• courses,  first year

    an interesting course? in my program? it’s more likely than you think

    July 21, 2015

    hi aska, I was wondering if you had any recommendations on interesting first year courses for someone who wants to take a wide variety of courses? thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    good for you for asking this question. so many first years are afraid of taking lots of different courses. most people want to feel like they already have a handle on things when they come in to university, and very often that translates to people being open to only a select number of courses – the “right” courses.

    problem is, there are no right” courses, and the sooner you get excited about exploring everything on offer, the better a chance you have of finding something you love at university.

    since i don’t know what stream you’re entering into and i don’t really know which areas of study i should be focusing on in terms of course recommendations, i’m just gonna give you aska’s GENERAL TIPS on how to enrol in courses as a first year:

    1. make sure that you’re completing the prerequisites for whatever program(s) you’re interested in.

    after first year, you’ll be required to sign up for a subject program of study (POSt). for that reason, it’s a good idea to take courses in first year which fill the requirements for the program(s) you’re interested in.

    i want to be clear about this: you don’t HAVE to know which programs exactly you want to get into coming into first year. that kind of defeats the whole purpose of having a general first year. however, it’s a good idea to have some kind of plan going in – if that plan eventually changes, that’s not a big deal, but you have to try something out before you can change your mind about it.

    if you’re thinking of a life science program, the requirements usually include: BIO120+130, CHM138+139, MAT135+136, and sometimes PHY131+132. if you’re thinking of doing a psychology program, you’ll want to take PSY100H1.

    if you’re thinking of econ, you’ll want to take MAT133Y1 and ECO100Y1.

    if you’re thinking of doing computer science, you’ll need CSC148H1 and CSC165H1.

    some popular, foundational first-year courses for a variety of humanities and social science programs include: POL101Y1, SOC101Y1, ANT100Y1, ENG140Y1, CIN105Y1, CLA160H1 and PHL100Y1 (make sure to double-check the specific program you have in mind to see what the prerequisites are).

    2. start thinking about breadth requirements

    you may have noticed that no matter which program you’re interested in, you’ll still have some space left over to take other courses. you may want to think about filling those spaces with courses that fill a breadth requirement or two.

    every course in the faculty of arts & science will fill at least one breadth requirement. depending on your program, it’ll be really easy for you to fill some breadth requirements, and tougher to fill others. science students will have no trouble filling breadth requirements 4 and 5, while humanities students will have a lot of courses in breadth requirement 1, and social science courses tend to be in breadth categories 2 and 3.

    if you’re a humanities/social science student looking to fill your 4th and 5th group of breadth requirements, take a look at some intro. science courses i recommended here.

    if you’re a science student, those intro. humanities/social science courses that i listed above are good places to start looking.

    finally, just take one lazy sunday off to get to know the timetable. go in with an open mind and explore anything that strikes your fancy. the faculty of arts & science has so many options available, including a whole bunch that have probably never crossed your mind.

    3. just do what you feel, man

    if you have any space left after taking into consideration your program requirements and breadth requirements, then just indulge yourself in some wish fulfilment. want to take a 200-level intro. to European Studies course? you got it. always wanted to learn Estonian? now you can.

    you never know – these intro. courses could lead to a minor or even a second major that will complement the program(s) you originally set your eyes on.

    i realize that i didn’t recommend that many specific courses in this post, but that’s because i don’t want to limit you – what you find interesting will depend on your personality and – duh – your interests. explore those. find weird and obscure courses on the timetable. take that leap of faith and sign up for the ones that surprise you. you may just end up enjoying one of them.

    good luck on July 30th!

    peace,

    aska

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  • psychology

    course enrolment, or, a short story of a fight to the death

    July 21, 2015

    How big are 2nd year psych courses?? Specifically psy220.. I’m just concerned that because I dont have priority for the courses they’ll be all filled up by the time priority drops !

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, the fall lecture section has 188 spaces, 51 of which are now taken. i’m guessing that once second year course enrolment starts, those 137 spaces will fill up pretty quickly.

    BUT don’t start punching your computer screen and tearing your hair out by the fistful just yet. there are still two lecture sections left in the winter session, in case you need to resort to them. both of them have 188 spots too, and they’re almost completely empty at this point.

    realistically speaking, i would make sure to have a backup, but there are three lecture sections of almost 200 spots each, so if you log into ACORN at 6am on August 7th, you just might get in.

    and in this time of stress and peril, i’d just like to remind everyone to breathe deeply and evenly and try not to get too worked up by course enrolment. remember: no matter how excited you are about whatever course it is, come December, you’re going to wish you never signed up.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • OSAP

    “satisfactory academic progress”

    July 21, 2015

    Hey! OSAP put me on probation last year, holding my funding for a bit until I gave them a letter explaining my unsatisfactory academic progress. I got good grades and all, but I only completed 3.5 FCE, which meant I was still “first year” which they didn’t like. Anyway, I wrote the letter and got my funding etc. Took 4.5 FCE last year and now I;m at a total of 8.0 FCE. Which I thought was enough for 3rd year but isn’t. Will they cancel my funding this year because I still didn’t progress? Ty

    wanted to add to the previous question I sent about OSAP: the only condition for the lifting of my OSAP probation, as far as I can remember, was that I had to pass all my courses, which I did.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i couldn’t find any downtown campus resources on this, but UTSC says that as long as you HADa full-time course load (3.0 FCEs+ on the downtown campus) in the previous session, you’re “making progress towards your degree.” if you took (and passed) 4.5 FCEs last year, that definitely qualifies you.

    however, if they had an issue with you not progressing to the next year level in the past, i’m not sure that wouldn’t happen again. i can’t find any evidence that it would, but i wouldn’t want to risk it.

    i’d highly recommend you have a chat with a financial advisor at your college/faculty registrar’s office. they’ll know for sure, and if they think there’s a chance you could get into trouble again, they could counsel you on what to do to avoid it.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • grad school,  non degree

    approaching profs doesn’t get easier with age

    July 17, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    I recently graduated from St. George with a BA, but I wasn’t really sure at the time where I wanted to go from there. After giving it some thought, I’ve decided that I’d like to try for an MA and apply to grad schools for the 2016/2017 school year. My biggest concern, however, is not having the academic references for my applications; I’ve always been a shy person and thus haven’t really connected with my profs in as meaningful a way as other, more outgoing students. I don’t want this to be a hindrance, however, so I’m seriously considering registering for a few more courses as a non-degree student so that I can build more contacts and thus have the requisite number of referees when I’m prepping my applications. I’d also like to take courses outside of my usual comfort zone in order to have the breadth of knowledge that grad schools like to see, so it’s not all about the profs.

    I’m wondering how the non-degree enrollment process works, which is why writing and seeking your sagely wisdom. If I were able to get into a 400-level seminar come mid-August, would the prerequisites that I accumulated from my BA carry over so that I wouldn’t have to worry about being removed? Will I be able to take whatever courses I’d like from the department of my old major, provided there is space in them? Or do I have to start from the drawing board and abide by the same prerequisites that first-year students are faced with?

    Also, how many credits are non-degree students allowed to take in a given year? Full-time degree students take five, but is this different for non-degrees? I personally don’t know how many courses I want to take, as I have to wait and see which ones will be available in August, so I’d like to
    know whether any limitations exist beforehand so I can conduct my planning accordingly.

    P.S. Do you have any tips about building up relationships with profs so that they could serve as potential grad school referees? I’ve only ever gone out of my way to do this for one prof because that prof taught material that I really loved, and so it was easy for me to engage with them about it. Obviously, though, I’m going to have to get to know profs whose interests don’t necessarily align with mine if I want to have a shot at grad school, so it’d be super helpful to have some advice as to how I could go about doing that successfully. I’m determined not to let my social inhibitions get in the way of my goals, so I’m going to try very hard to make my return to the classroom worth it this time around.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    whoo, that’s a bit of reading right there. keeping my mind sharp for September, huh? i love it.

    coming back as a non-degree student is super easy. if you’ve been away for less than a year, you can just sign up for courses on August 14th, make the minimum payment to register, and you’re all done! well, except attending the classes. and passing them. all that fun stuff.

    if you’ve been away for at least a year, you would have to go to your college registrar’s office, fill out a form and pay $25 to get your account reactivated. then you could sign up for courses, make the minimum payment, attend classes, etc.

    if you already took prerequisite courses for the courses you’re interested in, you won’t have to take them again. all courses you take at uoft work the same way, regardless of whether you’re a degree student. they show up on your transcript, even if you’re non-degree. they affect your GPA, can count towards program requirements, all that stuff. you can also take as many credits as you like in a year.

    now, about graduate school: you DO NOT need to be best buds with professors to ask for an academic reference.

    bffls

    there is no need to feel this way about a prof. you’re asking for a letter, not a diamond ring

    stay away from me

    in fact, it’s okay if you feel this way about the prof, as long as you are nice and you did well in their course

    in fact, if you’re looking to do non-degree just to get closer with a professor or two, you may want to reconsider and save yourself a bit of money.

    in fact, profs don’t have to remember you at all to write you a recommendation letter. as long as you can prepare a really solid e-mail, you’re good. the important thing is that you ask professors in whose class you did well, and where the class is reasonably relevant to the master’s program you’re interested in.

    as a general guideline, this is how you should go about crafting a request for a reference letter:

    start off by introducing yourself, in case the prof doesn’t remember you. they’re busy and important! they don’t remember you! and if by some chance they do remember you, they will feel flattered by the fact that you thought they were busy and important enough to reintroduce yourself. make sure to include your name, the course you took for them, and a bit about the program you’re applying to.

    then, make your request. try and be as concise as possible. explain exactly what they’ll have to do, and when. let them know why you’re asking them specifically. it’s a good idea to remind them what mark you got in the course. then, upload a copy of an assignment you completed in the class that you did really well on. that way, they have a refresher on the kind of academic work you do, and they can write a more accurate letter.

    make sure to follow up with reminders (but don’t nag), and then maybe get them a box of chocolates after to thank them for taking time out of their busy busy professor life for you.

    this is a lot to think about, so if you ARE still thinking of re-registering, you may want to make an appointment with your college registrar’s office to make absolutely certain, before you shell out the $25.

    best of luck and i hope you get into grad school!

    aska

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  • economics,  english,  hard

    just give me a stRAIGHT ANSWER, MAN

    July 17, 2015

    Hello!! I’m somewhat seeking advice on what I should take this upcoming first year at UTSG with many worries… First question: Is MAT133 extremely difficult? I’m having a hard time choosing a second major (Stuck between English or Economics) and it seems that MAT133 is a requirement for an eco major. Second question: which one seems to be a better major, Economics or English? I did very well in HS english and have req for any math programs but im afraid i wont do too well? pls halp pls

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i always tell people not to ask me how difficult stuff is, but then i answer the question anyway, so maybe i’m bringing these questions upon myself.

    listen, there’s not much i can tell you that can be truly helpful. trust me: i GET that you’re afraid, and you just want someone to tell you how it is so you don’t have to go in blind. unfortunately, i really don’t think i can do that.

    i could tell you that i found first-year calc pretty difficult. i could tell you that i finished with a 96% in grade 12 calculus and got a 77% average in MAT135+136. however, those things reflect one person’s experience. i couldn’t tell you if it’s a typical or atypical one, and there’s no guarantee that you will have the same experience. you may be smarter than i am (probably), or less smart (less likely).

    besides, there were all sorts of factors that affected that mark – by December, i realized i didn’t want to continue in a life science program, so i did worse in 136 than i had done in 135 because i wasn’t invested anymore. also, the class was really early in the morning, which is never easy for me, meaning i missed more than a few classes.

    also, MAT135/6 is not exactly the same course as MAT133, so it’s not a perfect comparison.

    what might be more helpful is to look over some materials from the actual course and decide for yourself how hard it looks. fortunately, MAT133Y1 is well-documented online. here’s some great information including average text marks in 2014-15. here is the syllabus.

    look those over. reflect on how difficult you found calculus in grade 12, and on how well you did. finally, think about whether you enjoyed it.

    at the end of the day, if you really enjoy the material, you WILL be motivated to succeed. it’s that simple. so if you don’t really like math but you feel like you have to do it, don’t. if you sign up for MAT133 and sit through the first couple of classes and find you’re not liking it, just drop it (the last day you can drop Y courses from your academic record in the Fall/Winter is February 12th).

    loving it won’t make it easy, but it will make it doable.

    and from one esoteric question to another: what qualifies as a “better” major in your eyes? easier? more enjoyable? more interesting? more employable? because that all depends on you, and your interests, and how well you do, and luck, to a large extent.

    not to beat a dead horse, but if you like something, you will do well in it. and if you do well in it, opportunities will come your way.

    ALSO, if you REALLY can’t decide, you can always do a double major. actually, you’re not allowed to do just one major. you could do an english specialist or an econ specialist, but one major isn’t enough to get you a degree. so if you can’t decide between the two, that may be the way to go.

    oh, and by the way – you have all of first year to make these decisions. so if you just wanna take some first-year econ and english courses just to see which you prefer, that’s okay. you have until next summer to figure it all out. you can do it.

    aska

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  • exchange,  transfer credits

    tbh i didn’t know that ‘children’s fashion photographer’ was a thing

    July 16, 2015

    Hello,

    I am currently a student at U of T who has some questions about transfer credits. This past year I did an exchange with U of T at Sciences Po in Paris, and there I have greatly developed my career as a children’s fashion photographer, and working very frequently/ and am sought out increasingly in France, Germany, Italy etc and being in Canada be detrimental to my growing career as a top children’s fashion photographer. At the same time I want and find it crucial to complete my studies. My registrar said that I can only do 5 transfer credits (exchange & online) that will count to my degree (I need 5.5-6 more edits to complete it), however I found information on the U of T website that I believe stated you could do a maximum of 10 transfer credits. Do you happen to know anything about this. I am hoping there is a way to complete my degree online as my career and life over here in Europe is thriving.

    Thank you very, and all the best.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you want to get a degree at uoft, at least half your credits have to be uoft credits – which, yes, translates to 10.0 FCEs. so that means that all of the transfer credits you have combined – including exchange courses, online courses and transfer credit from high school or other universities, etc. – have to be under 10.0. so that’s one restriction.

    the second rule is: if you’re in the faculty or arts & science, the MAXIMUM amount of exchange credits you can have is 7.5 FCEs.

    i’m not sure how many transfer credits you have already, but those would be the restrictions you’d have to abide by. also: listen to whatever your registrar said. i guarantee you they’re right.

    and hey, if you can’t do all the rest of your degree online, maybe you can just wait a year or two, finish your degree, and then go back to Paris or wherever you need to be. i guarantee Europe will still be there when you’re ready.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • dean's list

    i mean the dean’s list is cool and all but don’t cry over it

    July 16, 2015

    Hello, for the dean’s list is it 5 courses or 5 credits that you have to take? I took 4.5 credits with 6 courses with 4.0 GPA so would I qualify? Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you’re considered for the dean’s list at the end of every session where you complete your fifth, tenth or fifteenth credits, so if you only have 4.5 at this point, you wouldn’t be considered.

    HOWEVER, you would be considered in the NEXT session that you passed the 5.0 credit mark- not to fear.

    (also, it’s literally just a piece of paper, so i really wouldn’t get my liederhosen in a twist about not getting it right away. as long as you’re doing well for you, that’s all that matters).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses

    sneaky, hidden extra courses

    July 15, 2015

    I’m going into my second year, and already have 5.5 100-level credits, but I really want to take LAT10H1 and LAT102H1. Since LAT102H1 will be designated an “extra” course, can I take 6.0 courses in the second term and LAT102H1 on top of it, or does it still count as part of the maximum 6.0 FCE per term? If it does, is there a specific process to asking my registrar to let me take an extra course (I’m pretty sure I read you can take 7 with permission)? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    “extra” courses don’t count towards your degree credit and GPA, but they still exist. you still have to take them once you enrol in them, you still have to pay for them, you still have to pull all-nighters for them (ugh). so unfortunately they wouldn’t allow you to bypass the 6.0 limit.

    if you want to enrol in over 6.0 FCEs, including extras, you’ll have to talk to your college registrar’s office and request a course overload.

    good question, though. that’s a first. you have a special knack for creatively bypassing rules – i’m sure it’ll serve you well in the work world.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • athletics

    #bleedblue

    July 15, 2015

    Are students studying at other U of T campuses allowed to try out for the Varsity Blues sports teams?
    ———————————————

    hey there,

    yep, anyone on any uoft campus is eligible to join the Varsity Blues (UTSC reference, UTM reference). UTM also has its own Varsity team, the Eagles.

    so, does this mean you’re an athlete? could you carry my bookbag between my classes for me? please DM me with deets.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment,  wait list

    waitlists (DUM DUM DUM)

    July 15, 2015

    I’ve been waitlisted for courses that I need to take, that my program requires. What do I do?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not much you can do at this point, friend. just get on that waitlist and hope for the best. rule of thumb is that if your spot on the waitlist is within 10% of the total number of spaces in the course, then you’ve got a decent chance of getting into the class.

    if there are other lecture sections that are maybe less ideal but still have spots open, you might want to rejig your schedule to make room for them.

    finally: come up with backups. once you’ve gotten into as many required courses as you can, you might have to resign yourself to the fact that you’re just going to have to take a few courses in the summer or next year, and take some backup courses this year.

    once the waitlist drops (on September 21st for F-section courses if you’re at UTM, which i’m gonna assume you are, based on when you sent this question), keep checking ROSI in case some space opens up. with any luck, a couple people will decide that The Regional Geography of Urban Hipsters in Midling Sized Cosmopolises* is not AT ALL what they wanted, and some space will open up when they drop the course.

    best of luck to you, my friend,

    aska

    * note: not a real course.

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  • enrollment,  ROSI

    your enrolment’s blocked. my enrolment’s blocked. EVERYONE’S ENROLME –

    July 14, 2015

    Hey there! The courses I actually need for first year all have ‘enrolment blocked’ for classes at like, say, 9-10 on Monday mornings, but they’re available on Thurdsays at 6-7 at night… What’s up with that? Is there a time when the a.m. courses will be available, or am I screwed?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    some courses have different lecture sections for students in different programs. i’ll bet that one of those lecture sections is restricted to a group of students that doesn’t include you.

    for example, CLA204H1 has three lecture sections. L2001 is restricted for Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering students, while the other two lecture sections are available to all students.

    you can find all this information (and more!) on the timetable. i guarantee that this document will answer 90% of the questions you have about courses. so, y’know, use it.

    just click on the “See Details” portion of the timetable for whatever course it is that’s giving you trouble, and you can find out which lecture section is restricted, and why.

    happy course enrolling! try not to let the mayhem of ACORN tip you over the breaking point. we can do this – together.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • Transferring

    one-way ticket to uoft

    July 13, 2015

    Hello,

    I applied for a transfer from Western to U of T in January, after first?year. I took MIT at Western. Liked the program very much but I failed one?of the ‘bird courses’ and couldn’t continue into 2nd year. My parents and I?decided that it was best to move back home and switch to U of T.?Western was very slow sending my transcript, and so I only found out two?days ago that I wasn’t accepted. I went to the Enrollment Office today and?they told me that I needed a B average in order to get in.?I am confused and don’t know where to begin.?If you could help answer the following questions, I would be eternally?grateful.

    ?? ? ? ?- My not-so-bird course is an F so it doesn’t count in my average.?My other marks are good with the exception of one, which brought down my?average to 68% (as I calculated it).

    ?? ? ? ?- I didn’t have a clear understanding of the process because I?thought that for transfers each mark was looked at individually, not the?average. Was I right or wrong?

    ?? ? ? ?- Every time I called the enrollment office (many times), I was?told that with 4.5 credits and only one of them a lower mark, I should get?into the 2nd year. Worst-case scenario would be to go into 1st year. Now I?was told that even applying to first year with my high school marks (that?got me accepted last year when I applied) is not an option.

    ?? ? ? ?- Don’t you have a ‘clean slate’ if you start first year again?

    ?? ? ? ?- I asked what my options are and I was told – none. No part time?course, nothing, because I wasn’t accepted. Only options are to go back to?Western, take online courses, full course load somewhere else… and bring?up my average to a B level, but I?m not exactly sure how I?m supposed to do?that seeing as it?s too late to apply anywhere else.

    ?? ? ? ?- Since I’ve received different information when talking to?different people at the Enrolment Office, should I try and get to someone?else regarding this matter? If yes, where do I go?

    ?? ? ? ?- If nothing can be done, what do you suggest as the best route for?bringing up my average so that I can re-apply and make it into 2nd year in
    2016?

    Thanks very much!

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

    hey there,

    there’s not much i can say about how admissions decisions are made at the university. i have exactly zero say in who gets admitted and how, so i can’t comment on what you were told at enrolment services.

    competitive applicants to uoft “usually have a solid B average,” so while they may consider your credits individually when making admissions decisions, your average is also taken into consideration.

    i’m not 100% sure what you mean by “clean slate.” you kind of have a clean slate, and you kind of don’t. if you were to transfer to uoft, your previous GPA would?not be factored into your uoft CGPA. however, applying to transfer is competitive – admission is never automatic or guaranteed.

    what you heard at enrolment services is what you’ll hear anywhere else in the university, unfortunately. they are the gods of admissions at this university and their decisions are final; i would strongly recommend heeding their advice. go to Western, and see about signing up for classes again. as long as you were in good academic standing at Western (which is at least a 55% average), you should be able to sign up for courses again.

    you say you “couldn’t continue into second year,”?which is a bit confusing to me. granted, i’m no expert on Western, but you should be in good standing if you had a 68% average, according to Western’s website. that means that you have an opportunity to go back, sign up for courses, and improve your GPA. i’m sure you know your situation (and school) better than i do, but it might be something worth looking into with your registrar’s office.

    i understand that your family has moved back to toronto and that it may not be that easy to up and?go back to london now. obviously, this is a decision you and your family have to make together. however, if you’ve been refused admission from uoft and you want to continue your studies this September, i’m afraid that might be your only option at this point.

    i would recommend talking to your registrar’s office at UWO?to see whether it would be possible for you to?come back to school, and how you might go about that. once/if you sign up for courses, try taking advantage of the learning skills student development centre to help get your grades up this year.

    think seriously about why you didn’t do as well as you could’ve this year, and come up with a plan about how to do better. invest some time in learning how to time manage, how to study effectively, and how to prioritize your school work.

    the main thing is to communicate. talk to your family and come up with a plan that fits you. talk to Western to confirm all the steps necessary to return. talk to yourself (ok, not LITERALLY, but reflect, y’know?) about what it is you really want at this point, and how you can get it.

    if there’s anything else that’s unclear about your application to uoft, or you have any more questions – about what your chances might be if you applied to transfer again after second year, for example – you can always go to enrolment services and ask.

    finally, aska’s always here for you if you have more questions.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • financial aid,  international students

    i’ve made $2.76 so far in pity loans

    July 13, 2015

    I wanna go to UofT but I’m an American…will I be eligible for financial aid??

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    to be eligible for the federal aid offered to ontario students (called OSAP), you need to be a Canadian citizen/PR/protected person and Ontario resident.

    unless you meet those requirements, you would have to seek financial aid in your home country. for American citizens, government loans come from FAFSA.

    once you’re at uoft, you could apply for a wide-range of college-specific and university-wide scholarships based on financial need, academic excellence, and community involvement.

    finally, there is the financial aid we are all eligible for: sitting in the spadina subway station with a beat-up banjo, singing forlornly about the cost of tuition while people pityingly drop nickels into our empty tim’s cups*.

    cheers,

    aska

    * handy tip b/c you’re american: this is a “tim’s cup.”

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