• architecture,  first year

    architecture is…building…stuff?

    May 6, 2015

    Hi aska!

    Been following your blog recently and just wanted to say that you’re really helpful!!!

    I’m currently a senior in a BC highschool and it’s been my dream to come to ontario uni. My current dilemma is that I’m struggling about deciding between Architectural Studies at UT and Planning at Waterloo.

    I received my acceptance for UT and I was completely floored that I got in. I began doing more research on UT itself and I love love love the campus. I accepted my offer literally the second I got my email. Now however, I’ve realized my short-sightedness. I don’t really know what Architectural Studies entails. LIKE ACTUALLY, WHAT IS IT. I’ve tried to scour the department website for more details but to no avail. Perhaps I haven’t looked hard enough, but it would really mean a a lot if you could help a gal out!!! I’m stressing out over my exams (darn IB) and the impeding deadline on May 1st.

    And to continue this long winded story, I got an offer from for Planning at Waterloo around a month after UT. At first I didn’t really think much of it, but now I’m starting to really consider Waterloo. This is unbelievably frustrating to me because I picked out my residence (innis hola) and I felt like I had my life planned out at UT only to find myself immersed in doubt.

    1. Is it possible to reject my offer after May 1st? Waterloo’s deadline is June 1 so could I possibly wait until then to decide? As I said before, I already accepted my offer for UT on ouac. Can I even change that…

    2. Any info and tips you have about Architectural Studies? I’m not really in to physics and math but I’ve always loved architecture.

    3. Do you happen to know what are? some jobs/ careers graduates from this program have? Do they continue and do a masters in architecture? Or go straight in to the workforce

    It would really mean a lot to me if you could answer even one of these questions!!

    Thanks aska!!!!!! ???? ???? ????

    Sincerely,

    a ponderous padawan

    ???????????????

    hey there padawan,

    thanks for saying i’m helpful! it’s always nice to hear. helps me feel?like less of a disappointment to my parents.

    1. you can definitely cancel your acceptance to uoft on OUAC and then accept waterloo’s. you just have to make sure to cancel your acceptance?by the deadline stated in your acceptance package from uoft. easy-peasy.

    2. i get the frustration that comes around not being able to figure out?WHAT THE H*CK something is before you actually start taking classes about it. obviously you can’t know exactly what it’ll be like before starting, but here are some leads:

    i’m not in architecture and the daniels faculty is famous on askastudent for its vagueness, so i can’t give you too many concrete details. but the admission requirements don’t include?calculus or physics, and the supplementary oneidea application really emphasizes creativity in the visual arts. so i wouldn’t worry too much about not being a physics/math person.

    if you want a bit more insight about architectural studies at uoft and what daniels does, it might be helpful to browse the research projects the faculty has going on right now. here’s one thing they’re doing, and here’s another?and another. also, here are two tumblrs of current daniels faculty students – i’ve never spoken with them before, but it doesn’t hurt to send them a (polite) ask about classes, how they like the program, etc.

    finally, here is a page with past and current course timetables for the daniels faculty. browsing through courses might give you a better sense of what you’ll actually be doing once in school.

    3. according to the royal architectural institute of canada, “the professional degree [for architecture] is only offered at the master’s level.” so if you’d like to actually?be an architect (i.e. work for a firm and design stuff), you do need the M.A. (or M.Arch.) in addition to?the B.A. (or B.Arch.). the B.A. on its own might prepare you for other urban planning or design opportunities.

    as for what architects do once they’re out there in the working world, i can’t tell you much. all i know about architecture is what i inferred from the musical montage of joseph gordon-levitt in 500 days of summer – that is to say, not a lot. except i really want a chalkboard wall now.

    here are some links where you can?learn more about the profession: bam bam bam and BAM.

    ttfn and good luck making the right decision!

    aska

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  • first year,  St. George,  UTM

    indecisive sam

    May 4, 2015

    Hi! So I am a grade 12 student who applied and got accepted to UofTsg for life sciences and UTM for chemical and physical sciences both with the same (rather high) entrance scholarship. In both grade 11 and 12 I took AP bio, chem, physics, and maths and I really enjoyed and excelled in all of these courses (to give you an idea, my current average is in the high 90s with my science and math courses having the highest marks). In grade 11, chem was probably my favourite science however this year my interest has shifted toward biology. I know for sure that as of now, I don’t want to go to med school to become a doctor but I would really enjoy pursuing something in a similar field such biochemistry or pharmacy–however, I am totally undecided and definitely open for change! I basically love science in general and I have yet to find out what I can do with that.
    I have heard so many rumours about UofTsg life sciences being a GPA killer and I’m scared that going there will basically ruin my chances of getting into grad school …or anywhere for that matter. On top of that, many of my peers also preach that UofT is NOT the way to go for an undergrad especially if you’re getting in to the sciences as they have had family/friends who have had terrible experiences there. If it wasn’t for this horrifying image I’m getting of UofTsg I would most likely decide to go there. But now I’m thinking that UTM might provide an atmosphere that is better suited for me if I am still trying to find my path … But of course I have no idea what the experience at either campus in either program would be like. I love both of the campuses for what they have to offer, and both programs seem to tend to my interests, so the only other factor to base my choice on is something I have yet to experience for myself. This entire decision-making process is driving me insane I have no idea what to do!! Some insight from someone who has first-hand experience would be greatly appreciated 🙂

    Thanks for bearing with my rant,
    Indecisive Sam

    ———————————————

    hey there Indecisive Sam,

    first things first: i know this wasn’t really a question, but you’re not going to fail all your courses in first year. if you have an average in the high 90s, and you continue to work as hard as you did this year, you should be okay.

    definitely, first year will be harder than grade 12, but it won’t be impossible. a big part of the difficulty is that you’re trying to adjust to all these lifestyle changes while keeping up with your school work. first year is a challenge, but it’s not rigged. you can succeed if you’re passionate about what you’re studying, and you put in the work (and you don’t have a nervous breakdown halfway through the year. remember, eating and sleeping is not optional).

    now that that’s out of the way: unfortunately, i can’t tell you whether to go to UTSG or UTM. i can’t even give an authentic, personal account of both campuses, because i’ve never been to UTM. what i can tell you is that i love the downtown campus. i love that it’s in the city, and i love that it’s big enough that you can dip in and out of different small communities within the university. i love the old buildings (yep, i got sucked in by that old shtick).

    however, a lot of people find the downtown campus very isolating. they don’t feel like they belong anywhere. a lot of the faculty of arts & science colleges have long and storied traditions that are wonderful, but can make you feel like an outsider if you don’t fall in easily with them.

    some other things you might want to consider when deciding on a campus include: which residence you like better (if you’ll be living on res), what scholarships each campus may be offering you, and what extra-curricular or experiential opportunities each campus may offer in your field of interest (internships, clubs, etc.).

    finally, i know this is a super frustrating thing to hear because it’s not – at all concrete, but sometimes just spending a bit more time on campus (both at UTSG and UTM) can be helpful. sometimes you get a gut feeling about these things.

    and if there’s no gut feeling, stop into the regal beagle for drinks and poutine while you’re at the downtown campus so your trip isn’t a complete waste.

    best,

    aska

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  • first year

    the dilemma of “difficult”

    April 14, 2015

    Hi, I would just like to ask something about UofT, I’ve heard from many people how difficult it is, I was wondering whether or not you feel that this is true? Furthermore I was wondering whether or not you feel I would be able to handle the workload, right now I am an IB student, and have roughly an 83 average, looking into their forensic science program. I do a good amount of work as is, and was wondering whether or not I would be even able to pass at UofT. Thank you!

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    these kinds of questions are tricky to answer, because everyone has a different experience of what’s hard.

    i know people in every program – even the mythically difficult ones – who manage to have social lives and do well without breaking themselves studying. i also know people who feel like they’re drowning in a workload that i would find easy.

    when it comes down to it, in my experience, difficulty is a result of two things: aptitude and interest.* you can’t really affect the aptitude stuff too much, so the biggest advice i can give you is to take things you’re interested in. yes, in first year, you’re going to test the waters a bit, and you’ll probably take courses that it turns out you don’t like that much.

    the important thing is that you?are experimenting and finding out what you really enjoy studying. then you have to actually have the guts to study that thing. it’s not easy, and it could take you a long time to figure out.

    maybe you’ll be interested in everything, or maybe it’ll feel like nothing is really holding your attention. those feelings are fine, too – follow them wherever they take you. just don’t try to squish yourself into a box you’re not comfortable with. there’s a fine line between being?challenged and hating what you’re doing. try to feel out that line.

    i don’t know that much specifically about forensic science, but my general advice in: go in with an open mind, and you’ll have the shortest route to figuring out how you really want to be spending your time.

    obviously, people vary widely in how their marks change when they come to university, but i’ve encountered a lot of people who follow the 10% rule: that is, their average drops about 10% from what it was in high school. i know mine dropped exactly 10% between grade 12 and first year – the gap has since narrowed a little bit, probably since i’ve instituted my “at least 4 hours of sleep every?night” rule. (it’s done wonders for me, really. try it sometime.)

    if you work hard and remain relatively engaged with what you’re studying, it’ll be tough not to pass your courses. first year is tough because there are a lot of courses out there designed to weed people out, but even so, most people don’t fail them.

    all in all, i wouldn’t worry too much. just focus on finding out how to make university work for you (or how to find something else if it turns out uni is NOT for you), and you’ll be alright.

    i mean, none of us are gonna have jobs when we get out of this anyways, so. what is even the point of stressing, tbh.

    cheers,

    aska

    * i mean, i guess it’s also a result of, like, how good your profs are and stuff, but i’m talking about things INTRINSIC to YOU. because we’re all NARCISSISTS here at aska and also we don’t want to offend people who are tenured.

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  • first year

    york student struggles…?

    April 14, 2015

    Hey, I know you probably get emails like this constantly. As you probably know how overwhelming university can be 1st year, well i realized that after a month. I basically worked for the whole year before i started uni, and i cant stop now. it gets quite overwhelming, especially not realizing how competitive criminology is.

    I almost lost my mind because thanks to my friend i took almost all 2nd year courses not realizing i did until later. So I messed up my first year pretty bad. my question is what happens next? If i failed all 3 courses that i took including my major what happens?

    thank you ????

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    ok, i’m not sure what’s happening here (standard procedure here on askastudent). two things are confusing me:

    1) i don’t understand what the phrase “all 3 courses including my major” means, for a couple of reasons. the first is that at uoft, you need to take four courses at least in your first year to even?enter a major, and the second is that majors aren’t courses, they’re programs. you can’t fail them.

    2) you titled your e-mail?”york student struggles,” which is either a really mean-spirited joke about how york students always fail stuff, or you’re actually just from york university and you’ve gotten very lost on the internet.

    if it’s the latter case, then hello, nice to meet you – i’m aska. this website has a .utoronto.ca URL, which might clue you in to the fact that i only answer questions about the university of toronto. if you’d like to ask questions about york university, may i direct you to this very excellent tumblr blog that does just that.

    if you’re a uoft student, then the next step after failing the majority of your courses is, likely, that you’ll go on academic probation?for the next semester that you’re in school. you will have that one semester?to get your CGPA above a 1.50. i’d recommend you make an appointment with your college registrar’s office to come up with strategies about how best to do that.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year,  residence,  UTM

    look out…it’s FROSH ON RES!

    April 7, 2015

    Hey Aska! Alright so I was accepted into the CCIT program and I’m seriously considering accepting it, but I just want to get some stuff cleared up before I do.

    First of all, does the CCIT program offer an internship/ Co-op? Also do I have to maintain a certain GPA by the end of my first year to continue on to my second year?

    Ok, now about residence. When I went to the open house someone had told me that the school expects you to find your own place by the second year. Does that mean I cannot live in res after i complete my first year? Also when in res do i have to buy my own internet or does the school provide that for me? Does the school have a list of stuff I should and shouldn’t bring?

    What is campus life like? I hear a lot of people say that it’s pretty dead because UTM is a commuter school. I also hear a lot of complaints about the food options on campus. Is it really that bad?

    Thanks in advance!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    CCIT does in fact offer internships, though it’s not mandatory to complete an internship to complete the program. you can learn all about CCIT internships here and here.

    you can see the first-year requirements for entering one of CCIT’s three programs here (the GPA is competitive for admission, but there’s no minimum cut-off).

    as a matter of fact you can live in res in second year. according to this page, the first 300 upper-year students who reapply to residence are guaranteed a spot. upper year students are definitely a minority in residence – 300 is not a lot – but it is still possible to stay, if you really want to.

    i’d disagree that campus life is dead. UTSG is a commuter school too, and in my experience there are still oodles of ways to get involved. besides that, residence life is a whole separate thing from student life, so if you plan on living on residence, you’ll have two communities you can get involved with. here are just a couple of ways to get involved on res at UTM.

    as for food, this list looks pretty good to me!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • first year,  grades

    reality is no fun

    January 13, 2015

    Hey,

    Just got my mark back for a half year class… It doesn’t count towards my program or anything but I finished with a mark I am not too happy with (65, C). Did I just ruin my academic career or like… (I am in first year by the way, just having a hard time wrapping my head around this mark).

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    no, you didn’t ruin your academic career. i know this kind of thing can send first years crashing into a months-long spiritual and existential crisis, but trust me – this isn’t the end of the world.

    i’m not gonna go so far as to say that first year doesn’t matter, but i think it’s important to understand that everybody, from your overzealous chem prof to the admissions board at whatever professional/grad school you think you want to attend, understands that you don’t have everything figured out in first year.

    first year is there precisely to figure stuff out. if you don’t fall on your face in first year, you’re gonna do it later on when it really matters (i.e. in third and fourth year), and that’s a whole lot worse (though, even that is still not something you can’t recover from).

    so don’t freak out about this. try and internalize this feeling of getting a mark that you’re not happy with. understand that you’re not infallible. i know it doesn’t feel great, but it’s good for you, i promise. it’s gonna help you in the long run.

    once you’re nice and comfy with the idea that you’re not immune to mistakes, start thinking about how you can improve in the future. maybe that means taking different kinds of courses, or altering how and how much you study. or maybe this course was just a one-off and nothing to worry about. take time to do some good ol’ REFLECTION – but don’t beat yourself up about it.

    here’s to a good rest of your degree,

    aska

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  • first year

    we’ve all been there

    November 27, 2014

    Hey Aska!

    My name is [redacted], I am 18 years old and I got accepted to the UofT and plan on starting next fall. I currently reside in Austria with a Canadian citizenship. When I first got my acceptance letter, I was incredibly excited to have been given the opportunity to get my education at one of the best institutions in the world.

    I plan on get a major/specialist in psychology, for I intend to pursue a career in mental health advocacy and helping teenagers get out of depression in an effort to lower the suicide rate among youths, as well as assisting them in becoming the best and strongest version of themselves. I do not want to wait until the end of my studies to start doing what I want to do; I intend to go to clubs and meetings that assist me in fulfilling my purpose. Everything was fine and well until a few days ago when I started reading about the Universities? reputation for being a GPA killer and demanding much more of the students than any other university. That reputation is source for a lot of confusion as far as I?m concerned: while everyone on Studentawards laments about the dreaded bell curve, I also read an article on The Medium stating that said lamenting was only an outlet for the venting of irresponsible students who just didn?t study enough. Are there any grounds for either standpoint? Also, I have seen an anecdotal post on Reddit that said that in order to achieve and maintain a >3.6 GPA, one would have to study for 12h a day, assuming a reasonable level of intelligence. Many others complain that the UofT has turned hard working student into depressed zombies, and many regret their choice of institution.

    All of this talk is making me increasingly anxious. I?m not sure how the french school system (I went to a french Lyc?e), where standardized tests are the norm compares to the Canadian high school system so I have trouble gauging my ability to succeed at a Canadian institution. I graduated my school with what would be the equivalent of a cGPA of about a 94%, if that is of any relevance. All of this makes me incredibly paranoid, since I absolutely have to go to grad school in order to be able to perform as a psychologist (which requires a PhD). I guess that my ranting boils down to the following question: is it possible to maintain an average of >3.7 whilst maintaing a healthy social life and being able to pursue hobbies without sacrificing unfathomable amounts of sleep?

    I am truly sorry for this wall of text and hope that you could help me unearth the truth about academic success at the UofT.

    Regards

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    i’m gonna start off what will probably be an unsatisfying answer by telling you that everyone feels that way coming into first year. whether you went to school in austria or china or Shmoesville, Ontario, uoft will be a new experience. you may thrive, you may fail, or (most likely) you may fall somewhere in the middle.

    i think there’s a case to be made for uoft being difficult. in 2015, maclean’s is ranking it 2nd in canada behind UBC; it was first last year. and no, i don’t think that all people who have a poor GPA are just irresponsible or not working hard enough.

    you can’t blame it all on the students, but?you also can’t blame it on the school. at the end of the day, your academic career is the sum of you + the university of toronto, and if you’re not right for the school, or if the school’s not right for you, the equation’s not gonna work out.*

    to some extent, you just have to wait to get here to figure out whether or not you like it. however, i do have a few tips:

    1) you seem really passionate about mental health, and i think it’s a great idea to pursue extra-curricular initiatives related to mental health on campus, and in the city.

    camh is a great facility to get involved in, and it’s very close to campus. there are also student groups like Active Minds at UofT,?who work to raise awareness about mental health issues.

    integrating yourself into the community is an important part of doing well. if you care about the community at school, you’re more likely to work hard to stay in it.

    2) DO NOT even ATTEMPT to study something that you’re not interested in.

    if you want to do a psych major or specialist, you have to take PSY100H1 to get in. i know you’re saying right now that you want to do psych and that’s awesome, but if you take PSY100H1 and you’re not into it, PLEASE, on behalf of everybody and your mother, start exploring other options.

    however, if you’re doing something you genuinely enjoy, you CAN?maintain a reasonable GPA that is good enough to get you to graduate school, without completely destroying yourself in the process.

    ‘course, aska isn’t in the business of guaranteeing stuff, but – yeah. it’s not completely unreasonable to expect success. or at least the possibility of success.

    3) i don’t think coming from lycee will disadvantage you at all. uoft has a lot of international students coming from all kinds of different backgrounds: IB, AP, the british-patterned system, schools in china and korea, and just your regular old ontario public schools – and much more.

    university is its own beast separate from high school, and i think that no matter where you come from, you’ll find some of what you know will come in handy, and some of it will have to be revised.

    cheers,

    aska

    * see? i can do math. academia is alive and well in askastudent.

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  • first year,  life science,  med school

    medical school? what a HUMERUS proposition

    November 25, 2014

    Hi there,
    Does first year of life science at utm count towards med school. What count towards the science gpa, and does it matter if i fail a course in my first year of life sci, will it ruin my chances of getting into med school, a Canadian med school.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can totally do life sci at UTM if you want to get into medical school. medical school in canada isn’t very restrictive in terms of what kind of program you need to take.

    for example, uoft medical school only requires that you take 2.0 life science courses and 1.0 social science courses. heck, i even qualify for that, and i’m in a humanities program.

    however, it all starts to go south for me when you take into consideration the other requirements, like a competitive MCAT score, letters of reference, an interview and a competitive GPA.

    with a few finicky exceptions, pretty much every course you take will count towards the GPA used to determine your admission average for medical school.

    failing a course in first year definitely won’t ruin your chances, but it will be a very low mark on your transcript which will lower your GPA, so, you know…try not to fail.

    however, at uoft medical school at least, if you apply directly after your undergrad and you’ve taken a full course load every semester, uoft med school will drop your lowest 4 marks from the admission GPA, so that’s kinda nice, isn’t it? admissions committees aren’t all bad.

    best,

    aska

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  • financial aid,  first year,  stress,  subject POST

    You Won’t Believe What One Girl Did to Destroy her Existential Angst

    October 6, 2014

    Hi there!

    I am a first year in UTSG and from my topic, you guessed it! I have absolutely no clue what i want to major in and the anxiety is eating me inside out.

    This thought has boggled my head so much since money for my tuition is a real problem for me. The financial burden makes me want to ensure that what
    i take will be worth every penny so i tried going for a full on 6 credits over my first year but little by little, i dropped my courses after figuring out how I have no interest(or previous knowledge) in the courses at all. Plus, it’s no joke how serious U of T takes each and every course. Now, I’m at 4 credits.

    I entered U of T in Psychology with the notion that by studying about your mind, you will have a better chance of knowing what you want to major in. Ironically, going through my first few weeks in U of T taught me so much more and i have not even started my first psych class(i got the one for next term). I made the decision that what i study and what i want to do will be two separate entities so i got that covered for me. I do what I want to do outside of Uni and I study what i want to study inside of uni. Only problem is, i’ve been finding it hard to figure out what i want to major in after looking through U of T’s courses.

    What do people normally want to major in in UTSG? What does UTSG facilitate more Arts students or science students? What do you do should you realize that U of T isn’t for you? I am writing this letter not to ask about transferring to another University but to ask about your personal experience about finding what you want to study and where one might get help on this topic on campus.

    Thanks,

    Your average stressed out first year

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    in 100 years’ time, this e-mail will be exhibit 1.a under the heading: ‘Millennials in Crisis: Dealing with the Existential in a University Context in the Early 2000s.’

    gen y crisis

    The literature chronicling our freak-outs is quite extensive.

    as someone who is (mostly) standing on the other side of this academic crisis, i think i can say with some confidence that the issue is not that you don’t have the answers, but that you’re asking the wrong questions. yeah. i’m a veritable Buddha of academic advice.

    let’s just go through your questions step by step, before i compare myself to any more sacred cultural figures:

    1) what do people normally want to major in in UTSG? does uoft better facilitate studies in arts or science?

    there is literally no answer to that question. aside from the fact that the mixing and matching you’re allowed (even expected) to do with POSts allows for an almost infinite number of majors, minors and specialists, uoft does not have a particular inclination to any one area.

    i’m not going to argue (as some overzealous uoft folks sometimes like to do) that uoft is the best university in literally every discipline. we’re not.

    however, across the fine arts, humanities, and the social, applied and pure sciences, we’ve got consistently strong and diverse programs, and between all three campuses, pretty much every area of study’s been covered.

    uoft is not a tech school, and it’s not a liberal arts college. more than anything, uoft is big. if you search long enough, you’re likely to find yourself somewhere around here. but uoft is not going to hand you any obvious choices.

    i can tell you that psych is a pretty popular subject POSt. PSY100, which i guess is the class you’re taking next semester, is a good litmus test for figuring out if you actually enjoy or care at all about psychology. so that’s a step in the right direction.

    process of elimination is a great way of figuring out what you want to study. if you take a wide range of different classes in first year, chances are, you can cross out a whole bunch of areas as definite ‘no’s,’ and that brings you a lot closer to figuring out what you’ll say ‘yes’ to.

    also, don’t worry too much about doing 4.0 FCEs/term. lots of people do that. if finances are an issue, i would suggest looking into the ontario tuition grant, work-study jobs, your college’s bursary/emergency grant options, and UTAPS.

    2) what do you should you realize that uoft isn’t for you?

    get out. it’s not worth your time or your money.

    that said, the issue may not be that uoft is not for you. it could be that your program is not for you, or your course load is too heavy, or your living arrangements are stressing you out, or your health is in a bad place, or you’re not connecting enough with the community to feel really excited about it.

    if you’re starting to feel unhappy, don’t just push it to one side until it becomes this all-consuming, nebulous thing, like an itch without any clear point of origin. sit down and ask yourself what exactly is making you unhappy. be as specific as possible. write it down as a list, even.

     

    things i hate list

    A list is a great way to figure out what you like, and what you don’t like, about university.

    once you have the list, go through it point by point and try and come up with some solutions for each point. if one of those solutions is to leave uoft, or university altogether, then that’s what you should do.

    obviously, don’t just write a list and drop out the next day. give yourself some time to chew on it. talk to your registrar’s office. go to the career centre and book a career advising appointment, or participate in one of their career exploration programs. as well as being a welcome financial help, work-study jobs can help you explore your interests in a much more concrete way than in the classroom.

    i know you’re already at school, but maybe it might help to come out to fall campus day. pretend you’re coming to university for the first time and just visit a bunch of different people. which programs excite you? which ones do you like talking to? that can also help you clarify some things.

    just be honest with yourself. most people have a pretty good handle on what they like doing, and what they don’t. sometimes, though, our interests and priorities don’t match up with those of the people around us, and that makes us question them. try to block out the voices of your parents, your peers, the NSLC, etc. ask yourself what you actually want.

    finally, don’t be too stressed that you have no idea what you want to do yet. it’s only september of your first year – you’ve got four years – at least – ahead of you to decide, change your mind, decide again, change again, etc. if you’ve already gotten past the homesick phase, that in itself is an accomplishment. clarity about your academics will come in time, if you put in the work to figuring them out.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • first year

    it’s ok to be scared but maybe try to not be so scared: a motivational speech

    August 29, 2014

    this one?goes out to all my?first years out there who are quaking in their?boots at the thought of starting school. listen up, ’cause aska’s about to explain why a bit of quaking is okay.

    if you’re coming into first year,?you’re allowed (even expected) to be?afraid. in case you haven’t noticed this yet, it’s normal to be apprehensive about new situations. if we didn’t, our species would’ve died out the first time someone?tried to tackle a mountain lion and everyone just charged in after the dude instead of running in the other direction, and that would’ve been embarrassing and bloody for all of us.

    if you’re afraid that university will be too difficult, or that everyone else will be smarter than you – that too, is normal, and a result of high school teachers’ unfortunate tendency to make their students?behave?by instilling in them a mortal fear of THE ALMIGHTY UNIVERSITY.

    still, being afraid is sensible if you handle it the right way.?the important thing is NEVER to let your fear get so big that it makes you stick your head in the sand. you may come to school in september and find that classes are harder than you thought, or you’re lonelier than you expected to be. life might throw you some curve balls.

    but if/when a curve ball does happen, you SHOULD NOT?BE AFRAID?to seek out help. the problem will only?get worse if it’s not dealt with, like a particularly unfortunate boil.

    on the other hand, if you ask for help as soon as you notice there’s a problem, the boil will be gone before you can snapchat a picture of it to unwitting acquaintances.

    you’ve got lots of time to drop courses you don’t like (september 21st/january 15th), ask questions about course material (go to your tutorial and prof’s office hours!), get help outside of class (at a math aid centre, writing centre, economics study centre, or with one of the many, many tutors employed by uoft’s academic departments), and speak with your registrar’s office about any questions you may have.

    at every step of the way, there is someone available to answer your questions and provide support. even aska will answer your questions, as long as you let me poke fun at you a bit first.

    enjoy your first week, everyone!

    aska

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  • first year

    don’t do this: part 2

    August 27, 2014

    welcome to PART 2 of aska’s inspiring series on what not to do at university in order not to embarrassing yourself and convince everyone that you are a super cool being. you can find PART 1 of my astounding, essential tips here.

    ONWARDS:

    5. DO NOT throw away your prof’s/TA’s e-mail address when they give it to you on the first class.

    you’re gonna regret that one day, and sooner than you may think.

    6. DO NOT not get a metropass.

    if you’re a commuter student, you will almost certainly need a metropass. figure out what your commute will be like BEFORE school starts, and make sure to buy a metropass if it works out to be cheaper for you than using tokens (if you;’ll be commuting every day, it usually does).

    7. DO NOT join extra-curriculars just because you think you should.

    after slogging through government-prescribed stupidities meant to make you more academically successful (*cough cough* Civics and Careers *cough cough*)?for four years, you finally have the chance to completely tailor your life to your own interests.

    take advantage of that by getting jobs, volunteering, joining clubs, and taking extra-curricular classes that you actually want to do. this is a huge university and an even bigger city, so you’re guaranteed to find something in it that you like.

    8. classes start at 10 after the hour.

    so if it says it starts at 9 on your timetable, it really starts at 9:10. 10 extra minutes of sleeping in! whoo!

    9. DO NOT stress too much about all of this.

    you only get one heart, you know. don’t destroy it with anxiety. and try to have a nice time every once in a while,?will ya?

    best of luck with everything!

    aska

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  • askastudent love/hate,  first year,  jobs

    gasp, indeed

    August 26, 2014

    Hey Aska,
    I just have a few first year questions that have crossed my mind since it’s almost time for school again.?*gasp*
    1. I’m taking a first year language course that requires me to attend an interview on September 2…which is also during frosh week.? The interview is used to basically confirm that my language skills aren’t higher than the course that I signed up for.? My super awkward questions is: Do I have to dress up for this interview like I would for a job interview? I’m not sure if this is a casual quick interview type of thing.? As it’s during frosh week though, I don’t want to ditch the frosh activities and show up in my frosh t-shirt.
    2.? I’m looking to find a Work-Study job.? But I’m having difficulty finding jobs that are geared towards first year students because most of them list “knowledge of campus and clubs and blahblahblah”, which obviously I have no experience with yet. Can first year students apply to be Askastudent? Are there any other jobs for first years?
    Thanks,
    Inexperienced First Year

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    some excellent questions! frosh is definitely all about the big t-shirts and cutoff shorts, so formal wear won’t be very practical. i’m guessing (though i could be wrong) that your interview is for EAS100, because it has a september 2nd interview date. if that’s the case, there’s nothing on their site that indicates business/formal wear is required.

    i think these interviews are more to test competency than anything else. just to be safe, you may want to pack a button-down shirt in a duffel bag and take it with you on that day, but i doubt it’ll be necessary.

    (also, you can miss some – or all – frosh events, if you need to. just FYI.)

    as for work-study, there are a LOT of work-study positions. i would steer away from research-based positions, which tend to go to upper year or graduate students. on the other hand, positions that require multiple people (for example, if a whole team is being hired) often take first years who can then be mentored by upper year students on the team, and groomed to take over in the following years.

    as for askastudent, it has typically attracted upper year students because it requires strong writing skills and a good knowledge of the school (experience with WordPress is an asset). however, it’s entirely possible that a first-year student could completely SLAY any upper year candidates in any or all of those areas.

    askastudent may not be hiring any new people this year, but keep an eye out on the CLN! if a position becomes available, it will be there, along with all other work-study jobs on campus.

    generally, apply wherever you can. if you have most of the skills listed on a posting, but not all of them, apply anyway. the worst they can do is not call you. trust me, if you apply to enough places, you’ll move on pretty easily.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year

    don’t do this: part 1

    August 26, 2014

    in anticipation of the teeny-tiny elf people who are going to be starting out at uoft this coming september, i have compiled a very helpful list of tips about what NOT?to do during first year. because aska’s ALL ABOUT THE NEGATIVE, apparently.

    1. DO NOT come to class any later than fifteen?minutes early (for the first week).

    during the first week of classes, everyone goes insane. the new kids think they have to come super early to class to, like, greet their professor or some craziness, and the old kids are fuelled by the?thought that, “this year, it’s gonna be?DIFFERENT!!!! i’m gonna get my LIFE TOGETHER!”

    obviously, the profs don’t care and the old kids revert to their old habits by week 3, BUT during that first week, everyone gets to class super early. so if you want to get a seat, you’d better get there early as well.

    HOWEVER, if you get to class early and there is a class in there before yours, be nice and wait for the other class to file out before you go in. pushing and shoving pisses people off, and it’s pointless; you?will?find a seat.

    2. DO NOT give yourself the first couple of weeks to “adjust.”

    when classes start, they start right away. usually the first lecture of the year introduces some background info relevant to the course, or reviews grade 12 stuff (if applicable).

    after that, they jump right into it, and the pace of the class will likely be faster than what you’re used to, so don’t give yourself any opportunity to fall behind. the first two weeks are not the time to?slowly dip your toe in the water. make sure you’re on top of your workload right from the start, because it is?very unpleasant trying to catch up at the end of term.

    on the other hand, if you start off strong, keeping up with the pace will completely doable.

    3. DO NOT get piss drunk as soon as your parents pull away from rez.

    it’s not fun going to ER in a city you’re unfamiliar with, or with strangers. in fact,?here’s an insiders’ tip: the strangers will resent you for it after.

    4. DO NOT pronounce ROSI “rossy.”

    you’re embarrassing yourself. (it’s “rosy,” like “rosy cheeks”.)

    come back tomorrow to read?the PART 2?of this inspiring series of tips.

    cheers,

    aska

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