• academic offense

    integrity remedy

    January 19, 2015

    Hello,
    I might have possibly taken a wee bit of extra time to finish after the invigilator said stop during my last exam- not above a minute. My counsellor at Accessibility Services wrote to inform me I’d be contacted about that by the Office of Academic Offences or some body that deals with them. One of my half-courses on ROSI reads reads GWR so I’m assuming that stands for Grade Withheld Pending Review and I’m assuming this is the course I’ve been written up for. I topped the previous assignment and have been doing alright in it so far. No one has contacted me yet. Will I lose some points on the exam? What’s going to happen to me?
    Thanks,
    A Careworn Student Who Just Wants a Reprieve From All the Worrying Over the Holidays

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, the holidays are over now. i hope you didn’t do too much worrying. if it helps, i got horrendously sick over the break, so i wasn’t having the jolliest of times either.

    the golden document related to academic integrity at this school is the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters – which sounds very official and scary but is actually quite accessible and reasonable if you take the time to read it.

    bear with me for a second. head over to page 4, section C.i.(a) Divisional Procedures of the Code. you’ll see that the first steps are meeting with the instructor and the dean, and then – at number 8 – they decide whether or not to impose a sanction.

    the sanctions are listed in the next section, C.i.(b) and start off with relatively minor sanctions like an oral/written reprimand, requiring that you resubmit the exam, or a grade of zero (which is a bit more severe).

    if this is your first offence, and you are honest during your meeting with the dean/whomever you meet with, the sanctions will likely not be too severe.

    that said, academic offences are serious business for an institution that grants degrees based on academic achievements, so i wouldn’t say there’s nothing to worry about. but don’t beat yourself up about it – both you and the office want to figure out something that’s fair for you.

    if you’re really nervous, you can make an appointment with your registrar to discuss the meeting and how you can expect it to go.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • OSAP

    gimme an O gimme an S gimme an A…

    January 19, 2015

    Hey there, when can I start to apply for 2015-2016 OSAP?

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    i can’t find any documentation about this because enrolment services’ information (no disrespect, guys) is a teensy bit out of date, but my SECRET SOURCES here at aska HQ tell me that it’s typically not until may.

    so don’t start freaking out about it just yet – you’ve still got some time.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • probation,  UTSC

    probation gestation

    January 15, 2015

    Hi,
    I’m a student in UTSC, and I’m currently on Academic Probation continuing from 2 semester again. If I achieve less than 1.60 on the FALL term, will I be suspended for 4 months? Or will I only be suspended after the WINTER term is assessed? Please answer!
    Thank you.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this is worth saying once in a while, and i haven’t said it for a bit, so here goes:

    as much as i wish we were, askastudent is not a professional, full-time department within the university of toronto. also, the “student” part of askastudent means that we can’t always answer things right away.

    says right here that it can take up to two weeks, and that’s because we need to take time to, y’know, pass our classes and stuff. so if you’ve got a SUPER URGENT inquiry, always go to the appropriate uoft office first. they work a lot more hours to be able to get back to you faster.

    onto your question.

    UTSC’s timeline operates in terms of sessions, like UTSG. however, unlike UTSG, scarborough is divided into three sessions: fall, winter and summer.

    academic standing is assessed at the end of every session, so if you were on probation for the fall session, your standing would have been assessed at the end of the fall session. if your GPA fell below 1.60 in the fall, then you’re “liable for suspension or refusal of further registration” for the winter term.

    but you should have received an e-mail from your school about the exact terms of your suspension if you were suspended, so if you didn’t, i would e-mail the utsc registrar’s office and ask about it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    a cornucopia of majors

    January 13, 2015

    Dear Aska,

    I’m a student half way through my 3rd year. I’m currently working towards a double major in Archaeology and Classical Civilizations with a minor in Art History. I’ve done summer semester for the last 2 years as well in order to keep my workload down to 4 classes/semester (fall/winter) and have everything planned on the ROSI degree planner through the end of my degree. The thing is, I really really would rather up my course load and get a triple major, as I really do love all of these subjects equally and each one is beneficial to my career/ academic aspirations. I’m just not sure how to go about trying for this. Is this possible at all? Do I petition my registrar? I was hoping you could point me in the right direction.

    Thank you so much,

    ~ Tripledown

    P.S. I’m really hoping for a response chock-full of great links and funny gifs.

    ???????????????

    hey there Tripledown,

    the faculty of arts and science is pretty explicit about not letting people do more than 2 majors/specialists. however, since they’re the ones who make the rules, they’d be the ones who could make an exception, if at all possible. i’d start off by calling them and asking.

    i wouldn’t get my hopes up, but it’s always worth it to ask. also, if it’s just about really, really loving the programs, you can always take the courses required for an art history major, without actually having the ‘major’ designation on your transcript.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. here’s one of my favourite gifs, completely complementary, just because you asked so nicely:

    the office jim broken gif

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  • engineering,  suspension

    engineer out of water

    January 13, 2015

    Question: Any academic / life suggestions for a engineering student on 1 year suspension? I really feel now there’s nothing I can call hope now. I cannot face my friends and also it’s a shame to my family. Also how can a person make decent friends in their age while he is out of school?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    your friends and family can think whatever they want. if they think it’s shameful to be suspended (despite the fact that many engineering students are suspended/put on probation every year, many of whom continue on to successful degrees), that’s their prerogative.

    fact is, only you know what engineering at uoft is like, and only you can decide how you want to feel about being suspended. obviously, no one wants to be suspended, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend the whole year feeling gloomy or beating yourself up about it.

    suspension is a year-long opportunity to figure out 1) why you were suspended 2) what you want to do next and 3) how you can go about doing whatever that is. if you take some time to think about 1) and 2) and decide that you really do want to come back to engineering, i would recommend looking into these resources.

    it might also be a good idea to get a part-time job or do some volunteer work. sometimes you can have the clearest thoughts about something while you’re away from it. do something different from engineering, and see if you miss it or not.

    getting a job or volunteer position could also help a lot with making friends. i’ve made some of my best friends through extra-curriculars or jobs i’ve held. charity village is a great site for looking up volunteer opportunities in the city, and you may want to take a look here as well.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • first year,  grades

    reality is no fun

    January 13, 2015

    Hey,

    Just got my mark back for a half year class… It doesn’t count towards my program or anything but I finished with a mark I am not too happy with (65, C). Did I just ruin my academic career or like… (I am in first year by the way, just having a hard time wrapping my head around this mark).

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    no, you didn’t ruin your academic career. i know this kind of thing can send first years crashing into a months-long spiritual and existential crisis, but trust me – this isn’t the end of the world.

    i’m not gonna go so far as to say that first year doesn’t matter, but i think it’s important to understand that everybody, from your overzealous chem prof to the admissions board at whatever professional/grad school you think you want to attend, understands that you don’t have everything figured out in first year.

    first year is there precisely to figure stuff out. if you don’t fall on your face in first year, you’re gonna do it later on when it really matters (i.e. in third and fourth year), and that’s a whole lot worse (though, even that is still not something you can’t recover from).

    so don’t freak out about this. try and internalize this feeling of getting a mark that you’re not happy with. understand that you’re not infallible. i know it doesn’t feel great, but it’s good for you, i promise. it’s gonna help you in the long run.

    once you’re nice and comfy with the idea that you’re not immune to mistakes, start thinking about how you can improve in the future. maybe that means taking different kinds of courses, or altering how and how much you study. or maybe this course was just a one-off and nothing to worry about. take time to do some good ol’ REFLECTION – but don’t beat yourself up about it.

    here’s to a good rest of your degree,

    aska

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  • innis one

    in is 1

    January 13, 2015

    Hello! 🙂 I hope you’re doing well. The dilemma that I come to you with is that I decided I no longer want to take the Innis ONE Program next semester (INI102: Creative Non-Fiction Writing) and I even have two possible classes waitlisted to replace it and I’m pretty high up on the lists. When I try to drop the course, however, it says I cannot do so and I have to consult my “registration material” for more information. What do they mean exactly? Do I need to talk to my registrar? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i hope you’re doing well too, anonymous friend! did you have a good break? i had a good break. now i feel a bit like i’m dying inside, but hey, i’m sure it’ll subside.

    YES, you do need to talk to your registrar. specifically, you’re going to want to e-mail our coordinator, denise ( . ) gray ( at ) innis ( . ) utoronto ( . ) ca.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grad school,  physics

    but an average of *what*?

    January 12, 2015

    Hey Aska,

    I’m a second-year Physics Specialist student… and I didn’t do so well as I thought during the first semester. My inquiry is about graduate school. I plan on enrolling at the Physics department at U of T, the Master’s program in particular. Do they look at my CGPA or just my 3rd and 4th year average?

    Thanks a lot!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the vast majority of graduate programs (especially master’s programs) only consider your last or two last years of undergrad. the department of physics doesn’t specify how many years you need to have maintained the “b+ or better average” that they require.

    likely, they don’t want to advertise that they only look at the latter years of your undergrad, but it’s best not to assume these things. i would e-mail the department at grad ( at ) physics ( . ) utoronto ( . ) ca and ask them directly.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions

    admissions a.k.a. the department of mysteries

    January 12, 2015

    So guidance at my school sucks? Can you please explain U of t’s acceptance rounds and what they look at for each month? I know the rounds are February March and April———————————————

    hey there,

    i can’t explain that in detail, unfortunately, ’cause i’m not in on the secrets of the shadowy realm that is the uoft admissions office. if you’re in a semestered school and midterm marks come in after february, that’s one major change that they might be taking a look at. other than that, there really isn’t much.

    the expectations are outlined on the admissions page, and while conditional offers may vary a bit based on what final marks or midterm marks are available from your high school, what’s required is basically just what’s up on the admissions site. so focus on getting whatever that is for your program.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions

    sick stop courses

    January 12, 2015

    Crisis: So let me start with saying my average is a 95 without my math mark. I have a terrible teacher she’s mean and does not pass kids on purpose. My school has a lot of problems with her and lucky me I got stuck with her. I have a 95 in english and am applying for humanities at St George. I’m currently at a 55 in math Is this woman going to ruin my chances (Math isn’t in my top 6)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    *sighs heavily* *schleps over to adm.utoronto.ca/admissions/ for the actual four millionth time this month* *reminds everyone of this quote again*:

    “Ontario Secondary School Diploma with six Grade 12 U/M subjects including ENG4U, and for programs with the calculus prerequisite, MCV4U.”

    so: if your program requires calculus, and you have a 55 in calculus, then it will be counted. otherwise, if math is not in your top 6 4U/M courses, and it’s not required by the program you’re applying to (which it likely doesn’t, since you’re applying to humanities) it won’t affect your admission. capice?

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • second degree

    *regina spektor voice* everything is different the second time around

    January 12, 2015

    Hi Aska

    I have a horrible gpa and a useless degree in polisci, I don’t know if I can do anything with this. I want to do another undergrad in a year or two, biology next time around. What is that thing on the calender that says you can apply to do a second degree if you do it before June?

    http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/Degree_Requirements_(H.B.A.,_H.B.Sc.,_BCom).html

    If I apply for a second degree is an automatic get in or is it based on grades? Secondly does it have to be two majors or a major and two minor or can I just take one major or specialist the second time around? Does it have to be 20 courses the second time around? Finally how does a make-up year work?

    Thank you

    Confused and Scared for the future

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, it’s not automatic, since you have to petition to complete a second degree. i’d recommend talking to the Faculty of Arts & Science now to ask about specific criteria.

    you’ll have to follow the same degree requirement rules as you did the first time around – that means an appropriate number of subject POSts, 20.0 credits (though you’ll usually get 5.0 FCEs transferred over, so it’s typically only 15.0 that you have to do), etc.

    a make-up year is basically like a victory lap in high school – you just take classes for one more year after you graduate. the classes will appear on your transcript and will affect you GPA (even though you’ve already got a degree). people who take make-up years are often trying to boost their GPA for grad school.

    best of luck, homie,

    aska

    P.S. thanks for your patience as aska took a break for the holidays – i hope the answer is still useful to you!

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  • failing,  prereqs

    try try and try again

    December 18, 2014

    Hey,

    I failed a course that is a prerequisite for my program ( I got a 45) and the next offering of the course is not until the next school year, i.e 2015-2016 fall semester. Will I have to wait an entire school year to retake the class or is their possibly anything I can do during this school year?

    PS: How long does it generally take for people to complete their undergrad? I don’t think I’ll be finishing in 4yrs and I’m pretty bummed about it tbh.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ahh man, i’m sorry. that’s never a fun experience. you can contact the department to see if there are any other options (like taking an equivalent course at utsc/utm, taking it during the summer – the summer timetable isn’t out yet, so it still may be offered, etc.). but it’s possible you’ll have to wait until next fall/winter.

    you also may want to reflect a bit about whether the subject POSt you’re interested in is the right one for you. maybe contact your college registrar to make an appointment and chat about it.

    as for how long it takes, i have two things to say about that:

    1) lots of people take more than four years to complete their undergrads. people take breaks to work, people do make-up years to boost their GPA, people sometimes want to take more courses at the undergrad level about something that really interests them…the list goes on.

    also, one failed course does not automatically add a year to your degree. don’t resign yourself to a fifth year yet.

    2) even if lots of people DIDN’T take fifth years, that shouldn’t stop YOU from taking one.

    listen, the earlier you learn this lesson, the better it’s gonna be for you: do what you feel most comfortable with. one of the best things about uoft is how flexible it is (EVEN BETTER than the cold, the old buildings with wonky heating, the huge first year classes and the fact that there’s no subway station midway between Queen’s Park and Museum).

    it’s in your best interest to take advantage of that flexibility and make your university experience make sense for YOU. i know failing is never fun, but there are lots of options for you, and if an extra year is something you WANT to do, you shouldn’t let anything stop you. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! or person. singular or plural.

    xoxo,

    aska

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