• arts & sciences,  biology,  chem,  prereqs

    you’re welcome ??

    May 5, 2024

    Hi! So I recently got accepted into the uoft arts and science program. I applied for humanities back in October, but after taking chem and bio in second semester I’ve been curious to take some science courses in uni. I looked online and sadly the chem course at uoft requires calculus and functions (that I didn’t take). Is it still possible for me to take this course, or do you have to have the high school prerequisites? Thank u ??

    hey there,

    ayy congrats on getting accepted!

    if you take constructive criticism, it would be super helpful if i knew which chem course at u of t you were referring to? there are, like, at least a couple (there are over 70 chem courses).

    Season 2 Episode 21 GIF by Twin Peaks on Showtime

    jokes, i’m just being a hater. i’m gonna assume you’re probably talking about the standard first-year chem course required for pretty much all science programs: CHM135.

    you’re right that the academic calendar says CHM135 requires the prerequisites of grade 12 bio, and grade 12 calculus and functions. so what i would do in this case is email the chemistry department directly and ask them if it’s in any way possible for you to take the course without the grade 12 math prerequisites. i’m not sure if they will say yes or not, but this was what i did for BIO120, and they let me. i would encourage you to email them asap, so that you know whether you need to consider enrolling in online school to complete the prereq.

    i actually took CHM135, and i would say it’s definitely do-able without calculus or functions knowledge. however, take this with a grain of salt because i did actually have the calculus 12 prerequisite, so maybe it unconsciously helped, idk. but unless i’ve erased it all from memory, i recall there was only one lab out of five that even referred to functions on a graph. it was just pure memorization, you didn’t actually need to know calculus for it, and either way, it was all explained in the lab book. it definitely doesn’t need bio as a prerequisite though, since i didn’t even take biology 12 either, and i cannot recall anything in that course that required pre-knowledge of bio.

    anyways. nothing can make me un-remember difficult CHM135 was, so just be prepared. the general consensus was that BIO120 was much easier, so if you don’t end up trying out chem, at least try out bio. in general, people say that the spectrum of difficulty with first year science courses goes like this: physics>math>chem>bio. (if you want my opinion, i think chem was harder than math, and i loooved BIO120).

    if you’re genuinely interested in it, i highly support this endeavour to try your hand in uni science courses! they are so interesting and kind of change the way you see the world around you! if you wanted, you could absolutely complete the math prerequisites through TVO ILC, which i’ve seen people do. my friend did that, and it might seem overwhelming to take a whole calc course online, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal. definitely worth it in the end—think of it as an investment in your future.

    also, did you know that you can actually take a major in sciences while taking a major in the arts? i learned that embarassingly late LMAO. so just putting it out there in case you ended up girlbossing too close to the sun and end up loving the science courses you take so much that you want to pursue a science program.

    I See You Wow GIF by Bounce

    over and out,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  programs

    u got the beeeeest of both worlds (2.0)

    February 6, 2022

    Hi! So I’m starting my senior year in less than a month (whoa) and I’ve decided that I want to major in poli sci. I was on the UofT website and it said that a student can have two majors, if I’m in the social science stream freashman year so I can major in poli sci, how hard will it be to choose a second major in a completely different field (like life sci)?

    hello there,

    sorry for the late reply!!! (yikes) but i hope this helps anyway. and yes i did recycle that title. it’s just too good.

    if you enter in the social science stream, it’s definitely possible to choose a second major in a different field, as long as it’s in the faculty of arts and sciences, and as long as you can take all the courses required for each major. imo one of the coolest things about uoft artsci is the sheer number of programs that you can basically mix and match — here’s the full list!

    They Have Everything Complete GIFfrom They Have Everything GIFs

    in terms of courses, each major usually requires around 7-8 FCEs (credits, basically) and you need 20 FCEs to graduate, so it should be totally fine to major in two very different fields and have some space leftover for electives, too.

    the one thing i can think of that might be a bit tricky is course selections. generally students get priority enrollment for courses in whatever stream/program they’re enrolled in. so if you apply for the social science stream, you’d get priority for those courses in first year, but may have a harder time getting into life sci or other categories’ courses. in my experience though, first year course selections weren’t too bad and i was able to get into most courses i needed in my stream/program and other electives. also, first year classes are usually pretty huge (especially lifesci), so i wouldn’t worry too much about getting into those tbh.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  cinema studies,  english,  subject POST

    aaaaand it’s that time of year again

    March 19, 2019

    Hi!

    This may be a completely dumb question but, I am currently in my first year at UTSG and am deciding on what I want to major and minor in. I know for sure that I want to major in english and minor in literary studies but I am currently stuck on what to pick for my second minor. I wanted to do film studies but I haven’t taken the introduction to film studies this year and I heard that you can’t apply to be in film studies unless you have taken the intro course first. But, my question was if this is true or not and if I am able to apply for film studies and take the intro class in my second year. I have a back up plan to choose book & media studies as my second minor if film doesn’t work out. But, I was also wondering (this may sound really stupid so sorry!) if we apply for our programs at the end of our first year or the end of second year and when we are to apply. Also, one final question, can I apply for my major and then three minors in case one is difficult to get into and I don’t get into one (because film & book and media studies are more difficult). For example, if i apply for my major as english and then my minors as literary studies, film studies, and book & media studies, and if i get into all then I just pick the two minors I want the most.

    Sorry if this was really long and makes no literal sense!

    ——————————————

    hello n welcome!

    i don’t believe in dumb questions. i’ll answer anything. your confusion is valid, the school’s system can be difficult to navigate and that’s why i’m on here, running this world-class (lmao i wish) blog.

    so i’ve looked it up, but i can’t find any mention of… literary studies at u of t? so for the purposes of this post, i’m just gonna assume you mean literature and critical theory, or what i really wanna call lit&crit. if i’m wrong and literary studies is an actual program, feel free to correct me with as much salt as you’d like.

    according to the cinema studies minor page it is true that yeah, you need the intro class CIN105Y1 in order to get into the program. you’ll need at last a 70 percent in the course to be competitive for admission. if your heart is set on studying the art of the silver screen, then what i’d recommend you do is register for the course in your second year and try to apply for the minor at the end of next year. you won’t be able to register and then take the intro course, as they require a final mark in that class to let you in.

    that’s a good transition into your next question, about when to apply for programs. technically, you’re allowed to apply for a program at the end of your first year. this program request period has already started, and the dates vary by program type. you can check them all out here, which i would recommend doing just so you know what your deadlines are. however, there’s nothing stopping you from engaging in this program request period in later years, as well.

    the only thing you really should know is that once you hit your second year (complete 4.0 FCEs), you’re required to be enrolled in programs or else you’ll be blocked from course registration. 

    for your last question, how it works is that you can apply to multiple programs as long as they’re not all type 1 programs. i’m not sure how familiar you are with the system, so i can give you a quick rundown of the program types. type 1 programs have no restrictions on enrolment. as soon as you request the program, you’re automatically added to it– english and lit&crit are both type 1. type 2 programs generally require a specific grade threshold in a specific course to be met– for example, a 70 percent in CIN105Y1. type 3 programs essentially add extra requirements, like auditions and essays, on top of what a type 2 asks.

    at the end of the day, you can only be enrolled in 3 subject POSts at once. that’s why you can’t pick four type 1s, but you can request two type 1s and two type 2s. if you did get admitted to both the type 2 programs you requested, you’d only be able to accept one in addition to your two other programs.

    if that’s too confusing, just know that in your case, theoretically you would be able to request that combo of programs (eng, cin, lit&crit, book and media). however, as you haven’t taken the cin intro course, i guess it’s not as relevant? 

    what you can do if you don’t get into book and media is request a placeholder minor. this is any type 1 minor that you can easily drop at the end of the year, and replace with something you like more– like cin, if you take the intro course!

    hopefully this was helpful to you! in other words, i really hope i didn’t just make your head spin even more with the long post. comments section is open for complaints if i did. i know it’s tough juggling all that comes with march (wrapping up midterms! quickly approaching finals! tackling assignments like you’re putting out lil fires!) on top of figuring out how the HECK programs work.

    all the best,

    aska

     

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  • arts & sciences,  courses,  CR/NCR,  credits,  enrollment,  enrolment,  GPA,  prereqs,  repeating course

    we love a good second chance

    February 18, 2019

    Hey, so I wanted to know if you can retake a course you “no credited”? I want to major in sociology but I took only SOC102, LWD SOC103, and NCR SOC150 ( first 2 yrs were tough) There’s only certain combinations allowed and my only hope really is if I’m allowed to try SOC150 again.  Any advice?!

    Thanks!

    ——————————————

    hi there,

    did some digging for ya, and i’m not gonna lie– initially, it looked like it was gonna be bad news. as far as the artsci website says, you shouldn’t ever cr/ncr a course if there’s even a remote chance you’ll need it for program enrolment. the implication being, you don’t have many options if you’ve already done so.

    HOWEVER. i read through half of the faculty of arts and sciences rules and regulations to see if i could find you a loophole, and it looks like there might actually be one.

    chelsea peretti television GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine

    apparently if you’ve already passed a course, you’re not allowed to retake it; that includes courses you’ve passed with ‘CR’. but under the ‘repeating passed courses’ section, the rules allow for a single repeat of a course to achieve the minimum entry mark for a program like soc. this retake won’t count towards your gpa or graduation requirements, but it will be on your academic record.

    either way, what’s important in your case is that yes, you are able to give SOC150 another shot!

    in order to make it happen, you’ll need to get in contact with your college registrar. they’ll be able to give you further advice as well as enrol you in the course (from what i’ve read, i don’t think you can enrol in it yourself). i believe you’ll have lower priority to get in than students taking the course for the first time, but don’t let that stop you from going after this.

    best of luck,
    aska
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  • arts & sciences,  first year,  seminars

    1-800-which-199?

    June 9, 2017

    What 199 seminar class did you take and how was it? I trust your say 🙂 I’m trying to pick a 199 course and I’m stuck

    ———————————————

    hi!

    i personally didn’t take any 199 seminar classes, but i did a ones program, which is like an extended version of a 199 seminar class. i really enjoyed my seminar classes and developed a lot of meaningful relationships with some super fancy profs and my classmates. our facebook group was poppin’.

    i’d imagine that you’d have a similar experience in a 199 class. though i personally haven’t taken a 199 class, my friends who did all really enjoyed them. it’s a really great way to have a small class experience before third/ fourth year and fulfill the breadth requirement in an interesting way.

    because i’ve never taken one, i don’t think i can recommend one, but there a tons to pick from. i wouldjust  read the descriptions and pick ones that interest you!

    unfortunately, the artsci website with the course descriptions hasn’t been updated yet for 2017-18, but if you use the artsci timetable and type in “first year seminars” in the search bar, a list with the course descriptions and when they are pops up.

    hope this helped, see you on campus in september!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • ACORN,  arts & sciences,  breadth requirements,  courses,  degree requirements,  enrollment,  first year

    course selection frenzy

    May 30, 2017

    Hello! I got into u of t St George and first I just wanted to say thank you to all the admins of aska! There’s a lot of anxiety surrounding uni when you’re a senior, but this site was a haven for all my questions. So thank you 🙂 And now that I got in I have even more questions haha. Course selection! I don’t know anything about what I’m supposed to do! How many courses do I choose? How many credits do I need to graduate? Can I only choose courses revolvin from major and/or minor? Thanks again!!

    ———————————————

    hello young one!

    thank you! it’s always nice to get fanmail!

    as for your questions about course selection, it’s understandable that you have no clue what’s going on! i felt like i was wandering through an impermeable haze of confusion during the summer before my first year so i totally feel you.

    for first years, you’ll find out your course enrolment time (when you can log onto ACORN and enrol in courses) on july 21st. actual course enrolment starts july 27th. basically, you log onto ACORN, find the courses that you want to take by typing them into the website’s search bar, add them to your enrolment cart, and then click the enrol button on july 27th. DON’T FORGET TO ACTUALLY ENROL IN YOUR COURSES. i know tons of people who forgot because they thought that adding them to their enrolment cart enrolled them automatically. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. it’s like online shopping, you gotta check out after you put ’em in the cart.

    as for how many courses, most people do 5 FCE (full course equivalents) per year in order to graduate in 4 years (you need 20 FCE to graduate, 5 times 4 = 20). of course, that is just a suggestion. some people take less and then take either an extra year or two to graduate or make up for it with summer courses. it’s all up to you! i wouldn’t suggest taking more than 5 in the first year though. while it is possible to take up to 6 FCE per year, it’s nice to be able to just figure out your pacing and see how heavy uni courses are before taking on extra courses.

    in your first year (i’m also assuming that you’re in artsci), you can take any classes you want, though you should take the courses that are relevant to your programs of interest. you should also do some research on the programs that you’re interested in and check out their preqs. you can find programs and their requirements in the faculty calendar.

    i would also suggest looking at the breadth requirement. though you do have your entire undergrad to fulfill these, a lot of people like to get these out of the way early. there are also a lot of breadth options in first year, such as the first year seminar classes. also, you are only allowed 6.0 100-level courses throughout your degree, so it might be a good idea to plan out how you’re going to use them.

    i really hope that this helps! looking forward to seeing you on campus in september!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  colleges,  fees

    every penny counts

    May 30, 2017

    I’ve noticed that some colleges have cheaper tuition prices then others, it seems that Woodsworth College has the cheapest tuition is this correct?

    ———————————————

    hi!

    included in your tuition are compulsory non-academic incidental fees. a lot of these fees are the same for all u of t students (we’re all charged the same hart house membership fee, for example) but some of them are college specific. though they’re not technically “tuition”, they’re included in your overall fees and you pay them at the same time you pay your academic fees.

    the compulsory non-academic incidental fees include your college’s student society fees, any levies they require that you contribute to, or any service fees. they differ from college to college, as each college has a different student society that collects fees to contribute to clubs/ levies/ events.

    you can check out the these charts to compare the different colleges’ incidental fees. i ain’t gonna do the math and figure out the cheapest one for you. you know i hate math.

    xoxo,

    aska

     

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  • arts & sciences,  degree requirements,  graduation

    yay career advancement!

    May 24, 2017

    Hi Aska!

    I have 2 questions for you:

    1. If I take a Y course in the summer, and only that 1.0 course, I’m eligible for work-study during the summer, right? The wording is a little confusing to me.

    2. I know you’re able to finish up your 20 FCE in three years and be eligible for November graduation, but if you finish a semester early, would you be considered “graduated”/will you receive your degree? I was thinking of graduating a semester early (can’t do it in 3 years) so I could possibly start working earlier but a lot of “real job” places insist on you having your degree before they employ you. So I’m trying to figure out if that plan is even possible!

    Thanks, Aska!

    ———————————————

    hello!

    1. yes! you’re eligible for work-study during the summer. according to the uoft website, you must be enrolled in at least 1.0FCE— which you are.
    2. sadly, you aren’t considered “graduated” until the actual ceremony. however, you can go to the artsci registrar and request a letter confirming your graduation.

    i hope that was helpful. good luck on your career journey!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  programs,  St. George,  subject POST

    not so easy as 1- 2- 2L- 3

    May 15, 2017

    When is it time to choose programs? And what are the different types of programs (Type 1,2,3)? Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    ah yes, it’s that time of year again. i really hope that in the time it has taken me to respond to your inquiry, you’ve tried googling this yourself…

    …but if you haven’t, that’s fine, i’ll answer your question anyways! all of the below information applies to the faculty of arts and science at UTSG.

    this information is illustrated really nicely in this link right here but i’ll reiterate it for you and all my wonderful readers because that is what i do.

    behold.

    when is the subject POSt enrolment period? depends on your program type. (fyi: i am using program and POSt interchangeably.)

    how do you check what type of program you want? you use this handy little (or not so little) list.

    type 1 programs: the period to enrol for type 1 programs is april 1st to september 20th (a.k.a. now) there are no enrolment restrictions on type 1 programs. if you have completed 4.0 FCE’s you will be able to enrol into any type 1 program. all you have to do is go to ROSI or ACORN and enrol yourself. (just plunk the code on the left side of the column into the subject POSt module, et voila!)

    type 1S programs: these are basically the same as type 1 programs except the enrolment period is different and students in these programs pay higher fees. there are no restrictions or applications for 1S programs and the enrolment period of july 3rd to september 20th (a.k.a. later).

    type 2, 2L (the L just means limited), 3 programs**: this is where things get a little funky. read carefully.

    there are two request periods for these types of programs because the first period is if you completed the program requirements by the end of the 2016-2017 fall winter session, while the second period is if you are hoping to have completed the program requirements by the end of the 2017 summer session.

    the first period to apply is april 1st to may 17th. you will need to apply during this period, check your result on june 30th, and then if you have been invited to enrol, enrol by august 2nd.

    the second period to apply is july 3rd to august 27th. you will need to apply during this period, check your result on september 15th, and if you have been invited to enrol, you’ll need to enrol by september 20th. be sure to check your ROSI during this period (put it in your calendar!) because you don’t have much time to enrol!

    **type 3 programs: these differ slightly from type 2 programs because program enrolment is limited and you will require an application. some applications do not accept applications from the second request period. if that is the case, it will say 3-no.

    again, the steps to applying and enrolling are all outlined nicely in the link i attached above!

    ***something important to keep in mind is that if you’ve completed 4.0 FCE’s, you won’t be able to add any courses until you apply to a program. if you are applying to a type 2 or 3 program where it is possible that you may not be accepted, it is very important to secure a backup POSt so you can continue to enrol in courses. my advice to you would be to enrol in a random type 1 specialist program simultaneously along with your type 2/2L/3 program applications just in case you don’t get into to the type 2/2L/3 programs. don’t worry, you won’t need to have taken any courses in that department, pretty much any type 1 POST will do. that being said, you could also enrol yourself in 2 type 1 majors/ one type 1 major and two type 1 minors as place holders, but that just overcomplicates everything once you need to drop them. it’s better to just use a type 1 specialist as your placeholder because if you do end up getting into a type 2/2L/3 program, you’ll only need to drop one POSt (your random type 1 specialist) as opposed to two type 1 majors/a type 1 major and 2 type 1 minors.***

    does that make sense? are you one of these flamingoes?

    that’s okay! i realize this post may be a little convoluted and wordy but if you need more clarification, please comment below!

    good luck and i hope you get into all your desired programs!

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  choosing,  computer science,  courses,  keeners,  math,  programs

    compsci conundrum

    May 9, 2017

    I am planning on attending UTSC (but I think this question should be
    applicable to the other campuses) this September, and I am looking for
    advice on whether I should aim for a major + 2 minor or (software
    engineering) specialist program in Computer Science.

    I am leaning towards the major + 2 minor option for the following reasons:

    The specialist program requires some additional courses that I think would
    make it more difficult than the major. For example, it requires both Linear
    Algebra II and Intro to Probability, whereas the major program let’s you
    choose one of them. Another math course that is required is Calculus of
    Several Variables I, which just sounds terrifying. And I know that math is
    important in CS, but, I am only okay in math (ended with 83 in functions
    because trig killed me [I probably wouldn’t have done that well on it in
    the first place, but I planned poorly for other subjects, and so did not
    have time to study for the unit test]; calc seems much more interesting,
    though), and so I would like to skip some of these math courses.
    Additionally, I am not sure how useful or hard some of the additional CS
    courses like Intro to Numerical Algorithms for Computational Mathematics or
    Computability and Computational Complexity will be—they all seem very
    abstract and not-practical.

    Another reason I want the major + 2 minor is that I would get two minors. I
    am taking Writer’s Craft this year and have realized that I quite enjoy
    creative writing. It just so happens that UTSC offers a minor program under
    English called Creative Writing. I think taking this minor alongside the CS
    major would be a great way to lessen the workload and pursue something I
    enjoy, while also pursing something else I enjoy that can actually earn me
    money. Having only math and theory-based CS courses besides a small number
    of electives is not too appealing to me. I realize that those courses are
    better than practical programming courses in the long-run, but having them
    make up the vast majority of my degree seems a bit painful. I don’t have a
    solid pick for a second minor yet, but I don’t think it would be hard for
    me to choose one (linguistics and food science are top contenders).

    Here, then, are reasons I might want to go the specialist route:

    I’m special.

    I think some of the courses the specialist has you take would be pretty
    beneficial. For example, since my goal is to get a job as a programmer, the
    courses that seem to teach you how to do stuff in a real-world environment
    like Intro to Software Engineering and Engineering Large Software Systems
    could really be useful, and I might be missing out if I opt for the major.
    There are also a few other courses like Programming on the Web and Intro to
    Databases which could add to my skill set and make me more marketable for
    co-op and post-post-secondary jobs. I am of course just predicting how
    valuable these courses might be form their names and descriptions alone;
    that’s why I’m asking you! The major program only allows you to take 1
    credit of additional C/D-level (300/400-level) CS courses, which means
    missing out on some potentially useful courses. I am guessing that it is
    not possible to take more as electives, but is it?

    My minors will probably also not help at all with my future career; I would
    only be taking them to lessen the amount of math/CS courses and increase
    the amount of enjoyable courses. Is that a bad thing to do?

    So, to conclude, do you think the benefits for taking the specialist
    program (additional useful courses) outweighs the cons (more un-fun
    courses; less fun courses)? Both choices aid the mind, but in different
    ways (i.e. one probably reduces chances of suicide).

    Thank you and sorry for the long message; I wanted to make my points clear
    🙂

    ———————————————

    buddy.

    i began penning a response to this question that went a little something like: “just go with your gut! it seems like you’re leaning towards the major and two minors option! why not pursue that?”, but upon further reflection, i’ve decided that we need to rewind a little, if that’s okay with you.

    (just so you know, i’m not a computer science student, nor have i taken any computer science classes and i’m just as confused as you are about these programs. i’m speaking only as a seasoned upper year student)

    before i start ripping into you, (it’s going to happen, i’m sorry) kudos to you for thinking this hard about what program you want to get into. it’s clear you’ve put a lot of thought into this, which is great. this response isn’t supposed to make you feel bad- i just want to bring you back to earth a little.

    so, first- you’ve made some serious assumptions on what these courses are going to be like. i can tell you from experience that i’ve made assumptions based on course names and have been incredibly wrong. classes also vary pretty dramatically depending on the instructor.

    *askastorytime* i took a class called urban geography, planning, and political processes. i thought was going to be super difficult and intense, but it ended up being super chill. for our final project, we created a zine and performed a rap for the class. for our group presentation, i contributed a sick drum beat and didn’t even utter a single word. moral of the story: do not judge courses by their names. linear algebra is probs super easy. (i’m kidding. math is never easy. math is very hard. we mustn’t joke about math.)

    your assumptions that some classes are “abstract”, “non-practical” or “terrifying” are all based on the course name. the truth is, every program at u of t will require a great deal of hard work. sure, easy courses exist, but transitioning from high school to first year is a huge challenge and you need to take that into account. picking the major and two minors option over a specialist program doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be choosing the ‘easier route’. like i’ve said in previous posts, it really depends on how deep you want to get into a subject. a major and two minors allows you to explore a larger variety of subjects whereas a specialist will let you dig deep into one subject. which option are you more interested in?

    while the university does have a breadth requirement which encourages us to take courses outside of our faculty, personally, if i were to choose two minors that were completely unrelated to my major, i feel like i would have lots of difficulty focusing on each one and feel like a scatterbrain. for others who are better at multitasking and switching between subjects easily, a major and two minors is perfect! it really depends on what kind of person you are. can you turn your computer science mind off and jump right into phonetics and phonology if you need to? you’ll have to test that out in your first year! p.s. don’t forget to take a moment to check out the requirements for your potential minors and their different application requirements.

    that being said, from what i’ve heard, computer science is extremely math heavy. there is no easy way out. you have been warned.

    for now, i think you should try picking courses that are prerequisites for the general computer science programs (if you are sure about pursuing computer science), and see how you feel about them. fear not, the utsc calendar literally says that it’s not meant to be difficult to switch between different streams within computer science.

    you have plenty of time to discuss your options with an academic advisor as well! you can also talk to the program supervisor for computer science if you have more specific questions about the available compsci programs.

    i’d also encourage you to reach out to current or past computer science alumni to get some different perspectives on how they chose their programs. hearing other people’s thought processes might help you figure out what you’re looking for!

    hey, if doing programming for your whole undergrad sounds terrible for you, maybe computer science isn’t the right program for you. your first year is meant for you to explore and discover what courses you like. you don’t even necessarily need to get into your program by second year if you still don’t know what to do after your first year.

    so in conclusion, specialist courses won’t necessarily be more useful in the long run, and if the idea of specializing in software engineering doesn’t sound colourful enough for you, maybe the major and two minor option will be better for you! again, you really need to take some university level classes to see what it’s really like here. don’t judge a book by its cover, yo.

    good luck with your decision, i hope you choose a program you like!

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • anthropology,  applying for U of T,  arts & sciences,  international relations,  programs

    programs ‘n such

    March 24, 2017

    Hi Aska, I am a grade 12 student who just applied for INternational
    Relations at UTSG, however I was wondering if it is possible to undertake a
    double degree in IR and Anthropology at U of T? If so, what would the
    course load be like, similar to majoring in both subjects or harder? As
    well as, how long would it take for me to complete both degrees, would it
    be the standard timeframe of 4 years or longer?

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hello,

    at U of T in the faculty of arts and sciences, we have programs, which are basically your major and minors:

    1. a specialist (one discipline) e.g.  specialist in international relations
    2. a double major (two disciplines) e.g. majoring in international relations and anthropology
    3. one major and two minors (three disciplines) e.g. majoring in international relations, minoring in anthropology and … english?

    if you specialize (option 1), you’ll be going more in depth with one subject, but if you pick option 2 or 3), you’ll be able to dabble in more disciplines, but at a more shallow level. does that make sense? it depends on how deep you wanna go into the subjects you are studying.

    what you’re referring to is a double major in international relations and anthropology, which is definitely possible.

    each option is equal in terms of difficulty and course load, meaning that you can complete any of the three options in the “standard” 4 years. some people finish their degrees under 4 years by taking courses during the summer, and others take longer to complete their degree because they take a smaller, more manageable course load throughout 5+ years. both options are pretty common!

    i hope this answered your questions!

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  colleges,  fees,  incidentals

    program fees vs. course fees

    March 15, 2017

    Dear aska,

    I’m a fourth year student and I want to take an extra semester of courses to improve my gpa for Masters applications. I’m an Education and Society minor and I need to finish 0.5 credit internship before I can graduate. I’m planning on doing it in fall 2017, not taking winter courses and graduating in June 2018. You answered a question (entitled: i have LOTS of problems) that basically encapsulates my situation as well. But what I’d like to know is that if I am a full-time student in the fall (probably taking 3-4 courses) and I don’t take any courses in the winter term, would I still be a full-time student. And do I still have to pay full year’s tuition?

    Regards,

    Struggling Student

    ———————————————

    glad to know someone’s reading our wee li’l blog!

    arts and sciences will assess your status by looking at the full session (both fall and winter), meaning that if you are only enrolled in 3-4 courses in one semester, you’re still considered a part time student.

    let’s assume that by taking 3-4 courses, you mean 1.5-2.0 FCE’s. according to the faculty of arts and sciences, you’re still considered part time and you’ll be able to pay per course fees. the link above explains everything in excruciating detail ^

    you will also be paying reduced incidentals, which are specific to your college: <— select which college you are part of and you’ll be able to see what fees you’ll be paying.

    basically, as long as your course load is 3.5 credits or lower, you’ll pay course fees.

    hope this helped!

    peace and love,

    aska

     

     

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  • admissions,  arts & sciences,  St. George,  stats,  UTM,  UTSC

    i will find you

    January 18, 2017

    Hello! I can’t seem to find the statistics on those that were accepted into the faculty of arts and science. Help would be appreciated!

    ———————————————

    yo,

    stats are hard to find. don’t feel bad. you have come to the right person.

    in addition to being ridiculously charming and hot (like my homeboy liam neeson), i also possess a very particular set of super ninja detective samurai skills. fear not, for i have found what you are looking for.

    there’s this super cool thing called Common University Data Ontario (CUDO) which can give you stats on:

    • Number of degrees awarded, student enrolment and entering averages – all by program;
    • Number of students living on campus and activities offered;
    • Student satisfaction;
    • First-year tuition and ancillary fees by program;
    • Number of teaching faculty;
    • Undergraduate class size, by year level;
    • Research awards granted; and
    • Graduation rates and employment rates by program.

    click on the year that you want to see and voila! you can even look at stats on UTM and UTSG.

    go crazy!

    peace and love,

    aska

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