• choosing,  fun & places,  study abroad

    to abroad or not to abroad

    February 24, 2024
    Hey Aska,
    I have a bit of a dilemma.
    I want to go on exchange for a semester or even a year, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to afford it – or if I want to extend my degree by a year.
    I’m double majoring in Political Science and European Affairs, and for an exchange I can see myself studying in Britain, France, Spain, or Belgium. The thing is, I’m a transfer student to UofT-  I’m in second year of uni, but it’s my first year here. I started my degree at Dalhousie, didn’t like it, took a gap year, and now my friends from high school are in third year while I’m in second. I kind of feel behind, a little bit. Which I know I’m not. But, I also don’t want to be spending six years getting my Bachelor’s when it’s already going to be at least 5 total. It’s also not ideal financially, especially as I plan on getting a master’s.
    This brings up another consideration: I plan on doing my master’s degree in Europe, so it’s not as though I won’t have the opportunity to study there in the future. However, I really want to experience the undergraduate experience abroad. Summer courses are, of course, an option, but I try to work in the summer to supplement my income.
    I’ve applied to a summer abroad course, knock on wood that I get in, but I still wonder whether I should put aside a semester or a year to study abroad – or maybe to do an internship or work term placement.
    Time and money are precious, but I also value education, and want to make the most of this time of my life.
    Let me know what your thoughts are.
    I’m just kind of rambling and wanted some guidance and someone to bounce ideas off of.
    Thanks

    hey there,

    1. my take on exchange

    hm. this is indeed a dilemma if i ever did see one. so you’re double majoring in poli sci and european studies. it absolutely makes sense for you to go abroad to europe for your studies—it would be super beneficial for you to have that exposure and world experience. and to be so real, i absolutely support you for really wanting to have that undergrad abroad experience, especially in europe! it just sounds fun and cool lol.

    but i feel you, bro. i’m kind of in a similar boat, weighing the decision to take a longer time to complete my degree to enjoy it more, while trying to stay grounded with the financial practicality of it. not to mention the nagging feeling of being behind all my friends, and also maybe wanting to take a masters, which would add more years to this situation.

    Lily Rabe Tell Me Your Secrets GIF by Amazon Prime Video

    but the good news is, a LOT of people go through this same thing, and i’m learning that it is so normal to take 5 or 6 years for undergrad. like, so normal. in my opinion, it’s better to get the most you can out of your degree and flush it out for what it’s worth rather than just rush to complete it faster—assuming it’s financially viable for you. because being in undergrad gives you so many opportunities and chances to gain experience, and try new things, in every way you could think of!

    i’ve never done it myself, but my best friend went on exchange for a semester last summer. my take away from that was that going on exchange during undergrad is a fun, (chaotic), life-changing experience that really broadens your perspective on the world. so, like, these websites aren’t lying to you. it truly is a valuable use of your time and money.

    Video gif. A person points to a lie detector chart. Text, “...No Lies Detected…”

    but if you’re weighing it against getting an internship or work term placement, i mean, you can always get those a couple years down the road, right? there’s really only one period in life for you to go on exchange for undergrad. and it doesn’t have to be for a whole year, if you’re worried about that. one semester would provide you with the same experience and something is better than nothing.

    2. transfer credits

    my question is, will going on exchange really extend your degree by a year? maybe i’m not totally understanding your situation right, but you can transfer your credits earned so that your time spend abroad counts directly towards your degree. however, it’s true that it would depend on your program requirements and what is offered at the host institution you’re applying to. so i would highly recommend checking out transfer explorer to find out what courses you’ll be able to get transfer credits for.

    (according to my holy grail, the artsci website, you can transfer a max of 2.5 credits per term for fall and winter, and a max of 2.0 for the full summer session. that’s the same amount of credits you would take in your normal year at u of t.)

    The L Word Advice GIF

    3. finances 

    if your issue is financial constraints, there are scholarship opportunities for going on exchange. you can apply for learning abroad scholarships from the centre for international experience, as well as ones through your faculty/program. they also have a list of country cost estimates to help you vibe out how expensive this will be. and if you’re currently receiving OSAP, you can continue receiving it while learning abroad.

    i also see that you try to work in the summer for income. this does put a little block in our road. one option you could consider is taking up a small work-study job at u of t during the fall/winter semesters that has flexible/fewer hours. i know that this isn’t an option for some people depending on where their workload is on the dying-surviving-thriving spectrum.

    but work-study jobs at uni know that you are also a student and take that into account in what they demand of your time—it’s called a work-study for a reason! this is a much safer option with healthier boundaries for students, rather than getting a part time job somewhere else, and would give you a little stream of income to help. you would just have to make sure you find one that’s more chill.

    anyways, that was lot of thinking for me. time to take a nap.

    Ann B Davis Alice Nelson GIF by HULU

    i hope this helped, and that the ideas bounced off me to your satisfaction. good luck with everything, sending the best vibes your way!!

    over and out,

    aska

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  • bored,  study abroad,  Transferring

    sad keanu

    June 16, 2016

    Hi Aska, I’m set to graduate with my double majors in 3 years. However, since I want to do grad or law school and need to figure my life out, I want to do a 4th year of undergrad. I’m frankly miserable at UofT and am not keen on doing the whole 5.0 credits/another traditional school year. Any advice on studying at another school for a year, interning and being a part-time student,etc.? Besides registrars and my depts’ advisors (whom I’ve consulted), who can I speak to on campus? Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey!

    honestly, most people take 4 years to complete their undergrad, so don’t feel as though you need to finish in 3 years (if that’s what you’re thinking).

    i’m sorry to hear that you’re miserable at U of T; it is definitely possible to become a part-time student, but i would highly recommend that you talk to your registrar’s office first to discuss how going part time would affect things like student loans or completing your degree.

    besides registrars and department advisors, you could consult upper years who have gone through similar experiences as well. honestly though, i know you’ve consulted registrars already in the past, but they are probably the best people to talk to when you’re thinking of transferring or going part time.

    if you do decide to transfer, i encourage you to do tons of research on the websites of other universities. they usually have a section that has information on how to transfer to their school.

    you could always think about doing an exchange at another school! it might be more interesting and not as miserable as dreary ol’ toronto. definitely look into the CIE. there are tons of exchange options available at the CIE and you can try to attend one of the many info sessions they hold during the year.

    i hope things start looking up for you!

    aska

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  • exchange,  study abroad

    a straightforward answer? OVER MY DEAD BODY!

    February 16, 2016

    I’m hoping to go abroad to a university known for a very tough grading policy, and I’m a little concerned about the effect this could have on my gpa. I know many universities don’t do this and U of T doesn’t factor AP credits, but are credits from a study abroad program factored into our gpa?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    uoft has two study abroad opportunities: summer abroad, or exchange. depending on which one you’re talking about, the answer will be different.

    summer abroad is a program where you complete a uoft credit, but you just do it in another country. in this case, the mark would appear on your transcript. if you’re doing an exchange through the CIE (centre for international experience), then you would be doing another university’s courses and getting transfer credits for your uoft degree – in that case, the mark wouldn’t show up, only the credit.

    so: does it affect your GPA? for summer abroad: yes. for exchanges: no.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • architecture,  exchange,  study abroad

    @ Michael Lee-Chin: fight me

    June 4, 2015

    hello,

    are there study abroad opportunities for architecture, particularly for undergrads?

    thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you really want an EXCITING, URBAN experience, my personal recommendation is that you stand in front of the ROM – facing the shard side, of course – and yell really loudly about how bold and beautiful it is. scream “WHAT AN INSIGHTFUL MEDITATION ON THE CLASH BETWEEN THE ANCIENT AND THE MODERN” until someone stops on the street to pummel you.

    then fight them, illustrating in real time the historical struggles preserved in the ROM. punch yourself in the face. get an A+.

    buttttt if you’re more conventional (*cough*boring*cough*) and want something NON LIFE-THREATENING that’s organized by the university (snore), then you can always participate in the summer abroad program.

    summer abroad lets you complete a uoft course abroad during the summer. this summer, there are two architecture courses offered: FAH391Y0 in Italy, and FAH392Y0 in England.

    there is also an exchange program (different from summer abroad, this program is organized by the CIE) that allows you to complete a course at another university abroad. Yonsei University in Korea offers architecture courses.

    that’s about it as far as undergrad opportunities go, but keep an eye on the summer abroad and CIE websites, because new courses and partner institutions are always being added to the summer abroad and exchange programs.

    or you could go for my very helpful ROM suggestion. i think a bloody fight between some art enthusiasts is exactly what Bloor/Yorkville needs.

    happy travels,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  courses,  international exchange,  study abroad

    aussies love aska, aska loves aussies

    September 13, 2012

    Hey,
    I am currently in my first year at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and I am looking at going on exchange at the University of Toronto next year (second semester here – first semester over there), and I am looking for what individual subjects that I can do. Is there a list somewhere? Also, where is the best place to stay? On campus in a dorm, or off campus?

    Thanks,

    Chris

    ————————————————

    Hi Chris, or should I say, G’day! (I know, that?s terrible, but you’re gonna get it a lot)

    Toronto is an awesome place to do an exchange and we have a good relationship with your Uni and many others. So welcome! You may have already found it, but there’s lots of information for potential exchange students available from the Centre for International Experience.

    U of T has literally hundreds of programs, so it can be a bit intimidating glance at a list of subjects. It?d be easier to point you to information relevant to you if I had a better idea of what you’re studying, but information about each program is buried deep under hyperlinks on the Programs of Study page. Most of that information is more germane to students looking to do their whole degree here.

    For an exchange student looking to pick courses for one semester, you’re probably better off taking a glance at this year’s Calendar? from the Faculty of Arts and Science. Unless you’re in a professional faculty like Engineering or Music, this is the pool from which you’ll pick your courses. It has descriptions of every course offered? by the Faculty of Arts and Science, though not all of the courses in the calendar run every year. It can be a fun read if you?re a nerd like me, so have at it!

    Hope that helps and hope to see you on this side of the Commonwealth!

    aska

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  • study abroad

    When in Rome, and away from U of T

    November 3, 2010

    Hi,

    I’m a prospective student from British Columbia who is interested in applying to the University of Toronto. I did some research about U of T and really like what I’m learning about the school! I want to major in languages and study abroad in university (preferably i would like to study abroad for two years). At University of Toronto, are there any limits to the amount of time you can study abroad? I know at some schools, they have a certain amount of time students must spend resident at the home university in order to graduate. Would this be the same case for U of T as well?

    Thank you very much!

    ———————————————

    Heyo,

    So I gave the Student Exchange Center a shout and their answer is Yes there is a limit.

    Students can do up to 3 semesters abroad. So a year and a half of school or 3 separate semesters.

    Click here to see what the bible (ie the course calendar) says.

    AND the international student exchange page

    Love Always,

    Aska

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