Hi Aska,
I GOT MY ACCEPTANCE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO!!! I’ll be attending UTSG and studying psych (probs as a specialist)
So anyway, I was perusing the course catalogue and planning potential schedules for my myself because I’m a huge nerd, and it’s like a fun little puzzle to fit in all the pre-reqs and breadth requirements.
While I was playing around with this, I noticed that even after I fit everything in (yes, all four years of classes) I have an empty slot in my Fall 2026 term. So because it’ll be my first ever semester at uni, I want to fill that spot with a class that’ll set me up for success at uni.
Do you have any recs for intro-level classes I could take that help with learning how to study more efficiently/be better with time management?
heyyo,
first of all, CONGRATS ON YOUR ADMISSION!!
i was and am also a total nerd about course planning. i remember sitting in my high school library and messing around in timetable builder and degree explorer. yes, i was procrastinating on my assignments, but shut up, i was dealing with senioritis…
you prob already know but the one thing i will caution is that your plan will 100% change in some way. you may want to take a different elective here or there, there may be conflicts, your interests could change, or you might find out that the prof for a course you wanted to take has a 1.3/5 on ratemyprofessor.
ok, with that warning aside, as for your actual question: i did find some courses you might like, but they’re all about writing. don’t get me wrong, writing is probably one of the most skills for uni, but it does suck that there aren’t more options. the ones i found are:
i think any of those would be a great pick for you! you could also choose to do an elective in an area you might wanna minor in, better to test the waters in first year than realize you’re into classics in your last semester.
another option i’d recommend is a first year foundations seminar, since you can only take them in first year. because they’re designed for first years, they’ll focus on developing those critical skills. and they cover some super cool and niche topics: if you’ve ever wanted to do a course on the hamilton musical or the psychology of magic, this is your chance. and hey, would you look at that, there’s even one called the psychology of student success! maybe we should all be required to take that one…
i also wouldn’t worry too too much about learning things like time management from a curriculum. the best way to get a grasp on those skills is with experience, which you’ll get no matter what classes you take. and if you still feel like you need help, you can check out the many resources and workshops that uoft offers.
keep havin fun with that degree explorer of yours!
cheers,
aska