• computer science,  courses,  enrollment,  UTSC

    restricting the people from computers

    June 26, 2014

    Hi Aska,

    Can you help me out?? My brother is starting his first year at Uni in September. He wants to transfer from Physics to Computer Science at UTSC,
    he wants to take all the required first year Computer Science courses during the first year but was worried that the rosi would give priority to?computer science students and he will not be able to get a spot in the required courses. I surfed the UTSC website and I wasn’t able to find out if first year computer science courses have priority. I know you mostly deal with UTSG questions but can you find out if the 4 courses all computer science required in the first year are priority? Thanks

    Helpful Sis

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    good on you for being a helpful sister. one time, i rolled my sister down the stairs when she was a toddler to see what would happen. it was like rolling a watermelon down the stairs.

    as far as i can tell, all comp. sci. POSt require 3.0 A-level FCEs (that’s A-level as in first year, so if any brits are reading, don’t be alarmed), so i’m not too sure which 4 courses you mean. buuut you can see all the enrolment controls for EVERY CSC course right on the timetable. convenient, eh?

    under the ‘restrictions and instructions’ column of the timetable, there are different letters. if a course has a C, that means the course has a restriction. just click on the C and it’ll lead you to this explanation of all the possible restrictions. there’s no mention there of a priority or other restriction for A-level CSC courses, so i think your lil bro will have no problems enrolling.

    best,

    aska

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  • probation,  UTM,  UTSC

    this generation is going to the dogs

    June 2, 2014

    Hi, if I get placed on academic probation from utsc, will a letter be mailed to my house?? I dont want my parents to find out

    ———————————————

    Hi,

    I was wondering if u of t sends a letter of probation to your house. Or do they just tell you by email?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i woke up at 6:30 this morning, all fresh and ready to take on a new day at Askastudent HQ. “what will the bright-eyed, spry, driven youth of uoft ask me today?” i asked, feeling a tingle of anticipation (or possibly a tingle from lack of blood circulation; it’s difficult to tell the difference) at the thought. maybe they’ll ask me how to broaden their opportunities outside the classroom! or perhaps they’ll inquire whether they can help with the growing homeless dog population in toronto!

    i get into work, big smile on my face, sit down at my computer, and what do i find? not one, but TWO questions about how to PULL A FAST ONE on your parents! do kids really do this? just lie to their parents like that? in my day, kids didn’t lie to their parents. in fact, they were so honest that one of my friends snuck out?every night to the forest behind her house to pick wildflowers for her mother. how dedicated is that?

    anyway, as SHOCKED and APPALLED as i am by this blatant lack of respect, this uncalled-for SNEAKINESS may work out for you. according to the UTSC calendar, “[s]tudents who are on academic probation, suspended or refused further registration are emailed” (that’s under the first heading, ‘Grade Reports.'”) at UTM, “[s]tudents whose academic performance has resulted in probation, suspension or refusal of further registration will be notified by e-mail.”

    UTSG students are less fortunate: your probation letters are mailed to your mailing address. tough luck, kids.

    UTM and UTSC students, technology is on your side. for now.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • probation,  UTSC

    probing the rules on probation

    April 24, 2014

    Hi aska,

    So if I’ve attempted 3.0 credits and one of them is a Credit/No credit (so only 2.5 is being assessed for my CPGA), and I still eligible to get put on academic probation?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so, yes, UTSC says you need to have attempted 3.0 FCEs in order for your standing to be assessed, but i know how confusing the word “attempted” can be in this context to a student (“what do you mean, attempted? i did the work! i attempted to show up to class on time!” etc. etc.). however, since CR/NCR courses count as degree credit, you’ll still be assessed at the end of this term. just because you have a CR/NCR, that does not exempt you; they’re just going to use your other courses which do have final grades on them to assess your academic standing.

    however, i happen to know that the rules are going to be changing in regards to this very soon on the downtown campus, so it’s probably a good idea for you to call scarborough and see if similar changes are happening there that may impact your situation.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. the person who asked this question said in the subject line of their e-mail that they’re at utsc. i didn’t just, like, randomly assume it, or divine the information with the magical powers i was given at birth. clarity is always helpful is in these situations, friends, so good job to the person who asked the question for helping me help them: you’re not bad, kid. not bad.

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  • residence,  UTSC

    bein’ school-ist to UTSC

    February 28, 2014

    Hello,

    I’m currently a student at UTSC but was looking to do a semester at utsg while also living on res there. When I applied, I didn’t get into utsg so the option of the res isn’t even available on myres. Would I have to transfer and be a utsg student to stay on res there during my semester? Please help me out.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’ve done a lot of searching around for this question, just ’cause I’ve never had one like it before (you can congratulate yourself on being so unique). unfortunately, despite the awesome uniqueness of the ask, i have to give a kinda disappointing answer.

    i wasn’t able to find any reference to UTSG accommodations for non-UTSG students. even the independent residences seem to only provide residence to students on the downtown campus. i’d suggest trying to get onto the waitlist, but if UTSG residences aren’t appearing on your myres at all, then i don’t know how you might do that.

    if you’re up to spending upwards of $5000 for one semester, you can take a look at these B&Bs available through Uoft’s temporary housing page. although i’ve gotta say, that’s hella expensive, and it makes a whole lot more sense to me to spend, like $1000 or so commuting for the semester, than $5500 living in the city. but hey, it’s totally up to you.

    as for transferring, most undergrad programs can only be transferred into for september, since a lot of our courses are a year long, rather than a semester. i doubt you could pull it off, if i’m being honest.

    so yeah, i couldn’t find much, but i am just a peon in the goliath that is the uoft machine. if you want to make sure there are no other options available, i’d suggest calling housing services at 416-978-8045. that way you can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

    sorry, i know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but commuting’s not so bad! this morning, i was twenty minutes late to class because my train was delayed, then a crazy person started talking to me while I was trying to buy subway tokens, then my token didn’t work and i had to wait in line for five minutes to buy another one!!!! so you see, it’s not all bad.*

    best,

    aska

    *no, seriously, i’s not always that bad. i just try to be funny on here. am I funny? please love me.

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  • deferral,  UTSC

    i g2g be with the macaques now

    February 11, 2014

    I have been accepted at the University of Toronto , Scarborough for the winter session 2012. But , due to some financial issues I wanted to defer my admission till the January 2013 session. Please guide me on the process and I am an international candidate and would need atleast 3 months for the Visa process. Thank you .

    ———————————————

    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,

    it may please you to know that i am almost finished answering the old questions that got dropped between aska switches, were pushed to the back of triage, or were otherwise forgotten (through no fault of my own, naturally). i’m almost done sweeping all the bureaucratic mistakes out from under the rug and holding aska up to account for its mistakes, urging it on to future righteousness, like a modern-day Karl Marx (dat hair). now, together, reader, you and i can proceed into a glorious, egalitarian future that will ultimately crumble due to corruption and the irrepressible greed of humanity.

    i feel like i lost control of that metaphor a little bit.

    anyway, this is always a very relevant question, and even though this person has long since deferred their acceptance and returned, it’s always good to know about in case YOU, yes YOU, my dear reader, ever find yourself in need of deferral information. who knows, you might one day decide you need to spend a year on Honshu island to bond with Japanese macaques before coming back to school to do your master’s. Then you’ll be glad you know how to defer an offer of admission.

    the process is very simple. you just have to fill out a Deferral Request Application, which becomes available in may of every year (which is why i can’t link to it right now). then you gotta send that and a final transcript/report card from your last academic year to uoft, before september 1st. that’s all! aren’t you glad? now you can go and be with the macaques.

    so long for now, comrades,

    aska

    P.S. I couldn’t find any UTSC-specific link that talks about deferrals, so while UTSC PROBABLY has the same deferral procedure as UTSG, i’d reccomend talking to the UTSG registrar to make sure.

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  • subject POST,  UTSC

    shootin’ for the stars

    January 17, 2014

    Hi, can you get a major in astronomy & astrophysics at UTSC? I checked the subject post codes for UTSC, and it was only available as a minor. Are the spaces unavailable right now or can you only do minors at utsc? I’m currently doing a major in health studies at utsc but I might change it to astronomy. Thanks for your help!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there doesn’t seem to be a major strictly called astronomy, but there is a major program in astrophysics and physics, and that, along with the specialist programs and minor program, are all under the heading of ‘astronomy.’ so it looks like you can do a major in astrophysics? i don’t know if there’s some subtle difference between astronomy and astrophysics that i’m unaware of because i am a LOWLY HUMANITIES PEASANT, but it seems to me like an issue of semantics more than anything else. either way, it’s not an issue of space*: all subject POSts are listed on the calendar, whether enrolment is limited or not.

    cheers,

    aska

    * lol, geddit? space? because astronomy happens in space? but also space as in like, space for enrolment? it’s a pun? please laugh at my jokes i’m so lonely.

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  • admissions,  UTSC

    calculus grievances

    January 17, 2014

    Hey!

    I’ve applied to the mental health studies program at UTSC and their admission requirement is only English. Now since it’s related to psychology and the other UofT campuses require Calculus as a prerequisite for psychology, I’m worried that I’m gonna have to take Calculus in university. I haven’t taken Calculus in high school yet (I’m in grade 12) and I am not good in math. I can handle statistics but I don’t know about Calculus. So I need your help! Please let me know if UTSC mental health requires Calculus at alllllllll (even in second, third and fourth year), and also Biology for that matter.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take a look at alllll the classes you’ll need to take for the mental health studies specialist here (just ctrl+f mental health studies). it looks like, apart from a couple of data analysis courses, you won’t have anything too rigorous to take in the way of math. so if you haven’t taken calculus, i wouldn’t sweat it! obviously data analysis will be tough, and calculus would help with that, but don’t scramble to take it now if you’re absolutely certain that this is the program you want to do. if the program doesn’t require it, then you should be able to cope without it. same goes for biology; if it’s not required, then you don’t need it (though obviously you can take a look at how much biology is in your future by looking at the courses required throughout the course of your program). otherwise, the university would be LYING to us and that would be ANARCHY, just ANARCHY.

    best,

    aska

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  • Transferring,  UTSC

    Jumping ship to UTSG

    November 4, 2013

    Hi askastudent,

    I currently go to UTSC, I wasn’t accepted to UTSG so they gave me an acceptance to UTSC. I’m in my first year and im not enjoying UTSC for various reasons. If I want to transfer to the downtown campus how good do my grades have to be? Like do they focus on that as much since i already go to University of Toronto, or will the fact that i wasn’t accepted to my preferred campus hinder me?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    Your previous application shouldn’t hinder this one at all. When you apply, the only thing you’re sending over is your transcript from first year, so that’s the only thing they’ll be considering.

    That’s pretty good news, but here’s even more: generally speaking, your high school grades have to be higher in order to be accepted than your university grades have to be in order to transfer. The reasoning for this is really simple and something you probably know already: university is harder than high school. An 80% in a university class might have equalled to above a 90% in high school, so your grades don’t have to be super competitive if you’re just applying to transfer.

    It might also be good to know that when you transfer from one uoft campus to another, your grades are kept on your transcript. When you transfer in from another university, your grades aren’t incorporated into your uoft cGPA, but coming from UTSC, your grades will be retained. Which can be good or bad I guess, depending on how you did in first year. But I just thought I’d letcha know, ’cause I’m a good friend like that.

    aska

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  • suspension,  UTSC

    how to cope with septembers without school

    September 13, 2013

    Hello,

    I’ve just been recently suspended for a period of 12 months from UTSC. There are obviously many reasons that led to this and I have documented health issues to prove that. I am not going to make excuses, not everything can be blamed on my health issues, I did have a lot of my own issues and although I made a of changes, I realize that it was not enough, seeing as I am once again suspended. This is my second suspension. I am planning to leave UofT completely. I wanted to do so earlier but I was told that I cannot transfer because I have a very low GPA. I was wondering if you knew if its possible to start anew, with a clean slate at a college? or will my transcript follow me there too? is there any way to start with a clean slate?

    The thing is, I want to go to grad school and at this rate, with the suspension, its like being hold hostage. I just want to move on with my life.

    Do you know whether there any colleges with Bachelor programs that will accept me at this point, even with my transcript following me?

    Also, is it possible to petition this suspension?

    Thank You in Advance

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Unfortunately, your academic record is something that will always follow you into other academic institutions.

    Whenever you apply, they WILL ask you if you’ve ever attended another post-secondary institution and you will technically be obligated to tell the truth. I’m not sure what happens when you lie… but there’s something about mixing “lying” and “starting with a clean slate” that seems contradictory in my head.

    So what now.

    Well, I guess apply to other schools. I know nothing about other schools but I’m sure there’s a university somewhere that will take you. Just apply. And if possible, somehow include a letter or something explaining why the grades you got before are they grades that you got.

    As for the suspension… yes it is possible to appeal it.

    I suppose you have good grounds if you have some form of medical documentation, but don’t get your hopes up too high. Appealing a suspension rarely happens. But to be blunt… well, are you sure you even want to bother? You’ll just end up in the same school with its same grading system that didn’t work well for you the first time around. It’s certainly possible that UTSC just isn’t meant for you.

    Soooo yeah.

    Look at other schools. Look at what they ask of you and then go forth and do something.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTSC,  wait list

    but why must we waitlist

    September 9, 2013

    Hey aska!

    I’m currently a freshman at UTSC and wanted to ask if there was a due date to get into courses that you’re waitlisted in. If I happen to get in to my course over the next few weeks (Intro to Linguistics), how exactly do you drop other courses? Will I have to pay the fee for both? Thanks for taking the time to read these really freshie questions! 🙂

    Sincerely,
    Confuzzled

    ———————————————

    Confuzzled,

    Basically the last day to add any F or Y courses is September 16, which I suppose makes it the “due date” for getting in. However, all the waitlists for F and Y courses seem to end on September 9.

    What this means is that you get a week-long melee in which you get to repeatedly check ROSI for anyone who might have dropped the course. But a lot of people are going to be doing this too so this means you’ll have to check a lot.

    Like a lot a lot.

    Now dropping courses is totally simple. You little go to your courses on ROSI and just… well, drop them. 😉

    But since UTSC charges you per course, you’ll notice a rise in your balance when you get off the waitlist for Intro to Linguistics, which, naturally, you’ll be expected to pay.

    However, since you plan on dropping another course in favour of that one, it sounds reasonable that the money for the course you’re dropping will simply count towards linguistics instead. Get it?

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • Transferring,  UTSC

    last second switching

    August 15, 2013

    Hi,

    I am entering UTSG as a first year student in the fall. However, I wish to transfer to UTSC before the school year begins. On OUAC, I applied to both UTSG and UTSC and was accepted to both campuses. Is it possible for me to transfer now?

    Thanks in advance,
    Jay

    ———————————————

    Hey Jay,

    At this point, transferring is a bit of a long shot, so all you can really do is contact Enrolment Services (and maybe even UTSC) and hope they can do something for you.

    If all else fails, however, you can always just complete a year at St. George and then do an internal transfer. If your grades are decent enough, UTSC will take you for the following year.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTM,  UTSC

    in the words of cady heron…

    July 4, 2013

    Is there a max. limit to the number of courses you can take at UTM or UTSC to meet degree requirements?

    ———————————————

    Okay so

    After checking the calendar and finding it to be seemingly correct (as it should be) but also somewhat suspicious, I had to delve in further and go about asking many people, being referred to other people, and then getting to the head honcho.

    But I found your answer:

    (I love that movie.)

    As it would seem, UTM and UTSC have their own limitations in terms of their students taking courses at St. George, but apparently, if a St. Georger wants to go elsewhere, they can go elsewhere. AND they can take as many courses as they want!

    BUT—

    You’re just going to have to do a lot of talking to the registrar’s office to make sure you’re properly fulfilling your degree requirements. Those are all set up in the calendar and on Degree Explorer to accommodate St. George courses, so just make sure whatever you take will suffice.

    For example, if you take BIOA01H3 which is the exclusion of BIO120H1, clarify with your registrar that it can still count towards fulfilling group 4. I’m sure they’ll let it slide, but be sure to double check everything. 🙂

    I highly doubt you’ll have any trouble though if you’re just concerned with degree requirements.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTSC

    starting off in social sciences leads you where?

    June 5, 2013

    Hello!

    So I have a question for you. If i got into UofT for Social Sciences (Health Studies Non Co-op) can i also choose to do other programs under Social Sciences as well? Such as Anthropology and International studies?

    Please and Thank you!

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    You certainly can! Really, things like “social sciences” or “life sciences” are streams students enter in.

    From there, after you finish 4.0 credits (so at the end of first year), you can move into a variety of random little programs of study like anthropology, sociology, international studies, and so on.

    Cheers!

    aska

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