• math,  wait list

    for the love of linear algebra

    October 10, 2012

    Hello

    I hope you can help me… I know you must get these sort of questions (they’re more like whines) all the time, but I have a situation that has been stressing me out all day. I am a first year student and I was trying to get into the second year linear algebra course mat223h1 for the fall term. I am currently 19 out of 196 spaces, so what do you think are the chances of getting into this? I heard a statistic was that about 10% will likely get into their course, but I can’t be basing my university decisions off of rumoured stats can I? I am really worried that I won’t be able to get into the class… I was looking at a specialist in actuarial science or statistics, both of which highly recommend taking mat223h1 in first year. What do you think are some possible solutions if I were to not get in? And what are the chances of getting in, based on my place on the waiting list. I just want to know the nature of this particular course.. I mean do people tend to drop this course a lot, or do they hold onto this one?

    I hope you can help! I just need to ease my stress. Thanks 🙂 I’m a first year. Naturally I’d be worried.

    ———————————————

    Hey there first-year!

    Sorry for the late reply. I know this might not really be relevant to you right now, but here’s the deal for future reference at least. 🙂

    So the fact that you were 19 out of 196 in a second year course in your first year warrants you a high five! I sure hope you got in, but normally in a situation like that you do have a fair chance. There is no real statistic, but with such a large class, hopefully things worked out for you. In any case, if you didn’t get in before the waitlists were dropped, I hope you played the lovely game of refreshing the courses page on ROSI every five minutes or so to check if someone dropped it. Basically, after the waitlists are dropped, there is a one week period where entry is essential a free for all.

    However, if you weren’t able to get into the course this term, there’s always one in the winter. According to the timetable, actually, there are five sections too. Likewise, if the summer courses for 2013 are anything like those of 2012, MAT223H1 should be offered.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • wait list

    what am i waiting for?

    October 1, 2012

    Hello,

    Let us place ourselves in a hypothetical situation in which a student? finds his or herself #58 on a wait list for a course of 150 spaces. Realistically, is it just wishful thinking to assume many students will drop out of the wait list? within a few weeks, creating a space for said student? And, is there a date when those who are wait listed to be dropped from the wait list?

    Thank you.

    -ak

    ———————————————

    Hey there AK,

    Let us place ourselves in a hypothetical situation that’s actually surprisingly realistic but still completely hypothetical in which a student is answering a question about the oh so troublesome waitlists. If the hypothetical student from this hypothetical situation was #58 on the waitlist in an F or Y section course, then right now, no, there is no chance of getting into the course. Unfortunately, the waitlists for F or Y courses ended on September 16, 2012, and the last day to have added the courses was September 23, 2012.

    However, if this course happens to be during the second semester, the hypothetical student should stay on the waitlist and, naturally, wait. He or she has a little over three months until the waitlists for S section courses close and sometimes a ridiculous number of students simply drop it, so he or she should just wait it out for now.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • courses,  enrollment,  important dates,  wait list

    honey, won’t you let me in?

    September 19, 2012

    Hi, I am a first year student at UofT and have been trying to enroll in a class that has been full for some time. I was on a wait-list for 2 weeks but now I know that wait-lists have been removed. Is there any last ditch efforts I can make before Sunday to try to get in? I already emailed the professor and he told me he does not have the authority to enroll me even if I am eager and that I will have to try to enroll all week if someone should drop out. Well I already knew this. Can I go to the department and ask them to enroll me in person? What other steps can I take to try to get in?
    Thanks for any help!

    ———————————-

    Hi there,

    I?m in the same boat as you for the fourth year in a row- perched over ROSI at all times like a hawk, hoping to edge out the competition for a seat that might not ever present itself. If you can find someone in the class who is planning to drop, sit with them when they do it on ROSI so that you can jump in and take the spot right as it appears.??Yup, my friend, that?s about as much as you can do after waitlists drop.

    Your prof is correct that neither he/she nor the department have the ability to enrol you, nor does your registrar. Those larger Faculties who do have that power are notorious for holding firm to their commitment to ROSI, no matter how much of a storm you kick up. And to be honest, first years are seen to have all of the time in the world to figure out their degree, so you won’t get much sympathy.

    But take heart! Next year you’ll get to sign up earlier and you’ll have a better shot of getting into classes. It’s easy to panic about not having the courses you feel like you need, but program and degree requirements at U of T leave enough room to make up for it when things like this happen. In the meantime, take something fun, fill a breadth requirement, explore the city a bit if you’re from out of town, and relax!

    Good luck and don’t sweat it!

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  dropping courses,  enrollment,  important dates,  ROSI,  wait list

    wait me up before you go go

    September 13, 2012

    Hi

    I am a polisci major and i need a canadian politics course, it’s part of the requirement. However my course registration started when I had to be at? work , where i normally don’t have acess to computers, so I had to borrow it from somebody else… i was in a rush to give it back because i was interupting thier work.. long story short in my rush I entered the wrong course code , signing up for us politics instead of canadian and it was two weeks before i caught my mistake. by the time i dropped the us poltics and signed up for the canadian politics i was 36 on the waitlist of 250. now i moved up to 14 but with only 5 days left for waitlists to dropp what are my chances of getting in before
    than? thanks

    Harini

    ————————————–

    Hi Harini,

    Girl, I feel you on this one! At my lowest of lows, I was doing course registrations on a borrowed cell phone, stealing wi-fi from the Whitney Museum of Art seven hours after my start time. On another occasion, I dropped the wrong course because two of my course titles contained amphersands (thanks, Literary Studies, for the worst course titles ever). What I?m saying is, we?ve all got stories like yours, and we’ve all felt pretty hopeless about our waitlist position.

    I seem to have misplaced my crystal ball today, so I can only surmise about your chances of getting into the course. Like you said, waiting lists drop away on September 16th this year, and 14 spaces is a good bit to move before that happens. However, I’ve heard of much dimmer prospects coming through, so it really could happen! If you’re still not enrolled after the waitlists drop, watch ROSI like a hawk and jump on that space when it inevitably opens up- that’s also been done! Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about waitlists, minus whether you’ll actually get off of one.

    Additionally, it’s really a great idea to go to the first day of class, introduce yourself to the professor and get his or her email address. Unfortunately, profs are pretty helpless when it comes to getting you into the class, no matter how much they like you. Still, it’s important that if you do get in, you’ve already had access to readings and lectures you might have missed. I also feel like you get some kind of karmic priority by being a goodie two-shoes like that.

    Good luck, and remember that you can always take the course the next time it’s offered, at which time you’ll have more credits and a better shot at getting in. And remember, you’re not the only one suffering from this same issue! Solidarity forever!

    aska

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  • wait list

    the luck of ROSI

    September 4, 2012

    Dear aska,

    Do you think I have a chance in entering BIO270H1F for 2012-2013 ??

    Im on the waitlist of 62 out of 500

    I really need this course for my major.

    Thanks

    ———————————————
    Well …

    My crystal ball is a little hazy today, but I would say you still have slight hope. 62 is pretty high number, but 500 spaces is also pretty enormous.

    I would be coming up with a back up plan, but the waitlists end on September 16th so you can still stick it out for awhile. After this date it is a free for all until September 23rd. Pretty much, if you really want in the course, I would be on ROSI constantly. During this week, if another student drops the course and you are on ROSI at the same time, you can snag that spot.

    The most dedicated win.

    luck and horseshoes,

    aska

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  • wait list

    let the wait list addiction begin

    July 19, 2012

    Hi 🙂

    First of all, I love your site. It has helped me out so much. I have a dilemma. I have a sucky start time for this year’s enrolment. Is there anything I can do about it? 🙁 Will I not get the courses I want?

    Thanks so much:) Keep up the amazing work!!

    ———————————————

    Hey cowgirl … or boy,

    Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about your start time. The day your start time is on is determined by the year you are in (determined by number of credits) and the time within in the day is how many credits you have. For example you are in second year when you are between 4 to 8.5 credits. So the person with 8.5 credits will have the first start time of the day!

    The odds are that the people in your year are also in the same shitty start time situation as you are. Waitlists will become your best friend and constant obsession.

    My name is aska and I have a checking-waitlist-position addiction. Hi aska.

    addictively yours,

    aska

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  • courses,  wait list

    a philosophical waitlist

    August 16, 2010

    Hey there!

    I’m a first year student who’s going to be joining in September. Being a little ambitious I decided to enrol in the PHL210Y1 Y course on 17th and 18th Century Philosophy, but ROSI is giving me this mysterious “Waitlisted for rank of 42 for 200 total spaces”. I’m just wondering what exactly this means and why I can’t just be approved to join the course when there are obviously spaces for it.

    Thanks so much for your help, you guys are angels. I’ll totally volunteer next year when I’m more acclimatized to the Utor environment.

    Cheers,

    Vish

    ———————————————

    Hey there, your guardian angel is speaking. (Now can you please give me some Twinkies and a big fat burrito?) Unfortunately the statistic you read on ROSI is right – and now there are even 50 students on the waitlist! Basically what you read is that the class is full, over 200 students want in, and so you will be on the waitlist for the course until someone drops it. You dig? Unfortunately there’s not much you can do except hope and wait that someone will drop the class. That may not even happen though! It’s up to you what you should do next.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • courses,  economics,  international relations,  wait list

    a rant for ROSI

    August 9, 2010

    First of all, I am a second-year transfer student majoring in sociology and want to major in International Relations next year. Since I do not have any economics transfer credit, I have to take ECO 100/ECO 105 this year in order to major in IR by next Sept. And the following is my experience with ROSI today.

    Today, I truly, madly , deeply fall in love with ROSI, which I believe is the most “reliable” system on earth. I logged in at 5:57am in the hope that I could get a spot in ECO 100 (there were 13 spots left at 5:30 in one section). Nevertheless, the wonderful ROSI logged me out immediately after I had clicked Course Enrolment. Then I could not log in again until 6:35am. All the sections had been full as expected, and the waitlists were fairly packed on which I am in the 45th and the 60th.

    Now, I can only pray and sit in front of my computing, hoping that there will be enough students leaving the course. At last, I would like to ask, according to your experience, what my chance is to get a spot in ECO 100. Thank you!

    Best wishes,
    Mike

    (p.s. sorry for venting my anger here!)

    ———————————————

    Mike I am proud of you. Instead of taking your anger out on yourself, your computer or a bottle of Jack Daniels, you did the right thing by coming to Askastudent here. I applaud your honest candour and emotion at one of the most frustrating course enrollment systems this side of the OUAC. If I had a nickel for every time ROSI screwed up and left a student devoid of a necessary course, or without a leg to stand on, I’d be knocking down old ladies with my sack of nickels.

    Unfortunately, I can not do anything for situation, though I feel for you, man. I checked ROSI today and ECO 100 has 112 and 115 students on the waitlist for both sections. So you’ve gotta feel a little bit more secure that at least there are people who are worse off than you?

    As of the second week of classes, the waitlists will stop and you will be able to try and register in the class the old fashioned way – by hoping that someone drops it while you are trying to add the course. Failing that, you could always try hanging around the lecture with a stack of twenties and seeing who you can pay off? That would make you pretty desperate, though.

    I cannot tell you what your chances are of being admitted into the course, but I wish you good luck. Unfortunately, you may have to try applying for the IR subject PosT at a later date, or switch into a subject PoST (when you are able to apply for one next April as a first year student) that will make your IR courses easier to obtain. Consult your registrar for details!

    Now say it with me folks: Everyone Hates ROSI.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • courses,  history,  math,  wait list

    w-w-w-waitlist

    July 19, 2010

    Hi there,

    I’m a UTSC student who wants to take the odd course downtown at St. George.
    However, ROSI will not let me see whether the courses I want are already full
    since it won’t let me register until August 13.

    This might sound like a silly question, but I was wondering if anyone from
    downtown could let me know if the following courses:

    MAT390H1 S
    HIS343Y1 Y

    are full or how many spots are still available, just so I can see what the odds
    are for me to get in.
    I thank you for your time,

    Katherine

    ———————————————

    Hey Kat! Can I call you Kat? Or Kitty Kat? How ’bout I stop right there…

    As of today (4:55, July 19th, EST) the availability in your desired courses are as such:

    MAT 390H1 – S

    Currently registered, 39 students. Total spots, 50. THERE ARE 11 SPOTS LEFT IN THE COURSE.

    HIS 343Y1 – Y

    THERE ARE 43 STUDENTS ON THE WAIT LIST.

    So while you may be bummed, you may also be enthused. Remember that the waitlist drops after the first week of classes, when you will be able to apply to courses, hoping that someone has dropped it. Best of luck to you!

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • art,  courses,  first year,  important dates,  ROSI,  wait list

    Wait watchers.

    August 4, 2009

    Hi aska!
    i just enrolled in courses today, and i am waitlisted for art history second term. what are the chances of my actually getting in? Or, should i switch around my courses now, cuz there is a different course i would like to take in the fall term if (FAH is winter) i cant get in. thanks!!!

    ———————————————

    Tis true. FAH102H1-S: The Practice of Art History is full. Quite full. There are currently 106 students on the waitlist, beyond the 188 spaces in the class.

     

    Your chances of getting in are dependent on a few things: a) your karma, and b) where you are on that wait list. A general rule of thumb is that if your waitlist ranking is within 10% of the total enrollment capacity then your chances are okay. “Okay” is situated somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of chances; above bad, and below pretty good. Okay is close friends with “decent.” A.k.a. – you have a chance.

     

    So, if you are waitlisted, like, 100th – I hate to break it to you – but you probably ain’t getting in.

    What should you do now? There are several possible courses of action:

     

    a) Drop the course and add something else that has room; OR

     

    b) wait until 6:00am on August 7th (when your course load limit increases to 6.0) and add an additional course as a backup in case you never get in to FAH102; OR

     

    c) wait until the waitlist is removed (on January 3rd), and try to grab a spot that opens up. You have until January 10th to add courses. This will require you to be obnoxiously persistent in checking ROSI to see if a spot becomes available. Depending on how much of a life you have, I would check it at least 5 times per day (I am a ROSI junkie, mind you). This is only a 7 day window… that is not a lot of time. Do not get your hopes up about this option. Also, think about attending this class in the first week, so that you aren’t behind if you do eventually get enrolled.

     

    I did some snooping in the archives of ROSI, and it turns out that last year FAH102 offered two meeting sections with capacity of 188 – neither of which was full, but the net enrollment was 275. This year there is a single meeting section that accommodates 188 students. I also noticed that FAH102 was offered in the summer of 2007 and 2008, but not this past summer.

     

    So, Art History, why offer half of the spaces in a course that obviously has a greater demand?? Beats me. This bizarre/frustrating observation suggests one of two things. One, that Art History is sick of first-year students, and is trying to wean them off; or two, Art History is struggling to staff that course. Perhaps an issue of limited social or economic capital?

     

    In any case, I concur with what you are all thinking right now – it is super annoying.

     

    Now I did a Minor in Art History, and I have taken FAH102, so let me give you some advice, from the school of hard knocks. I can’t believe I just said that. If you are NOT enrolled in FAH102 this year, consider these two things:

     

    a) In all likelihood, you WILL be able to take this course next summer, when enrollment never meets capacity.

     

    b) You can always take this course in an upper-year, when you will have an earlier course enrollment start date, and therefore will stand a better chance of getting in. This works because you will find that none of the upper-year FAH courses actually list FAH102 as a pre-requisite. Sure the content of 102 may be useful preparation for 200-levels courses, but it is far from mandatory.

     

    c) Based on this, you could go ahead and enroll in a 200-level FAH course in your first year. They have “P” enrollment indicators, which means that you will be eligible to enroll on August 7th (at 6:00am SHARP). Let me give you a breakdown of these potentials…

     

    Although you might not ever be able to spell/fit her name on your test booklet, Prof. Katsougiannopoulou is a lovely lady who is teaching FAH207: Greek & Roman Art/Architecture. FAH246: Modernism is a little heavy for first-year, unless you have a good modern art background and/or interest. I’m totally biased, but I found FAH272: Modern Architecture to be a blast, and VERY doable in your first-year. FAH230: Renaissance Art/Arch is somewhere in between. The content is straightforward, but a little dry – depending on how much you can handle starting at triptychs of “virgin and child.” Annnd… I’ve never taken the Later Medieval Art course. Did they even create art in the Dark Ages? Watching The Sword in the Stone will probably suffice for knowledge on that time period, anyway. Ah ah ah Merlin! (If you got that reference you are a loser, and I love you).

     

    Should you (wo)man up, and take a 200-level course, I suggest limiting yourself to one per semester. They ARE 200-level so they will jump into things quicker. But, as I said, there is no reason why you can’t do well in these courses in your first-year.

    Think about what a breeze FAH102 will be when you finally take it in 4th year! Such a treat!! It’ll be like finding a curly fry in your regular fries from Arby’s.

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