so im a first year rotman commerce student… kind of. after getting my offer, i didnt exactly meet the required final mark for gr12 calc so i need to reapply at the end of the school year with a competitive gpa to re-enter the program. the thing is, im pretty much failing all 3 of my first year commerce courses. i wanted to kick into high gear for two of my courses and retake the third next year, but after learning that the uni sees BOTH ur attempts, “evening out” my grade just wont be possible…. should i ncr/cr that (probably) failed course so i can start fresh, or is it a bad idea to “waste” one of my ncr/cr’s like that? but if i do bad in my “high gear” courses theres no hope, i cant ncr/cr everything…
im so lost, im not sure if this is even the right path for me. im not sure if i started failing my courses because i got too behind or because i lost interest (i only applied for business programs out of “practicality”, i actually dont care for it too much… but im still struggling to find what my passions are). should i be more realistic about my eventual doom and look for what i enjoy instead? its hard to let go of the rotman dream (if it was even one of mine)…. slipped right through my hands, damn!
———————————————
hey there,
well, it’s better to credit/no-credit a course than to fail it. however, 1) rotman has fairly rigid limits on which courses you can cr/ncr, and 2) if you’re failing three courses, that’s probably an indication of a bigger issue.
rotman is too expensive to do if you’re not absolutely in love with it. i understand that concerns about employability are important, but if you hate your program enough that you don’t do well in it, you may as well not do it.
it’s okay if you don’t know what you’re passionate about yet. despite the mounting pressures from the outside world to turn universities into a factory for corporate employees (gag/vomit), i still believe that university can – and should be – a place to try new things and figure stuff out.
the first thing you want to do is talk to someone at rotman about this. your best bet would be academic advising or the rotman commerce program office. ask them how feasible it would be for you to stay in rotman, and what you can do to boost your grades. ask them about the possible repercussions of retaking those courses you’re not doing so well on.
ask them about transferring to the faculty of arts & science. ask them about other programs, universities, colleges – whatever it is that’s quietly pulsating at the back of your mind, daring you to talk about it aloud.
as someone who transferred out of a “practical” school/program/way of life into something i actually care about, i understand that it can be hard to let go of an idea of yourself as a certain kind of person. and deciding to leave rotman definitely warrants some careful consideration – you shouldn’t do it unless you’re absolutely certain, and preferably after you’ve heard two or three people’s outside opinion.
but the fact is: you’re going to get so much more out of your time if you spend it on something you care about. you will be happier, more successful, and more productive. so whatever you decide, have that as your goal.
anyways, everyone knows businesspeople are SO out of fashion.*
cheers,
aska
*i’m joKING, @rotman you know i love you.