• credits,  first year,  one programs

    the first credits are so special

    July 12, 2017

    Good day!

    I would like to ask a question regarding enrolment. I accepted a One Program Gradients of Health & Wellbeing in an Urban Mosaic (Health Studies) and I think it is worth half credit. Does that mean I have to take another four courses? If so, I am only going to have 4 and a half credit for the first semester? Sorry, it really confuses me. I know that I have to take five credits every semester. Please enlighten me. Thank you.

    ——————————————

    hi!

    actually, according to this, that particular ones program is worth 1 full credit. in that case, you do only need to take 4 more FCE (full course equivalents) for a total of 5 FCE.

    most students take 5 FCE every school year (fall and winter semester). this could be 10 half credit courses, 5 full year courses, or any combination of the two. you can check out this website for more information about course loads. it’s a little complicated looking, but just know that as long as you’ve got a total of 5 FCE at the end of second semester, you’re good!

    hopefully this helps! looking forward to seeing you on campus in the fall!

    GIPHY Studios Originals reaction good thumbs up good job GIF

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  degree requirements,  international relations,  one programs,  trinity college

    you could be pitbull

    May 23, 2017

    Hi Aska!

    I was wondering if you know how many students are accepted into the international relations program each year. I’m worried that if I don’t make it into a One program during first year I won’t have a good shot of being accepted into IR for second year.

    Thanks very much!!!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    bad news, kid.

    so, unfortunately, departments don’t allow us access to information on how many students get accepted into the program each year. it’s just not something undergraduate departments tend to release to the public. you can always try contacting the department directly if the question is really bugging you!

    because international relations is a type 3 program, we can assume that the program enrolment is quite limited and “finite”. in addition to submitting a separate application, remember that you’ll need to take the courses listed here and meet the minimum grade requirements in order to even be considered.

    if you don’t get into a One program, it’s not a huge deal. they indicate that you have the option of taking HIS103Y1Y or HIS102Y1Y instead of VicOne or TrinOne. don’t worry about getting screwed over by limited enrolment/ application deadlines!

    this could be you in a year!:

    don’t sweat it too much. just work hard and make sure your grades meet or exceed the minimum requirement. if you don’t get into the IR program in second year, you can always try again in third year!

    good luck, my friend!

    international peace and love,

    aska

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  • one programs

    WDW1

    July 5, 2016

    Can you take both College Ones and first year seminar? I am currently enrolled in Woodsworth One’s program but want to take SSI first year seminars (2 half year SSIs).

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    thanks for specifying which college one and first-year seminars you’re interested in! that makes my job a whooole lot easier. and y’all know how profoundly lazy i am.

    it seems as if students doing Woodsworth One are also able to enrol in first-year seminars, though keep in mind that no first-year student is able to take more than 1.0 FCEs’ worth of first-year seminars. you will, regrettably, probably end up in at least one giganto-class in con hall or isabel bader, regardless of how many seminar courses you take. good luck to you. sitting closer to the front and pinching the skin between your thumb and pointer finger will help with keeping you awake; just a little tip.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • one programs

    you’re not the One

    June 22, 2016

    Can you change your mind if you suddenly dont like your College one program after the first few classes?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can! if it turns out that you don’t like your course on Homer’s metric patterns in 1131 BCE (or whatever incredibly specific College One courses you’re taking), you can drop it without academic penalty before November 7th (for Fall courses).

    the only thing is that you’ll have to drop it through the appropriate College One office, same as how you applied to it in the first place. ACORN won’t let you drop it yourself; what a stern mistress that student web service is.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • one programs

    which One?

    June 16, 2016

    Advantages of taking College Ones program? I got an offer from UC One: Canadian Studies and New One: Food Matters. Still waiting a decision from Innis One: Writing Creative Non-Fiction, Woodsworth One: Popular Culture and SMC One: Justice and Culture. Any thoughts on these courses?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there’s no particular advantage of any of these One courses over another. One seminars are small courses that often teach off-the-beaten-track material in a new, interesting way. they exist primarily to relieve the monotony of huge, lecture-style first-year courses that have been taught the same way for far too long. that being the case, the only real factor you should be considering is: which of these sets of courses are you most interested in?

    i can’t personally recommend any because i never took any One courses (which i regret, make no mistake about it). that being said, all the One programs are pretty special. some of the programs also have unique features that set them apart; for example, the SMC One program includes a community service component. regardless, i’m sure that there are some in which you’d be more interested than the others. trust your gut. go with the one you feel really excited about.

    something else that might be a factor is that some One courses can be used towards requirements for programs. for example, are you thinking you might want to pursue Canadian Studies? UNI101Y1, one of the UC One courses, counts towards a Canadian Studies minor. you can check out what One courses count towards which programs by cross-referecing the One courses with your programs of interest in the course calendar.

    i hope that helps you!

    aska

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  • exams,  one programs

    just give me One exam

    December 15, 2015

    Do first year One courses have exams/tests?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there’s no cut and dry answer to this. like every other course in the faculty of arts & science, some of them do have final exams, and others don’t.

    i think the fact that One courses are, by definition, smaller seminar courses, means that they can get away with using forms of assessment other than exams, and so many of them won’t have exams. however, that’s definitely not true across the board, and i can’t even say whether the majority don’t use exams.

    for example, innis one has three courses, and only one of them, INI100H1, has a final exam. vic one’s northrop frye stream has three courses offered in the fall term, and of those, one of them has a final exam. a look at the exam schedule will tell you exactly which courses have exams, and which don’t.

    so there’s no rule, one way or another. but a snoop around old exam schedules will probably yield plenty of information about the courses you’re interested in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • one programs

    *smacks your hand* NO, that first-year seminar is NOT for you

    April 21, 2015

    Are you allowed to take one programs and first year seminars at st. george at the same time?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you are allowed to take both college one and 199 courses with TWO exceptions:

    1) if you are taking a vic one course, you are not eligible to take a 199 course?(sorry ’bout that, vic one folks).

    2) if you are in trinity one, you?can take a 199 course, but they advise you to talk to your registrar’s about it before deciding to do so (see the ninth question from the top).

    so if you’re in any other one program (i.e. Woodsworth?One, SMC One, New One, etc.) you’re able to take a 199 as well.

    have fun taking your super teeny-tiny course about, like, new media in the cosmopolitan city or contentious health policies or whatever crazy-cool stuff the profs are teaching these days.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • breadth requirements,  one programs,  seminars

    i love the people who say it like ‘breath requirements’

    July 21, 2014

    Hi Aska,
    Can first year seminars (199 courses) be taken while in a Ones program? I want to try and fulfil most, if not all, of the breadth requirements in first years. Any suggestions for doing so? Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take both 199 seminars and One courses unless you’re a Vic One student (sorry, Vic peeps).

    as for breadth requirements, it’s hard to make specific suggestions if i don’t know what program you’re interested in or what you like.

    if you’re in a humanities program, the 1-3 breadth req’s will be pretty easy to pick up. if you’re in life/physical/mathematical sciences, then the 4-5 req’s will be easier.

    if you want to complete those breadth req’s that are unrelated to your program early, then a lot of people like taking introductory versions of classes in other streams. for example, a course like AST101H1 fulfils the 5th breadth req. category, but doesn’t require a physics background.

    if you’re on the other side of the fence, then something like FAH101H1, for instance, would give you a pain- and artistes-free introduction to art history, and fulfil breadth category #1.

    but please remember, these are just examples and guidelines. the most important thing is to enrol in courses you’re genuinely interested in* – filling breadth requirements is not hard, and usually happens without you noticing it. don’t feel like you have to stretch yourself or your schedule to meet all the breadth req’s in first year; it’s really not necessary, and you won’t be “ahead” of people who didn’t do them all in first year.

    hope that helps! and whatever your stream, don’t be afraid of taking something that’s a little outside your comfort zone. the whole point of breadth requirements is that students become well-rounded and aren’t just automatons who only know how to think about their tiny area of expertise.

    cheers,

    aska

    * bolding words means this is?serious and i’m not messing around.

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  • one programs

    polygamy between colleges

    July 15, 2013

    Hey,

    I’m entering Innis College for first year in 2013. I’ve accepted my place at Innis College and the Vic One foundation year program. I’d like to confirm that these won’t conflict with eachother.

    Thank you,
    John

    ———————————————

    John,

    No, these won’t conflict with each other.

    Students can be enrolled in one college and be in another college’s One program.

    xoxo,
    aska

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  • one programs

    engaging toronto for 66 hours

    July 8, 2013

    I thought I’d ask another question, since you guys were so helpful last time. 🙂

    I applied for and was accepted into a University College ONE program. I’m just having trouble understanding how to enrol in the course and what the codes mean. The course code is UNI103Y1<http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/crs_uni.htm#UNI103Y1>

    I understand it is a full course that will last the entire year. But it says [12P/54S] after the title. Is this 12 hours of practicals and 54 hours of seminars? How is this possible if the time for the course says F10-1? Shouldn’t the practicals and seminars be separate? Also, if I’m doing 3 hours a week for this course and it will last 24 weeks, that adds up to 72 hours. Does that mean sometimes I will not do 3 hours a week, because the 12 hours of practicals and 54 hours of seminars add up to 66 hours?

    Thanks in advance,
    Madeline

    ———————————————

    Hello again

    So with my crappy math I’ve come to the conclusion that you’ll have 18 seminars (three hours), leaving room for 6 practicals (two hours).

    You know why?

    Because you go on FIELD TRIPS!

    (I think.)

    Your program is called “UC One: Engaging Toronto,” so it’s no surprise that this means you get to physically engaged with the city. But checking out this page on the 2012-13 recap of UNI103Y, you’ll see that they went to the Ontario Food Terminal, had a historical tour of Toronto’s Hospital Row and the MaRS Discovery District, and more!

    I can’t seem to find any specifics on the 2013-14 plan for the course, but don’t worry — I highly doubt you’ll get stuck dedicating 66 hours to the course. 😉

    Cheers!

    aska

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