• architecture,  grad school,  physics,  science

    why do i have the feeling that you’re not going to follow my advice

    January 29, 2010

    Hi Aska,I see you’ve already mentioned you’re not an Architecture major like your predecessor (I assure you, I read all the messages with the architecture tag) but I was wondering if you knew what the primary factor is in getting in to the Architecture program. I see they require a portfolio and also have some minimum marks in certain courses, as well as a required GPA, but which of those matters most? Are they all equal? I believe I can at the least attain a GPA of 3.7 or so, but I am worried about the depth of my portfolio (or lack thereof). Any tips?

    Also, perhaps the is going beyond the scope of things answered here, but I see the Masters program gives “preference” to applicants with a well-rounded set of credits from the three disciplines. Do you think it’s better to be well-rounded or have better marks? Sciences are definitely my weak point and if I take those courses they will hurt my average.

     

    Thanks for any information you can give!

    ————————————————–

    Yes, you?re right, I am not an Architecture major. I?m actually a (*dun dun dun*) Physics major. I bet you?re shocked. I know what you?re thinking: ?A Physics major who can actually write coherently instead of thinking in expressions like? 2x*exp(xyz)? LYK NO WAI!!? But then it dawns on you: aaahhh, so THAT?s the reason for all the silly alien jokes. Anyway, rest assured? I may be someone of a mad scientist… but I’m totally sane. *aska quickly sweeps up from the floor the harvested brain from last last post and throws it into a huge box containing a lot of other brains*

    Anyway, how may I help you today? Well, I got you some inside information from my architecture ancestor (lucky you) so here goes.

    First of all, you?re getting your entrance requirements mixed up. I?m going to assume that you?re an undergraduate student and that you?re talking about getting into the undergrad program, because you?ve talked about ?minimum marks in certain courses?. You don?t need a portfolio for the undergraduate program at UofT at all. So don?t be worried about the (lack of) depth of your portfolio. Your portfolio could be empty space for all they cared and it still wouldn?t matter. As for the other two requirements, GPA is definitely more important. A lot of people achieve 71% in ARC131 and ARC132, but an overall GPA that is high is rare, especially in first year.

    You do need a portfolio to get into grad school, but 1) you have four more years to complete the portfolio, and 2) if you do get into the undergraduate architectural design program at UofT, you?re going to have a lot of studio courses that would provide you with many chances to add extra pieces to your portfolio. According to aska?s ancestor, you should come up with pieces using as many types of media as you can, as it shows your creativity. 😀 If you are unable to get into the architecture design program, then you’re going to have to work on your portfolio on your own time — but this is something that you want to do in the long run if you want to be an architect anyway, right?

    As for well-roundedness giving you an advantage in graduate school, I don?t really think you have to worry too much about that either. Yes, it?s true that the architecture program at UofT does really like to take in people from every discipline (apparently, one of the master students in architecture had an undergraduate biochemistry degree). But in the end, architecture at UofT is only a major program (as opposed to a specialist), which means that you have to combine it with another major program or two minors in order to graduate anyway. As long as you don?t combine it with something like Art History, you?d probably end up with a pretty diverse mix of courses in the end. Hint: if you don?t have any other good ideas for the second major, you could try out something from the Centre of Environment. Green architecture is always in. As for the sciences being your weak point, you probably don?t have to worry about that. The admissions requirements for the Master?s program only require ?secondary calculus? and ?secondary physics?. So you only have to take calculus and physics at the high school level.

    tl;dr version (that’s “too long; didn’t read” for all you non-geeks): undergrad architecture doesn’t require a portfolio. The grad program does but you have four years to make the portfolio. So my advice to you is: Relax, go out and have some fun, and stop freaking out.

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  • grad school,  library,  math,  physics

    Got worms.

    July 9, 2009

    hi, sir

    ?glad that if you could receive this letter and i would be happier if you could reply me.

    ?i am an arts and sciences students and i belong to physics and mathmatics programs.
    recently i realize that maybe this major does not fit me best because i dream of becoming a librarian in the future. in that way i am thinking about change my program to another, which can help on my futuer job. but i have no idea now. but i truely believe that all science stuffs can alreay kill me. sucks. anyway. hope your reply and give me some suggestions.
    in the end, what job does this physics and mathematics programs applies for?

    Glad you asked.

    I hope I can make you happier, but first…

    How happy are you right now; on a scale of one to ten? 1? 8.5? 4ish??

    Hopefully it’s low… so my job is easier.

     

    So you think you want to be librarian, huh? Cool.

     

    Askastudent has a friend (and I swear I have ONE), who also wants to become a Librarian. She was recently admitted to the Master of Information studies program here at U of T. So, I deferred to her expertise on this one.

     

    It turns out that “Librarian” is an accredited profession (fancy!). This requires the completion of an accredited degree. This is reinforced by a fun anecdote from said friend,

     

    “I used to work at the reference library and this fact used to make the circulation desk people quite bitter because despite their years of training on the job, they would not be able to apply for librarian positions without the [masters] degree.”

     

    Doesn’t it paint a wonderfully tense imagine of the social dynamic among library staff? Who knew? Are you prepared for this??

     

    Okay. Let’s look at the Master of Information (MI) program in the Faculty of Information. Within this program you would take the Library & Information Science Path. The Admissions Requirements indicate that almost any recognized undergraduate degree will suffice, with the awkward exclusion of theology, education, and “library science” (WTF?!). Anyway, it looks like Math and Physics would be just fine as pre-Library Majors. My friend confirmed this, btw, and suspected that Majors in English, Physics, Math are all the same to the “iSchool” folk. Are they getting sponsorship from Mac? Perhaps, they’re just trying to shed the introverted, thick-lensed, church mouse look for something more hip and now.

     

    Friend-of-Aska also noted that volunteer or work experience in a library setting would really enrich your personal statement, and thereby strengthen your application. It would also be an opportunity if you to see if you really have, “a keen interest in books, how information is organized, disseminated, who gets access to information.”

     

     

    Moving on… What jobs do Math and Physics prepare you for???

    Uhhhhh… Teacher… umm… Mathematician… Physicist…?

     

    Well, for one, the statement, “I have an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto,” will get you farther than those who can’t say that. This is true whether not or not the job has anything to do with numbers.

     

    Also, the mental faculties that these disciplines develop are transferable to many many professions. Think about it. You’ll be good at counting, writing in pencil, pronouncing Greek letters, and using a calculator. You might need some work in the “talking to people” department… juuust kidding. Unless, of course, you prefer to converse with inanimate objects – in which case you will make a swell Librarian. !!!!!

     

    Finally, even if you choose to ignore all of my blabbering, please READ THIS!!! (this link is now defunct; it was a page about choosing your career. i’m sure you can find similar ones around if you have a google – aska 2014)

     

    The Careers Centre is well-equipped to answer questions like yours, and I imagine they are an under-utilized resource. The “Careers by Degree” listing is totally fun (I just blew a good 15 mins on it). Making an appointment sounds like a good option too.

     

    Did you notice the stat that 46% of graduates are not employed in a related field?! That is either depressing or encouraging… I’m not sure (says the architecture kid).

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  • chem,  choosing,  physics,  tutorials

    from top to bottom: the journey of the student

    December 6, 2001

    I’m doing first year life science and is it ever a kick in the pants. I come from top of my class and am probably near the bottom here. If my TA is completely useless where do you suggest I go to get help in Chemistry or Physics? I’m also concerned about applying to second year programs…what kind of of marks do they look for, how hard is it to compete for a space?

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