• criminology,  subject POST

    crime specialist!

    April 15, 2021

    Hello, I wonder if an 80 average in required courses will get me into the crime specialist!

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    crime specialist!

    if you’re referring to the criminology specialist program under arts and science at st. george, then it unfortunately doesn’t look like an 80 average in required courses will get you past admission.

    the faculty of arts and science calendar indicates that 80% is actually just the cutoff to be considered for admission. to make it into the program, you’ll likely need a higher average in CRI205, CRI210, and CRI225. but as that entry average changes each year, i won’t be able to tell you what it’ll be.

    sorry i can’t provide you with any concrete assurances. i hope this helps clarify things, though!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • one programs

    aska has not taken every course at u of t

    April 15, 2021

    Vic One (Stowe-Gullen) vs Trin One (Biomedical health) vs SMC One (Gilson – Faith and Rome)? How are they graded/assessed? What is it like to be a student in each? Is there a place I can go to find current students for SMC and Vic One?

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    unfortunately, i’ve haven’t taken these classes personally, so i’m not able to give you a complete rundown! i’m also not sure how they’re graded because i’ve never seen the syllabi.

    here are a few ideas of things you can try to get more information:

    1. get in touch with the program coordinator who oversees each course: victoria one, trinity one, and smc one. you can ask them if they’re able to pass on past syllabi or even put you in touch with previous students. i’d be surprised if a program coordinator doesn’t know a person or two that they can reach out to.
    2. check out the videos on this webpage if you haven’t already — there are a few student and instructor testimonies that might help you
    3. if none of those work out, you can also try contacting the student unions of each college with a ones program that you’re interested in. there’s a chance they’ll have someone on their team that’s been in the relevant ones class. here’s the contact info for vusac, st. mike’s, and the tcm. i can’t guarantee that you’ll get a response since it’s finals season, but it’s worth a try.

    good luck making your decision! i hope i was able to point you in the right direction.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • colleges,  innis,  Transferring

    innis LOVES you

    April 2, 2021

    Hi! I was just wondering, is it possible to switch colleges? I’m a first year in Vic right now, and I find that the resources (i.e. the writing centre) is much better at Innis. Just not sure if this is possible though. Thank you.

    ——————————————
    hey there,

    it is in fact possible to switch colleges! if you check out this webpage, click the “new students” drop down menu, and look for the “can i switch my college affiliation?” question, you’ll find the info about that there.

    the tl:dr of it is that you have to submit a letter to the registrar explaining why you want to transfer colleges. i’ve heard that these transfers aren’t easily granted, so make sure the reasons you cite are legitimate.

    i’d actually recommend giving the registrar’s front desk a call, so you can briefly explain some of your reasons and ask for advice on drafting the letter. you might be more successful that way.

    i hope this helps, and good luck with transferring should you choose to move forward!

    be Boundless,
    aska

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  • odds are that won't be asked again

    psychology! but also, acting!

    March 23, 2021

    Hi there. I am not a student at University of Toronto, but I am seriously considering applying to join this institution to study psychology. With this, I also have a passion for acting. My question is, since it takes quite a while to become a psychologist, I was wondering if I would be able to receive my diploma of acting while becoming a psychologist which would therefore save me around a year of a half. Thank you, I truly appreciate this, you are helping me a lot.

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    thanks for waiting for this answer!

    to be honest, i’ve been quite stumped by your question because i’m not sure exactly what you’re asking. i believe you can double major in drama and psychology at u of t, if that’s what you’re asking, and you would be able to finish that double major in four years if you plan everything out well.

    if you’re referring to getting a diploma in acting at another school while working towards a u of t psychology degree, you might consider studying as a part-time student. we do love part-time students around here — the association of part-time students (APUS) has the cutest lounge in the sidney smith building, with subsidized printing and free coffee or tea.

    i will note that, if you are interested in practicing as a psychologist, you would need a master’s or doctorate, so that might be good to keep in mind as you plan for the future. if you’re just interested in graduating with a psychology degree, that path will be much simpler.

    if this doesn’t answer your question or if you’re still confused, i would suggest getting in touch with admissions. their contact info is here. it may be easier for you to iron out the details of your plans over a phone call!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • academic offense

    this ain’t my first rodeo

    March 23, 2021

    ive been accused of an academic offence dont even understand how considering my essay had a zero percent similarity on turnitin dont know what to do as this would be my second offence

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    being accused of an academic offence is always scary and difficult to navigate. i’m really sorry that you’re in this situation, and am grateful for your patience with my answer. i hope this is still useful to you!

    Season 4 Hello GIF by 9-1-1 on FOX

    what i do want to note is that a 0% similarity assessment on turnitin doesn’t guarantee that you haven’t committed an offence. listed here are some other potential ways you might run into trouble, including impersonating someone else, helping another student commit an offence, or submitting work you’ve previously obtained credit for.

    i’m not really sure what your circumstances are so unfortunately, i can’t advise you well on this. what i can do is point you to the resources and supports that will help you get through this.

    good mythical morning help GIF by Rhett and Link

    if you haven’t already reached out to your registrar’s office, i’d suggest that you do so. you can use all the guidance you can get, and the academic advisors at your registrar’s office are experienced at navigating these cases. i don’t believe anything you tell them can be used against you.

    on this webpage, you can read up on potential consequences you may face, and under which circumstances specific consequences might apply. additonally, you can use the code of behaviour on academic matters to familiarize yourself with the full process you may face as your accusation plays out (although, if this is your second rodeo, you may already know what you’re getting into).

    Jeff Foxworthy Smh GIF by NBC

    here are some key procedures outlined in the code of behaviour that i’d like to point out to you:

    1. first, you should expect to meet with your instructor to discuss their allegations. nothing you admit in this meeting can be used against you.
    2. if your instructor decides that you haven’t committed an offence, you’re good. if they do, your case gets passed to the department chair or dean, and you’ll meet with them as well as your instructor. crucially, you can bring counsel to this meeting. 
    3. if you admit to an offence, the dean or chair will impose an appropriate consequence on you. if you don’t admit to an offence, your case will get passed to the Provost, and perhaps be heard by a tribunal.

    that’s what you can expect if your case moves forward. if you’re asking what to do, what i think you should do is familiarize yourself with these documents and reach out for support. i can imagine that this is a stressful situation to be in as well, so please don’t hesitate to access support through mySSP if you need it.

    i hope this helped at least a little, and that your case turns out all right.

    Simon Rex Good Luck GIF by Simon Rex / Dirt Nasty

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • breadth requirements

    breadth req recs!

    March 12, 2021

    Hi! Arts student here. This might be a dumb question, but I’m having trouble finding good BR=4 and BR=5 requirements courses for next year. I only need 0.5 FCEs more, because I did AST101 last semester (and suffered a lot because it felt like hell lol). Do you have recommendations? Preferably a 200 course, but 100 would also be okay. (I’m first year right now). Sorry if this isn’t the place to ask.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    this isn’t a dumb question at all — perfectly valid, and this is absolutely the place to ask!

    dance theclub GIF by FC URBAN

    if you’re more so into writing, reading, and conceptual analysis than you are into science, i’d recommend DTS300. not a single mathematical equation involved — when i took it, i wrote four (i think) papers, and managed to fill breadth 5. it’s a deeply fascinating course with a fantastic instructor, dr. kevin o’neill. however, there are some prerequisites, and i’m not sure how you’ll feel about that.

    sarcastic pee wee herman GIF

    this new molecular gastronomy course also looks promising and is designed as a course for non-science students. as per your request, it’s a 200-level course.

    apart from that, i don’t currently have any other recommendations… you might try asking other people in similar situations, since everyone has to do breadth requirements! you can also check reddit (although recommendations from reddit should always be taken with a grain of salt) or look out for calendar entries for br 4/5 courses that mention they’re designed with a humanities/social science student in mind. those courses may change year to year, but there are always at least a few offered.

    your best bet is to think about what your strengths are and find a breadth course that those strengths will be useful for. often, if a science/math course is writing heavy, that will be noted in the course description.

    good luck with the rest of your semester, and i hope you find a class that works for you!

    british crown GIF

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • book and media studies

    wish my skin would clear up as quickly as this confusion

    March 12, 2021

    Hiiii! I’m interested in doing a Book and Media studies major. I’m on degree explorer to try and plan stuff out (1st year right now) and the requirements on this degree explorer thing seem different from the one in the calendar, so I’m confused.

    Some of the required courses in the calendar are SMC219, SMC228, and SMC229. In degree explorer, it says I need to take “All of BMS100H and BMS200Y and BMS201.”

    Can you help clarify for me? I’m so confused on what the requirements are for this major!

    ———————————————
    hey there,

    it’s great that you’re planning things out using degree explorer! you’re doing your due diligence, which should save you from trouble later on.

    i went on degree explorer to check this over and you’re right, there’s definitely a discrepancy. your confusion is very valid, because i’m confused too. i looked for the BMS courses on the timetable, and it seems like they’re not currently offered.

    okay, so you’re getting a live narration of me looking into this. i went to st. mike’s website so that i could refer you to the contact for the BMS program, and check out what i found. this page explains that the program is currently in transition. the SMC courses you found on the calendar are no longer going to be offered, and the BMS courses on degree explorer will be replacing them.

    i hope this helped! BMS is such a cool program — wishing you all the best with it if you decide to go ahead with it.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • psychology

    psych, you thought you didn’t need calc

    March 12, 2021

    hello, i applied to utsg under humanities but just realized i would like to declare major for a life sci that requires you take calc (psych). the issue is i already have my gr12 schedule and didnt take calc. i really don’t want to, and honestly don’t think i can change my schedule for quad 4 now. if i take calc during summer school in july/aug after the june 2021 grad, will that credit count towards completion of gr12 calculus?

    ——————————————

    hi there,

    this is a pretty common problem! i went into our archives and dug up a post that explains what you can do. i thought about explaining the process anew for you, but it’s a crazy time of the semester and my time might be best spent answering more questions, so you can check that out here. tl:dr not the end of the world, you do have options! summer school is definitely one of them.

    (just kidding, there’s no shame in doing what you gotta do!!)

    if you have any concerns about your plans, you can also contact the department of psychology directly.

    good luck!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • UTSC

    i don’t even know how to pronounce clique

    March 11, 2021

    Hey I’m looking to be a first yr undergrad in the fall at utsc but I’m seeing a lot of stuff onlinr abt how cliquey utsc is and how’s there’s nothing much to do with clubs or student life. What’s your opinion on this? I’m an out of province stusent so I dont have any friends from high school coming.

    ——————————————

    hi there,

    unfortunately, i’ve never been a utsc student myself, so i can’t answer this question from personal experience. what i’ve heard is that utsc tends to have more local students, so i guess that could lead to cliqueyness if students are coming from the same high schools and already know each other. however, i don’t know how true this is because i can’t really verify it with anyone.

    also, to be fair, i’ve found certain clubs and spaces at utsg to be quite cliquey as well. i think cliqueyness depends on the crowd you surround yourself with — and if you don’t like a crowd, you can always find another. in general, i’ve found that most u of t students mind their own business and won’t be found chatting with random strangers — but that’s not always true, and i’ve made friends from people randomly hitting me up in class as well.

    there are certainly clubs at utsc, which you can find out more about here. i’m not really sure what’s on offer in terms of other student life, but that’s probably because i’ve never even been to utsc’s campus. with that said, i do think it’s possible to carve out a niche for yourself on campus.

    if you take advantage of the opportunities you can find, make a sincere effort to approach new people, i think you can build a meaningful sense of community at utsc. it is a small campus, after all, so i think you’ll have a better shot at getting to know your classmates, professors, and administrators.

    sorry i can’t be more helpful! wishing you all the best of luck with making your decision.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • first year,  one programs,  seminars

    first new admit of the year!!

    March 11, 2021

    hello! recently got admitted to utsg under socsci. 90% sure i’ll accept. i was thinking currently i’d like to possibly double major in bio and psych once first year ends. i am considering applying for vic one bc it seems super cool but my question is, would it be foolish of me to apply to a vic one stream that doesn’t relate to my intended major (life sci ig)? for ex: applying to vic one frye? would i be better off just taking a couple regular courses that interest me along with my prereqs?

    ——————————————

    hi!

    i love this time of year because of all the good news about admissions that pours in — and you’re the first of 2021! congrats on getting in. i’m so excited for you!

    i don’t think it’s foolish to apply to a vic one program that doesn’t relate to your intended majors. here are some good reasons to still take vic one:

    vic one will offer you smaller, discussion-based (i think) classes, which means it’ll be a great way to make friends. many people i know made the friends that got them through their degree in a ones program, like vic one, trin one, or innis one. this is true for me too! u of t can be isolating, so an investment in friendships is worth it. a lot of the coolest people i know now were actually in vic one.

    speaking of getting to know people, since class sizes are smaller, it’ll be easier for you to connect with your instructor and make sure they know your name and face. who knows — they might be a valuable connection for you down the road.

    apart from that, first year is a great time to explore subjects of study outside what you think you’re interested in. you might find a new interest or learn something that will supplement your growth as a person! programs like vic one will be closed off to you once you become a second year, so if you’re interested, now is the best time to take the plunge.

    finally, your degree will require you to complete breadth requirements, which i explain in this post if you’re not familiar. special first-year classes, like ones and seminars, can often be counted towards breadth requirements. you can check out what breadth reqs your potential vic one courses fulfill here.

    tl:dr vic one isn’t useless to you just because it’s not related to your programs of study! there’s a lot of value that participating in the one program can bring to your degree, and i’d really encourage you to apply. doing first year ones/seminars absolutely changed the course of my degree and university experience — that’s how impactful they were.

    i hope this post helped you, and congrats again!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    hello again

    March 3, 2021

    Hello! i have a question about applying for programs. so, i’m a first year and i’m thinking about applying for an english major, a cinema studies major, and a creative expression in society minor. the only problem is that i haven’t done the first year cinema studies major, which seems to be the prerequisite for me to actually apply for this program. i know i can just apply for cinema studies in my second year after doing CIN105 in 2nd year (instead of 1st year), but what should i be doing before my second year?

    should i just apply for english and creative expression in society after my first year, and just have those 2 programs? or should i applying for another program instead of cinema studies as a backup?

    on another note, how many programs should i be applying for in terms of backup programs? can i apply for as many as i want and then choose which to keep and which to drop?

    also, what is the 12 credits rule? i’ve heard of it but i’m not sure what it is.

    sorry about the super long question! thanks 🙂

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    if i’m understanding this right, i took a long time to answer your original question so you sent this one in! that’s cool, i’ll just use this post to fill in some more blanks and address your new questions.

    it makes sense that you’d be wondering what you should do before your second year. i’d recommend that you apply for your english major and creative expression and society minor, and then add a placeholder major or minor as well. an open enrolment program would be ideal if you’re just picking a random program — but if you can pick something you’re genuinely interested in as a backup, do that instead.

    what i will note is that you can’t just request the english major and creative expression minor, because without the minimum program enrolment of a double major, a major + two minors, or a specialist, you won’t be able to register in second-year courses. something in the system will block you, i believe!

    i’m actually not sure if there’s a limit on how many programs you should apply for, but i believe you can apply for several and then choose which one to keep. you can probably verify this with a quick email to your registrar.

    what is the 12 distinct credits rule? funny that you ask, because everyone has this question. i’ve done a previous explainer here, and if anything’s unclear still, feel free to drop another something in the ask box and i’ll get back to you quicker than last time!

    hope the rest of your semester goes well, and good luck <3

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • degree requirements,  subject POST

    Responsible Student™

    March 3, 2021

    hi! yet another first year here in your ask box, lol! i have two sort of related questions for you.

    i was looking at degree explorer today to be a Responsible Student. i know for sure that i want to major in english, but i’m not sure what i want to do for my other one. if you have any tips on finding good a program that you know you’ll enjoy, i’d appreciate it ? i know that’s a bit of a silly question because there’s no real answer to it, but i’m honestly terrified i’ll choose a program that i’ll end up hating.

    and second (the more important question i wanted to ask) – i was looking at the program requirements for the english major program and some of the courses i have to take are ENG202, ENG203, ENG250, and ENG252. butttt if i do all of these it means that 2.0 FCEs are already taken up in my second year, and i added in some courses that i might potentially want to take (ENG273Y, JEI206H, ENG289H) – some part of the english major requirements, some not – so that means i really only have 0.5 FCEs left for whatever other major i decide on. obviously, i know i could give up on some of those courses i want to take out of interest, but i feel like if i do that i might get unmotivated for school and all, and i really do want to take them. sooo after all of that background context – is it weird/not recommended if i take about two courses or so from ENG202, ENG203, ENG250, and ENG252 in my third year even though they’re 200 level courses to free up some space in 2nd year? will that somehow set me back or be a bother to me in my third year? i’m just worried since i don’t know what else i’d want to major in, not to mention that i want to do either a 0.5 BR=4 or BR=5 in second year to get that over with.

    i hope this all makes sense!

    ——————————————

    just sent you an ask about english major stuff! i forgot to also mention that one of the courses i want to take for fun is CIN215, so that’s why i only have 0.5 FCEs left for my other major (whatever it’ll be). you probably don’t need all of this info, but just making sure haha thank u again!

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    welcome to the ask box! i do love a Responsible Student™.

    i’ll try to answer your questions in order. first, do i have any tips on finding a good program?

    finding a program that you love can be tough for a lot of students — many of us don’t wake up one day and just instantly know what we want to do. here are some of my suggestions:

    • did you take an introductory course to random a subject in first year, only to find out you absolutely adore that subject? that might be a good sign that you’d enjoy studying it further. this is actually how i chose one of my programs.
    • sit down and take the time to really flesh out your academic interests. you probably like reading and writing given that you’re interested in english — and that’s great because you’d need to read and write in many of the humanities and social sciences. is there anything within those fields that you find particularly important? are you passionate about equity, or documentaries, or gender, or creative writing? in all likelihood, there’s another major out there that will both use your skills and get you excited.
    • you could also find something that complements english well, or goes at literature from a different angle. lit and crit, for example.

    i can also refer you to some programs that i’ve heard people really enjoy:

    • diaspora and transnational studies is quite groundbreaking, and will push you conceptually. i’ve had friends transfer into that program from things like IR and polisci, because it’s a lot less eurocentric and a lot more cutting-edge. if you’re interested in gaining cultural competencies, talking about diaspora and orientalism and nostalgia, and understanding globalization, this program is very cool.
    • book and media studies apparently has some not-so-thrilling required courses, but i know people in the program who really love it once those courses are over and done with. BMS has some really cool fourth-year seminars taught by well-known figures in the journalism/publishing industry, and sometimes i wish i was in this program.
    • urban studies is also really interesting if you were drawn to u of t because of the city!

    second, is it weird for you to take 200-level courses in third year? absolutely not. i know tons of people who do it. i even know people who take first year courses in your fourth year. i see the 100/200/300/400 level designations more so as recommendations (and determinants of grading expectations) than i do rules.

    in fact, i think it may be a good idea to free up some second-year space for courses from your other major, since u of t’s upper-year courses tend to have so many prereqs based on second year program requirements. for that reason, although i understand your desire to take fun courses, i would caution you to make sure you focus on getting your program requirements out of the way first so that your later studies aren’t impeded.

    if you have any further questions you can shoot me another message. i’d also recommend that you get in touch with your registrar’s office if you’d like someone to talk this over with you via the phone. an academic advisor there will have access to your full academic history, and will also know the ins and outs of planning your degree. in a sense, they’re often a lot more helpful than i can be.

    i hope this helped! good luck with whatever you ultimately decide to do. i have faith that you’ll make the best decision for yourself!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • breadth requirements,  distribution

    can’t they just pick one name for it already

    February 26, 2021

    Hi! I’m very confused about the difference between distribution requirements and breadth requirements! Please help :/

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    i’m really sorry this took so long, and thank you for the wait! this system is indeed confusing and i’m glad you asked.

    unless you’re at UTM, you don’t need to worry about distribution requirements — at the other campuses, i believe they’re no longer active requirements. at UTM, i believe distribution requirements are still active and breadth requirements are not required. you’d basically need 1.0 FCE in each of the science, social science, and humanities categories to complete UTM’s distribution requirements.

    at utsc, the breadth requirements mean that you need to take 0.5 FCE in each of the following categories, which i’ve copy/pasted below from this webpage. 

    • Arts, Literature, and Language
    • Natural Sciences
    • History, Philosophy, and Cultural Studies
    • Quantitative Reasoning
    • Social and Behavioural Sciences

    meanwhile, at st. george, to complete breadth requirements you need either 1.0 FCE in four of the following categories, OR 1.0 FCE in three of the categories and 0.5 FCE in the two remaining categories.

    1 Creative and Cultural Representations
    2. Thought, Belief, and Behaviour
    3. Society and Its Institutions
    4. Living Things and Their Environment
    5. The Physical and Mathematical Universes

    however, in all cases, you don’t need to complete these requirements in your first year. it is sometimes smart to get them out of the way early so you don’t need to worry about them when you’re getting ready to graduate, but if you need more time you do have it!

    i hope this cleared things up!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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