• first year,  residence,  woodsworth

    i [don’t] wanna [live] where the people are…

    January 28, 2014

    Hi!
    I was accepted to U toronto Woodsworth College just yesterday :’) I’m super excited! but still waiting to hear back from other unis. I really want to live in the Woodsworth residence! (I love the apartment style single rooms :), however, I did not rank Woodsworth as my first choice on my OUAC application 🙁 Instead, I ranked Innis as first, and Woodsworth as second (i think).
    When I logged on to MyRes, it told me to rank Woodsworth, University College (as UC can supply some rez for Wdw students) and Chestnut in order of preference, but next to Woodsworth there is a note that said “Because you did not rank Woodsworth as first choice…..it is unlikely that you will be placed in this residence”. But if I saved my preferences this early, is there still a tiny chance I will be able to get into Woodsworth residence, or should i just prepare to hear bad news for my own doings 🙁
    Thank you so much for your help and time! 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i mean, i don’t know if you’ve been in woodsworth, but it’s kinda small (especially if you compare it to uc). they don’t really have a lot of room to spare. if that message appeared on your MyRes, then i’d prepare for the possibility of not being put there.

    however, most of uc’s accommodations are single rooms as well, so if you really want to be placed in a single room, i’d say ranking your choices as 1. woodsworth 2. uc and 3. chestnut should give you a pretty good shot at a single room.

    i also get that you like the apartment style because it’s bigger, and you don’t have to share a bathroom, etc. etc. but you know what? if you get a non-apartment or non-single type room, it’s not that big a deal. honestly, the more you have to adjust your style of living in first year, the better prepared you are for the rest of your life.

    you’re not going to be living with mum and dad for much longer, and the sooner you adjust to the necessity of roommates, shared washrooms/eating spaces, malfunctioning toilets and maybe having to live above a daycare for demon babies (i’m exaggerating. am i exaggerating? let’s not talk about my first year experiences), the sooner you’ll be prepared for life outside of school.

    i know, it’s not what you wanted to hear. but you know what? the university’s gonna be giving you some tough loving every once in a while, so it’s best you hear it from me first. alright? we good? cool. now put on a brave face and don’t let first year push you around, ‘kay?

    aska out.

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  • failing,  first year

    failing’s not all bad

    January 27, 2014

    I’m a first-year student and I failed one course, but am doing?exceptionally well in the others, my question is basically: What happens?now?

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

    hey there,

    depends on the course. if it’s a prerequisite for the program you wanted to pursue in second year, you may wanna retake it (or look into a different subject POSt). if it’s just an elective or a breadth requirement filler, then there’s less damage control to be done. you’ll just have to make up for that course somewhere else, either by taking another course in the summer or in your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year.

    there’s nothing OFFICIAL that has to be done. you don’t have to like, write an apology letter to the university or anything. no one’s gonna slap your wrist for this. just assess the damage and plan ahead. it’s all up to you, my wayward first-year. you’re making the decisions now.

    good luck,

    aska

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  • St. George,  Transferring,  UTM

    everybody, everybody wants to be downtown (yeah)

    January 27, 2014

    Hello,

    I am a first-year student currently attending UTM. It was my plan all along to live at home and attend UTM for my first-year, and then switch over to UTSG (where my program of interest is) for the remainder of my undergraduate degree. I’m just about ready to submit my transfer app.

    The site says that for transfer students in their first year (They also said this when I contacted them) They look at your first year marks, as well as your grade 12 makrs from highschool. They do not look at transfer credits as first-year students aren’t eligible to use them.

    To the best of your knowledge, is it very easy to transfer, since it is just between campuses?

    Please get back to me!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    “please get back to me,” as if i ever DON’T get back to people. c’mon guys, doncha know by now that you can TRUST me? i’m like the friendly neighbour down the hall who always talks with you in the laundry room even when you’re pretending really hard to read a book: dependable. chatty. always there. regular in my laundry habits.

    now, about your question. one, what ‘transfer credit’ are you referring to? do you mean ib/ap credits from high school? or transfer credits from first year? because i transferred to the downtown campus after first year and i got transfer credit for both those things. you gotta be specific in your questions, peeps.

    anyway, is it easy? i mean, yeah, bureaucratically speaking. you just use the internal application that i’m sure you’ve already got in order, follow the instructions and voila! i don’t think it’s any more or less easy than transferring from another canadian university.

    obviously, if you didn’t do very well in your first year, you’re going to run into some problems (i’d say that a first-year average of 5% lower than the cut-off your program uses to admit students from grade 12 will give you a good shot at getting in), and it’s harder to get into some programs than others (i’m lookin’ at you, commerce) but i think that goes without saying. you should hear back from them in late march/early april. it’s all pretty straightforward after that: you just, y’know, get on the train to a different school.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions,  architecture

    building your future (by aska, architect of puns)

    January 27, 2014
    So, Im a UTSC student but I want to transfer into the architecture program at UTSG. I’ve only been here one semester and my gpa wasnt great – a 1.7. What are the odds that I would be accepted. Is there anything I can do to get accepted? I really want to do architecture but it’s not offered on this campus.

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

    hello. this is an old question. if you?d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go?here! thanks!

    aska

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

    hey there,

    welllll, architecture doesn’t supply a specific mark that they require, but a 1.7 is like the lowest mark you can get without being put on probation. i can’t lie to you man, that’s pretty low. however, it’s not the end of the world. you’ve only done one semester, right? you can still turn it around, if you really want to (notice i said if you WANT to – meaning i want you to think a little bit about if that’s what you really want). if you can pull it together and do REALLY WELL this year AND next year, you might be in a position where you can transfer in by the end of second year.

    after you’ve completed 10.0 credits, you’re no longer eligible to transfer to architecture at utsg. so, let’s say you get a 4.0 in your next three semesters – that would put you at a 3.4 CGPA (which is alright) and a 4.0 AGPA, which might just be good enough to tip the scales in your favour. that said, it’ll be tough to make such a drastic change from one semester to the next, but hey, crazier things have happened.

    in summary: you have one and a half years to FIX YOURSELF UP. if you can pull your grades up right away, i think you might be at uoft architecture in two years’ time. but make no mistake, it’s not gonna be easy. good luck.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • admissions,  psychology,  UTM

    getting on that brain train

    January 24, 2014

    Hello! I was just wondering what the UTM requirements are to apply to do a psychology major after not initially meeting the initial requirements. On the UTM calendar it says to go to the psychology homepage but I can’t seem to find anything lol.

    Thank you for your help!

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the requirements are kind of the same as the initial requirements, to be honest. you still need to have completed grade 12 biology and advanced functions – no changes there – and you also need to have gotten at least a 63% in PSY201H5, as well as completed at least 1.0 FCEs out of the second or upper-year requirements for the psychology major.

    basically, they want you to be doing the major in practice, so that if/when you register in it formally, you’re not behind. i guess that makes some sense, but it also means that there’s NO SLACKING. you have to keep taking psych courses consistently and make sure you’ve got all those requirements done by the time you want to reapply. YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT, SOLDIER? DO YOU REALLY?

    i sometimes get carried away when motivating students. sorry. some call it a curse, some a blessing. i guess it’s up to you to decide which camp to believe. point is, it’ll be just as hard, if not harder, to get into psych after first year – so don’t stop trying now.

    aska

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  • engineering,  grad school

    this person thinks i’m a creep or something gosh

    January 24, 2014
    Hello I am an undergraduate student at University of Waterloo and got some bad marks at Waterloo I am looking to improve all my marks for the last two years (5 year program). I am really hopeful about U of T Graduate Studies in Electrical Engineering as it is a well known university but another reason is that it close to my home.I have read online that U of T looks at the last two years GPA to be above 75% (?). I know this is a minimum requirement but what are my chances if I apply with letters of recommendation and internship experience? Should I also do a GRE? Please let me know.Please also keep my email id confidential.Thanks

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    firstly, i RESENT the implication that i would do anything irresponsible with your e-mail address! i’m not some kind of CREEP who, like, writes all the e-mail addresses i get on little pieces of paper and then bathes in them at midnight, or something. HMPH. i’ll have you know that askastudent is 100% normal and conforms to social standards, THANKS VERY MUCH.

    as for your question, uoft “strongly discourages” those with a mid-B or lower from applying, which is polite, university-speak for “there is no chance we’ll ever consider you if your mark is under a 75%, ever. EVER. case closed.” such is the way of the world, unfortunately. babies cry, old people trip, and undergrads with B averages don’t get admitted to electrical engineering.

    however, you have 2 more years (hypothetically speaking; this question’s already a coupla years old) to get your marks up to something that’ll give you a bit more of a chance, so make sure to focus on that.

    as for letters of reference and internship experience, both are necessary parts of your application. so yeah, they’ll increase your chances of getting in. i mean, think of it this way: you won’t be considered if you DON’T include those things. snark aside though, if you graduate with like an 80% average or something, especially strong letters of reference and CV will definitely give you more of a fighting chance.

    they don’t require you to do the GRE, but if you want to, you can submit your scores. that seems kinda weird to me, tbh. it doesn’t seem like something that really influences their decision, but they still let you submit it, for some reason. maybe just to make you feel like writing the GRE wasn’t a MASSIVE WASTE OF TIME. anyway, if you haven’t written it yet (hypothetically speaking), i wouldn’t bother. it doesn’t seem super-important.

    sorry about the belated advice, and i hope you got in, man. hope you’re doing some super cool things now, somewhere in the wide world. let me know, eh? cool.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • St. George,  Transferring

    campus hopping

    January 23, 2014
    Hi,
    I was wondering if transfer within UofT (not hard to guess from where to UTSG) is also possible during the winter session. I know the dates are already over for this year, but supposing a student wanted to transfer downtown, but missed it during Fall 2012, would he be able to do it in the next semester? Would the rules be any different for a student in second year? For a student who, like many, is considering transferring to the “other” campus location, what would be a possible source of difficulty in enrollment and beyond?
    Thank you much.

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, i’ll get the bad news out of the way first, like a merciful omniscient question-resolver: unfortunately, you can only register for the fall term. since many of uoft’s courses are full-year courses, it’s really not possible to be admitted mid-year. you can apply and get accepted for the fall and then only take winter term courses, but if you’ve missed the application date for this fall, you’ll have to wait until next year’s application dates for next fall. it sucks, i know, but that’s course logistics for you.

    are the rules different for second year? nope. everyone’s in the same boat. i mean it’s not like the university is PUNISHING you and only once you reach second year have you EARNED THE RIGHT to start in winter term. it’s just that starting in fall is the only time that it really makes sense. these “rules” aren’t just there to be arbitrary, annoying and bureaucratic. i know, it’s a shock. it’s ok. take some time to adjust to the idea.

    as for difficulties with enrolment, i can’t think of any obvious ones. as a transfer student from another canadian university, my switch into uoft was pretty smooth. as long as you meet the deadlines and requirements, you should be a-ok. there may be some kind of CONTROVERSY in transferring that i’m not aware of, and i’d suggest stalking the st. george tag if you wanna find out more about that, but for me, transferring and then enrolling/registering was actually really simple. who saw that coming, amirite? as for adjusting academically and whatnot, honestly, it won’t be that big a change. you’re coming from university to university; i wouldn’t start to panic just yet.

    good luck man (or whatever the past tense of that is – i hope you had good luck, i guess),

    aska

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  • admissions,  drama,  subject POST,  UTM

    majors and CTEP and UTM, oh my!

    January 22, 2014

    Hi!

    I’m a student going into grade 12 and have two very different fields which I want to pursue, so I have some questions. Is it possible to take a major in drama and a major in math? And if so, which one would I apply with or do I apply with both, in reference to the form, essay and auditions, etc.? Does this work for the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus? And is it possible to make my math major part of a teaching degree? I also don’t really understand how choosing courses works and if you can have electives, and how many. Also, would I be limited in teaching possibilities or employment possibilities if I took math as a minor?

    Thank you,

    Ioana

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, ioana, you’ve got a lot of questions, so i’m just gonna take them step by step, starting with the first one: is it possible to do a major in math and a major in drama?

    yes! in fact, uoft doesn’t allow you to take just one major; that would be too easy. you kinda have to supplement it with other stuff, and double-majoring is one way to do that. the mathematics major requires that you complete 7.5 FCEs and the drama major requires that you complete 8.0 FCEs. that means 15.5 out of the 20 credits you will receive for your degree will be program requirements.

    as for how you apply, there’s only one application necessary. for drama, you won’t have to go through auditions and essays and all that until 2nd year. your first year drama course, DRM100Y1, doesn’t require any kind of audition or application. same goes for math; you can enrol in most 1st year math courses from any program you want. so it’s up to you whether you want to apply through life science or humanities, though i’d say humanities is probably your best bet, because the university might decide to impose restrictions on who gets into drama, but they’re far less likely to do the same with math. so just go to OUAC or however it is you’re applying, select the humanities stream, and sit tight. auditions and picking of majors will happen at the end of first year.

    more or less the same holds true (math major program) (drama major program) for utm, except they have fewer required courses altogether for both major programs.

    teaching at uoft requires a separate application and you can enter into it starting 2nd year. you’ll get your B.Ed. essentially by taking education as a minor, and then your B.A./B.Sc. will be your other “teachable” degree that you get after four years. math can totally be part of that degree (either B.A. or B.Sc.) if you major in it, though it will be tough to do two majors and a minor (i.e. math, drama and education) – almost every single one of your 20.0 credits will have to go towards some program requirement. utm is currently in the process of renovating their CTEP program, but when it comes back in 2015, it should be similar to the uoft program.

    if you just did a minor in math, you wouldn’t be able to do UTM’s CTEP, because their only allowed areas of study are french, chem, math or physics. you’d have other options at various other institutions that are all listed on uoft’s CTEP site, but if you’re looking at UTM, i’d advise majoring in math.

    as far as i know, math teachers are GENERALLY in higher supply than humanities teachers, but honestly, that’s nothing to base a decision on. like i’ve said time and again on this site, employment possibilities change and stats for employment go up and down by the month, and it’s smarter for you to do what you actually want to and MAKE a path for yourself than to follow the numbers. however, if you really want to teach math, then go for it, dude.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • med school

    no take backs in university

    January 21, 2014

    Hello,
    I am a first year student for the med school game. I went to an academically poor public highschool in a countryside in ontario and the transition from high school to UofT has been rather tumultuous. I have received B- in BIO120H, B+ in MAT135H, C in CHM139H, and currently have 62 in ECO100. I have not been partying or wasting any time. I didn’t even get to explore the city yet and have been stuck in the library every single day studying. I have changed my studying habits twice since I came to UofT and still seems like my habits are not working. I have figured that I will have an “average GPA” to apply to med school only if I take 22.0 credits throughout 4 years and attain 4.0 in every single course until I graduate, which seems highly unlikely based on how I?am performing right now.?Is it possible to repeat first year? Would UofT scrap my past academical history and let me start fresh??Even if I transfer to another university, attaining 4.0 every single semester is the only option to med school now.
    I need some advice,
    Steve L.

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

    hello. this is an old question. if you?d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go?here! thanks!

    aska

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

    hey there,

    i realize that i have already addressed this in my epigraph up there, but i feel the need to say again that while our dear friend steve, who 2-ish years ago was facing quite a conundrum with his first-year marks, has long since decided on a path for his life – whether or not that path led to med school – this is still a pressing issue for a big chunk of first years, every year. so this question isn’t addressed so much to steve as it is to the people steve represents: the questioning, the disilusioned and the panicked.

    (this part though is just for steve, in case he’s still reading: hey steve, sorry this question never got answered in time. askastudents are rotated in and out on a yearly-ish basis, and in the process of that switch questions can sometimes get lost or not transferred over. i hope the fact that your question didn’t get answered in time didn’t embitter you against askastudent FOREVER, and that you’ll allow me to use your question as a model for FUTURE STUDENTS).

    alright, so, onto the question. the title of this post is left over – if my math is correct – from one or maybe two askastudents ago, but i’ve kept it because i agree with it. and the reason i agree with it is because the faculty of medicine agrees with it – an average GPA of 3.6 required to be eligible for admission to med school, and it is based on all university courses you’ve ever taken ever.

    so once you’ve done your first year, it automatically becomes part of your application. it’ll be factored into your application GPA – no scrapping of past history, no negotiations, regardless of redone courses or bad high schools or whatever other reason you can come up with. meaning that, yes, you would essentially have to get 4.0 across the board in the rest of your undergraduate career (not to mention do great on your MCATs and the?non-academic shenanigans?which are part of your application) in order to be eligible and competitive. there’s no way to wipe first year from the record, is what i’m saying.

    this means that you – metaphorical steve – have a decision to make. do you want to be a doctor so incredibly badly that you are willing to give it 110% for 3 more years (+4 or however long it takes for you to finish your MD)? if you are, that’s great. if you like anatomy more than sleep, more than socializing, more than TV or leisure reading or drinking or being able to tack on M.D. to the end of your name – if you still like studying bones and shizzle MORE THAN ALL THAT – then i’d say, use the summer to gain some new study skills, regroup, and tackle the 2nd year with your goal in mind.

    however, if you want to become a doctor because “the economy is bad” or because “it’s prestigious,” or because “people always said i was smart enough to,” or because “M.D. really does look nice at the end of my name,” then it is not worth the mental wear and tear. the economy is bad for everyone. prestige is about doing your job remarkably, not which job you do. being smart doth not always a high-paying job equate. and Steve M.D. sounds silly as heck, with all respect. so forget those reasons and do what you WANT.

    cheers, metaphorical steve, and thanks in advance for all the help you’ve been to other first-years.

    aska

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  • colleges,  frosh

    so you wanna be a frosh leader?

    January 20, 2014

    I was wondering if you could be a frosh leader for a college that’s not yours. I’m officially a St.Michael’s College member but I really hate that college/don’t know why I picked it and I don’t spend a lot of time with SMC people and I spend most of my days at UC since I know a lot of UC students. Would I be allowed to be a frosh leader for UC although I’m from SMC??

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m sorry to hear that’s how you feel about SMC. maybe, if you feel so strongly about it and spend so much time at UC anyway, it might be a good idea to consider transferring colleges. every college is different and if SMC isn’t working for you, then maybe you should consider contacting UC in person or by e-mail to discuss transferring colleges. that way, when it comes to things like applying to be frosh leader, the path will be a lot more straightforward.

    as to whether or not UC’ll take you on if you’re from another college, it’s kinda hard to tell tbh. i haven’t found any OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS that specifically BAN students from other colleges applying, but it seems like one of those rules that goes without saying. like, they also don’t expressly ban students from other universities from applying, but i think we can agree they’re not gonna be hired. however, the people who would probably know for sure whether you have a chance are the folks at in charge of student life at uc. i’d speak with them first!

    at the end of the day, if none of this pans out, i think that being part of orientation week is awesome, no matter which college you’re a part of. maybe doing frosh with SMC might even open your eyes to the cool stuff hidden away in little corners of your college. who knows! either way, i hope you go ahead and apply, ’cause it’s a great opportunity, no matter which college you remain affiliated with.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • subject POST,  UTSC

    shootin’ for the stars

    January 17, 2014

    Hi, can you get a major in astronomy & astrophysics at UTSC? I checked the subject post codes for UTSC, and it was only available as a minor. Are the spaces unavailable right now or can you only do minors at utsc? I’m currently doing a major in health studies at utsc but I might change it to astronomy. Thanks for your help!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there doesn’t seem to be a major strictly called astronomy, but there is a major program in astrophysics and physics, and that, along with the specialist programs and minor program, are all under the heading of ‘astronomy.’ so it looks like you can do a major in astrophysics? i don’t know if there’s some subtle difference between astronomy and astrophysics that i’m unaware of because i am a LOWLY HUMANITIES PEASANT, but it seems to me like an issue of semantics more than anything else. either way, it’s not an issue of space*: all subject POSts are listed on the calendar, whether enrolment is limited or not.

    cheers,

    aska

    * lol, geddit? space? because astronomy happens in space? but also space as in like, space for enrolment? it’s a pun? please laugh at my jokes i’m so lonely.

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  • summer,  suspension

    summah skule

    January 17, 2014

    I’m currently a student who’s on academic suspension. Yikes! This year has been a roller coaster for me, I’ve been working and traveling a lot but I miss school and am eager to make my way back. I was thinking of applying to summer school instead of waiting to go back in September considering I’ve served my 12 months of suspension by April. Going to summer school would help me ease my way back into the habit of studying, that way when I go back in September full time, I won’t feel as overwhelmed. I was wondering if that’s a possibility? Or do I have to wait till September? Any thoughts?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    alrighty, so basically, you CAN re-register for the summer session since you’ve fulfilled the terms of your suspension. yay! all you have to do is go to your registrar’s office and register.

    HOWEVER. when you come off of suspension, your first term back you are on academic probation, meaning you need to get your marks above a certain GPA (1.70 i believe) within that session. since the summer session moves twice as fast as a regular session, it’s actually sometimes harder to keep up with a summer school course as it is a regular course. and since you need to make sure to meet the terms of probation within the first term (otherwise you’ll be suspended again for three years) it’s actually super important that you very carefully choose which term you want to come back. like i don’t wanna FREAK YOU OUT or anything, but there are some stakes attached to your first term back.

    tl;dr: you can come back in the summer, but think about it before you decide to.

    l8r dood,

    aska

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  • admissions,  UTSC

    calculus grievances

    January 17, 2014

    Hey!

    I’ve applied to the mental health studies program at UTSC and their admission requirement is only English. Now since it’s related to psychology and the other UofT campuses require Calculus as a prerequisite for psychology, I’m worried that I’m gonna have to take Calculus in university. I haven’t taken Calculus in high school yet (I’m in grade 12) and I am not good in math. I can handle statistics but I don’t know about Calculus. So I need your help! Please let me know if UTSC mental health requires Calculus at alllllllll (even in second, third and fourth year), and also Biology for that matter.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can take a look at alllll the classes you’ll need to take for the mental health studies specialist here (just ctrl+f mental health studies). it looks like, apart from a couple of data analysis courses, you won’t have anything too rigorous to take in the way of math. so if you haven’t taken calculus, i wouldn’t sweat it! obviously data analysis will be tough, and calculus would help with that, but don’t scramble to take it now if you’re absolutely certain that this is the program you want to do. if the program doesn’t require it, then you should be able to cope without it. same goes for biology; if it’s not required, then you don’t need it (though obviously you can take a look at how much biology is in your future by looking at the courses required throughout the course of your program). otherwise, the university would be LYING to us and that would be ANARCHY, just ANARCHY.

    best,

    aska

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