• admissions

    they always come CRAWLING BACK for MORE

    December 4, 2014

    Hey!

    Thanks for answering my previous question, I am glad that helpful people like you exist. I have another question, if you don’t mind. I have applied as a humanities student and have deferred my admission until next year. Now knowing that I want to study psychology (and not IR as I said on my application… Big jump, eh?), I hear that that psychology is part of the Life Sci stream. Does this mean that I won’t be able to major in psychology, seeing as I’m a humanities student? Should I apply again, this time indicating a preference for life science?

    Thank you very much for helping, you’re awesome.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    yeah, i know, you just can’t get enough of me, right? what can i say, i have that effect on people…it’s not something you can teach, you’re either born with it or not…

    anyway. DON’T apply again. it doesn’t REALLY matter what you come into uoft doing. if you’re a first year in the faculty of arts & science, you’re pretty much the same as all the other first years in the faculty of arts & science. just a part of the faceless, nameless hoard.

    if you want to major in psychology, the only thing you need to do is make sure you enrol in PSY100H1. that course doesn’t have any enrolment controls, so you’re free to take it in first year.

    as long as you take it and do well (and you took calculus in grade 12), you’re eligible and competitive to get a spot in a psych subject POSt. just make sure to apply to the major after first year.

    if you have any more questions about psych, feel free to browse aska’s psychology tag, ’cause i get an ungodly amount of questions about psych at uoft. they should just give me an honorary degree at this point, i’m thinking. but they keep telling me there are “protocols” and i can’t just “waltz into their office demanding a degree.” whatever.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • art

    vis-a-vis VIS

    December 4, 2014

    Dear Aska,

    I’m at my third I’m in my 3rd year at U of T, and I’m currently double majoring architecture and fine art history. I got transferred to the architecture department through internal transfer last year, hence it looks like I would have to delay my graduation in order to complete all my programs.

    However I recently found out that the visual studies program, which is also?offered by the John and Dennis faculty appeal to me a lot. (I have always been an avid drawer as I took interest in visual representations and?drawing in general since I was very young,) and I’ve also noticed that I’m more interested in the visual studies program than the final then the art?history program. (Though I’ve never took any of the VIS courses)

    Since the John that is faculty doesn’t offer visual studies as a minor, if I were to take visual studies then I would have to forfeit my fine art?history as a major. This definitely poses a problem since it’d take me even longer to graduate. My question is, could anybody who is now in the VIS program, tell me briefly what their curriculum is like, and what are some?of the other resources via which I could get similar training and education?required for becoming a better visual artist.

    Thanks and keep up the great work.

    Best regards.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can read about the visual studies programs at the daniels faculty here?and take a look at the timetable here. you can read about requirements for the VIS minor program here.

    however, i agree with you that it might be smarter?not to start messing around with your programs at this point. imho*, this might be a good time to start looking into a second degree, or different ways to get into art outside of school.

    i’d recommend taking a look at the different programs offered by OCAD. also, you may want to think about a Masters in Visual Studies at uoft after your bachelor’s.

    if you’re not really into the idea of doing a whole other degree, the toronto school of art offers courses in drawing and painting for about $460 for a 12-week course. the AGO also offers courses (including yoga, which is…unexpected…), and the school of continuing studies at uoft also offers courses. there’s also this, this and this.

    lots of opportunities to help pay artists something close?to a living wage in the city! hopefully you can?find something to suit you.

    cheers,

    aska

    * now THERE’S a piece of internet lingo that hasn’t been used by someone under the age of 30 before.

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  • summer abroad

    (woodsworth) (not wordsworth) (woodsworth)

    December 2, 2014

    Hello. Id like to to take a course in the study abroad program, and im aware that Wordsworth college gives out generous awards to help finance, but am I allowed to apply for that assistance if I’m not from the st g campus? And I’d like to take a particular course that I’m not in the program for. Who do I get in touch with to ask for an accretion, and how likely is it that I can get in?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you didn’t tell us you weren’t a UTSG student, the fact that you called it ‘worsdworth’ college would’ve tipped us off. don’t worry; i think it’s cute.

    you don’t have to be from the downtown campus to get financial assistance. UTSG students aren’t the only ones who are poor, after all. you can take a look at all the scholarships and bursaries offered to all students here.

    you will have to meet the prerequisites (if any) for any course you want to enrol in, but being in a program directly related to the course isn’t strictly necessary.

    as part of your application, you will have to explain the “[r]elevance of the course to the applicant’s program of study,” but i’d say that if you’re interested in taking the course, there’s probably some way of relating it back to what you’re studying. a strong application can sometimes come from unexpected places. for example, i once received an application from an employer inviting me to accept their offer of rejection from a position at their company. i graciously declined their offer of rejection. i’m starting at the new job on monday.

    i can’t figure out what you mean by the word ‘accretion,’ and i don’t think it’s the word google is telling me it is, so i’m just gonna ignore that part of the question.

    how likely is it that you get in? it’s kinda hard to say. travelling isn’t really my scene, so i don’t have any personal experience with the summer abroad program to back me up.

    the website definitely says that the program is competitive, but they don’t seem to give any specific numbers about how many people apply, how many people they take, etc. so if you’re really curious, i’d recommend just calling them and asking.

    have fun flying off to whatever part of the world uoft flings you out to!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    only do as many credits as they’ll count, ygm?

    December 2, 2014

    Hi,

    I’m in my second year at UTM in the comparative physiology specialist and I want to transfer to St. George. The admissions website says that you can’t transfer it you have more than 10 credits completed, when does it count this from? In my first year I finished 5.5 credits so would I only be able to do 4.5 this year or does it just count from when you apply to transfer, in which case I’d be finished 7.5 credits after first semester is over.

    Any help would be great!?

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

    hey there,

    well, this page about transfer credit says that “[s]tudents who have completed up to two years of study at a recognized university may be granted a maximum of ten transfer credits.”

    since your assessment for transfer credit will include every single credit you’ve completed up until the point you actually come to UTSG and start taking credits here, i’m gonna say that it counts from the very end of your time at UTM.

    so if you’re finishing your second year this april, then yes, only 10.0 FCEs will be transferred over. that’s not to say that you can’t complete?more than 10.0 credits – like, if you finish 10.5 FCEs by april, you’ll still only have completed ‘two years of study.’

    but they’re only gonna?transfer?a maximum of 10.0 FCEs, so why make it hard on yourself?

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams

    let’s fly away

    December 1, 2014

    Hey, aska. Like anyone who’s dealing with student loans and having to deal with uni tuition, I enjoy saving money. I want to be able to go back to Korea this coming summer, but I also want the cheapest flight possible. If I get my plane ticket for the 30th of April by the end of December, I can save hundreds on the ticket. I know that the official calendar says that April 30th is the last day for exams, but I have a feeling that it’s for makeup exams. This is due to the fact that I looked at the exam schedule this semester and there arent any exams for Dec 19, the last day for exams this semester. I don’t want to buy the ticket and then find out that I have an exam on that day next semester. So is the last day for exams actually for exams or for make up exams? Do you think it’ll be ok for me to book my flight on the 30th to save some money or should I keep it safe and buy a ticket for later on in the month?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    listen, man, if you do this, you do it at your own risk. yeah, the chances aren’t great that you’ll have an exam on the very last day. and yeah, as someone whose living prospects for the near future include living in a cardboard box, i get the whole being tight on cash thing.

    BUT if you book that flight and then it turns out you’re supposed to be writing an exam when you’ve planned to be halfway to Korea, then you’re in a bit of a sticky situation. especially if you’re aware beforehand of the risk.

    basically, if you’re gonna do this, i’m not gonna stop you. but i’m also not gonna hold your hand if you have to go to the registrar’s office and straighten out a big mess a few months down the line.

    best,

    aska

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    all about transfer credit

    December 1, 2014

    Hey! I’m a first-year student at UTSC and I am pretty sure I want to major in philosophy (but I want to double-minor in Celtic Studies and European Union Studies, which isn’t offered in Scarborough!). By the end of second semester, I will have completed 3 philosophy courses that count towards my major here at UTSC.
    HOWEVER, I was looking into attending UTSG instead. (What can I say, I like downtown). I was just wondering what steps would be involved in transferring over. Is there a specific person I should speak to about transfer credits? Also, if I have fulfilled my breath requirements here at UTSC, does this mean I have also fulfilled them for St. George as well?
    thanks so much.

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

    hey there,

    if you want to transfer, you’ll just have to make sure you meet all the prerequisites and then fill out an internal application by the deadline for your faculty (arts & science for you).

    transfer credits are assessed after you apply to transfer, so unless you have any?BURNING QUESTIONS about a specific course or courses, you don’t have to talk to anyone about it.

    you can read a bit more about how transfer credit works here, or you can contact the transfer credit office yourself with specific questions.

    the breadth requirement thing kinda depends on how your transfer credits pan out. if you took a course that counted for the fifth breadth requirement category ?at UTSC and you get a transfer credit for it that also counts towards the fifth breadth requirement category at UTSG, then that’s great.

    but that may not happen for all your courses.?depending on how your transfer credits are assessed, some may or may not count as breadth requirements here.

    once you get your transfer assessment after applying, you’ll be told exactly which credits count towards which breadth requirements. generally speaking, really basic, first year courses that are common to all three campuses are usually no problem (i’m talking first year calc, first year chem, that kind of thing). for some of the more particular ones, it’s not as certain.*

    but like i said, it’s all just a matter of waiting to see what transfer credit says.

    xoxo,

    aska

    * well, it’s not as certain to ME. i’m sure it’s crystal clear to the transfer credit office people, it’s just that…i don’t work there…

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  • admissions

    horror stories

    December 1, 2014

    I’ve heard horror stories of people getting their acceptances taken away What is the average that causes it to be taken away?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ahh, the ‘horror story’ strikes again. let me tell you something about the things students tell to other students: they’re usually crap.

    like, people don’t tell stories because they want to spread useful information. they tell stories to feel better about themselves, and also to SHOCK and TERRIFY other people for kicks.

    here’s the real story: you won’t get a final offer of admission if your final marks fail to meet your conditional offer of admission. your conditional offer of admission usually just says that you have to meet the program requirements, but you can read about the specifics in your offer letter.

    now, there’s a difference between being competitive enough to get an offer in the first place, and just meeting the requirements.

    as you can see, the actual prerequisites just require that you complete a certain amount of courses, and not necessarily that you finish with a certain average. plus, the university says that “[s]econdary school applicants with strong midyear results may be admitted on condition that they complete their academic year successfully.” the important word there is ‘complete.’

    if your average dips a little bit, it’s not a big deal. i’d say you should only start to be concerned if it goes down 15%-20% or more, and you start to get into danger of maybe failing a course.

    as a general rule, try not to listen when people tell horror stories, okay? it’s all just make-believe.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment

    simpler than you expected

    December 1, 2014

    Hello,

    I was just wondering if there’s anything specific I need to do if I want to?enroll in an S course right now. When I was looking into it I found out?that January 18th is the last day to enroll in S courses, but is that all??I just enroll in the class on ROSI, pay for the single course and that’s?it? That seems a little too easy. Is there a due date for the tuition?payment for S courses when you sign up for them later? And is there a late?fee automatically added to the regular cost of the course on top of the?1.5% service charge starting in November?

    Thank you so much for your help.

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

    hey there,

    well, it’s a?little more complicated than?that, but not by much.

    the only question here is?whether you’re a full-time or part-time student. if you’re a full-time student (that is, you’re between 3.0 and 6.0 FCEs), then you can add a course and you’ll still be paying the same, full-time course fee. nothing changes.

    if you’re part-time and therefore paying per-course fees, then you will have the cost of that course automatically added to your account invoice on ROSI.

    and yeah, if you don’t pay for it by december 15th, and then january 15th, etc. that 1.5% service charge will accumulate on it.

    by the way, you can read all about your specific fee information on this handy document, which, granted, has entirely too many tables to be comfortable, but is actually very helpful, so. you win some and you lose some.

    cheers,

    aska

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