• economics,  international relations

    100 or 105?

    August 5, 2014

    Hello!
    I’m a first year student starting this fall at u of t – hopefully majoring in international relations. I didn’t take a senior/ gr. 12 math course because I was not planning on specializing in international relations (so I would only need to take ECO105Y rather than ECO100Y) and math really isn’t my strong point (I took gr. 11 university math and managed to pull of a 75 but other than that I’m usually in the mid 90’s). Now I’m reading that it is strongly recommended that all international relations students take the higher level economics class. I guess my question is… Can I take the higher level economics class without any of the “recommended” prerequisites (and pass)? Or am I better off to just take the lower level class. Economics is interesting to me but I’m not sure if it’s worth the suffering.

    Oh and one more thing… I’m taking trinity one for IR. Some suggest doing the optional summer reading, others say it’s better to wait. Any advice? Thanks for your time!!

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    hey there,

    it seems like you can climb your way up to required upper-year courses like ECO230Y1 and ECO342Y1 just by taking ECO105Y1 (make sure to do your own check though – i took a cursory glance at a few of the upper year classes, but you have to be exhaustive in your own research), so both versions of the course seem to be an option.

    from what i hear, ECO is really challenging, so if you can fill all your prerequisites by doing the ‘easier’ (for lack of a better term) version, maybe that’s the best thing to do. the IR major requires at least a 70% average in its required first-year courses, so the better chance you have at doing well in every course, the better your chances of getting in. also, the economics department itself says that “ECO105Y is an introductory course… It may also be used for some programs, such as International relations.”

    however, it could be that ECO100 will prepare you better for those upper-year courses. also, it is, strictly speaking, a social sciences course, so maybe comparing it to grade 11 math (which is essentially geared towards preparing you for calculus and, eventually, linear algebra) is not an entirely fair comparison.

    ultimately it’s your choice, and as i have explained before, i am liberal arts trash, and so have very limited first-hand experience with serious business courses like ECO. feel free to contact economics directly for some more insights if you’re still feeling uncertain about your decision.

    as for summer reading, that’s tricky. if it’s optional, obviously it’s not a top priority but it’s probably worth at least a skim or two – maybe read the opening chapter and scan the rest. if you do have the time, read the full thing. with these kinds of things (especially when you’re going into first year and you’re not used to the pace of university courses yet), it’s better to be safe than sorry.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses

    in for the long haul

    August 5, 2014

    opinion on taking consecutive 2 hour lecture classes? Do you think it will be too much for me? It’s CCT109 and MAT102.

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    hey there,

    hmm. it depends. are the classes early in the day? are they your only two classes, or do they round off the end of a long slog that starts at 9am? are you the kind of person who gets restless really easily, or are you pretty sedentary? and are the classes far away from each other, necessitating a mad sprint you from one building to the other, or relatively close?

    all these factors and probably more that i haven’t thought of will affect how unpleasant it’ll be. try answering those questions, and it might help you make a decision.

    however, even if the classes are really far away and are too late or too early or whatever – if you really need to take them and there are no other available times, there are ways to make it work. you can take breaks during one or both of the lectures if you need to, and if you’re uncomfortable about leaving the lecture hall in the middle of lecture, you can always speak with the professor directly and clear it with them at the beginning of term. you CAN pull through it.

    or at least, that’s what i’m telling myself because i have a 3-hour lecture directly following a 2-hour lecture this coming Fall.

    hoping for the best for both of us,

    aska

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  • enrollment,  first year

    panic! at the ROSI

    August 1, 2014

    omgomgomg ASKA! It was so stressful I almost cried (I cry to relieve stress and my friends always make fun of me). I was SO ready for it like “BRING IT ON” but wow was my confidence kicked real hard in the ####!!!! Psych is really popular with the crowds huh? -.- I also ended up taking ANT110H1 which was my LAST resort because I had/have noooo idea what the course description is trying to tell me. Think you could shed some light? GAWD last night was so stressful! T^T #cantgetoverit

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

    heY THERE FRIEND,

    there are a lot of exclamation points in this question and i’m kind of intimidated. also, i’m not sure i can actually find the question buried in all this panic. so – i know it’s hard, but do your best – try and get over it. you’re all grown up now and you can handle this. aska believes in you.

    okay, motivational poster time over.

    yeah, psych is pretty popular. you just have to take a look at this site’s psychology category to see that. it’s one of only a few POSts with its own category here. a true honour – i’m sure the psych department knows and is delighted.

    now, ANT110. this is the course description. i’m not an anthropologist and i have never taken a class on anthropology, but it says pretty clearly that?it’s going to be a class that examines different cultures’ and different thinkers’ perspectives on nature. pretty cool.

    so, for example, you might look at?the difference in perspectives between a North American career-mum who thinks that her lawn exists to best the other mummies’ lawns, and a Mongolian steppe warrior who’s never seen a lawn in his?entire life.

    obviously, one of those people is a bloodthirsty war?machine, while the other is a member of an Asian ethnic?group that dates back many centuries, so there’re bound to be some interesting differences.

    but enough guesswork from me. if you really want to know what the course is about, wait for the course?reading?list to be uploaded onto the bookstore’s site. that should give a good idea of course content. also, ?reading up on the research done by the prof who’s teaching?the course is a good way to get insight about what they’re likely to focus on.

    anyway, i hope you like the class!

    aska

    P.S. i can’t believe i made a panic! at the disco reference. i’ve regressed back to age 14. god help us all.

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  • enrollment

    slipping past the priority

    August 1, 2014

    Hi aska, so I’m going to be a first year physical and mathematical science student at St. George. I just finished course enrolment, and for some reason ROSI allowed me to enrol in BIO120 & BIO130. Will it kick me out since I do not have priority?? Thanks in advance!

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

    hey there,

    i’m VERY doubtful that you got into a course with a priority if you didn’t have priority. before you start celebrating that you pulled a fast one on ROSI, double-check the following:

    1) are you sure you’re a physical/mathematical sci. student? read your acceptance letter. just one more time. for me.

    2) are you sure you’re enrolled in the classes? check that the courses are on your personal timetable and your ‘list courses’ (which you can find in the left-hand table and under ‘course enrolment,’ respectively, on ROSI). if they’re not there, you’re not in the classes.

    3) if you still think you’re enrolled after steps #1 and #2, contact your college registrar. they can check for sure to see if you’re enrolled, and if you’re not, it’s a lot better to learn that now than to find out halfway through term. that would trip you up bad.

    if you ARE enrolled, then hey, you pulled off a miracle. good for you.

    best,

    aska

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  • wait list

    but i really really really wanted that course

    August 1, 2014

    Hey, I’m on a waitlist for 2 courses that I reeeeeaaallllyyyy want to do. If I have a relatively low number of people in the waitlist in front of me, what are the chances that I can get into the course?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the general (GENERAL) rule of thumb is that if you are within the first 10% of the course size (e.g. spots 1-10 in a course of 100 – you’ll notice i keep using this example because my math competency is at a grade 4 level), you have a pretty good chance of getting in.

    past that, it’s all a matter of degree. and luck. no matter how many e’s you stick in the middle of that ‘really.’

    you’ve just gotta keep checking until the deadline, and hope for the best.

    good luck,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    i say POSt a lot in this post

    August 1, 2014

    Hi aska!? I just have a brief question about Majors with a GPA requirement! Let’s say I get the required GPA of 2.0 for the Bio major and I’ve done everything else that is needed. Is is true that there is still a chance that I won’t be allowed into it? (which would suck 🙁 ) And if there is a chance, is it a slim one or pretty darn big? Thank you aska, you’re the best! 🙂

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

    hey there!?

    it?depends on the type of subject POSt you’re applying to. POSts are either type 1, 2(/2L) or 3 subject POSts.

    a type 1 POSt has no specific prerequisites, a type 2 POSt has certain prerequisites but you’re guaranteed admission as long as you meet them, and a type 3 POSt has specific prerequisites and limited enrolment – meaning that even if you meet the prereqs, you might not get in.

    of course, your chances of getting into any program with limited enrolment?(i.e. a type 3 program) depend on the popularity of the program and the strength of your academic record, so i can’t really help you with that. i can’t read your academic past?through the screen, you know. only in person.

    the biology major is a type 1 program, so i have a feeling that you were just using that as an example. find the POSts you’re interested in on this list and see if they’re type 1, 2 or 3. that’ll tell you if you’re guaranteed admission, or if you’ll have to spend all your birthday wishes on trying?to get in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • economics,  subject POST

    second time’s a charm

    August 1, 2014

    i am very stressed out about this situation. im trying to get into the economics program at uoft however i repeated the eco100 and fell just below the required grade. i am not able to switch into other programs based on the courses ive taken and im really passionate about getting into economics. is there any possible way to get in the program? can i take eco100 at another campus? freaking out!

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    hey there,

    well, firstly, it’s just not true that you are “not able to switch into other programs based on the courses you’ve taken.” there are a whole slew of type 1 programs which have no required marks or courses. you may be passionate about economics, but it’s not your only option.

    the university says that if you passed a course, you can retake it once if you wish, to try and boost your mark for subject POSt purposes. the university’s very strict about its wish-granting powers.

    if you were to try and take ECO100 somewhere else or take ECO105, for example, that is technically possible, but it won’t help you get into the POSt. the economics department says that “students must have a combined total of at most two tries at ECO100Y1, ECO105Y1, or any comparable course (e.g., at UTSC or UTM). No third try will be considered in order to meet the minimum grade requirement for admission to a program.”

    predictably, they leave absolutely no space for wiggle room. financial folks can be that way.

    i’d recommend taking a step back and examining why you did poorly on both tries at the course, whether this is what you really want, and whether there are some alternative options that might suit you better. as always, you might consider making an appointment with your registrar’s office to help out with that.

    best,

    aska

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  • prereqs

    I HAVE AN ANSWER!

    August 1, 2014

    Hi aska,

    I HAVE A QUESTION!!!

    So, I was supposed to be going into 2nd year but I slacked too much last year and I only completed CSC108 & 148, therefore I am considered as a first year still.
    This year I want to take STA220 but the prereq says Grade 12 math and “one University course in the physical, social, or life sciences”
    What kind of specific courses do I need to have in order to fulfil the requirement? Will CSC courses do?
    And if I did enrol in that course without the prereq, would I get kicked out? I have Grade 12 functions calculus & data btw.

    Thanks in advance 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you take a look at this terribly secret document i like to call the course calendar, you’ll see that CSC108 (as well as CSC148) fulfils the ‘physical and mathematical universes’ breadth requirement. in ‘distribution requirements,’ both courses say: ‘this is a Science course.’ also, they are both called computer SCIENCE.

    uoft’s documents can be infuriatingly vague a lot of the time, but this is not one of those times. they’re both university physical science courses. science. physical science at university. university physical science.

    grade 12 calculus and data are both grade 12 math courses. again, this is not a tricky one to interpret. those courses are grade 12 mathematics courses, so you would meet the requirement. if you didn’t have the prereqs, they would kick you out, but you do!

    woo! you get to take stats. excited?

    aska

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  • breadth requirements

    finishing it ALL in first year

    August 1, 2014

    Hey aska!I was wondering, how necessary is it to finish all or most of the breadth requirements in the first year? Everyone has told me so far to finish as much as I can first year, but the courses that I’m taking, I need, and they only fill 3 breadth requirements. I’m in Humanities so group 1, 2, and 3 are covered, but not 4 or 5. I feel like it’s more important for me to take classes I need/really enjoy for first year just because I heard it’s the most difficult and taking classes that you’ll enjoy will make it easier for you to do well.So what do you think oh wise one?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s not at all necessary. if you can cover 3/5 breadth requirements in first year, that’s pretty good. something that might be helpful if you’re not keen on the science-y end of the academic spectrum, is to leave some space in your degree for 100-level courses that you can use to fill those 4th and 5th categories whenever you like (since the university will only let you take 6.0 100-series FCEs total during your degree).

    there’s nothing wrong with taking 100-level (or even 200+ level) courses in later years to satisfy breadth requirements. just make sure that you’re comfortable doing them whenever you decide to, and that it doesn’t get in the way of any of your plans for future years.

    oh yeah: it’s a good idea to plan out your future years. not because you’re likely to follow that plan all four years, but because it gives you an idea of the possible roadblocks ahead, and how you might solve them. as long as you have an idea when you can fit in those breadth req’s, it’s not at all a big deal if you don’t do them right away.

    and yes, it is important to take courses you’ll enjoy – first year or not. parents and relatives will try to convince you to take courses or follow career paths you’re not interested in using all manner of trickery. regardless of what they say, you have to remain a stubborn mule and keep pushing for doing exactly what YOU want to do.

    even if that means putting off a couple breadth req’s for a year or two.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment,  summer

    do you have a death wish

    July 31, 2014

    Can I take up to 6 courses during the summer, just like during the year?

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    hey there,

    no. summer classes move a lot faster than Fall/Winter courses, and for that reason, the university has kindly capped the number of courses you can take in the summer at 2.0 FCEs.

    otherwise we’d have students dropping like flies in the hot, july sun, and that just would not be good for business.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • enrollment,  UTSC

    i want to be at utsc (temporarily)

    July 31, 2014

    i am a st george student who wants to enroll in a class at scarborough campus. what day can i do that?

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    hey there anonymous st. george student,

    man, i thought this was gonna be easy to answer. it’s such a short question!

    i found out that UTSC students can sign up for UTSG/UTM courses on august 15th at 6am, and UTM students can sign up for UTSC/UTSG courses on the same date, so while i would assume that the same applies to St. George, i can’t say for sure. (of course UTSG had to be the ONE CAMPUS that didn’t specify. sigh.)

    try enrolling in the UTSC course(s) you’re interested in on your start time, just in case. if it doesn’t work, my bet is it opens august 15th at 6am. if anyone knows for sure, please do let us know!

    sorry i couldn’t be of more help. i hope you enjoy all the deer and celebrities filming rural shots in scarborough!

    best,

    aska

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  • breadth requirements

    all courses are breadth req’ courses

    July 31, 2014

    are there enough 200-level (or even 300-level) courses for me to take specifically during the summer to fulfil my breadth requirements? i know we can only take 6 100-level courses for credit so i’m wondering if i should “save” the opportunity to take a 100-level course for a breadth requirement during the summer.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    saving 1.0 100-level FCEs for breadth requirements is a pretty smart idea, though not mandatory. p.s. you can use those 1.0 100-level FCEs whenever you like, not just during the summer – just so you know.

    as for 200+ level courses which can be used to fulfil breadth requirements…that doesn’t really make sense. EVERY course in the faculty of arts & science fulfils a breadth requirement. and plenty of those are offered during the summer. so yeah, i’d say there are enough. i don’t know which breadth req you want to fulfil though, so i don’t know what to recommend.

    however, you can take a look at the summer timetable from 2014 to see what courses were offered. if they were offered this summer, it’s likely (though not certain) that they’ll be offered again next summer, so that’s one way to at least partly plan things out.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • jobs,  subject POST,  Transferring

    transferring, multiple POSts, working – it’s a busy life

    July 31, 2014

    Hey there!.. so I kinda need help. 🙂

    I want to know if I can do a specialist and a major. I read one of your replies to someone else about a double specialization taking like 7 years or something? I’m trying to do Biochemistry, only it doesn’t have a ‘major’ option, and I really want to do computer science as a major and I want to know if I am capable of doing both of these without having to retake my entire university experience again.

    Secondlyyyyyy I’m unfortunately a transfer student, and so I will most likely have to take courses over again because they’re not up to par with UTM. So I guess my question is whether I’m allowed to take longer than 4 years to complete my bachelors. And if I am, will it affect anything else? gpa? osap? anything? :/..

    Aaand third things third :D…. because I’m a transfer student I was made to choose courses (that didn’t really have anything to do with biochemistry) in case my transfer credit assessment didnt come back to me in time. I’ve gotten the assessment now but I still need the green light from a few professors and department heads which I haven’t gotten yet (and probably won’t get for at least another week) Which means that I’ll be a bit late in choosing my courses after the limitations have been lifted from certain program courses. Although it has nothing to do with the paragraph I just wrote^, am I allowed to apply for on campus jobs (like bookstore and such) and give them my present schedule but let them know theres been a change? I feel like I’ll be losing an opportunity if the stability of my courses is the reason I am unable to apply.

    In my head this was all supposed to be in like a single paragraph. I guess I have word diarrhea. Hey, at least you get good eye exercise.

    And thank you by the way. I find askastudent extremely helpful. It’s kind of my go-to-place. (who wants to go to the office of registrar every time)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1) man, did i really say a specialist and a major would take 7 years??? that is NOT true. if i did say that, i’m sorry, but i doubt i did. you CAN do a specialist and a major. it’s certainly allowed by the faculty (page 9). you may be stretching yourself a little, but depending on how much overlap you can manage between the POSts, it is possible in some cases to complete a major and specialist in four years. if it did take longer, you’d probably only go one or two terms over the four year standard. definitely not three years.

    plan out all the courses you want to/have to take for both the specialist and the major, as well as the courses you need to take to meet breadth requirements, and see how long that hypothetical schedule would take you. that’s the best way to see if something is doable.

    2) nope.

    3) there are a LOT of different employers at uoft, so some of them will have more flexible hours than hours. usually they say if hours are flexible on the job posting.

    generally speaking however, work-study positions tend to be catered entirely to a student’s schedule. if you’re not opposed to working a max. of 12 hrs/week for minimum wage, that might be a good option for you.

    and hey, i get you. who wants to be in an office full of people hired to help you out? NO THANKS. (no but really, thank you for continuing to support aska, it means the world and i would never get to do this awesome job without all your charmingly fatalistic freak-outs).

    cheers,

    aska

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