• awkwardness,  bad times,  sabotage,  weirdness

    u of t hunger games spinoff

    May 16, 2017

    I heard that UofT is filled with students who tear out pages from the library books to sabotage other students, students who give wrong notes and answers, and students who sabotage labs. Everyone says that the students are out to get each other and only care about their marks. Is this true? Does it depend on the program?

    ———————————————

    hello,

    dude, this sounds like a great idea for a tv show or movie. i can see it now:

    it would be like the hunger games but instead of an outdoor arena it’s actually the U of T campus during a particularly frigid winter. two randomly selected undergrad students from each college/ faculty are thrown into the arena to sabotage and betray each other to get marks below 50 *gasp* (after which they are forcibly transferred to repeat their senior year in high school). major obstacles in the arena would include un-shovelled sidewalks, people who refuse to look up from their phones when walking to class, and those speeding cars in front of northrop frye. while queen’s park may seem like a nice grassy soft area to lie down for a night’s rest, terrifying creatures like squirrels and muggers lurk in the shadows. tempting banners at second cup with hipster smoothies on them may lure you to wait in line for one but beware for they may cause you digestive issues, causing you to miss a final worth 50%! the last student standing gets to live in one of those nice new condos on bay FOR LIFE where they will be waited on by people who have committed academic offences like intentional plagiarism/ cheating. oooooh!!!!!!! and the best part is that they will automatically receive full ride scholarships and entry into the masters/graduate program of their choice.

    the point of these games is to remind us of that U of T is capable of destroying our whole career if we don’t work hard. omg imagine meric gertler as caesar flickerman omg it would be so good. yo ima copyright this asap and pitch it to warner bros or something. © askastudent

    right, you had a question. sorry i got a little carried away with my imagination.

    uhm. i haven’t personally experienced any outright sabotage at U of T, but that’s also because my programs aren’t very competitive. in other programs, i’ve heard of people maybe posting the wrong solutions to problems, but it’s hard to tell if they genuinely didn’t know how to do the question or if they were actually trying to sabotage people. people in my programs (social sciences and humanities) are usually super helpful and willing to share notes. i have a feeling that people at U of T are too busy saving their own a**es to care about fixing their notes to sabotage other people. that would be so crappy. if it did happen here, it would be super rare and it’s bound to happen at other schools too! tearing pages out of library books would result in fines for the borrower so i don’t know why anyone would do that. that would be so dumb. libraries have security cameras too! (i know this because i check every time i sneak my food up to the stacks.)

    regardless, if a student did betray their fellow classmate,  i’m sure karma would eventually come back and bite them in the a**.

    it definitely does depend on the program, too. if a program has limited enrolment, chances are, people will be more competitive. however, sometimes when the program is smaller, people make more of an effort to stick together and make sure everyone does well. i’m sure some specific disciplines will come to mind if i tell you that some programs are more cutthroat than others.

    anyways, these rarely occurring crappy people are no reason to avoid U of T. don’t forget about the wonderful people who exist here too, like me!

    peace and love and may the odds be ever in your favour

    aska

     

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  • awkwardness,  choosing,  fees

    sad, but true

    August 26, 2016

    Hi,
    I currently have an unconditional offer from University of Toronto, but I’ve also gotten an offer from another university which I’d prefer to go to. I can’t seem to find a way to contact University of Toronto that I won’t be going to their university this year as I do not currently reside in Canada, and they seem to be very slow at responding to my emails.
    I still haven’t paid any fees to University of Toronto. If I don’t contact University of Toronto about my withdrawal, would there be additional fees I need to pay?
    In a nutshell, Do I need to contact the university about my withdrawal? if so then how?
    Thanks for your time

    ———————————————

    hi!

    if you haven’t accepted the offer or paid any fees, you will not be registered. there are no additional fees that you will have to pay if you have not triggered registration. in not paying your fees, you’ll be sending a pretty obvious message to the school that you won’t be attending.

    however, there should be an option on the OUAC portal for you to decline your offer to uoft. if you can’t find that, it may be that your acceptance of another’s university’s offer automatically declined your offer to every other university. don’t make any assumptions though. you should definitely contact enrolment services to get some help in formally declining your offer.

    we’re sorry you’ve chosen another school, but we wish you the best of luck in your endeavours!

    *but seriously, i bet your new school doesn’t have an aska, which automatically makes it worse than U of T. sad, but true.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • awkwardness,  first year,  friends,  frosh,  innis,  residence

    frosh = friends?

    September 17, 2012

    Hi,

    I will be unable to attend Frosh Week because I’ll be arriving campus 3 days after it starts, but I am kind a worried because almost all the sources that I have read indicates that this is an important “mile-stone” that first-years need to take, and that it was a good way to meet friends, socialize, get used to the campus etc… I’m also dorming, so I have this little irrelevant fear that I won’t get along with my roomates (in Innis) because they’ll know each other better before I arrive, and I’ll sort of be the “outcast”.

    I was just wondering, am I really missing much? I’m sure there will be other opportunities to find friends, socialize, and attend orientation that may help me as a first year? I just don’t want to be left out, or feeling like I’m missing something that so many people are hyping over.

    Cheers,
    Catherine

    ———————————————

    Hey Catherine!

    Don’t worry! Frosh week is pretty fun, sure, but it is by no means the dealbreaker when it comes to social life at U of T.

    To make you feel better, here’s what I didn’t like about frosh week: they pretend to feed you, but actually all you get is two burgers a day, you really don’t sleep ever at all, you can’t officially drink, but everyone seems to be acting funny, and you’re totally wiped out when classes start. Still feel like you missed out? Well, maybe so, but there’s still no reason to worry.

    Living in res also gives you a leg up on meeting people, especially people involved in Innis student life– which you’ve probably realized by now! Several of my roommates at Innis didn’t do Frosh, so I made sure to bring them along to meet others, and, for better or for worse, we ended up being one of the busiest suites on the block! I’m sure your roomies will be just as down to hang. House events and residence programming simulate the same sort of get-to-know-yous that frosh does, anyhow, so you’ve got a second chance there.

    Honestly, Catherine, I made my best first-year friends in my classes- for one thing, you already know you have similar interests as those people, as opposed to a fairly arbitrary commonality such as your year and your college. And second of all, it’s simply more natural to chat after class about your cute prof than it is to get a stranger to guess the celebrity name taped to their forehead at 9am on a Saturday (true story, it was Rachel McAdams for me, and I didn’t even know who that was!). Getting involved in campus activities, getting a part-time job, and just being friendly and outgoing go pretty darn far.

    One last bit, and this is mostly for future froshies- if you missed Innis frosh, I hope you opted-out of the $100 fee in time! A few years ago, the Innis College Student Society, who run Frosh, included a somewhat greedy referendum in the yearly elections, which changed Frosh fees from opt-in (you pay when you sign up) to opt-out (you’re automatically charged on ROSI, and have to contact them a month before frosh to get your money back if you aren’t going). If you ask me, the kind of student who doesn’t go to Frosh is often the kind who wouldn’t know to vote in student elections, so thats why the motion passed overwhelmingly– and now a lot of first-years are paying for something they don?t even get! Bummer spice!

    Welcome to U of T!

    aska

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  • awkwardness,  grades,  transfer credits

    paranoid android

    July 30, 2010

    Hi, I was just wondering if prof’s and TA’s have full access to your transcript? I’m a transfer student and I can’t even view my marks from my old school, so I’m assuming they might only be able to view the marks I get from U of T? My concern is that they might look at your old marks and grade you within a certain range – based on your previous record? I also think they might judge you, and only think you’re capable of achieving to a certain level. Anyway, I hope you can address some of my concerns. Thanks!

    ———————————————

    Whoa, how much paranoia have you been smoking, pal? Your transcript and academic history are for college registrars, only. (Plus nobody can get on ROSI without the super secret access code that kind of makes you feel like James Bond.) Your past marks are none of your TA or professors business, and they won’t be able to find them out unless you tell them. I’m also certain that they won’t care. Consider your new year of school a fresh start and a chance to improve upon your past years by working hard and delving into your studies. Lay off the paranoia. That stuff will kill you in the end.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • awkwardness,  friends,  fun & places,  homosexuality,  keeners,  weirdness

    8 questions from a very inquisitive person

    July 5, 2010

    Your website is very interesting , thanks! Now I’m going into gr.12 and I was wondering :

    1) Is it true that UofT is a nerd school that only studies and doesn’t know how to party ?

    2) Does UofT have air conditioning for those hot summer days?

    3) Are there any encounters with ghosts on the st. George campus?

    4) Do you have any gay professors on the campus?

    5) Is it possible to get perfect at UofT in your courses , like in high school ?

    6) Does UofT block any websites in their network?

    7) In the lecture halls, are there power outlets to plug In your laptop if it’s running low ?

    8) Oh and , are you a guy or a girl?

    ———————————————

    You are going into Grade 12 next year, and spending all your time reading a university admissions website?! I hereby order you to smoke pot and lose your virginity, like immediately.

    Because askastudent is nearly as pathetic as you are, here are the answers to your burning questions, dear. Once again, please stop reading this website and participate in normal high school activities, from one former aska-junkie to another.

    1) Depending on the program and its students, I can see how the “nerd school” rep might suffice, but U of T – unlike say Queen’s, or Western – is also in the biggest, most party-centric city in Canada (unless you’re going to McGill). You will meet partiers, and academics and even academic-partiers. Don’t worry. There’s a lot going on campus, as long as you stay out of the stacks.

    2) I believe that most of U of T is in fact, air-conditioned. Which is a godsend. My apartment is like a friggin’ furnace today.

    3) Totally, man.

    4) There are gay profs on campus, absolutely! An amazing one is the incredible, adorable Scott Rayter who teaches Queerly Canadian as part of the Sexual Diversity Studies program at University College. That program is terrific – not only is the course material really fantastic, but the classmates are pretty cute.

    5) Hahahahahaha.

    6) Mmm, not that I know of. Though there is a pretty awesome webnet supergroup that’s funded by the University that actually investigates human rights web blocking in other countries. Read this article and believe.

    7) Probably, though you would have to be in prime optimum plug locales. I’d be charging that sucker, just in case.

    8) Askastudent is an androgynous supermodel.

    Please don’t ask me anything else. This is your summer! This is your youth! Enjoy it while you can.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • accessories,  awkwardness,  first year,  frosh

    what’s in your frosh kit?

    July 5, 2010

    Dear Aska,
    I heard tons of different things about ‘Frosh Week’ and I understand what it is. But, I read up on the UofT site, that we must purchase a ‘Frosh Kit’. What are the contents in this kit, and how much do we pay for it?

    ———————————————

    Believe me, it’s not as exciting as you think it is.

    After paying your orientation fees to your college when you sign up for frosh week? (though I think it might be like a weekend) before the first day of classes, you’ll receive your own handy-dandy frosh kit. Inside the kit will be staples like a bottle of water and condoms (in case you feel like making water balloons, of course), The Varsity’s Student Handbook, a student organizer, maybe some sponsored coupons (Vic students one year got passes to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and the all-important Frosh Week t-shirt, to denote which member of the tribe you really are. Expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $10-$15 for this mandatory kit.

    For more frosh week questions, check out this Q&A at UTSC.

    Having never attended frosh myself, I can’t really vouch for it – though friends in residence did say it totally offered the opportunity to hook up with all the hot second years a week early. Personally, Askastudent is basically as old as the hills now – and not those fake-tanned celebrities from Los Angeles.

    Happy Frosh! Aska

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  • awkwardness,  first year,  friends,  new kids,  residence

    All the ladies who truly feel me (throw your hands up at me).

    August 21, 2009

    hard to admit, but being a mama’s girl my mom is coming with me to toronto for few weeks during frosh week to settle me into my residence etc (teaching me how to use the laundry machine to avoid ‘everything is pink because of one red sock’ situation, etc etc)
    but through sept 3rd and 18th there seems to be no hotel rooms available for booking
    would it be possible for her to stay with me in my residence during her stay? I have a single room so maybe?

     

    Listen, I am a proud Mama’s boy who couldn’t even recognize a washer/dryer upon entrance to residence – so I can understand where you are coming from. It is BECAUSE I can relate to you that I’m about to serve up some tough love.

     

    Are you honestly considering having your Mom stay with you for the first 15 days of university?! Really? I think this is a bad idea for reasons three.

     

    One. These are two of the most socially decisive weeks of your uni experience. You will seriously limit your ability to make friends and engage in (planned or impromptu) activities. Unless you have one of those vicarious mothers who’ll wear tubes tops while serving up strawberry daiquiris to your girlfriends – you cannot argue that you will be undermining your?social life before it has the chance to develop.

     

    You’ve signed up for Frosh week right? If not go sign up now! Seriously. Go.

     

    Okay, you’re back. Now, that you’re doing Frosh, what is your poor mother going to do with herself while you are pre-occupied with all of these exciting events? Water fights and face paint? No.

     

    Two. You have a single room? Is it part of a suite? Do you share common spaces like a living room or bathroom? Think about the situation that you will be putting your neighbours in? The presence of a parental figure would certainly be a damper on the local scene. In fact it would just be awkward for everyone involved. ????

     

    Does your residence have a limit on the number of consecutive nights a guest can stay? Find out.

     

    Three. I GET that your Mom loves you, and wants to ease your transition. I really do.

    I GET that you want your Mom around to teach you the in and outs of domesticity, and to be a familiar face when you are entering a new environment. BUT you should know that there is something to be said for learning independence… independently from your parents.

     

    University is so much more than memorizing crap in class. It is about stepping out from under the protective parental umbrella, and tackling the challenges and nuances of daily living – face on. And you won’t be alone. Everyone shares these uncertainties.

     

    I had a friend who poured bowls of cookies for breakfast, and put liquid detergent in the dryer. Did we judge her? No, we helped her and became better friends because of it.

     

    Why don’t you be proactive and help your Mom with laundry and cooking now, before you leave? She’ll love it for more than one reason, and you’ll have a head start when you get to school.

     

    Perhaps your Mom could visit for a couple days in the second or third week of class (when you’ve actually accumulated enough laundry to do a load). I would plan it tentatively, as you may very well find that you aren’t as incompetent as you once thought.

     

     

    Sound reasonable? I really hope so, because I am not kidding around.

     

     

    Hmmm… this one felt a little heavy for a Friday afternoon. How about we lighten the mood with a little spice a la 1997?

     

    Oooh, that actually just made things even heavier, didn’t it? My bad.

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  • awkwardness

    ‘joke’? what’s that???

    July 23, 2008

    Hi aska,I was just browsing through your site and something caught my eye. Below I’ve copied and pasted a Top 5 list you have on one of your pages. It looks like it might be some sort of typo or error of some kind, but have a close look at the #4 thing on this list. I’m not offended I just thought I’d make you aware if you aren’t already. Here’s the URL as well:
    https://askastudent.utoronto.ca/?page_id=689

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  • awkwardness,  keeners

    the dean?s toilet paper.

    July 21, 2008

    Yo Aska,

    So I made the Dean’s List this year, but I don’t have a piece of paper to back up this claim when my doubtful frienemies want proof. Where is this grande List for which I have made? Is it like in some hidden tower or glued to the Dean’s bathroom?

    Yours Truley,

    MyGPAisHigherThanYours??

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  • awkwardness,  profs

    Pour a Little Sugar on Me, Baby.

    May 22, 2008

    Hello,

    I’m graduating this spring. I’ve had some awesome profs over the last few years, and I’d like to thank them and tell them I really enjoyed their class (even ones I had 2 years ago). What’s the norm for doing that? Would it be odd getting a note from a student they barely knew or might not remember, telling them what I’ll be doing after graduation? And are handwritten mailed notes going overboard- would email be more appropriate?

    Thanks!
    J

    ?

    ?

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  • awkwardness,  friends,  frosh,  residence,  university-college,  woodsworth

    Can you find the Pig Latin in this post?

    April 21, 2008

    ok, so from what i’ve heard, UC sounds like the best college (by best, i mean not religious, stuck-up, or too weird) and i’m kind of regretting my choice of Woodworth. it seems to lack character. i know it’s a little late now, but can anyone convince me that i made the right decision, or am i just going to have to make lots of friends at UC so i have an excuse for spending all my time there?
    thanks a lot.

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