• fees

    can you refund knowledge?

    January 27, 2016

    what’s the final date i can drop a course at utsc with a full refund? i’ve been trying to find it but university websites are so confusing. related question, why is it that universities have the hardest websites to navigate? thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    depending on your program, the dates might be different, but for most utsc students, the 100% refund date has passed – now you have until february 7th to get a 50% refund on a course, so try not to miss that one. i know it sucks, but sometimes refunds just don’t go how you’d like them to.

    double-check all the tables on this PDF though, to make sure that you don’t fall into another refund schedule with different dates.

    to answer your related question: there’s no good reason, other than that there’s like a BILLION web designers in different colleges, faculties, divisions, etc. who all work on their own department’s web site, which functions in its own unique way and is completely separate from all the other unique web pages at uoft.

    we’re like an incredibly large, confusing, annoying patchwork quilt. isn’t that quaint. come to aska for all your quality grandma content.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  international relations

    IRe over IR requirements

    January 27, 2016

    Hello!
    I’m in grade 12 now and really hoping to get into International Relations at U of T! I read online that math was recommended….but unfortunately I didn’t take it this year. It’s not my best subject, but I could probably switch into if I had too. I’m just wondering if I won’t get in unless I have that credit…like will I not be accepted? It would probably bring down my average a ton (93%), but getting in is super important to me. I’m not really worried about doing economics in first year without it, as I would take the lower level course. Please advise!! Thank you:)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    before we get started, a quick primer on how programs work at uoft: to get a degree from the faculty of arts & science, you need to be in one specialist, two majors, or one major and two minors. none of these combinations are better or more prestigious than any others – it’s all about how you want to organize your degree.

    so, depending on whether you want to stick strictly (there’s a tongue twister) to IR, or add some other disciplines to your studies, you might be more interested in either the IR specialist or the major, respectively.

    if you want to do the specialist, they do recommend that you take ECO100Y1 instead of 105Y1 (which is the less intense version of 100), so you would need to take advanced functions and calculus for that course.

    since you don’t apply directly to programs in your first year, you definitely wouldn’t get rejected from uoft based on not having the math (i’m assuming you applied to the humanities or social science stream, which doesn’t require math) – however, once you get here, you wouldn’t be able to take ECO100, and therefore be eligible to apply for the IR specialist, UNLESS you had taken advanced functions and calculus in high school.

    if you’re concerned about your average, one thing i might suggest is taking those two maths in summer school. keep in mind that you’ll still likely have to send those transcripts in to the university, so you’ll need to maintain a certain average, but hopefully there won’t be as much pressure as during the school year, and you can really focus on doing well.

    if you want to do the major, things are a little different. the IR major will accept both ECO100Y1 and ECO105Y1, and doesn’t indicate any preference for one or the other. ECO105Y1 does NOT require or recommend that you take calculus beforehand.

    this is a lot to think about, but don’t worry: you have time to think about it. take it slow, reflect on your options, and if you have any questions, aska’s here.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • depression

    counselling on campus

    January 27, 2016

    How would one make an appointment to see a counsellor at utsg for depression/anxiety? also are there fees?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you’re a student at utsg, no, there are no fees. there are two places you can go to make an appointment:

    1) health and wellness at uoft is the campus’ primary counselling resource. you may have heard of CAPS (counselling and psychological services) at the downtown campus. that office has now been absorbed into health and wellness, which includes all health services that the campus has to offer.

    to make an appointment, you can either go in person to their office on the second floor of the Koeffler Centre (214 College St., on the corner of St. George and College) or book an appointment online, or by phone.

    2) your second option, which i have nothing to say about but good things, is counseline. counseline is a counselling service for faculty of arts & science students, offered by the factor-inwentash faculty of social work, that provides in-person counselling out of its Bloor St. building. all you have to do is give them a call and leave a voicemail, and then they’ll contact you to set up an appointment.

    you can learn more about counseline here.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • degree requirements,  subject POST

    you’re all set to LEAVE THIS PLACE

    January 26, 2016

    Hi Aska,

    Happy New Year!

    I have a question regarding switching programs. Let’s say I am majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Computer Science and Media Studies (weird I know). And decide to do a 180 and forget about minoring and just do a major in Computer Science — so basically a double major. Will the credits that I have received from Media Studies still be counted in my degree
    requirements? For example, I have to take 5.0 credits of C-level courses and 1.0 credits of D-level courses
    <http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/calendars/calendar/Degrees.html>. Will my C-level Media courses still be included? I am aware of the retroactive fees, but I’ll only be missing two more courses to finish a Computer Science major and I don’t really care much anymore about Media Studies.

    Another unrelated question, how accurate is the Degree Explorer?

    Take these two requirements:

    – At least 0.5 Credits from *MATC01H3* or MATC15H3
    – At least 1.0 Credit from MATC01H3 or MATC09H3 or MATC15H3 or *MATC32H3*
    or MATC44H3 or MATC63H3 or MATD01H3 or MATD02H3

    I took MATC01 and MATC32 already. They are bolded as I have taken them. How come in the second requirement, MATC01 is not being considered?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the answer to your first question is: yes. those courses will count towards your degree requirements just like elective courses would (excluding extras, or any funky course designations like that). as long as you’ve also completed the requirements for all your subject POSts (so that’ll be the comp. sci. and math majors once you drop media), you’re fine.

    as for the degree explorer thing: a cursory glance at the UTSC math major listing indicates that, if you did take MATC01H3, it?should have fulfilled that requirement. depending on when you took it, degree explorer could just be a little slow in updating. another potential complication that people sometimes run into with degree explorer is that if the program has changed since they’ve entered it, degree explorer sometimes gets confused.

    i’m not sure if the math program has changed, but if you find that that degree explorer continues to avoid MATC01 despite your having taken it, just pop into your registrar’s office and ask them what’s up. it could be that something i haven’t considered is causing the problem, and they can help you sort it out.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment,  summer

    i can’t even conceptualize summer right now

    January 26, 2016

    Hi! When does the 2016 summer timetable come out, and when can we begin enrolling in summer courses for that session? Thank you 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the preliminary timetable will probably be available sometime in mid-to-late February, and the final timetable in mid-March. enrolment for summer courses will be happening in late April/early May.

    so it all doesn’t get going for a while yet, but good for you for being on top of things. i could take a leaf from your book; i’m not on top of things right now, lemme tell you. i’m not even level with things. i’m like, below them, being squished by them. gee, i sure love the Winter term.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • failing

    when you try your best and you don’t succeed – Fix You (Coldplay)

    January 26, 2016

    Hello,

    So my first semester of university has gone by and it is was no easy task for me. I have failed my Intro to Computer Science course CSCA08H3, as a student in the UTSC computer science program. knowing this for my upcoming semester, how will I be able to take CSCA48H3 Intro to Computer Science 2 since it needs the prerequisite? Also, where can I deal with making up for the failed course, I’m thinking summer school or another semester. However the course i’ve failed is only available in winter semesters. I can’t quite find the info to deal with the situation I’m in right now, so any guidance would be appreciated.

    Thanks, UTSC student

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you failed CSCA08H3, you wouldn’t be able to take CSCA48H3. you would have to retake CSCA08H3 before retaking CSCA48H3.

    like you mentioned, CSCA08H3 is only offered in the Fall term, otherwise i would advise you to retake it in the Winter term and then take CSCA48H3 in the summer. however, as it stands, you would probably have to take CSCA08H3 in the summer or fall and then CSCA48H3 in Winter 2017.

    and while that seems frustrating and like you’re setting yourself far behind, this is something you can bounce back from. you can catch up and keep going – it’s not the end of the world.

    the most important thing you can do now is not let this knock you down. everyone encounters rough patches at school. the thing that sets people apart is that some people continue to fail, and others adapt.

    so, how can you adapt to this situation? firstly, i would take some time to reflect seriously on why you’re studying computer science. is it because you enjoy the material? do you want a job in computer science? if so, why do you want that job in computer science? what will this degree give you – and is it possible to get that thing elsewhere?

    if you determine that you absolutely do want to stay in computer science, then you need to do whatever you can to focus on your studies this term. if that means de-prioritizing certain things to focus on school, seeking out the help of academic strategists, or simply changing some of your study habits, then you need to do those things.

    if you determine that you don’t want to do computer science, then start thinking about which programs will better suit you and your needs. trust me, you don’t want to spend four years doing something that will be ultimately useless for you. and remember, your registrar’s office is always there to help you figure out what you might want to pursue next.

    also, i just want to note that i’m not asking you to do this reflection because you failed a course. ideally, every student should be reflecting on this after every term, every class, every day of their lives: how can i accomplish the things i really want to do?

    hopefully, then, the $30k+ will be worth it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • probation,  suspension

    supposed scarborough suspension

    January 20, 2016

    Hi there
    I’m a second year student and flunked my first year courses. I ended up with a horrible gpa way below 1.6 and was put on probation. I’ve completed the fall session and ended up with a sessional gpa below 1.6 again. I haven’t received any messages or emails stating I’m suspended as of now so I’m confused since thought a student on probation who doesn’t reach the 1.6 sgpa is automatically suspended. Also my cgpa won’t be able to reach the 1.5 requirement by the end of this year so will that lead to suspension/explosion? I’ve read the utsc rules for probation but couldn’t find how long it can last or what is its maximum.
    I know if your put on probation twice it’s a problem so as of now am I since my gpa was below 1.6 this semester?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this e-mail was sent in december, so hopefully someone has gotten in touch with you by now, but if not: you need to talk to your registrar’s office about this. if you failed to get a sessional GPA of 1.60 while on probation, you will be suspended according to utsc’s rules.

    if no one has gotten in touch with you, you need to contact your registrar’s office and ask. they can let you know if/when you’ll be suspended, and what the next steps are.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • financial aid,  scholarships/bursaries

    oh, to not live under crushing and unsustainable debt

    January 20, 2016

    I’m a BC highschool student, soon to be UoT student. My cost estimate is about 20k first year, and 35k for the next 4 years, 150k upon completion. My family has made it clear that they can’t afford to pay, which i respect and won’t be asking them for a contribution. I was late to the scholarship search, as I wasn’t planning to enroll in UoT till very recently. I am strong academically, and fairly week in the EC’s.

    How can I fund my education?
    Is there a limit to how much I can loan out?
    How do I loan out this large amount of money?
    How much help should I expect from UoT?
    Is it a better idea to apply for the whole sum upfront, or over the years?
    And any tips with this situation, or anything?

    Cheers,

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m almost certain that BC’s financial aid system is your best bet for funding almost all, if not all, of your education. i’m not an expert by any means, but BC’s setup seems to be similar to OSAP‘s (that’s the Ontario Student Assistance Program), so i think it’s safe to say that you will be assessed and allotted an amount every year based on your perceived need. read through their website and speak with your high school guidance counsellor(s) for more information about how to apply.

    if you receive the maximum amount of aid from BC and you still need more, you can apply to UTAPS (UofT Advance Planning for Students), which will fill in the gap between how much assistance you’re getting, and how much you need.

    apart from UTAPS, you get automatically considered for a $2000 entrance scholarship from the university if you have at least a 92% average in your final year. depending on your college, you can also receive up to $3000 in entrance scholarship money from your home college – again, you’re automatically assessed for this.

    provincial financial aid and UTAPS function on a yearly basis. every year, you’ll have to reapply and be reassessed to receive your next set of instalments.

    also consider the possibility of working, both before and during school. a part-time or summer job can save you a few thousand dollars coming in, and every $1k counts. and while i’d advise not working in your first year if you can at all help it, taking on a part-time job in university is great for your pocket AND your resume.

    the only other tip i have is: research, research, research. find out where your money will be coming from, how to apply for it, and then take note of deadlines. and then keep doing that while you’re here. the search for scholarships does not end after you get into university.

    there are many scholarships available from uoft for students at various stages of their studies, not to mention all the external scholarships that are available (tip: when i was in the twelfth grade, i would spend hours just googling major corporations with the word ‘scholarship’ attached. you can bet that most large companies that need to keep up a certain image will have a scholarship for high schoolers).

    best of luck with all this, and i hope to see you at the university of toronto soon!

    aska

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  • bird courses,  subject POST

    bird courses. the tests just fly away from you.

    January 20, 2016

    Hi,

    So I just saw my MAT135 course mark, and well, I failed. I really wasn’t expecting this… and I am quite traumatized. My chosen major is Genetics (I’m a first year right now) and since math isn’t a prerequisite, I’ve decided to take it next year instead of next semester, so I can pull up my GPA without bearing the burden of math (which I hate, and really don’t understand why I have to take) but anyway, what do you think? Also, do you have any suggestions for any “bird courses” I could take that would help boost my GPA? I know no course is easy, but statistically speaking, courses that students have done generally well in.

    Thanks for your help, please post this anonymously.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the only subject POSts i can find with genetics in the title is human biology’s “fundamental genetics and its applications” major, and the molecular genetics and microbiology major. both of those POSts require math, so i don’t know why you’re saying that it doesn’t require math.

    however, assuming that i’m missing something and that there is some kind of genetics POSt that doesn’t require math, then – no, why would you take it? if you know it’s going to be hard for you, and it’s not a priority for the POSt, there’s no reason to take it. however, do make sure you take a look at upper-year courses required for that POSt – if there are any math courses in there, then it’s probably a smart idea to take first year calculus.

    i’d recommend, though, that you take this opportunity to reflect on what you want to do. genetics is an area that, somewhere down the line, does overlap significantly with math. ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. is it really the right thing for you? i’m not hinting at anything, i just think it’s important to self-reflect and ask yourself these questions honestly.

    if you need some help thinking through these questions, having a conversation with someone at your registrar’s office can be really useful.

    “statistically speaking,” i have no idea which courses people have done well in, because they don’t give me that kind of data. i’m absolutely impoverished in data. in fact, i’m impoverished in a lot of stuff: a social life, hours of sleep, money, food – pretty much everything except sass and some sick slow-motion .gifs.

    anyway. i find that the best way to identify courses in which you’ll do well is to look at courses in which you’ve previously done well or found interesting, and then find similar courses?at a lower year level.

    maybe there’s some 100-level course that’s outside your area of interest that you can pick that up to take in your second year. for example, ENV100H1 is a biology-esque 100-level course that might be a bit easier on the ol’ grey matter.

    or maybe you want to get some breadth requirements out of the way. maybe you don’t want to stray to far from biology, but you really want to get rid of your category 3 breadth req – lucky for you, PHL281H1: Bioethics is available.

    also, the general ease or difficulty of a course often has a lot to do with the professor. and there are websites you can go to read up on a professor’s reputation. of course, they’re not uoft-sanctioned and so i can’t recommend them outright, but. they’re out there. you know what i’m talking about.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • admissions

    they Begin

    January 19, 2016

    Hi, there
    I am a BC grade 12 student, I am planing to go to u of t life science or psychology next year, I am taking cal 12, chem 12, physics 12, English 12 and pre cal 12. My first term avg is 80.4%(and my past years grade arnt good), and I have quite a lot extra curriculum. I want to ask if I have any chances to get into u of t life science or psychology, also,should I apply for UTM or UTSC or St. G if I want to have a larger chance to get in?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    dear highschooler: you should feel proud of the long legacy you’re entering. i bet you didn’t know that you were becoming part of a legacy by writing this question, did you? well, you are. the legacy of FRICKIN’ KEENERS asking me whether they’ll get into uoft*. take a look at this tag to learn about your proud heritage (also if you’d like to see what i’ve said to other people in similar situations).

    before i say anything, the caveat for any type of admissions questions is that your guess is as good as mine. the admissions committee has the final say, so anything and everything i say may not pan out as i’ve said it. do not sue. thanks.

    the anticipated admission grade ranges of people coming in to first year for life science in 2015 was in the low to mid 80s. you’re right on the cusp of that lower end. depending on your grade 11 marks, you might even dip below it a little. that’s not to say that you have no chance, and i would urge you to still apply, but you may want to consider applying to other campuses and universities as well.

    as for psychology: that’s a subject POSt (program of study) and not a degree POSt. when you enter into first year in the faculty of arts & science, you’re in a degree POSt – humanities, life sciences, physical sciences and mathematics, or social sciences. after first year, you decide on a subject program of study, which is a more specific are of focus.

    psychology is pretty popular on the downtown campus. typically, you need to have received a mark in the 80s in PSY100H1 to get into the program (though the minimum cut-off is 75%). unfortunately i don’t have more stats about how many people apply versus how many people get in.

    and that’s it! if you’re doing exams right now (i don’t really know how school works in BC), good luck. if not, also good luck with just…living and stuff.

    best,

    aska

    * don’t worry, i was one once too. yes, i admit it. there’s no shame in being a keener. accept yourself. aska does.

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  • financial aid

    i have no $$ :((

    January 15, 2016

    heyyy aska,

    So the christmas season hit me kind of hard, and now I’m in a situation where I just got my OSAP and…surprise surprise…it’s not enough! I’m looking at the rent and tuition I have to pay and there’s no way that what I have + my OSAP now is going ta cut it until April. Should I drop out? Just start living on the street? Help??

    Thanks in advance,

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    firstly, i’m sorry you’re in this situation. there’s no easy fix to this kind of situation, but i think the best thing you can do to start off by talking to your college registrar’s office. most colleges have an emergency student fund and they can administer emergency grants to students in need.

    this is not the solution in every case, so it’s not something to count on, but it’s helpful to get into that conversation with an advisor, because they can advise you about some other financial resources and options for you. it is not necessary to drop out – there are ways you can manage your money.

    AS IT HAPPENS, innis college’s financial advisor, Thomas Mackay, is hosting a talk on JUST THIS TOPIC, next monday, january 18th, from 5pm-6pm, in the innis college events room. find out more here.

    popcorn talks

    best of luck!

    aska

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  • failing,  graduation,  subject POST

    hahaha….i have no power. ha

    January 15, 2016

    Hiya!

    Got a couple of questions for ya! 🙂

    1) I ended up deciding to add a physiology minor to my double major degree. I was wondering if I am able to drop this anytime or will I have to wait until the beginning of September again in order to modify it particularly if I’m deciding to graduate next year and may not have completed the minor requirements.

    2) You probably heard something similar to this a thousand times but…. my motivation level is comparable to a sad stale piece of bread and has terribly impacted my grades; this term has been the worst for me yet. (Why’d I choose life sciences….) There’s a possibility of me failing a course especially after writing the exam. Are profs usually somewhat lenient in altering the marks to at least a minimal pass mark? Or are they just unbudgeable?

    3) Lastly, by any chance could you somehow hack the school system to just let me pass and obtain my stupid piece of paper? (Thought I’d give it a shot:) )

    Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays!!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1) subject POSts are only alterable (is that a word? it is now) between april and september. so if you’re planning on graduating november 2016 or june 2017, just wait until then to drop the minor, and there’ll be no harm done. if you’re planning on graduating THIS JUNE, then GET THEE TO YOUR REGISTRAR’S OFFICE asap, so they can drop it for you.

    2) ummmmm. i’ll put it this way: it doesn’t hurt to try. you’ve got nothing to lose in just pleading your case to a prof. the smaller the class (and, i find, the higher the year), the more willing they usually are to listen to you and help you out. however, i make no guarantees. it’s a hard case to make. good luck? i hope you don’t fail.

    3) the fact that you assume i have that kind of power is adorable. i’m just a humble cog in the machine, friends.

    i hope you had a good holiday too! i hope the Big Red Man successfully broke into your house at night to leave you the nice Mystery Packages.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • academic offense,  suspension

    suspicion & suspension

    January 15, 2016

    Hello there,

    So I was recently accused of academic misconduct and this has been my second offence. I went to speak with my college registrar and I was told that I could receive a 0 in the course as well as a suspension for 4 months. I am taking a co-op program in Jan plus an internship in the summer time. The course is a half-year course but you get full credit for it. I was told that I may get suspended for the summer period but I could still graduate in November as planned once my suspension is over. I am terribly scared still though, even though my advisor told me I wouldn’t get pulled from the courses I am taking in the winter semester. Is this the case? I do not want to miss out on this internship opportunity because I worked really hard to get it and my parents would be so disappointed, since I practically had to beg them to take on a new semester. I also wanted to apply to grad school but feel my chances might be hurt by this suspension. If my suspension ends up being a year (which I really hope it isn’t), what does that mean for my graduation? And would I have to re-enrol?

    Please help
    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if your advisor told you you won’t get pulled from your winter courses, then you probably won’t be. top tip: don’t try and verify what advisors are saying with aska. if anything, go the other way around. sometimes i talk out of my a5$ a little bit (not intentionally, though. i always have the best of intentions. really). but you can rest easy that if you’re speaking with your registrar’s office, you’re in good hands; they know their stuff.

    if you want to apply to graduate school, i wouldn’t say it’s impossible with two academic offences, but it’s definitely something you would have to explain. most graduate programs give applicants the opportunity to explain outstanding circumstances (like a failed mark, lowered course load, suspension, late withdrawal, etc.) to the admissions committee. i’m not gonna lie, though: it’s probably going to impact your application in some way.

    if you were suspended for a year, you would have to complete the credits left in your degree when you came back from suspension – simple as that. if you were suspended for a year, you would have to re-register when you came back, but that’s a very simple process: just pop into your registrar’s office, fill out a form, pay 25 bucks and sign up for courses.

    i would recommend keeping in touch with your advisor about how this suspension might affect graduation, coming back, etc. they have the most complete idea of your situation and would be able to discuss the various possibilities of your future more effectively than you can.

    cheers,

    aska

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