• first year,  grades,  switching

    don’t fly a-way / from your G-P-A

    April 27, 2010

    You’ve probably gotten this sad question from many students before, hahaha, but anyway, I pretty much bombed first year, due to my own stupid, stupid, procrastination. I probably won’t fail any courses, but my estimate of my GPA this year is 2.8 (and that’s being optimistic). Well, now I’ve learned my lesson. Even if I were to get a 4.0 in every single course for the next three years, which is nearly impossible, I’d end up with a 3.7, which isn’t high enough for my ridiculously ambitious goals. So, before I kiss those crazy dreams goodbye, is there any way I can just… completely redo first year and have this attempt forgotten? Even measures as drastic as changing to a different school in another country. Or do I just have to suck it up and take as many extra courses as possible to average it out?

    ———————————————

    Transferring to a different school will, in some cases (not all!!), reset your GPA. What this means is that they may accept transfer credits from your old University, but they won’t use the marks you received in their calculation of your GPA. So while it’s a drastic idea, it might not be so terrible (in theory). But you’ll have to deal with a whole slew of issues again: adjusting to a new environment, making new friends, having to take new courses to make up for the credits you’ve lost, and so on. Also, if you’re a Canadian student, you’d have to pay fees for international students in other countries and international tuition is EXPENSIVE. And what if you don’t do well in your first year at the new University? Are you going to transfer to yet another University?

    Moreover, your academic past isn’t really something you can escape. Even if you transfer, your new University will still have access to your old transcript, and you might have to submit both transcripts when you apply for grad school or med school or whatever. Unfortunately, there’s no way to redo first year, though transferring might in some ways allow you to turn over a new leaf. I think the question of what to do really depends what you mean by ‘ridiculously ambitious goals?.’ For instance, if you’re planning to go to grad school, transferring may not be worth your time and energy because many grad schools only look at your 3rd and 4th year marks. Other programs, like Medicine at UofT, drop your lowest first-year, second-year mark, third-year, and fourth-year marks in their GPA calculations.

    Furthermore, there’s still a lot of time for you to fix things. One of my closest friends did really poorly on his first year (he had a GPA lower than yours), but he’s picked himself up and is now getting A’s and B’s. Another one of my friends failed two of her classes in chemistry, but switched to biology and is now attaining excellent marks. And it’s not like my two friends don’t have ambitious goals of their own. If by ‘ridiculously ambitious goals’ you mean places like law school, Harvard, Yale  *ahem* the places where boring and pretentious people go *ahem* I’ve heard a lot of people who went to grad school and got a good GPA, and ended up going into law after that. So you don’t necessarily have to kiss your dream goodbye. However, that’s a long way down the road, and there’s a lot of time for you to see the light and reject the idea that Harvard is WHERE EVERY STUDENT SHOULD GO, or that you MUST MUST MUST MUST, UNDER ANY AND ALL CIRCUMSTANCES become a doctor.

    Whether transferring is worth it or not – that’s something you’ll have to decide yourself. But personally, I’d rather see students attending a school they like and studying something they’re passionate about than taking drastic measures to get a higher GPA. It’s great that you have ambitious goals, but sometimes you also have to take a step back and think about how realistic they will be. The bottom line is: do your best, and be happy with what you can attain.

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  • engineering,  first year,  switching

    waiting on the world to change

    April 23, 2010

    Currently I’m finishing up first year in computer engineering. All throughout high school I pretty much wasted my time due to a lack of inspiration. The first day of class in second semester grade 11, me and my computer engineering teacher had a long conversation about where my life was going. Although a quite inspirational moment, I didn’t realize how much he was stressing the fact that I need to find a passion. So I passed grade 11 with an average somewhere under 60. After that my parents bought a new place, so I switched schools. Due to the lack of friends, in the beginning, I started studying. After a long and tiring while of catching up, I started getting A’s and at the same time make a lot more friends. So the second half of grade 12 I managed to balance partying and studying quite well. Got in U of t for engineering. Got my own place. School starts. I knew that first semester was going to be pretty bad. As anticipated, it was. I kinda moved along like everyone else and finished with a not so nice GPA. Second semester comes around and every day I went to school, I hated it even more. I’ve seen some pretty depressing places, but Engineering Library is by far the saddest place I’ve ever seen. Everyone’s veins are popping out. The fact that I can’t balance my social life and my academic life has put me in the position to reconsider majors. I have no idea what I’d switch into. In a sense I really don’t want to, but I just don’t think I can put up with the workload. I guess I’m waiting on some inspirational story or some good advice, but how do I get motivated to move forward?

    ———————————————

    I can relate to you, because I’ve also had personal experience in the Faculty of Engineering (I switched out after first year). The ‘Should I transfer? Should I stay?’ question can and will drive you crazy. I’m glad you sent me an email, and I am sorry I took so long to reply. Unfortunately, I don’t work fast enough because I only have 8 hands and 14 brains.

    Guess what my advice is going to be? Bingo. Go talk to your registrar or your departmental counselor and tell them about your situation ASAP. It’s possible that they won’t be as kind or sympathetic as you’d like, but at this point I really think you just need someone to bounce ideas off of. They may ask you the standard questions (‘what courses did you like in high school?’ or ‘where do you see yourself in the future?’), and these might seem silly to you, but perhaps thought-provoking questions such as these ones are EXACTLY what you need to get yourself back onto the path for self-discovery.

    Also, ask them what your options are. It is too late to transfer to the Faculty of Arts and Science, but it may still be possible to apply for transfer to the Scarborough campus or the Missisauga campus (the deadline is April 30th). Or maybe it’s not ONLY engineering that’s draining your energy – maybe it’s UofT. Would transferring to a different school help?

    What about taking a year off from school and just working or volunteering? I’ve met some people who’ve taken a year off, and they’ve all told me that they’re really glad they made that decision. Sometimes, when you’re unsure of what the future holds, it really helps to throw yourself into the working world to get a taste of what’s out there and the role that your education will play in your life; that way, when you come back to school, you’ll appreciate your education more.

    I’m just firing off ideas, but how do these sound? I understand that they may not appeal to you though (or maybe your parents wouldn’t agree with me). Either way, I just think you should really talk to your registrar, if you haven’t already. I’ve been to the engineering registrar a few times and they’re nice people; don’t worry, they want to help students achieve their best too, so I’m sure they won’t ‘try to keep you in engineering’ just so they won’t lose a student.

    Let me just say that it is possible that transferring from engineering will not end your academic worries (though depending on how you work, you might find Arts and Science a little easier). No matter what program you’re in, sometimes at University, you’ll have to compromise your social life, at others, you may have to compromise your academic life. The way I see it, the ones who achieve good grades at University usually have a lot of self-discipline and know when to work and when to play. I think this is true whether you’re in engineering or in another program. However, I don’t think you should be too harsh on yourself yet: you’ve only been through one year, and you probably had a hard time adjusting to University because it’s just so different from high school. But eventually, you will have to find a way to reconcile your academic and social needs.

    Yet, sometimes, all you need to move forward is a leap of faith. In my opinion, you do sound pretty unhappy in engineering, and I’m saying this because I think I felt the same way that you did. I transferred, and it worked out for me; it might work out for you too. If you find that you’re constantly drained and depressed in engineering, and find yourself struggling to get through each hour-long lecture, there’s no reason to continue. It’s not worth it to sit through 4 years of lectures that you will not enjoy only to get a degree that you do not want. Life is too short, and time too valuable.

    I know this is probably overwhelming, and that you probably feel very confused about your career path. If all this is getting to your head, you may want to have a talk with the people from CAPS. It’s free (well, you’ve paid for it in your tuition). I’ve been there, and they’re quite attentive to student needs. If you just need someone to talk to, the counselors at CAPS may be a good choice.

    Motivation and passion may arrive spontaneously. There are times during your University career when your motivation will be rock bottom. I felt that way when I transferred here initially, because I was more confused about my career path than ever. During those times, you’ll have to stick it through and hope for the best. It’s great that you realized your need to be passionate about what you study, but you might have to wait a year or three to hear that inspirational story. In the meantime, dare to make changes, stay positive, don’t be afraid to accept help, and take courses that interest you and that you’ll find enjoyable. Let me know how things are going, because I worry about my dear readers.

    Just in case you didn’t get the message: talk to your registrar!

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  • awkwardness,  first year,  friends,  new kids,  residence

    All the ladies who truly feel me (throw your hands up at me).

    August 21, 2009

    hard to admit, but being a mama’s girl my mom is coming with me to toronto for few weeks during frosh week to settle me into my residence etc (teaching me how to use the laundry machine to avoid ‘everything is pink because of one red sock’ situation, etc etc)
    but through sept 3rd and 18th there seems to be no hotel rooms available for booking
    would it be possible for her to stay with me in my residence during her stay? I have a single room so maybe?

     

    Listen, I am a proud Mama’s boy who couldn’t even recognize a washer/dryer upon entrance to residence – so I can understand where you are coming from. It is BECAUSE I can relate to you that I’m about to serve up some tough love.

     

    Are you honestly considering having your Mom stay with you for the first 15 days of university?! Really? I think this is a bad idea for reasons three.

     

    One. These are two of the most socially decisive weeks of your uni experience. You will seriously limit your ability to make friends and engage in (planned or impromptu) activities. Unless you have one of those vicarious mothers who’ll wear tubes tops while serving up strawberry daiquiris to your girlfriends – you cannot argue that you will be undermining your?social life before it has the chance to develop.

     

    You’ve signed up for Frosh week right? If not go sign up now! Seriously. Go.

     

    Okay, you’re back. Now, that you’re doing Frosh, what is your poor mother going to do with herself while you are pre-occupied with all of these exciting events? Water fights and face paint? No.

     

    Two. You have a single room? Is it part of a suite? Do you share common spaces like a living room or bathroom? Think about the situation that you will be putting your neighbours in? The presence of a parental figure would certainly be a damper on the local scene. In fact it would just be awkward for everyone involved. ????

     

    Does your residence have a limit on the number of consecutive nights a guest can stay? Find out.

     

    Three. I GET that your Mom loves you, and wants to ease your transition. I really do.

    I GET that you want your Mom around to teach you the in and outs of domesticity, and to be a familiar face when you are entering a new environment. BUT you should know that there is something to be said for learning independence… independently from your parents.

     

    University is so much more than memorizing crap in class. It is about stepping out from under the protective parental umbrella, and tackling the challenges and nuances of daily living – face on. And you won’t be alone. Everyone shares these uncertainties.

     

    I had a friend who poured bowls of cookies for breakfast, and put liquid detergent in the dryer. Did we judge her? No, we helped her and became better friends because of it.

     

    Why don’t you be proactive and help your Mom with laundry and cooking now, before you leave? She’ll love it for more than one reason, and you’ll have a head start when you get to school.

     

    Perhaps your Mom could visit for a couple days in the second or third week of class (when you’ve actually accumulated enough laundry to do a load). I would plan it tentatively, as you may very well find that you aren’t as incompetent as you once thought.

     

     

    Sound reasonable? I really hope so, because I am not kidding around.

     

     

    Hmmm… this one felt a little heavy for a Friday afternoon. How about we lighten the mood with a little spice a la 1997?

     

    Oooh, that actually just made things even heavier, didn’t it? My bad.

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  • fees,  first year,  money,  new kids,  textbooks

    Read it and weep.

    August 11, 2009

    Hi,

    I’m doing a budget for the coming school year (aka figuring out how much money I can spend on Thai takeout/going to shows/clothes/other fun stuff whilst still having enough to feed myself) and have general figures for all my expenses except books. Could you give me a ball-park estimate of what a first-year Humanities student should expect to spend on books? I’m taking an economics course, a german course, and three social sciences courses, if that helps.

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Before I answer your question, I want to say that… in the first week of class you will receive a course syllabus from your Prof. This will list the exact required readings for the course, and where you can pick them up – officially. Generally, it is not a good idea to buy your books before attending your first class. It’s common for students to switch up courses in the first week. You don’t want to have spent a billion dollars on books for courses that you ain’t takin’. Then again, you could avoid bookstore lineups by going early for courses that you know you MUST take.

    But for now, for you… an estimate of book costs… yes. Let’s get down to business.

    There are two ways to answer your question:

    The standard response is… one thousand dollars. This is a very rough estimation, based on an equally approximate average of $200 per full course, or $100 per half course. Again, this is rough math (the only kind a humanities student like you really knows). Also, Humanities course books will certainly be cheaper than Science courses, namely because there are no goggles or lab coat required to read Shakespeare. What I am basing these numbers on? The word of a financial aid advisor, costs of books at the U of T bookstore, personal experience, and the positioning of the moon in the seventh house.

    If you want a more accurate estimate of your course book costs, you can try to find out the prices for each course. I did some investigative work based on what you said you’re taking.

    ECO100Y: Intro to Economics: for the Summer offering of this course, the U of T bookstore sold the course pack for $145.50.

    GER100Y: Intro to German I: the German Department actually publishes its 2009-10 course syllabi online (amazing). The required textbook is listed there, and costs $45 on amazon.com. If it is sold at the Bookstore it will cost more. I promise.

    POL103Y: Canada in Comparative Perspective: the Bookstore sold this book for $100 for the Summer offering of the course. Amazon.com is selling it for $95. Wooo. There is also a course reader (a bound collection of journal articles) that is required and typically costs around $100.

    POL108Y1: Global Networks: last year’s course had three required readings that are available at the U of T Women’s Bookstore (where all the cool books are). Online they cost $10 + $10 + $15. Weekly readings are actually posted (for free) on the course website. Double wooo.

    SOC101Y: Intro to Sociology: Prof. Brym actually designated a series of his OWN books as required readings. This is a moderately irritating cash grab, but then again, if you ain’t a Rotman Prof you ain’t exactly ballin’. The costs on the publisher’s website are: $104 + $60 + $23 = $187. You also need to buy an “iClicker” from the Bookstore for $35 – which is all the rage in Con Hall these days.

    Okay! I’m exhausted. The point in doing all of this research is less about giving you exact monetary sums, and more about showing you the different ways of finding out what + how much your books are. Got it Watson?

    Now, that was an “official” response to the issue of buying books… but the starving student response is… considerably cheaper. Below is a list of alternative methods/tips for getting your course books without succumbing to the inflated prices of the man.

    a) Check out the library system: U of T’s library collection is friggin huge (the plus side of being at a massive university). Depending on how large your course is and how frequently the readings are required, you may be able to get by signing them out. Typically, Profs will put a few copies of a course reader in the “course reserves” section of the library. This limits your sign-out period to a day or two, or maybe the books can’t leave library. You can photocopy select readings from these if you want too.

    b) Differentiate between required and recommended readings: when you’re poor… the word “recommended” takes on a new meaning – if you catch my drift. Usually these books are only useful if you are totally struggling, you are an ultra-keener, or for when you are writing essays.

    c) Locate second hand bookstores. There is one across from the bookstore on College St. They have new and used books, and they are cheaper. Just find out if the editions are the same (they change very minimally every other year or so… just to milk us for more money). The Prof will tell you if an older edition will suffice.

    d) Buy books directly from students who have taken the course last year. You will often find advertisements in res bulletin boards. Check these out even if you don’t live there.

    e) As suggested before, ordering from amazon.com, or directly from the publisher may be cheaper… depending on the shipping cost.

    f) This may or may not be illegal… buuuut you can possibly photocopy a library’s copy of the entire textbook. Here’s what you do: get your hands on a copy of the textbook from the library, gather up a bunch of friends/acquaintances in your course, take the book to a local copy centre (the less mainstream, the better), and order as many copies as required. Why is this awesome? It’s waaay cheaper. Your fellow copyright infringers and you will become instant fugitives… I mean friends. And your version will come in a coiled binding that you won’t feel bad about defacing with highlighting and scribbles.

    If I had even half of a moral in my body I would NOT suggest this on a University-sponsored forum, like askastudent. Lucky for you I don’t. So do it, but don’t go telling people I told you to. Do we understand each other?! I thought so.

    The flipside to buying cheap books is selling old books. Post ads in residences or sell them back to the bookstore. This is actually quite a viable option. Apparently you can get back up to 50% of the original cost.

    Will all the money that you save on books might I suggest spending it this way….

    Indian takeout from Banjara

    Muchos nachos at the Green Room (beware of funky draught beer)

    Performances by the Drama Program at the Helen Garpheghasdfhgeklfns Playhouse

    Streetcar + ferry ride + bike rental + picnic on Toronto Island

    Get fancy and have one drink at Panorama (a better view than the CN tower will offer… because you can actually see the CN tower)

    Classic/Alternative/Delayed movies at the Bloor Cinema (get a membership)

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  • art,  courses,  first year,  important dates,  ROSI,  wait list

    Wait watchers.

    August 4, 2009

    Hi aska!
    i just enrolled in courses today, and i am waitlisted for art history second term. what are the chances of my actually getting in? Or, should i switch around my courses now, cuz there is a different course i would like to take in the fall term if (FAH is winter) i cant get in. thanks!!!

    ———————————————

    Tis true. FAH102H1-S: The Practice of Art History is full. Quite full. There are currently 106 students on the waitlist, beyond the 188 spaces in the class.

     

    Your chances of getting in are dependent on a few things: a) your karma, and b) where you are on that wait list. A general rule of thumb is that if your waitlist ranking is within 10% of the total enrollment capacity then your chances are okay. “Okay” is situated somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of chances; above bad, and below pretty good. Okay is close friends with “decent.” A.k.a. – you have a chance.

     

    So, if you are waitlisted, like, 100th – I hate to break it to you – but you probably ain’t getting in.

    What should you do now? There are several possible courses of action:

     

    a) Drop the course and add something else that has room; OR

     

    b) wait until 6:00am on August 7th (when your course load limit increases to 6.0) and add an additional course as a backup in case you never get in to FAH102; OR

     

    c) wait until the waitlist is removed (on January 3rd), and try to grab a spot that opens up. You have until January 10th to add courses. This will require you to be obnoxiously persistent in checking ROSI to see if a spot becomes available. Depending on how much of a life you have, I would check it at least 5 times per day (I am a ROSI junkie, mind you). This is only a 7 day window… that is not a lot of time. Do not get your hopes up about this option. Also, think about attending this class in the first week, so that you aren’t behind if you do eventually get enrolled.

     

    I did some snooping in the archives of ROSI, and it turns out that last year FAH102 offered two meeting sections with capacity of 188 – neither of which was full, but the net enrollment was 275. This year there is a single meeting section that accommodates 188 students. I also noticed that FAH102 was offered in the summer of 2007 and 2008, but not this past summer.

     

    So, Art History, why offer half of the spaces in a course that obviously has a greater demand?? Beats me. This bizarre/frustrating observation suggests one of two things. One, that Art History is sick of first-year students, and is trying to wean them off; or two, Art History is struggling to staff that course. Perhaps an issue of limited social or economic capital?

     

    In any case, I concur with what you are all thinking right now – it is super annoying.

     

    Now I did a Minor in Art History, and I have taken FAH102, so let me give you some advice, from the school of hard knocks. I can’t believe I just said that. If you are NOT enrolled in FAH102 this year, consider these two things:

     

    a) In all likelihood, you WILL be able to take this course next summer, when enrollment never meets capacity.

     

    b) You can always take this course in an upper-year, when you will have an earlier course enrollment start date, and therefore will stand a better chance of getting in. This works because you will find that none of the upper-year FAH courses actually list FAH102 as a pre-requisite. Sure the content of 102 may be useful preparation for 200-levels courses, but it is far from mandatory.

     

    c) Based on this, you could go ahead and enroll in a 200-level FAH course in your first year. They have “P” enrollment indicators, which means that you will be eligible to enroll on August 7th (at 6:00am SHARP). Let me give you a breakdown of these potentials…

     

    Although you might not ever be able to spell/fit her name on your test booklet, Prof. Katsougiannopoulou is a lovely lady who is teaching FAH207: Greek & Roman Art/Architecture. FAH246: Modernism is a little heavy for first-year, unless you have a good modern art background and/or interest. I’m totally biased, but I found FAH272: Modern Architecture to be a blast, and VERY doable in your first-year. FAH230: Renaissance Art/Arch is somewhere in between. The content is straightforward, but a little dry – depending on how much you can handle starting at triptychs of “virgin and child.” Annnd… I’ve never taken the Later Medieval Art course. Did they even create art in the Dark Ages? Watching The Sword in the Stone will probably suffice for knowledge on that time period, anyway. Ah ah ah Merlin! (If you got that reference you are a loser, and I love you).

     

    Should you (wo)man up, and take a 200-level course, I suggest limiting yourself to one per semester. They ARE 200-level so they will jump into things quicker. But, as I said, there is no reason why you can’t do well in these courses in your first-year.

    Think about what a breeze FAH102 will be when you finally take it in 4th year! Such a treat!! It’ll be like finding a curly fry in your regular fries from Arby’s.

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  • distribution,  easy,  first year

    Killing three birds with one keyboard.

    July 28, 2009
    Hi,
    I’m a freshman starting this September for a Computer Science Program. I’m trying to look for a bird course that falls under Humanities or Social Studies. So far I’m looking at Intro to Sociology (SOC101Y) Any opinion regarding this course? I took AP Psychology in High School — will that help me in Sociology in terms of work load and such? Thank you
    —————————————————————————

    im a second year student and i need a science credit as an elective. what are your recommendations for an easy 100-level or 200-level science credit

    —————————————————————————

    can anyone please recommend me an EASY Humanity course and a Social Science course from UT and UTM?
    THANX!

     

     

    Here are just three (out of a billion) inquiries from students who want to either a) resuscitate their battered CGPAs, or b) preemptively suscitate their GPAs in the face of impending doom. Yes, suscitate is a real word.

     

    I am happy to recommend some avian courses (a more sophisticated take on the “bird course”), based on what I’ve done. However, Aska will gladly swallow his pride on this one and plead for any readers to pitch in their comments.

     

    The first thing that everyone should be aware of is the listing of courses designed to satisfy distribution requirements (Calendar pp.27-30). For example, the list “Humanities for Science and Social Science Students” indicates courses with less essay writing than one would expect in the Humanities category.

     

    If you like straight-up memorization, are willing to attend the lectures, and are a science nerd at heart, then consider taking CLA201H1: Latin & Greek Scientific Terminology. A Biochem friend said it was super interesting and applicable. Check out some of the past tests for this course. They are quite straightforward, albeit reeking of dorkiness.

    Science students also seem to do quite well in HPS courses – and so they should. It grounds their microscopic and/or abstract disciplines in a more humanistic context… so there!

     

    On the flipside, an easier science course (for Aska) was AST101H: The Sun & Its Neighbours as well as its counterpart (which bears a slightly more academic name) AST201H: Stars & Galaxies. These courses have been touted as easy since the dawn of time… or the Big Bang – I should say. However, I also know people who really struggled with them. The textbook is a fatty, but it’s a great keeper for the bookshelf (not quite coffee table caliber). Should you actually attend the lectures for these courses, your mind will be blown!! I swear. Picture one thousand humanities students in Con Hall with wide-eyes and gaping-mouths, totally mesmerized by a giant celestial image that bears a kaleidoscopic resemblance to a reproductive organ. You will also be able to contribute much more to any subsequent star gazing sessions on the rooftop of the Annex house that you’re renting for $525 per month plus utilities. I assuuuume.

     

    Okay those are Aska’s contributions, anyone else?!?!

     

    Oh, and I DO NOT recommend taking Sociology for an easy Social Science credit. I heard it is supposed to be super tough and multiple choice hell.

     

    One more thing! Take a first-year seminar!! Their small-scale, interactive, high-school style format is definitely most conducive to a good grade in your first year. And you can only enroll in them in your first year. So, TAKE ADVANTAGE. I think I laughed about ten times while reading this year’s options.

    Here are my (superficial) faves:

    Language and the Internet (… LMAO)

    Aha! Mathematical Discovery and Creative Problem Solving

    Words, Rhythm and Music: What Makes a Song?

    The Lord of The Rings: A Journey Through Middle Earth

    Observing Everyday Life

    Time

    How To Make a Human (…I won’t even touch this one)

     

    Seriously folks, you can’t pay for this kind of entertainment… Oh wait you can. It’s a flat fee of $4,991 plus incidentals.

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  • first year,  subject POST,  writing

    Beat it Barbara. Get lost Larry.

    June 2, 2009

    Book and Media Studies?
    Hey! I want to get into journalism and I’m wondering what programs and stuff I should do.
    I’m taking some Media courses in first-year. Any benefits?

    ———————————————

    Book & Media studies, eh?

    I’ve never taken a course from this program, but I do love reading. Alas, I will resort to speculation, and harassing smart people to answer your question.

     

    The website says: The program prepares students for vocations in journalism, publishing, editing, communications and graduate programs in information and library science.

    This seems pretty evident that it would be relevant to a career in journalism, right? I noticed that the program description seems to emphasize text-based journalism. However, the course listings are evenly distributed between print and non-print media (e.g. radio, TV). There also seems to be a focus on the history of media, which may seem less relevant to the practice of journalism. Call me a romantic, but I still think being able to situate contemporary media in its historical context is a foundational skill for any journalist.

     

    Another idea for you is to take courses from the Innis College Writing & Rhetoric Minor program.

    This program is much more focused on the development of practical writing skills. Beyond this, the program aims to develop your ability to critically reflect upon, and construct, arguments. The program is also interdisciplinary (the wave of the future, my friend), as it is structured to complement other academic streams. So, it’s my humble opinion that throwing this Minor into the mix would directly benefit your journalistic aspirations. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to be enrolled in the Minor to take the Writing & Rhetoric courses.

     

    Beyond these options, I recommend taking a subject POSt in a field of interest to you. What kind of journalist do you want to be? A generic newscaster or editor? A political columnist? An economic writer? An endless fountain of second hand embarrassment? I’m not trying to pigeon-hole you, but it occurs to me that journalism is more than just being able to investigate issues and articulate them to broader audiences (a.k.a. the process of journalizing). I think that it’s very important to generate some expertise/interest in a more substantive field of study (a.k.a. the content of journalism).

     

    So, sample courses from various streams to see what might be of interest to your prospective career as a journalist. You might find some great candidates for an additional Minor or Major.

     

    You should also get involved in a student newspaper. Each College has one, and I get the impression that they are always desperate for contributors.

     

    I hope this helps. I also hope that any newsies out there can chip in with some experience-based advice!

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  • campus,  first year,  friends,  new kids

    Coolness validated.

    June 1, 2009

    Hey there..
    Ok so, I’m going to be visiting Toronto sometime soon.. And I live at like the other end of the world, so it’s not like I’m gonna be making this trip again before august or September or whenever term starts.. (I’ve been admitted into arts and science, first year).. So heres my question… It says t-cards will be made available from June 1st.. But i’m going to be out of toronto by June 1st… So is there anyway I can request to get it made earlier? Cuz I’m guessing without a t-card I can’t get a utoronto email address… And then I have no way to act cooler than the other people stuck in this hell hole by joining the University of Toronto network on facebook!..
    Also while I’m visiting what all should I be picking up and getting done? (For example I’m gonna check out my residence and pick up a calender, so whats the other stuff I can finish off?)

     

    Hi. Great questions. I actually laughed out loud at one point. Okay, get over yourself.

    It breaks my heart (…and I swear I have one) that this reply is arriving too late for you. At least it’ll be relevant for other newbies.

     

    You can’t get your TCard printed before June 1st, you will have to wait until you move to Toronto in the fall, when you can contend with a million other people lined up to get theirs. Irritating, I know. Unless everyone ELSE reads this and picks theirs up in advance. Potentially you will be the only one then. This will be little a test of Aska’s power.

     

    It’s true that you need your TCard to be issued your UTORid, which is necessary to create your email account… which is necessary to join the Facebook network… which is necessary to make your friends feel uncool. However, you certainly don’t need your TCard to make your friends feel less cool. Take my word for it. There are tonnes of strategies to elevate yourself above the clique.

    -join the Toronto network

    -change your education information

    -take photos of the campus and post them in an album (toss in a photo of the ROM… that’ll get ’em)

     

    If you really wanna be Toronto-cool, you might as well start selling out to the latest non-conformist trend (note the rich oxymoronic-ness). Think sickly thin boys with scarves and sloppy-haired girls in men’s dress shirts.

     

    Come to think of it, you don’t have to elevate your own coolness to gain advantage over your friends.’ Why not knock them down a few pegs? That’s my modus operandi, and look where it got me – getting paid to make fun of people.

     

    But seriously, if you are a new student visiting campus in the summer, do these things:

    a) visit your rez (check out this link: http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/residence/ToursMay-Aug2009.pdf)

    b) visit your college Registrar’s Office

    -pick up the Calendar & Timetable

    -check, in advance, if they are conducting any summer orientation sessions for new students

    -make an appointment, in advance, with an academic advisor (super useful)

    c) visit the undergraduate coordinator from the Department of any prospective Programs of Study

    d) partake in a “walking” campus tour:

    -until you are enrolled in your courses (27 July), you won’t really know where your classes will be held – so identifying specific buildings will be less useful in June, but the walking tour will introduce you to buildings that are more universally relevant to students

    e) eat something awesome:

    -Future Bakery & Caf (Bloor & Brunswick)

    -Daddy O’s (Sussex & Spadina)

    -Harbord Bakery (Harbord & Major)

    f) go up the CN Tower:

    -just kidding

     

    Is that enough for you? Good luck.

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  • choosing,  first year

    “…i don’t have any particular interest in anything…”

    August 5, 2008

    First email:

    Hi, this is my second year in UofT but i had dropped out first year, first because i had family matters to look after and second Iam glad becuase Iam pretty sure that i would’v failed every class i had taken. Iam not sure what program of study i should go into i have no paticular interest and everyone i ask for her help tells me to go into whatever m interested in.
    ?
    i was thinking of doing B.com but iam not a big fan of math and don’t know anything about calc. then i thought of criminology but they have a 2.50 avg req which i doubt i can get then i thought bout english but al the courses have so many essays and writting asigments.Also everything is so hard therefore i was wondering if u can offer any advice i want to do something that I can make a career out of in the future. Please help on what you think i should do becuase m pretty sure m not the first person to be lost although Iam going to go insane.

    ?

    Second email:

    Hi, aska i messaged before but i don’t think you recived it becuase you havn’t replied
    and its been a week.Anyway I have a big problem. M not sure wht program of study i should do its all so hard and confusing. everyone says do wht your interested in but i dont have any particular interest in aything. i want to do something that i can have a nice career out of in the future. please help me, advice comments anything.

    ?i m so lost.

    ?

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