Alright – so my story is very complicated – but please bear with me!
I was admitted to Woodsworth in Fall 2012 as an international student, but?due to a visa delay, I had to defer my admission to next year (sucks,?right?)
Anyhow, my visa came sometime in mid-November, and although I wished to?take the Winter session, I was advised by the Registrar and a senior?counsellor that I won’t be able to get good courses – so I ditched the idea.
Now I’ve spoken to the Registrar and turns out, I can enroll in the Summer?session this year.. Now I have followed British Curriculum and completed my?A levels with the grades AAA, and have gotten 1.5 transfer credits for the?courses SOC103, PSY100 and TRIN1**.
I understand we can take upto 4 credits in the summer session, but the?Registrar-counsellor keeps on telling me that I should not be taking more?than 1 credit (that is, 0.5 credit in F, 0.5 in S), that it would be very?difficult for me to cope with the course load etc. I, initially, thought to?take some 3 or 3.5 credits so that I could end up making up for the time I
lost – and take some extra courses in the School of Continuing Studies?before starting in May so that I can have an idea of how the academic-level?is.. But hearing this from the Registrar, I feel really confused..
The courses I have in mind for the Summer are FSL100 and SOC102 in the?first term (F) and PSY230 and FSL102 in the second term (S). The Registrar?recommends SOC 102 in F and FSL100 in S only. Now I really want to make up?for lost time, and at the moment, I’m not even thinking of the breadth?requirements at all.. Plus, I have studied sociology and psychology in?immense detail in my A levels (and got decent grades), so I have a good?idea what those subjects are about..
I just want a word of advice from you – do you think I should take 2?credits this summer, knowing that I am 100% able AND willing to work extra?hard to make it all work out, or should I just stick with the Registrar’s?advice and take a lesser load?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Regards,
N.
?????????
Holy long-winded message.
For starters, N., I will bluntly tell you that you have a registrar for a reason and their only intention is to guide you in the right direction. So if they recommend a certain way of working, they do it because it’s the most practical option.
Now in the summer, you’re allowed a maximum of 2.0 credits (as in 4 half credits), so there won’t be any of this “3.5” business. So what you have planned — the Sociology and French in semester one, and the Psych and more French in semester two — does, technically, make sense. The only problem is that it isn’t really practical.
As willing as you may be to “work extra hard,” it’s not that easy to manage two courses in the sped up summer session. Heck, it’s even quite difficult to deal with one. If you had an essay due in the fourth week of class in a normal session, that’s fine. However, in the summer, you can damn well have an?exam?at the end of your second week. Now multiply that by two. Then add the readings. Also times two.
Not so pleasant-sounding anymore, huh?
Able and willing as you may be, I personally agree with your registrar. Taking a full load this summer, even if it’s to catch up, might not be a good idea.
But in the end, it’s your choice, so I hope you make the most logical one!
not spending summer studying,
aska