• exclusions,  subject POST

    not about that linear path of life

    February 23, 2016

    Hey there aska [aka light from heaven above],

    I’m currently a 2nd year UTSC student who’s doing 2 majors and a minor (IDS, Public Policy co-op, and Econ minor). HOWEVER, I want to make my economics minor a major after finding out I really like the subject matter. the thing is, I’m missing 2 first year calc courses that are require for econ majors. I can take them in 3rd year but while I think I can manage 70s in the calc courses I know that will lower my (C)GPA quite a bit and I AM looking towards grad school eventually [maybe law school, maybe just in social sciences idk yet but that’s another problem] my question is that I’m just wondering if it’ll be worth it to risk lowering my GPA in 3rd year when grad schools look at that .. especially since they are first year courses [p.s I did the math and I could still graduate on time thanks to the 12 distinct credit rule and ids/pp/econ having overlapping courses].

    An add-on question is that I took a statistics course (stab22) earlier for a pre-req towards my other majors but it counts as an exclusion to a quantitative methods of economics class I need to take for my econ major. I did rlly well in stats (83%) so will that mark go to waste? Or can I still apply that to satisfy my IDS requirement and just uptake the other econ class to fulfill my requirements, thereby using both towards my gpa [since its different majors] despite being considered exclusions.

    My last chance to apply as an econ major will be at the end of this sem when I have 10 credits so I’m super confused!!!!!

    Any and all opinions/info/train of thought is very much appreciated!!!!!,

    Thanks a bunch ;-;

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    listen, i understand that this is a tough situation. i’ve been in a similar one myself. and i know that in these situations, ALL YOU WANT is for someone to tell you what to do. “just tell me what i should do and i’ll do it, no complaints!” i’ve begged people. but they can’t tell me what to do, just like i can’t tell you what to do. you’re in charge – doesn’t that suck?

    ultimately, you have to figure out the POSt configuration that will make you happiest. i do have a few general tidbits of advice, which you can feel free to take or leave as you like:

    i wouldn’t recommend making a decision based on tentative post-graduation plans. since you’re not sure exactly what you’d like to do in terms of postgrad, you’ll be very frustrated with your past self in fourth year if you made a decision based on a path you’re not following anymore. chances are, the POSt combination that you’re most excited about, is the one in which you’ll be most successful. even with calc.

    if you find the econ. major really interesting, then go for it. keep in mind, though, that you’re not allowed to have three majors, so you’ll either have to drop another major before you add econ., OR change one to a minor. keep in mind that while the IDS major has unlimited enrolment, the public policy co-op major is unlimited, so i’d recommend thinking on it/discussing with your registrar before dropping or downgrading from that one, because you won’t be able to easily add it back.

    also, whatever you decide to do, it’s best not to drop anything before you get into the econ major. since that major has limited enrolment, there is always the possibility that you won’t be accepted (i mean, not to be pessimistic or anything. i’m sure you will be. but just in case). wait to be accepted before you go dropping or changing around your other POSts – it’s just easier.

    as to your second question: it’s the other way around. the second course that you take will be an extra because it is an exclusion of a course you’ve already taken. that means that it will count towards your econ. major, but it will NOT count towards your GPA or 20.0 degree credits.

    you won’t be able to make both count towards your GPA. what you might be able to do, though, is convince the economics deparmtent to accept the stats course you’ve already taken to fulfil this requirement. you can contact them at ecoss ( at) utsc (. ) utoronto ( .) ca.

    good luck with everything!

    aska

    P.S. thank you for your excellent e-mail subject line – i hope you don’t mind that i’ve appropriated it as title for this post.

    Read More
  • subject POST,  UTSC

    your program is gone lol bye

    February 11, 2016

    Hey aska! I’m applying for UTSC linguistics but some people told me that they are considering cancelling the subject in that campus! The option is still on OUAC, but what if it’s real? Will I be considered for a similar programme in other campus? Nooooo
    ———————————————

    hey there,

    first thing’s first: you enter uoft as a program-less student, regardless of the program you listed on your OUAC application. so even after you get in, you have a full year to test drive some courses, and decide if the program(s) you were set on when entering university are really for you. if linguistics goes under after a year or you decide you want to do something else, that’s no problem.

    i should note though, that if linguistics is listed in the calendar, it’s real. if the program goes under while you’re in it, you’ll be grandfathered, meaning that no new people will be allowed in, but you’ll be allowed to finish your degree in that program. the university wouldn’t leave you high and dry like that.

    hope that helps!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • degree requirements,  subject POST

    you’re all set to LEAVE THIS PLACE

    January 26, 2016

    Hi Aska,

    Happy New Year!

    I have a question regarding switching programs. Let’s say I am majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Computer Science and Media Studies (weird I know). And decide to do a 180 and forget about minoring and just do a major in Computer Science — so basically a double major. Will the credits that I have received from Media Studies still be counted in my degree
    requirements? For example, I have to take 5.0 credits of C-level courses and 1.0 credits of D-level courses
    <http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/calendars/calendar/Degrees.html>. Will my C-level Media courses still be included? I am aware of the retroactive fees, but I’ll only be missing two more courses to finish a Computer Science major and I don’t really care much anymore about Media Studies.

    Another unrelated question, how accurate is the Degree Explorer?

    Take these two requirements:

    – At least 0.5 Credits from *MATC01H3* or MATC15H3
    – At least 1.0 Credit from MATC01H3 or MATC09H3 or MATC15H3 or *MATC32H3*
    or MATC44H3 or MATC63H3 or MATD01H3 or MATD02H3

    I took MATC01 and MATC32 already. They are bolded as I have taken them. How come in the second requirement, MATC01 is not being considered?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the answer to your first question is: yes. those courses will count towards your degree requirements just like elective courses would (excluding extras, or any funky course designations like that). as long as you’ve also completed the requirements for all your subject POSts (so that’ll be the comp. sci. and math majors once you drop media), you’re fine.

    as for the degree explorer thing: a cursory glance at the UTSC math major listing indicates that, if you did take MATC01H3, it?should have fulfilled that requirement. depending on when you took it, degree explorer could just be a little slow in updating. another potential complication that people sometimes run into with degree explorer is that if the program has changed since they’ve entered it, degree explorer sometimes gets confused.

    i’m not sure if the math program has changed, but if you find that that degree explorer continues to avoid MATC01 despite your having taken it, just pop into your registrar’s office and ask them what’s up. it could be that something i haven’t considered is causing the problem, and they can help you sort it out.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • bird courses,  subject POST

    bird courses. the tests just fly away from you.

    January 20, 2016

    Hi,

    So I just saw my MAT135 course mark, and well, I failed. I really wasn’t expecting this… and I am quite traumatized. My chosen major is Genetics (I’m a first year right now) and since math isn’t a prerequisite, I’ve decided to take it next year instead of next semester, so I can pull up my GPA without bearing the burden of math (which I hate, and really don’t understand why I have to take) but anyway, what do you think? Also, do you have any suggestions for any “bird courses” I could take that would help boost my GPA? I know no course is easy, but statistically speaking, courses that students have done generally well in.

    Thanks for your help, please post this anonymously.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the only subject POSts i can find with genetics in the title is human biology’s “fundamental genetics and its applications” major, and the molecular genetics and microbiology major. both of those POSts require math, so i don’t know why you’re saying that it doesn’t require math.

    however, assuming that i’m missing something and that there is some kind of genetics POSt that doesn’t require math, then – no, why would you take it? if you know it’s going to be hard for you, and it’s not a priority for the POSt, there’s no reason to take it. however, do make sure you take a look at upper-year courses required for that POSt – if there are any math courses in there, then it’s probably a smart idea to take first year calculus.

    i’d recommend, though, that you take this opportunity to reflect on what you want to do. genetics is an area that, somewhere down the line, does overlap significantly with math. ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. is it really the right thing for you? i’m not hinting at anything, i just think it’s important to self-reflect and ask yourself these questions honestly.

    if you need some help thinking through these questions, having a conversation with someone at your registrar’s office can be really useful.

    “statistically speaking,” i have no idea which courses people have done well in, because they don’t give me that kind of data. i’m absolutely impoverished in data. in fact, i’m impoverished in a lot of stuff: a social life, hours of sleep, money, food – pretty much everything except sass and some sick slow-motion .gifs.

    anyway. i find that the best way to identify courses in which you’ll do well is to look at courses in which you’ve previously done well or found interesting, and then find similar courses?at a lower year level.

    maybe there’s some 100-level course that’s outside your area of interest that you can pick that up to take in your second year. for example, ENV100H1 is a biology-esque 100-level course that might be a bit easier on the ol’ grey matter.

    or maybe you want to get some breadth requirements out of the way. maybe you don’t want to stray to far from biology, but you really want to get rid of your category 3 breadth req – lucky for you, PHL281H1: Bioethics is available.

    also, the general ease or difficulty of a course often has a lot to do with the professor. and there are websites you can go to read up on a professor’s reputation. of course, they’re not uoft-sanctioned and so i can’t recommend them outright, but. they’re out there. you know what i’m talking about.

    best of luck,

    aska

    Read More
  • failing,  graduation,  subject POST

    hahaha….i have no power. ha

    January 15, 2016

    Hiya!

    Got a couple of questions for ya! 🙂

    1) I ended up deciding to add a physiology minor to my double major degree. I was wondering if I am able to drop this anytime or will I have to wait until the beginning of September again in order to modify it particularly if I’m deciding to graduate next year and may not have completed the minor requirements.

    2) You probably heard something similar to this a thousand times but…. my motivation level is comparable to a sad stale piece of bread and has terribly impacted my grades; this term has been the worst for me yet. (Why’d I choose life sciences….) There’s a possibility of me failing a course especially after writing the exam. Are profs usually somewhat lenient in altering the marks to at least a minimal pass mark? Or are they just unbudgeable?

    3) Lastly, by any chance could you somehow hack the school system to just let me pass and obtain my stupid piece of paper? (Thought I’d give it a shot:) )

    Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1) subject POSts are only alterable (is that a word? it is now) between april and september. so if you’re planning on graduating november 2016 or june 2017, just wait until then to drop the minor, and there’ll be no harm done. if you’re planning on graduating THIS JUNE, then GET THEE TO YOUR REGISTRAR’S OFFICE asap, so they can drop it for you.

    2) ummmmm. i’ll put it this way: it doesn’t hurt to try. you’ve got nothing to lose in just pleading your case to a prof. the smaller the class (and, i find, the higher the year), the more willing they usually are to listen to you and help you out. however, i make no guarantees. it’s a hard case to make. good luck? i hope you don’t fail.

    3) the fact that you assume i have that kind of power is adorable. i’m just a humble cog in the machine, friends.

    i hope you had a good holiday too! i hope the Big Red Man successfully broke into your house at night to leave you the nice Mystery Packages.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • subject POST

    when do i gotta and where do i gotta enrol in a POSt

    December 14, 2015

    Hi Aska, I’m a first year student at the st george campus and I’m a little confused about POSt enrolment.. when do I enrol and where?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you enrol after you’ve accumulated a minimum of 4.0 credits (that’s 4 full-year courses or 8 half-year courses). for most people, that’s after the winter term of their first year.

    POSt enrolment opens every year between April and September, so if you’re in first year now and you complete at least 4.0 credits by the end of next term, you’ll have to sign up for one specialist or two majors or one major and two minors before september 2016. these, by the way, are the acceptable combinations of POSts to receive a degree (there are some other allowable POSts, like two majors and a minor, one specialist and a minor, etc. but the ones i mentioned are the standard options).

    you enrol on ACORN. all you’ll do is put through a request for each of the POSt(s) you’re interested in, and then you’ll either be accepted or not. depending on the POSt, you may or may not need to complete certain prerequisites to get in – i would recommend taking a look at the course calendar to make sure you are taking the appropriate courses for whichever POSt(s) you’re interested in.

    type 3 POSts (as opposed to type 1, 2 or 2L’s) will require an additional application along with the button-click on ACORN. you can see what type your subject POSt(s) of interest is/are here.

    and i think that’s it for my crash course in POSts! if you have more questions in the course of your exploration into the world of POSts – and you almost certainly will, they’re a pain in the a&$ administratively – just lemme know!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • subject POST

    whose POSt? *MY* POSt?

    December 11, 2015

    is it hard to get into your POST after first year?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    which POSt are you talking about? this POSt? that POSt? my POSt?

    the difficulty associated with getting into a POSt all depends on which POSt(s) you want. usually, you can still apply to a POSt after your second or even third year. however, getting into that POSt could be very easy, or very hard, and it all depends on what you want to study. so lemme break it down:

    subjects POSts can be either level 1’s, 2’s, 2L’s or 3’s. level 1 POSts only require that you’ve completed 4.0 credits to get in. level 2 POSts have certain additional requirements, but as long as you meet the requirements, you’re guaranteed admission.

    level 2L POSts have specific requirements but limited admission, which means that meeting the requirements is no guarantee of admission. finally, type 3 POSts have specific requirements, limited admission, and you have to submit an additional application outside of ROSI.

    so it all depends on the POSt. you can find out what type your POSt of interest is here.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • grad school,  subject POST

    down to the wire

    October 9, 2015

    Hello Aska,

    I intend to graduate at the end of the academic term, but I want to change my subject post to something that helps me meet degree requirements. The thing is that I can no longer add a subject post on ACORN/Rosi. The next open enrolment date is on April 1, 2016. Will I be able to graduate on time for summer 2016? In other words, can I have the subject post added even though its been 3 days past the last day to add a subject post that meets the 2015 program requirements?

    On another note, throughout my undergraduate years, I haven’t really come to know any profs really well, nor have they gotten to know me. Since I plan on graduating and look to apply to graduate schools, how can I get a reference letter from someone? I know it depends on profs, but is there a rule or protocol where I can get a reference letter?

    Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    subject POSt stuff

    if you are graduating in June, any subject POSt changes want to make after the last day to add/change subject POSts have to be through your college registrar’s office. even if you were to wait with April, it’d be no dice. after making a graduation request, your POSts are pretty much frozen.

    also, it just makes good sense to talk with your registrar about any changes so close to graduation. they can make sure that you actually meet the requirements for the POSt, so you’re still able to graduate.

    as long as you’ve actually completed the requirements for the POSt you’d like to add, your college registrar may be able to add you to the POSt.

    HOWEVER, there may be complications in terms of the requirements in the year you’re adding the POSt (versus 2015-2016, or even the year you entered uoft), and it may not be possible to add the POSt so late. so definitely talk with your college registrar about it as soon as you get the chance.

    reference letter stuff

    i do appreciate how tricky this is. asking for reference letters is probably on my top ten list of things i hate doing. however, if you want to get to graduate school, it’s something you have to do.

    that means that you’ll just have to pick the professors who you think you’ve been closest with. you may not be best friends with any of them, but as long as you did pretty well in their class, you prepare a really strong package (sample work, explanation of what you need from them, deadlines, etc.) to allow them to write a reference letter for you, and – ideally – they remember who you are.

    then just dive in and ask them. some conversations may be more comfortable than others, but at the end of the day, professors who teach third and fourth year courses KNOW people will want reference letters from them. they expect it. and they do do it. so don’t be so afraid. still respect their time and and don’t expect a ‘yes’ as given, but don’t be AFRAID.

    finally, consider attending an info session offered by the school or department you’re interested in. there are a whole bunch of them here, but if the program or school you’re interested in is not listed, you can always contact them and ask if they will be having some kind of event. they will rarely have absolutely nothing in the way of recruitment.

    best of luck with it all!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • course conflicts,  subject POST

    you’re gonna skip class so much even without course conflicts

    October 9, 2015

    Hi aska,

    I am a first year undergraduate here at UTSG, and planning to major in immunology/microbiology. Since I got AP transfer credits, i’m currently enrolled in BIO230 for fall, and IMM250, BIO220, and MGY200 for winter. I’m just wondering that if ACORN (or, who or what ever would do this) hasn’t kick me out of the course by now, it means that I am eligible to take those 2nd-yr courses right?

    Also, I really want to get into biomedical communication program, but that’s in UTM. Is there any way I can take HSC courses without internal transfer? Like summer school or? idk, anything else? I know there’s HMB304 and HMB404 in UTSG, but it is getting me nervous that the course isn’t offered this year.

    Last question: is it a good idea to skip one MAT136 lecture a week in order to go to MGY200? I just don’t want to drop professor Lam’s class? Well, I took AP calculus but I’m still not sure will it become like super hard in 136.

    Sorry for asking so much questions. Btw your website is awesome!! Thanks for helping us out all the time.

    All the best,

    A Freezing-Cold First-Year Student

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the official party line is that you can be removed from courses AT ANY TIME. and certainly, there are some departments (i won’t name them specifically) that only removed people from courses this week. so. you do want to be absolutely certain that you meet all the requirements for taking the course.

    just in case, here are those requirements for the courses you listed:

    BIO230Y1: you need to have taken (or have transfer credits for) BIO130 and CHM138+9/151 to be eligible for this course.

    IMM250: they won’t kick you out of this course if you don’t have BIO120 or 130, but they do recommend you take them (or, again, have transfer credit).

    BIO220: BIO120H1 (or equivalent transfer credit) is a prerequisite.

    MGY200: BIO130H1 and BIO230H1 (or equivalent transfer credits) are both prerequisites.

    you’re free to take HSC courses at UTM, either during summer or fall/winter, as long as you meet the prerequisites for those courses. you can’t add a subject POSt offered at UTM without transferring, so the biomedical communications POSt is out of the question unless you want to transfer.

    you can find prerequisites for HSC courses here and figure out if you have the appropriate transfer credits here. you can also use transfer explorer to see if there are equivalent courses on the downtown campus, so you don’t have to go to UTM.

    it is definitely not a good idea to skip a course on a regular basis that you will ALMOST CERTAINLY need for a subject POSt. like, MAYBE you’ll manage to pass both courses, but wouldn’t you rather actually do well in just one of them?

    at the end of the day, it’s up to you, but skipping class on a regular basis is never something i would advise – no matter how smart you are. you’ll be tempted enough to skip anyway.

    finally: you’re cold already? wait ’til we hit november, amigo. i’m still walking around in t-shirts.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. glad you like the site. sometimes the constant weight of cliched, 20-year-old existential angst i feel about my impact on the world is momentarily alleviated by those comments. so. thx.

    Read More
  • subject POST

    POSts, POSts, POSts, POSts, POStPOSts!

    October 2, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    I was wondering what my chances would be if I petitioned the university to do a triple major of Computer Science, Math, and Statistics. Apparently it has been done before:https://www.reddit.com/r/UofT/comments/2nozph/triple_major/

    I would be able to complete it within the 20.0 credits in order to graduate. I would also only have 6.5 credits overlapping between the three of them, which I will have enough to have 12.0 distinct credits between the three. I will be taking all the same courses regardless, but if all the courses I take satisfy the requirement for a triple major shouldn’t I try to petition for it?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    to be honest, i’ve never personally heard of someone petitioning for three majors successfully, and i don’t entirely trust that reddit thread. seems like a lot of second-hand information. i mean, kudos for doing your research, and hey, i guess it COULD happen, but it usually doesn’t.

    that being said, you can petition it if you want to. it won’t cost you anything, and it’s allowed.

    however, i would urge you to think about why you want three majors. what will having three majors – as opposed to a double major and one minor – really accomplish that the latter combination couldn’t?

    this is something that your registrar’s office (who you’ll have to talk with if you want to submit a petition) will ask you, so i recommend you think long and well about it.

    tl;dr: you can do it. but you may not be successful.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • subject POST

    posts are flexible, bendy – like bamboo

    August 17, 2015

    I’m interested in pursuing a physiology major, but I’m already going into?third year with a dummy major (Pharmacology).? On the calendar?<http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/crs_psl.htm#ASMAJ0482>,?I’m told which courses to take in First Year (which I’ve done), Second Year?(which I’ll be taking this September), and Higher Years.? The main reason
    for the delay is due to scheduling conflicts as I’ve simultaneously been?pursuing an arts major.

    Is it acceptable to be taking the second-year course requirements for this?POSt in my third year, as long as I meet all the POSt requirements by the?time I graduate?

    Also, will I be able to successfully apply to the POSt later on as I meet?more of the requirements, as long as my grades are sufficient?

    Thank you.

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    you can complete the courses for your POSt whenever it suits you.

    it doesn’t matter if you do your second-year courses in second, third or fourth year. your intuition is right; as long as you’ve completed all your requirements by the time you graduate, you’re okay. the university?isn’t bothered about how long it takes you to finish your degree. they’ve got more important things to worry about.

    you’re able to apply to the POSt later (that is, after your second year), as long as you’ve taken all the prerequisite courses. however, there’s no way of telling whether you’ll get in. the physiology major is a type 3 program, which means that getting the minimum grades in all the required courses is no guarantee that you will get into the program.

    the estimated cut-off is an average in the mid-70s for the required courses, so the higher above that your grades are, the better your chances are of getting in.

    after that, all you can do is cross your fingers and make wild promises?with your deity of choice (“if i get into this program, i promise i’ll be nice to my brother for the rest of my life” “if i get in, i’ll keep the house clean all year” “i’ll buy my mum a house” “i’ll spend all my spare time volunteering at a local hospital” “i’ll sell my left toe and donate the money to Toronto’s homeless” etc.) until you hear the news (and promptly abandon all your promises).

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • subject POST,  UTSC

    racking up the POSts

    August 13, 2015

    Hi AskA~

    I’ll be entering my 4th year at UTSC as a Human Biology and Psychology double major this fall, but I’m currently thinking about coming back for an extra year– for an Applied Statistics minor. I can’t seem to find much information regarding “double major + minor”; but is this scenario possible (i.e. just add the subject post on ROSI)?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can totally do that! it’ll be a little trickier if you plan on graduating this year, since that would mean that your extra year would be under non-degree studies. in that case, you’d have to talk to your registrar’s office (and the computer science, mathematics & statistics department) about the possibility of retroactively putting the completed minor on your transcript.

    UTSC explicitly states that students admitted as “[s]tudents admitted as ‘non-degree’ students are not permitted to enrol in a Program of Study,” but it’s worth it to speak with them about whether an exception can be made, since you would be continuing on from your degree studies, rather than being admitted from outside the university.

    however, if you plan on just graduating a year late, all you have to do is add yourself on ROSI! any combination of subject POSts you can think of is allowed, as long as your total POSts doesn’t exceed three, and you have no more than two specialists or majors. easy peasy.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More