• enrollment,  first year

    panic! at the ROSI

    August 1, 2014

    omgomgomg ASKA! It was so stressful I almost cried (I cry to relieve stress and my friends always make fun of me). I was SO ready for it like “BRING IT ON” but wow was my confidence kicked real hard in the ####!!!! Psych is really popular with the crowds huh? -.- I also ended up taking ANT110H1 which was my LAST resort because I had/have noooo idea what the course description is trying to tell me. Think you could shed some light? GAWD last night was so stressful! T^T #cantgetoverit

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

    heY THERE FRIEND,

    there are a lot of exclamation points in this question and i’m kind of intimidated. also, i’m not sure i can actually find the question buried in all this panic. so – i know it’s hard, but do your best – try and get over it. you’re all grown up now and you can handle this. aska believes in you.

    okay, motivational poster time over.

    yeah, psych is pretty popular. you just have to take a look at this site’s psychology category to see that. it’s one of only a few POSts with its own category here. a true honour – i’m sure the psych department knows and is delighted.

    now, ANT110. this is the course description. i’m not an anthropologist and i have never taken a class on anthropology, but it says pretty clearly that?it’s going to be a class that examines different cultures’ and different thinkers’ perspectives on nature. pretty cool.

    so, for example, you might look at?the difference in perspectives between a North American career-mum who thinks that her lawn exists to best the other mummies’ lawns, and a Mongolian steppe warrior who’s never seen a lawn in his?entire life.

    obviously, one of those people is a bloodthirsty war?machine, while the other is a member of an Asian ethnic?group that dates back many centuries, so there’re bound to be some interesting differences.

    but enough guesswork from me. if you really want to know what the course is about, wait for the course?reading?list to be uploaded onto the bookstore’s site. that should give a good idea of course content. also, ?reading up on the research done by the prof who’s teaching?the course is a good way to get insight about what they’re likely to focus on.

    anyway, i hope you like the class!

    aska

    P.S. i can’t believe i made a panic! at the disco reference. i’ve regressed back to age 14. god help us all.

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  • first year,  science,  subject POST

    “mandatory” “first year” classes

    July 29, 2014

    Hey there,
    So I got into the humanities program at U of T, however, I wanted to get into the science program. The only mark holding my back was calculus. I was wondering what courses are mandatory as a first year student and also how many courses I can possibly take as electives to transfer over if i choose to re-apply to sciences for my following year.
    Thanks a ton

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there aren’t really any mandatory courses. as a first-year student, you’re already in a stream (life. sci., humanities, comp. sci., what have you), but you can also make drastic changes to that fairly easily.

    what i would do is figure out some subject POSts (that’s ‘subject Program of Study,’ if you’re just tuning in) that you’re interested in applying to after first year. then go to the course calendar, see what first-year courses are required/recommended for those POSts, and take them.

    just keep in mind that a lot of first-year science courses may have priorities or restrictions for life science students, so make sure to double check the ‘enrolment indicator’ column on the timetable for each of the courses you’re thinking of taking.

    otherwise, there’s nothing much that’s “required.” it might be a good idea that you start trying to meet some breadth requirements in first year, but it’s not mandatory. you’ve basically got free license to enrol in whichever courses you deem important for your second, third and fourth years.

    i know that kind of freedom all at once can be scary to the point of nausea, but trust me, it’ll be good for you. and hopefully, it’ll end with you in a program you really love. or at least one you don’t despise.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • first year,  odds are that won't be asked again

    tryna impress family i.e. running up a downward escalator

    July 25, 2014

    Hi aska,

    I’ve had this question for a long time now, but everyone else seems not at all bothered by it so I guess it must be a silly one.

    So here it goes,

    Since we won’t apply for POSTs (or a major if I understood correctly) until the end of first year, as a frosh, when someone asks you “what do you study?” what should I say? Some of family friends have asked me the same thing, and I was like.. “uh, I’m an art&science student?” which sounds incredibly vague & I-don’t- know-what-I’m -talking- about. I did get accepted in Life science, but if I were to say that I give the impression I want to be a med student or something, which is not the case at all. The thing is I haven’t decided what I want to study for major, I thought first year was for explore, is it just me? Does everybody else already know what they want?

    I hope you can understand my dilemma and weirdness.

    Sincerely confused..

    ———————————————

    hey there confused,

    i completely understand the question, actually. from aska’s extensive research (i.e. chatting with friends who go to school elsewhere), most universities don’t lump arts and science together in one faculty. it’s usually more logical than that. alas, you chose uoft. get ready for lots of people to be confused about the way we do things (see the ever-popular: “college??? you’re in a coLLeGe? but i thought you went to universitY???”)

    usually, people just say which stream they’re in, so “i’m in life sci.” in my experience, med school students tend to say “i’m in med school/i’m studying medicine,” so i don’t think there should be too much confusion. or you could try “i’m a general science student.” or “i go to lizard skateboarding school.”

    as for using first year to explore, you’ve got it exactly right. if everyone around you is saying “i’m in such and such program,” then they’re all wrong, and you’re right. too many first-year students come in with a subject POSt already in mind, and then if they don’t get into it after first year, they panic, because they’ve got no idea what else to do. or even worse, they think they’re already in a program, and don’t know they have to sign up for one after first year. take note: you do have to.

    there’s enough flexibility in first year that you can take the typical prereqs for most science POSts (CHEM138+139, BIO120+130, MATH135+136), and have credits left over to take some general interest courses.

    so take your time, explore, and don’t rush into a decision about programs. that way, when you actually make your decision after a year of thoughtful exploration, it’s more likely to be the right one for you.

    finally, just FYI, a major is not the only kind of subject POSt. uoft students are accepted to enrol in either one specialist, two majors, or a major and two minors (you can get ambitious like a specialist and a major or two majors and a minor, but those are the standard ones).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year,  subject POST

    not yet, little seedling

    July 8, 2014

    Hey I’m going into my first year this September and I need to enroll in two Subject POSts in order to get my Honours Bachelor of Science. I was wondering what Subject POSts codes I would use to enroll into Computer Science and Actuarial Science? Please and thank you.

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

    hey there,

    it’s inspiring how eager you are (especially in the face of aska’s shocking continual apathy towards absolutely everything) but you have to wait until you’ve completed at least 4.0 credits?to enrol into subject POSts. if you’re a full-time student, that should fall between April and September?after you complete first year. there’s a more detailed timeline of subject POSt enrolment here.

    when that time comes, there’s a full list of codes for every subject POSt offered in the Faculty of Arts & Science here.

    for now, enjoy the glorious freedom of getting to take the courses you want, exploring everything you’re interested in, and feeling as though the possibilities of your life are NOT?limited to falling asleep in front of the TV at 9pm with an unopened stats?textbook in front of you.

    best,

    aska

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  • first year,  residence

    concerns about being alone: well, what else is new?

    May 21, 2014

    Hey there!I’m starting to get anxious about something really stupid concerning the residences but I can’t help it. So I’m going to be a first year student this fall and when I had to rank what building I wanted to stay in for residence, I didn’t really do much research and ranked Lower Burwash Hall first. Now that I’m reading more into residences I realize that for a first year student it would’ve been better to rank Margaret Addison Hall first because it is the most social and that where you can expect to make more friends as a first year. And stupid me ranked it 5th!! I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for me to get put there now. Do you have any idea if you can change your ranking after you are assigned to a dorm? Or if not, could I still hang out in the common room of Margaret Addison Hall at least? I’m really scared to be placed in a building where there is no social scene and it’s very quiet and won’t be able to meet anyone.
    Thank you

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

    hey there,

    oh, man. i read this question first thing this morning and i am so glad?i did. i’m not gonna call your question cute because i think that word is really gross and condescending, and i’d like for all of us to be on equal footing here on askastudent. we’re all just chilling together, you know?

    instead, lemme just put it this way: your question is very reflective of your status as an incoming first year. that’s not a bad thing. it just means that your concern is so minor that literally everyone knows it is except you. again, i don’t mean that offensively. what i’m saying is that you’ve got nothing to worry about!

    the nature of residences is that they are social. i spent my first year in a residence (not at uoft) that was considered one of the “quieter” ones. guess what? people still threw parties the weekend their don was away. people still visited their neighbours in their pjs. i remember watching the U.S. elections (back when it was between obama and romney, oh man, remember that?) until 2am with like eight other people, all crowded around one TV in my friend’s room.

    also, it was all very mobile. people still went to visit with friends in other residences. people ate in the cafeterias of other residences.

    just because you live in a certain place, doesn’t mean you’re tied to it. university as a whole (and especially the university of toronto) allows for the kind of mobility that’s pretty hard to conceptualize?when you’re in high school. so if you really don’t like your rez, you don’t have to spend time there.

    but?no matter where you end up, it’s very unlikely that you won’t make any friends in residence.?it looks like it’s too late?to change residence preferences once you’ve been made an offer, and while you could try contacting?housing services if you’re really adamant about?changing places, honestly, i’d recommend against it. i think you’ll find everything you’re looking for in burwash. and if not, hey, you’ve always got a friend in aska.

    also, i hear netflix is really great for a night in alone or whatever.

    best of luck next year!

    aska

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  • architecture,  enrollment,  first year

    uoft tryna control my enrolment decisions

    February 10, 2014

    Hey!
    I’m in first year Architecture, and when I go to sign-up for other courses?(specifically FAH230H1, CSC108H1, and CSC148H1) it tells me: You do not fit?in any enrolment category. There are 350 total spaces in the meeting?section. What exactly does this mean?

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

    hello. this is an old question. if you?d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go?here! thanks!

    aska

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

    hey there,

    oh look! a useful question. been a while since i’ve seen one of those around. #shade (i’m just kidding. your questions are all that keep me from my lonely, existential contemplations).

    well, my friend, the thing about university is that everyone is in different programs. and that’s not just an arbitrary thing that happens so that some people (*cough* engineers) can feel superior to others. it actually means something it terms of enrolment, and what it means is that some classes have “enrolment controls.”

    classes with enrolment controls limit enrolment to people in certain programs. for example, FAH230H1 is limited to Fine Arts majors, minors, specialists and Visual Studies specialists. you can take a look at the enrolment controls for CSC108H1 and CSC148H1 here and here.

    what this basically boils down to is that, unfortunately, you can’t take those courses because you’re not in any of those programs. what you can do instead is try to find similar courses without any enrolment controls, like CSC104H1?, CSC120H1, FAH101H1??or FAH102H1. i know, it’s unfair. life is unfair. here’s a cat to make up for it:

    henri le chat party mix

    best,

    aska

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  • chem,  first year,  math,  summer,  UTM

    quaking in my boots for summer school

    February 10, 2014

    How difficult are chem110/120 & mat134 during summer school at utm?!? I really need some advice :(

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, if you’ll allow me to get a little PHILOSOPHICAL here, difficulty is kind of a relative thing. i don’t know what you specifically find hard. BUTTT if you’d like to know generally how difficult the classes will be, i suggest you take a look at the course descriptions (chem 110, chem 120 and mat134; these aren’t for summer 2014, but they should give you a general idea of the course content).

    just read the course descriptions and consider your own abilities. did you struggle with stoichiometry in high school? what about titrations? if you struggled with anything in the course descriptions, maybe brush up on some grade 12 problems to review. same goes for math.

    HOWEVER keep in mind that the classes will most likely have a little bit of review incorporated into them already, and you can get that just from the course description. for example, any ontario calculus class should have taught the fundamental theory of calculus, and that’s in the course description for mat134. so they definitely won’t just be throwing you into the deep end.

    the second thing to consider is the speed – most summer classes proceed at roughly twice the pace of a fall/winter class. do you think you can keep up with that speed? i mean you’ll also be going to class more often, so there won’t be LESS CLASS TIME, but it will be a bit CONDENSED.

    these are all things to consider, but at the end of the day, there’s shouldn’t be a huge difference between the summer classes and fall/winter classes. if you think you need to review, go for it, but i wouldn’t worry too much. if you work reasonably hard and make sure to keep up with the pace of the class, you’ll be alright. have a little faith in yourself.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  first year,  psychology

    can someone e-mail me another psychology pun or something plz

    January 28, 2014

    I am a first-year student and I am planning to major in psychology. But I only scored exactly 75% which is the minimum requirement. Is it possible to get the major or I really should seriously consider other things to major in? But psychology is really my first choice..

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well now, look what we have here. another PSYCHOLOGY QUESTION. amigo, i have answered quite a few questions related to psychology, and let me tell you: you have a better chance than you think.

    there’ve been people hoping to get in who don’t have the calculus prerequisite, or didn’t do psy100h1 at all…yeah…so believe me when i say that you’re not in a bad position.

    assuming you are doing at least 4.0 FCEs in your first year and you did Grade 12 Calculus, you have actually met the minimum requirements for the POSt. the number of people who apply every year differs, so i can’t say for sure, like, “you have a 33% chance of getting in,” but i’d say if you’re eligible, it’s worth a shot. you’ve got nothing to lose.

    should you prepare a backup? sure. apply to the minor too (it’s just 4.0 FCE required courses versus 7.0 in the major), or apply to neuroscience or basket-weaving or whatever else tickles your fancy. explore your options.

    be sensible and always have a Plan B, but don’t give up hope completely. save that for when you graduate (whoops i let my pessimism show there, sorry. *covers it up hastily with my skirt*).

    best,

    aska

    P.S. Also, if you don’t get in after first year, you can always apply after 2nd and 3rd year!

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  • first year,  residence,  woodsworth

    i [don’t] wanna [live] where the people are…

    January 28, 2014

    Hi!
    I was accepted to U toronto Woodsworth College just yesterday :’) I’m super excited! but still waiting to hear back from other unis. I really want to live in the Woodsworth residence! (I love the apartment style single rooms :), however, I did not rank Woodsworth as my first choice on my OUAC application 🙁 Instead, I ranked Innis as first, and Woodsworth as second (i think).
    When I logged on to MyRes, it told me to rank Woodsworth, University College (as UC can supply some rez for Wdw students) and Chestnut in order of preference, but next to Woodsworth there is a note that said “Because you did not rank Woodsworth as first choice…..it is unlikely that you will be placed in this residence”. But if I saved my preferences this early, is there still a tiny chance I will be able to get into Woodsworth residence, or should i just prepare to hear bad news for my own doings 🙁
    Thank you so much for your help and time! 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i mean, i don’t know if you’ve been in woodsworth, but it’s kinda small (especially if you compare it to uc). they don’t really have a lot of room to spare. if that message appeared on your MyRes, then i’d prepare for the possibility of not being put there.

    however, most of uc’s accommodations are single rooms as well, so if you really want to be placed in a single room, i’d say ranking your choices as 1. woodsworth 2. uc and 3. chestnut should give you a pretty good shot at a single room.

    i also get that you like the apartment style because it’s bigger, and you don’t have to share a bathroom, etc. etc. but you know what? if you get a non-apartment or non-single type room, it’s not that big a deal. honestly, the more you have to adjust your style of living in first year, the better prepared you are for the rest of your life.

    you’re not going to be living with mum and dad for much longer, and the sooner you adjust to the necessity of roommates, shared washrooms/eating spaces, malfunctioning toilets and maybe having to live above a daycare for demon babies (i’m exaggerating. am i exaggerating? let’s not talk about my first year experiences), the sooner you’ll be prepared for life outside of school.

    i know, it’s not what you wanted to hear. but you know what? the university’s gonna be giving you some tough loving every once in a while, so it’s best you hear it from me first. alright? we good? cool. now put on a brave face and don’t let first year push you around, ‘kay?

    aska out.

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  • failing,  first year

    failing’s not all bad

    January 27, 2014

    I’m a first-year student and I failed one course, but am doing?exceptionally well in the others, my question is basically: What happens?now?

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

    hey there,

    depends on the course. if it’s a prerequisite for the program you wanted to pursue in second year, you may wanna retake it (or look into a different subject POSt). if it’s just an elective or a breadth requirement filler, then there’s less damage control to be done. you’ll just have to make up for that course somewhere else, either by taking another course in the summer or in your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year.

    there’s nothing OFFICIAL that has to be done. you don’t have to like, write an apology letter to the university or anything. no one’s gonna slap your wrist for this. just assess the damage and plan ahead. it’s all up to you, my wayward first-year. you’re making the decisions now.

    good luck,

    aska

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  • easy,  first year,  GPA,  seminars

    aska tells you how to live a bomb-diggity life

    October 10, 2013

    Hi Aska!
    So the start of the new school year is upon us and Universities have started coming to my high school convincing us their school is right for us. I am really interested in UofT Life Science program and want to become a doctor when I’m older. However I’ve been hearing horror stories from friends and off the internet about UofT and its Life Science program. I’m an 80% – 85% type of student. I’m confused whether to come hear. I just want to know if it is possible to get good grades in this school and if there are actually easy courses here that can boost my GPA. And What are these “easy” 1st year seminars i’m hearing about.

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    Oh, man. I remember what it’s like to be in your shoes, my friend, and I’m glad you’ve come here for advice. See, the universities are all going to be telling you a variation of the same thing, because they want your sharp little brain at their school – but I don’t care one way or another (no offence xoxo) so I’m going to be straight with you.

    The UofT Life Science program is great, and if you’re getting between an 80%-85%, the rule of thumb is that your average will drop 10-15% in first year (mine dropped from a 92% to an 82% between grade 12 and first year in a Biomedical Science program). That puts you between a 70% and a 75% – and that’s great! If you get out of first year with a mark like that, you should pat yourself on the back. As for keeping up your GPA, there are no secrets: just find out how you best study, and stick to it. It’s not impossible, trust me.

    Next, and I can’t stress this enough: DO NOT pick a course because it “sounds easy” or because random people online (not counting me obviously) say it’s a bird course. That includes first-year seminars. First-year seminars are super cool because they are much smaller than your typical first-year class, which means you’ll get to engage more with the prof and your peers. You’ll all be best buds and sing kumbaya together. It’ll be beautiful.

    However, if you just pick a random seminar you have zero interest in, the wonderful opportunities of first-year seminar will be a waste. If you find it boring, you won’t do the work, and you’ll zone out in class, and paying attention is a necessary component to doing well in any course, no matter how “easy.”

    Finally, my last nugget of wisdom: high school and university courses are a good way, but not a great way, to determine if you want to be a doctor. You know how you figure that out for sure? By actually being one. There are lots of ways to do this: volunteer at a hospital, join the UofT Pre-Medical Society, and read up! If you’re finding that you’re not excited by doing any of this, then don’t do it. Just quit. There is absolutely no shame in that. Besides, no one likes a grumpy doctor.

    I hope that helped, and just remember: don’t stress, and don’t feel pressured to make certain decisions because other people are telling you to. Do your own thing, and I think you’ll find that you’ll be awesome at it because it belongs to you.

    Best o’ luck,

    aska

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  • first year,  keeners,  textbooks

    the internet can help you buy books wow amazing.

    October 7, 2013

    Hi aska~

    I was just thinking about application to different universities and I was looking at the text books needed for each course. Would you know the titles of textbooks needed for first-year business/commerce (I can’t tell them apart) course?

    Thanks! It would be a big help…

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    Basically, it’s a lot more complicated and time-consuming than you could ever imagine. But at the end of the day, it works, and it’s actually not that hard to do all on your own when you’ve figured out the system. So don’t fret, little pet.

    I don’t know what the deal is at other universities, but here at UofT, the bookstore, starting sometime in late August, can tell you exactly what books you need for all your courses by taking your course list from ROSI, which contains your student account. All you do is click on the ‘Find your textbooks’ button on the right side of the homepage, enter your UTORID and password, and it takes you to a list of all your textbooks. Internet magic!

    However, this all becomes possible only a couple of weeks before school actually starts, once you’re actually a student here. If you’re applying for September 2014, you can go to the UofT bookstore yourself and see what books are being used this year (they’re organized by course), but it’s not guaranteed that those same books will be used next year.

    Honestly, I’d say it’s too early for you to be worrying about textbooks (just enjoy the freedom of not having to drop half a grand on them yet, seriously), but if you really want to get a feel for what they’ll be using next year, just have a browse in the UofT bookstore.

    Good luck, amigo, and I hope you find some meaningful use for the ridiculous amount of money you will soon be spending.

    aska

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  • courses,  first year,  UTM

    bad habits — to begin or to break…

    August 19, 2013

    Hi,

    I was wondering if it would be better to take full year electives or 2 half credit electives. Im currently a first year student in social sciences and planning to switch to either management or commerce second year. Are there any courses you recommend to boost my mark?

    The courses im taking are:

    ECO100Y5 Y – Introduction to Economics

    ERS103H5 F – Geol & Public Issues?(Although i dont know if i want to switch this to something else or not.. Some people told me its not as easy)

    LIN200H5 F – Intro to Language

    MAT135Y5 Y – Calculus

    PHL245H5 F – Mod Symbolic Logic

    SOC100H5 S – Introduction to Sociology

    And i also have a conflict in my timetable.. both of them are lectures.. so is that okay? or….. Iknow its bad to skip classes but i have no choice. The conflict is between one of the MAT135 lectures and LIN200 lecture.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Personally, I prefer taking two half courses instead of a year-long course mostly because when exam time comes around in April, I can barely recall what the heck I learned back in October. Granted, at the same time, I do enjoy that that Y course wouldn’t plague me too much in the December exam period…

    As for courses that might boost your mark, take a look at a few of our “bird course” posts.

    Though take those lists with a grain of salt because what makes something a “bird course” to one person can very well make it the hardest thing on earth to another person.

    And timetable conflicts?

    Don’t do them.

    Like don’t.

    You have lectures for a reason. Go learn! I mean you’re paying for them.

    While you can certainly go about your conflict if that’s what you want, note that your professor(s) won’t be very forgiving if you have any clashing midterms or whatnot. And who knows whether or not attendance is mandatory?

    Now judging by your courses, you’re a first year, right? If your conflict is between a 100-level course and a 200-level course, I say lean toward the former. That one’s probably a prereq for something you’ll need in the future.

    You always have a choice, so try to make the smarter one.

    Cheers!

    aska

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