Hi, I am thinking of taking first year linguitics. Is it really difficult? Everthing I read says it’s terrible. Would it be even worse for me if I did poorly in highschool math? Thanks

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hey there,

i know i’m starting to sound like a broken record with this, but difficulty is SUBJECTIVE. i’d rather walk into Halifax wearing an ‘I <3 Toronto’ shirt than take another physics course, but i know plenty of people who would be perfectly happy to while away a Sunday afternoon doing unholy things to vectors.

so i can’t tell you how difficult it really is. you can take a look at the course evaluations for some student feedback from people who took various linguistics courses. just log onto your portal, scroll all the way down and click on ‘Course Evaluation Results,’ which is at the bottom of the page.

if you’re not interested in the linguistics specialist/major/minor, then you could take LIN200H1 instead of LIN100Y1, which would only be a term-long rather than a yearlong commitment to the class. that’s a way to play it safe if you’re concerned about how hard it’ll be.

finally, i’m completely ignorant when it comes to linguistics, so i’m not sure how analytical/mathematical it is. high school math isn’t a requirement for LIN100Y1 though, so i don’t THINK doing poorly in math would critically affect your understanding of the course material.

i guess you can choose to make the POSt a bit more mathematical/scientific by taking some of the science courses they list as acceptable program req’s; but you can call or e-mail the department for a more IN-DEPTH insight on how much of a choice that scientific aspect actually is.

cheers,

aska

Hello! Please I am confused as to which Seminar to take. I’m stuck between Culture and Conflict in Early Toronto and Anthropology of Brands. Do you by any chance have an idea of anyone of them?

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hey there,

i don’t have any experience with either class, but there are a few factors you can use to judge both?before actually attending either one. neither class will meet all the criteria (what is this, candyland?), so just go for the one that meets the most.

both of those courses are offered at different times. one of them is going to fit better in your schedule (and as much as you may want to take EVERY CLASS, there’s only so much you can do).

second, there are ways (which remain unmentionable on this site) to measure profs up against each other on the internet. might be a good idea to do them.

if either course is a prereq for another course you’d like to take, or for a breadth requirement, that’ll be a third factor to consider. also, if you have an idea of what subject POSt(s) you’re interested in, think about how what you might gain from either class could supplement/complement those POSts.

finally, ROSI often makes the choice for you, because one of those classes may fill up before you can even get to it – trust me, it can happen. and it’ll be the only thing anyone will hear uoft students whine about for the next two months, so prepare yourself for the possibility.

if all else fails, you could just enrol in both (provided ROSI is smiling down on you that day) and attend the first lecture of each class in order to make a decision.

best of luck in the enrolment arena,

aska

Hi,
I’m at UTM in the CCIT program, going into 3rd year starting September 2014, and looking at different courses I can take. There is a course that I’m interested in, but it has two 200 level prerequisites, one of which I have already completed, but one remaining. What can I do to take this course? (Like are we expected to plan out our 3rd year while planning out the 2nd year? Had I had the prerequisites in mind last year while picking courses, I would’ve enrolled in it earlier) So what can I do now? Am I supposed to take the 200-level course while in 3rd year? Or should I just Let it Go and pick something else?? Please help, thanks.
Fyi:The course I want to take is CCT310H Mass Communication and Popular CultureIt’s prerequisites are; CCT204H5, CCT210H5

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hey there,

first of all, i just wanna indulge myself for a moment and say that this is a lovely question because it’s so clear. you gave me all the relevant information. go you! i guess that’s what happens when you’re in a communication program*.

secondly…well, obviously you can’t anticipate everything, but yeah, i’d say it’s generally a good idea to have a running plan of your four years at school, right from the very beginning. i, for example, have a snazzy word document on my laptop full of highlighted and linked information that sketches out what i’m planning to do for the rest of my academic future. but, you know. maybe i just have too much time on my hands.*

i understand that these things happen. new courses pop up, or you change interests and focuses, and all of a sudden you realize you can’t take this or that class because of prereqs. what do you do now? well, i’d suggest taking the course you’re missing in the summer session, but it’s too late to register now.

the next option would be taking the prereq in fall and 310 in winter, since they’re both half-courses, but unfortunately, the 310 course is only offered in the fall term. however, i don’t think there’s any great harm in taking the 200-course this year, and 310 in your fourth year. if you really want it, that is.

otherwise, you can just find another course. it’s really up to you, man. i can’t tell you what courses to take. and that’s probably a good thing. if i could, i’d probably just make everyone take courses in my department so it’d get more funding, or something equally sinister and conniving.

all the best,

aska

*scratch the maybe. i definitely do. it’s a problem.