• enrollment

    got ourselves a justice warrior

    July 31, 2014

    Hello!? ?I was wondering how u of t determines the start times on ROSI. I’m a second year and had a 7AM start time, but a lot of my friends didn’t start till 2PM. How is that fair?

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

    hey there,

    i mean, i don’t know if your dad has taken you to the lobster tanks at the grocery store and explained to you what’s going to happen to them next, but life is pretty unfair most of the time. most people lead quiet, desperately sad, unfulfilled lives, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better.

    that said, uoft’s system is not entirely up to the cruelties of fate.?start times after first year are organized by number of credits you’ve obtained – to a point. there is also a certain element of chance to your start time (so, you’re grouped into a certain part of the day based on your credits to date, and then within that time, you’re assigned to a random 10-minute slot).

    given the number of students at this school who all want to enrol as soon as possible,?i’d say this is probably the sanest way to go about it. but hey, if you can think of ?a better way, feel free to bring it up to FAS, i’m sure they’d love to hear it.

    best,

    aska

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  • UTSC,  wait list

    no more waiting for me!

    July 31, 2014

    Hi ASKA

    My little brother is at UTSC and wants to major in computer science. Except he needs two courses to get into the program and due to a crappy starting time he only managed to get into one. CSCA48H3, Introduction to Computer Science II. But he needs to take  CSCA08H3, Introduction to Computer Science I in the fall semester so he can have it as a pre-requisite for CSCA48H3, in the winter session. He is currently 24 on the waitlist, there are 122 people on the wait list and there are over 150 spots (not sure of the actual number ) in the class. What are my brother’s chances of getting in before the wait list drops? Plus what are the chances of the professor taking an initiative to let him in considering it a first-year course and lots of other people would want in to his/her lecture.
    Thanks.

    Concerned Sis

    ———————————————

    hey there concerned sis,

    the general rule of thumb is that if your spot on the waitlist is within the first 10% of the total people allowed in the course (e.g. you’re numbers 1-10 on a waitlist with 100 people), you have a good chance of getting in.

    if you’re spot 24 on a waitlist of 122, you’re at 19%, which is not great. however, it’s also not terrible, and there’s no harm in staying on the list, especially since your brother can enrol in an extra 0.5 FCEs as backup starting august 15th at 6am (before any UTSG students start to panic, this is the UTSC date. don’t get your timetables in a knot).

    the chances of the professor taking the initiative to let him in? zero. profs aren’t in charge of that. your brother could go and speak to the prof/department in person, but i doubt it would do much good.

    for now, it’s a waiting game.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses

    welcome to the new age (to the new age)

    July 30, 2014

    Hi Aska, I was wondering if the U of T St George campus and/or U of T M end up mailing out course catalogs/brochures and things like that if you end up requesting it. I know they have .pdf files of admission requirements/what you can major or minor in etc, but is there something that gives you detailed descriptions about programs and such? I’d like to have a physical copy instead of printing out 20 pages off of the computer. Thanks!———————————————

    no chris no

     

    unfortunately, uoft has made the transition to exclusively online information. all the same stuff is out there – admission req’s, program details, etc. – but it’s on this new-fangled contraption called the INTERNET. i don’t know if you’ve heard of it. it was kind of a big deal in the ’90s.

    for st. george, these are all the pages you’re gonna want to look at (all pdf-free, don’t worry):

    1. course calendar

    2. timetable

    3. complete list of programs offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science

    here are the equivalent pages at UTM:

    1. list of programs

    2. list of courses

    hoping you don’t strain your eyes reading from a screen,

    aska

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  • 12 distinct credits

    12 is the magic number

    July 30, 2014

    I’m planning on majoring in economics and minoring in math and statistics but that only comes up to 11.5 distinct courses… If I were to take an extra 300+ course in statistics or economics (which is not required) would it still count as a distinct course.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    oh god, this rule again.

    the 12.0 distinct rule states that you need to complete 12.0 FCE’s that are required in ONLY ONE of your subject POSts. if you take a course that does not satisfy any requirement for any of your POSts, then it is not a distinct credit. it’s just a random elective.

    however, if that course can be used to satisfy either the requirements for a statistics OR economics minor – just one, not the other – or it is listed as an option for both POSts, then it DOES count as a distinct credit. even if it is designated “extra” (i’m not sure if that’s what you meant by “extra 300+” course, but just in case you did).

    as always, since this is the most FINICKY and NEFARIOUS darned rule at this school, feel free to 1) track your progress on degree explorer 2) use that worksheet i linked to because it is actually very useful and 3) make an appointment with your college registrar in order to make sure that you’re? the requirements.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • courses,  enrollment

    hello, help

    July 30, 2014

    Hello aska (my phone autocorrected “hello” to “help” which feels more accurate)! Is it a smart idea for me to sign up for a 6th class my first year just to make sure I’ll have 5 classes if I drop one? I’m worried about ending up with just 4 courses. I’ll be at st. George, for reference. Thanks!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    that is a very good idea. however, you’ll only be able to do it starting august 8th at 6am. until then, you’re stuck enrolling in a maximum of 5.0 credits, so don’t stay up late august 8th.

    or just stay up until 6am. which is probably what i’ll do.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • dropping courses,  enrollment

    accidentally dropping a course

    July 30, 2014

    Hello,
    I was enrolled in a summer course. I dropped this summer course thinking that I could take 3FCE’s next year as a part time student but it turns out that it is actually 2.5FCE. Can I be re-enrolled in this course? I realize that it is my fault for lack of due diligence. I’m kind of freaking out because I’ll have to pay the whopping flat fee next year if I cannot. I’m 3 courses away from my graduation 🙁 Will my registrar be able to help me? How do I proceed?

    Thank you.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    that sounds very stressful friend, but i’m afraid it’s all up to you now.

    you can re-enroll in the course, but you’ll have to do it yourself on ROSI (you’re able to add/change/drop F and Y courses until september 21st), whether that means adding the course or adding yourself to a waitlist. as for your payments, 3.0 FCEs is full-time, unfortunately, so maybe you’ll want to drop one of your other half-credits to get it down? whatever you decide, i don’t think the registrar’s office will be much help at this point.

    if you do decide to go part-time, you need to request to be dropped to per-course fees so they don’t charge you full-time. you can do that at this brand new-link from the faculty.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • admissions

    i’ve seen enough dance movies to know about killing an audition

    July 30, 2014

    Hi aska,im a student going to gr.12 and i want to audition for the BMus program for piano. I have already been preparing for my audition and i looked at the requirements but i was wondering if you know what the audition process is like. What should i expect going into the audition, what will my schedule look like, and how many people on average get accepted? Are there any tips for a successful audition? UofT is my ideal school.Thanks!sincerely,i’m scared out of my mind

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

    hey there scared out of my mind*,

    don’t be scared! as with any other program or stream at uoft, i can’t tell you how many people will or have gotten in during?previous years. however, i’ll refer you to this document, which tells you the total number of students enrolled in each program in 2010.

    unfortunately i can’t give you insider details about the audition process. aska’s words are music to (most) people’s ears, but other than that, i’m pretty melodically limited.

    fortunately, the Faculty of Music’s charmingly 90s-looking website has?this page, which?explains everything you’ll be expected to do before and at the audition. also, i called the undergraduate administrator at the faculty of music and she is more than willing to take any more specific questions at?undegrad ( . ) music ( at ) utoronto ( . ) ca.

    she also recommended that you attend their information sessions on fall campus day, which is a good idea no matter what program you’re interested in. fall campus day is super helpful, AND lots of colleges/faculties/programs offer free food, so it’s a good trip out no matter what.

    cheers,

    aska

    *sorry, sorry. this is how i picture all high school students. but a large part of that is probably because that’s how i looked?in high school, so i may be biased.

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  • first year,  science,  subject POST

    “mandatory” “first year” classes

    July 29, 2014

    Hey there,
    So I got into the humanities program at U of T, however, I wanted to get into the science program. The only mark holding my back was calculus. I was wondering what courses are mandatory as a first year student and also how many courses I can possibly take as electives to transfer over if i choose to re-apply to sciences for my following year.
    Thanks a ton

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there aren’t really any mandatory courses. as a first-year student, you’re already in a stream (life. sci., humanities, comp. sci., what have you), but you can also make drastic changes to that fairly easily.

    what i would do is figure out some subject POSts (that’s ‘subject Program of Study,’ if you’re just tuning in) that you’re interested in applying to after first year. then go to the course calendar, see what first-year courses are required/recommended for those POSts, and take them.

    just keep in mind that a lot of first-year science courses may have priorities or restrictions for life science students, so make sure to double check the ‘enrolment indicator’ column on the timetable for each of the courses you’re thinking of taking.

    otherwise, there’s nothing much that’s “required.” it might be a good idea that you start trying to meet some breadth requirements in first year, but it’s not mandatory. you’ve basically got free license to enrol in whichever courses you deem important for your second, third and fourth years.

    i know that kind of freedom all at once can be scary to the point of nausea, but trust me, it’ll be good for you. and hopefully, it’ll end with you in a program you really love. or at least one you don’t despise.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • psychology

    a follow-up on a stats requirements

    July 29, 2014

    Hi aska,

    I hope to apply for psych specialist next year, so I just enrolled the STA220 course, which is not prioritized, to replace PSY201 (as you suggested earlier).

    But I found L0301 of STA220 is special for Health and Life Science. I wanna ask whether I am okay to enroll L0101 of STA220 as the replacement?

    Thanks 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    (previously on aska advising people about psychology).

    from what i can see on the calendar, the L0101 section is not geared towards any stream in particular, so you should be okay taking it! the credit you get won’t change by lecture section, so if you get the credit, you’ll get the PSY201 equivalency (just make sure to double-check with the psych department that it is in fact an equivalency if you haven’t already – i called them a while ago, but this is a new term, so i’d call again just in case!)

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • computer science,  subject POST

    computers are my calling

    July 29, 2014

    Hey,
    I was a part time student last year which was my first year. The program I was admitted to was social science but after this first year I decided that computer science is where I wanna be. What’s the procedure for switching from social sci to comp sci?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, it depends on the campus. i’m gonna assume you’re st. george because it’s the most likely option. see? probability and math can be used to solve real-life problems when people don’t teLL YOU WHICH CAMPUS THEY’RE AT MY GOSH.

    moving on.

    it all depends on what you took in first year. the simple answer is that you need to have taken all the prerequisites for the subject POSt (note that the prereqs for applying after first year are different from applying after the second). then apply during the correct enrolment period.

    you will also need to complete a total of 4.0 FCEs before you can apply to the comp. sci. POSt. since you were a part-time student in first year, i’m guessing you haven’t gotten there yet. if that’s the case, you can take this year to get up to the minimum requirement, make sure you’ve met all the prereqs for computer science, and then apply next april.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • keeners

    first years getting ahead of themselves

    July 29, 2014

    Hey aska! I am going into first year in September and am planning to do a criminology major in second year. They require 2 FCE’s in ECO/POL/HIS/PHL/SOC/PSY so I plan to take SOC100Y and PSY101H and PSY220H in first year. I was wondering: it is advisable to take a second year course in first year? Will it be too much of a reach in terms of difficulty? As well, what are the chances I even get into that course since I’m not in its enrollment category? Should I have a backup plan (I hate backup plans)?

    Thanks so much for answering my question! Have a great day. 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    learn to love backup plans, my friend. uoft course enrolment is a messy affair, and even if you’re in the enrolment category, it’s possible – maybe even likely – that you won’t end up in all the courses you want.

    you have a chance getting into a course if you’re not in the enrolment category, but i don’t know how good that chance is. it all depends on the popularity of the course and the number of total spaces in the course (which you can see on ROSI). psych courses tend to be pretty popular generally speaking, but there are two lecture sections for PSY220H1, so i wouldn’t give up yet.

    regardless, i would come up with a Plan B just in case. better to have one and not use it than the other way around – i know that from personal experience.*

    as to whether you should even take the class: the difference between 100-level and 200-level classes is not huge. if you take PSY100H1 in first semester and do well, then you’re okay to take PSY220H1 in second semester. since one is a prereq of the other, it only makes sense to take them consecutively.

    cheers,

    aska

    * *war flashbacks*

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  • keeners

    skipping ahead

    July 28, 2014

    Hello! I am a second year student, currently signed up for three third year classes! I was wondering if the difference between second and third year classes is super killer, and if it’s a bad idea to jump ahead like that. Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it depends on the classes. also, do you mean three third year classes as in 1.5 FCEs, or 3.0? either way, that’s…pretty ambitious.

    the major difference between second and third year is that there are (usually) no tutorials. no tutorials, but the same amount of class time. that means the pace is twice as fast, and you have no opportunity to hash things out in a tutorial environment the way you might be used to.

    if you’re a science student, it might be a bit easier. if you’ve already completed the prerequisites and done well in them, then presumably you have the knowledge base necessary to go ahead in those classes. however, it will still move more quickly, and the tests and examinations tend to be less multiple choice and more involved and analytical. if you haven’t been transitioned into that, it could be a harsh shock.

    ultimately, some people can handle it, and some can’t. you kind of have to be honest with yourself about how well you did in first year and how much work you’re comfortable with. if you do that, i think you’re going to make the right decision for you.

    best,

    aska

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  • admissions

    omg

    July 28, 2014

    I just finished gr 12 english in the summer with a 96 is this good enough for humanities???

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

    hey there,

    okay, disclaimer that aska is not a member of admissions, everything is dependent on how good your peers do?AND, most importantly, admissions depends not just on one mark, but on your average in your top 6 4U/M courses (including prerequisites), but…

    yes. yes, that mark is a good mark.

    cheers,

    aska

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