• course work,  first year

    i don’t wanna be your mom, but…

    November 13, 2017

    I’m a first year and I forgot to do two responses for one of my courses. The first one was due last week, and then the second one was due yesterday. Is it ok if I get 0 on these? They’re not very important but I’m a first year and I don’t want these two responses to be my downfall and to propel me into academic probation or something.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    i don’t know if i can tell you whether or not it’s “okay” that you get 0 on these assignments. obviously, missing course work is bad and you shouldn’t do it (the mom in me is coming out)… but i’m also not here to boss you around and tell you what you can and can’t do.

    take a look at your course syllabus, it outlines all the course work and how much everything is worth. if you’ve taken a look already and have determined that you can still pull a decent mark despite missing the first two assignments (though you will probably have to hustle HARD), then you’re fine. if, for whatever reason, these assignments are like the only marked course work in the class and without those marks, you’ll fail the course well… yikes.

    this is something that you would definitely have to discuss with the instructor. hopefully, if god is good, the instructor will discuss alternatives with you and you will reach an agreement. this could be anything from allowing you to submit the assignment(s) late without a penalty, or excusing the assignments and lumping the marks into later assignments. if this isn’t a possibility, then you should speak to your college registrar. they’ll be able to provide you with more information and options.

    i wouldn’t worry too too much about this. it sounds like you’ve determined that these assignments aren’t too important and that it may be fine for you to skip them. however, i would still definitely speak to your prof and see what you can figure out– there’s no harm in getting more marks!

    and like, not to be your mom, but like… do your assignments.

    knows best mom GIF by 505 Games

    xoxo,

    mama aska

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  • admissions,  first year

    summer transcript scramble

    August 8, 2017

    Hello. I have another question about courses. So I am currently taking a summer school for Chemistry 12 University course and enrolment is on Thursday. Where can I submit my transcript for summer school? And will they allow me to enrol in a Chemistry course even though I have not submit my transcript for summer school yet? Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    i’m so sorry that it took until now for me to get to your question. i’ve been really swamped lately and then took a week off (aska needs downtime too!) so i’m sorry if this answer is no longer relevant.

    you should be able to enrol in a chemistry course at u of t without having grade 12 completed (ie. it’s not on your final high school transcript yet). so, you’re all good, m’dude!

    as for submitting your summer transcript, you need to get in touch with enrolment services. you should call or email them (following that link) and ask them how you would submit a transcript.

    i hope this helps, and i’m so sorry this took so long!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • first year,  priority

    pesky priorities!

    July 28, 2017

    Hello. My admissions category is mathematical and physical sciences. I chose this because i love chem but no other programs under that category really interest me. Soooo can i double major in chem and something from life sci like nutritional sciences or must i stay within my admissions category?

    ——————————————

    hi!

    yes, you can totally do that! you can take any courses within the faculty of arts and science as you are an artsci student. it’s pretty cool. i know people who have double majored in french literature and organic chemistry.

    the one thing you’d have to be aware of is priorities. if you want to take courses outside of your admissions category, you might not have “priority” for those courses. this means that you will have to wait until the priority period is over until you can register for those courses. this year, you can start enrolling in those classes on August 4th. 

    i hope this is helpful! good luck!

    looking forward to seeing you on campus in the fall!

    Madelaine Petsch thumbs up riverdale well done madelaine petsch GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • first year,  SDS,  sociology

    sexy soc-y ;)

    July 25, 2017

    Hey! Is there recommended first year courses I should take if I want to double major in sexual diversity and sociology? 🙂

    ——————————————

    hi!

    so, you just need to go to the faculty of arts and science’s calendar to see what first year courses are offered by those department as well as which courses they recommend you take in first or second year.

    for sexual diversity studies, they suggest that you take SDS255H1/ SDS256 in your first year as well as “a broad range of of courses in the humanities and social sciences”.

    for soc, they suggest SOC101Y and a combination of two half-year courses that are outlined in the calendar that i really don’t feel like typing out for you. sorry but not sorry. you got into this school, you can read.

    i hope this was helpful!

    MLB hernandez GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • breadth requirements,  degree requirements,  first year

    the scary world of degree requirements

    July 17, 2017

    Hello! I’ll be a first year student soon and I was look at the breadth requirements page and I don’t get what any of it means? FCEs? 100 series? 300+ series? What??

    ——————————————

    hi!

    welcome to u of t and the annoying and confusing world of degree requirements!

    basically, you need 20 FCE (full course equivalents, which means you could take 20 full year courses, 40 half year courses, or any mix as long as it adds up to 20 full course equivalents) to graduate. within those 20 credits, there are certain requirements that you need to fulfill. according to this, you need to have at least 6.0 FCE of 300/400-level courses with at least 1.0 400 series, and no more than 6.0 100-level courses.

    but what does this all mean!??!

    the “level” of a course denotes what year that course is meant to be taken in. 100 being first year, 200 being second year, etc. you can tell what “level” a course is from the first number in the course code. for example, ENG140 is a first year or 100- level course. of course, these levels are all suggested and oftentimes upper year students take a lower level course in order to complete requirements. as long as you don’t go over the max of 6.0 100-level courses and as long as you take at least 6.0 300+ level courses, you’ll be good!

    this brings us to the elusive breadth requirement. the breadth requirement is the university’s way of making sure that we turn out somewhat well-rounded. there are 5 “categories”, all corresponding to a different area of study. you need to complete 1.0 FCE in 4/5 categories or 1.0 FCE in 3/5 categories and than 0.5 FCE in the remaining two categories. for the most part, whatever program you’re interested in will fulfill at least 2 or 3 of the categories, so you just need to look at completing the other 2 or 3. though a lot of students decide to get their breadth requirement out of the way in first year, it doesn’t really matter when you do it, as long as they’re done before you graduate.

    i hope this helps! i know this is a lot and can be really confusing. don’t hesitate to reach out to your college registrar to set up an academic advising session just to figure some stuff out. it can be really helpful.

    see you on campus in september!

    happy loop yay celebrating kermit GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • credits,  first year,  one programs

    the first credits are so special

    July 12, 2017

    Good day!

    I would like to ask a question regarding enrolment. I accepted a One Program Gradients of Health & Wellbeing in an Urban Mosaic (Health Studies) and I think it is worth half credit. Does that mean I have to take another four courses? If so, I am only going to have 4 and a half credit for the first semester? Sorry, it really confuses me. I know that I have to take five credits every semester. Please enlighten me. Thank you.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    actually, according to this, that particular ones program is worth 1 full credit. in that case, you do only need to take 4 more FCE (full course equivalents) for a total of 5 FCE.

    most students take 5 FCE every school year (fall and winter semester). this could be 10 half credit courses, 5 full year courses, or any combination of the two. you can check out this website for more information about course loads. it’s a little complicated looking, but just know that as long as you’ve got a total of 5 FCE at the end of second semester, you’re good!

    hopefully this helps! looking forward to seeing you on campus in the fall!

    GIPHY Studios Originals reaction good thumbs up good job GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • courses,  first year

    ol’ reliable 5.0 FCE

    July 7, 2017

    Hello..
    I am a new first year student starting this Fall..
    I want to ask from experiences.. whether it is too hard for a first year student to take 5.0 credits for the Fall/Winter semesters all at once.. and do not taking any summer course. I am worried since the first year is really important.

    Thank you.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    let me just take this chance to welcome you to u of t!

    jimmy fallon hello hi fallontonight hey GIF

    as for whether or not it’s “too hard” for a first year student to take 5.0 FCE (full course equivalents) or credits, it all really depends on your pace. most people in first year take 5.0 FCE and it’s considered standard to take 5. as long as you are taking more than 3.0 FCE, you’ll be considered a full time student. also keep in mind that if you are taking 3.5 FCE or fewer, you will have to pay a per-course fee, rather than a program fee. 

    you should also know that there is absolutely no shame in taking less than 5.0, if that’s what you need. life happens, and sometimes you need to drop a course or two. though 5.0 FCE would allow you to finish in four years, don’t forget that it’s 10000% okay to take more time. honestly, every frosh should get slapped with a giant poster board that says “IT’S FINE TO TAKE MORE THAN FOUR YEARS” carried by a parade of students yelling “TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!”. maybe instead of marching with your college at the utsu parade during frosh week, first year students should stand to the side while upper year students scream affirmations and “IT’S OK!!!” at them. orientation week planners- hit me up.

    anyways… 5.0 FCE is completely doable and is standard. but don’t forget that if you need more time, it’s totally fine.

    i hope this helps and welcome to u of t!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • first year,  FLC,  seminars

    199 vs flc vs ones showdown

    June 14, 2017

    Hey!

    I’m a newly admitted student to life sciences, and I’m kind of in a predicament. I’ve applied and been accepted to one of the Ones program, (UC one – Gradients of Health in an Urban Mosaic). However, I’m also interested in the FLC program for my college, and I read that I can’t do both/it would be hard to and probably interfere with my timetable. I’m going to be living off campus, and taking the typical science and math courses along with a psych, so I’m honestly not sure which would benefit me more? Do you have any personal experience with either? Or have you guys heard of any really good things about either option?? I’m really confused and I’m not sure what is best

    *(on another note what is the difference between a 199 course and a Ones course? Would I be able to do a 199 and a FLC?? do i need to apply to take a 199 course like the Ones program??) *

    Hope that’s not too much to ask ahh thank you!!

    ——————————————

    hi!

    congrats on getting in and welcome to the university of toronto!

    the FLC website says that they don’t recommend doing both a FLC and a first year foundations program since it might be a little hard to balance your time and sort out your schedule as you’d have to juggle many inflexible slots on your schedule. so you technically can do it, it’s just not recommended.

    personally, i haven’t done a FLC, but i did a ones program in first year. i thought that it was a pretty cool experience and i liked that i got to form really great relationships with my profs and classmates. i was also super interested in the course content, which obviously makes everything better. however, some of my classmates found that the program took up a little bit too much time in their schedule (we met four times a week so trying to schedule other classes or commitments around that was a little difficult). it’s really about balancing what you see as the positives and negatives and seeing if it’s worth it for you. as much as i’d like to enforce my opinions on others, this is really your call. something that i might find positive (like small classes) you might see as a negative.

    as for the difference between a 199 course and the ones programs, well it’s in their names. a 199 is just one course and a ones is a program usually with multiple courses whereas a 199 course is just one course totalling 1 FCE or 0.5 FCE depending on whether it’s a full year course or only a semester long. you also don’t need to apply to take a 199 course, you just enrol in it on ACORN like a normal course.

    i think you can be in both a 199 and a ones program, as long as that ones program isn’t vic one. at least that’s what it says in the artsci calendar. all hail the artsci calendar.

    enjoy the rest of your summer and try not to stress too much, bruh. we will see you on campus in september!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • economics,  first year,  international relations

    another pitbull reference

    June 13, 2017

    Hey Aska!

    So I’m a Grade 12 student who got accepted into the UofT, and I’m looking at doing a double major in Economics and International Relations.

    The course plan is
    ECO100Y
    MAT133Y
    HIS103Y
    for sure

    I also applied to Munk One (which is still pending a response) and Trinity One IR. The folks are Trinity One put me on a waiting list, and said it’s “very unlikely” that I’ll get into the IR course for first year. However, they offered me spot in the Public Policy first year courses.

    I’m totally lost on how I go about organizing the rest of first year. I’m probably not gonna do Public Policy, but if I get into Munk One, I definitely want to take their courses to boost my IR application. Problem is, Munk One is two half year and one full year (2.0FCE) and unlike the Trinity One, does not replace the HIS103/102Y requirement for IR.

    If I take ECO, MAT, HIS, and the two Munk One courses, I’ll be at 5 courses. That leaves me without a backup in case I don’t get into IR (which I intended to take POL101Y for). I emailed the IR folks and they told me just to not take POL if I get into Munk One, and to relax about it all, but I’m still skeptical just in case I don’t get into IR 2nd year.

    What’s left for me Aska?

    Thanks dude.

    ——————————————

    hi dude!

    another IR question. why is it always the people who are in IR/ prospective IR students that ask the most questions? y’all are such catherine keeners.

    okay, in all seriousness though, it’s good that you’re thinking so far ahead and that you have a clear game plan for your first year. just keep in mind that plans change and that it’s okay for plans to change. whether it’s because you don’t get into IR or because you change your mind, i think it’s really important for all first years to remember that something ends up changing at some point; i know that it would’ve saved me a lot of stress and heartbreak if i had known that diverging from the plan almost always happens and that it’s not the end of the world. that might sound a little harsh, but i guess that’s what i’m here for. to deliver the harsh truths.

    anyways, back to your question. according to the IR admissions website, you just need ECO100Y or ECO101H/102H and HIS103, HIS102, or a trin one/ vic one FCE. it also says that MAT133 is a prereq for higher level econ courses, so it’s good that you know that for your econ major.

    i’m assuming you wanted to take POL101 for the polisci major? i really don’t know what to say, my dude. while i think that doing munk one and a ones program in general is a good experience and would help with your goal of getting into IR, i also think that having some backup options is the smart and responsible route.

    what’s left for you? i guess you just gotta decide if you want to do munk one or not (if you get it). if you do, great! one step closer to IR! if you don’t… well then you have two free credits to play around with! POL101! maybe a breadth course! maybe a different first year seminar class! and if you don’t get into IR after first year, you could enrol in a placeholder program (which i guess is what you want polisci/ POL101 for) and the econ major, then reapply after second year. like i said earlier, plans change and it’s more about how you adapt to it and what you do to get back on track.

    i really hope this helps! good luck m’dude. and maybe you’ll be mr. worldwide soon enough.

    xoxo,

    aska

    ps- yes, i’m trying to reference to pitbull every time an IR question is asked now.

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  • arts & sciences,  first year,  seminars

    1-800-which-199?

    June 9, 2017

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

    ———————————————

    hi!

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

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

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

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

    hope this helped, see you on campus in september!

    xoxo,

    aska

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

    course selection frenzy

    May 30, 2017

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

    ———————————————

    hello young one!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • east asian studies,  first year,  languages,  subject POST

    s’okay

    January 16, 2017

    Sup Y’all, I enrolled into a minor program (EAS) in order to get priority enrolment for a first year language course. Now that I’m two months into the course, is it safe to drop the minor program and still retain my spot in the course?

    ———————————————

    hello,

    **fyi there is one aska at the moment so as much as i wish we could be considered a “y’all”, “we” is only me 🙁

    after taking a look at all the first year language courses available for EAS, it seems like none of them require you to be in an EAS subject POst to stay in the course, so i would say that it’s safe to drop to retain your spot in the course.

    keep in mind, you’re only allowed to change and delete your subject POsts during specific periods. these vary depending on which type of subject POst you’re adding or deleting, but you can check all of that at this link, right here and right here.

    hope this helped!

    peace and love,

    aska

     

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  • admissions,  english,  first year,  homeschooling

    lost in admission wonderland

    September 27, 2016

    Greetings, I have question that may be a little confusing. I’m a homeschooler that applied earlier this year in hopes that could get into the English program. Unfortunately I got rejected :/ I took ENG4U earlier last month because English is required in my program but I’m wondering, is it worth trying to apply again? ;;

    ———————————————

    hey,

    as someone who was not homeschooled, i’m not sure how the whole process works but i’ll try my best to answer your question regardless.

    if i’m not mistaken, your question is basically asking my opinion on whether or not you should apply.

    my answer is: why not?

    if you want to come to U of T badly enough, the best plan of action would definitely be to apply! i don’t think i need to go into detail about what makes U of T the best school in canada. if you can handle harsh winters, competitive classmates, and an overall feeling of desperation, you should definitely come to U of T. you’ll receive an amazing education and although school will be hard, you’ll come out bulletproof.

    i definitely think it’s worth a shot if you really want to come here, but you should also apply to other schools as fallback options.

    if your question is whether or not you will get in, i cannot say for sure because it’s up to admissions!

    you can contact them here, depending on which campus you’re applying to.

    in general, even if you meet all the requirements for admission, we still can’t say whether or not you’ll get in, mostly because there are so many things that admissions will consider on your application. your best bet is to contact them directly.

    good luck with your application (if you apply)!

    see you around! maybe. hopefully.

    cheers,

    aska

     

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