• 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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  • UTSC

    can i be admitted three days before the last day to accept?

    May 30, 2013

    I applied to the University of Toronto Scarborough Life Sciences Co-op program. Two questions:

    1. When is the deadline for receiving an offer?

    2. I want to go to the St George campus instead. Is this possible? How can I set about doing this?

    ———————————————

    Not even a hello? Ruuuude.

    But anyway, did you know UTSC has their own aska-esque thing? I just discovered it a few days ago in my daily journeys across the interwebz. Or I might have googled myself. Yeah that. Anyhow, after getting over the inital “HOW DARE THEY?!” I noticed that it was really just aimed towards incoming students like yourself.

    So deciding to try it, I searched for Question 1.

    Greetingless Questioner: “When is the deadline for receiving an offer?”

    UTSC’s Not as Awesome as askastudent Ask a Student: “Current Ontario high school students will receive a decision by early June. For all other applicants, admission decisions are made on an ongoing basis.”

    So early June — although that seems weird to me because last I heard, Ontario high school students have to accept their offers by June 3.

    Next:

    Greetingless Questioner: “I want to go to the St George campus instead. Is this possible? How can I set about doing this?”

    If you start off at UTSC, you’re going to have to do an internal transfer to go to St. George instead. You can take courses at St. George as a UTSC student, but to be a St. George-r, you need transfer. OR you can just do the thing where you take a year off (a.k.a. don’t go to UTSC) to ponder your past life choices and the future ones and then reapply to university, this time applying to specifically St. George.

    Basically, although UTSC (and UTM, at that) go by the name of “University of Toronto,” they’re kind of these separate universities if you will. You can take a feeeew courses at campuses that are not your own, but for the most part, you’re encouraged to stay close to home.

    But yeah.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • UTM,  UTSC

    st. george isn’t even an option

    May 22, 2013

    Hi!

    So basically, I’ve recieved an alternate offer from UTM for psychology instead of Life Sciences, which is what I originally applied for, but I also got into UTSC Life Sciences, but the thing is that I really want to go to UTM, so would it be possible to switch campuses after I accept my offer from UTSC? Or maybe I can go to UTM and switch into Life Sciences second year? Nonetheless, UTM is where I want to go, so in your opinion what should I do?

    ———————————————

    Hey hey~

    If UTM is where you want to go, then just ignore UTSC and that’s that. 😀

    But if you DO end up choosing UTSC and then decide you want to be at UTM instead, you’re going to have to do an internal transfer, which is a bit of a process so it might be best to choose what you reaaaaally want now.

    Basically I say go to UTM, take the courses you can fit into your schedule during first year (as in you can still take, say, the basic first year bio — life sci staple that it is — assuming you have the prerequisites), and then see where the Subject POSts take you at the end of that year.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • courses,  UTSC

    whose requirement is it anyway?

    May 10, 2013

    Hi there, I had a question regarding course calendar changes at UTSC. I enrolled into a specialist programmed in 2011, and would just like to know if I would be able to take courses in future calendars that aren’t in my calendar’s course list. Thanks for reading 🙂

    Regards,
    James

    ———————————————

    Hey James,

    The rule of the thumb is that students are supposed to follow the calendar of the year they entered their program.

    So if I entered my English major in 2010, I follow those requirements, but if I play the fickle card and decide I want to do a Specialist and switch over in 2011, I now use the 2011 calendar’s requirements.

    But if your situation is something along the lines of “oh, they added some courses that sound totally rad” and said courses aren’t on your year’s calendar requirements but work for another, go have a chat with your program’s undergraduate adviser person thing! I’m sure they’ll be accommodating. 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • suspension,  UTSC

    if at first you don’t succeed…

    April 29, 2013

    hey, I’m a second year student at utsc – i was put on probation and suspended for the first semester of my second year – and sad thing is .. i thought i was gonna do pretty well this semester but i ended up failing 1/4 of my courses – i know this mean ill be suspended once again but for 3 sessions straight .. but I was just wondering if i was able to take summer school to maybe get myself out of being suspended .

    ———————————————

    Hey hey,

    So if you’re suspended for a second time, you’ll be how it works for twelve months/three sessions. Seeing as summer school = an academic session/part of those twelve months of suspension, then no, you cannot enroll and try to get yourself out of suspension.

    But there are plenty of things you can do instead!

    Get a job and save up, do some volunteer work, travel the world, watch every episode of Game of Thrones, contemplate your life choices, and so on. I do stress contemplation though. Is there a reason you’ve been suspended twice? Is university actually where you want to be?

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • UTSC

    an entire year without utsc

    April 15, 2013

    Hello askastudent,

    I’m in my 3rd year and I go to UTSC where you have to get more than 1.6 to get out of probation. I am in a terrible mess. I was placed on probation end of April 2012 and in Fall 2012 my sessional gpa was 1.57. My winter semester looked okay until now, I tried calculating my gpa and it doesnt work out to 1.6. And just to make things worse, I have an unpaid tuition fee remaining of like 3,700 – which I only have about 2 weeks to pay off or else I will be denied? further registration for the entire year. Now I’m at risk of being suspended and denied further registration due to financial reasons. What should I do? Should I just take this year off? I don’t think I have much else I can do…

    Signed,
    Very worried UTSC student

    ———————————————

    Very Worried UTSC Student,

    Why do you say you’ll be denied registration for the entire year (2013-14)? From what I’m reading, you’re only really denied registration until you pay off the debt of the first year. So say you pay off your $3700 in June — theoretically, ROSI should allow you back in since you’re done with those payments… right?

    Waaaaah UTSC policies confuse me.

    But yeah, at the same time, your pending suspension is another deciding factor.

    So should you take a year off? Maybe. That’s entirely up to you, but if you keep falling into this situation where a) you can’t keep up the grades that b) you are PAYING for, then there isn’t really a point in you being there right? Sorry. That might have been a little mean.

    What I’m trying to say is that a year off can’t hurt. It’ll give you time to consider if university is actually for you. Likewise, it’ll give you time to make some moniez and be prepared for the next year so that you won’t be in the same unfortunate situation.

    But keep your chin up! You never know how you’ll do this year in terms of whether or not suspension actually happens. 🙂

    drowning in student loans,
    aska

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  • summer,  UTSC

    but why ARE uoft websites so confusing…

    April 4, 2013

    Hi askastudent,

    I have a question and I’m hoping you have the answer (because nobody seems to know). My college registrar doesn’t know. The Faculty of Arts and Science registrar doesn’t know. Even the registrar’s office at UTSC doesn’t know. My hope is that you do.

    I’m a Faculty of Arts and Science student at the St.George campus and I want to enroll in a summer course at the Scarborough campus.

    What time can I begin enrolling?

    Yep, that’s it. That’s my question. You’d think either of the following two links would help…

    http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/timetable/20135/step2

    http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/current_students/courses

    …but they don’t.

    You’re the “answerer” of last resort, do you think you can help?

    Thanks a bunch.

    ———————————————

    Heyo~

    I feel very much under pressure knowing that you’ve spoken to two big names and no one has an answer for you.

    I also feel very confused by the fact that you’ve spoken to two big names and no one has an answer for you.

    The UTSC website basically did a whole lot of nothing for me, as did the Arts and Science one, but according to a little birdie with the research skills of a professional stalker, along with the power of logic the gods blessed me with, I shall tell you that your start time will be 6:00 AM on April 18, which is essentially when ROSI turns into the Hunger Games cornucopia.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • UTSC

    bring me the bio minor!

    March 19, 2013

    Hey there,

    I’m a second year student at UTSC. My biggest problem right now is that I’m not sure what my other minor should be… I’m leaning towards Bio since I’m really interested in it and I’ve already got the intro courses done (transfer credits from high school). But the problem with that is that one of the courses which will pretty much unlock the ones I’d like to do (BIOB10Y) has a prerequisite that I failed (CHMA11 due to stress from a then unknown medical condition). While CHMA11 isn’t required to minor in Bio, do you think I could get by if I just register and get into BIOB10? Or do you think that would create any problems? Thanks so much.

    ———————————————

    Yo!

    So yeah BIOB10Y seems to be a necessity for this minor. However, without the prerequisite, you’ll have to either 1) well, get the prerequisite, or 2) beg the instructor to let you in.

    But your program requirements for this bio minor would be 4.0 FCE — 1.0 of which must be BIOA01H and BIOA02H and another 1.0 must be in C or D series. It’s not totally impossible to finish the minor without BIOB10Y. For example you can do:

    • BIOAo1H Life on Earth: Unifying Principles
    • BIOA02H Life on Earth: Forms, Functions and Interactions
    • BIOB31H Plant Physiology
    • BIOB50H Ecology
    • BIOB51H Evolutionary Biology
    • BIOC54H Animal Behaviour
    • BIOC62H Role of Zoos in Conservation
    • BIOC63H Conservation Biology

    See? Not impossible. 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • probation,  UTSC

    can i just pass on the probation?

    January 21, 2013

    I’m a second year student at UTSC. I was put on academic probation second semester of my first year. Failed 1/6 0.5 courses, others just poor marks. I thought I had this past semester in the bag but apparently not and I know my sessional GPA will be below 1.6 even though I passed my 3 0.5 courses this semester. Will I for sure be put on academic suspension?

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    Hey there!

    Okay so this is how it works for you:

    • If your GPA for this session is at least 1.6, your probation will simply continue.
    • If your CGPA is at least 1.6, your probation will be cleared and you’ll be put “in good standing.”
    • If your GPA for this session is below 1.6, then you will be put on suspension.

    So if you can’t manage that 1.6 this semester, then yes, you will be suspended. I recommend meeting with your registrar to work out some kind of plan of action. Maybe drop a course you’re in now to concentrate harder on the other ones? It’s not just enough to pass when you’re on probation. Your aim is to do a lot better to raise your CGPA.Good luck!aska

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