choosing - askastudent

business, certificate, choosing, continuing studies

dw, shrek is praying for you

October 18, 2024

hi aska! i’m on my gap year working while also aiming to get a gr 12 calc credit via TVO ILC. since i’m doing an online course right now, i’m wondering if completing a program from uoft’s school of continuing studies is a good idea. i also saw that SCS bootcamp stuff too. i got accepted to uoftsg for humanities/social sciences, and the plan was to get the business fundamentals certificate too. i’m still looking into the continuing studies programs, and the finance/marketing programs have me curious. then again, i’m unsure if it’s worth pursuing since i fear it might not be as valid on my resume compared to having a BBA. plus, juggling online courses w/ IRL courses, events, etc.

at the time i applied for undergrad, i didn’t try to get into rotman or schulich since i didn’t have the required math courses at the time of applying (or the required interest in business school lol).

i like what i’m about to pursue for undergrad but i keep thinking about getting some business stuff under my belt to increase chances of employability, and i’m becoming more interested in business and marketing. this has me wondering if i should try getting business qualifications via online programs or go to business school post-grad. what do you think? i’m thinking doing a business certificate in undergrad and then business school post-grad. thank you so much for everything you do 🙂

hey there,

no because you’re so real for this. every now and then i spiral about my program choices and think that i should get a business certificate to get those qualifications under my belt, for employability reasons. ~~#capitalismisdestroyingmydreams~~

so kudos to you for taking initiative during your gap year and looking into all this stuff!

in terms of the school of continuing studies programs, it looks to me like they can be really valuable for developing marketing and finance skills. they offer so many courses and programs, and everything i see here looks great. they do also offer online finance courses, so it wouldn’t have to be in-person if you’re worried about that time commitment.

now, it’s true that getting a BBA for undergrad would weigh a whole lot more than getting certificates. however, it wouldn’t be simple or easy to switch into a BBA once you’ve been accepted into U of T. the rotman school of business says they “very rarely” take in students switching in from the faculty of arts and sciences, which you’re in right now. this would be what is called an “internal transfer” into rotman and it’s quite difficult, from what i’ve heard.

so honestly, your idea of getting the business fundamentals certificate while pursuing your humanities/social sciences degree in undergrad seems like a good middle ground. especially because you like the program that you’re currently in for undergrad and want to stay in it. that way, if you’re still feeling like you want to pursue business later, you can always pursue business school post-grad. plenty of people go that route after working for a bit.

although i am not an employer (duh), i think that getting a certificate in business fundamentals would give you a boost in employability, especially when combined with your undergrad degree. and the fact that you would have certificates + a degree from U of T, a very reputable school, will give you another huge boost.

it’s also quite strategic to combine a humanities/social sciences undergrad degree with business qualifications. that way you’ll have a more diverse set of skills, making you more well-rounded and versatile in the job world? i think.

keep in mind though, that an mba and bba serve different purposes for both your career and employability. so i’d encourage you to look into which one would fit your pursuits/needs better.

through all this, my advice to you would be to not stack too many things on yourself while pursuing your undergrad degree. if you want to take those bootcamp or continuing studies course during your gap year, great! if you wanted to do those while being a full time undergrad student, i would say perhaps don’t? especially bootcamps — those are pretty intense and just balancing your courses as an undergrad student is already a LOT. ie. make sure you can commit to what you signed up for 😀

overall, i fully support you in your business pursuits, you’re doing amazing. i hope my thoughts on the matter helped in some way. best of luck to you and your decisions! (and thanks for your patience).

over and out,

aska

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campus, choosing, competition, courses

day 47389 of asking you to be more specific

July 7, 2024
What courses do you think are the least to highest in competitiveness. And also what campus do you think are the least to highest in competitiveness.

hey there,

well, as you can see on the U of T course timetable, there are almost 8000 courses offered during the fall/winter school year across all its undergrad faculties.

you want to know which of these are the least to highest in competitiveness? have i got a list for you, ranked highest to lowest in competition:
wait maybe applied game theory should be number one, cause that’s crazy. do they apply? game theory? in class? against each other? for grades? who cares about deathly crimes (aka emotional warfare) when you’ve got grades on the line.

ok don’t take anything i just said seriously. i’ve just been emotionally scarred by some classmates.

jokes aside, realistically, there is no way of saying which of the 8000 courses are highest and lowest in competitiveness without taking all of them or having some sort of crazed opinion-based database. unfortunately, the closest U of T students have ever come to making one of those was the anti-calendar, which mysteriously died out sometime in 2011.

the only actual general knowledge on competitiveness at U of T is that the rotman business programs are definitely every-man-for-himself. i know several people in rotman, and not only is it super difficult to get good grades there, you have to be extensively involved in extra-curricular programming and clubs. the vibe is that there’s a lot of fake sucking-up and networking in those circles. i heard they do peer evaluations after some group projects, where they have to prepare an argument to present to their prof as to why they should get higher grades than their group members who “did less work”. brutal, i tell ya.

so as you’ll probably guess, competition also depends on the size of your program. i think with really popular programs that have limited enrolment, you would encounter more competition in class rather than in open enrolment programs. some of the smaller programs also have more tight-knit communities, where everyone is more welcoming and kind to each other. i’d say this is definitely the case with niche social science programs.

from past research, i’ve heard entry into the computer science program is really competitive, though i’m not sure how it is after you get in. and, i took some political science adjacent courses and those were pretty competitive compared to life sci courses i’ve taken. in poli sci/public policy/peace conflict and justice courses, i guess you’ve just got a concentration of people who want to be world leaders or politicians, so you get the vibe.

honestly, it would be a lot to give my opinion on every single one of the 700 programs U of T offers, so maybe give me a shortlist of ones that you’re curious about instead?

as for competition across the three U of T campuses, i can actually tell you about that because i can actually count the number on one hand :D!

based on what i’ve heard from people who have taken classes in all three campuses, UTM (mississauga) is the most competitive, UTSG (st. george) is in the middle, and UTSC (scarborough) is the least competitive. however, that’s not to say every single UTM course is competitive, i think it just depends what your specific program would be.

anyhoo, hope this somewhat answered your questions? if not, i hope you enjoyed my yap session.

and if you really want an answer, don’t hesitate to shoot another, more specific, question!

over and out,

aska
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choosing, commuters, friends, fun & places, gap year, housing, money

in this essay, i will-

July 6, 2024

hello! i got accepted into uoftsg and i’m split between whether or not i should do a gap year. i just graduated highschool, and my plan was to do my undergrad and graduate in 2028 with an english degree and a business certificate.

if i go into uni for this fall, the pros are:

i’ll keep my academic momentum going and i’ll be with some friends from this year who are also going to uoft. i’ll also be out the house more often and away from my family (i live in an emotionally draining environment, parents are uber-religious christians and big members of our church while i’m a closeted bisexual + athiest!) and uoft is far from our town (~1hr drive)

the cons are that i’ll have a lot of stress from commuting so much (~2hr commute to and from campus multiple times a week). there will be some financial strain, as i’m depending on OSAP and UTAPS. i don’t have an RESP or anything saved. commuting will also rack up additional costs over time, too. aside from going to the commuter’s orientation, i’ll have a lack of social integration @ school and i don’t want to feel alone outside of classes, or limited because i’ll have a train to catch ;(

if i try and defer my acceptance and take a gap year, i’ll be able to save up money working to purchase the things i need for school (laptop, school supplies, books, etc.). i could even afford residence (the dream) if i work multiple jobs. i’ll get more time to plan and develop the skills i’m embarrassed about not having like learning how to swim, getting my driver’s license, building a resume, and getting some official job experience.

the cons are that i’ll have to live with my family during that time and idk if that’s the best for my mental health. part of why i chose uoft wasn’t just because it was a strong choice for my desired program, but also because it’s far away from home with so much social opportunities in a big city that i’ve never been able to experience! like pride parades, concerts, etc. i’ll have to delay those plans for a year then bunk it with students a year younger than me if i can afford residence my first year, but that’s just a small petty con lol. i’m mostly worried about not doing what i planned then deciding i don’t want to go to post-secondary since i’m working and making money. i also don’t know if i’ll have less opportunities for scholarships since i won’t be direct-entry into post-secondary.

i’m unsure of what to do—it’s a big dilemma that’s been on my mind for a while. my friends say to give it time and do what feels / seems right. i’m unsure of who else to ask about this, and the deadline to defer is around august (?) i think. please let me know what you think and if there are any resources i can look into or areas (like registrar or advisors) that i can ask about this decision. thank you so much in advance, have a great day. ?

hey there,

omg i feel you, my friend. this sounds like a really tough decision, thanks for reaching out! as a U of T student and person who knows part of the situation in which you’re coming from, i might be able to pitch in. keep in mind, this is all kind of coming from my personal experience, so take from it what you will!

friends/dorm

first of all, yes. it’s nice to go into uni already knowing friends in your year. i will say though, that it doesn’t matter as much as it might seem to. knowing friends in your year is only a big pro if you’re in the same program as them and can take the same classes. otherwise, you’ll have to make time to see them outside of class/studying — and in that context, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the same year. in uni, you’re bound to make friends across different years, because the classes are very mixed and there’s much less of a divide between years like there is in high school.

for example, i went into U of T with like 10 people from my high school, and even if we were all in the same year, we were in different programs so i didn’t see them outside of class time unless we made an effort to. like, it’ll sort of be the same way if you were in first year and they were in second year, do you know what i mean? you won’t be in the same classes either way.

next, in terms of bunking with students a year younger than you. i can see how this might seem annoying, but again, once you get to uni, you’ll realize that people really don’t pay much notice to age differences less than 3 years. there are SO so many people who take gap years that it’s completely normal for first years to be between 18-20 years old. you’re at the same life stage, and that’s all that matters to people. half the roommates i’ve ever had were gap-year people, and it’s so normal.

some facts: depending on the residence that you’re in, you’ll also be living with people older than you, like second, third, or even fourth and fifth years. in classes, there are students of all ages — even people who are in their 40s sometimes (i had a 70 year old in my class once). if you’re below the age of 23, nobody cares. you can be a 20 year old in a first year course or an 18 year old in a third year course, and it’s all chill.

overall, yes, friends are very important during your time at U of T, but you will make strong friendships regardless of if you take a gap year or not! i hope that makes sense.

moving out/commuting

ok, this is a big one. considering the home situation that you’re in, moving out/being out of the house sounds like it would be really important for your mental, social, and emotional health. and i’m so sorry to hear that you have to deal with that, i know it can be tough.

if you were to go into school this year, a 2 hour commute to and from campus sounds like it would be extremely tiring. it also would take up a lot of your study time, to do that for 4 hours a day. i know some people who’ve had a similar commuting length, and they’ve said it can get really difficult, especially during exam season. like, some exams can be 7-10pm one night, and then 9am the next day. taking classes in the morning is also difficult. i know a guy who had to wake up at 5am every week to make it to our 8am class.

if you’re studying english, the exam part shouldn’t be a problem for you, since you’ll have final essays to do instead. but the business classes will definitely have final exams.

so overall, it’s pretty difficult to have a 2 hour commute, but it has been done.

my question is, would it be possible for you to get an affordable place near campus that isn’t a student residence? i know you’ve mentioned that financially, residence isn’t feasible for you this year. but there are a lot of more affordable alternatives out there.

although U of T dorms like to announce that they’re oh-so-affordable, they really are on the more expensive side of rent options on/near campus. (especially ones that require a meal plan, those are a literal rip-off, it’s insane). if you want a ball-park idea, check out this page that lists the rent prices for residences last year. while you look at this, keep in mind that the yearly rent goes up by like, at least 1000$ every year, so it’ll be higher this year. these prices make me want to cry lol.

however, i’d say if you want social integration, dorm is definitely the place to find it.

affordable housing

here’s what i’ve found during my hunt for affordable housing this past year. the most affordable option is something called “co-op” housing. i know some people who love living there. co-op housing includes rows of old victorian houses right on the west border of campus with around 8-10 people per house (each in their own single room, i think). according to a recent Varsity article, they charge about $650 to $800 for a single room per month, which is quite literally the cheapest option you can find downtown. i heard some houses also have veggie gardens!

another option you might want on your radar is tartu student residence. it has a more expensive range than co-op housing, but is still much lower than college residences on campus. tartu’s cheapest room is a double-shared room for $712/person per month, and it is right on the north edge of campus, on bloor street. this is a great place, as i’ve heard from my many friends who live there. if you wanna know more about this, let me know.

those are just the most affordable places i know that are on campus. however, it is also possible to find affordable places within a 15 minute walk to campus, or even a 30-min transit. if you’re interested in renting off-campus, i’d encourage you to check out this crash course post i have about navigating the toronto housing market.

fun and finances

anyways, yea. i honestly chose U of T for the same reasons. it being far from home and with social opportunities in the big city is a huge pro. i can tell you that it’s everything i hoped it would be and more, in that area. but all of that fun will still be there in one year.

and as you said, keeping your academic momentum going is important. it will be difficult to get back in the swing of things, especially considering how academically rigorous things are at U of T (particularly in those business classes). however, it’s not a make-or-break factor. if you have the commitment and work-ethic in you, you will be fine returning after a year.

i think the real make-or-break factor in this whole situation is financial feasibility. i think your plan of taking a gap year to work and save up money is really smart, if you need to do that. just keep in mind, there are several strategies and programs in place to help with the financial strain of studenting.

you mention getting a laptop — and yeah, i would say that’s pretty important to have in uni. that’s pretty much the only “school supplies” thing you’ll need. however, there are free computers to use at the libraries. as for books, you can get them second-hand, or find them for free online, which is what i do. (i once spent 7 hours searching for a free version of a textbook that i needed. and you better bet i found it :D).

another option i’ll throw out there is getting a part-time work-study job during the school year, like working front desk at one of the dorms or something. there are chill, flexible student jobs that exist on campus which might be a possible source of income during the school year!

in terms of scholarships, i’m personally not aware of scholarships that require you to be direct-entry into post-secondary. you can read up on scholarships here. there are so many avenues of getting scholarships. there are college-specific awards, application-based admission awards, and also numerous english degree-specific awards. you can search for those using the award explorer, just make sure to filter your search since there are thousands on there.

resources

finally, resources. before you make a decision, i highly recommend that you reach out to your college registrar for some professional advice. there, you can speak to academic advisors and financial advisors who can help you navigate this. they are really kind and genuinely helpful, so don’t hesitate to make an appointment with them!

anyways.

i hope this all made sense. this is a tough decision, but i trust that you’ll make the right choice for yourself. from the sound of it, you’ve thought this out a lot and you’re considering a lot of important factors. i really tried to condense this down lmao, so feel free to reach out again if you have any further questions about what i’ve said here.

good luck, you’ve got this! so much love for ya.

over and out,

aska

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choosing, fun & places, study abroad

to abroad or not to abroad

February 24, 2024
Hey Aska,

I have a bit of a dilemma.

I want to go on exchange for a semester or even a year, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to afford it – or if I want to extend my degree by a year.

I’m double majoring in Political Science and European Affairs, and for an exchange I can see myself studying in Britain, France, Spain, or Belgium. The thing is, I’m a transfer student to UofT- I’m in second year of uni, but it’s my first year here. I started my degree at Dalhousie, didn’t like it, took a gap year, and now my friends from high school are in third year while I’m in second. I kind of feel behind, a little bit. Which I know I’m not. But, I also don’t want to be spending six years getting my Bachelor’s when it’s already going to be at least 5 total. It’s also not ideal financially, especially as I plan on getting a master’s.

This brings up another consideration: I plan on doing my master’s degree in Europe, so it’s not as though I won’t have the opportunity to study there in the future. However, I really want to experience the undergraduate experience abroad. Summer courses are, of course, an option, but I try to work in the summer to supplement my income.

I’ve applied to a summer abroad course, knock on wood that I get in, but I still wonder whether I should put aside a semester or a year to study abroad – or maybe to do an internship or work term placement.

Time and money are precious, but I also value education, and want to make the most of this time of my life.

Let me know what your thoughts are.

I’m just kind of rambling and wanted some guidance and someone to bounce ideas off of.

Thanks

hey there,
1. my take on exchange
hm. this is indeed a dilemma if i ever did see one. so you’re double majoring in poli sci and european studies. it absolutely makes sense for you to go abroad to europe for your studies—it would be super beneficial for you to have that exposure and world experience. and to be so real, i absolutely support you for really wanting to have that undergrad abroad experience, especially in europe! it just sounds fun and cool lol.

but i feel you, bro. i’m kind of in a similar boat, weighing the decision to take a longer time to complete my degree to enjoy it more, while trying to stay grounded with the financial practicality of it. not to mention the nagging feeling of being behind all my friends, and also maybe wanting to take a masters, which would add more years to this situation.

but the good news is, a LOT of people go through this same thing, and i’m learning that it is so normal to take 5 or 6 years for undergrad. like, so normal. in my opinion, it’s better to get the most you can out of your degree and flush it out for what it’s worth rather than just rush to complete it faster—assuming it’s financially viable for you. because being in undergrad gives you so many opportunities and chances to gain experience, and try new things, in every way you could think of!

i’ve never done it myself, but my best friend went on exchange for a semester last summer. my take away from that was that going on exchange during undergrad is a fun, (chaotic), life-changing experience that really broadens your perspective on the world. so, like, these websites aren’t lying to you. it truly is a valuable use of your time and money.

but if you’re weighing it against getting an internship or work term placement, i mean, you can always get those a couple years down the road, right? there’s really only one period in life for you to go on exchange for undergrad. and it doesn’t have to be for a whole year, if you’re worried about that. one semester would provide you with the same experience and something is better than nothing.

2. transfer credits

my question is, will going on exchange really extend your degree by a year? maybe i’m not totally understanding your situation right, but you can transfer your credits earned so that your time spend abroad counts directly towards your degree. however, it’s true that it would depend on your program requirements and what is offered at the host institution you’re applying to. so i would highly recommend checking out transfer explorer to find out what courses you’ll be able to get transfer credits for.

(according to my holy grail, the artsci website, you can transfer a max of 2.5 credits per term for fall and winter, and a max of 2.0 for the full summer session. that’s the same amount of credits you would take in your normal year at u of t.)

3. finances

if your issue is financial constraints, there are scholarship opportunities for going on exchange. you can apply for learning abroad scholarships from the centre for international experience, as well as ones through your faculty/program. they also have a list of country cost estimates to help you vibe out how expensive this will be. and if you’re currently receiving OSAP, you can continue receiving it while learning abroad.

i also see that you try to work in the summer for income. this does put a little block in our road. one option you could consider is taking up a small work-study job at u of t during the fall/winter semesters that has flexible/fewer hours. i know that this isn’t an option for some people depending on where their workload is on the dying-surviving-thriving spectrum.

but work-study jobs at uni know that you are also a student and take that into account in what they demand of your time—it’s called a work-study for a reason! this is a much safer option with healthier boundaries for students, rather than getting a part time job somewhere else, and would give you a little stream of income to help. you would just have to make sure you find one that’s more chill.

anyways, that was lot of thinking for me. time to take a nap.

i hope this helped, and that the ideas bounced off me to your satisfaction. good luck with everything, sending the best vibes your way!!

over and out,

aska
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choosing, programs, switching

this person’s got some major problems

November 9, 2023
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.

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.
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.

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

over and out,

aska
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choosing, programs

hear me out what if we made no decisions ever

June 23, 2023

Hello so I am a first-year student, but I started in September 2020. So for the past two years, I was not doing well at U of T and I took a break for a year. So I am coming back in September, and I do not know still what to major in. To be honest, I started at U of T almost 3 years ago. I spent my entire life until last year just focusing on my studies and wanted to take a break. I want to continue my studies and finish what I started. I booked an appointment with an advisor. Any advice?

hi there,

good job, you’ve already done the best thing you can do right now — booking an appointment with an advisor! it’s also great that you took a break. breaks are important.

here is a bit of anecdotal advice from me (an all-knowing deity, ofc). first off, don’t worry, you are not alone. in my first year, every single person around me was very confused and unsure about their major, and it was pure chaos, people changing their minds back and forth between programs the whole year.

if you’re not sure what you want to do with your major yet, you can think about jobs you can picture yourself doing, areas of interest you have, and particular courses or subjects of study you enjoyed from your first year. or, you could think about what kind of job you want, and look up what majors those job postings are looking for on websites like indeed. it would also be smart to take advantage of the fact that you’re surrounded by successful and experienced professionals at u of t: if you end up in any classes that intrigue you, it’s worth trying to get to know your instructor to learn more about the field. finally, the people closest to you, who know you well, can give really valuable advice from an outside perspective.

once you come back to school, it’s worth looking into peer mentorship programs. plenty of people have been stuck on what they want to do, and fellow students who’ve figured it out may be able to help you navigate the confusion. there are several listed here (along with one that is academically focused). but the truth is that lots of people don’t know, and people switch their programs in third year, fourth year, and beyond. again, (i know this does not help but) it’s normal not to know!

choosing a major can feel really overwhelming and unsteady. it made me wish i never had to make any decisions. there are so many exercises meant to help with the decision, and so many points of advice coming from everyone around you, but at the end of the day no quiz or person can tell you what to major in, and you’re going to have to listen to your gut.

with all that said, in these big decisions, don’t freeze up out of fear of making the wrong decision. there’s this quote from sylvia plath’s “the bell jar” that i think about all the time, about how choosing one thing can feel like giving up on everything else. but then if you freeze up and choose nothing because you want everything, the options might pass you by. meanwhile, i am a strong supporter of having a wide range of dreams and not having a set box of what you want to be in the future. i think there’s a bit of excitement, beautiful possibility, and relief in not knowing what you want to do! you will do fine and be amazing, i believe in you.

i hope everything goes well, best of luck!

over and out,

aska

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choosing, courses, new kids

a user manual on courses that you should, probably, read

June 5, 2023
This may be a really stupid question, but could you explain courses (their typing(?) clusters(???)) as well as the course selection process and what needs to be considered? Every time i think i got everything i need to know im hit with new terminology i do not understand ? for context im an incoming (hopefully) part-time student at utm, class of ‘27, planning to transfer out by first year but will pursue an english maj philosoy min creative writing min courseload if transferring doesnt work out

hi bestie,

no worries, this is not a stupid question. i see you’re encountering first-year’s overwhelming task of deciphering the online labyrinth of “important-uni-things-you’re-just-expected-to-know”.

the good thing is, courses aren’t as complicated as they seem at first! tbh, i think the problem is that a lot of first years just don’t know where to find the right resources. or, they’re like me and gaslighted themselves into thinking it’s all common sense — what my high school chemistry class used to do before a test. as fun as that is, please don’t do that.

anyways. there are several U of T pages that describe everything you need to know about courses. to begin, i would say your best bet is to read through how to use the artsci calendar. this page explains pretty much all the basics about courses and programs, such as how courses are abbreviated on the website, and what things to keep in mind when choosing courses. among what is outlined on that page, understanding course codes is the foundational thing that i would highlight. for example, ENG110Y1 can be broken down into:
1. ENG – indicates department, ENG = english.
2. 110 – indicates level of difficulty. the “100” means a first-year level course, and 200-level courses are recommended to take in second year as they are more difficult. and so forth with 3rd year 300-levels and 4th year 400-levels. while an upper year can take easier courses, it would be hard for a first year to take a 3rd year course.
3. Y – the “Y” or “H” indicates the credit value. Y = full course, 1.0 credits, and H = half course, 0.5 credits.
4. 1 – indicates which campus offers this course. 1 = St.George, 3 = UTSC, 5 = UTM
when choosing your courses, you should take note of prerequisites (courses you need to take before another course), exclusions (courses that are so similar you probably shouldn’t take both), and co-requisites (courses you should take at the same time). if a course has any of these, it will say so on the timetable, degree explorer, and acorn. you should also know that there are four types of classes: lectures, tutorials, practicals, and seminars, explained, again, in “how to use the artsci calendar“. and a side note of personal advice — although you’re a part time student, i would highly recommend making space in your schedule to take first year foundation courses, those were my favourite classes in first year. but the best thing to consider in course selection is to make note of important dates so you don’t miss them (wouldn’t that be silly): such as priority course enrolment for first years, which starts on July 20th.

now in terms of your question about typing and clusters, i’m not sure what you mean by typing, as “type” is mainly used for program types. meanwhile, clusters are just categories of courses within a program. typically each program will break down its large list of courses into similar-subject categories. for example, your english major seems to have three clusters that you need credits in: 1. “indigenous, post colonial, transnational literatures”, 2. “pre-1800 english literature” and 3. “theory, language, critical methods”.

see? not so bad.

finally, i will leave you with even more resource avenues you can look into if you want to know more. there’s an awesome new student guide to planning and enrolling in your courses, with important dates and how to pay your fees. sid smith also has a simple page on how to enrol in courses. UTM’s 2023 course enrolment workbook is “to be posted soon“, and course enrolment workshops could be helpful for you. then, if you really want to know everything, as you say, you can go down a rabbit hole reading through the artsci’s course planning and course enrolment pages (but i really don’t think you need to).

best of luck in your plan, i hope it all goes smoothly.

over and out,

aska
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choosing, courses, current student, prereqs

course selections is like tetris but more frustrating

March 5, 2022

Hello! I was wondering… if we’re supposed to take classes for our enrolled major (second year) but also want to enroll at the end of our second year for another major- how do we balance our course load to take the prerequisites AND our major requirements? Thanks a bunch 🙂

hey there,

hope second year is going well~ i’d probably prioritize the courses you need to enter the major you wanna apply for, and then try to fit in the courses/prereqs you need for your current major.

for most majors, there’s no strict requirement on what year you take your courses in, so you could take some of your 200-level courses next year if needed, and just generally mix and match the different course levels as long as you have the prerequisites.

you might want to plan everything out on degree explorer to make sure that you’ll have all the prereqs you need for upper year courses. course planning is kind of a pain but there’s also something satisfying when you finally get all of those forty-something coloured blocks to fit in your plan :’)

Car Tetris GIFfrom Tetris GIFs

hope that helps,

aska

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choosing, co-op, co-op management, UTM, UTSC

i’m the goat

April 23, 2020
Hi there! Sorry for bothering you but I am really struggling between UTSC and UTM right now. Little bit of background info: I was accepted to the Co-op Management program at UTSC and the Management program at UTM (did not apply to UTSG). I am also an international student who has received a 65% scholarship for my studies in UToronto, and an additional 19000CAD scholarship from UTM.

Pros for UTSC:
-Can do Co-op which I believe is really good for a student’s future career
-Better sports facilities (especially for my sport) which are really ideal for me

Cons for UTSC:
-Don’t really like the campus, looks pretty sketchy and people don’t seem to like it on Reddit
-More expensive as I will be losing my 19000cad from UTM and Co-op costs more I believe
-The campus just really doesn’t look as nice as UTM but I am not sure because I have really only looked at pictures online
-No free shuttle bus to downtown:(

Pros for UTM:
-nicer campus, more green area which I will feel more comfortable being around
-Lower tuition fee (which is kind of a big deal for me)
-Free shuttle bus!!
-The community just look nicer and suit me better, idk…

Cons for UTM:
-no co-op which I’m not sure if its really that big of a deal (Coz I really need job experience but can I even get any at UTM…)
-might have to travel to downtown/UTSC 3-4 times a week to practice
-isolated area? So hard to find jobs/internships around campus? I am really not sure because I am just so lost:(

I guess UTSC can prepare me for a better career which is truly ideal, but UTM is what I prefer for my 4 years of college life. Would be great if I can get the same amount of work experience at UTSC by attending UTM (is there a way to secure that the school can help me find jobs if I don’t do co-op or am I really going to be on my own:( )

I might even do UTM Commerce in my second year if I study at UTM, but I will probably stick with Co-op management if I study at UTSC. Which one do you think I should choose? Is Co-op really that big of a deal? Is it worth sacrificing part of my college experience/preference for it?

Sorry that I am all over the place, there’s just too much going on in my head and I’m just so worried that I’m going to regret it. Thank you so much for your precious time and help!

——————————————

hey there,

congrats on making it into both programs, and with scholarships, too!

quick psa: it would be v cool if people stop sending questions to every single ask box i advertise! this seems to be an international student thing, so you’re not alone in it, but rest assured that i will see your question even if you only send it once.

but you never need to apologize for bothering me, this is what i do. let’s get to it. for anyone who hasn’t been following this epic saga, this post is a part two, it seems, to this one. thank you for taking my suggestion to shorten your question! that’s cool. we love readability.

so you did the epic pros and cons list, i can see. a few notes on that list:
- don’t believe everything you see on u of t’s reddit! from my experience, it’s where the angry people go to congregate.
- finances are definitely something to consider! you’ve been offered a huge scholarship to UTM, and imo that’s hard to turn down.
- it can often be quite difficult to make a judgement about a campus based solely on pictures. here is a webpage offering virtual tours of utsc, and here are some virtual tours of utm residence buildings. you can also try looking video tours up on youtube, which is something i did when i was making my admissions decision!
- utsc has a lot of green space too!
- it’s hard to tell what a school’s community is like until you’re there. i’m curious as to why you think the utm community will suit you better. rest assured you will be able to make friends, find mentors, and study under great profs regardless of whether you choose utm or utsc!
it’s still really hard for me to give you a definitive answer re: which school you should choose, because even if i know what factors you’re considering, i don’t know the weight of each one. for example: if you give up the utm scholarship, will you be taking on that same amount in student loans? or do you have sufficient parental support to not need those loans in the first place? i feel like depending on your situation, the importance of certain things you’re considering can change.

keep in mind that you will (presumably) be spending four entire years of your life as a student at whatever campus you choose. so if you feel like you’d be happier at UTM, that’s not insignificant. four years is a solid chunk of your life. university isn’t just a stepping stone to a future career– it’s an experience, and one that has so far been really precious to me.

that being said, i’m not sure that there’s a way to ensure that u of t helps you get a job without a guaranteed co-op. that isn’t to say there aren’t any student supports to help you find jobs at utm– utm has a fantastic career centre, and like i told you in the last post, the utm management program has programming that will help you get work placements and hands-on experience. ie. MGT480H5 and the certificate in effective business practices and leadership skills. if you end up choosing utm commerce, you’ll have access to the Personal Experience Year (PEY), which is a 12 to 16 month internship also done by students at utsg.

basically, i wouldn’t say you’ll ever be fully on your own. there’s programming at both schools to help ensure that you get hands-on work experience while pursuing your degree. at the very least, your registrar’s office (both at utm and utsc) will be able to provide you with guidance and refer you to career resources.

ultimately, you’re gonna need to take ownership for your decision. there’s no easy formula to success in life. co-ops are important, yes, but you can do great even without one. students at st. george don’t have access to the co-op program that utsc runs, but they tend to be fine. i have full faith in you to make the best decision for yourself. you got this.

i actually think it’s pretty clear which school you want to go to, so…

be Boundless,

aska
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admissions, choosing, internal transfer, other schools (boo!), UTM

the bias is real

June 4, 2017

Okay, I know a lot have talked about it but I hope you bare with me a bit.

The whole idea of studying in Canada started in Feb, and I have registered
in multiple universities, the ones which didn’t reach their deadline yet,
one of them is UofT. Sadly I didn’t make it to UTSG deadline but I have
registered for UTSC and UTM, in Computer Science (and my April IELTS exam
result getting held back for a randomly selected measuring didn’t help
my lateness). But yesterday I got admitted in UTM as UTSC have “reached
enrolment capacity”.

I’m expecting an admitting from the University of Alberta too.

Now, I would love to go to UofT but I’m not happy with the being in UTM,
less range of courses, most the events will be on the main campus, far from
downtown, need an off-campus residence, and as an international student, I
need a good social life and being off-campus won’t help.

How easy/what’s the chance for me to transfer to UTSG, what should I do and
not do to ease the transfer, and does the tuition fees differences a lot
between the two campuses?

Or should I just stick to UAlberta? (with their on-campus residence)

If I wouldn’t be able to transfer to UTSG I’ll go to UAlberta without a
second thought.

I know there isn’t a right answer to this but any thoughts and advice would
help, cause I can’t stop thinking about it and I don’t know what to choose.

Thanks.

———————————————

hey,

seeing as though this is askastudentuoft, it’s highly unlikely i’m going to tell you to go to ualberta because that would go against everything we believe in. like, do you really think i’m going to say: “yeah man, go to ualberta, they’re so much better than us!”

that being said, it’s really up to your own gut. you can definitely transfer to UTSG eventually. it’s called an internal transfer! we have tons of posts on internal transfers which will answer your question about how to do so and much more! i encourage you to look at those because there are only so many ways to say the same thing over and over again :/ to ease the transfer, you just have to work hard to get a good CGPA. what CGPA range are they looking for? it changes every year so you’ll have to ask enrolment services when you want to transfer.

not sure what you’re going to be studying, but the UTM and UTSG tuition fees look about the same if you look here! colleges at UTSG have varying incidental fees but they don’t seem to vary by much. the fees website will have tons of info on international fees.

UTM is a great school with a lot to offer. i think you’re being too hard on it. seriously, give it a chance. if your end goal is to end up at UTSG, being at UTM would definitely make the transition process much easier than if you were to transfer from ualberta

another thing to consider is the city. do you want to live in edmonton or do you want to live in mississauga/close to toronto? i’ve never been to edmonton, but i know that toronto has a great deal to offer with its multiculturalism and places to explore! toronto is awesome.

but hey, as much as we would love for you to come to U of T, we hope you make the right decision for yourself, even if it means going to another school!

you know yourself better than anyone else. you are the only one who knows what you want and what you don’t want.

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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awkwardness, choosing, fees

sad, but true

August 26, 2016

Hi,
I currently have an unconditional offer from University of Toronto, but I’ve also gotten an offer from another university which I’d prefer to go to. I can’t seem to find a way to contact University of Toronto that I won’t be going to their university this year as I do not currently reside in Canada, and they seem to be very slow at responding to my emails.
I still haven’t paid any fees to University of Toronto. If I don’t contact University of Toronto about my withdrawal, would there be additional fees I need to pay?
In a nutshell, Do I need to contact the university about my withdrawal? if so then how?
Thanks for your time

———————————————

hi!

if you haven’t accepted the offer or paid any fees, you will not be registered. there are no additional fees that you will have to pay if you have not triggered registration. in not paying your fees, you’ll be sending a pretty obvious message to the school that you won’t be attending.

however, there should be an option on the OUAC portal for you to decline your offer to uoft. if you can’t find that, it may be that your acceptance of another’s university’s offer automatically declined your offer to every other university. don’t make any assumptions though. you should definitely contact enrolment services to get some help in formally declining your offer.

we’re sorry you’ve chosen another school, but we wish you the best of luck in your endeavours!

*but seriously, i bet your new school doesn’t have an aska, which automatically makes it worse than U of T. sad, but true.

cheers,

aska

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choosing, colleges

innis vs. trinity vs. vic

October 1, 2012

Hello,

I am a prospective student, currently trying to figure out which college I want to be in. I plan to study English and Political Science, moving in the direction of International Affairs. I have highish marks, and I am mainly considering Innis, Trinity, and Victoria. I’ve done a fair amount of research, and have taken the college tours, but any more insight is definitely appreciated.

Basic opinion of colleges…
Innis seems like a really cool place, and I like that the residence is newer. The smaller community and character is something that attracts me a lot, although I think I might get tired of Innis people after a while – in my experience, they’re all really upbeat and artsy and like overly “we’re so fun in a nerdy way.” I like that kind of atmosphere, but I think it might get annoying after a while.

Trinity is kind of the opposite, as they seem to have a reputation for being more reserved and snobby. This sense of prestige is kind of what I like thought about the college – I think that compared to Innis, there’s a lot more history, elegance, luxury, and whatever. A little bit of elitism doesn’t bother me for such a rich experience – I like that Trinity looks like a prep school. Another note – I’m a little bit of a clean freak, and the Trinity bathroom situation in residence disturbs me. What I saw was pretty gross. Is this something I should expect and just stop being a wimp about throughout all colleges?

Victoria seemed nice to me, as it sort of combines different aspects about Trinity and Innis. But I felt when touring it as if it was too big, and it didn’t really have a lot of personality to it.

So yeah, any insight about those three colleges, and their reputations. Anything helps. I’m talking observations about everything. Dorm sizes… amount of partying… academics focuses… reputation… bathroom cleanliness and privacy.. attractiveness of students…. parties.. resources… everything!

———————————————

Hey there!

Alas, we find ourselves at the classic question of the colleges granted, I’m quite happy that you’ve narrowed yourself down to three colleges. That makes things a lot easier for me.

Since you’re asking about dorm sizes and bathroom cleanliness and privacy, I’m going to assume that you intend to live at U of T for at least your first year, so I recommend strongly considering the kind of residence you’d like to live in. Trinity and Victoria both offer classic dorm-style residences, whereas Innis is favored for its apartment-style residences, but these colleges will only consider you if you rank them as number one.

While you may dread the small sizes of colleges like Innis and Trinity and worse, the possibility of seeing the same people over and over again, you fail to see the utter vastness that is the University of Toronto. U of T is huge and has so many people that if you think some guy at Sid Smith is particularly cute, you better get his number then and there because you may very well never see him again. You might go to the same college as someone, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always see each other. You’re more likely to see the people from your classes over and over again than the ones from your college (unless, of course, they’re in your class). If you’re from Trinity, you are more than welcome to study at E.J. Pratt and then get a deliciously large bagel from Wymilwood Caf at Vic. Your college doesn’t bind you to any particular building or group of friends, so don’t feel like you’re selling your soul here.

But here’s a little rundown:

Innis College: They have the greatest kabobs in the entire universe at the Innis Caf, they’re very community-focused, and there are these super quiet carrels on the third floor. But the residence has no meal-plan, and in the college, the electronically-locked bathroom doors make you fear being walked in on.

Trinity College: The Buttery with its super soft couches and lovely looking fireplace is a cozy place to have lunch and study a bit. Plus, the castle-like building makes you look fancy while the name of the college makes you sound fancy. But then you have the creepy basement bathrooms, the creepy main floor bathrooms, and the creepy upstairs bathrooms so.

Victoria College: Also quite fancy-looking but it has the Wymidwood Caf, another great place to study and with some of my favorite food on campus. However, it has possibly one of the most rickety-sounding elevators on campus (but not THE most).

They’re all alike in that their student societies aim to include everyone, their registrars are super helpful, and the writing centers are just as effective. But if you’re still concerned about the pros and cons of each college, take a look at this lovely post. There are parties all over the place and the hotties are distributed throughout, so don’t feel like you need to hold these factors in such high precedence while deciding.

best,

aska

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