academic standing - askastudent

academic standing, admissions, international students

a(AHHHHHH)dmissions

September 15, 2023

Hey, what are the chances of my offer being rescinded? I got my IAL results and i got 3Bs overall. I had gotten admission into St George Life Sciences with 3 As in my AS. I honestly wasnt expecting the grades to be so bad but the grade boundaries fucked me over. Im worried because some of my units are quite bad, so what are the chances of my offer being rescinded? I reallly dont know what i will tell my parents who already dropped so much money on international flights and the dorms.

hey there,

as a fellow student, i know it can hit like a brick when you don’t do as well as you’ve anticipated. it’s honestly so scary and stressful, i don’t blame you for feeling this way. especially as you’re going into first year, i know this is a hectic time of transition when it feels like everything in your life is changing and like everything you do has so much weight to it.

while i can’t tell you much about the chances of your offer being rescinded, here is what i can tell you:

you don’t have to do this alone. there are avenues of support available to help you and there may be pathways to explain extenuating circumstances that have impacted your academic performance. your best bet is to connect with your college registrar and talk to somebody about your situation. there are special considerations that can be made, and your registrar will genuinely do their best to help you out. a huge plus with them is that your conversation will be in real time, and you won’t have to deal with me and my little asynchronous answers (online school has ruined the word asynchronous for me).

overall, there is a lot of support available to help you navigate this stressful time. on top of your college registrar’s academic support, if you need mental wellbeing support, you can check out the services my ssp (student support program) and good2talk.

anyways, so sorry for the delay in this answer (it’s part of my personality at this point, unfortunately). thanks for your patience, i am sending you love and luck and hoping everything works out!!

over and out,

aska

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academic standing, failing, first year

… so evermore is living rent-free in my head

December 15, 2020
Hi! I’m a first year life science student and pretty much I failed this term. My average for sure would be a 0 this fall term. I’m not sure what to do next? Will I be able to take courses next term or would I have to withdraw and re-enrol for 2021-2022 year and re-do first year? Would I be put on academic probation?

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hey there,

i know this term has been rough for a lot of first years, so i want you to know it’s all right to have had a ! not great ! time this sem. it’s bad enough being a first year, let alone being a first year during a global pandemic.

it’s good to look ahead, and you came to the right place with your question about what to do next. what i can tell you is that academic standing isn’t assessed until the end of fall/winter, meaning that you won’t be placed on academic probation just because of this semester. you won’t be forced to withdraw unless you get suspended.

so, as far as i know, you should be able to continue taking the courses you’re registered for next term (winter 2021). however, if you’re not able to pull your GPA up to at least a 1.50 by the end of fall/winter, you will unfortunately be looking at probation.

that sounds like a threat or a warning, which really isn’t the message i’m trying to send! it feels like my responsibility to explain how the system works, but i believe you can recover from this and i’m rooting for you all the way. do as taylor does and come back stronger than a ’90s trend.

in order to make sure you have the best shot at getting back on your feet, though, i’d really recommend that you reach out for some support. first year is hard, but it’s harder without help.

here are some things that have helped me in the past:
1. your registrar’s office should be your first stop. they’ll be able to help you understand your options, let you know about anything you should be aware of as you move forward, and perhaps refer you to more resources (or more appropriate resources) than i’m able to. please give them a call and book an appointment with an academic advisor! if you move forward with ONE of my recommendations from this post, i hope it’s this one.
2. book an appointment with a learning strategist, who will help you identify better study, productivity, and organization methods for your next semester. you can usually book one of these appointments by calling your registrar.
3. if you’re having trouble with papers, seek out your writing centre. the math help centres are great if your problems are more numerical (the page i linked you to gives you in-person addresses, but if you click the names of the offering divisions you’ll see virtual options).
4. seek out mental health help if you need it. i know a lot of students are struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns right now, which are making it SUPER difficult to get through the semester. i’m certainly one of those students. if you’re interested in what mental health resources are available to you, you can check out previous posts i’ve done on this subject, this u of t mental health site, or beacon (which is free if you’re in ontario).
5. reach out to your friends (or even chill acquaintances!!), and schedule virtual study sessions where y’all keep each other accountable. i started doing that at the beginning of december, and you wouldn’t believe how much it’s helped me.
6. look into mentorship programs within your program, college, or faculty. in my first year, it was really helpful for me to have an upper-year that i could ask about academics and university life. so much of success at u of t just comes from knowing how to navigate the school!
anyway, i’m not sure which of these resources you’ll find a good fit, and whether there’s something i didn’t mention that might help you more, which is why i really think you should call your registrar. try not to procrastinate too long on that, since the university does close on the 23rd!

other than that, i hope you have a good and restful holiday break, and that things get better next semester. let me know if there’s anything else i can help with.

be Boundless,

aska
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academic standing, suspension

the waiting, the waiting, the waiting

May 7, 2019

I was just suspended for a year. When will I be able to re-apply for courses? I am planning to spend this year intensively studying and preparing for my return to Uni. As an international student, is it possible for me to take courses from other colleges during this time? I have already contacted the immigration center about my visa status and they will get back to me soon. I just wanted to know how I can make this year productive for myself.

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hi there,

good on you for not letting this knock you down! getting suspended can be really discouraging, and i’m glad you want to fill your time with something useful.

to address your first question, if you’ve been suspended for a year, you’ll be able to register for courses after a full calendar year has passed. provided you were just suspended, that means you will be back, albeit on probation, come summer 2020.

as an international student, you should be eligible to study elsewhere in the meantime, just not for credit. your eligibility, though, depends on where you go– i know u of t’s school for continuing education should be an easy option, because the steps for registration are the same regardless of whether you’re domestic or international. they don’t even charge international fees! community colleges and continuing education classes are definitely options for you if you want to keep studying while you’re on suspension. this is a good time to explore new things and take courses that excite you, productivity aside. in some ways, you’ve got more freedom here than you’d have with a degree program, and i’d encourage you to take full advantage of that.

if you’d prefer a break from u of t, i can understand that. i don’t usually give advice regarding other schools, but as far as i can tell you can take classes at ryerson without formal admission, even as an international student. george brown might also be an option, but it looks like you’re a little more limited depending on your status in canada. i’d encourage you to take a look at other institutions like humber, sheridan, and york as well.

there are definitely options other than class if you want to keep yourself busy. some people choose to work, especially if they’ve been juggling a part-time job during the school year. i’m not certain whether that’s a viable option for your visa status, but it might be something to consider.

wishing you a productive and fulfilling year while you wait for your suspension to elapse!

over n out,

aska

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academic standing, fees, suspension, Uncategorized

if you throw money at your problems maybe they’ll disappear

May 7, 2019

In my first year of university I was in good academic standing but then I took some summer courses and was on academic probation because I didn’t do well in the summer session. The following Fall/Winter term my CGPA was still below 1.5 but I signed up for summer classes to increase it so I can get SGPA of 1.7. But since I had some overdue fees on my account I was kicked out of those classes. Then got an email that I am going to be suspended. Can I still take the classes after I’ve paid the fees?

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hello hello,

this question confuses me a lil but also seems to be one of the more urgent ones lined up, so i guess i’m gonna give it a shot. part of that confusion is because i’m not actually sure what happened to you. were you put on financial hold? were you financially cancelled? neither? help?? fees? what?

i guess i’ll focus on what i can answer: whether or not you can still take classes once your account is cleared. this is one of those rare instances where i can’t find anything from utsg (maybe i’m not looking hard enough? i bet it’s out there) but both the utm and utsc websites suggest that late registration is possible, albeit with a fee of $44 plus $5 each business day. this fee is paid to your registrar, not to ACORN. my hope is that if it’s possible at those two campuses, it should also be possible at st. george provided you don’t wait too long. it stands to reason that yeah, once your overdue fees are dealt with and if you’re able to put a tuition deposit down for summer, you should be able to take the courses you need to keep yourself out of suspension.

however, i would really suggest you confirm this with your registrar— you’d have to visit them anyway to pay your late registration deposit. i’d say book an appointment with an advisor sooner rather than later, given that summer classes are accelerated. if you’re trying to pull your gpa up you don’t wanna get in too late.

best of luck dodging the suspension! i hope it’s actually possible for you to take the courses you need and pull that SGPA. you gots this.

over n out,

aska

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academic standing, courses, probation

PROBing the limits

April 10, 2019

Hi, I was just wondering what the max course load of someone on probation is supposed to be (Annual and Summer session)? Is the max a suggestion or university policy? Thanks

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hello!

according to my best friend the artsci rules and regs, if you’re on academic probation you can take up to five courses per semester in fall/winter, and during the summer your limit is two. these limitations (fortunately or unfortunately?) are not suggestions– the faculty you’re with will remove you from courses you take beyond those, and i don’t think you get to choose which ones you’re removed from. so it’s best not to risk it, in case they boot you from a class you need.

hope this helped! here’s a gif of some smol pups to brighten your day, because lord knows we all need that now that exams are on.

cheers,

aska

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academic standing, probation

where do i stand, y’know, academically?

August 8, 2018

Hi, I’ve recently been put on academic probation at the end of my fall/winter session, and I took summer school but then dropped it. That means I can go to school in the fall right?, to try and increase my GPA or does that mean I am now on suspension?

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hi!

academic standing is assessed twice a year: once at the end of the summer session and once at the end of the fall/winter session. so, if at the end of the summer session your cgpa is less than 1.50 and your sgpa is less than 1.70, then you’d be suspended. however, because you dropped your summer courses, that means that you wouldn’t have received a mark in those classes. because you did not achieve any mark or standing in those courses, your gpa wouldn’t have changed. this means that your academic standing would stay the same, so you’re still on probation. you can check out this flow chart for a more visual representation of how academic standing is calculated.

if you ever have any questions about your academic standing, you should hit up your registrar’s office. they can explain what your academic standing means for you and give you advice on how to navigate it. they’re awesome. 10/10. do it.

i hope this helps!

xoxo,

aska

PS- this cat is standing. because academic standing. haha, get it? haha.

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academic standing, first year, probation

0 to 100 real quick

July 25, 2018

last year, as a first year, I took three courses a semester. I failed all of them. current gpa is 0.00 and cpga each sem is obviously 0.00. I’m now on academic probation. My question is do i just redo first year then? take all those courses again? or am I screwed beyond help?

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hi!

from what i understand, you currently have less than 4.0 FCE completed, meaning that you are still considered a first year student. in that case, you’ll need to take the first year courses that’re required for your intended POSts. so, you are sorta kinda “redoing” first year.

being on academic probation, you do have to get your cgpa up to 1.50 and sgpa up to 1.70 by the end of the year in order to be back in good standing. hopefully someone will have already explained to you what being on academic probation entails, but in case they didn’t (and also just as a brief refresher!) being on probation basically means that you are restricted to 5.0 FCE in the fall/winter term and 2.0 FCE in the summer term. it also means that if you don’t get your sgpa up to 1.70 at the end of the next school year, you will be suspended.

i highly suggest going to see an academic adviser at your registrar’s office if you haven’t done so already. they’ll be able to tell you more about being on probation, give you some great advice to help you do better in the future, and direct you to other on campus resources that’ll help you out. i also suggest making an appointment with a learning strategist at the academic success centre who can help you learn better, which should (hopefully) help you do better in school. you can also attend workshops and access peer support through the academic success centre. all really good stuff.

i hope this helps. school is really hard, and paired with the other stuff that happens in life (family, friends, jobs, mental health, etc etc etc) it can feel impossible at times. but with a little bit of support, i’m sure you’ll be ok. as the patron god of toronto would say, go from 0 to 100 real quick. i’m rooting for you!

xoxo,

aska

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academic standing, gap year, OSAP, UTM

long time reader and asker

May 23, 2018
Hi Aska!

So last year, I came to you with a huge conundrum about life, about quitting school, and other sad stuff like that. But now I am back from my well needed year off and am ready to take on the new school year! Except for the fact that I feel like I have completely lost all my smarticle-particle brain cells and am starting on a blank slate. Not so good.

I left all my school related issues behind on my year off because I’d get these really bad anxiety and panic attacks from overthinking about my problems. Bad idea though. Because now I’m starting to feel a little panicky again because I pushed everything to the side and am completely lost.

I have to write a letter for my OSAP Academic Probation since I dropped so many courses last year that OSAP started wondering where the heck their money went. They were mostly LWDs and so I couldn’t get a refund for the class. My registrar told me that it would be fine and nothing would happen BUT YA I GOT PLACED ON OSAP PROBATION SO SOMETHING DID HAPPEN BUT NOW I GOTTA FIX IT AND I NEED HELP. HELP.

sorry, just freaked out there. i was in a really tough spot last year and was too stupid to not figure it out. so yeah.

I also can’t find the notice they sent me through the mail so this is mostly based on my horrible memory. i swear, im like a grandparent.

anyway, my first question(s) is/are: who do i send this ding-dang letter to? financial aid office or something? what’s their address? do i send one to some osap office as well? also, will it be ok for me to apply for osap during this time?

ok second set of questions are related to a course i really wanna take this upcoming school year. funny story though, i put it on my enrollment cart and was super excited to figure out how to get to my classes and the time of travel it takes to get there. i looked it up on my handy-dandy physical map, and the BUILDING CODE DOES NOT EXIST AT ST. GEORGE. searched it up. found out its at UTM. great.

will I still be allowed to take the course even though im registered at st. george? also, if i am allowed, how will i manage to get back and forth from each campus? apparently there’s a shuttle but where is it located? how much is the fare?

Anyway Aska, thanks for listening and helping. i don’t know what it is–maybe it’s your casual way of answering questions or replying to each student, but i always feel a little better hearing back from you. and you make us all laugh. thanks again and sorry for the freak outs.

hope to hear from you soon!

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hi friend!

so, i just went back and reread the answer that the past aska give you (there’s been an aska turnover since then!). i’m sorry that you’re going through a bit of a rough time right now, especially since the year off was much needed. hopefully my response helps.

since you’ve asked two sorta separate questions, i’ll answer in two sorta separate parts.
1. osap probation
so i’m assuming that the “letter” that you need to write for osap is this one? on it, it says to return it to enrollment services. you should also direct any questions you have about osap or financial aid to enrollment services. you can find their contact info here. unfortunately, i don’t know too much about osap (they’re notoriously confusing) so i think your best bet is getting in contact with enrollment services who have all the osap knowledge.

2. taking courses at utm as a st. george student

yes, this is allowed! these courses will count towards your 20 FCE needed to graduate and can count towards your program requirements.

just keep in mind that, even though the course is being held at a different campus and faculty, you are still subject to st. george’s faculty of arts and sciences’ deadlines. so, for example, if you wanted to drop the course without academic offence, you’d have to do it before the st. george deadline, not the utm deadline. check out this link for the faculty of arts and sciences’ deadlines and this link for utm’s.

also, if you want to use the utm course towards your program(s), you’ll want to make sure that the utm course actually has a relevant equivalent course at st. george (as in, the credit will transfer over and you can actually use it towards your program). you can do this through the transfer explorer.

as for the utm shuttle, it departs from hart house everyday in 20 minute intervals according to the past winter semester’s schedule. i can’t imagine the schedule changing too drastically in the fall, but look up the new schedule come fall to make sure. also note that it costs $6 each way for non-utm students (like yourself). i know tons of people who have taken the utm shuttle (either for classes or because their families live in mississauga and it’s lowkey cheaper than the ttc + whatever transit system they have in the ‘saug) and they’ve said that it’s a pretty great system, but can be slow during rush hour. the shuttle bus is probably your best bet for getting to and from utm.

i’m really glad that taking a year off was productive and healthy for you, and i hope that the rough patch you’re going through right now passes. just know that if you ever need help, all you need to do is ask for it, which is the hardest part. and you’ve already done that!

i highly suggest getting in contact with someone from your registrar’s office to discuss anything related to your academics, especially since you took a year off and are on osap probation. they’re super duper helpful and understanding. i would also suggest looking into the academic success centre, they’re a criminally underused service at u of t. you can book an appointment with a learning strategist (who does exactly what it sounds like, strategize how you can learn better) or attend workshops on academic success. getting some help and learning how you learn and can be more successful academically should (i hope) give you confidence when you come back to school. they’re awesome, check them out.

good luck! you’re gonna kill it.

xoxo,

aska
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academic standing, academic success, failing, first year

it is not the end

February 26, 2018

Hi! I’m a first year, and due to my own personal issues I’ve completely bombed this year. I think I failed two courses first semester, and I’ve already missed two midterms this semester. God just writing that out gives me anxiety. I know I can’t excuse this behaviour, but I lost a loved one before exams first semester & it’s just been really hard but I’m ready to refocus on school, I’m just worried it might be too late. Will uoft kick me out? I don’t care if my gpa is low I just want to graduate

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hi!

i’m sorry that you’ve been having a rough first year. university can be really tough, especially when you’ve got other things going on as well.

so, u of t won’t “kick you out,” but they could put you on academic probation, depending on what your CGPA (cumulative GPA) and annual GPA at the end of this school year is. if it is lower than 1.50, you will be placed on probation. basically, this just means that you can only take up to 5.0 FCE during the fall/winter session and 2.0FCE during the summer. if, after being on probation, your CGPA is less than 1.50 and your annual/ sessional GPA is less than 1.70, you will be suspended for one calendar year. being suspended means that you can’t register as a student for the duration of your suspension. for more information about academic standing/ probation/ suspension, check out this link.

but in your case right now, you would only be put on probation at MOST. and this would only be if your CGPA dipped below 1.50. so, as long as your CGPA is above a 1.50, you’re okay.

i would also suggest making an appointment at your college/ faculty registrar’s office. they’ll be able to provide you with academic advice or refer you to other resources on campus. one of the resources they may refer you to is the academic success centre. i would also highly suggest that you check them out. you can make an appointment with learning strategists and mentors, go to a drop-in session with an academic adviser, or attend workshops. they can really teach you how to learn better, which may help out with some of the academic problems you’ve been facing. i highly suggest checking them out, they’re a criminally underused resource on campus.

i really hope this helps. please know that help is always available to those who seek it out. good luck!

xoxo,

aska

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