• mental health,  midterms

    midterm blues

    November 3, 2020

    Hi there! So… I’ve been struggling a bit lately. I’m not sure why I feel so overwhelmed and unmotivated all the time. Every moment I spend doing schoolwork is just painful. In high school, I used to be able to snap out papers in 2 hours. Now, it takes me the whole day to just start writing. Is there any way to stop this feeling of hopelessness? 🙁

    ——————————————

    hey there friend,

    it’s perfectly okay and normal to be struggling in uni, especially at this point in the semester. please don’t be hard on yourself for that.

    it’s truly impressive that you used to be able to finish papers in two hours (i could never), but as i’m sure you’re aware, high school and university are not the same! university demands a lot more of you in terms of robust argument and rigorous research/analysis, plus you’re adjusting to new expectations. it took me until the end of second year to feel more at ease with writing uni papers. what i’m trying to say is that it’s valid that you’re having a harder time with papers than you’re used to. papers are hard!

    with that said, is there a way to deal with those feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm? yeah, i do think there is. i’m glad you reached out and asked.

    first, i want to remind you that you don’t deserve to deal with these difficulties without support.

    i talk a lot about resources on this blog, and a lot of that is because seeking out campus resources has made such a difference in my ability to withstand the pressures at u of t. here are some supports that i’d recommend you reach out to:

    if you’re dealing with feelings of hopelessness, this is the main campus support that i’d recommend. when you paid your fees for u of t, you paid for access to u of t’s embedded counsellors, who will offer you five free appointments to help you reach a mental health goal. the counsellor i visited walked me through cognitive behavioural therapy, which i found really helpful.

    i should note, though, that embedded counselling is only available to students who are in ontario. if you want to see an off-campus counsellor, you should be covered for that under the utsu’s insurance plan, or greenshield if you’re a part-time student.

    if booking an appointment doesn’t sound right for you at this time, you can also reach out to the MySSP program, where there are counsellors who will talk you through what you’re experiencing at any time of the day, 7 days a week.

    either way, there’s a lot of value in looking after your mental health when you’re struggling with school. i can’t emphasize that enough. if any of these options appeal to you but seem confusing, feel free to shoot me another question and i’m happy to help you figure things out.

    learning strategists are such a cool resource, and i think they should have them at every school. i think it would help you to book an appointment with a learning strategist to talk through your paper-writing strategies and your lack of motivation. they’ll be able to help you spot what’s not working, what improvements you can make to your schoolwork system, and just generally give you tips, encouragement, and a sense of perspective.

    if that sounds like something you’d be down for, you can give your registrar a call.

    just gonna throw in a side note here: i know sometimes these appointments feel like a waste of time when you’re overwhelmed and stressed and know you have a million things to do, but trust me. they’re worth the time. they’re an investment in your wellbeing and your ability to handle future schoolwork.

    • writing centre

    if it’s papers that are gettin’ you down, the lovely people at your writing centre will be able to help you out a ton. you can approach them at any point in the paper-writing process. i’ve found that sometimes, bouncing ideas back and forth with a writing centre instructor can be a really solid way to jumpstart a paper that really was not coming together when i was trying to tackle it alone.

    if you’ve never been to the writing centre, i wrote a post on approaching the writing centre for the first time, which you can check out here.

    sorry. i dunno why that spongebob gif is so intimidating.

    apart from those resources, here are some of the things that help me, when i’m feeling the way that you described:

    • reaching out to people

    this school year is such an isolating one, and keeping up with the stress of midterms feels so much harder because of it. if you have good people that you trust, i find that it helps to reach out to them and let them know you’re having a hard time, so that you can commiserate.

    or maybe you don’t have people, which is okay and honestly pretty normal right now. in that case, there’s value in seeking out online u of t social events, trying to reach out to people in your classes, or joining clubs. i think everyone’s feeling some degree of isolation right now, and because of that many people are open to making new friends.

    any sense of connection you have will take some of the weight off you, i think. it’s easier to struggle as students together than alone.

    • taking a break

    there’s only so far you can push your brain before it stops serving you, lol. i do my best work after i take a walk or a run, or switch my brain into a non-study mode by cleaning my room/doing chores. if you find that you’re not productive for a long chunk of time, set your work aside. it’s okay to come back to it after a break. you’re a student, not a machine. you’ll do better, more efficient work if you feel refreshed.

    there’s really no use in staring at a blank computer screen, waiting for your paper to come together when you know you won’t type a single line for another eight hours. so do something that makes you feel more like yourself for a lil while. it’ll help, i promise.

    • getting enough sleep

    sleep is a big one for me, personally. whenever it takes me too many days to put a paper together, which makes me feel absolutely useless, i know it’s because my brain and body are drained and i need to start sleeping better. as uni students we run a constant sleep deficit, so i don’t know how practical this advice really is lol. but if you’re able to block out some time for sleep, i do think that will help.

    anyway, i hope that you made it to the end of this post, and there was at least something in here that sparked a little “oh, i can do that, that might help” moment.

    i really do want you to feel capable, motivated, and supported, and wish you all the best of luck with the rest of the semester. you got this. you’ll make it through, and things will get better.

    take care of yourself,

    aska

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  • first year,  midterms

    i’m not even in first year and my grades still hurt my feelings

    November 2, 2020

    Hi! do you have any advice for handling midterms and feelings of disappointment? I have two more left now and every time I finish one, I feel like I did a good job but I get sorely disappointed with the grades I receive — especially considering I’m genuinely working hard and studying for 2 weeks for one test, etc. I know university is NOT like high school, so I’m trying to keep that in mind, but floundering in first year does not feel good at all, haha! Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    i honestly really feel you on this. during my first semester of first year, i was really overwhelmed and it took me a good many months to adjust to uni. i’d been warned that grades tend to drop by at least 10 percent in the jump from high school to first year, so rest assured that you’re not the only one struggling with lower grades than you’re used to. it’s a common first year experience.

    here’s what advice i can offer to make this easier on you:

    first, it will probably be helpful for you to take inventory of what resources you have to support you through this. first year can be particularly difficult because you’re not used to navigating university yet, and don’t know about all the different ways you can receive help.

    i’ll divide the resource recommendations in this post into two sections. first, let’s start with resources that will help you handle your midterms better:

    1) learning strategists

    while i’ve never visited a learning strategist myself, i’ve heard that they’re really great for helping you reach your academic goals. a learning strategist will be able to give you tips on managing your time and stress, evaluate your study plans with you, and just generally talk you through better ways to learn and thus improve your grade. if you’re in arts and science, you should be able to call your college registrar and request an appointment with the learning strategist. otherwise, i think CLNx also allows you to make appointments.

    i do think this is one of your best bets for learning how to handle midterms well, and whatever skills you learn from your learning strategist will carry over to finals as well.

    2) writing centres

    if any of your midterms are midterm papers, the writing centre will be a godsend. my college’s writing centre has helped me improve my grades on many, many papers. a highly recommended resource. if you’re unfamiliar with the writing centre, this past weekend i did an advice post for first-timers, which you can check out here.

    3) librarians

    if any of your midterms include a research element, you can actually live chat with librarians for research help here. also, i think u of t still does the personal librarian system, which should mean that you’ve gotten an email from a campus librarian who’s offered to help you with research and show you different tools to make your life easier. my personal librarian is my college librarian.

    you’d really be surprised how much wisdom librarians have— they can be super helpful for finding books and papers you might not have come across otherwise, and can also give you tips on how to parse a whole ton of information.

    4) office hours

    if you’re studying really hard and still don’t find that you’re getting the grades you hope for, that’s usually a signal that you should reach out to your profs or TAs for an office hours appointment. clarify their expectations, ask them how they’d recommend that you prep for a midterm, and see if you can sus out what they care most about. what topics do they see as most important? should you memorize things or know how to apply them? only your course instructors will be able to tell you. they’re being paid to teach you, so you might as well ask.

    now, for resources that will help you handle the disappointment (no matter how hard you try, it will still hit you sometimes. that’s what i’m learning as an upper year).

    1) dons, mentors, and other upper years

    upper years have been through it. most of them know how you’re feeling, but have also had more practice putting their failures into perspective and moving on. if you have access to residence/commuter dons, a mentorship program, or any upper years in general, i wouldn’t be afraid to start a conversation with them about dealing with disappointing grades! as an upper year myself, i’m always happy to talk younger students through the emotional struggle of first year. i guess that’s why i run this blog lol.

    2) friends

    honestly, my current favourite way to get over a bad midterm grade is to play an hour of among us with my friends. there’s nothin like a little friendly space murder to make yourself feel better.

    but hey, even before the pandemic, i found that it helped so much to take some time off my studies with people that i like, so that i could come back to studying refreshed and ready to work.

    don’t know anyone, since you’re still in first year? check out your prospective program’s student associations, your college, mentorship programs, and clubs. there will be friendly people going through the same thing as you— don’t be afraid to approach them. some random girl from my class added me on facebook, and now we rant to each other weekly about how frustrating our assignments are. ten times better than slogging through alone.

    3) embedded counsellors and MySSP

    if your disappointments begin to make you feel anxious or depressed, please reach out to one of the mental health supports on campus. you have five free appointments with your college’s embedded counsellor, who will talk you through your negative feelings and help you identify how your patterns of thought might be holding you back. you can call health and wellness to make an appointment with your embedded counsellor. if that doesn’t sound like an option for you, you can also chat with the counsellors at MySSP in different languages, 24/7, even outside of North America. your mental health is very important!

    in case it’s not obvious yet, i really think that reaching out to other people in the university community is the best way to pull yourself through what you’re dealing with.

    other than that, i think there’s value in maintaining a sense of perspective. first year is an adjustment. there is no shame in not doing as well as you hoped to, and things will get better once you figure out what the heck is going on in university. i really had to overhaul my study habits in order to get on my feet. you’ll learn. it’s why you’re here.

    sending you tons of encouragement for the rest of the semester— i’m proud of you for working so hard. keep it up, you can do this!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • grades,  midterms

    lol are midterms even over yet

    December 3, 2019

    Have all the midterm marks been sent out to the students at U of T yet?

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    this is an easy one to answer. no, they have not. obviously this is gonna vary by program, class, etc.– someone who’s been done their midterms for a few weeks may have those midterm marks already. i (who am only just finishing mine, what is UP with that) am not expecting those grades for a bit.

    if you’re a current student concerned about your midterm marks not being out for some reason, i’d advise that you talk to either your registrar or your profs. i’m not really sure why you’re asking this (out of curiosity? for grad schools? i dunno) but i hope this answered your question!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • midterms

    facebook goes ghost

    August 30, 2016

    Hi there! I’m unable to send my question through your website. I was wondering if you could tell me when midterms usually are? I’m a first year student going into the humanities department. I have to go on a trip during the first week of October and I would just like to make sure that’s not midterm period.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    are you saying that you were unable to send an e-mail to askastudent dot innis at utoronto dot ca? because really – it’s not rocket science, folks. i try to make a point of not answering facebook messages but i’ll answer this one to hold it up as an example to everyone: please, have a heart, just e-mail us your Q’s. facebook doesn’t notify us half the time we have messages, and we look at our inbox more. help us help you.

    generally speaking, it’s a super not-good idea to go on a trip in the middle of the school year. if it is unavoidable, you will be risking missing a midterm test. there is no official ‘midterm period,’ but october is around the time that midterm tests start happening.

    the first week still might be a bit early for humanities students, who tend only to have one midterm per class sometime around mid- to late-october (whereas life science students typically have two, so their first midterms come a little before humanities’ students, and their second midterms a little after), so you may be okay. but you won’t know for sure until you get your syllabi in the first week.

    if you’re really in a jam, make sure to communicate it with your professor/TA. it may be possible to reschedule midterms, but telling your instructor early and taking the initiative to come up with an alternate arrangement is essential if you end up having to go that route.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • midterms

    midterm madness

    July 25, 2016

    Hey there,

    I wanted to know what can be done to view a midterm past the midterm review date. I didn’t get a chance to view it and really need to check it since there’s a possibility a mistake was made. If it helps its for a bio exam at utsc. the life science department is so stingy when it comes to exam viewings so i’m worried there is nothing i can do to view it now. Its just so odd to me the uni has issues with students wanting to view their own exams. There worth so much of our mark so i should be allowed to at least
    check if a mistake was made.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    was it an in-class midterm or a final exam? if it was for a midterm, then you should be able to talk with your instructor about it. most profs are pretty willing to let you review a midterm, especially if you are concerned that there may have been a mistake.

    if it was a final exam, that’s a whole ‘nother thing. there seems to be no flexibility in terms of viewing final exams, since they actually physically destroy them after the deadline.

    i mean i feel your pain, but if you didn’t think to check about this mistake until 90 days after the fact, i feel like it wasn’t that important to you? i dunno. feel free to double-check with the utsc registrar’s office to see if they can provide any additional information.

    peace,

    aska

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  • midterms

    NEVER SKIP CLASS

    November 10, 2014

    Hi there, so I’ve been trying really hard this year to improve my gpa. So far, my hard work has paid off and I’ve been getting 80’s in most of my classes. My mom told me she’s really proud of me, which makes me more determined than ever to maintain my grades. Last week, I skipped one of my classes as I thought there was a movie scheduled for that day. I just found out that the movie was scheduled for today and I missed my midterm. I cannot make up the test without a legitimate excuse and I’m absolutely devastated. I burst into tears when I told my mom because I felt ashamed and disappointed in myself. I know it was an honest mistake, but I can’t help but think that all of this is my fault. I received an 82.5% on my last assignment, which is worth 20%. The midterm is worth 25% of my entire grade and I now have a zero. Even if I get 80% on my next assignment and exam, I’ll only receive a 60% when, really, I’m striving for something higher. The course is chosen as an additional credit for my ANT minor program and I could’ve technically picked another course, but I don’t want to drop it since it’ll be a waste of money. I don’t want my gpa to suffer because of a stupid mistake, but I must face reality. Do you have any advice? Will credit/no credit work in this case?

    Lesson learned: Never skip class.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, it doesn’t hurt to talk to the professor about it. i’m not saying that they’ll let you make it up, but it’s worth trying. there’s no real formal procedure for in-class tests and assignments like there is for final exams, so that’s about all i can advise.

    if it’s an F-section course, then the deadline to credit/no-credit it has already passed, but if it’s a yearlong course, you can still do it. however, if it’s a program requirement for your minor, you’re not allowed to credit/no-credit it anyway.

    so…yeah. don’t skip class, but if you do and you make a mistake like this, just try your best to explain it to the prof. and if they’re not willing to let you retake it then, hey, it’s not the end of the world. you can move on from this. don’t beat yourself up about it – we all make dumb mistakes.*

    best,

    aska

    * well, i don’t. but then, i’m an invincible, perfect being. students, though – students make mistakes all the time. and that’s ok.

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  • midterms

    messing up on midterms

    October 29, 2012

    I am currently in my first year at U of T and my grades are slipping greatly, especially in chemistry. If I end up just passing the chem course but I do not need to take it any other years for my major(just first year) or acceptance into a subject post will grade schools look at that bad mark an reject me? I want to get a masters in ecology and evolutionary biology and environmental science. I am thinking of dropping it and taking it in summer school but I do not need to maintain a certain average to get into my major programs so is there any point? Should I just tough it out and end up with a passing grade or is it better to drop it now and get a better grade in summer school?

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    For the most part, grad schools look at your final two years, so no, I don’t think they’ll see your CHM 138, balk, and reject you over that. This course’s main meaningful influence would be how it affects your CGPA. So if you really think you’re going to do really poorly and the option is available, you can definitely drop it now and retake it next term or in the summer anew.

    It’s all up to you. Do you think you can salvage the course at this point?

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • commerce,  midterms

    can’t take this commerce

    October 29, 2012

    Hi aska,

    I’m a first year in commerce and I feel like I’m really screwing up my first year. I pretty much miserably failed all of my midterms except for one. I’m terrified that I’m going to be kicked out of my program. Math has never been my forte and no matter how hard I study I just don’t understand it. On the other hand, I’ve always been very good at English and Literature. I’ve become very confused and discouraged, I don’t feel as if I belong in commerce. I want a career in business but with calculus being a requirement for second year, I’m not sure I’ll make it.

    I’m not really sure what to do or what department I belong to, how does someone really know the program they’re in is right for them?

    Thanks for the help,
    Confused First Year

    ———————————————

    Hello Confused First Year,

    I take it you’re in Rotman then? I hate to break it to you, but getting into business without first dealing with Calculus doesn’t seem possible. Sorry!

    Anyhow, to make it to second year for Rotman, you need to get at least 67% in ECO100Y and RSM100Y, and at least 50% in your MAT course. You get twelve months to do that, so if you find your grades from this year aren’t high enough, you can even try boosting them in the summer.

    Now don’t feel discouraged! Doing poorly on your first few midterms is a pretty common occurrence. I mean, I dealt with two or so inquiries along the same lines of I failed my midterm, should I just drop out and ask McDonald’s to hire me? just in the past week. It’s normal and it’s often a case of needing to focus more and study harder. And, if need be, a few visits to the Academic Success Centre website wouldn’t hurt.

    Determining what department someone belongs to is entirely up to them. Personally, I think it’s a matter of a) what the person likes, and b) what the person excels at. Your program is entirely up to you to decide. Have you taken an ENG course at UofT? Try one! You may very well take it here and come to realize that math is actually your stronger point. For now, since you seem so unsure about things, experiment.

    Good luck!

    aska

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  • midterms

    when the going gets tough…

    October 24, 2012

    Hello,

    I’m in first year and I failed all my first midterms. I studied long and hard which is why I’m so mad that I failed all my midterms. I cant believe it! I just cant believe that I failed my midterms. I feel like I did my best and was confident enough before writing my tests and here, I though I would be getting at least a decent mark but no, I failed.. I’m starting to doubt whether I should really be in this university. This is really depressing. I feel as if I would’nt be able to pass all my other tests in the future.

    Does this happen to other people too? failing all their midterms? Does this mean I should give up university?

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    So you failed your first midterm, huh? To answer your questions, yes, this does happen to other people. Heck, this happened to me. Exact same thing actually – I went into my first exam thinking I knew just about everything and left the exam thinking I aced it. Then a week or two later I saw my grade and…well, let’s not get into that.

    My point is that doing poorly on your first test of university isn’t uncommon. A lot of people suffer from the overconfidence of their high-80s high school average. So don’t feel depressed! What happened is pretty normal, but now it’s time to make some changes. Figure out what went wrong. Were you overlooking parts of the questions? Did you overlook certain readings? Was it that you didn’t understand a particular concept as well as you thought?

    Talk to your professor or your T.A. (whoever graded your test) and get their opinion on how to do better on the next exam. Likewise, maybe attend one of the workshops run by the Academic Success Centre for further advice.

    Failing one test doesn’t mean you should give up on university. If you quit every time something went wrong, you wouldn’t get very far would you?

    Good luck!

    aska

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  • first year,  grades,  midterms

    the worth of work

    October 22, 2012

    Dear aska,

    I’m a first year at UTSG life sci, I study, but I don’t work my butt off, and I know that it’s my fault that I’ve done so horribly on my first term tests. I’ve gotten pretty much 60s – low 60s. Is it possible that I may pull up my mark by the second test, but just, what should I do? I don’t even know anymore, I’ve kind of lost hope. I know that I pretty much crammed 4 days before each tests, and I gotta change my study strategy for test 2, but even if I get an 80 on the next tests I’ll end up with a 70…and what if I still end up with 60s after becoming more hardworking.. I feel like everyone’s so smart and hardworking, I’m like…so..dumb..

    Most importantly….if I get through first year with 60s, is that okay? The thing is, I know it is, but would it just mean I’ll have less choice of POSTs, since my grades are so low?…

    Are there any POSTs in lifesci that have verrry minimal + non competitive requirements? I’m still kind of unfamiliar with everything. I think I’m just gonna bare with university and try to pass these 4 years as quickly as possible.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Here’s a tip: don’t just change the way you study – change the way you work.

    Change your reading habits, the way you take your notes, your lecture attendance (if that applies), and so on. U of T wants you to succeed, but that’s not going to happen unless you take initiative.

    So cancel your pity party, sweetie, because with a few habit-building trips to the library or whatever study space you choose, you should be fine. University requires discipline. It’s good that you realize what you’re doing/not doing, but until you actually try to make a change, of course you’re going to feel a little lost! I mean look at your own words. “Smart” and “hardworking” go hand in hand, so it’s time to get a move on working your butt off! 🙂

    And if you end up with something in the 70s, you should be fine. Take a look at the requirements needed for the specific programs you’re considering, but for example, a major in Human Biology only calls for 4.0 FCE and has no GPA minimum, so at least there’s that. But explore the Calendar a little and see what you’re interested in.

    But really, don’t feel so down. You’re in first-year. You’re transitioning. Everyone feels like this in their first semester, it’s just a matter of making a change.

    Good luck!

    aska

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  • midterms

    boooorn to be wiiiiiiiild

    January 18, 2012

    Are midterms for the winter session generally before reading week? Or are they the week after?

    ———————————————

    hey hey,

    Planning on a Girls Gone Wild kind of spring break? At least you a preplanning your academics before getting trashed and waking up on a beach dressed in a clown suit (NO this didn’t happen to me … geez).

    Unfortunately it all depends on the professor. Some do after, but generally I find that they do them before hand so you can run free on the break!

    bottoms up,

    aska

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