• grades

    finally, a good grade situation

    Hello! Yesterday a mark came out on rosi and I was really surprised that I got a 70. I calculated my mark and the possible mark I could have gotten on the exam and I don’t believe that it is possible that I could’ve gotten such a high mark. To me, I think they meant 60 instead of 70. Anyways, right now I am pretty paranoid that the mark can still change because the course average has not been out yet and my mark is not final. I’m not sure whether to tell my parents about it yet or wait first. And also, I’ve read on a forum that its happened to someone that their mark was 71 but was 61 after a couple days later. So I’m wondering is it still possible for marks to change on rosi? Thanks for anyone who could give me an answer !

    ———————————————

    Dude.

    That’s totally awesome! My first instinct is to tell you to not question it, just accept the university brief moment of kindness, and go forth in life.

    Fine, technically, the ROSI gods can still go in there and screw you over by ripping the rug out from under you and docking you 10%, but to be honest, it’s unlikely that they screwed up. It is, however, possible that your professor screwed up in his little but powerful excel spreadsheet. So if you’re really concerned, head over to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to request to see the exam. It’s a long process and you probably won’t be able to see the exam for like three weeks, but at least you’ll be able to know whether you rocked it or not.

    So yes, it IS possible to change marks on ROSI, but don’t be so glass half-empty! You did GOOOOOOD! 😀

    xoxo,

    aska

  • grades

    the bad end of the bell curve

    Is there any hope that UofT will allow grade replacement in the near future? Ever? I got a C- for a subject which I thought I would actually get a B! I have no idea how I ended up that way! and the prof refused to upload the answer key on portal! :/ I am like WTF!

    I heard that the new student council people were going to ask for a grade replacement policy, and SO I voted for them! But I have no idea if they have any plans of doing it!

    Does anyone know anything about it?? Anything at all? 🙁

    Thank You!
    Clearly-Dearly- Frustrated Student 🙁

    ———————————————

    Clearly-Dearly-Frustrated Student,

    Grade replacement at UofT… yeah. No. Sounds like wishful thinking, dude!

    But that is a pretty steep difference between grades. It’s quite possible and very likely that y0u were just the unfortunate victim of some bell-curving (quotas! quotas! quotas!) or maybe you just didn’t do as well on the exam as you thought you did? For now, request to see the exam to make sure you did things correctly and know exactly what your grade was.

    And omg voting… it’s awful, but never in my four years did I vote. I really just walked by those people hounding you at the doors of Sid Smith with some excuse of “Sorry, I have class!”/”Sorry, I’m in a rush!”/“Sorry, I don’t go here!”

    But yeah, there’s no one to really contact with this “grade replacement” thing since it’s not, well, real. If you really want to talk to someone though, have a chat with your college registrar and see what you can do from there.

    Cheers!

    aska

  • grades

    trouble on the transcript

    Hello, I’m a first year student at utsc and I’m pretty sure I just failed a course this semester. It’s english and I don’t need it for my program, just thought I could finish off most of the breadth requirement courses this first year. However, the thought of it bringing down my GPA is really making me paranoid, especially since I’m aiming for med school. I suck at writing essays and I know I’m gone sound dumb but, the course was not really what I expected it to be based on how it read from the course calendar. I really lost focus and interest on it and yet I kept on holding on to it.

    How will this affect my prospects of getting into med school or grad school? Can I just walk away and happily think that at least I pursued it till the end or am I doomed?

    Sincerely yours,
    Ian

    ?????????

    Ian,

    This is honestly one little blip in your transcript. Chill.

    And you’re still in first-year! You have plenty of time (and other courses) to overshadow the random blot humanities among your sciences, so just make sure you do well in the rest of your courses not just to make your transcript pretty, but also to fix any damage that English course might’ve done to your CGPA.

    But you’re not doomed. Most gradschools et al really just look at your last two years of university. THOSE are the ones I’d avoid taking any random hit or miss types of courses in.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • grades

    this question pleases aska

    Hi!

    So I’ve currently had the WORST exam experience of my life. Generally I am good with exams and my marks are decent. However, due to certain unforeseen circumstances personal and medical I believe that my performance was not up to par. The exam was worth 50% of my term mark and going into the exam with a 71 does not make me too confident of the outcome. When I say my performance was POOR I am in no way exaggerating. With that said, I am confident that there is no way that I can pass the course due to the amount of time I spent studying and due to the fact that the material that I studied did not correspond to what I was tested on. I really do not want this to affect my GPA. Thus, I was looking for some advice with respect to how to remove the mark from my transcript or I believe I read something about a late withdrawal to appear in its place. Anyways, I am desperate for some advice. Let me know thanks!

    ———————————————

    Hi~

    Omg, this is actually the most well-written aska question I have ever gotten. Proper punctuation, nothing misspelled, perfect grammar! Like what a perfect start to my day. Four for you, Glen Coco! My logic right now is saying with the way you write, I’m sure you passed your exam. 🙂

    Anyhow, here’s the tricky thing for you: once you write the exam, you finish the course.

    Now a late withdrawal is out of the question at this point. Logically, by its name, it means being taken out of the course — but that’s no longer possible since you’ve completed it. Likewise, the last day to ask for a LWD is the last day of class (this year, April 5)… but that doesn’t stop a good few hundred students from coming in after the deadline anyway to beg to be let out of the course.

    What you CAN do I suppose is attempt some sort of petition to have something done. It would probably be something along the lines of a late withdrawal without academic penalty (different from the previous one), meaning nothing will show up on your transcript regarding the course.

    HOWEVER, the university only really grants this in extenuating circumstances, so this would be especially difficult for you since you’ve already completed the course. So you better have a reaaaaaally great statement and a reaaaaaaally good reason. You mentioned “unforeseen circumstances,” so they better be things that reaaaaaally impact your academics. Likewise, make sure you have the proper documentation to support your claims.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • grades

    bump it up!

    Hey aska,

    I just got my grades back from last term, and was dismayed to see that I got a 49 on one course. It was a required course that I hated, and I really don’t want to retake it (not to mention having to pay for it again, because I’m broke). Is there anything you know of that could help me get it bumped up somehow? I’m going to start by taking a look at my exam and getting it rechecked but I don’t know if it will actually help. And this is a long shot, but do you know of anything that would let me, say, get course work rechecked? Or submit that one little assignment I never finished?

    Hopefully,
    A Sad Student

    ———————————————

    Hey Sad Student,

    I’m sorry to hear about the 49. I personally flip out at 70s, so I can’t imagine how distraught I’d be over a grade like that one.

    Since you got a 49, you have a decent chance at possibly making a difference. So there’s no official guide to this and everything I say is essentially just… my opinion, but here you go!

    Now you’re doing the right thing by going to look at your exam. Although if you think you were graded fairly, be careful about asking to get it regraded because that can possibly result in your grade dropping! You may very well irritate your professor, the grand grade maker person thing, and they’ll deem to grade you even harsher the next time.

    Sadly or fortunately, your final grade is all up to your professor. You can try appealing to him for a bit of a bump to that 49. Likewise, you can also try asking him if you can work on that assignment you missed — granted, to be frank, I don’t think he’ll appreciate being appealed to by a student that couldn’t bother with his assignment. But I guess there’s no harm in trying, right?

    Best of luck!

    aska

  • grades

    …am i allowed to do one word answers?

    Does the mid-term mark you get in a full year course go against your GPA for the first semester?

    ———————————————

    Nope!

    Or well, assuming your question, when properly worded, actually says “Does your midterm mark in a full year course contribute to your GPA for the first semester?” then your answer is nay.

    It will, however, contribute to your overall grade for that course, which will show up at the end of the academic year.

    word choice crazy,
    aska

  • grades,  subject POST,  summer,  UTM

    this post is too random for a title

    Hi Aska,

    So I’m currently a first year student at UTM, in the psych program. I just transferred to UTM this semester after doing quite badly in a different program at a different university.

    Anyways, because of my academic history, I’m on academic probation for this year and only allowed to take 3 courses per semester for my first year. So far, at the end of my first semester, I’m getting above 80 is all three courses, and very much enjoying my program.

    If everything continues as it is, I will have 3.0 credits with a CGPA of 3.8 – 4.0 at the end of second semester. Now this is where things get confusing for me….

    I’m interested in the specialist program in the psych department called “Behavior, genetics and neurobiology”. The requirements of which are on the website and which include CHM110/120, which I am not taking at the moment because I can only take 3 courses. My plan is to take it in the summer. However, this course, while being a UTM course, is only offered at the St George campus over the summer, and I know you have to have a minimum number of credits at your “home” campus before being allowed to take courses at one of the other campuses. So, my question is, will I be able to take it over the summer with only 3.0 credits?

    Also, I don’t understand the whole subject PosTs thing. The minimum requirements for the specialist program are 8.0 credits, and a CGPA of 3.0 and some particular courses have to be taken. My question is, if you need a minimum of 8.0 credits, how can you declare it is a subject POST on ROSI after first year? Wouldn’t you have to wait until the end of second year to have enough credits? If that is the case, then why do you have to declare your subject POSts at the end of first year?

    Also, if I am allowed to take CHM100/120 during the summer, is it a very difficult course to complete in the compressed time period?

    Another question, I’m supposed to be taking a stats course in second year and I’m not sure which one to take: PSY201 or BIO360. Any idea on which prof is better or which one is slightly easier? Math is not my favourite subject so I would prefer to take the one with the better prof that will give me a better chance of getting a good grade…

    Thanks
    Confused First Year UTM student

    ———————————————

    Yo yo!

    Nice grades there, bro. I take it you enjoy showcasing them? Don’t worry, I’m sure anyone getting As would be just as shameless. 😉

    Now onto your matter: if you only have 3.0 FCE, then no, unfortunately, there will not be any studying at St. George. You need at least 4.0 FCE from UTM to take anything at the St. George campus. So what can you do for now? Well, unfortunately, wait. Or you can stock up on some courses for next semester!

    And as for your POSt questions, it is exactly as you read it. I know it sounds weird, but basically from what I’m reading, the Behaviour, Genetics and Neurobiology program seems to be something you enter after your second year and after you’ve taken all the required courses, which adds up to a good chunk of that required 8.0 FCE. That means that in the mean time, take their listed first and second year course requirements.

    But you will still have to declare a POSt. You always do. Why? So that you can register. But not to worry, a lot of people finish their first year, don’t get into the program they want, and just list something they know they can get into as a placeholder. For you, I would recommend perhaps going into a Psych specialist in the mean time.

    As for summer school… well, it requires discipline. Lots and lots of discipline. Are you willing to study while your friends go out every single night, enjoying the warm summer nights and lovely patios?? Are you willing to flip through textbooks when there are pools to be swam in, beaches to lay on, and tanning to be had? And what about sitting in a dank classroom when the sunshine creeps into the windows? It’s up to you whether or not it’s “difficult.”

    Lastly, the stats question… I guess the best option for you is to do a little research. See who teaches it and consult one of my personal favourites: ratemyprofessor! While not necessarily accurate, you at least get a little bit of insight.

    too long but had to read,

    aska

  • grades

    a is for actually almost a little impossible

    Hi Aska 🙂

    You always seem like the best person to ask for help for at this school so here I go. I don’t want to sound like a debbie downer or a sore looser, but I can’t seem to figure out why no matter how hard I try (legit) I can never get the grades I want. I mean am I doing something wrong? I go to class, pay attention, do the readings… but I just don’t get it. Where can I go to get help? Is university not for me? I’m in second year, and I thought things would get better. Can you help me on what I could do or who I should see on improving life at uni? Thanks so much. I appreciate it, and like I said, this site has helped me out so much:)

    Keep up the great work!

    ———————————————

    Hey there!

    Because you were sweet and your message actually had me say “Aw, muffin!” I will refrain from being sassy/condescending/inappropriately blunt.

    So grades. Grades, grades, grades… At UofT, grades are often a huge reason for tearful fits and anxiety attacks. Anyhow, it sounds like you’re doing everything I would recommend, but to be safe, I’d still recommend hitting up the Academic Success Centre. A lot of the time we think we’re doing something right since it’s habitual, but then sometimes you get that slap in the face that say no, no that’s not how you do it, so maybe a fresh perspective and some tips can help you.

    I assume the grades that you want are As. To be blunt, As are hard to get. Here at UofT, Bs are great! Bs mean you’re “good” and good is great, but I understand that need to get the best possible grade. Anyhow, As usually require this extra work that you’re not necessarily asked of, but do anyway and show off what a fantastic student you are. I remember the first A I got in university was a result of totally ignoring my professor’s assigned essay questions, showing up at office hours, and all but arguing I be allowed to write about what I felt passionate about. To get the A, there’s this little extra “thing” you need to include — in my opinion at least. You’ll need to go the extra metaphorical mile.

    But don’t think university isn’t for you simply based on your grades. If you were to think university wasn’t the right place for you, don’t base it on one person’s opinion on how well you did on that test or this paper.

    Take your second year to scope out what you’re good at. Now that you’re past the first year of sampling introductory courses, you’re surely in ones that you actually enjoy and can probably do much better in. Use this year to test out new modes of studying, new places to get work done, new habits, yada yada yada. You’ll be fine, muffin!

    And as a personal tip, I recommend getting a job or doing some extra curriculars. For me, what made me work hard was filling up my schedule. Aside from classes, I work two jobs, volunteer, mentor, and edit. It sounds like a lot but because of that load, aside from limiting my Thirsty Thursdays, I force myself to organize my time. Granted, this might not work for some people.

    Don’t be discouraged by some numbers on your transcript. You’ll figure things out, I know it. 🙂

    happy to help,

    aska

  • first year,  grades,  midterms

    the worth of work

    Dear aska,

    I’m a first year at UTSG life sci, I study, but I don’t work my butt off, and I know that it’s my fault that I’ve done so horribly on my first term tests. I’ve gotten pretty much 60s – low 60s. Is it possible that I may pull up my mark by the second test, but just, what should I do? I don’t even know anymore, I’ve kind of lost hope. I know that I pretty much crammed 4 days before each tests, and I gotta change my study strategy for test 2, but even if I get an 80 on the next tests I’ll end up with a 70…and what if I still end up with 60s after becoming more hardworking.. I feel like everyone’s so smart and hardworking, I’m like…so..dumb..

    Most importantly….if I get through first year with 60s, is that okay? The thing is, I know it is, but would it just mean I’ll have less choice of POSTs, since my grades are so low?…

    Are there any POSTs in lifesci that have verrry minimal + non competitive requirements? I’m still kind of unfamiliar with everything. I think I’m just gonna bare with university and try to pass these 4 years as quickly as possible.

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!

    Here’s a tip: don’t just change the way you study – change the way you work.

    Change your reading habits, the way you take your notes, your lecture attendance (if that applies), and so on. U of T wants you to succeed, but that’s not going to happen unless you take initiative.

    So cancel your pity party, sweetie, because with a few habit-building trips to the library or whatever study space you choose, you should be fine. University requires discipline. It’s good that you realize what you’re doing/not doing, but until you actually try to make a change, of course you’re going to feel a little lost! I mean look at your own words. “Smart” and “hardworking” go hand in hand, so it’s time to get a move on working your butt off! 🙂

    And if you end up with something in the 70s, you should be fine. Take a look at the requirements needed for the specific programs you’re considering, but for example, a major in Human Biology only calls for 4.0 FCE and has no GPA minimum, so at least there’s that. But explore the Calendar a little and see what you’re interested in.

    But really, don’t feel so down. You’re in first-year. You’re transitioning. Everyone feels like this in their first semester, it’s just a matter of making a change.

    Good luck!

    aska

  • grad school,  grades

    post-grad problems

    Hi,

    I’m a final year Law Student currently in Nigeria, Africa. I’ll be leaving the country soon to Canada, to be reunited with family. Therefore I’m seeking career advancement options to get me started.

    I’m interested in enrolling for a Master’s Program in International Relations, Business Administration or Intellectual Property Law. But Unfortunately I have not met the B+ requirement *SOB*

    So, I was advised to try a ‘Post Graduate Diploma’, unfortunately, I have been browsing through schools and can’t seem to come up with anything related to my field. Closest I saw was a ‘Post Diploma’ with a duration of TWO YEARS! Can anyone pls pls pls help explain the benefits of a Post Grad Diploma & where it could lead me to in Canada?

    Also, if you can recommend schools or courses to me via links, I’d be grateful. Thanks.

    ?????????

    Hey there!

    Okay so for starters, U of T doesn?t seem to offer a Master?s program in Intellectual Property Law, and to get into the M.B.A. program would require a business degree in your undergraduate years and a lot of experience and references.

    This narrows things down to the International Relations program, but even then, I?m going to have to tell you that whoever told you to try a post-graduate diploma? yeah, they were wrong ? that is at least according to the little birdies that help me out over here. Basically, from what my sources tell me, pursuing a post-graduate diploma would be pointless as graduate programs mostly look at your success in the last few years of your undergraduate work. So really, the most you can do is work really hard this year, and if that isn?t enough, take some more courses afterwards to boost your GPA.

    But if you do want to take a post-graduate diploma, it?s essentially something you?ll take at a collage to hone a skill more so than work with academics. They may be better for you in that depending on where you go, you?ll be set up for internships or co-op placements.

    Study hard!

    aska

  • grades,  psychology,  tests

    fall time freak outs

    Hi,

    I’m a first year student at UofT. Like most other students in Toronto I am in the middle of going through my first batch of tests. My first test in university was the Psych100. I thought I did really great, I knew the material and left the test room feeling pretty confident that I left with a 80 at least. I check today and I barely pass!! I am feeling very down about this and more than worried about pulling up my grade, there is one more test and then the exam, weighing near the same amount, do you think I can pull up my grade to at least decent? And if I do horribly, can I retake Psych100 in the winter term because I know there is a class?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Hey there first-year!

    Reading your little message has left me at a loss with all my feelings. Funnily enough, I felt the exact same way as you did after my first exam at U of T. I was so certain that I aced the test but got it back and was heartbroken to find I got a 60. But you know what I did? I studied my butt off for the rest of the term and did well enough.

    So yes, I truly do think you can pull your grade up. With two more tests, you definitely have the opportunity to first assess what exactly went wrong for you, and then to show that you’ve studied harder and that you’re willing to go the extra mile.

    However, the problem for you is that if you do horribly but still technically pass and thus get the credit for PSY100, then no, you cannot retake it unless that’s to meet some sort of program requirement. So if you’re in the course so that you can get into the Psychology program and don’t meet the required grade the first time around, then you will be allowed to retake it, but the mark that will be on your transcript and that will count toward your CGPA will be the first *horrible* one.

    So depending on whether or not you yourself think you’ll be able to improve, you can either work harder and try to salvage things, or you can drop the course and restart from full in the winter.

    Good luck with the rest of the course!

    aska

  • admissions,  GPA,  grad school,  grades

    for fear of a fifth year

    Hello,

    I’m a life science student going to 4th year in September and I’m debating whether I should graduate in April of 2013. I wish to go to Dentistry school, preferably at UofT, but my CGPA is only 3.0, the minimum requirement for dentistry. I went to guidance to ask for advice, but they told me to give up on dentistry altogether; however, I am not willing to give up without a fight, my gpa was terrible in first year which is why my gpa is so low, but through hard work there has been a dramatic increase in my grades each year that follows. Financially, I’m in a tight spot, so I’m not sure if I should take a 5th year and continue to try or to listen to my guidance councilor to switch fields. Switching fields is another problem because I have no idea what I could do with a BSc diploma. Please give me some advice on what I should do, to graduate or not, and if not what options are left for me? =(

    – Very old and worried 4th year.

    ———————————————

    Dearest Old and Worried,

    My apologies for such a delayed answer, but there’s really no need to be so frantic. 🙂

    Firstly, there is no graduation in April 2013, so if you do choose to deem this your fourth and final year of undergrad, starting today, October 1, 2012, you can declare your intention to graduate on ROSI for June 2013 since I highly doubt a fifth year will be necessary, much less a change in fields.

    Now there’s no need for you to give up your dream. Your 3.0 CGPA is the equivalent to a mid-B, which, according to the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, is the minimum final year average needed. Right now, you’re in a fairly good place and will at least be considered. The only thing you can do right now is make sure you stay on top of your game this year so that your grades will be enough to beat out the competition.

    But to avoid any crushing of dreams, keep your options open. Don’t apply solely to U of T. That’s probably the best way to get your heart torn to pieces, really. The Faculty of Dentistry even provides you with links to other possible universities to do your post-grad work at. For example, you can go over to Western and study and/or party hard or you can go over to McGill and practice your French while practicing your periodontology. Or maybe you can go to UBC or University of Alberta or University of Manitoba. My point is that the best way to go anywhere in life, whether that be for dinner or for dentistry, is to keep your options open. Naturally, these different universities will obviously come with different requirements, so you may have a harder time getting in (which I doubt because U of T is, well, U of T), or you may find your CGPA is ideal.

    You have plenty of options and plenty of time to raise your CGPA if you feel your 3.0 isn’t enough, so don’t worry so much. But if this response isn’t enough to placate you, here’s a lovely cat gif.

    also a very old but not as worried fourth year,

    aska

  • admissions,  grades,  life science

    marks are marks, whenever they’re made

    Hi!

    So… I’m a student in grade 11 and I’m pursuing Life sciences.?I got my timetable today, but I didn’t everything i wanted. I got my grade 11 sciences (bio, chem, and physics) but i don’t have advanced functions. So worried! If i take advanced functions during the summer, will u of t consider it? Or if they do, will they consider it as a ‘lower’ course?

    And if i take calculus and advanced functions next year and submit it during admission time, will the university not accept me because i didn’t submit both my calculus marks and advanced functions marks???? (cuz i obviously take calculus after i take advanced functions which is second semester AFTER i apply to u of t.)

    Please answer it ASAP!
    Thank you.

     

    Whoa! Deep breaths, girlfriend. I know college admissions can be stressful, but I promise you that you will be just fine, whatever happens. All of the required courses for admission to the many life sciences courses are listed on apges 50-51 of the admissions viewbook.

    As you obviously know, calculus is one of the courses required across the board, but it doesn’t mean you can’t apply before you’ve finished taking it. U of T accepts applications all the way up until March, and they will also check in on your final high school transcript to make sure you stayed on track, even after admission to the University. What that means is that when you first apply, they will see on your schedule that you’re taking calculus in the spring, and will consider your application despite not having that mark yet. Once you’ve finished Grade 12, they`ll come back and make sure you did well, so that means no senioritis for you. ?But it also means that you don’t have to worry too much about taking calc a bit later than you’d like.

    As for taking advanced functions next summer, I’m not sure what you mean by “lower” course, but as an institution which itself offers summer courses, the University recognizes that they are as valid as those which occur during the year ?In fact, according to the Liberal government’s recent white paper on education in Ontario, the future of Universities and even high schools in Ontario could include a bigger role for year-round learning). In other words, summer courses are as good as any other. So if you’re worried about being late with calc, takin functions in the summer is probably your best bet, if only to assuage your own paranoia . 🙂

    Best of luck, and make sure you stop and smell the roses between furious study sessions, ok?

    Stay cool,

    aska