askastudent - your student life specialists

admissions,  applying for U of T,  getting into U of T,  life science

running to labs vs running drills

October 28, 2025

hi aska,

i’m a current grade 12 student in ontario and i would consider myself to be a pretty good student (taking all APs, usually get pretty good grades, on top of homework, etc. etc.). however, i also play volleyball and it definitely does affect my ability to actually focus on certain subjects, of which i have found mostly to be math.

i’m applying to uoft life science (first choice on OUAC, i REALLY want to get in) and i’m a bit scared because i’m not doing very well in data management (current average after 2 quizzes + a test is 81), and i know it’s not a prereq but i’m still worried.  for context, my overall grade 11 average last year was a 91% (including fast-tracked comp sci and advanced functions).  i got a 97 in G11 AP English, 92 in G11 functions, 89 in G11 AP Bio, 87 in G11 chemistry, 87 in advanced functions, and 90 in G12 comp sci.

starting out this semester, i have bio and english, and i think i can project myself doing pretty well in those.

so, my question is: what is the likelihood of someone with my grades getting into uoft life science? what would be an average i should aim for? how can i ensure i get into uoft?

should i just apply to rmc at this point ?

Thanks!

heyyo,

wellllll I’ve never been to rmc and don’t know anyone who goes there, but im willing to guess that life at utsg life sci is quite a bit different than at rmc. for instance, i have yet to hear of a life sci student who has been forced to do obstacle courses at 7am in order to get their degree. but hey, maybe i just haven’t talked to enough life sci kids yet…

to answer your actual questions though:

the recommended average for life sci admission varies depending on the campus. that’s right, you can take life sci at all three uoft campuses. I don’t know which one you’re at (guys, PLEASE tell me what campus you’re talking about!!), so i took the liberty of doing a bit of research for all of them. so generous, i know.

at utsg (the downtown campus), the approx admission range is mid to high 80s. at utsc it depends on the specific programs you’d wanna do but they’re mostly mid-high 70s, and at utm there’s no grade requirements for life sci specifically but the general requirement is an average of 75%. so i’ll let you make assumptions about that.

also, a quick side note in case you didn’t know about it already: some programs within the life sciences category require certain classes in high school. i would very very very much highly recommend that you look through all the programs listed in the table on this website to make sure you’re taking the classes you’ll need to get into any programs you might be into. there’d be nothing worse than wanting to apply to, like, the pharmaceutical chemistry program but oops! you didn’t take grade 12 physics.

thank me later.

so as for how you can ensure that you get in — life sci is a grades-only admission category, so really the best thing you can do is maintain your good grades.

now as for balancing school with volleyball, it’s of my personal opinion that having something fun outside of academics is almost always a good thing. i think it boosts your mood, can prevent burnout, and if it’s a team sport like what you’re doing it can keep up your social relationships. i mean, if i didn’t have a life outside of academics, i wouldn’t be writing to you right now. and how sad would that be?

however, if you find that it’s really distracting you and having a negative impact on your schoolwork, talk to your guidance counselor and/or coach to see what you can figure out together. if you really feel like you need a bit of a break from volleyball you could try telling your coach, but i would personally never recommend fully dropping out of a sport or ec that makes you happy unless your academics are in really dire straits. which yours are not!

keep up your great work so far, and best of luck with your application! i hope you’ll be running to your labs at uoft this time next year, and not running drills at rmc (unless you decide you’re into that).

cheers,

aska

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academic success,  criminology,  UTM

go get that crim

October 27, 2025

I’m writing my second test today for criminology and honestly I’m traumatized after the first ever term test I took for any course came out as a 68 and I’m just worried about how it’ll affect my POSt. I also have no idea what study strategies work best so I can maintain 80-85 in my classes.

heyyo,

aw, i’m really sorry to hear that you weren’t feeling great after that test :/

it’s totally normal to be disappointed, AND it was only your first test — so as difficult as it is, don’t be too hard on yourself.

the good news is that trying to figure out what study methods are good for you is exactly what you’re supposed to be doing! so here’s how i can help you with that:

i did a bit of digging, and from what you told me i think you’re at utm? i’m also guessing based on the info about the program you wanna go into that it’s criminology, law, and society. the website tells me that the only courses you need to get in are:

1) ISP100, and

2) a final mark of at least 67% in SOC100 OR a final mark of at least 70% in both SOC109 (the course i think you’re talking about?) and one 0.5 credit course in sociology at the 200 level or above

although it says it can change each year, you will indeed need at least a 2.0 GPA to be considered, which is equivalent to a C average or 63-66%.

there’s a smaaaalll chance you could be aiming for the utsg program, but i think your description fits better with the utm one. still, i dropped the link to that program page in the off chance my sleuthing failed me.

(oh, and ps: tell me what campus you’re at or you may not get the answer you want! i’m very wise but unfortunately i can’t read your mind through the internet. yet).

based on all that program info, if you were able to get a 68 on your first test, please be SO far from giving up hope! you’re very very close to where you wanna be.

if you wanna get some good advice or tips on how to study more effectively to get those grades up to the 80-85 you want, i think i found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when it comes to UTM study resources. if you can imagine that as a rainbow.

please meet: the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre website.

in this pot of gold, you can find info on a whole bunch of programs and workshops, and if you’d rather stay in your room and sit behind a computer (same), you can peruse a ton of videos and articles about every academic skill you could imagine.

and if all else fails, you can also book a personalized appointment at the centre so you can get your specific questions answered.

i hope this helps! you’ve got this 🙂

now go get that crim

cheers,

aska

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admissions, applying for U of T, engineering, getting into U of T

entering the hallowed halls

October 15, 2025

Hello, I have a question. I’m currently a gr 11 student. i didn’t really care about my grades or study at all. I have an 80 average I know won’t cut it for university. I want to go to UofT Mechanical Engineering. I have amazing ecs, 500+ hours volunteer, intern 4 months, DECA 4 years, STEM 2 years. I can easily get 97+ in gr 12 but I’ve been told they look at gr 11 for consistency which I don’t have so I’m unsure if I can make it in.

heyyo,

i’m far from an expert on engineering admissions but luckily for both me and you, there is a LOT of info about them online. plenty from official sources (check out the ones i link for you!), or, if you are so inclined, you can enter the hallowed halls of reddit to read about the experiences of the applicants before you.

oh, and there’s quite a bit on the lovely site you’re already on, too (shameless self-advertising, i know i know).

anyways, for now i will save you a bit of time sorting through all that info and give you the important stuff:

so i’m gonna assume that you’re an ontario high school student. if you’re out of province but in canada, see here for the requirements. if you’re international, check here.

now if you are indeed a student in ontario, according to the admission faqs, you need to have an average of about high 80s to low 90s to be competitive for mechanical engineering. it’s important to note that when grade 12 final marks aren’t available yet, admissions will look at your grade 11 prerequisites to help calculate your average. they also consider your individual grade 11 and 12 courses along with the average.

you’re right that extracurriculars are important for engineering admissions. according to the admission faqs, you’ll have a chance to write about your experiences and submit a personal profile. part of that personal profile involves recording yourself answering questions. i do believe that there are workshops that can help you prep for that part of your application, but i couldn’t find any available at the moment. i did, however, find a site which lists some upcoming events for hopeful engineers. keep your eyes peeled!

my advice for what you can do right now is to start getting some help from teachers and guidance counselors. ask your teachers for more feedback so you know what skills you can work on. and my friend, i am very sorry to be the one to inform you of this tragedy, but if you wanna go to uoft, you will have to start studying.

i know, i know, it’s all quite upsetting. but you can start now by doing some research on study tips (there’s SO MUCH out there, google is your friend), and asking your guidance counselor if you want some more personalized advice.

and one last thing: 100% keep aiming for mech eng, but there are also other programs at uoft (and at other unis, forgive me for being a bit traitorous) that you would probably find cool too! check out all of the programs that the math and physical sciences admission category at uoft’s st george campus can lead you to, or browse more options at uoft’s mississauga and scarborough campuses. oh, and there’s always the other programs within the faculty of engineering.

best of luck with applying to uoft next year! enjoy the rest of high school!!

cheers,

aska

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fraternities & sororities, greek life, partying

the frat house rental market be booming

October 10, 2025

Hi! I was wondering if i can rent a frat house for a Halloween party this year, I’m thinking November 1st

heyyo,

soooo it seems like you are far from the only one to be curious about whether frats will let you host a party in their houses! because i actually just got a question from someone else about basically the same thing. so I’ll refer you to that post for a more detailed response. apparently it’s a hot rental market for frats at the moment!

a lot of people want to be the reverse ned flanders.

i was able to do a little bit more sleuthing for you, though! I dmed all of the frats listed here that were active on instagram. unfortunately no one got back to me at the time of this writing 🙁

however, i do suspect that some of these frats may have been a littttle bit less willing to respond to poking questions about house parties from a uoft-affiliated account. i would recommend that you give it a try yourself, since i imagine you would be a lot less intimidating than moi.

so i would say to give that a shot. i hope it goes well for you! i’m sure you’ll have an absolutely raging party, which aska here will sadly not be attending because they have two midterms right after reading week. thrilling, i know.

cheers,

aska

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course conflicts, courses

course conflict? yuck

October 9, 2025
I signed up for a year course and a winter course. The year course is required for my major, and the winter course for my minor. The issue is, the tutorials for my winter course are only happening on one day, and during the time that my year course lecture is happening. I don’t want to drop and delay either of them. Is there a chance they’ll add a tutorial on a different time/date?

heyyo,

what a tricky situation, but one that is sadly probably all too common at uoft. i love how much choice we have with programs here but oh my GOSH it makes planning hard.

ok, so after much research, i have formulated a very non-evil and very much uoft-sanctioned master plan for you.

first of all, to answer your question directly: to the best of my knowledge, tutorials are typically only added when all the available ones are full.

so, there is a chance!

however, it is still just a chance, and since most people will have enrolled in classes in the summer, it’s a pretty small chance.

so here is what i would advise you to do:
1. check on ACORN to see if there’s another lecture section that works with your schedule, which often is the case with bigger classes. some classes have tutorials that you can only take if you’re in a certain lecture section.
2. if you aren’t already enrolled in the max course load (3.0 credits) next semester, enroll in a backup class (or go on a waitlist) that works with your schedule, preferably one that fulfills your minor requirements. that way, in case your currently planned winter course doesn’t work out, you can keep working towards that degree of yours.
3. KEEP CHECKING ACORN!!! even if you enroll in a backup course, check back periodically to see if more sections of the course you really wanna take have been added.
also, I’m not going to sit here and ignore the possibility of taking the winter course but either

a) skipping part of the lecture of your year-long course, or

b) skipping tutorial for your winter course

because it is a possibility. just not a great one. it really really depends on your situation, because for most classes you have to attend both lecture and tutorial. you’re also more likely to have exams scheduled at the same time (bad) and if there is mandatory participation in either class, your prof/TA has no obligation to help you make up those marks.

i would say avoid this scenario at all costs. don’t skip class. a little bird told me that bad things may follow.

hint hint.

if you’re still in a tricky situation and my sage wisdom fails you, please please please go talk to your registrar’s office (see here for utsg, here for utm, and here for utsc)! they will probably have even better advice than your humble aska (gasp!) and they have access to a lot more of the behind-the-scenes stuff than I do.

i hope this helped and that you can get your classes sorted out! best of luck, soldier.

cheers,

aska
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fraternities & sororities, greek life, partying

please sir can i party at your house

August 14, 2025

i’m trynna host a party can i rent out a frat for the night and like which ones and how do i contact themm

hey there,

sooo i’m not even gonna try to pretend like that’s my scene.

but i will try to answer this as best i can.

usually, i can be such an effective internet sleuth when it comes to student life stuff. the problem with this is that there’s very little online or easy to find info about the frats. like, i dug and dug and couldn’t find much about renting out frats :/

the closest piece of info i could find is from 2015, and it says sigma chi rents their house out because they are “desperate for money”. lol who knows if that’s still true.

my personal thoughts are… do frats even rent their houses out at all? i would be surprised if this happens, because they are used as actual houses where people live. they don’t just exist during a party and vanish on other days. however, according to this ancient aska post, rumor has it that it is possible… so who knows… i’m sure any house will do it for a certain amount of money.

ok. here is a list of toronto frats. some are exclusive to U of T students and some are a mix of different universities. my top recommendation is to search each one up on google and go to their websites, where you should be able to find a “contact” page. on another day, i would do that for you personally, but right now my eyes are aching from looking at my computer all day!

tbh, you could also probably search them all up on instagram/tiktok and DM the accounts, or if you’re feeling really persistent, even DM the people tagged in their posts.

otherwise, if social media fails you, and the contact pages also fail you, there is something else you could do. remember when you were searching each frat up on google? on google you will also find their addresses :D. if you were a brave soul, you could, in a very casual and chill manner, show up to the houses and chat up the first guy you see. maybe he’ll hand you a beer and y’all will become bros, idk?! how are your social skills.

and if not, there will also be lots of parties during orientation week and the first few weeks of school — maybe show up then and ask. that is, if your party isn’t on a deadline.

but yeah, jokes aside, literally just go through that list i gave you and find their contact info on their official websites.

i hope it works out and i hope you get to party!

over and out,

aska

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u of tears, UTM

into the deep end

August 13, 2025

hey i’m an incoming freshman for utm social sciences and i had way too many people say uoftears in front of me recently so I was curious as to how difficult the social sciences program actually is, in terms of time spent studying and difficulty of assignments? I’m aiming for criminology law and society as a major plus maybe philosopy and polisci so I want to know what I’m getting into 🙂

hey there,

fair question! it’s super valid to want to know what you’re getting into at U of T after hearing about its reputation.

just a quick disclaimer that i go to the UTSG campus, so i can’t directly speak to what it’s like at UTM. also, not everyone will agree with what i say here, because uoftears can be a touchy topic. remember that all this is just my personal opinion after spending a good three years here. 😀

to answer your question, let’s look at what exactly feeds into the uoftears reputation and whether each thing applies to you or not.

to my understanding, the discourse around uoftears is mostly tied to the student experience at UTSG. this is because the entire concept of uoftears is used to complain about two main things, one of which mainly applies to UTSG:

1. a lack of social life (a UTSG issue)

2. academic stress (a UTSG and UTM issue)

social life

let’s explain!

U of T’s reputation for being depressing is largely fed by students’ feelings of isolation at the UTSG campus. i feel like UTM, if we’re looking at general trends, is not as plagued by this issue.

due to its smaller size, UTM is known to be more interconnected. it’s easier to build relationships with your professors, TA’s, and classmates, with a much lower population compared to UTSG. for context, there are almost 70, 000 undergrad students at UTSG and around 16, 000 undergrads at UTM.

meanwhile at UTSG, courses are so large (in the thousands sometimes) that professors and TA’s can only “know” a tiny fraction of their students. even when i try to build a relationship with my professors, i often just feel swallowed into the hoard of nameless faces and idk, it doesn’t exactly feel good to be perceived as a rando in class.

it’s also notoriously hard to make friends at UTSG. i fear the loneliness epidemic here is real.

so yeah, the uoftears experience of U of T as a depressing school is largely fed by these things. if you’re at UTM, i don’t think you’ll need to worry as much about this side of uoftears.

ok sorry i need to move on and answer what you actually asked about: academics!

academics

in regards to academics, the truth is that U of T is an academically rigorous experience across all three campuses. you will spend a lot of time studying and working on assignments, and getting top marks will be very difficult.

the study culture here is a lot more intense than other schools, especially during the long midterm season and exam month. like, i do not see any of my friends at other schools studying as hard as U of T students do.

however, it’s really hard to say exactly how long you’ll spend studying or how hard you’ll find assignments. if you wanted to check it out, i can offer you a flushed out answer of how long i personally spend studying in this other answer i posted.

all i can really say is, social science programs at UTM are probably not the worst of uoftears and you will likely be fine. these programs aren’t exactly known for grade deflation, like say, life sci programs at UTSG — grade deflation is a big contributor to academic stress at U of T.

you say you want to go into criminology and polisci. what i’ve heard is that they’re quite competitive programs, at least in comparison to other social science programs. i’ve also taken a few polisci/public policy courses, and man! you really gotta work hard in those. everyone was so smart, innovative, and quick on their feet — i had to really push myself to keep up in class discussions. (it was SO worth it though. being in this environment high-key forced made me to get smarter and better in record time.)

overall, the jump from high school to university is quite hard, and at U of T, it’ll be harder than other canadian universities.

but here’s the thing.

sure, it felt like i was thrown into the icy cold deep end of a pool in my first year. but genuinely, it’s a high risk high reward situation. yes, you’ll study for so long your eyes start twitching, but also, you’ll have access to priceless career opportunities and connections at U of T.

professors here are all, like, celebrities in their fields. they do crazy cool work and there is so much to learn from them. not all, but most, of the students here are super smart, dedicated, and ambitious people. you have a lot to gain from learning alongside them. U of T is also a very powerful institution with strong partnerships to other institutions, and we get a lot of funding for research, experiential learning, etc.

basically, there are numerous reasons why people choose to go here. it’s hard work, but there is a lot to reap. there are also ways to avoid falling into the dark side of uoftears — like finding a good community on campus, choosing a program you actually care about, and knowing what resources are available to you (there is very good student support available at U of T).

so yeah.

and that’s all i have for you. please don’t let anything i’ve said here scare you away. like, don’t you dare let me change the course of your future like that?? but i hope this helped. i hope i’ve adequately addressed the good and bad sides of U of T, however briefly.

bestest of luck and welcome!!

over and out,

aska

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arts & sciences, fees, registration, tuition

pay us! uoft screams

August 5, 2025

hi! i’m in the faculty of arts and science and i’m confused about what the “minimum payment to register” is. i got an email that the deadline for that is august 12 which is super soon. i don’t want to get kicked out, how do i find out how much it is and when do i have to pay the left over fees?

hey there,

amazing question, i also just got that email! don’t you just love receiving slightly threatening emails from U of T.

for folks who don’t know, this email from the faculty of arts and science says to either pay or defer the “minimum instalment to register” by august 12. if not, you might be removed from your courses.

i know that it’s kind of a scary email if you don’t know what it’s saying. so hopefully i can clear things up in time for you to send that minimum payment in!

basically, to find the minimum payment to register, go to your acorn account. then, go to the “financial account – invoice & net cost” tab. here, you’ll find your invoice for the school year, detailing all the charges that make up your fall and winter tuition. scroll to the very bottom, where you’ll find the title “CURRENT SESSION TUITION CHARGES total”, which will indicate your total tuition for the entire school year. seeing this, you’ll clutch your pearls at this devastatingly high amount of money that keeps increasing each year. you might even squint suspiciously, wondering why the school needs that much money from you. -_-

and thennnn…. right below that, you’ll see “MINIMUM PAYMENT TO REGISTER”, which will show you the exact amount you need to pay U of T by august 12 in order to register for the school year.

so yeah, you have to pay that amount by august 12. but besides that, there are other deadlines for the remaining part of your school tuition.

for fall fees, the deadline for most students is september 30. meanwhile, winter fees are due by november 30.

all these deadlines can be hard to keep track of, so if it makes sense for you, just know that you’re also able to pay the entire year’s tuition in one go! you don’t have to do it in parts, these separate deadlines just make it a possibility in case people need that.

finally, you can also see this all explained on the registrar’s website, here and here. you actually might want to check that out since it also explains different deadlines for special cases.

hope this helps and good luck this year!

over and out,

aska

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admissions, applying for U of T, engineering, extracurricular, grades

it’s brutal out here

July 14, 2025
hey, im an extremely extremely average student. grades are always in 70s or 80s. I’m in grade 10, I’m really interested in both uoft’s st George campus and Scarborough for civil engineering and computer engineering.

but as you know.. my grades wont really cut that.

i know grade 11 grades r the *most* important. how much will my extra-curriculars matter? (next year / gr11) and how do I go from this to a 90s student? I’m worried I’m wasting my time and not using my full potential but I don’t know how to get to that level lol.

thank you.

hey there,

well, you’re right. grade 11 and 12 marks are the most important for university admissions. so it’s great that you’re thinking ahead about how you can do your best in school during these next years!

you said you’re interested in the st. george and scarborough campus engineering programs.

ok. let’s hit the basics first. you can find all the info about engineering admission requirements at U of T here. in short, they will base your admission on the average of six grade 12 level courses:
- english
- calculus and vectors
- chemistry
- physics
- advanced functions
- one other academic course (will take the course with the highest mark)
BUT, most of the time when you send in your application, your grade 12 marks might not be out yet. in that case, they will calculate your admission average using the grade 11 equivalents of those courses.

so your best bet is to focus your energy on those ^ subjects during both grade 11 and 12.

based on the engineering admissions reports from 2023 and from 2024, the mean of admission averages is in the mid 90’s. geez, the competition is brutal.

keep in mind though, that’s just the mean. not everyone who was admitted was in the mid 90’s.

we, however, are special and do want to be in the mid 90’s. so how do you lock in and become a 90’s student, you ask? hmmm. honestly, i’m not sure i can tell you anything you haven’t already heard before, without knowing about your study habits or specific issues you’ve been having.

i feel like the main thing people struggle with these days is just time management and planning how you’ll spend your time prepping for assessments. procrastination is really a grade killer, man. (if you wanted specific advice to help with it, check out this other post i made.)

usually, the student mentor side of me would point you towards the vast resources that U of T offers for its students. but, since you’re still in high school, i’m not sure what your situation is. if possible, i think a good course of action is to look into learning strategies, or study counsellors — whatever resources your high school might provide. sure, it might feel like dork behavior, but you have nothing to lose. best case scenario, it actually helps you develop good study haits, and you get into U of T! yippeee.

but if you don’t have any study-help resources available to you, you are not powerless!! the best thing you can do is be aware of what works and doesn’t work for yourself, and react accordingly. you know? like, if your night study sessions are not that effective, try studying in the early morning instead! try different things out and see what sticks.

meanwhile, bro to bro, my alternative advice would be to befriend the top student in each of your classes. they can be really good at explaining things and it makes them feel good about themselves. like, let’s be real, having the smart kid’s help is a tried and true way to boost your grades in a pinch. and don’t worry, it’s not a parasitic relationship, because you’ll boost their ego! *whips around* who said that…

anyways, real advice and silly advice aside. let’s talk extracurriculars! how much will they matter?

well, unlike most programs, extracurriculars do matter quite a bit for engineering applicants. U of T wants to see that incoming engineering students have strengths outside of the classroom. i guess we’re trying to beat the all-engineering-students-are-sunlight-deprived-allegations.

you’ll be able to show your extracurricular activities through the online student profile, which is a supplementary application you send in after you’ve submitted your OUAC application. with this, they’ll be most interested in activities that show your “leadership, dedication, and overall excellence”. the good thing is that your activities do not need to be engineering related. for example, they can include student clubs, volunteering, arts, athletics, community involvement, or paid employment.

on top of that, you’ll also submit a “personal profile”, which includes some timed written and video responses. these will apparently help U of T “get to know you as a person”, and are mainly meant to assess your communication skills.

and, yeah! that’s kinda an overview of what U of T asks for in engineering applications. the short story is that grade 11 and 12 marks matter the most, and extracurriculars do matter quite a bit. overall, all you can do is your best! you’ve already got a great start by asking the right questions and wanting to improve.

i hope i gave somewhat useful and sensical information here lol. wishing you good luck in all your endeavours! i believe in you <3

over and out,

aska
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admissions, applying for U of T, summer

mmm, refreshing!

July 7, 2025

Hi thanks for answering our questions ur a life saver, so my question is will me taking courses over the summer affect my ability to get into Uoft st.george or UTSC for general science or human biology, my grade 11 mark for chemistry wasn’t very competitive so I decided to take grade 12 through the summer so I can focus on the course one on one, also the course wasn’t available through the TDSB so I was recommended to take it through the TCDSB I hope it doesn’t make a difference, Thank you again for your help!!

hey there,

aw you’re sweet! thanks for the thanks :)))

and, have i got great news for you!

taking courses over the summer will definitely not affect your acceptance. U of T doesn’t actually care when you take your courses, whether it’s summer or during the school year, it’s all the same to them.

you said you’ve decided to take chemistry during the summer so that you could commit more focus to it. that sounds like a really great decision to me.

taking grade 12 chemistry during the summer also means that your final chemistry marks will be out by the time you apply to U of T. this is good because it means they will focus less on your grade 11 marks if they have access to your grade 12 marks! for context, usually, U of T puts focus on grade 11 marks during application season because most people’s grade 12 final marks aren’t released yet. basically, having your grade 12 chem mark released is a good thing for you, if your grade 11 mark is not competitive.

you also said you’re taking the course with the toronto catholic district school board instead of the toronto district school board. i can see why you might be concerned, but i’m quite sure that will not make a difference on your application — they’ll mainly just pay attention to your mark, not where you took the course.

yeah, all i see is some good decision making and good planning. wow, we love to see it. refreshing! (this is not a subtweet at anyone else, i promissse.)

sending you the bestest luck for chem 12 and your grade 12 year!!

over and out,

aska

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commuters, jobs, residence

in a land far far away

July 1, 2025

do students who live off campus have fewer opportunities than those who do or no?

hey there,

great question! it kinda depends on what sort of opportunities you’re looking for.

if you’re looking for work/volunteer opportunities that relate to your career, then no. i wouldn’t say students who live on campus have any sort of advantage in what opportunities are available to them.

if this is the case, i’d recommend you use CLNX to explore your options. on there, you’ll be able to sort through various on-campus and off-campus jobs available to students. you can get these regardless of where you live.

but if you’re thinking of opportunities to get involved in the university itself, i’d say that it’s probably easier to do so if you live on campus.

for example, the main opportunity that comes to mind is being a residence don. this is definitely one that requires you to live in a student residence once you’ve received the position lol. however, keep in mind that upper years are able to apply for it regardless of if they’ve ever lived in residence before!

another one might be, like a residence front-desk job? that’ll be a lot easier to do and get if you’ve lived in that residence already.

hmmmm. other than direct involvement in student residences, there aren’t any other opportunities that are, like, exclusive to people living on campus.

but i’m also gonna be completely real with you. i still thing that living on campus does help you get opportunities, just because you’re more likely to hear about things. for example, you’ll have more time to spend with other students who 1. might already be involved and can get you involved, or 2. are also trying to get involved in something similar.

just by living on campus, you’ll be surrounded by other students at all hours. the combination of talking to people and hearing what they’re doing and seeing advertisements up on the walls might point you towards opportunities you might not have heard about otherwise. you know what i mean?

i’d say this is especially helpful if you’re in first year and are still trying to find your footing in a new environment. i personally was very glad that i decided to live on campus in my first year, even if i originally planned not to.

because if you ask me (which you did), living on campus in my first year grounded me in my college community and opened doors to student leadership involvement i would not have seen otherwise. now that i’m living off-campus, i wouldn’t say i have any less opportunities than those living on campus. (i actually LOVE it!! living off-campus is great, i now get to hear the birds when i wake up.)

but, living on campus was really important to my first year because i made friends who were student leaders and i wouldn’t have been confident enough to get involved myself if i wasn’t already living in my college residence and feeling comfortable in the community.

that’s just my experience.

but, i’m sorta guessing that the kind of opportunities you were asking about were ones that would relate to your career, and not about college involvement.

so, if that’s what your question was about, the short answer is no! you will not be at a disadvantage with career opportunities if you choose to live off-campus. unless you’re commuting from a land far, far away, like richmond hill or scarb, then you might not want to take an in-person job that requires more hours, you know? but then again, the ball would be in your court. they would not reject you just for living off campus. if they do, i will show up and throw hands for your sake.

i hope this was helpful!!!

over and out,

aska

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career choice, hard

if money didn’t matter, indeed

June 19, 2025

Hey there! im about to end 10th grade yet i still havent decided what im going to major in…its a big struggle for me. I was thinking of engineering or some physics/astronomy related field but im really bad at those ;(( My friend recommended architecture cuz i like drawing and math but i dunno…. (if money didnt matter id probably choose art or design tho)

hey there,

omg i hear you. first of all, i’m sorry you’re feeling worried about this! when i was in high school, i felt the same way :(. it’s stressful to not have a concrete plan for your future, especially when it seems like other people around you have it all together.

but, now that i’m not in high school, i can tell you that it’s so, so perfectly normal to not know what you want to major in yet! honestly, when people used to tell me that this was normal, i thought they were lying to me to make me feel better… and now i know that they were right all along.

because nobody has it all together. those people who say they’ve got their heart set on something, ok whatEVER good for them i guess. but they are few and far between. (and most of the time, they’re the ones choosing law, medicine, or business for their parents.)

if you take one thing away from me, let it be this: you do not have to know what you want to major in yet. if you’re just finishing grade 10, you still have time. if you’re just entering grade 12, you still have time. if you’re entering your first year of university, you still have time. it’s all good and nothing is wrong.

like, i switched majors after second year. nothing bad happened to me — in fact, i actually learned so much from having experience in different majors!

if you were interested in U of T as an option at all, i’ll have you know that U of T students don’t have to choose their major until after their first year is over. other schools make you choose right off the bat, but U of T allows you to explore first before making your decision! (at least, this is the case with the faculty of arts and science. it’s slightly different for engineering and architecture because those are separate faculties).

but anyways, i think it’s really great that you’re considering engineering, physics, and/or astronomy. you say you’re bad at those, but don’t sell yourself short!! in university, success is far more based on work ethic rather than talent. you even said you like math, which is perfect — i’m pretty sure engineering, physics and astronomy are all heavily math based. so if you really do like math, i think you would do well in them.

meanwhile, your friend is right. architecture is a great option if you like drawing and design but also want the practicality of a science-y degree. i have a couple of architecture friends who were very into art in high school. like, i’m pretty sure it’s a stereotype that people who want to pursue art go for architecture.

overall, all these options are good options.

but where to go from here? here are two suggestions i have for figuring out what you want to do:

1. talk to people who are a few years older and get their perspective. do you know anyone in university? do you know anyone majoring in anything you’re interested in? ask them for advice, and find out what it’s really like to study those things.

2. get as much experience as you can in the fields you’re interested in. ie, let yourself see the room before you decide whether or not you want to be in it.

for example, there are engineering, physics, architecture, or astronomy programs offered by universities for high school students. spending time exploring these options through fun summer activities might help bring you some clarity. i know that U of T offers engineering summer programs for high school students — and i’m sure most every university near you offers something similar.

if you want a list of U of T summer programs for high school students, look here. there’s an architecture one on there, low commitment — only 2 weeks long! and there’s a bunch of engineering ones there. honestly these are so cool i wish i had known about these in high school.

but yeah, those are just some of my suggestions. the combination of advice from someone a few years older while trying things out firsthand can really help.

it’s kinda crazy because i was in a really similar situation to you when i was your age. up until grade 12, i wanted to go into astronomy or astrophysics. ultimately, i ended up choosing something different because i didn’t enjoy math. then i switched again once i got to university. but through it all and up until now, i know that if money didn’t matter i would be in music.

so i definitely feel what you’re going through.

and i don’t know, it’s hard. choosing between a creative career and an academic one is hard. ultimately, i chose science because i liked it and had a higher chance of making a living with it, among other reasons. is the decision to not pursue something artistic slowly but surely carving a hole into me every day? perhaps. have i recently been enjoying my science degree to the point of happy tears and gleeful skips around the apartment? perhaps.

but, enough about me. you’ll have a whole different experience from mine, and have got to figure out what makes the most sense for you. all i can tell you with certainty is that it’s normal to not be decided on a major and you still have time to figure it out. please don’t listen to anyone who makes you feel like you need to have everything together right now, please be gentle with yourself when you are unsure of things. it will work out!

anyways, i hope you took something useful from this. wishing you the bestest of luck. you are more capable than you think! i believe in you!

over and out,

aska

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admissions, prereqs, rotman

i’m an ap calculus hater

May 31, 2025
So I recently got accepted into UofT into their Rotman Commerce Program. The thing is, this was stated in my terms and conditions (conditional offer):”Maintain your current academic standing, particularly in any prerequisite subjects for the admission category to which you have been admitted, and graduate. If you have already completed your studies, ensure your official results are submitted.” Does this mean I have to submit my AP Calc results?

hey there,

huge congrats on your acceptance to rotman!!! conditional or not, that is a big deal and i hope you are being celebrated. if not, this is me celebrating you. YIPPEEE!!! YAYYY!! YAHOOO!!!

ok party’s over. now to your question.

hmm, AP calculus is not necessarily a pre-requisite for rotman admissions. but i know that calculus & vectors (MCV4U) or an equivalent course is required. so i’d say..
1. if you took a different grade 12 level calculus course, you probably don’t need to submit your AP calc results.
2. if AP calc was how you fulfilled the calculus & vectors (MCV4U) requirement, you should submit your AP calc results.
if this was any other AP course, i’d say either way, you should probably just submit your AP scores for the sake of getting a transfer credit. i remember having to do this manually — ie. the AP college board will not just automatically send your scores to your university.

basically, once your scores are available in early july, you just go to the AP website and submit them using U of T’s code, 0982. as long as you submit by the end of august, you’d automatically have a transfer credit show up in your transcript, assuming your AP exam mark is at least a 4.

BUT, the thing about U of T is that they don’t actually accept AP calc for transfer credits. (this made me soooo mad in grade 12.)

so if you were to submit your AP calc marks, it would only be to show them your final grade.

anyways. in short, i’d recommend you should definitely submit your AP calc marks if that was your fulfilment of the MCV4U requirement. however, if you fulfilled the requirement with another calc course, you still could submit the AP calc scores, because AP calc is technically a course that will show up on your grade 12 transcript and U of T might want to know your final score.

regardless of whether it’s a required pre-requisite for you or not, i don’t think it hurts to submit your AP calc scores to U of T.

finally, just to preface!! i am just a student, not an admissions officer. so as much as i hate to admit it, there is a chance what i’m telling you is not completely accurate. if you want an answer that is 100% true, i’d suggest checking out some of the contacts on this page. or, email the rotman registrar at ro@rotman.utoronto.ca. i don’t wanna lead you astray 🙁

good luck with everything!

over and out,

aska
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