• cinema studies,  subject POST,  Uncategorized

    it’s that time of year again

    February 26, 2021

    Hey! I’m a first year who’s been thinking about POSTs. I’m probably going to major in English and I want to do creative expression in society as a minor, and maybe either book and media studies or cinema studies as my second major. The thing is, I never took CIN105 (the prerequisite) which means I’d have to do it in my second year. How do I go about applying for these programs then? i hope this makes sense lol thank you

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    thank you for waiting for this answer! i hope you had a great reading week, or at least a half-decent one.

    this is a good question, and you’re not alone in wanting to register in a program for which you lack the prerequisite. i feel like i’ve actually seen this specific question in recent months, which means someone else at u of t is also trying to get into cinema studies without the prereq.

    you should be able to apply for english easily — english is an open program, so as long as you have 4.0 FCEs, the major should let you in. the creative expression and society minor is also open enrolment, and while the book and media studies major isn’t open enrolment, it only requires that you have a grade of 67% or higher in at least one 100+ level course. doable, i think. for information about the specifics of applying to programs, check out this lovely sid smith page that boils it all down very nicely. 

    as for a cinema studies major, that’s absolutely still a possibility. what you can do is take CIN105 in your second year and apply during the POSt application period following your second year. in the meantime, you can select another open enrolment program as a placeholder. you need to do that because, unless you are enrolled in the minimum program combination (a specialist, double major, or major + two minors) by the time fall/winter course enrolment happens, you’ll be blocked from selecting courses.

    it doesn’t really matter what placeholder you pick, but the smart thing to do with the  would be to select a program that’ll give you priority enrolment for courses you’re interested in taking. that way, you can take advantage of priority privileges for a year.

    the final thing to note is that you shouldn’t drop your placeholder until after you get into cinema studies, just to be safe.

    i hope this helped, and that your first year is going all right! good luck with your midterms and finals — i’m rooting for you.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • cinema studies,  first year

    first year, what a TIME, truly.

    October 20, 2020

    hi! so i’m currently a first year student at u of t and it’s been a bit rough.

    i’m finding that i hate the majority of my courses and wish i hadn’t enrolled in the ones program i’m in. it’s making uni life a bit difficult, and i’m trying to push past that (because i know uni is what you make of it) but imposter syndrome and these feelings are making it difficult and stressful. do you have any advice for dealing with those feelings?

    i also recently did a midterm and got a 74, which put me in a bit of a shock because i expected and wanted higher. i’m also upset because i’m finding that i’m interested in working in film production and such, but i didn’t take any cinema studies courses and cin105 seems to be the prerequisite for the majority of courses after first year. it’s too late to switch courses now, since cin105 is a full year course. how should i manage that? do i just take it in second year? will that cause me to fall behind for all the requirements of a cinema studies major? i know this ask has a lot of questions, and i’m really sorry about that! i just really want (and need) some advice 🙁 thank you in advance ????

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    welcome to u of t! i can definitely relate to first year being rough— holy crap, i mean, i didn’t know anything about how anything worked. everything scared me. i never felt like i belonged and i had no idea what i was doing program-wise. what you’re feeling is not uncommon, especially in first sem of first year. uni feels like a plunge in the deep end when you’re new to it. so i don’t want you to feel that it’s your fault things aren’t going perfectly!

    anyway, buckle up. since i can relate to your situation, this is gonna be a long post, and i’m gonna throw everything i got at you.

    all right. let’s start with impostor syndrome. from my conversations with fellow students, i’ve found that it’s super common to experience impostor syndrome at u of t. even though i’m an upper year now, i still struggle with it on the regular: do i belong here? am i good enough? why does everyone else seem so cool and smart and capable?

    there’s something about the intensity of u of t and the calibre of other students that just sows doubt in your head. but here are some ways to start nudging that doubt away, so you can focus on what you’re here to do. (small content warning: mentions of anxiety!)

    1. don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help! a lot of my first year struggle could have been reduced if i’d known how helpful people at U of T are. your profs, TAs, academic advisors, learning strategist, embedded counsellor, etc. are all getting paid to help students like you out! chances are that you also have peer supports available to you, via dons, mentorship programs, course unions, and clubs. for almost every problem you run into during first year, there’s someone in the university community who can help you work through that problem. re: your midterm, i know the feeling of that first time getting a disappointing uni grade, but it will be easier to bounce back if you go to office hours and chat about the exam with the prof!
    2. invest in a sense of community. in my experience, isolation amplifies impostor syndrome, and university is so much easier and more fun when everyone struggles together! if you have trouble meeting people (because ZOOM UNIVERSITY), check out college/student union/newspaper/club events. there are definitely some running over discord and zoom. add the people you meet there on social media and start a conversation! and don’t be scared to approach people, many of us are down to make new friends.
    3. surround yourself with good people, who see your value and hype you up instead of tearing you down. in my experience, people who experience impostor syndrome tend to be ones who are sensitive to external affirmation or a lack thereof. if someone makes you feel crappy, give yourself permission to take some space from them. if someone makes you feel like you can handle anything that comes your way, be conscious about checking in with and supporting them, and allow yourself to receive that support back.
    4. don’t push yourself too hard. remember that outside of your GPA and classes, you’re a real person! not a machine! be gentle with yourself accordingly. you’re a person and you’ll make mistakes. you also deserve to sleep, drink water, eat properly, and spend some physically-distanced time with your friends.
    5. don’t put others on a pedestal. this is something i catch myself doing all the time! you know gerald over there with the 4.0 GPA, who’s president of two clubs and already has a summer internship lined up? he probably looks great on paper, but we don’t know anything about what his life is really like. it’s not fair to yourself to compare your full reality with a slice of his. many of the geralds in my life have debilitating anxiety and also feel like impostors, but you wouldn’t know that unless you were very close to them.
    6. look after your mental health. if your impostor syndrome intersects with any type of mental health concern, however mild, i’d really recommend that you give health and wellness a call and book an appointment with your college’s embedded counsellor. i finally caved and saw my embedded counsellor last year, and i wish i had gone earlier. to my understanding, all u of t students get 5 free appointments with an embedded counsellor, who will walk them through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with the goal of helping them overcome a mental health challenge. CBT taught me to ask myself if my anxious thoughts were grounded in reality, and if they were moving me towards my goals. spoiler alert: they all were not.

    so those are the pointers i can offer. beyond that, there’s also some really helpful writing on impostor syndrome in campus newspapers, that i think it would be worth taking a look at. khadija alam at the strand wrote a beautiful reflection on working through impostor syndrome last year. willow cabral and adina heisler at the varsity also have some useful insights on and stories about the subject.

    as for your cinema studies dreams, you can totally take cin105 in second year! i know a ton of people who change their mind about their program of study during first year, and then have to take the intro courses later on. i’m not super sure how much that would cause you to fall behind, though. that would be a conversation to have with an academic advisor at your registrar’s office.

    i will note that, even if taking cin105 in second year does mean falling behind, i wouldn’t let that stop you from majoring in cin studies if you’re really interested in working in the film/tv industry. like i said, first year is a normal time to change your mind, and switching program plans before you start second year is much better than sticking with a program you’re less excited about. plus, the cinema studies program is really cool! i know a girl who just graduated from it in the spring, and already has a production credit on a film.

    this post got long. hope you made it to the end, and that my answers were of some use to you. wishing you all the best this year <3 hope you can tell how much i mean it by how many words i threw at you lol.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  cinema studies,  english,  subject POST

    aaaaand it’s that time of year again

    March 19, 2019

    Hi!

    This may be a completely dumb question but, I am currently in my first year at UTSG and am deciding on what I want to major and minor in. I know for sure that I want to major in english and minor in literary studies but I am currently stuck on what to pick for my second minor. I wanted to do film studies but I haven’t taken the introduction to film studies this year and I heard that you can’t apply to be in film studies unless you have taken the intro course first. But, my question was if this is true or not and if I am able to apply for film studies and take the intro class in my second year. I have a back up plan to choose book & media studies as my second minor if film doesn’t work out. But, I was also wondering (this may sound really stupid so sorry!) if we apply for our programs at the end of our first year or the end of second year and when we are to apply. Also, one final question, can I apply for my major and then three minors in case one is difficult to get into and I don’t get into one (because film & book and media studies are more difficult). For example, if i apply for my major as english and then my minors as literary studies, film studies, and book & media studies, and if i get into all then I just pick the two minors I want the most.

    Sorry if this was really long and makes no literal sense!

    ——————————————

    hello n welcome!

    i don’t believe in dumb questions. i’ll answer anything. your confusion is valid, the school’s system can be difficult to navigate and that’s why i’m on here, running this world-class (lmao i wish) blog.

    so i’ve looked it up, but i can’t find any mention of… literary studies at u of t? so for the purposes of this post, i’m just gonna assume you mean literature and critical theory, or what i really wanna call lit&crit. if i’m wrong and literary studies is an actual program, feel free to correct me with as much salt as you’d like.

    according to the cinema studies minor page it is true that yeah, you need the intro class CIN105Y1 in order to get into the program. you’ll need at last a 70 percent in the course to be competitive for admission. if your heart is set on studying the art of the silver screen, then what i’d recommend you do is register for the course in your second year and try to apply for the minor at the end of next year. you won’t be able to register and then take the intro course, as they require a final mark in that class to let you in.

    that’s a good transition into your next question, about when to apply for programs. technically, you’re allowed to apply for a program at the end of your first year. this program request period has already started, and the dates vary by program type. you can check them all out here, which i would recommend doing just so you know what your deadlines are. however, there’s nothing stopping you from engaging in this program request period in later years, as well.

    the only thing you really should know is that once you hit your second year (complete 4.0 FCEs), you’re required to be enrolled in programs or else you’ll be blocked from course registration. 

    for your last question, how it works is that you can apply to multiple programs as long as they’re not all type 1 programs. i’m not sure how familiar you are with the system, so i can give you a quick rundown of the program types. type 1 programs have no restrictions on enrolment. as soon as you request the program, you’re automatically added to it– english and lit&crit are both type 1. type 2 programs generally require a specific grade threshold in a specific course to be met– for example, a 70 percent in CIN105Y1. type 3 programs essentially add extra requirements, like auditions and essays, on top of what a type 2 asks.

    at the end of the day, you can only be enrolled in 3 subject POSts at once. that’s why you can’t pick four type 1s, but you can request two type 1s and two type 2s. if you did get admitted to both the type 2 programs you requested, you’d only be able to accept one in addition to your two other programs.

    if that’s too confusing, just know that in your case, theoretically you would be able to request that combo of programs (eng, cin, lit&crit, book and media). however, as you haven’t taken the cin intro course, i guess it’s not as relevant? 

    what you can do if you don’t get into book and media is request a placeholder minor. this is any type 1 minor that you can easily drop at the end of the year, and replace with something you like more– like cin, if you take the intro course!

    hopefully this was helpful to you! in other words, i really hope i didn’t just make your head spin even more with the long post. comments section is open for complaints if i did. i know it’s tough juggling all that comes with march (wrapping up midterms! quickly approaching finals! tackling assignments like you’re putting out lil fires!) on top of figuring out how the HECK programs work.

    all the best,

    aska

     

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  • cinema studies

    back in my day, it was a lecture

    June 8, 2017

    I want to take the Cin105 course but the practical course conflicts with one of my courses 🙁 is it ok to skip the practical ? Is the practical just screening of the movies which I can watch on my own time? Or is that too risky to have a course at the same time of the practical ?

    ———————————————

    hi!

    the practical section of the course is the screening of the movies. basically, in CIN105, you go to one hour’s worth of lecture, 3 hours’ worth of screenings (though usually not that long, as most movies aren’t 3 hours long), and then an hour’s worth of tutorial. all three sections are very important to the course. in fact, when i took the course, the screening was important enough to be designated as a lecture section. and it probably wasn’t a good idea to skip lecture.

    according to the faculty of arts and science’s timetable, there are two practical sections that you could pick between. are they both conflicting with your course? if not, i highly suggest that you attend the practical- it’s incredibly risky to miss the screenings. sure, you can do whatever the heck you want and sure, you can find some of the movies online, but i personally don’t think the risk is worth it. the exams and assignments in the course are mostly based around these movies. if you skip the screening, you might not have another chance to watch the film; it might be really hard to find online, you might find yourself bogged down by too much coursework to set aside time to watch it, etc etc.

    i think it’s best for you to try your hardest to make it to the practical. it just isn’t worth skipping.

    i hope this helps! get after it, you cinephile!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • cinema studies,  innis,  subject POST

    i’m minoring in CINicism

    September 19, 2016

    Hi!

    I’m about to begin my second year at UTSG, hoping to major in English and minor in Cin and History. I didn’t take CIN105 during my first year, but I will be taking it this upcoming school year, along with a 0.5 FCE 2nd level course towards the program. I was hoping that the 2nd year foundations course would be available during the summer and I did my research to find out that unfortunately it wasn’t available this previous summer, which most probably means that it wont be available during the 2017 summer term. Right? I’ve tried emailing the Cinema Studies Inst. about this but no one has gotten back to me yet. They probably won’t get back to me at all.

    Anyway, so on to the actual questions.

    So, on the Cinema Studies Undergrad and Program Admissions page, under ‘Minor Program’ it says:

    “Entry requirements: A final mark of no less than 70% in CIN105Y1 or CIN201Y1 and three additional FCEs.

    4.0 FCEs, at least 3.0 FCEs of which must have a CIN designator

    CIN105Y1 – Introduction to Film Study

    CIN201Y1 – Film Cultures I

    Two additional full-course equivalents from Groups A through G (see below for list of courses). of which 1.0 FCE must be at the 300+level.

    Students must complete CIN105Y1, CIN201Y1 and CIN301Y1 before taking any fourth-year courses.”

    I’m pretty sure it’s just me haha, maybe because I ain’t the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to reading about and understanding any of U of T’s program stuff, but does this mean that since CIN105 and CIN201 are required, that I will only be left with taking 2.0 FCEs to get the minor degree? Also what about CIN301? Doesn’t that mean that the 1.0 FCE in the 300-level is fulfilled as well if CIN301 is taken? So does that mean in reality, I only have to take an additional 1.0 FCE to complete the degree requirement? Please do tell me if I’m wrong, if I’m completely delusional, and that trying to fix the mess that is my u of t life ain’t as easy as that.

    Also, is it possible to take CIN301 and a fourth year course at the same time even if it says all those foundation courses have to be completed before taking one? Do I even have to take a fourth year course?

    Thank you! Hoping to hear from you soon!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    wow, this was a lot to take in. okay, let me try to break this down.

    in regards to your first question: course offerings are pretty random; it really varies with every year. a good rule of thumb is to not expect a course to be offered until it’s actually announced. in the past, there have been courses that i have planned to take, only to discover that they weren’t offered when i wanted to take them. i would try emailing the cinema studies department again if you’re really worried.

    now for the meat of your question… don’t worry if you’re confused about the cinema studies minor description- it’s not worded in the best way!

    my face when looking at it:

    steveharveywtf

    behold: a step by step guide to a cinema studies minor!

    basically, you have 4.0 FCE’s to fulfil. with me so far? great.

    you need to take CIN105 and CIN201. these are both Y courses which means they will fulfil 2.0 of your 4.0 FCE’s. cool.

    for the remainder 2.0 FCE’s, you need 1.0 FCE that are courses that start with CIN. the reason why this requirement exists is because in group G courses, there are courses that have the indicator EAS, HIS, GER, SLA, FIN, etc. which you can also take.

    1.0 FCE out of the remainder 2.0 have to be at the 300 or 400 level. still with me?

    however, if you want to take a class at the 400 level, you have to first take CIN301. (keep in mind you don’t have to take a 400 level class)

    that’s pretty much all you need to know! i really hope this answered all of your questions!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • cinema studies

    sneaking into cinema studies

    May 1, 2013

    how hard would it be to enrol in the cinema studies major in your second year if you didn’t take the introductory course in your first year?

    ———————————————

    Yo.

    Seeing as the Cinema Studies major requires the intro course from first-year, I’m going to say it’d be pretty damn hard to enroll. As in not possible.

    Likewise, that first year course is a prerequisite for a looooot of upper year Cinema Studies courses soooo if you’re serious about the program, it’d be best to take it soon. You CAN, however, in the mean time / at the same time take some of the CIN courses that don’t require CIN105Y/INI115Y like CIN210H Horror Film or CIN211H Science Fiction Film.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • cinema studies

    how to be in cinema studies without actually being in cinema studies

    January 16, 2013

    Hey,

    I’m a first year student who initially wanted to major in English, but with some sass on ROSI’s end and courses that filled up quicker than expected, I stumbled into a second year film course that didn’t require Introduction to Film as a prerequisite. I’ve decided that by the end of first year, I’ll want to declare a double major in English and Film, but without the Introduction to Film Studies course, is it still possible? By the end of the winter session, I’ll have 1.5 credits in Cinema Studies, having taken Sex and Cinema, Horror Film and Action and Spectacle.

    Is there an email I have to write to someone important with a well-worded plea to give me what I want or will all go smoothly on ROSI come April?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Heyo!

    Unfortunately, I had a chat with my Cinema Studies person and she was pretty clear that without Intro to Film Studies, it won’t be possible to get into the program. Even more daunting, you need at least a 70 from that class.

    Now for your specific situation, what you CAN do is enrol in the specialist program for English this coming April as a bit of place-holder of sorts for your Subject POSts since you won’t be allowed to enrol in courses without one. Then of course you can take INI115Y in your second year. At the same time, you can take other cross-listed courses that’ll contribute to that major’s requirements. These ones are offered by different departments but still count and are usually quite easy to get into. So for example you can take FIN250H Finish Cinema and/or GER261H History of Yiddish Cinema — both of which come with no tricky prerequisites!

    What this means is that while you won’t be in the Cinema Studies program, you’ll still be taking courses that’ll contribute to it!

    Also, tip: maybe take INI228H The Business of Film next year if you haven’t fulfilled your group 5 breadth requirement? Because it doesn’t require INI115Y, it seems to be a bit of a neccessity for the program, and it’s a Cinema Studies course.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • cinema studies,  exchange,  history

    a semester at st. george

    October 15, 2012

    Hey,

    I’m looking at going on exchange in the fall session/semester next year and I am trying to figure out what subjects I can do and how many subjects I can do. I am majoring in History with a minor in Screen and Cultural Studies, and I have looked at the sites for History and Cinema studies, but I am still not sure how it all works. How many FCE’s is each subject worth and can I do 200 and 300 level subjects (I will be in my 2nd year when I go on exchange)? Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    Hey there,

    An FCE is a full credit equivalent made of 1.0 course. So a course that lasts for a full year (two semesters) is worth 1.0 FCEs, whereas a course that is just one semester is worth 0.5 FCE. So if you’re staying here for one semester, you can take up to 2.5 FCE, meaning you’ll take a maximum of five courses in the fall session.

    Now with the History courses, a good number of the 200-level ones don’t have any requirements, but the 300-levels either have prerequisites or recommend some sort of preparation. With Cinema Studies, on the other hand, you’ll only be able to take the 200-level courses. But you’ll definitely have a decent selection of courses to pick from for both programs, so don’t worry.

    Cheers!

    aska

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