• art,  degree requirements,  subject POST

    the times (and subject POSts) are a-changin’

    July 24, 2014

    Hey aska, how much credit should I give to what the degree explorer says. Would you happen to know if it’s supposed to take into account exclusions? For example It has my art history major listed as incomplete because I haven’t taken VST101, but I already took the exclusion FAH105 in my first year before they got rid of it. Should I be worried or is it just a glitch type thing?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the mystery student strikes again, giving me NO INDICATION that you’re at utm except oblique hints to courses and programs. it took me 20 minutes to figure out you weren’t on the downtown campus. anyway…

    i guess you must have entered the POSt in the 2010/2011, when FAH105 was last offered, or earlier. at that time, it was a requirement for the major. you’re only expected to meet the requirements of any subject POSt as explained in the course calendar, and in fact, there should be a time stamp on your degree explorer that shows when you enrolled in the subject POSt.

    however, when courses start being cancelled and new courses start being introduced, it can be really tricky for degree explorer – and the department – to figure out what they’ll allow and what they won’t.

    i think this is a case where you have to call the department (the undergraduate counsellor will be your best bet) and ask what, if anything, you need to do. you might be fine, but just in case you need to take another bridging course or even VST101 itself, it’s safe to call the department, especially if you entered the POSt before Fall 2003.

    best of luck,

    aska

    Read More
  • breadth requirements

    extra, extra

    July 23, 2014

    I know that if you ake over 6 100 level courses, the 7th and so on will not count towards your GPA. Bbut will they count towards completing breadth requirements and will they count as a part of your 20 credits?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you take over 6.0 100-level courses, they’ll be designated as extra. that means they:

    1) don’t count towards your GPA

    2) don’t count towards your 20.0 degree credits

    3) do count for program requirements

    and 4) do count for breadth requirements

    you can read about all this AND MORE (wow!) on the university’s very exhaustive rules & regulations document.

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • dean's list

    dean’s list dreaming

    July 23, 2014

    Hey Aska,

    I finished my first year with a 3.53 GPA and I took 5 credits but the problem is I Credit/No Credited two 0.5 courses (Both were astronomy) so does that mean I don’t qualify for Dean’s List? Technically speaking I completed five credits but the 3.53 is not a culmination of the five credits it is really just a culmination of 4 credits.

    Please let me know!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, putting aside the fact that we should all start focusing less on formal recognition of our achievements that just make us more submissive to the daily grind and try and find intrinsic motivators for success, i think you might just be in luck.

    according to the calendar, “[t]his designation is given to degree students in the Faculty having a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.50 or higher, at the end of the Fall-winter or Summer Session in which the fifth, tenth, fifteenth and twentieth course taken for Faculty of Arts & Science degree credit, has been passed.” credit/no-credit courses count for degree credit, and they don’t specify that the CGPA has to be an average of every course you’ve taken, so i’m gonna say yes.

    if the dean’s list comes around and you find you’re not on it and you think you should be, you can definitely contact your college registrar for further information, but i think you just might find yourself on that magical piece of paper very soon!

    cheers chum,

    aska

    Read More
  • OSAP

    OSAP knows all your secrets

    July 23, 2014

    Hey there!

    I am in a bit of a pickle. I have not yet paid off my last year’s tuition and there is a financial hold on my account on rosi. The thing is…I plan on paying the whole thing back by the end of the summer (I am working and making money thankfully). The real problem is that I was on osap probation and I had to argue my marks with a professor and the marks on rosi might change…but will osap be able to see my marks if there is a hold on my transcript? I have also switched schools so I will no longer be coming back to utm.

    Please let me know,

    thanks in advance.

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

    hey there,

    the university puts a hold on your financial account in order to penalize students, not the ontario government (politics is a punishment unto itself, amirite?). so the fact that you can’t access your transcript has no effect on the reports that the university makes to OSAP.

    i don’t know when exactly they make reports, but OSAP does have access to your marks regardless of any holds. if your marks are in the process of changing, either improving or getting worse, then that will be reported to OSAP. i’m just not sure when.

    i’d recommend that you talk either to a financial aid advisor at utm or the equivalent office at your new school so you can figure out the exact timeline of all this and what to do from here on out!

    best,

    aska

    EDIT: if you have been away from school for some time, academic briding

    Read More
  • probation

    some brand-spanking new rules on academic probation!

    July 23, 2014

    Hey,

    I was put on academic probation at the end of this past academic year (in May). And i did one semester in the summer session (May-June). Wanted to be home for the second semester as i live in a different country.

    I just wanted to know the terms in my exact position to avoid getting suspended. It says on the website that academic standing is assessed twice a year (after the academic year and after the summer session). But i also read somewhere that they assess your standing on probation after 2 semesters or after completing 4.0 credits.

    So will i be only assessed on the one summer semester or after another semester (Fall)?

    Much appreciated!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    your befuddlement is understandable, since they just finished tinkering with the rules related to academic probation. however, what’s up now is the current information.

    your academic standing will be assessed at the end of every Fall/Winter and Summer sessions where you earn at least 0.5 credits, not including credit/no-credit, pass-fail or extra courses. so unless you only did 0.5 FCEs in the summer, and made it CR/NCR, an extra, or pass-fail, you’ll be assessed at the end of the summer.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • art,  courses,  UTM

    how much learning is enough learning

    July 22, 2014

    hey I’m entering the program for UTM’s art and art history program and I was just wondering what would be the recommended number of courses I should take? Should I take the full work of 5 in one semester or should I take a few because of the studio workloads?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this is kind of something you have to figure out for yourself, so keep that in mind before you take anything i’m about to say as gospel. also, first year is the time to figure these things?out, so if you don’t get it right this year, don’t worry: you’ve got three more?tries left.

    if you decide to enrol in fewer than 5.0 courses for Fall/Winter, you will probably end up taking summer courses. for someone?like me who’s?allergic to working on nice, summer days, that’s not the best idea. on the other hand, if you want to spread?out your course load over a full year, taking a couple credits every summer, then maybe it is.

    that said, UTM didn’t design the program to be impossible with a full course-load. according to this PDF, the studio courses are restricted to tuesdays and thursdays, leaving mondays, wednesdays and fridays for art history and other UTM courses. also, keep in mind that it costs more to take 4.0 courses during the year and 1.0 in the summer than it does to take 5.0 all in one go.

    if you’re really uncertain, plan out a hypothetical weekly schedule with 5.0 FCEs (include?professional hula-hooping or whatever other commitments you may have) and see if it looks manageable for you.?if not, start cutting things out of your schedule (ideally NOT sleep or eating).

    and remember that no matter how many courses you enrol in, if it turns out to be too much when school starts, you can always drop a few classes – just make sure to do it before september 21st.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • CR/NCR

    CRedit

    July 22, 2014

    If I used the CR/NCR option for a course and got CR, can I take courses that have that course as a prerequisite?

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

    hey there,

    if the prerequisite is that you have the credit (so, it just says ‘prerequisites: that course’ on the course calendar), then yeah, you can.

    however, if it requires a specific mark (e.g. ‘prerquisite: minimum of 65% in that course’), then no, because your transcript doesn’t know WHAT you got in that course, just that you got the?credit.

    ttfn,

    aska

    Read More
  • breadth requirements

    nope

    July 22, 2014

    can u plzzzz help me find the easiest possible breadth 4th and 5th category course to take (both 0.5 credits)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    unfortunately, aska doesn’t do easy. we’re about as hardcore as it gets here, and in my opinion, if you’re going to be paying nearly $8k a year for an education, you may as well go whole hog and get the real deal. you can find “easy” somewhere else for cheaper.

    that said, if you’re not in the life/physical/mathematical sciences, you can’t just wander into a proofs class and expect to blossom. generally speaking, you’ll want to take the most basic level of a course possible, where you won’t be missing any recommended preparation from high school that you may not have.

    look into 100-level, intro. classes offered by EEB (e.g. BIO120H1), Astronomy/Astrophysics (e.g. AST101H1), Earth Sciences (e.g. ESS205H1), or basically any other science department in the faculty. try not to be intimidated by the fact that it’s A SCIENCE, and ask yourself what you’re genuinely interested in.

    also, don’t feel like you have to fulfil all the breadth requirements right away – this is an opportunity to learn about something wildly different from what you’re used to, and that’s exciting! (really.) don’t settle for taking a course you don’t really care about so you can get it ‘out of the way.’ if there’s a 200- or 300-level class you’d rather take, take that.

    forget about all this “easiness” nonsense and focus on finding something COOL.

    xoxo,

    aska

    Read More
  • UTM

    taking a break

    July 22, 2014

    hey,

    I’m supposed to be entering my second year in September. But what if I decided to take a year off for personal reason/financial reasons, would I have to fill out a form or do something specific. Basically if I don’t come back this September will I be able to enrol in further semesters such as September 2015 fall/winter or will UTM just assume I’ve given up on university (doubt the latter is the case).

    Thank you in advance

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    for some reason, all three campuses are REALLY SILENT on this issue. i trawled the UTM FAQ database for like half an hour and the only link i’ve been able to come up with is this one.

    seems like you can take a break whenever you like, but if you take 12 months off, you’ll have to pay 25 bucks to reactivate your account when you come back. but, you know, you won’t have to pay full-time tuition for the year you’re off, so hopefully that counts for something.

    double-check with UTM’s registrar to make sure, but i think you should just be able to pack up and go.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • courses,  english

    okay but like i can’t pick your courses for you, guys

    July 21, 2014

    Hello The Epitome of Awesomeness, I’m planning out my schedule and I have a conflict between two courses I really want to take: ENG200H and ENG240Y. The professors for both courses seem great, so instead of closing my eyes and choosing one at random, I’m hoping you could give me some advice. Have you ever taken either? What are your opinions on both? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i haven’t taken either course, but like i said, you’ll probably find that circumstance will make the choice for you. either you won’t be able to get into one of them on ROSI, or one will conflict with another course you want to take, or you won’t like the prof, blah blah blah…

    if by some miracle there’s space in both courses when your start time rolls around, here are a few things to help you decide:

    1. do either of them meet program requirements?

    2. are either of them prerequisites for upper-year courses you might be interested in taking?

    3. are either of them beneficial for an application to any graduate/professional programs you may be interested in?

    4. when the lists go up for both courses, you may want to compare the reading list for both courses on the uoft bookstore website. if you don’t wanna read the stuff, you shouldn’t take the course.

    5. one of them is a half-level course and one is a full-year, so if you pick the H course, i hope you have some equally as awesome S-course in mind to fill the gap. or, on the flip side, if you take the Y course, make sure it doesn’t go over the course limit (either set by the university, or by your own academic limitations).

    hope that’s helpful, my friend.

    aska

    Read More
  • extracurricular

    shy commuter seeks convenient extra-curricular activity

    July 21, 2014

    Hey! I’m going into my second year at U of T and I’m a commuter. Last year I tried getting involved with extra-curricular but I was way too shy and never had the time. Once my classes were over I would just make my way home (I have approx. a 2 hour commute by public transit from my house to St. George campus) because I live so far. I don’t want to make the same mistake this year by missing out on great opportunities. I found that a lot of meetings are held so late after classes that I would be commuting home alone at too late of a time. How can I get more involved while still being able to juggle school work, a part-time job, and a horribly long commute twice a day??

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    as a fellow commuter and shy person, i empathize with your situation. it’s not fun spending an hour and a half studiously avoiding the gaze of creepy dudes on the train, and then be expected to look just as fresh and perky as the people who walked two minutes to class from their residence.

    the fact that you even want to be involved with all those commitments you already have is commendable, but if you feel that it will be too much, or that you’re not comfortable being that social, then don’t do it. school and work come first.

    that said, if you’re hell-bent on participating this year, there are some extra-curriculars that are pretty mobile and minimal on human interaction. if you’re into writing, the varsity and blogUT just require an internet connection, and the time commitment is pretty flexible.

    something that doesn’t meet often, like uoft’s monthly book club, might also be worth looking into.

    even if you’ve never heard of them, there are still plenty of student groups out there that meet during the day. i’d recommend browsing ULife’s list of student groups and calling those you’re interested in to ask about when and how often they meet. if you start now, i’m sure you’ll be able to find something that fits your schedule and disposition by september.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • breadth requirements,  one programs,  seminars

    i love the people who say it like ‘breath requirements’

    July 21, 2014

    Hi Aska,
    Can first year seminars (199 courses) be taken while in a Ones program? I want to try and fulfil most, if not all, of the breadth requirements in first years. Any suggestions for doing so? Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take both 199 seminars and One courses unless you’re a Vic One student (sorry, Vic peeps).

    as for breadth requirements, it’s hard to make specific suggestions if i don’t know what program you’re interested in or what you like.

    if you’re in a humanities program, the 1-3 breadth req’s will be pretty easy to pick up. if you’re in life/physical/mathematical sciences, then the 4-5 req’s will be easier.

    if you want to complete those breadth req’s that are unrelated to your program early, then a lot of people like taking introductory versions of classes in other streams. for example, a course like AST101H1 fulfils the 5th breadth req. category, but doesn’t require a physics background.

    if you’re on the other side of the fence, then something like FAH101H1, for instance, would give you a pain- and artistes-free introduction to art history, and fulfil breadth category #1.

    but please remember, these are just examples and guidelines. the most important thing is to enrol in courses you’re genuinely interested in* – filling breadth requirements is not hard, and usually happens without you noticing it. don’t feel like you have to stretch yourself or your schedule to meet all the breadth req’s in first year; it’s really not necessary, and you won’t be “ahead” of people who didn’t do them all in first year.

    hope that helps! and whatever your stream, don’t be afraid of taking something that’s a little outside your comfort zone. the whole point of breadth requirements is that students become well-rounded and aren’t just automatons who only know how to think about their tiny area of expertise.

    cheers,

    aska

    * bolding words means this is?serious and i’m not messing around.

    Read More
  • 12 distinct credits,  subject POST

    filling some program req’s

    July 21, 2014

    Hello

    Who makes the choices as to which courses get used to fulfill the program requirements. I do not want one course to be used for both programs as that will go over my maximum overlapping limit but one degree explorer it shows this. Do I need to contact the program admin?

    thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    ultimately, the department that administers the program is the one that gives you the OK when you want to graduate, so yeah, they’re the people you’ll want to speak to first.

    however, if you’re having trouble determining whether you’re following the 12.0 distinct credits rule, then that’s the domain of your college registrar.

    sooo, department first, then the registrar. then out for ice cream, ’cause that stuff’s stressful.

    best,

    aska

    Read More