• subject POST

    refused before i even tried

    September 4, 2014

    Hi,

    I have a very short and sweet question to ask you regarding subject posts.?I decided to change programs after completing my first year and have taken?the pre requisite courses i need to enroll in the subject post i want. So,?i? know i will have to wait for the second round of subject posts to be?eligible when i have completed those required courses. The thing is that i?checked on rosi and have been refused offer to the subject post before my?marks were even in or before i even finished the courses this summer.
    Please help, thanks

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

    hey there,

    without knowing which subject POSt you requested, it’s really hard for me to predict why you may have been refused.

    did you put in a request in the first round, before you’d completed the prerequisites??because?that?would explain it. (if you?didn’t put in a request at all?and still?got refused, then clearly there’s a poltergeist tinkering with ROSI’s innards.)

    in any case, it doesn’t really matter what?i think?happened. at the end of the day, the people who make decisions about who gets into any given subject POSt are the departments. what i would do is contact?the department that administers the program and write?them a strongly worded letter asking?what the HECK happened (kidding!?make sure to?ask politely if they can?shed some light on the situation. that might work better).

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • residence

    moving in, moving on

    September 3, 2014

    Can I move in to residence the day after the official move in day?

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

    hey there,

    well, i realize it is now the second day after most residences’ first move-in days, but yes, you can. you can move in?starting?on move-in day, not?only on move-in day.

    if you’re ever uncertain, it’s always best to contact and?ask the residence you’re moving into. but typically – yes. hope you already figured that out through someone else.

    how’s rez? good? cool.

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • courses

    what is the most special topic?

    September 3, 2014

    What are special topics courses? I’m taking RLG389H1 “Museums and material religion” but I dont know what to expect of it since there is no course summary posted. Will I receive a religion credit from it despite it being a special topics course?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this is an oddball because usually these kinds of courses only appear in fourth year (for example, see RLG410Y1). however, RLG389H1 seems to follow the same general pattern as any other fourth-year ‘advanced topics’ course.

    basically, special/advanced topics courses are taught in a general area (in this case, a “topic of central interest to students of religion“), and the prof/department get to decide which specific topic will be the focus of the class in any given year.

    what you can expect is likely a prof who’s super excited by what they’re teaching, because it’s usually pertinent to their academic interests. you can also expect a really unique coverage of a topic not many other students will get.

    the lack of a course description is actually pretty exciting. think of it as walking into ms. frizzle’s class every morning – you never know what kind of adventure you’re likely to get into.

    and it will count as a religion credit, since it has the ‘RLG’ prefix.

    hope you like the course!

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  humanities

    the hardness of the humanities

    September 3, 2014

    I read one of your posts a while back saying humanities wasn’t that hard to get into Why is it not that hard?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    hmm. i don’t remember saying that (though it’s very possible i did – i do talk a lot).

    obviously, the humanities as a field of study have been the butt of jokes since the time of Socrates (probably. i mean, i don’t know. i wasn’t around making fun of him, or anything). there’s a stigma that they’re easy.

    and while the numbers seem to support that, generally, a slightly higher minimum average is needed to be eligible for admission to the life sciences and commerce than for other areas of study, the marks required to get into any stream at uoft are actually pretty even across the board.

    so maybe the humanities aren’t that easy to get into. or at least, not so much easier than any other area. maybe all academia and critical thinking is equally valid and important. food for thought.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • jobs

    how much study, how much work?

    September 3, 2014

    Hi, Aska I plan to apply for a work-study position, and I’m a part-time student. I just want to confirm that it would okay if I took one fall half-course and one winter half-course. I read the eligibility of the work-study position and I was confused by the wording. Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i can’t fault you for getting confused trying to understand uoft’s meticulous (slash convoluted) wording when it comes to university regulations.

    however, i think that since both of these links about work-study say that a student in the fall-winter term needs to be enrolled in at least 2.0 credits, you would be 1.0 credits short if you’re only in 0.5 per semester this term.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  humanities

    the answer is to stop reading articles, clearly

    September 2, 2014

    I read some articles on student awards about humanities and social sciences at u of t… They said you can’t get in unless you have an 85 average. So far I have a 96 in english and am planning for an 85 average overall. DO I NEED HIGHER?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m not sure which articles you’re talking about. also, do you mean ‘student awards’ as in awards at uoft, or ‘student awards’ as in the open online forum in which anonymous people can give answers about stuff? now, don’t get me wrong, forums can be incredibly helpful, but don’t take everything some anonymous student says as gospel.

    don’t panic just yet, is what i’m saying.

    you do need certain marks to be competitive, but trying to feel out what those marks are is best done through info directly from uoft. the university has no reason to be alarmist, unlike anonymous randos online. panicking students are no fun for anyone working at a university.

    i’d recommend you read this and draw your own conclusions. while there are no guarantees, an 85% average is solidly within that ‘low 80s’ admission range for 2014 students.

    (disclaimer that numbers change from year to year and that link is just a guideline, etc. etc. you cannot sue aska if you don’t get into uoft; i’m just a lowly student who eats far too many soda crackers for her own good, and i can’t make any serious promises).

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • registration

    is the minimum payment really the minimum?

    September 2, 2014

    1- the message above your ask box says uncol instead of uncool, jsyk!! 2 – i added 4 courses originally and then after i paid the minimum payment, i ended up adding more courses. do i have to pay more on top of the minimum payment now? or am i good until i have to pay the rest in november, or whatever? does the minimum payment change?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    thank you! darn those typos. they’ll be the edn of me.

    no, the minimum payment does not change – if you paid to register by the deadline, you are going to stay registered. registration doesn’t retroactively go back and un-register people, so that’s good news.

    however, your total fees may change. because you said ‘courses’ instead of ‘credits,’ (always use credits! no one counts in courses), i don’t know if the number of courses you added tipped you from part-time to full time.

    full time students (3.0 credits +) have a different fee from part-time students. part-timers are assessed on a per course basis (so a student with 0.5 credits pays less than a student taking 1.0 credits), while full-time students pay a program fee. depending on your credit count now, you could be in either one of those camps.

    also, some programs work differently than others in terms of fees (commerce, bioinformatics and comp. sci. are the main culprits at st. george). you can take a look at the part-time and full-time fees for your program/faculty here.

    you can also read more about that november 15th deadline you mentioned (which is the day that service charges start to apply on any fees you haven’t paid yet), and lots more helpful info about fee deadlines, here.

    (i know it can seem a tad overwhelming when you first look at it, but that link is actually super helpful.)

    finally, it’s always a good idea to keep your eye on your account invoice on ROSI. if you ever see something that makes you go “what???”, you can read up and ask questions so you’re aware of what’s going on. and if any of the changes i mentioned do happen, they’ll show up on there.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • economics,  wait list

    eco150y1 is one hot commodity

    September 2, 2014

    Hi!
    I’m freaking out. I am going to major in Equity Studies and International Relations, but I couldn’t get into ECO105Y1 and Intro to Equity Studies because the courses are full. So basically if I don’t get into these courses I can’t start my majors next year. I don’t want to end up doing 5 years because of that (would be way too costly for me). I don’t know what to do. Do you think if next week during frosh I go see the registrar and tell them I need those classes they would let me in?
    Thank you so much!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    yes, i do think you should talk to your registrar. however, i’m warning you now: they may tell you to remain on the waitlist (and if you’re not on the waitlist, to get on it) until we get closer to the day the waitlist drops (september 14th for F/Y courses).

    after the first week of classes, a LOT of people are going to drop courses. they’re just waiting to test run the first class, and then they’ll make a decision.

    to prove it to you, i’ll let you in on a secret: i’m enrolled in 6.0 credits, and i’m only planning on staying in 5.0. no, i won’t tell you what i’m hoarding (it’s not ECO150, don’t worry).

    that said, it doesn’t hurt to talk to your registrar’s office about it now; who knows, you may have extenuating circumstances which mean they might be able to stick you into the course. also, the registrar might know of some alternative options you’re not aware of. a trip to the registrar’s office is always helpful, is what i say.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  humanities,  social sciences

    humanities vs. social sciences: THE SHOWDOWN

    September 1, 2014

    Two questions: 1) which area has the most admissions on the st george campus 2) which is easier humanities or social sciences?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    are you asking which stream is the least competitive? because uoft is silent as a dead cat about admission stats for undergrad arts & science students.

    however, if you want to see how you may measure up to your peers, you can take a look at the anticipated grade ranges for fall 2014 in both the humanities and social sciences for incoming students. just remember that those numbers may change from now to whenever you’re planning on applying to uoft.

    as you’ll see, the anticipated grade ranges for the humanities and social sciences are the same. this leads me on nicely to your next question:

    the humanities and social sciences are, for all intents and purposes, the same. yes, they’re formally distinct in uoft’s vernacular, but once you get into first year, there’s not much of a difference between humanities and social sciences students.

    if you look at the course calendar, you’ll see that the courses are not divided by stream – they’re listed by department. occasionally, maybe there’ll be a priority for social science or humanities students for a certain course, but practically speaking, a humanities student and a social sciences student could have the exact same schedule in first year.

    the real difference is in the faculty name: arts and science. if you’re a science student or a computer/mathematical/physical science student, you will have very different courses from most humanities/social science students.

    if you’re trying decide what you want your program to be and trying to figure out levels of difficulty, the thing you want to be looking at is our subject POSTs. they vary widely in competition, popularity, and how many people they admit. you’ll be required to pick one or more subject POSts by the end of your first year, so it’s worth it to peruse them now!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • psychology,  stats

    too many stats to keep track of

    September 1, 2014

    hey! i was just wondering if you know if it is acceptable to take STA215 (applied statistics) as the requirement for the a psych major, because on the degree explorer on ROSI it says that I can either only take STA220/ STA218 or STA219, however in the details of STA215 it says that the course qualifies for the program. So i am a confused on what I should take. Any thoughts?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this is an student-sponsored PSA: pleaaaaase tell me what campus you’re on in your questions, y’all.

    you’re right, this is confusing. the listing for the psych major says the only stats courses you can take for that requirement are STA218H5 or 220H5. however, PSY215H1 lists 218H1 and 220H5 as exclusions, which might lead you to believe they’re equivalent.

    in this case, I’m inclined to say that you can’t take STA215 for the major (especially if degree explorer agrees with me). the course seems to be one in a list of intro. to stats courses which focus on a different field or difficulty level.

    just from the description, STA220 looks more involved than 215, while STA218 is obviously geared towards management students. each course is slightly different. while they may be exclusions of 215, they might cover things that 215 does not, and that could be why psych doesn’t include it in its list of acceptable stats courses.

    i mean, this is just my guess. i highly recommend you call the psych department to double-check, but generally, i would stick to what the academic calendar’s listing for the major says to be safe.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions

    how hard is hard

    September 1, 2014

    How hard is u of t humanities to get into? Average of 84.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s hard as a rock grinding against a religious fanatic. it’s hard as a final exam on three hours of sleep. it’s hard as a watermelon a week before it ripens. it’s hard as carbon nanotubes. it’s hard as your mother’s rules about watching tv when she’s tired. it’s hard as holding hands with an elementary school crush. it’s hard as long division after a decade of having a calculator on your phone.

    just read this document and make a judgement call yourself, dude.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • first year

    it’s ok to be scared but maybe try to not be so scared: a motivational speech

    August 29, 2014

    this one?goes out to all my?first years out there who are quaking in their?boots at the thought of starting school. listen up, ’cause aska’s about to explain why a bit of quaking is okay.

    if you’re coming into first year,?you’re allowed (even expected) to be?afraid. in case you haven’t noticed this yet, it’s normal to be apprehensive about new situations. if we didn’t, our species would’ve died out the first time someone?tried to tackle a mountain lion and everyone just charged in after the dude instead of running in the other direction, and that would’ve been embarrassing and bloody for all of us.

    if you’re afraid that university will be too difficult, or that everyone else will be smarter than you – that too, is normal, and a result of high school teachers’ unfortunate tendency to make their students?behave?by instilling in them a mortal fear of THE ALMIGHTY UNIVERSITY.

    still, being afraid is sensible if you handle it the right way.?the important thing is NEVER to let your fear get so big that it makes you stick your head in the sand. you may come to school in september and find that classes are harder than you thought, or you’re lonelier than you expected to be. life might throw you some curve balls.

    but if/when a curve ball does happen, you SHOULD NOT?BE AFRAID?to seek out help. the problem will only?get worse if it’s not dealt with, like a particularly unfortunate boil.

    on the other hand, if you ask for help as soon as you notice there’s a problem, the boil will be gone before you can snapchat a picture of it to unwitting acquaintances.

    you’ve got lots of time to drop courses you don’t like (september 21st/january 15th), ask questions about course material (go to your tutorial and prof’s office hours!), get help outside of class (at a math aid centre, writing centre, economics study centre, or with one of the many, many tutors employed by uoft’s academic departments), and speak with your registrar’s office about any questions you may have.

    at every step of the way, there is someone available to answer your questions and provide support. even aska will answer your questions, as long as you let me poke fun at you a bit first.

    enjoy your first week, everyone!

    aska

    Read More
  • askastudent announcement,  frosh

    hey, we have some tips about frosh week!

    August 28, 2014

    hey there,

    so, orientation week (also known as frosh week) is coming up soon. first-years across the country are about to participate in an outpouring of enthusiasm rarely seen in this city. they’re about to be water-ballooned, gently coerced into huge choreographed dances, and forcibly marched across campus while being made to repeat college/faculty cheers.

    it’s gonna be awesome.

    and while you bright-eyes first-years get into the spirit of things with rounds of canon-fire and (age appropriate) drinks, upper year students will stay at home for one last week, sleeping in and desperately trying to convince themselves that school isn’t just around the corner.

    BUT before aska buggers off and joins the other upper years in this last week of mass denial, i thought i’d draw your attention to our very helpful frosh week tips post, and also to the entire category on this site that is dedicated to talking about orientation week.

    give those a browse before you get here for the?inaugural week, and remember to GET EXCITED!*

    cheers,

    aska

    *insert cheesy fist pump and radiant smile of pure benevolence common to all orientation week leaders.

    Read More