• OSAP

    noSAP

    April 27, 2016

    hiya aska,

    i’m doing my undergrad in A&S and i rely solely on OSAP. i enrolled at U of T in 2010…a brief explanation: took a nose-dive during my 2nd year and failed 2 courses which dropped me below 60% course load, i’m still chugging away thanks to getting registered with Accessibility Services, but it’s slow going. i was on probation for a while, i forget how long but i remember having to write maybe 2 letters about how i’m going to make sure i succeed academically. if i pass everything this semester i will be 1.5 credits short of graduating. my gpa is 2.15ish now. i never found out if i was put on probation because i failed the 2 courses or because my courseload was too low.

    this semester is a trainwreck because of reasons. if i fail any courses, will OSAP cut me off? suspend me? how does OSAP look upon late withdrawals and NCR course grades?

    thanks for listening to my sob story

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    sorry for the absurdly late response. aska’s been a bit flooded with questions lately and the catch-up process is a slow one, but we’ll get there eventually. i hope you’ve sought help elsewhere in the meantime, though.

    OSAP is always a tricky thing to talk about. it has a million nuances, depending on details that i may or may not know about you. regardless of what i say today, it’s a good rule of thumb to keep in close contact with your registrar’s office whenever you’re dealing with OSAP.

    OSAP is not in the business of combing through transcripts and determining academic standing; that’s the university’s job. all that OSAP cares about, basically, is that you are in a full-time course load.

    if you are on full-time OSAP and you don’t achieve at least 3.0 credits in the Fall/Winter term (because you failed some courses or LWD’d or whatever), you will be required to begin paying back your OSAP 6 months after the date that OSAP deems you to have dropped to part-time (likely the end of the Fall/Winter session). if you don’t have 6 months between now and the next time you’re in a full-time course load, then you’re in luck. otherwise, you’d have to make payments monthly until the next time that you’re in a full-time course load again.

    you will also likely be put on OSAP probation again, in which case you’d have to write another letter explaining why you weren’t able to make satisfactory progress.

    however, if you were on OSAP probation last year and you don’t achieve at least 3.0 credits this year, you may be restricted from receiving OSAP for one calendar year (see #19).

    again, i’ll reiterate that your college registrar’s office is really the best place to go for help in situations like these. they’re a resource that you’re paying for; you may as well use them for help.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  americans

    the American Dream (to come to uoft)

    April 26, 2016

    Hi there,

    a couple questions that I hope you could help me with. I’m an American student and have been working for a year after finishing my undergraduate degree in business administration, but now want to go back to school to study humanities, which I’d actually enjoy.

    Should I retake my SATs though? My scores back from 11th grade were pretty mediocre: reading 620, math 790, writing 670. I know I’d do significantly better if i retake. Will UofT accept new scores or even want me to submit SAT at all?

    My high school GPA was weighted 3.7 and unweighted 3.5, last year of uni was 3.1/3.2ish, uni overall 3.2; do I stand a chance being accepted into UofT?

    Thanks in advance!

    Best regards,

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ah, a Yank! so you want to come up into the frigid north and read some Atwood (probably) in our poorly insulated refriger-classes, huh? well, good on you. i always admire someone who’s coming back to school to pursue a passion. even if it is in this icy chillscape.

    it seems like the university will want you to submit your SAT scores. all the scores you’ve cited, however, are higher than what’s “been presented by successful applicants” in the past, to paraphrase admissions. so that’s a good sign. i don’t know too much about the SATs and what constitutes a good score, but a cursory look at the requirements seems to indicate that you don’t absolutely have to retake them.

    as for your GPA, that’s harder to compare. every university has a slightly different GPA system, even if many of them use a 4.0 scale like uoft. that being said, if you finished with a 3.2 and we assume that the scales at both universities are roughly the same, then you finished with a ‘B’ average, which makes you a competitive transfer applicant.

    all in all, i can’t guarantee that you will be accepted, or that you won’t be. from the information that you’ve given me, it could go one way or the other. the thing is, if it’s something you want to do, you have to try.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • law school

    claw your way to law

    April 26, 2016

    HI,

    So i’m finishing up my third year right now and hope to go on to law school after graduating. My cGPA is not great (3.3) and i’ve just realized that though many of the law schools i want to apply to look at last/best years, a “year” consists of a full course load, which i unfortunately haven’t had since my 1st year. This will not look good. Because of this i was thinking of doing a 5th full year (so they’ll look at years 4&5).

    So on to my question: Is there anywhere/anyone i can talk to specifically about my admissions prospects, the pros/cons of doing a 5th years, the logistics of all this, etc. I’ve tried the registrar and academic advisor, but honestly it just wasn’t that helpful. I was hoping you might be able to direct me to a consulting sort of place (internal or external to the University), if that’s at all possible. Just anyone that’s not the registrar or AAdvisor (cause the last time i saw them it was a total waste of time- basically told me everything was peaches and i could do whatever-not much constructive help…)

    Sorry if this question is a bit out of your purview,

    Any info would help,

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you’re looking at going to law school, the best people to talk to are probably the law schools themselves. go to open houses and ask questions there. contact people who are involved with admissions at the actual schools that you’re interested in, and ask if they would be able to answer some of your questions. they are much more well-versed on the nuances of their own admissions process than anyone else. that being said, i don’t want to completely discount the our registrar’s offices. maybe you just need to try talking with someone else at your registrar’s office, someone who is more familiar with law school.

    also, a lot of this information is available online. i don’t know exactly which school you’re interested in, but the faculty of law at uoft provides pretty extensive information about admissions, and other Ontario universities provide a similarly exhaustive amount of info.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. don’t worry about questions being out of my purview. it takes a lot to phase me at this point when it comes to aska questions; i’ve pretty much seen it all at this point.

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  • failing,  repeating course,  subject POST

    try try and try again

    April 26, 2016

    Hi,

    I’m having to take PHL245 as a requirement for my Bioethics Major and have been really struggling. I’ve taken the class once to get through about two thirds of it, only to drop the course. I’m retaking it this semester and have once again been struggling and am about to take my final in which I need a fairly high grade to just end with a 50%. Because of this, my confidence in passing is a little low and I’m feeling the doubt settle in.

    I was wondering, how many times can you retake a course? Also… Is there a way to petition a required course if one cannot find themselves passing? What would happen if I was to take it as many times as I could and still not be able to pass (hypothetically)… Can I talk to the Program Director about my situation and have them remove it as a requirement for me?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can retake the course as many times as you need to as long as you’ve failed the course in your previous attempts. if you pass the course but didn’t get the course you need for your program, you can retake it, but your registrar’s office will have to put you in the course. however, your program just requires you to pass the course, so you probably don’t have to worry about that.

    it is very, very unlikely that a department would waive a requirement for you. you can always speak with them about it, and in fact, i would encourage you to do so – your registrar’s office is another good stop. both of these offices will be able to advise you on realistic next steps. they will probably not, however, just drop a requirement for you. still, it may be helpful to talk.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions

    weight-list

    April 25, 2016

    Hey Student,

    So I’m under waiting list. I called them because that is what the internet told me to or even to send an email. I’m currently part of Top 5 within the list. They refresh the list every month. I know this might be a stupid question but I just want re-assurance with a stranger that maybe I’ll get in. They said I’m in Top Five and chances are good. Its only April and I have until August to know if I got in or not. I just get really anxious because I really do want to get in and its my first choice.

    Thought I’d email you about it and hear an input. I’ve never been wait-listed before.

    Sincerely yours,
    Anxious person.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s not a stupid question. unfortunately, there are a lot of things you can be waitlisted for at uoft, and you haven’t specified what your situation is. have you been waitlisted for a course? a program of study? admission to an undergraduate program? a graduate program? i’m not sure.

    given the time of year, however, i’m gonna take a shot in the dark and assume that you’re talking about undergraduate admission.

    i understand that you want reassurance. hey, sometimes a stranger’s reassurance is the best kind of assurance, because you can be certain that a stranger has no ulterior motive in reassuring you. and i know that being put on a wait list can place a terrible weight on your shoulders (see what i did there?). unfortunately, because i am a stranger – and more importantly, a stranger who has no part in making admissions decisions – i have no information to go on. i don’t know what your marks look like, or what program you’re applying to, so i can’t even begin to guess how likely you are to be accepted off the waitlist.

    if you haven’t already, i’d recommend you get in touch with enrolment services (if indeed this is a question about undergraduate admissions). if you call them, you can have a specific discussion about marks and your prospects – though they may just tell you to wait until August, so be prepared for that. nonetheless, they’re a lot more equipped to handle your question than i am.

    just keep in mind: enrolment services is incredibly busy and you may be on hold for a while if you choose to call them. but they’re definitely the people you want to be talking to.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grad school,  repeating course

    fail, retry, tail, refry

    April 25, 2016

    What happens if I failed a course that is not part of my program, but a course I needed to get into a program? Can I retake it? Also do graduate programs look at overall grade-point average, or do they mostly look at 3rd and 4th year?
    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you failed a prerequisite to get into a program, you can absolutely retake it in order to try and achieve the mark needed to get in. it becomes trickier when you passed the course but didn’t get the mark you needed to get into your program; in that case, you would need to go to your registrar’s office and have them enrol you in the course. in this case, the second attempt at the course would be marked “extra”: that means that the course won’t count towards your 20.0 degree credits or GPA, but it would count towards breadth/program requirements.

    regarding grad school, most graduate schools (that i’m aware of) look mainly at your upper year courses. the thing is, there are a LOT of grad programs at many institutions across the world. they have different requirements, and some are more competitive than others. it’s always good to look into the requirements for any graduate program(s) you may be considering in order to have a better idea of what you’re looking at.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • law school

    b(law) b(law) b(law)

    April 22, 2016

    Hey! I hope you guys will be able to help me out with my all my questions,

    Anyways, I am a first year student thriving to (hopefully) become a lawyer in the future. It is also one of my goal to get accepted at U of T’s law school. My first year experience taught me a lot of things indeed and although I can assure you that I did work hard and I did try my best in school, I still found myself struggling to get that amazing GPA.

    I currently have a 2.7 GPA and I was wondering if hypothetically, I get to improve my marks in my second, third and fourth year, and if I am able to get close to a 4.0 in the next few years, will I still have a chance to be accepted to U of T law school? (despite my low average in first year) I know how hard it is to get accepted at u of t and i don’t really know what things I need to work on in order to get a better chance of getting accepted (like volunteer work or joining school clubs?)

    Also, are there any tips you can give me in terms of ways I can do to improve my marks? Like tips in note taking for example?

    Thanks for your help [&#X1f60a]

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    standard disclaimer: i am not uoft law school (if i were, i’d probably wear much nicer shoes). i have NO IDEA what actually goes into the admissions process at the faculty of law. all i know is what they’ve published, and even making predictions based on that is a sketchy business. definitely don’t take my words as gospel; think of everything i say more as helpful suggestions.

    now, to your questions: you have a lot of time ahead of you; three long years to sort out your marks, and develop your interests and skills. if you can pull up your marks significantly in the next three years, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t graduate with a very respectable GPA. uoft law in particular bases its admissions GPA on your best three years (see “Standards for Admission 2015-2016“). hypothetically, you could apply having had a 4.0 CGPA over your second, third and fourth years. your first year doesn’t even need to have influenced it.

    lots of people have very different marks in their first year than they do in their subsequent years. first year is a transition period, and for a lot of people, it can be pretty rough. it certainly was for me.* that being said, you don’t just start your second year and magically turn into a goddess with a 4.0 GPA who somehow finds time to run a charity and go to yoga three times a week. going from a 2.7 to a 4.0 is a big leap, and it won’t come easy.

    that being said, the harder you work, the more you seek out help, the better your chances of landing the jump. resources that can help you include the academic success centre, math aid centres, and the writing centre at your college. the more you can get into the habit of asking for help, the better. go to TAs’/professors’ office hours. study with your peers (if you find that helpful). ask questions when and wherever you can.

    also, i recommend that you use the summer to reflect on your first year. maybe you’ll decide you need to change what you’re studying for next year. maybe there are some things you need to de-prioritize in order to focus on school, like a job or extra-curriculars or falling asleep watching Netflix (later, i will advise you to join all these things, which i realize sounds contradictory, but it’s all about BALANCE). maybe you need to dial back on social outings in favour of studying. almost everyone adjusts their habits slightly after first year, so don’t be afraid to make the changes you need to to be successful.

    finally, your question about what non-academic things you should be doing to get into law school is the least answerable of all your questions. i don’t think the admissions committee even knows what they’re looking for – until they see it. what they want is someone interesting. someone with a compelling story. there’s no one way to be that.

    the best piece of advice i can give you is just to do what you’re interested in. if there’s a club you’d like to join, great. somewhere you’d like to volunteer? awesome. if you need a job, do the job. start a band. join a sports team. get involved with student politics. join an activist group. just try and live and study and work to the fullest of your capabilities and interests, and you can’t go wrong.

    if you have more questions, i find these pages are helpful introductory primers. and a final tip: don’t let the LSATs sneak up on you. the time to study for them will come up sooner than you think.

    cheers,

    aska

    *i know that’s hard to believe, considering what a perfect, put-together specimen of perpetual light aska is now.

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  • subject POST

    Bob Ross wants you to succeed

    April 21, 2016

    *Hi,*

    *I am starting the specialist international development program at UTSC in the fall, and I was thinking of also doing a major in studio. I was wondering, how feasible is doing both a specialist and major? Has it been done before? I am thinking of taking 6 courses per semester to achieve this, would that be extremely difficult? I am in no way extremely academic or anything, my grades are above average.*

    *thanks!*

    *a Bob Ross fan*

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    people have definitely done specialists and majors together. you’re allowed to take up to two majors or specialists and up to three programs altogether, so one specialist and one major is totally within the allowed scope of programs. some specialists only require a few more credits than a major would, so sometimes, there’s not really a huge difference between doing a double major and doing one major and a specialist.

    the difficulty level does depend on which specialist and major you’re interested in, however. the thing about the programs in which you’re interested is that the IDS specialist (i can only assume you’re not doing co-op) requires 13.0 credits, while the studio major requires 8.0. that’s 21.0 credits, which is 1.0 credits above what is takes to get your degree, and that’s not even accounting for breadth requirements or any electives you might like to take. it’s a lot.

    similarly, you are allowed to take 3.0 credits every semester (past that, you need to make a request to the registrar’s office). that being said, it is very difficult. you’ve been in school for a year; you can probably imagine it. i would say it’s doable if you don’t have a job or any other significant commitments, though even then, it’s not fun.

    all this considered, i would say that it might be smarter to downgrade one of the programs you’re considering. a double major (16.0 FCEs altogether) or a specialist and a minor (17.0 FCEs altogether) would be much more manageable. since you’re asking this question, you must have a very specific reason for wanting to do a specialist and a major (hopefully it’s not that you think it sounds impressive, because literally no one – and that includes employers – will care).

    i would ask you to interrogate your own motives carefully, and also seek second and third opinions – from advisors, the registrar’s office, etc. ask yourself what you’ll be able to do successfully. there’s no use in overloading yourself and then not doing particularly well in IDS or studio.

    in summary: it’s all doable. but it’s hard. definitely seek out more advice before making a decision.

    finally, i couldn’t figure out a way to incorporate bob ross into this post, but here’s a motivational .gif to inspire you to figure out the best path for you:

    bob ross motivation

    you can do it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  international students

    patience, padawan

    April 21, 2016

    Hey there,
    I am a first year engineering student at university in Washington and currently hold a 3.7 GPA (9.2% grade). I did really well in high school as well. I already applied for a transfer I UofT for mechanical engineering and I really need to know when I can expect to hear a response? I really want to find a place to live and also apply for a student visa. Also do they look at international transfers differently?

    ———————————————

    hi there,

    i can’t tell you when you’ll hear back from uoft. not only do i not know when you, specifically, will hear back, i don’t even know when different rounds of offers are given, or to whom. it’s very likely that you’ll hear back in May, but again, i’m really not in a position to be able to give specifics.

    i know that it’s frustrating to be in this limbo, because you need to get a move on with visas and residence. i wish everyone heard back early, with plenty of time to figure out everything else relating to university; unfortunately, it takes time, and i have very little influence over that. (or anything else, really – like, i barely have influence over my own sleep schedule).

    competitive transfer students to the faculty of applied science & engineering generally have at least a 3.2 GPA, and you need to have completed the prerequisites at the high school level as well. if you meet (and even exceed, as you seem to) those requirements, then – congrats! you’re a competitive applicant. being international does not necessarily hinder your application; your grades will be valued holistically to determine your suitability for the program.

    of course, i can’t by any means guarantee that you will be accepted. transferring is a competitive process, especially in engineering. there are few spots and lots of hopefuls. but i will say that meeting and exceeding standards published by uoft is never a bad sign.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    clear for another year

    April 20, 2016

    Due to some family issues during reading week, I’m really failing in my winter semester right now and I may be put on academic probation.

    I’m in my first year and I’m supposed to apply for my subject post after 4.0 credits but what happens if I fail a course and only get 3.5 credits?

    I want to repeat a course or two if I fail them and do them next fall semester. I just don’t know the process to enrolling in repeated courses.

    If I have 3.5 credits does that mean I’m still a first year? Does that mean I don’t need to be in a subject Post?

    I know I’m capable of doing much better so I’m going to try to redo my courses. Any help for this would be much appreciated.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you got it. if you finish this term with 3.5 credits, then you’re still considered a first year and don’t have to sign up for a subject POSt(s). if you go above 4.0 credits in Fall/Winter 2016-2017 (or any subsequent Fall/Winter), you’ll have to sign up for a program(s) in Summer 2017 (or the following Summer in whatever year it happens to be), between April and September of 2017.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year

    don’t be sure. it’s better that way.

    April 19, 2016

    hi there, ive recently been accepted into life sciences at u of t st george campus and am wondering what to do next.(course wise). ive heard stories about how the courses you take first year have a huge impact on the later years in university. thats whats stressing me out because frankly im not sure what exactly i want to branch off into. also what can i specialize in further along the road? thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    whoever’s been telling you that is talking a bunch of bologna. i mean, yes, first year is an important adjustment period and you shouldn’t take it lightly. the foundational life science courses (BIO120/130, MAT135/136, CHM135/136 and sometimes PHY131/132) are very important for your later years. a solid foundation in these courses will serve you well in pretty much any program in the life sciences that you decide to pursue.

    and yes, you’ll likely have one or two courses in your first year that completely shake up (and possibly even reorder) how you think about the world. however, that doesn’t mean that those courses will set you down a certain path. if anything, they will open your mind to many more possibilities than you were previously aware of.

    the great thing about uoft is that you’re not actually in a program in your first year. you can make mistakes, you can change your mind, you can not like any of the courses you’re taking – or you can love all of them. after you have a year under your belt, you can then approach the question of what program you’d like to apply to with a lot more context. in fact, you’ll only be able to sign up for programs in the summer after your first year. if anything, I think that not being sure what you want to do is better than being set on one thing, because it means you’ll be open to new paths, rather than going through first year with blinkers on.

    as for what you can specialize in, your options are fairly extensive. assuming you decide to stay in the life sciences, just a short sampling of programs you might take includes: biology, biochemistry, cell and systems biology, chemistry, cognitive science, environmental science, forest conservation, human biology, immunology, molecular genetics…you get the idea.

    your undergrad will prepare you to enter postgraduate programs like pharmacy, nursing, veterinary school or medical school, as well as research/graduate studies, or more non-traditional paths. ultimately, the longer you’re in school, the better you’ll be able to elucidate what it is you’re actually passionate about.

    sometimes it takes four years of schooling to figure out that you don’t want to continue going to school; sometimes, it confirms that school is where you’d like to stay all your life. it takes time, and i think the major takeaway here should be: as long as it takes to figure it out, that’s not too long. and if you never figure it out, all the better, because that means you’re always learning.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year,  subject POST

    changing track before you even start

    April 19, 2016

    Hi,
    I recently got admitted to UTSG for studies in life sciences. However, I recently realized that I don’t want to study life sciences, and that I would rather study humanities/social sciences (intl. relations and Spanish). How do I go about switching this? I emailed the New College registrar just because I didn’t know who else to email, but it’s been a week and they haven’t emailed me back yet.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can’t switch into the humanities or social sciences right now. you’ve been accepted into the life sciences, and there’s no way to change your offer of admission. the silver lining is that you’re not actually in a program (what we call a subject program of study or subject POSt) at this point. you’re in a degree POSt, which is the general stream of life science. you’ll be required to pick a program (or programs) in the summer after your first year.

    the good thing about being in a life science degree POSt in your first year is that it doesn’t mean very much at all. no one will force you to take any life science courses in your first year. you’re free to sign up for SPA100Y1 and ECO100Y1 and HIS103Y1/HIS102Y1 (all of which you will need to be eligible for the Spanish and international relations majors in your second year).

    the only thing that could cause a minor hindrance is that some of those courses that you need may have a priority, which means that you would have to wait until a later date to enrol into them. since course enrolment goes so fast, it’s always possible that those courses that have priorities might fill up before you get the chance to enrol in them.

    however, not all courses will have a priority, and many of these first-year, introductory courses are very, very big. that means that they are less likely to fill up, and also that lots of people are likely to drop them one week in, and free up space for YOU to sign up.

    and one final tip: priorities (and other enrolment controls) are why it’s a good idea (for everyone, not just for you) to have backup courses. try and arrange as many different schedules as possible that still allow you to complete the prerequisites for your subject POSts of interest. you may not get your ideal schedule, but you’ll get one that does what it needs to do.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • architecture,  first year,  residence

    when you’re at uoft and you’re blossoming like a flower

    April 19, 2016

    Heya Aska!

    So I’ve navigated successfully through the Daniels site and gotten myself an offer for Architectural Studies! Yay! Since I’m most likely going to accept, I got a few questions for you!

    1) How big is the Daniels faculty? Around how many undergraduates get accepted each year? I’ve tried looking but I can’t really find a solid number and I really want to know approximately how big my class sizes might be!

    2) Which residence is most popular for Arch students to live in? I don’t live in Canada so I can’t come to residence tours to see what it’s like and feel the vibe…

    3) (A more general question but) How can a super shy introvert like me get involved in dorm life, making friends, life around the campus etc. etc? I really want to work on improving myself as a person but at the same time it takes a lot of effort to shove me out of my shell :/

    Thank you so much! I always love reading your responses!

    – A smoll high schooler from across the globe

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1.   the reason you won’t find any numbers on this is because it’s not reallypractical information in the way that you probably think it is. it’s true that Daniels is a faculty separate from the faculty of arts & science, but since the undergraduate division only offers one specialist (visual studies), most Daniels students are also taking a program (or two) in the faculty of arts & science. that means you’ll be taking courses with artsci kids, which means that the class size kind of just depends on the class.

    most first-year classes are pretty massive; i’m talking several hundred students, sometimes close to a thousand. if you take a more obscure class or a second-year course, it may whittle down to under a hundred. i don’t mean to imply that there isn’t a separate culture and hub of community and resources at Daniels – because there is. it’s just that there’ll be a lot more crossover than you think.

    2.   again, because architecture is so small, i don’t know that there’s a specific residence for architecture students. there is certainly a vibe, as you put it, to each college residence (plus Chestnut), which is very hard to articulate. since that vibe is so ephemeral, i think it makes the most sense to make a decision based on concrete things, especially if you can’t come to campus for a tour.

    bad vibes american horror story

    sometimes, a residence tour can help you get a feel of where you’d prefer to live

    some questions you may want to ask yourself include: do you prefer dorm- or suite-style? what’s your price range? where is the residence located in relation to your classes, libraries, and other amenities? would you rather live in a tall, modern building like Woodsworth, or an old, castle-esque building, like those at Victoria and St. Mike’s? do any of the residences or colleges run an activity or program that particularly interests you? these things can all help you make a decision.

    3.   i’ve used a handy little schematic (pictured below) to demonstrate this question. what it’s illustrating is that there is a good way to push yourself, and a bad way. if you can push yourself just a smidge past your comfort zone, you enter into your challenge zone. in the challenge zone, you gain skills and confidence by trying new things that are challenging but still doable. if you regularly enter your challenge zone, it starts to expand. those things that were previously found challenging become part of your comfort zone. and voila – growth!

    however, if you push yourself too hard and end up in situations where you’re very uncomfortable, you may find yourself in the panic zone. in the panic zone, you feel completely unequipped to handle the situation at hand, and you begin to panic. after getting yourself out of the situation, you feel nothing except a greater aversion to that type of situation.

    the key to getting out of your shell, i think, is engaging your challenge zone as much as possible, but not pushing yourself into your panic zone. maybe the thought of living with a roommate causes you to panic, but you can challenge yourself to meet everyone on your floor before the end of the first semester. baby steps, and you’ll get there.

    other general tips: get involved with extra-curriculars. not only can they lead to opportunities (even potential jobs!) but your network of friends will expand so, so quickly. on a similar note: get a job! you may get lucky and actually become friends with your colleagues. introduce yourself to the people sitting next to you in class. if your residence has a dining hall, sit with people. maybe you can start by sitting with your don, and then gradually add people to your group. finally, hang out in your common room. that’s just a general tip about residence. all you have to do is literally sit there and new potential friends will come TO YOU. it’s the LAY-Z-BOY of friend-making.

    cheers,

    aska

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