• enrollment

    blocked at every turn

    September 16, 2015

    Hi!
    I recently accidentally waitlisted in another math course than my original?one, and switched back ASAP. However, I noticed that in the process, ACORN?withdrew me from the tutorial that I had previously selected and now it?says “enrollment blocked”. Is there any way for me to get back into that?tutorial? since I understand that you technically cannot waitlist in a?tutorial to begin with..
    Thanks!

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

    hey there,

    not sure why the enrolment is blocked, but it’s probably because the tutorial is full.

    if the tutorial is full, then there’s no way to do it on ACORN yourself. the best thing to do would be to contact the department and let them know what happened to see if they can put you back in the tutorial.

    also check to see if there is any other open tutorial that you can sign up for.

    other than that, all you can do is hope that a tutorial will open up. remember, you have until September 27th to add and change F and Y section courses, so keep an eye on them dates.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • repeating course,  rotman

    eco100 again…and again…

    September 16, 2015

    Thank you so much for running this website.

    I recieved a 50 in eco100 in the summer, I have to take it again this upcoming year, depending on what grade i get, what will my gpa show? and how can i calculate it on the gpa calculator on the arts and sciene page

    also, if i am applying to rotman commerce at the end of the upcoming year, they require 67%, so which mark will they consider? Also, if i do really well (80+) in my other courses and really good in my second time around taking eco, will they take me into the program?

    thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s not a problem at all! i love running this website. i mean, i’ve disappointed my parents on a fundamental level by being a no-good internet person, but hey. we learn to love ourselves.

    if you are able to retake ECO100 a second time, it will necessarily be counted as an extra. that means that the course will not count towards your GPA or your 20.0 degree credits.

    your 50% from the first retake, however, will count towards your GPA and will be weighted the same as the first time you took the course, unless that one was ALSO an extra. it would only have been an extra if the FIRST time you took ECO100, you passed it.

    as for how you can calculate this, you can either use a calculator and your grade 4 math skills, OR you can use UTSC’s handy-dancy GPA calculator. if you’re confused about whether your first retake was counted on an extra, just check your transcript; it should be noted there.

    in terms of your chances of getting into rotman, there are two answers:

    if you were admitted to rotman straight out of high school, under guaranteed admission:

    you had one full calendar year to complete ECO100. that means that if you took ECO100 in Fall/Winter 2014-2015, then again this past summer, and you have to take it again in Fall/Winter 2015-2016, you no longer have guaranteed admission to rotman, because one full calendar year has passed.

    also, if you passed the course the past two times you took it, that would mean that you’re taking it as an extra for the second time, which is not allowed. if, however, you failed it the first time, took it again and passed, then you can take it a third time as an extra.

    if you’re applying to rotman as a regular Faculty of Arts & Science student:

    they will consider your highest mark for ECO100, BUT keep in mind that applying this way is very competitive. only a handful of students are admitted this way every year, and you’ll need to do very well in ECO100 (as well as in RSM100 and your first-year calculus course) to have a shot of getting in.

    i know this business with the extras can be a little confusing, so if you have any more questions, please talk with your college registrar about it. they will have a much fuller picture of your situation and can advise you further.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • Transferring

    second time’s the charm?

    September 11, 2015

    Hello,

    I recently received a rejection letter stipulating a list of possible reasons why I was not admitted into humanities. I have since spoken with an admissions officer which lead to more confusion. The conversation and responses given, were convoluted, and I found it difficult to receive adequate assistance in pinpointing the exact cause for the rejection.

    I have taken a few secondary school classes more then once, in hopes of increasing the grades, and do believe this to be the only viable conclusion for my inadequacies in attending UofT.

    With that said, I was curious whether I would be considered for admittance, if I enrolled in another institution then requested a transfer to UofT? Or will my high school transcript and the first application attempt, become the major determinant to the admissions office decision process.

    I should stipulate that my current average is 90%, and will be attending first year undergraduate studies this Fall 2015, at York.

    Thanks.

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

    hey there,

    as i’ve said time and again, admissions is one of aska’s biggest blind spots. i don’t know, and have no way of discovering, exactly how admissions decisions are made. and hey, that’s probably a good thing. i don’t need to know what giant clerical error or oversight allowed me into this university, to be honest.

    however, i do know that if you’ve taken secondary school classes to increase your average, and you then go to york before trying to transfer to uoft, that can only increase your chances of getting into uoft – assuming you do well in your first year at york.

    as long as you meet program prerequisites for the program you’re planning on applying to, and you have at least a mid-B GPA in your first year, then you’re a “competitive applicant.”

    best of luck with it. i would say, though, that if you are going to york: give it a chance! you may find that york has everything you need, and your plans for coming to uoft will start to seem?like nothing more than a bad dream.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • residence

    you’ve got mail

    September 11, 2015

    Do I need to open a po box at Canada Post to receive packages while living?in residence? (Sir Dans, UC)

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

    hey there,

    you will almost certainly have a mailbox in residence that you can use. ask your don about it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses

    supervise me!

    September 11, 2015

    I plan on doing grad school (in a social science) and would love to (need to?) have a senior thesis or some other significant work to submit. I worry about finding a prof to supervise me- most of my classes are big, required courses unspecific to any topics I’d like to research/pursue further in grad school. In 3rd and 4th year if I want to do research, can I just contact profs I’ve never actually had and ask them to supervise me (specifically if they specialize in topics I’m interested in)?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    already thinking about research, huh? good for you. you’re a model student, unlike myself. just thinking about the idea of doing research is sending a shiver down my throat and to my gag reflex – and class hasn’t even started yet.

    for the keen and eager student such as yourself however, there are opportunities available. but not to fear – you don’t have to just contact profs out of the blue. there are lots of courses geared specifically towards doing research and working closely with a professor on a project.

    for?third year, there are the 397/8/9 research courses, which are available in many departments. other 39*?courses will involve a research component in a different way – for example,they might be “special topics” courses, which

    each class will have different application processes depending on the course, but all the details will be posted on the course calendar.

    you can use the course calendar to take a look at what’s available this year, and get an idea of what might be in store for you once you get to your third and fourth years. some examples of 39* courses include SOC390Y1, POL397Y1 and ABS398H0.

    some of these courses (specifically, the 300-level independent studies courses) will require that you find your own supervisor. other courses, like the 497/8/9 advanced research courses, will already have an instructor attached to them (examples of 49* courses include CJS499H1?and SOC498H1).

    again, just browse the course calendar to see what’s available, and see what the usual deadlines are. then you just apply and see what happens!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • frosh

    just do the thing

    September 10, 2015

    Hey!
    Im going into first year the coming September and I am in Woodsworth college which was my second choice. I wanted to goto UC frosh, and am planning on buying it on the 7th in person. However now, I’m slightly paranoid as to if I’m even allowed to goto a frosh that’s not my own? Thanks so much, all the best.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    orientation works on an opt-in basis, which means that if you wanted to participate in frosh at another college, you would have had to opt out of woodsworth orientation and then register and pay with UC. i’m not sure if that’s allowed, but if it is, it would likely have to be a pretty exceptional circumstance, given how complicated the process would be.

    honestly? i would just go to woodsworth’s frosh. i understand that UC is your first choice, but the fact is, orientation week is only one week. if you’re still really keen on UC after having spent a couple of months at the university, then by all means, go ahead and request a transfer at that point.

    frosh is great, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of the university experience. you may find woodsworth actually better suits your needs once the year starts.

    anyway. it’s halfway through frosh week, so i’m curious if you actually went through with attending UC’s frosh. what happened? did you have fun? let us know.

    peace,

    aska

    P.S. a lot of orientation activities will be uoft-wide anyway, so you’ll still have some experiences common with other uoft students. it’s not gonna be all woodsworth, 24/7.

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  • wait list

    open sesame

    September 9, 2015

    hey, I was wondering what the chances of uoft (at both utm and st. george) opening up another section of classes if there is a big waitlist number of students are. At utm, I have encountered this happening before where they opened up more sections to accommodate the large waitlist. It would be great if they consider this, would save a lot of the poor souls such as myself from anxiously waiting.

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i have never heard of that happening. that could mean either that i just have never heard of that happening, OR that it is more common at UTM than at UTSG.

    honestly, i would just call the department and ask them if this is something they would consider, or if it’s something they’ve done in the past. like i said, i’ve never heard of that happening, but hey – i don’t know everything.

    i mean, i know a lot. but not everything. alas.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • Portal

    black bored

    September 9, 2015

    Hi! When I log onto blackboard it states that I’m currently not enrolled in any courses, despite the fact that I am enrolled in courses on ACORN. I was just wondering if I should be concerned about this and if it will affect my ability to receive messages from my professors regarding the textbooks we will require?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so, blackboard is the online tool (some) profs will use to encourage online discussion about the course content, post syllabi and assignments, or just send reminders/announcements about the course. blackboard is responsible for such unique experience as an icy chill of dread that you feel when people are talking about an assignment in class that you’ve never heard of, but that, apparently, was “posted on Blackboard.”

    some profs are really into using blackboard, and will have already set up the blackboard page for their course and started posting things on it. other profs hate blackboard and want NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. most profs are somewhere in between.

    if your courses have not shown up yet on blackboard, it’s probably because you have the “somewhere in between” profs. they will likely post the course page on blackboard sometime during the first or second week of school, and they’ll let you know when they do.

    keep in mind that profs may communicate with you via e-mail before they set up blackboard, so make sure you’re checking your mail.utoronto e-mail on a regular basis.

    as long as you’re enrolled in the course on ACORN, that’s the most important thing for now.

    if you’re concerned about buying textbooks, keep checking your e-mail. also check out the uoft bookstore website; if you put in your UTORID, it’ll give you a personalized list of all the books for your classes.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • second degree

    machoor

    September 8, 2015

    I’ve graduated uni and have been working for a year now. I plan on undertaking a huge shift in my life and have decided to study again, specifically halfway across the world in UofT (hopefully). I have a Bachelor’s Degree already, but I want to continue studying another program, this time, one I’m interested in. I’m going to be 23 when I start college again should I get accepted into UofT next year. What are the major issues I may be facing since I’m older than the typical college freshman?

    P.s. I’ve done a significant amount of researching about UofT, life in Toronto as a foreigner, student life, co-curriculars, academics, etc. I am really serious about wanting to study in UofT. I just want a clearer picture of what I can expect given my situation. Thanks so much for whatever help you can extend me!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    firstly, i want to assure you that you’re not the only 23-year-old person at uoft. there are people of all different ages, shapes, sizes, competencies, and life experiences at this university.

    secondly, you may find that you have more in common with your fellow 17-year-old first years than you think. you’ll all be discovering uoft at the same thing, and that can be a beautiful thing to do together.

    however, your previous experience at university and in life shouldn’t be discounted, and there’s no need to pretend you’re exactly the same as everyone else. for example, you may not find Orientation week worth your while the second time around (though if you do want to attend, you definitely should!).

    more than other universities, i find that uoft really allows you to create your own experience. because it’s so big, there are many sub-worlds within the world of uoft.

    if you find that the people you’ve fallen in with, the things you’re doing, don’t make you happy and comfortable, then you can just change who you’re hanging out with and what you’re doing. you’d be surprised at how easy it is to do.

    practical examples of making this kind of change include: changing colleges, joining a new group on campus, or even just switching up which library you study at.

    this is how i see it: you’ve been through university before. you’ve said that you’re coming back because you want to study something you’re interested in, this time. that tells me that you have a much better idea of what you want out of university now.

    your experience may be different, but i don’t think you’ll be facing any specific issues, other than feeling a bit out of place amongst a bunch of teenagers.

    however – and this is when i finally get to the point – try not to let yourself feel alienated. don’t be afraid to commit yourself, completely wholeheartedly, to what you want out of university. if that’s full immersion in what you want to study, then that’s what you should pursue. consider joining the course union for your program, get involved in your program’s academic journal (if they have one), or meeting like-minded individuals through clubs.

    if you just want to meet people with similar experiences as you, you can do that too. i’ll mention the Mature Students’ Association, though i’m not sure if you would be categorized as a “mature student.” however, there’s no association for second degree students (which is closer to your situation), so it may be something for you to check out.

    you may also be able to connect with people through other identity-based groups, like faith-based groups, cultural groups or sexual identity–based groups.

    and hey – kudos for coming back to school! i hope uoft is everything you need and more.

    cheers,

    asks

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  • frosh

    why are they called “duffle” bags, anyway

    September 7, 2015

    This is the dumbest question ever but are we provided with one of those drawstring backpacks on frosh week?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    surprisingly, this was a super tough question to answer. i know of a few colleges who do provide them, but i can’t confirm for sure that EVERY FACULTY AND COLLEGE’S orientation activity will provide you with a drawstring bag.

    most likely, yes. but if not, you can always buy one at your nearest dollarama. you can even silkscreen uoft’s crest on it, if you like.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • frosh,  tcard

    no ID frosh week!!!1!!!1

    September 2, 2015

    Hi aska, For frosh week do I need my tcard? I have my ticket and everything but haven’t had a chance to pick up a tcard

    ———————————————

    nah. though you should get one as soon as you can, because it just makes stuff easier for going to libraries, using your meal plan (if you have one), getting TTC Student ID if you need it, etc.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • languages

    “not entirely devoid of human emotion” – a fan

    September 2, 2015

    Hello!

    I’m a UTSC student studying political science and linguistics, and am looking to eventually earn language citations in Russian and Japanese, both of which only have advanced level courses at St. George (the courses required for the citations). I already spent my first two years of university in another program at UTSC, so once I get past 10 credits this semester I won’t be able to transfer. However, I would be fine with a UTSC undergrad and 2 citations, as long as I end up with a high proficiency in these languages. But I’m sort of unsure how to go about this process…

    Should I graduate first and then pursue the citations? As a non-degree student I would be placed behind everyone else during course selection, so wouldn’t that basically make taking the courses virtually impossible?

    If I take the courses during my undergrad, I would still be behind St. George students during course selection.

    You seem pretty knowledgeable and not entirely devoid of human emotion, do you have any recommendations for me on how to study these languages at U of T? Are there more paths available to me that I haven’t mentioned? Any help would be appreciated!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so, i would recommend talking with the registrar’s office about this, because the language leaves a little bit of room for ambiguity.

    the official rules as they’re written in the calendar say, “The Citation may be earned in any language, modern or ancient, in which there is sufficient advanced training at UTSC.” i ASSUME that what that means is that if there is not sufficient advanced training at UTSC, as in the case of Russian and Japanese, you wouldn’t be able to complete a language citation.

    however, it may be possible for you to complete some of the courses for your UTSC language citation at another campus, so i would recommend that you just ask your registrar.

    as for doing language citation when you’re a non-degree: not only would it be very hard to get into courses with your late start date, but – as with subject posts – it’s not something non-degrees can typically do. noting things on transcripts (like subject POSTs, language citations, etc.) only really happens while you’re in school for a degree, and retroactive adds are rare.

    the only thing that automatically gets updated for non-degree students is GPA. you’re never safe from a low GPA. NEVER.

    peace,

    aska

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