• courses,  current student,  enrollment,  tutorials

    i am confusion

    June 23, 2022

    im so confused should i enroll in lectures or tutorials help please!!

    hi confused (sorry i had to),

    me too. i’m confused too.

    i’m gonna assume you’re starting first year in september (or have otherwise avoided enrolling in any lectures or tutorials this year somehow??) so here’s a quick rundown of how lectures and tutorials,work. lectures (LEC) are the actual “classes” you’ll be attending, while tutorials (TUT) are smaller workshops, Q & As or problem solving sessions. there are also practicals (PRA) which are things like labs for science students.

    you’d have to enroll in everything your course requires, so if a course says it has lectures and tutorials, then yeah, you’d have to enroll in both on acorn. (and yes, they’d both be mandatory, unless the instructor says otherwise.)

    Both Good Housekeeping GIFfrom Both GIFs


    if you’re at utsg you can check the artsci timetable to see if they offer lectures/practicals/tutorials. you can also search up your courses on acorn right now and there’ll be options to add lectures or tutorials if they’re available.

    just as a heads up, i’ve also had some profs who held tutorials at times that were actually different from the ones on acorn, or added optional tutorials outside of class time which you wouldn’t have to enroll on acorn either, but usually the lecture/tutorial schedule follows what’s on acorn.

    hope that helps,

    aska

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  • current student,  wait list

    waitlist woes

    June 22, 2022

    Hi, I’m fifth on a waitlist for a class of 25 people and I was wondering if I’ll have a chance of getting in since there are three weeks left before waitlists are over. I just need some encouragement:(

    hey there,

    i’m sure you’ve heard of that handy rule of thumb where if your spot on the waitlist is within 10% of the class size you’ll probably get in. unfortunately your spot is more like 20% of the class size so it’s kind of hard to tell. it’s not impossible, of course — you’d just need 5 people to drop the class or leave the waitlist which could totally happen from now till july 6th, but it really depends.

    Golden Girls Shrug Shoulders GIFfrom Golden Girls GIFs

    people might also drop the course after the waitlist closes. since the last day to enrol in a summer S session course is july 10th, if you’re dropped from the waitlist but still really want to get in the course you might need to obsessively check acorn for a few days in case something opens up. (a pain… i know. but just so you’re prepared)

    sorry i can’t give you a straight answer but i can send encouragement so there you go. it’s possible! believe in yourself! don’t lose hope!!!!! and if you don’t get in, there’s always next sem, hopefully.

    Motivation Penguin GIFfrom Motivation GIFs

    good luck!

    aska

    p.s. to anyone planning to drop a course, this is a psa to do it asap for your fellow students :’)

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  • current student,  psychology,  St. George,  subject POST

    utsg psych major: the saga continues

    June 17, 2022

    i didn’t make the psych major at uoft sg and that was my main goal. i don’t know what to do now. i have to retry but not sure how that process works. and i don’t have financial means to take an extra year so i’m worried i’m off track. what are my next steps…

    hi there,

    ok hooold up. i gotta say this sounds… awfully familiar.

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    since it looks like everybody and their mother is applying to the utsg psych major, let me just rehash some of the important stuff from that previous post which might help.

    1. you didn’t get in. sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. from my experience, there are lots of chances to apply later on — as long as you makes some real solid changes to your studying and academics going forward.

    Howimetyourmother Intervention GIFfrom Howimetyourmother GIFs

    2. to reapply in second year and above (9.0 FCEs or more completed), you’ll need marks from psy100, grade 12 calc and bio, as well as psy201 and 1.0 FCEs of the 200-level psy courses listed. retaking psy100 could certainly help your grades for POSt, but it’s up to you to decide if/when/how to do it. lucky you, i happen to be a bit of a degree explorer aficionado, so let’s just walk through how you could plan this stuff out.

    since the grade cutoff is listed at around 77-79%, if your current psy100 and grade 12 calc/bio marks are lower than that then it might be safer to retake psy100 next year. if you need to graduate in four years, the most straightforward ways to do that would be to either take psy100 in the summer (still $$, but at least it’s not $$$$…) or take more than 5.0 FCEs in one academic year (likely 2nd year, if you want to have the best chances of getting into the psych major right after). you can take 4.0 – 6.0 FCEs in the fall/winter semesters for the same program fee, so there won’t be any extra costs (finanically, at least) but it could be more difficult to balance things and get the marks you need. taking a summer course isn’t a walk in the park either, since things are going at 2x speed, but (hopefully) you won’t be taking other courses at the same time too.

    3. if you do end up taking psy100 next year, i’d suggest first prioritizing your 200-level psy courses and courses needed for other majors/minors you want to complete (unless you’re ready to risk it all for the utsg psych major, it’s probably best to still keep up on your other programs). try to pick courses that you’re really interested in, where you can likely do well. the utsg artsci course evals are a handy way to stalk check out potential courses, including ratings by instuctor and year/session. remember to prepare backups too — course enrolment is already finnicky, and if you’re not a psych student it might be hard to get your first choice psy courses since you won’t have priority.

    once you’ve got your required courses down, i’d recommend adding psy100 in your lighter semester so that even if you’re taking 6 courses, it’ll still be manageable. another tip is to enroll in multiple courses if you’re not sure which ones would be a good fit, and just make sure to drop the extra ones by the deadline.

    4. i’d also recommend speaking with your college registrar to get support with planning, academics, or anything else you might need help with. they’ll be able to help with your study strategies, provide resources, and a whole lot of other things to get you on track.

    5. if you haven’t already, try applying to the psych minor next year too as a backup. it’ll allow you to enroll in courses as a psych student and could be a good alternative if getting into the major is still a challenge.

    now, follow these trusty steps and i guarantee you’ll… wait, what’s that? no guarantees? oh. okay. well unfortunately, i can’t say for sure that you will get into the utsg psych major even if you follow all these handy tips, but hopefully this gives you a better idea of what your next steps might look like.

    Good Luck GIFfrom Good GIFs

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • current student,  residence,  woodsworth

    woodsworth why you gotta be so picky

    June 9, 2022

    Hi! I would like to ask something about residency. I got placed into Woodsworth College but I’m not allowed to have a place of residency there as I place it as my second choice, and most likely they’re going to place me into Chestnut. I would really love to live within my college, their ensuite kitchen is what made me choose them. I emailed Woodsworth’s residency department but they’re not giving me a clear response. Is there anthing I could do? Were there any similar cases?

    hey there,

    it’s funny that you ask, because there was a similar case to this about 8 years ago… ah, the elusive woodsworth, swerving on student residence applications since 2014 (well, probably earlier than that too). i’m not sure if that poor kid ever did get into woodsworth res, but i’ll say the chances are probably veeeery slim.

    i would recommend to email woodsworth and plead your case, but it looks like you’ve already done that. so if the application portal and woodsworth residency department are both saying that you’ll probably be put in chestnut, well… that’s probably what’s gonna happen.

    13 Reasons Why GIFfrom 13reasons Why GIFs

    if the lack of a kitchen is a real deal-breaker, you could also try looking into other housing options like campusone (although most rooms with kitchens look like they’re waiting list only right now), or renting a room off campus. on the other hand, you’ll have the rest of your adult life to cook your own meals — it might not be so bad to just spend your first year chilling at chestnut and mindlessly eating off the meal plan.

    Its Ok Bro GIFfrom Its Ok GIFs

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • academic success,  current student,  mental health

    sending u positive energy (and all the resources i got)

    June 2, 2022

    Hi! I am a first year student and this year has been just bad. I moved to a whole new country and ig that had a bad effect on my mental health. I have failed 4 of my first year courses . I am not sure what to do.

    hi there,

    i’m so sorry to hear that your first year has been so difficult. i hope you’re doing better now, and maybe this can give you some comfort/advice.

    honestly, the transition to university is tough to navigate for almost everyone, not to mention moving to a completely different country, or figuring out student mental health resources. it’s just a lot, so know that you’re not alone. first year is probably one of the most universally despised years from what i’ve heard, but it does get better. most people i’ve talked to get better at their study skills, meet more friends, and simply adjust more to uoft life over time.

    the first thing that i would recommend for you is definitely to book an appointment with your registrar. they provide support for all sorts of student concerns and can help give advice on things like mental health resources, study strategies, finances, and more. they’re so so helpful and can definitely guide you in the right direction.

    i’m sure you’ll be in good hands with your registrar in terms of resources, but i’ll also just include some that i know of which may help. your health definitely comes first, and uoft does have a whole list of mental health services which you may have heard of, as well as 24/7  phone counselling for all kinds of student concerns through my SSP, if you ever need to talk about anything. you may also want to see a medical professional or look into accessibility services accomodations to get the proper supports for any health concerns you might have. it can be tricky to find the mental health supports that work best for you, so i’d recommend starting early and trying out resources this summer to help maintain your health and wellbeing.

    the academic success centre also has a lot of great programs to help build your study skills, like workshops, peer mentors, and learning strategist appointments. i’m not sure if you’re taking any courses right now, but you could also just book an appointment to reflect on your past school year and get some professional advice on how you could improve.

    you’re probably also aware of the CIE at utsg, or international student centres at utsc and utm, which offer support especially for international students. i just have to highlight these programs from the CIE which look super wholesome, and could be a great way to connect with other students and build your support system here in toronto.

    from what i know, these resources are open year round, so if you have any concerns or simply want to get on track to prepare for second year, definitely reach out to them! although the road ahead can be challenging, i think that with the right supports and strategies, you can definitely make it through!

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    good luck,

    aska

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  • current student,  psychology,  subject POST

    all roads lead to the utsg psych major

    May 26, 2022

    I had a rough semester and ended up with a 75 is PSY100. Hoping to get into the psych major at utsg but I’m right at the cutoff. Do you think there’s a chance for me to get in still? If not, should I retake the class next year?

    hello there young grasshopper,

    ah yes, the agony of waiting for POSt offers… unfortunately, it’s quite hard to tell in your case as you’re literally right at the cutoff. to be honest, it could really go either way, and also depends on the number of spots compared to the number of people applying for the program, as well as their marks.

    if you haven’t heard back about your application yet, the best thing (well, also kind of the only thing) you can do is probably just to chill and wait it out! it’s good to prepare ahead but there’s also no need to stress out when the results aren’t even out yet!

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    i will say, psych and most artsci programs are quite good with giving multiple chances to enter the POSt and switch in/out of things even in upper years, so even if you aren’t accepted after first year, you can definitely still get in later on.

    so, as for plan b… if you don’t get in, you should definitely consider taking some second year psych courses, such as PSY201. these are usually required if you are applying for the psych major again after second year or above, as you may have already completed 9.0+ FCEs.

    doing really well in your second year psych courses would improve your chances of getting into POSt, as 1.5 FCEs of second year psych courses (specific ones listed in the POSt requirements) will be considered in addition to your PSY100 marks. you can try to pick courses that are also part of the psych major requirements so that if you get in, you’d be on track to completing your program requirements, while also being well equipped for upper year courses in psych.

    you could repeat PSY100 as an extra course too, although it could potentially change how you schedule your courses later on, e.g. you may have to take summer courses, an extra semester, or an increased courseload to fit in that extra course. it’s up to you to decide if it’d be worth it to repeat PSY100 right away next year or do it later on if things don’t pan out after your second year psych courses.

    although POSt might be a bit of a pain during course enrollment, chances are you’d still be able to get into at least some, if not all of the second year psych courses you need even as a non-major. another tip is to apply for the psych minor, if you haven’t already! the cutoff for that is at 73%, which may not be a guarantee, but does give you better chances of getting in — and psych minors will also have priority enrollment in psych courses, to make your life a little easier. 🙂

    hopefully that gives some reassurance on the process! POSt offers are tricky and there’s really no way to fully predict your results until they come out, but just know that no matter the outcome, there’ll be plenty of ways to get to the program you want. in the meantime, good luck, and enjoy the summer!

    Chilling Relaxing GIFfrom Chilling GIFs

    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  full-time,  part-time

    if a course gets ncr’d did you ever really take it

    May 21, 2022

    Hello, I’m an international student taking only 3 credits. I’m not doing great in a course and considering declaring it non-credit. If I am to fail it, will it impact my full-time status?

    hi friend,

    apologies for the late reply! hopefully you’ve gotten some advice on this already, but if not, maybe this can still help.

    if you’re taking exactly 3.0 FCEs this school year, then failing or dropping the course could drop you down to part-time status. so the answer is probably yes, but it depends (gotta love that, i know).

    That Depends GIFfrom Depends GIFs


    for example, osap funding requires you to enroll in and pass at least 3.0 FCEs for a school year (search “osap academic progress”) — otherwise, you might be put on probation.

    but depending on who you ask, the criteria mayyyy differ. i mean, what even is ‘full-time’ anyway? it’s possible that funding/programs/employers/whoever else you’re tryna impress could consider an ncr differently, so you might want to ask directly to be sure.

    i would also recommend speaking to your registrar for more info, and for support in your future courses!

    good luck~

    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  UTM

    an imposter among us (sorry, i had to)

    May 12, 2022

    Hello! I’m a st george student and just realized a course I’ve been taking online is from the mississauga campus. Does it matter? will the mark count toward my grade do I have to tell anyone about this?

    hey there!

    generally the course would count towards your gpa and degree requirements, as long as it’s not an exclusion for a course that you’ve already taken. exclusions would be marked as extra courses and won’t count towards your gpa or degree.

    you should also double check with your registrar’s office to see if the course would count towards your degree requirements. if you’re hoping to take the course for your program requirements (major, minor, specialist, etc.) then you’d also need to ask your department.

    there’s some more info on taking courses at other colleges on this page, under “Courses in Other Divisions”, but that pretty much covers the main points!

    so rest assured, as long as you have a chat with your registrar to clear things up, it’ll likely be fine… just act natural and channel your inner utm student.

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    all the best,

    aska

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  • colleges,  current student,  switching

    the good ol’ college switcheroo

    May 6, 2022

    Hi! I’m in woodsworth college and I’m hoping to try and switch colleges to trinity, Victoria or UC. I’m wondering if you have any advice for how to do this successfully! What kind of reasons are they looking for to switch? What can I do in an application that will make my chances better? Thanks!

    hey there!

    i think a few things would help make a strong application. firstly, try to reach out and apply as soon as you can! it’ll be easier to convince the college that you’ll be a great addition to their community if you join early on in your undergrad career, with plenty of time ahead to experience the college that you want to transfer to. vic actually states that they will not accept transfers from students that have completed more than 10.0 credits, so applying earlier is definitely an advantage.

    a good gpa would help, too. for example, vic requires a cgpa of around B (3.0) or higher. the requirements for other colleges aren’t really publicly available, but i’d assume that a higher gpa would be beneficial.

    anyhow, moving on to the part that you’re really here for… how to actually write your transfer application. college transfer applications are somewhat of a black box. vic is nice enough to lay out some application questions right on their website, but you’ll have to reach out directly to the other colleges to find out their exact requirements.

    do i know anything about how colleges judge their transfer applications? not really. have i even personally transferred colleges before? also no. am i gonna throw some ideas out here anyway? well yes. based on my general experiences applying to stuff, here are a few things that might help.

    Idk Meh GIFfrom Idk GIFs

    • find out more about the college, and talk about what you like about it. try to be as genuine as possible. get a sense of the vision and values of trin, vic and uc,  and describe specific aspects which resonated with you.
    • write about what you’re hoping to get out of the transfer. this shows that you’ve done your research and have a clear idea of why you want to transfer! are there certain college-specific resources that you are hoping to access? is there any aspect of student life in the college which drew you in? if you’re interested in uc’s beloved writing centre, vic’s sweet sweet scholarships (read: “generous financial support”), trin’s small and close-knit community, or anything else for that matter, then write about it!
    • describe what you can bring to the table. how have you contributed to your student community thus far? what kind of a role do you see yourself playing in the college and its community? are there any student groups or activities at the college that you’d like to get involved with? you might want to reference specific initiatives at trin, vic, and uc.

    the college transfer process can be tricky, but hopefully this gives you some ideas for your application! remember that other factors such as the number of spots available at a college could also affect your chances of landing a transfer. as one of the smallest colleges at uoft, i feel like trinity will probably be particularly hard to transfer into, while it may be easier to transfer to a large college like uc. in any case, good luck and give it your best shot!

    all the best,

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  GPA

    sounds familiar… hello cr/ncr my old friend

    April 26, 2022

    I’m ready to graduate this June, but took a couple of extra classes this sem to boost my gpa and get more writing experience. I kinda want to graduate with high distinction, but I think one class might weigh me down from that. Should I cr/ncr it or just accept missing the high distinction cut off? It’s a class within my program but doesn’t count toward any reqs as those are done. Also I’m considering grad school so idk if cr/ncr would affect that. Would high gpa look better or visible grades?

    hello there,

    so sorry for the late response — i’m just getting to these long-overdue cr/ncr courses, but hopefully you were able to work something out. here are my two cents, anyhow, in case it helps.

    i think it depends on how much this course lowers your gpa, and whether it’s related to your undergrad or potential grad programs. i haven’t heard much about how high distinction and other titles are considered by grad schools, but gpa would definitely be a factor that is considered. i would recommend calculating your gpa with potential marks for this course to see if it is still competitive for grad programs and other opportunities you may be interested in, e.g. jobs, scholarships. if this course doesn’t lower your gpa too much, you might be better off just keeping the grade. but also, beware of grad programs that focus on only your upper years or final year, which might cause this course to hold more weight.

    a CR might give the impression of a very low mark and could be a red flag, especially if it’s in a course related to your desired grad program. at the same time, just one CR/NCR in your final year (the main focus of many grad school admissions, e.g. uoft) may not be so much of an issue, especially if it saves your gpa! however, it’s best to contact your potential grad programs to ask how they consider CR/NCR in their admissions process.

    in any case, i hope the rest of your semester has gone smoothly, and wish you all the best for graduation!

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  late withdrawal

    save that gpa

    April 26, 2022

    Hey, I think one of my classes is gonna affect my gpa a bit, and I’m thinking about doing grad school in something later (probably an ma or mba if that affects anything), do you think a cr/ncr looks better on a record or a lwd? Really sad I missed the drop date :(( but I think I want to save my gpa above all

    hi there,

    so sorry i couldn’t get to this until now — i hope you figured something out, but i’ll just put this out there anyway in case anyone else gets in a similar situation.

    if you will likely pass the course, CR may look better than a LWD (i mean, a pass is a pass!), and you can still get credit for the course. if you think you might fail the course, it may be better to go with a LWD.

    it also depends on the specific programs you’re hoping to apply to for grad school. some might only look at your upper year gpa or final year gpa. actually, rotman mba and uoft master’s admissions both only require a minimum 3.0 or mid-B average in your final year, or last 5.0 FCEs.

    there isn’t much info on how they look at LWD versus CR/NCR, at least for uoft, but you can also reach out to the admissions office for the programs you’re interested in to ask!

    i hope that you were able to choose an option that works for you. realistically, i just wanna say that a few CRs or LWDs will likely be fine for grad school, so don’t sweat it! it sounds like you’ll be applying in later years, so there is still plenty of time to improve your academic record, especially for your final years, which will be the most important. i’d also recommend speaking to your registrar for support in your future courses.

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    wishing you all the best!

    aska

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  • courses,  current student,  programs

    gotta get with the program

    April 25, 2022

    Are only my first 20 credits counted for program requirements? Ahhh its so confusing

    hello there,

    ahhhh indeed.

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    according to the artsci calendar, you need at least 20.0 credits to graduate, courses beyond that can still count towards your program requirements.

    you just gotta make sure that your 20.0 (or more) credits satisfy these conditions:

    • at least 13.0 FCEs at the 200+ level
    • at least 6.0 FCEs at the 300+ level
    • at least 10.0 FCEs from the faculty of arts and sciences

    the one thing you might have to be careful about is that if you have over 15.0 FCEs with the same three letter designation in the course code (e.g. ENG, or MAT), only the first 15 will count towards your degree requirements… but technically, maybe they can still count for your program requirements? i guess if you do find yourself in the unique dilemma of having 15+ FCEs with the same three letter code, it’d be best to check with your registrar, just in case!

    hope that helps!

    aska

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