people working on prison and criminal justice reform. i think there’s a lot of value in pursuing something that genuinely interests you, as opposed to something that you’re disinterested in. it’s a little cliche to say, but you only live one life, so you might as well spend it doing something that really appeals to you.

    bucket yolo GIF

    even if you don’t have a lot of experience in the realm of what you want to go after, i’m sure there’s a ton from your commerce degree that would be transferable to that field. think about what you’ve learned from your current program— critical thinking skills, research skills, and writing skills are some things i can think of that would be useful in your desired field. i’m sure there’s also something useful you’ve gained specifically from commerce that would give you an edge in the criminal justice field.

    people switch their career tracks all the time, and it doesn’t mean that they need to start from scratch. you have an educational background that you can use to your advantage!

    anyway, i’m only technically supposed to answer questions that fall within the realm of u of t, but i’ll do what i’d do for a u of t student and suggest that you talk to a career advisor. mcgill’s career advising centre can be found here. a career advisor will be more qualified to talk you through this decision than i am!

    presenting right here GIF by NETFLIX

    best of luck figuring things out! i’m rooting for you.

    be Boundless,

    aska

     

  • switching

    *gasp* a turncoat

    Hey I’m currently a third year student. I am currently wanting to change my degree from HBSc to HBA. I know that I will be starting almost all over again. But wanted to know if that will effect my gpa or transcript?

    ——————————————

    hi!

    sorry for the wait with this answer, i’m trying to catch up on a ton of stuff during this small reprieve that reading week offers. ever since the pandemic hit, i’ve been having difficulty remembering when questions came in and when they need to be answered by. so that’s totally on me.

    so as far as i know, switching your degree type won’t affect your GPA or transcript, in the sense that nothing will be erased. all your credits and grades will still show up as normal. that means that anything you took as part of a science program can be used towards HBA breadth requirements.

    your transcript will probably just look longer than the transcript of someone who didn’t make that switch, since you’ll need to take more credits to complete your degree. individual courses will also hold less sway over your CGPA, since more credits will be counted towards it.

    i’d really recommend that if you’re still weighing this decision, you reach out to your registrar’s office. since the academic advisors there will have access to your full academic record, and since they’re experienced with talking students through decisions like these, i think you’ll find them more helpful than i am.

    be Boundless,

    aska

     

  • extra courses,  switching

    no upper years in first year courses. none.

    hey dude! do you know if second years can take first year courses? i’m thinking about switching out of the humanities stream into life sci, but ill need to take bio120, bio130, chm135 + chm136 if i want to pursue the program i want (ecology major). do i need to take summer courses, or? is there a way i can take those first year courses next year? thanks so much!
    hey hey heyo (cringes a little because who sounds this much like a middle schooler on a tuesday? ridiculous.)
    you should be able to take first year courses as a second year, yes. this isn’t an uncommon situation to be in. do you need to do them in the summer? i’m not sure. i guess it depends on how anxious you are to get into the program– if you don’t mind waiting until next year’s program request period, you can definitely take those prereq courses during the regular school year.
    if you do decide to take a full summer courseload and get those courses under your belt sooner, you should be able to request admission to the EEB major for your second year. EEB seems to be a type 1 program, which is lucky for you because that’s the most lenient form of POSt in terms of admissions. you’ll be able to enrol in type 1 programs until september 23, 2020, by which time your summer courses should show up as completed.
    you might wanna just keep in mind that u of t won’t recognize any 100-level courses you take beyond 6.0 FCEs’ worth, at least as far as your degree or CGPA are concerned. after you take 6.0 FCEs of 100-level courses, any other 100-level courses you complete will be counted as ‘EXTRA.’ they’ll be invalid towards your 20 credits to graduate and can’t be used to raise (or lower!) your GPA, but you can use them for things like prerequisites and program admission. so that’s your one caveat. nothing to prevent you from taking more first-year courses, just something to be aware of. if you’re uncertain whether this rule will impact you in any substantial way, i’d recommend that you visit your registrar and have them check.
    hope this helped! and hope your new POSt is heckin’ incredible. proud of you for being brave enough to switch into something you find more interesting, even if it could possibly inconvenience you.
    be Boundless,
    aska
  • physics,  subject POST,  switching

    in with a new POSt, out with the old ones

    hello!

    so i just finished my first year at utsg and i have applied to do a double major in equity studies and pharmacology. within the past couple of weeks i have been getting really really into physics (which is odd because i hated physics in high school). anyways im thinking that i want to switch into a biophysics specialist degree. the issue is, that i didnt take any physics or calculus during my first year and so i basically have to restart my four years. i was just wondering how i would go about switching to the physics specialist, do i just leave my current posts as they are and take the courses that i need for physics or do i have to drop my posts somehow or something else? not sure if this changes things but equity studies is a type one so ive already been accepted and pharmacology is type 3 so im still waiting to hear back on that one. (also do you have any tips on how to cope with the fact that i wasted an entire year and thousands of dollars)

    and thank you in advance for your response!

    ——————————————

    hey,

    nice job making it through first year! it’s a perfectly normal thing to see your interests shift at this point in your degree– i can definitely relate to that, although not to getting into physics.

    to get the tedious part out of the way first– how would you go about making the change? i wouldn’t drop your POSts now, no. you need to be registered in some kind of valid program combination to be eligible for second-year course selection, so if you won’t be able to get into biophysics before fall it’s best to keep what you’ve got. think about your current programs as placeholders of sorts– ignore their requirements, and focus on taking the prereqs for your biophysics spec. then, when the program enrollment period rolls around, apply for biophys.

    chances are you already know this, but if you took the prereqs for pharmacology, you may already have the chem requirement for biophys under your belt, at least for the most basic biophysics specialist. hopefully that makes things a little less overwhelming!

    all the biophysics specialists seem to be type 1, which will hopefully make things a little easier for you. if you were switching into multiple type 2 or 3 progams, i would have advised you to apply for them first THEN drop your previous programs once you got in. just to be safe. but since yours is a type 1 and you’re switching into a specialist, that makes things a lot simpler. you’ll be able to register in biophys before dropping equity and pharm, as ACORN allows you to be in a maximum of 3 POSts at once.

    how to cope with the fact that your first year didn’t ultimately feed into your POSt? we’re fed this myth that we all need to finish our degree in four years, and that absolutely everything in our studies must count or serve a purpose or lead to a job. i’m still wrestling with this myself, because i’ve internalized that expectation. but no. everyone has their own time, their own path. this just happens to be yours. maybe it sounds wishy-washy, or cheesy, or whatever. either way, there’s nothing you can do to erase your first year and do it over, so from here all you can do is keep moving forward. i can understand if you’re bummed about it. though. i guess from a financial standpoint especially, it can be difficult to move past.

    despite not knowing you personally, i’m real proud that you’ve acknowledged where your passions lie and are willing to pursue them, even if it might not be the most convenient thing to do. so much changes when your course content gets you excited. i don’t know what this past year has been like for you, but if it’s been rough then this might be what you need for study motivation.

    i know several people who totally switched their programs when first year was over, and even one who switched faculties AND universities after her second year. everyone who i’ve seen go after something new has been really successful in their current program of study, so much so that it’s hard to imagine what things would have been like had they succumbed to inertia. i think a lot of this has to do with the fact that they followed their interests, and care a lot about what they’re studying now. maybe that’s where you’ll be in a year’s time.

    wishing you all the best, friend! i think you’re brave.

    over n out,

    aska

  • ccit,  switching,  UTM

    [insert clever pun about ccit here]

    hi, I recently got accepted into uoft- ccit major, but I want to change my major to finance or commerce, do I need to finish my freshman year first and then transfer programs or can I directly do it. I’m an international student and I’m so lost since there is no one to explain how the system works at uoft.

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    i feel ya. u of t is a maze of a bureaucracy– even those of us who are from around here and have been at the school for a while are constantly confused. it’s just one of the joys of going to a big, complicated school. navigating it is a lot like this:

    but hey, i’ve sifted through all the CCIT stuff on the internet in an effort to help you out. as far as i can tell, the program works the same way as most other POSts. which is to say, you’re not actually a CCIT student (or a polisci student, or a chemistry student, or ANYTHING sigh) until you apply for POSt. this is also reflected in the fees you pay: i believe CCIT tuition is higher, but you only begin paying that in second year when you become a CCIT student.

    if you’re not familiar, POSt stands for Program of Study, and it’s essentially another hurdle all students of certain faculties need to jump once they get into undergrad. you apply to POSt at the end of your first year, and most of them have prerequisite courses you’ll need to get in. those courses are usually what you’ll focus on getting through in your first year.

    so as far as i know, if you wanted to transfer to finance or commerce you’ll just want to make sure you have the right prereqs, and then when you apply to POSt just indicate whichever program you want. one of the things i love about u of t is that it’s relatively easy to switch programs around as long as you have the prereqs. for example, if i was studying… indigenous studies and wanted to switch to canadian studies, i wouldn’t have to fill anything out, just make sure i had the requirements and apply to POSt during the application period.

    to be honest, i feel a little iffy with you using this as your only source of advice since i’m not ~that~ familiar with ccit as a program. i’d encourage you to get in touch with their department, because they’ll be able to confirm or correct anything i said. the university at large tends to operate in much the same way, but there are always those quirky niche programs that do their own thing and ccit could be one of those. the utm registrars may also be able to help you out.

    over n out,

    aska

  • programs,  switching,  Transferring

    goodbye science hello arts

    Hey Aska,
    Im currently enrolled as a BSC specialist student, but want to change to a double major BA. I meet the transfer credit requirements for my double major BA and have the grades for it, so should the switch go smoothly? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hi!

    i’m a little confused by your question– you gotta be more specific!!!!

    i assume that you’re a student in the faculty of arts and science and you’re trying to just switch from a science specialist to an arts double major? i’m just gonna answer the question as if that’s what you mean.

    confused disney animation GIF

    so, within the faculty of arts and science, you don’t need to “transfer” any credits over if you’re switching programs within the faculty. all you need to do is change your POSt. if, as you say, you’ve met the requirements for the arts double major that you want to switch into, then there shouldn’t be an issue with switching from a science program to arts programs. just don’t forget that if the program(s) you’re interested in is a type 2 or 3 program, you will need to apply by august 29th and if it’s a type 1 program, you have until september 19th to add the program on ACORN. check out this link for more info re: the dates and program types.

    britney spears yes GIF

    if you’re actually a transfer student from another school, campus, or faculty, then there’s a totally different process that i don’t really feel like detailing for you right now. check out our “transferring” tag for more information on that specific circumstance.

    good luck!

    xoxo,

    aska

  • CR/NCR,  subject POST,  switching

    new GPA, who dis?

    Hello! I am currently pursuing an Accounting Specialization and have decided to switch programs. By switching programs, does my GPA reset if I don’t use any of my past credits in my new program? Thanks.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    so i’ve scoured the internet, looked through every u of t-sanctioned website, and basically the answer is… no. your GPA doesn’t reset if you switch programs.

    according to the faculty of arts and sciences’ calendar, your GPA is the weighted sum of all the courses you’ve taken at the faculty of arts and sciences. this means that every course you take in the faculty, regardless of whether or not you switch programs of study, counts towards your GPA. bummer, i know.

    lana del rey bummer GIF

    however, there are certain marks that aren’t included in your CGPA (though you probably know this already!) this includes any courses that you take CR/NCR, transfer credits, credits that you took at another university on a letter of permission or on exchange, and any courses designated as “extra.”

    the only way that you would be able to “reset” your GPA is if you transferred to another faculty, campus, or school. so, if that’s your case, congrats! your GPA is reset! if that’s not the case then, sorry, you’re stuck with your old GPA.

    if there’s any confusion or you have any other further questions, you should get in contact with your registrar’s office, who’ll be able to answer this question (AND SO MUCH MORE!)

    oh my god wow GIF

    i hope this helps!

    xoxo,

    aska

  • switching

    the ol’ switcheroo

    the instructor(s) of some of my psy courses are yet TBA. im not saying i dont want ______ as my instructor but…. i dont want ______ as my instructor. if i cant change my schedule what do i do if hes the instructor of one of my lectures?
    ——————————————
    hi!
    you have until september 20th to add an F/Y course. by then, you will know who the instructor is of that course and you can try to switch into a different lecture. other than that, there’s not much you can do, unfortunately.
    i hope it all works out! good luck!
     reaction happy fun celebration parks and recreation GIF
    xoxo,
    aska
  • economics,  housing,  sociology,  switching

    options, stacks on stacks of options

    Hey aska!
    I’m doing a sociology specialist at the moment and entering my third year,
    but I want to look out for other majors. I’m kind of interested in economics
    at the moment, and want to take the two full year courses for the major
    prerequisites. However, I don’t know how smart that is (taking 2 full year
    courses just for the sliver of the chance of getting in) considering I’m
    not very good at math or time organization – I had to climb up from a 0.8
    GPA in first year because of a rough transition, and now my GPA and mental
    health are more secure I want to try branching out. I also want to ask if
    me being in third year affects my chances of applying to the program, since
    so many incoming first years have probably gotten a head start.Thanks for
    your reply:0

    ——————————————

    hi!

    being in third year does not affect your chances of getting into the program at all, you can apply for a subject POSt up until you want to graduate.

    as for whether or not it’s “smart” to take 2 full year courses in order to get into the major, i would definitely suggest at least trying. according to the department of economics’ website, you need both an ECO and MAT requirement and certain marks achieved in those courses. if you’re worried that it’s not “smart” because you’re bad at math and time management (which is extremely relatable to me), you could at least try enrolling in those courses, see how you do, and then drop before the deadline (this year, it’s november 6th for F courses and february 20th for Y courses). no harm, no foul.

     twin peaks okay smiling thumbs up dale cooper GIF

    if you’re really serious about enrolling in the econ major, you could also try taking just one of the courses this year or starting with both and dropping one if you need to. then, you could take them as summer courses later on or the year after. the only issue with that option is that it might further extend the time spent on your undergrad degree, but if that isn’t a big deal for you, then this is a good option in my (non-professional) opinion.

    i really believe that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to, but also know that there are other options that you can explore if the initial plan doesn’t work out. i would also suggest making an academic advising session with your college registrar’s office. i’m sure they’d be able to help!

    i hope this helps! good luck!

    xoxo,

    aska