• art

    vis-a-vis VIS

    December 4, 2014

    Dear Aska,

    I’m at my third I’m in my 3rd year at U of T, and I’m currently double majoring architecture and fine art history. I got transferred to the architecture department through internal transfer last year, hence it looks like I would have to delay my graduation in order to complete all my programs.

    However I recently found out that the visual studies program, which is also?offered by the John and Dennis faculty appeal to me a lot. (I have always been an avid drawer as I took interest in visual representations and?drawing in general since I was very young,) and I’ve also noticed that I’m more interested in the visual studies program than the final then the art?history program. (Though I’ve never took any of the VIS courses)

    Since the John that is faculty doesn’t offer visual studies as a minor, if I were to take visual studies then I would have to forfeit my fine art?history as a major. This definitely poses a problem since it’d take me even longer to graduate. My question is, could anybody who is now in the VIS program, tell me briefly what their curriculum is like, and what are some?of the other resources via which I could get similar training and education?required for becoming a better visual artist.

    Thanks and keep up the great work.

    Best regards.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can read about the visual studies programs at the daniels faculty here?and take a look at the timetable here. you can read about requirements for the VIS minor program here.

    however, i agree with you that it might be smarter?not to start messing around with your programs at this point. imho*, this might be a good time to start looking into a second degree, or different ways to get into art outside of school.

    i’d recommend taking a look at the different programs offered by OCAD. also, you may want to think about a Masters in Visual Studies at uoft after your bachelor’s.

    if you’re not really into the idea of doing a whole other degree, the toronto school of art offers courses in drawing and painting for about $460 for a 12-week course. the AGO also offers courses (including yoga, which is…unexpected…), and the school of continuing studies at uoft also offers courses. there’s also this, this and this.

    lots of opportunities to help pay artists something close?to a living wage in the city! hopefully you can?find something to suit you.

    cheers,

    aska

    * now THERE’S a piece of internet lingo that hasn’t been used by someone under the age of 30 before.

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  • summer abroad

    (woodsworth) (not wordsworth) (woodsworth)

    December 2, 2014

    Hello. Id like to to take a course in the study abroad program, and im aware that Wordsworth college gives out generous awards to help finance, but am I allowed to apply for that assistance if I’m not from the st g campus? And I’d like to take a particular course that I’m not in the program for. Who do I get in touch with to ask for an accretion, and how likely is it that I can get in?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you didn’t tell us you weren’t a UTSG student, the fact that you called it ‘worsdworth’ college would’ve tipped us off. don’t worry; i think it’s cute.

    you don’t have to be from the downtown campus to get financial assistance. UTSG students aren’t the only ones who are poor, after all. you can take a look at all the scholarships and bursaries offered to all students here.

    you will have to meet the prerequisites (if any) for any course you want to enrol in, but being in a program directly related to the course isn’t strictly necessary.

    as part of your application, you will have to explain the “[r]elevance of the course to the applicant’s program of study,” but i’d say that if you’re interested in taking the course, there’s probably some way of relating it back to what you’re studying. a strong application can sometimes come from unexpected places. for example, i once received an application from an employer inviting me to accept their offer of rejection from a position at their company. i graciously declined their offer of rejection. i’m starting at the new job on monday.

    i can’t figure out what you mean by the word ‘accretion,’ and i don’t think it’s the word google is telling me it is, so i’m just gonna ignore that part of the question.

    how likely is it that you get in? it’s kinda hard to say. travelling isn’t really my scene, so i don’t have any personal experience with the summer abroad program to back me up.

    the website definitely says that the program is competitive, but they don’t seem to give any specific numbers about how many people apply, how many people they take, etc. so if you’re really curious, i’d recommend just calling them and asking.

    have fun flying off to whatever part of the world uoft flings you out to!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    only do as many credits as they’ll count, ygm?

    December 2, 2014

    Hi,

    I’m in my second year at UTM in the comparative physiology specialist and I want to transfer to St. George. The admissions website says that you can’t transfer it you have more than 10 credits completed, when does it count this from? In my first year I finished 5.5 credits so would I only be able to do 4.5 this year or does it just count from when you apply to transfer, in which case I’d be finished 7.5 credits after first semester is over.

    Any help would be great!?

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

    hey there,

    well, this page about transfer credit says that “[s]tudents who have completed up to two years of study at a recognized university may be granted a maximum of ten transfer credits.”

    since your assessment for transfer credit will include every single credit you’ve completed up until the point you actually come to UTSG and start taking credits here, i’m gonna say that it counts from the very end of your time at UTM.

    so if you’re finishing your second year this april, then yes, only 10.0 FCEs will be transferred over. that’s not to say that you can’t complete?more than 10.0 credits – like, if you finish 10.5 FCEs by april, you’ll still only have completed ‘two years of study.’

    but they’re only gonna?transfer?a maximum of 10.0 FCEs, so why make it hard on yourself?

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams

    let’s fly away

    December 1, 2014

    Hey, aska. Like anyone who’s dealing with student loans and having to deal with uni tuition, I enjoy saving money. I want to be able to go back to Korea this coming summer, but I also want the cheapest flight possible. If I get my plane ticket for the 30th of April by the end of December, I can save hundreds on the ticket. I know that the official calendar says that April 30th is the last day for exams, but I have a feeling that it’s for makeup exams. This is due to the fact that I looked at the exam schedule this semester and there arent any exams for Dec 19, the last day for exams this semester. I don’t want to buy the ticket and then find out that I have an exam on that day next semester. So is the last day for exams actually for exams or for make up exams? Do you think it’ll be ok for me to book my flight on the 30th to save some money or should I keep it safe and buy a ticket for later on in the month?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    listen, man, if you do this, you do it at your own risk. yeah, the chances aren’t great that you’ll have an exam on the very last day. and yeah, as someone whose living prospects for the near future include living in a cardboard box, i get the whole being tight on cash thing.

    BUT if you book that flight and then it turns out you’re supposed to be writing an exam when you’ve planned to be halfway to Korea, then you’re in a bit of a sticky situation. especially if you’re aware beforehand of the risk.

    basically, if you’re gonna do this, i’m not gonna stop you. but i’m also not gonna hold your hand if you have to go to the registrar’s office and straighten out a big mess a few months down the line.

    best,

    aska

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  • transfer credits,  Transferring

    all about transfer credit

    December 1, 2014

    Hey! I’m a first-year student at UTSC and I am pretty sure I want to major in philosophy (but I want to double-minor in Celtic Studies and European Union Studies, which isn’t offered in Scarborough!). By the end of second semester, I will have completed 3 philosophy courses that count towards my major here at UTSC.
    HOWEVER, I was looking into attending UTSG instead. (What can I say, I like downtown). I was just wondering what steps would be involved in transferring over. Is there a specific person I should speak to about transfer credits? Also, if I have fulfilled my breath requirements here at UTSC, does this mean I have also fulfilled them for St. George as well?
    thanks so much.

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

    hey there,

    if you want to transfer, you’ll just have to make sure you meet all the prerequisites and then fill out an internal application by the deadline for your faculty (arts & science for you).

    transfer credits are assessed after you apply to transfer, so unless you have any?BURNING QUESTIONS about a specific course or courses, you don’t have to talk to anyone about it.

    you can read a bit more about how transfer credit works here, or you can contact the transfer credit office yourself with specific questions.

    the breadth requirement thing kinda depends on how your transfer credits pan out. if you took a course that counted for the fifth breadth requirement category ?at UTSC and you get a transfer credit for it that also counts towards the fifth breadth requirement category at UTSG, then that’s great.

    but that may not happen for all your courses.?depending on how your transfer credits are assessed, some may or may not count as breadth requirements here.

    once you get your transfer assessment after applying, you’ll be told exactly which credits count towards which breadth requirements. generally speaking, really basic, first year courses that are common to all three campuses are usually no problem (i’m talking first year calc, first year chem, that kind of thing). for some of the more particular ones, it’s not as certain.*

    but like i said, it’s all just a matter of waiting to see what transfer credit says.

    xoxo,

    aska

    * well, it’s not as certain to ME. i’m sure it’s crystal clear to the transfer credit office people, it’s just that…i don’t work there…

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  • admissions

    horror stories

    December 1, 2014

    I’ve heard horror stories of people getting their acceptances taken away What is the average that causes it to be taken away?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ahh, the ‘horror story’ strikes again. let me tell you something about the things students tell to other students: they’re usually crap.

    like, people don’t tell stories because they want to spread useful information. they tell stories to feel better about themselves, and also to SHOCK and TERRIFY other people for kicks.

    here’s the real story: you won’t get a final offer of admission if your final marks fail to meet your conditional offer of admission. your conditional offer of admission usually just says that you have to meet the program requirements, but you can read about the specifics in your offer letter.

    now, there’s a difference between being competitive enough to get an offer in the first place, and just meeting the requirements.

    as you can see, the actual prerequisites just require that you complete a certain amount of courses, and not necessarily that you finish with a certain average. plus, the university says that “[s]econdary school applicants with strong midyear results may be admitted on condition that they complete their academic year successfully.” the important word there is ‘complete.’

    if your average dips a little bit, it’s not a big deal. i’d say you should only start to be concerned if it goes down 15%-20% or more, and you start to get into danger of maybe failing a course.

    as a general rule, try not to listen when people tell horror stories, okay? it’s all just make-believe.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment

    simpler than you expected

    December 1, 2014

    Hello,

    I was just wondering if there’s anything specific I need to do if I want to?enroll in an S course right now. When I was looking into it I found out?that January 18th is the last day to enroll in S courses, but is that all??I just enroll in the class on ROSI, pay for the single course and that’s?it? That seems a little too easy. Is there a due date for the tuition?payment for S courses when you sign up for them later? And is there a late?fee automatically added to the regular cost of the course on top of the?1.5% service charge starting in November?

    Thank you so much for your help.

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

    hey there,

    well, it’s a?little more complicated than?that, but not by much.

    the only question here is?whether you’re a full-time or part-time student. if you’re a full-time student (that is, you’re between 3.0 and 6.0 FCEs), then you can add a course and you’ll still be paying the same, full-time course fee. nothing changes.

    if you’re part-time and therefore paying per-course fees, then you will have the cost of that course automatically added to your account invoice on ROSI.

    and yeah, if you don’t pay for it by december 15th, and then january 15th, etc. that 1.5% service charge will accumulate on it.

    by the way, you can read all about your specific fee information on this handy document, which, granted, has entirely too many tables to be comfortable, but is actually very helpful, so. you win some and you lose some.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions

    you wanna be on top?

    November 27, 2014

    Hi Aska,I have a question regarding acceptance. Right now I’m in my final year of high school and have already applied to UOFT at the St. george campus for humanities. All of my marks are 90 and above except for math.. my math mark is about to be in the 60’s. However, I don’t want to use math in my top 6 because my other courses will replace math. Will this mark affect my entrance even if it isn’t in my top 6? thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    y’all are overthinking this.

    what does the word ‘top‘ mean? if you have a mark that it not one of your top six highest marks, then it won’t be in your top six. it really is as easy as that.

    look at it this way: if you took 7 courses, and you got 90s in 6 of them, and a 60% in the seventh, then the 60% class would not be in your top six. it would be in seventh place. seven is less than six. you see what i mean?

    so no, if your math mark is not in your top six highest 4U/M marks including prerequisites, then it will not affect your admissions chances. whoo!

    good luck on your application, friend. try not to bust a blood vessel over it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grades

    failing mark =/= zero

    November 27, 2014

    Hey

    So I’ve just failed my midterm miserably for RSM 219- yes that’s intro to financial accounting. They say “intro” but more than 3/4 of the class has taken accounting in high school already and it’s super UNFAIR to people like me. So this midterm was weighted like 30% and I failed it. However the previous midterm was 15% and I passed it *Phew*. My final exam in December is 35% so I’m “hoping” to pass that as well.
    My question is, for the final grade, does uoft still weight the failed exam to determine your final grade?
    Eg. If you got like 45% on the midterm and it was worth 30%, then do they still weigh it in their calculations to determine your final grade in the course.

    *please say yes!*

    Thanks
    Freaked-out

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you’re asking whether a mark of 45% on a midterm that’s worth 30% would contribute 13.5% to your final mark, then: yes.

    i haven’t been able to find anything to indicate otherwise, anyway. i couldn’t find anything that says a failed mark would automatically drop to 0, or anything horrible like that.

    there’s nothing on the course outline for RSM219 to indicate it, and i’ve definitely never seen that in any classes i’ve taken, either.

    you can talk to your instructor about it, but i think you’re safe.

    however, if you’re worried about how well you’re doing in the class, it may be a good idea to talk to your college registrar about the possibility of late withdrawing from the course. just a thought.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • first year

    we’ve all been there

    November 27, 2014

    Hey Aska!

    My name is [redacted], I am 18 years old and I got accepted to the UofT and plan on starting next fall. I currently reside in Austria with a Canadian citizenship. When I first got my acceptance letter, I was incredibly excited to have been given the opportunity to get my education at one of the best institutions in the world.

    I plan on get a major/specialist in psychology, for I intend to pursue a career in mental health advocacy and helping teenagers get out of depression in an effort to lower the suicide rate among youths, as well as assisting them in becoming the best and strongest version of themselves. I do not want to wait until the end of my studies to start doing what I want to do; I intend to go to clubs and meetings that assist me in fulfilling my purpose. Everything was fine and well until a few days ago when I started reading about the Universities? reputation for being a GPA killer and demanding much more of the students than any other university. That reputation is source for a lot of confusion as far as I?m concerned: while everyone on Studentawards laments about the dreaded bell curve, I also read an article on The Medium stating that said lamenting was only an outlet for the venting of irresponsible students who just didn?t study enough. Are there any grounds for either standpoint? Also, I have seen an anecdotal post on Reddit that said that in order to achieve and maintain a >3.6 GPA, one would have to study for 12h a day, assuming a reasonable level of intelligence. Many others complain that the UofT has turned hard working student into depressed zombies, and many regret their choice of institution.

    All of this talk is making me increasingly anxious. I?m not sure how the french school system (I went to a french Lyc?e), where standardized tests are the norm compares to the Canadian high school system so I have trouble gauging my ability to succeed at a Canadian institution. I graduated my school with what would be the equivalent of a cGPA of about a 94%, if that is of any relevance. All of this makes me incredibly paranoid, since I absolutely have to go to grad school in order to be able to perform as a psychologist (which requires a PhD). I guess that my ranting boils down to the following question: is it possible to maintain an average of >3.7 whilst maintaing a healthy social life and being able to pursue hobbies without sacrificing unfathomable amounts of sleep?

    I am truly sorry for this wall of text and hope that you could help me unearth the truth about academic success at the UofT.

    Regards

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

    hey there,

    i’m gonna start off what will probably be an unsatisfying answer by telling you that everyone feels that way coming into first year. whether you went to school in austria or china or Shmoesville, Ontario, uoft will be a new experience. you may thrive, you may fail, or (most likely) you may fall somewhere in the middle.

    i think there’s a case to be made for uoft being difficult. in 2015, maclean’s is ranking it 2nd in canada behind UBC; it was first last year. and no, i don’t think that all people who have a poor GPA are just irresponsible or not working hard enough.

    you can’t blame it all on the students, but?you also can’t blame it on the school. at the end of the day, your academic career is the sum of you + the university of toronto, and if you’re not right for the school, or if the school’s not right for you, the equation’s not gonna work out.*

    to some extent, you just have to wait to get here to figure out whether or not you like it. however, i do have a few tips:

    1) you seem really passionate about mental health, and i think it’s a great idea to pursue extra-curricular initiatives related to mental health on campus, and in the city.

    camh is a great facility to get involved in, and it’s very close to campus. there are also student groups like Active Minds at UofT,?who work to raise awareness about mental health issues.

    integrating yourself into the community is an important part of doing well. if you care about the community at school, you’re more likely to work hard to stay in it.

    2) DO NOT even ATTEMPT to study something that you’re not interested in.

    if you want to do a psych major or specialist, you have to take PSY100H1 to get in. i know you’re saying right now that you want to do psych and that’s awesome, but if you take PSY100H1 and you’re not into it, PLEASE, on behalf of everybody and your mother, start exploring other options.

    however, if you’re doing something you genuinely enjoy, you CAN?maintain a reasonable GPA that is good enough to get you to graduate school, without completely destroying yourself in the process.

    ‘course, aska isn’t in the business of guaranteeing stuff, but – yeah. it’s not completely unreasonable to expect success. or at least the possibility of success.

    3) i don’t think coming from lycee will disadvantage you at all. uoft has a lot of international students coming from all kinds of different backgrounds: IB, AP, the british-patterned system, schools in china and korea, and just your regular old ontario public schools – and much more.

    university is its own beast separate from high school, and i think that no matter where you come from, you’ll find some of what you know will come in handy, and some of it will have to be revised.

    cheers,

    aska

    * see? i can do math. academia is alive and well in askastudent.

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  • gap year,  UTM

    i’m off!

    November 25, 2014

    Hello, I’ve started my first year of uni at utm but I’m thinking of taking a gap year after I’m done, before starting my second year. Is this possible? Who would I have to contact to sort this out? Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s totally possible! and you don’t have to do anything. as long as you don’t enrol in courses when the time rolls around, your fees will be cancelled (see page 30 of this booklet).

    then, after a year of finding yourself or trying to work so you have money to live or supporting your family or whatever CRAZY SHENANIGANS kids these days get up to, you can just come back! re-registration of your student record will cost $25 (see page 35), and you can go to your registrar’s office for that.

    sometimes – even at uoft – things can be that simple. it’s a christmas miracle.

    cheers,

    aska

     

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  • first year,  life science,  med school

    medical school? what a HUMERUS proposition

    November 25, 2014

    Hi there,
    Does first year of life science at utm count towards med school. What count towards the science gpa, and does it matter if i fail a course in my first year of life sci, will it ruin my chances of getting into med school, a Canadian med school.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can totally do life sci at UTM if you want to get into medical school. medical school in canada isn’t very restrictive in terms of what kind of program you need to take.

    for example, uoft medical school only requires that you take 2.0 life science courses and 1.0 social science courses. heck, i even qualify for that, and i’m in a humanities program.

    however, it all starts to go south for me when you take into consideration the other requirements, like a competitive MCAT score, letters of reference, an interview and a competitive GPA.

    with a few finicky exceptions, pretty much every course you take will count towards the GPA used to determine your admission average for medical school.

    failing a course in first year definitely won’t ruin your chances, but it will be a very low mark on your transcript which will lower your GPA, so, you know…try not to fail.

    however, at uoft medical school at least, if you apply directly after your undergrad and you’ve taken a full course load every semester, uoft med school will drop your lowest 4 marks from the admission GPA, so that’s kinda nice, isn’t it? admissions committees aren’t all bad.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions

    (AHHH)

    November 25, 2014

    Hi aska! So I have a question about U courses and UC or M courses. I already sent in my application for humanities at St george(AHHH) and out of my top 6 that I want to use 2 are UC/M courses(just to clarify uc and m are the same thing). My other two U courses are math and I DO NOT WANT TO USE THOSE IN MY TOP 6. Does U of t give preference to students who have their top 6 of all U courses? Or will they include my Maths in my top 6 because they are U?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ah, an admissions freakout! i haven’t seen one of these in a while. it doesn’t truly feel like the holiday season until grade 12’s are losing their heads about uni admissions, you know?

    anyway, fortunately for you, your question has a happy ending.

    the problem here is that you seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of the word ‘top.’ let’s break this down semantically, yeah?

    if the university says ‘top 6 4U/M’ courses (including prerequisites),’ then they are going to use whatever 6 Grade 12 courses have the highest marks, whether they are U or M, in your admission average.

    if they were planning on discarding your M’s in favour of U’s, even if those U’s were lower than the M’s, then they would say ‘top 6 4U courses.’

    so no, you will not be at a disadvantage if 2 of your courses are M courses, and they will not use your math courses if the marks you got in those courses are not within your top 6 highest 4U or 4M marks.

    cool? cool.

    cheers,

    aska

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