• averages,  failing,  sociology,  subject POST,  summer

    i just want to know what i’m up against

    April 26, 2017

    Hi, I’m a first year student at UTSG and I’m worried that I might fail a course (even though I put it down as credit/no credit) I obviously want the credit cuz it’s a full year course but i worry I might fail. I don’t want to spend this summer in school obviously,  but I’m thinking of making up for it next summer. I was wondering how does summer school work if I take one full year course? Do we meet every day? Are lecturers typically 2hrs? Are there tutorials? How many days a week would we meet?

    Also I’m thinking about majoring in sociology, It says u need a combined mark of 65% for SOC102 and 103. I severely underestimated first semester and got a 64 in 102 and I’ll probably finish in 103 with around 75. Do u think I’ll be admitted into the program with a 70% overall? How competitive is sociology? I can’t find this info anywhere!
    Thanks!

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    hello,

    first of all, i hope you didn’t fail the course! we’ve all been there at some point in our undergrads, so don’t sweat it too much. you’re only in first year and you have plenty of time to catch up if you do end up failing. fingers crossed!

    i actually prefer summer school to fall/winter school (?) because i feel that i have more energy to get up and go to class when it’s nice outside as opposed to when its dark and gloomy. it’s not the worst thing! a summer of relaxation can get boring! might as well do something productive!

    *my most sincerest apologies if this information is completely irrelevant at this point in time- i’m really bad at getting to time-sensitive questions on time*

    every summer Y course is different. i’ll show you different examples of what to expect. since you’re pursuing an arts degree, let’s go with something like anthropology. as you can see below, you’ll have 2 two hour long lectures and one hour long tutorial per week,

    but for another Y course in arts, let’s say cinema studies, you’ll have 2 four hour long lectures and no tutorial. (the lectures are usually very long because they sometimes include screenings)

    if we look at yet another example coming from east asian studies, you’ll have 1 two hour long lecture and 1 hour long tutorial per week.

    so you can see that it really depends on what course you decide to take. some classes come with tutorials and others come with screenings. there’s no set amount of class time that all Y classes have per week.

    a question about sociology, yay! you’re talking to someone who just completed their sociology major! (humble brag, but hey, it was a lot of work and i’m glad to be done)

    there really isn’t a way to find out how competitive a program is, (trust me, i even asked the registrar) but at least you know you’re above the minimum average needed and that you’ll be considered. it does say on the calendar that getting a combined average of 65% will not guarantee entrance into the program, but really, it varies every year depending on how the averages are skewed each year. maybe you’ll have a lot of overachievers this year which will bring the entrance standard up, who knows?

    anyways, i hope this helped a bit. i’m sorry that i wasn’t able to provide you with any concrete answers.

    i hope you have a wonderful summer and that all your exams went well!

    peace, love and hope,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  life science,  summer,  UTM

    summer, night school, same diff

    January 16, 2017

    So I am currently a grade 12 student and am planning on applying to UTM for Life science. Please give me a good grasp on this, because I’ve been hearing inconsistent feedbacks from different people, but what is an average that most life science admitted students get around? I have people telling me it is super competitive where you must have high 80s at least, but I also have family friends on their 4th year saying as long as your average is above 80 and around low to mid 80s, there is nothing to worry about? So what do you think it is?

    Also, how focused are they on individual marks instead of averages? because my other courses are in low to high 80s but my advanced functions is stuck in the 70s. So I was wondering if you could give me info on that too.

    Last question, is there any discrimination against courses taken in summer or night school?

    Thank you

    ———————————————

    hi!

    the life science average is available right here and it states that you’ll need low to mid 80’s.  when information is spread from person to person, it can become quite skewed, so it’s always a good idea to go right to the source! keep in mind that admission averages change from year to year and some years can be more competitive than others.

    my understanding is that individual marks aren’t as important as your average, but if you are applying to Life Science and happen to have a high average because of A’s in humanities classes, yet you got a C in Biology, they might see that low biology mark as a red flag. enrolment services will definitely take into account classes that you took which are relevant to the program.

     

    and finally, according to the UTM admissions FAQ: “All courses are considered equivalent, whether it is day school, night school, summer school, private school or online, as long as it is completed through a Ministry of Education recognized institution and it is your first attempt at that course.”

    sound like you’re good!

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  english,  polisci,  St. George

    ENG 4UofT

    January 10, 2017

    hi! regarding the political science question, is there a specific grade needed in ENG 4U that is needed? i read that for st george, you needed low 80s in ENG 4U. I meet the general admissions marks but my English grade is quite a bit lower than my other 5 subjects.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    like i said in the previous post you’re referring to, at st. george, polisci falls under the social science category, so according to the requirements for ontario high school students, you’ll need an overall average (taken from ENG 4U and your next 5 best U/M courses) that’s in the low to mid 80’s. however, it does also state that you should have at least mid to low 70’s as your ENG 4U grade.

    in terms of a specific grade needed, the best we can do is provide you with this “mid to low 70’s range”. my understanding is that it would be hard for the university to provide specific grades since not all students are admitted solely based on their academic performance.

    hope this answers your question!

    peace and love,

    aska

     

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  • admissions,  applying for U of T,  averages,  polisci,  social sciences,  St. George,  subject POST,  UTM,  UTSC

    a polisci question on election day

    November 8, 2016

    Hi, what are the approximate averages needed for ontario students to get into BA political science at St George, Mississauga and Scarborough? Thanks

    ———————————————

    hello there,

    first, let’s break this down. at U of T, political science falls under the category of social sciences. if you want to pursue political science, you might consider applying to the social sciences stream after high school.

    once you are accepted, you’ll first have to complete a total of 4.0 FCE’s (full course equivalents, or credits) until you can be accepted into a political science program, be it a major or a minor. 4.o FCE’s just means that you’ll only be able to apply after first year. keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need to get into your program after first year, you can enter in second year and on!

    in terms of admission into the social sciences stream at each campus, you’ll see here that they recommend the following averages: low to mid 80’s for U of T St. George, mid 70’s for UTSC, and mid to high 70’s for UTM.

    before you choose your first year courses, definitely refer to the calendar and look at what courses you’ll have to take and what grades you’ll need to get to be accepted into the polisci program. since i am the nicest stranger you’ll never meet, i’ve linked you to the political science calendar of each campus: UTSG, UTM, and UTSC so you can see what you’ll need. you’re very welcome.

    giphy-5

    i hope you get into polisci and do some good in the world. don’t forget to thank aska when you receive a nobel prize. happy (or unhappy) election day!

    cheers,

    aska

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