• courses

    HELP! Opinion: CHM247 or BCH311

    January 10, 2011

    Dearest Aska,

    This might sound trivial compared to other questions you get, but I’m honestly having trouble deciding between two courses. I’m a second year student in life sci with the hope of going into the medschool in Canada, but my current gpa sits around 3.6-3.7. I’m debating between CHM247 and BCH311 for this winter term, but neither are requirements for my program and I don’t really know where to turn to. I’ve looked at the Anti-Calendar from the ASSU, but is there a reliable place where I can ask other students who have taken the course?

    Frustrated

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

    Hey there probably-even-more-frustrated -with- the-delay- of- response

    The anti-calendar is probably your best option as that it is student opinions, organized and run by other students. I would also suggest checking ratemyprofessor.com to see if the prof for either is make or break.

    <sounds alarms>
    Help!!
    Has anyone taken either CHM247 or? BCH 311 and can help this brotha/sista out. Post a comment if you have

    Peace baby,
    Aska

    Read More
  • courses,  dropping courses

    get rid of that course, like a G6

    October 18, 2010

    Hey aska, I have a question regarding second semester courses. There’s still a couple of months left before second semester starts and I realized that I don’t want to do a specific second semester course. Is there any way for me to cancel my course enrolment and get my money back?

    Thanks a bunch!
    Demi

    ???????????????
    Hey Demi (Moore?),

    Yippie!

    I love when i can give positive answers.

    You’ve got it dude! You can definitely get rid of that nasty old course AND get your full money back.

    If? it’s a Winter session class/ a section ‘s’ course you can go on to ROSI, click on Course Enrollment, then List Courses. Then to the right of the course box is an option to ‘drop course’ click that baby, confirm and you’re in the clear. You can switch around ‘S’ courses until Jan 9th and get full money back.

    If for some reason your talking about a ‘Y’ section course, you can do the same thing to drop it, but will only receive 75% of your money back.

    Happy course canceling!

    With compassionate love,
    Aska

    Read More
  • courses,  easy,  first year

    why machiavelli is the shit

    September 17, 2010
    Hey quick question. I’m majoring in polisci and i have all my courses. I was wondering if you in all your greatness have heard anything about the first year seminar “machiavelli and the power game”. gimme some news on it if you have any. also, i heard from someone that university college has a secret passage way? is this true? thanks in advanced aska

    ———————————————

    I am all powerful, but have not heard of this Machiavelli seminar before. Any aska readers out there care to divulge in the comments section?

    I did however, find a review of the class in the 2008 anti-calendar. No direct comments but the class gave the seminar a retake rate of 80% with a 3.1 grade of workload and a 3.5 grade of difficulty! Machiavelli is also, like, the shit.That guy terrorized everyone!

    The professor is the same this year, so conceivably it is pretty much the same course. On Rate My Professor, Olga Pugliese (the prof) is described as “very knowledgeable, attentive and nice”, though one student complained about the amount of student presentations for what sounds like the actual class.

    Read this and take it with a grain of salt:

    She doesn’t teach!! The entire course was other students giving presentations!! NOT what I signed up for… I didn’t pay almost $1000 for that. Class puts me to sleep and class participation is sooo low, which is really bad because it’s a seminar so it should be fairly high. Most of the students don’t come to the class.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    P.S. I have not heard of this secret passage way, though I do believe it could exist. The basement there stretches on for hours!

    Read More
  • courses,  first year,  weirdness

    after a week of school, i hate it!

    September 17, 2010

    Dear askastudent,

    I have just started first year and I realized the program Im in now is not what I really want to do, how would I be able to change my program?

    ———————————————

    Oh dear lord, honey, you have a long way to go. First of all, you are only in your first week of your first year of school – how do you know that your program is not for you yet? Secondly, you don’t even have to worry about choosing a subject PoST until second year, which you can change at any time until applying for graduation.

    The feeling that you’re experiencing is normal, especially in first year. Chances are, your classes right now are huge and overwhelming. This is a reality that will eventually chill out once you head into your upper years of whatever program you end up taking, and take on smaller seminars and class sizes.

    I’d recommend thinking about what it is that you’re passionate about and going through the calendar with an open mind. Taking a thorough look at everything U of T offers will yield unexpected surprises. Many of the colleges offer really intriguing programs with much smaller class sizes and fascinating course subjects. Other programs can offer labs, research opportunities and internships that will help you gain experience in an field of interest.

    You have to be honest with yourself and think about what you want to commit yourself to for the next four (plus) years. Are you only in your program of study because you want to please your parents? Or for practicality’s sake? That may not be a reason to stay in it.

    A great resource is your college registrar. Most of the colleges (especially Innis) have a first year counselor who can talk you through some of the concerns you might be having. It may also not be too late for you switch courses, if that’s what you intend on doing though you should pay attention to these important dates. Please keep in mind that SEPTEMBER 26th is the last day to add new “F” and “Y” courses.

    My advice is to give the first month a chance and if you really hate it, consider taking something else in the second semester.

    Let me know what you decide.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses,  summer,  timetable

    school’s out for summer (not really)

    September 17, 2010

    Hello there,

    I would like to know if we are allowed to take half credits that basically last only a semester during the summer session. My plan is to take 2 half credits in the first semester, a total of 1 credit, finish off, and then leave the country mid-summer for good (as an international student)

    Thank you!

    ———————————————

    Dear Ms. International,

    Both full year and half courses are offered in the summer session. Though the dates aren’t posted yet for Summer 2011 (that sounds so futuristic, doesn’t it?), last year’s first term began May 10th and ended June 18th, with final exams and tests running until June 25th.

    Then you can escape off to Europe and find yourself! (I recommend eating currywurst.)

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses,  languages

    ennui, ennui

    August 30, 2010

    Helloo,
    I’m just wondering, is it a common practice at the UofT to not let students take courses that they despirately need to continue with their programs due to “limited space”? And also, how much should I be outraged about not being able to take “the structure of modern French”, which is a core course in my program, despite getting an 83% in French during my first year, becoming successfully enrolled in the French linguistics program and paying the $6000 or so to register for this year?
    Do you think It would make sense to go and beg the French department to let me take that course (i’m 5th on the waitlist for a total of 100 spaces, but I don’t think anyone will be dropping out of such an important course). Or am i just going to make an idiot of myself? Also, do you know if they will make me pay yet more money to take this course in the summer eventhough I was already screwed over because they couldn’t accommodate me this year? Thanks for reading, i’m just a little freaked out that I will have to do an extra year because UofT says so.
    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    Don’t you mean, “bonjour”?

    I’m sorry that being on the waitlist has screwed your plan up. If you are in your final year of graduating, you can use U of T’s guarantee clause that you need the course to graduate. But if you are in an earlier year, you will have to stick out the waitlist and wait to see what happens. After the first week of classes, the waitlists will dissolve and it may be easier to get into the course if someone drops it. You could totally try and contact the program, but I doubt it will make a difference unless you are in your graduating year.

    Sorry about everything. It’s just like a Godard movie!

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • commerce,  courses,  first year

    graduating like a flash

    August 30, 2010

    Hi yo, I will be becoming a U of T frosh 3 weeks later and studying at Rotman Commerce, and I got couple questions want to ask @@
    I know that during the summer term we can maximumly to take 2 credits, so I am curious about can I take 5.5 credits in my first and second year and then take all 4 credits in 2 summer terms,
    eventually if everything is fine I can graduate within 3 years instead of original 4 years……Is it Possible?
    I know it is pretty hard but I want to try try =]

    ———————————————

    Hey there. Your ambitious plan can totally work, but it doesn’t really sound like fun, does it? You can totally take up to six credits a year and up to two in your summer session, which would keep you at a steady clip of eight credits a year, fulfilling your 20 credit degree in two and half a years if you really wanted to…but you would cry forever trying to maintain that pace, especially with the intense Commerce course load.

    Obviously it’s up to you to decide how to pursue your degree and at what rate. Many students end up taking a maximum of five full year credits a year because it’s enough to handle, especially if they also have to work to support themselves. Basically feel free to do what you want – but consider what classes are available, the workload involved and how to plan your degree accordingly so you can also pursue experiences that are worthwhile (such as internships, after school activities and fruitful relationships). Talk to your college registrar to plan a course schedule that works with what you want to pursue. Rotman also offers very valuable resources like peer tutors and study groups that are fun and social.

    And have fun! Don’t spend your entire life in Robarts. Think of your skin!

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses,  university-college,  weirdness

    the saga that is cognitive science

    August 24, 2010

    Hi Askastudent,

    Do you know what’s going on with the Cognitive Science program? Their webpage hasn’t been updated since January 2008 and when I look up their courses at University College, it seems they’re not University College any more… or something? “The Cognitive Science program formerly administered by the University College has been redesigned under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts & Science. Please refer to the Cognitive Science program: see Cognitive Science.” See Cognitive Science…. where? In the Arts & Science calendar there is no Cognitive Science category that I could find.

    I’m sooooo confused! I managed to find one course on the timetable (under University College, not Cognitive Science), and the course code has changed from UNI to COG. One course does not a program make, so I’m not sure what’s happened. Is the program no longer offered? If it is, where have the third and fourth year courses gone? How does a program go from having TWO specialist degrees and one major to not existing so quickly?

    Thanks for your help. I’m totally baffled.

    ———————————————

    Hello there. I’ve talked to a couple of peeps at University College and the short answer (after long explanations) is that no one exactly knows what is going on with the Cognitive Science program. It’s no longer under University College’s jurisdiction, and the only Cognitive Science course in the entire program is not being offered this year in the timetable (COG 250Y1). This year it seems that they are “taking a break” from Cognitive Science before determining where it is going. Which is totally weird, right?

    If you look at page 134 of the calendar, you’ll see listings of what classes are offered to make up the major pogram of Cognitive Science – all courses in computer science, linguistics and psychology. For now, all COG courses no longer exist, and it’s dammed difficult to find who exactly is representing the program. (Someone at the UC programs office actually laughed when I said that the website hadn’t been updated since January 2008!)

    If you are interested in the program, you will have to follow the course listings outlined on page 134, and wait until next year (perhaps?) where COG courses will be offered again. There isn’t even a faculty listing in the calendar, so there is no one you can even scream at for their negligence!

    Your best bets (for screaming) are the Faculty of Arts and Science registrar, or Hilary Browning at University College.

    Good luck to you! Let me know what happens.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses

    graduating with one, specializing in another

    August 19, 2010

    i’m in 3rd year and i am specializing in vcc and minoring in psych. i’ve changed my mind on wanting to now major in psych. What i wanted to know is if i graduate with a HBA from vcc, can i come back the following year and just upgrade my minor in psych to a major so i can also get a HBSc ? or would i have to then do a double major/1 major, 2 minors & do another 4 years again to get the HBSc ?

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

    I’m sorry to ask this, but what exactly is VCC? Could you spell it out for me?

    I can only guess that technically your question is if whether you graduate with one degree, can you return and upgrade your prior minor to a major? I asked the registrar and yes, you can. Lots of people come back to upgrade their transcript and bump up their programs of study (sometimes getting an extra major or minor out of the way). You should contact your registrar after you eventually graduate from your mystery program to return as “non degree student”, making sure that you fit the new requirements of the updated subject PoST you will have to enroll in. You can take classes the year after you graduate then.

    Askastudent

    Read More
  • breadth requirements,  commerce,  courses

    critical commerce calculations

    August 19, 2010

    Hi,

    I am a newly admitted Commerce Year 1 student and have a question about CR/NCR. I chose a seminar in BR=1 and wanted to take it on CR/NCR basis. However, I am not sure that if I choose this model of assessment, will the seminar I chose count as Breadth Requirements and satisfy the Program Requirements that “STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE at least 1.0 FCE from Category 1 in order to satisfy Breadth Requirements” and “Students Must Complete 10 RSM courses and 10 Non-RSM courses in order to graduate ?” Thank you!

    ———————————————

    Hi there! I believe it does. But what do I know, let’s consult the Calendar, shall we?

    Faculty Breadth Requirement for B.Com. Students

    Students beginning degree studies in September 2010 or after are required to complete the following Breadth Requirement as part of their Degree Requirements. (The Distribution Requirement described following this section does not apply to such students.)

    Courses in the Faculty of Arts and Science are classified into five Breadth categories by subject content. (Note that some courses are not designated and do not count toward this requirement.). The purpose of the Breadth Requirement is to ensure all students graduating with an Honours degree from the Faculty of Arts & Science have chosen courses across a broad range of subject areas in the Faculty as part of their undergraduate education.

    1. Creative and Cultural Representations
    2. Thought, Belief, and Behaviour
    3. Society and Its Institutions
    4. Living Things and Their Environment
    5. The Physical and Mathematical Universes

    Students must take at least 4 full-course equivalents (FCEs) that have been designated as satisfying the Breadth Requirement. These 4 credits must be either (a) at least 1 FCE in each of any 4 of the 5 categories above, or (b) at least 1 FCE in each of any 3 of the 5 categories, and at least 0.5 FCE in each of the other 2 categories. As part of the degree requirements for the B.Com., STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE at least 1.0 FCE from Category 1 (Creative and Cultural Representations).
    Note that there is no Breadth Requirement status for MGT120H1/MGT201H1, COM110H1, RSM100Y1, and tHAT 100-series courses in CSC, MAT, STA; STA250H1, STA255H1, STA257H1, STA352Y1 cannot be used to satisfy the Breadth Requirement.

    A course’s Breadth designation can be found following the course description in the Calendar for the year in which the course is taken. (Note: the 2010-2011 printed Calendar contains designations FOR 100-series and 200-series courses only. Designations FOR 300- and 400-series courses FOR 2010-2011 will be available in the Faculty’s web site in Summer 2010.)

    Courses count toward the Breadth Requirement as they have been classified in the Calendar of the year in which they were taken.

    Students may count towards the Breadth Requirement any course which has a Breadth designation, and in which they have achieved standing, whether or not the course is used to satisfy a Subject POSt requirement, and whether or not the course was taken as CR/NCR.

    As for your second question, I am a little bit confused. I see that the calendar has written this: Note: Students must take a minimum of 10.0 RSM and 10.0 non-RSM courses (See B. Com. degree requirements above).
    ECO374H1 is strongly recommended.

    But I think that’s in tandem with fulfilling the course requirements of your degree, laid out in full in the calendar. Essentially if you are following the requirements for your degree, and taking the five breadth requirements, you will more than fulfill the 10 RSM/10 non-RSM degree requirements since most of those classes have to be in other disciplines like MAT, ECO, STA, etc. Double check with the calendar and your registrar, always and keep your calculator handy!

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses,  wait list

    a philosophical waitlist

    August 16, 2010

    Hey there!

    I’m a first year student who’s going to be joining in September. Being a little ambitious I decided to enrol in the PHL210Y1 Y course on 17th and 18th Century Philosophy, but ROSI is giving me this mysterious “Waitlisted for rank of 42 for 200 total spaces”. I’m just wondering what exactly this means and why I can’t just be approved to join the course when there are obviously spaces for it.

    Thanks so much for your help, you guys are angels. I’ll totally volunteer next year when I’m more acclimatized to the Utor environment.

    Cheers,

    Vish

    ———————————————

    Hey there, your guardian angel is speaking. (Now can you please give me some Twinkies and a big fat burrito?) Unfortunately the statistic you read on ROSI is right – and now there are even 50 students on the waitlist! Basically what you read is that the class is full, over 200 students want in, and so you will be on the waitlist for the course until someone drops it. You dig? Unfortunately there’s not much you can do except hope and wait that someone will drop the class. That may not even happen though! It’s up to you what you should do next.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • courses,  economics,  international relations,  wait list

    a rant for ROSI

    August 9, 2010

    First of all, I am a second-year transfer student majoring in sociology and want to major in International Relations next year. Since I do not have any economics transfer credit, I have to take ECO 100/ECO 105 this year in order to major in IR by next Sept. And the following is my experience with ROSI today.

    Today, I truly, madly , deeply fall in love with ROSI, which I believe is the most “reliable” system on earth. I logged in at 5:57am in the hope that I could get a spot in ECO 100 (there were 13 spots left at 5:30 in one section). Nevertheless, the wonderful ROSI logged me out immediately after I had clicked Course Enrolment. Then I could not log in again until 6:35am. All the sections had been full as expected, and the waitlists were fairly packed on which I am in the 45th and the 60th.

    Now, I can only pray and sit in front of my computing, hoping that there will be enough students leaving the course. At last, I would like to ask, according to your experience, what my chance is to get a spot in ECO 100. Thank you!

    Best wishes,
    Mike

    (p.s. sorry for venting my anger here!)

    ———————————————

    Mike I am proud of you. Instead of taking your anger out on yourself, your computer or a bottle of Jack Daniels, you did the right thing by coming to Askastudent here. I applaud your honest candour and emotion at one of the most frustrating course enrollment systems this side of the OUAC. If I had a nickel for every time ROSI screwed up and left a student devoid of a necessary course, or without a leg to stand on, I’d be knocking down old ladies with my sack of nickels.

    Unfortunately, I can not do anything for situation, though I feel for you, man. I checked ROSI today and ECO 100 has 112 and 115 students on the waitlist for both sections. So you’ve gotta feel a little bit more secure that at least there are people who are worse off than you?

    As of the second week of classes, the waitlists will stop and you will be able to try and register in the class the old fashioned way – by hoping that someone drops it while you are trying to add the course. Failing that, you could always try hanging around the lecture with a stack of twenties and seeing who you can pay off? That would make you pretty desperate, though.

    I cannot tell you what your chances are of being admitted into the course, but I wish you good luck. Unfortunately, you may have to try applying for the IR subject PosT at a later date, or switch into a subject PoST (when you are able to apply for one next April as a first year student) that will make your IR courses easier to obtain. Consult your registrar for details!

    Now say it with me folks: Everyone Hates ROSI.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More
  • biology,  choosing,  courses

    a course with no name

    August 6, 2010

    Hi Hi,

    I’m guessing the over excitement of going university got to me and now I’m in a dilemma. I prepared my schedule weeks before and I wanted my schedule to be perfect despite a not so great starting time. D:

    I’m going to be going to UTSc for Bioloigcal Sciences and I wish to go into pharmacy in the future. I had just found the course requirements on UTSc admissions site rather then UT’s Pharmacy site which only listed UTSG course requirements. This was frustrating as I only found out recently that the MATA35H3 S course I applied for was not accepted. Since course selection has passed a while ago, all the spots may have begen filled up for the MATA36H3 S course I’m really unsure of what to do. Please help me out. T~T

    ———————————————

    Hello there. I am confused about your question! What course are you applying to? Your course code is scrambled gibberish and is hurting my soul.

    I can’t help you until I know what the hell you are applying to, and since all the enrollment controls have been lifted, you could easily try applying now! If the course is full, you will have to get on the waitlist to pick up your additional course. If you are going into your first year, your situation has no “pull.” Try getting in, or applying for the course at a later date?

    Best of luck to you.

    xoxo, Askastudent

    Read More