• bored,  computer science,  economics

    condolences to everyone taking eco101

    December 6, 2023

    Hey, I’m a first year in the CS stream but I’m also taking ECO101 and ECO102 with the goal of double majoring in computer science and economics. My CS classes are going well and I’m really enjoying them, but I find ECO101 mind-numbingly boring. I enjoyed my macroeconomics class in high school, but this class feels like a dull yet somehow confusing version of basic algebra. Will the econ experience get more interesting after first year, or should I give it up now and find something else?

    hey there,

    well, i don’t think you’re alone in this. ‘mind-numbingly boring’ definitely fits into the genre of things i’ve heard about eco101. you’re not a uoft student if you haven’t overheard people complaining about econ courses or had to listen to a friend complain all term.

    Not Listening Dumb And Dumber GIF

    but fr that course is difficult so you have all my sympathy.

    i’m sorry that i’m not an econ student (this apology is directed both to you and my mom), so i can’t really tell you anything from my own experience with econ courses. but

    1. i’ve heard that eco101 is not representative of the econ you learn in the future, and
    2. i can tell you that pretty much every single program gets more interesting after first year!

    because in general, courses that are required as a prerequisite for a program are going to be on the more boring and/or difficult side of the spectrum. like those huge courses upwards of a few hundred people that people have to take. these tend to cover really broad material and foundational stuff, which is always going to be boring, especially if a course is a requirement for multiple different competitive programs—like eco101.

    Need A Break GIF by MOODMAN

    and when i say boring/difficult, i mean this in comparison to smaller, more specialized courses that you’ll be able to take farther down the road. a good tip someone once gave me is that the more specific and niche the description of a course is, the more enjoyable and interesting it will be — and the opposite is also true! just to be completely transparent though, there won’t be a huge change from first to second year, since you’ll still have to take required courses. but once you hit third year, you’ll be given room to choose between a list of possible courses to count towards your major, and these tend to be much more interesting!

    it’s also hard to tell you whether you’ll find upper year econ courses interesting simply because everyone finds different topics interesting. even if i was an econ student in fourth year with all the econ wisdom i’ve acquired, i’m not sure i would be that helpful. like, there are so many econ students out there who probably did find that the courses got more interesting after first year! but then there are also others who didn’t.

    Think Sheryl Lee Ralph GIF by ABC Network

    i think the best i can do for now is direct you towards econ students who might be able to give you their own answers! the only way i can think to do this is through econ student groups, so here is what i found:

    the uoft economics club can be found at econuoft (at) gmail (dot) com, or @econ_uoft on instagram. i’m sure they’ll answer an email or dm, most student groups are really friendly and responsive on their various social media accounts! i think peer mentorship programs could also be a great resource for getting advice on this. i couldn’t find one at uoft specifically for econ students, but there are college specific mentorship programs in clnx’s mentorship catalogue, which you can look into.

    anyways, despite all this, i’m glad you’re enjoying your cs classes, and i hope everything works out for you!

    (if any econ students happen to read this post, it would be great if you could drop some tidbits of your advice)

    over and out,

    aska

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • bored,  courses,  friends

    beer, nachos and boring profs

    September 5, 2012

    Hey Aska,

    My program requires I take certain classes, however the class I want to take isn’t even offered. It’s listed on the programs website and listed as a requirement, but not available for selection. Apparently it was available in summer school this year, but I opted out of that. I would have really loved taking this course, and the strange thing is this course is (more or less) continued in a 4th year course which is available. There are alternatives, but I really want to avoid those alternatives at all costs. Why would the university do this? Meaning, why would they list a course as a requirement and give it to us as an alternative to the other courses, but not have it available to select? Does this mean the course will no longer be taught?

    Secondly, how do you deal with a course you know you’re going to dread? Course selection is coming up very soon and it looks like the course I want isn’t going to be available. So I’ll be stuck in a class with course content I have no interest in. Not just that, the professor as well is suppose to be bad. I know you can’t judge a professor/course before you take it, but when sites like ratemyprofessor have over 50 reviews all claiming it to be the absolute worst, you get worried.

    ———————————————

    Heyo,

    U of T has courses that are offered every other year. My minor, for example, had first year requirements that weren’t offered in my first year but were in my second. In my situation not having this course didn’t stop me from taking the other courses so I just ended up taking it when I could. The real problem is if you decide to drop it or you fail it and you have to wait a year to take it again. There are some classes that are even offered on a rarer basis and those you just have to hope the course selection god will offer it in a year that you have a good start time for.

    While there was a course or two that I dreaded and ended up liking, most dreaded courses are rough to get through. In my experience you can dread one part of the course and still survive; so you can either dread the time of the class, the prof or the course material, but not more than one. Professors are key. In my last two years I started picking courses solely on professors that were either highly rated (ratemyprofessor, or the Anti-Calendar), ones that I had taken before and loved, or ones fellow students recommended (Prof. Danesi is always recommended as an elective).

    Life is too short, don’t waste it in classes with boring material, professors that you can’t understand and generally being somewhere you don’t want to be.

    Saying all this hubbub though, there are some courses that you will just have to man up and take.

    Side Bar Ted: 5 Ways to Get Through Dreaded Courses

    1) Coffee

    2) Snacks (lots of snacks)

    3) Force a friend to take the course with you

    4) Re-direct your essays into something you are interested in

    5) Reward yourself with beer and nachos after each class

    I combined all of the above to get through any dreaded courses of mine. You might have to change it up to suit your needs, but I have faith you can make it through.

    coffee and cupcakes,

    aska

    Read More
  • bored

    fake emails: productive or stalkerish

    February 8, 2012

    Hi Aska!

    I am taking this 3rd year sociology class. There are over 60 students registered in this class, but only a handful show up to class, coz the prof is super boring. I heard from his past students that his classes are usually empty. Doesn’t the prof realize that the reason why no one shows up is cause he is so boring? This is UofT! Students don’t stop going to lectures for no reason.
    It is sketchy/mean if I create an anonymous email account and send him an email telling him that he should improve his lecture?
    I need your wise advice.

    Thanks
    -Very frustrated student.

    ———————————————
    Yo yo frustrated student (although, which student isn’t frustrated with something or other),

    So, let me get this straight. You heard that the course was boring and you still took it?

    I’m all about voicing your opinion but one, I associate fake emails with stalking and two, I can’t imagine he’s going to change his entire lecturing style based on one email. There’s a chance you’ll just make him pissed at every student in the class.

    You could go in to office hours and just tell him that you would find it helpful if he … i dunno brought puppets to class or any legitimate constructive criticism.

    … or go to class drunk.

    forever helpful (but probably not in this case),

    aska

    Read More
  • bored,  residence

    Living in a Hotel All School Year Long

    May 27, 2008

    Hi there,
    After getting my third choice of college,woodsworth, and filling out the long application form, they redirected me to chestnut which i have accepted just because I need to get out of the house. It seems to have a lot of negative thoughts and downsides to it seeing as it’s the farthest away, the most expensive, you have to share your room etc. I was just wondering… is there anything good about it other than decent food and rooms? do people actually enjoy it? and is it still considered an equivelent in terms of lifestyle( parties, studies, people, living accomodations) and atmosphere to the other residences?
    Thanks a bunch!

    ?

    ?

    Read More