• prereqs,  prospective student,  psychology,  subject POST

    throwback to the psych major era

    February 20, 2023

    hi aska, i’m a grade 12 hs student who got accepted into uoftstg for social science. i’m looking to major in psych, and i failed to realize that uoft doesn’t offer a psych BA. my problem is is that i don’t have the gr 12 prerequisites of calc or bio. my question is: uoft’s social science page they state, “at the end of your first year, you can combine programs outside of your own admission category” does this mean i can double major and enrol in the psych program despite of my missing prerecs?

    hello there young one,

    congrats on your acceptance! so after the barrage of psych major questions we got last semester, i’m prepared — this post from december is all about high school prereqs for psych at uoft and pretty much answers your question i think… (done. that’s it. that’s the post. do i just… go now?)

    but in the spirit of recycling, lemme hash out some of the main things about high school prereqs here… and some other things. basically, after first year, you’ll have to apply for your POSt, which is just uoft’s fancy name for your specific program, which doesn’t have to be within your admissions stream. you can definitely mix and match and jump around different majors/minors/specialists in all different areas of uoft arts and science. but preqrequisites are prerequisites, and the psych programs all list gr. 12 calc and bio as prereqs so chances are you’ll have to get those credits in order to be accepted. you should definitely email the psych department just to check (psy.undergrad@utoronto.ca) with them first, though.

    if you do have to complete those prerequisites, you could try to take them in the summer before university, or through night school/online options if they’re offered by your school board.

    You Thought GIFfrom Swag GIFs

    they should be completed by the end of your first year at the latest, because that’s around the time you typically apply for POSt — although you should also confirm that with the department just in case they ask for the prereqs following a different timeline. hope that helps!

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • certificate,  current student

    (almost) certified conflict manager in da house

    February 19, 2023

    Does anyone know how to access the conflict management certificate from EDS210H5 • Communication and Conflict Resolution at UTM? This course was with Dr. Liz (Elizabeth) Coulson. I couldn’t find it on acorn at all!

    hello hello,

    well this is new – in fact, it’s so new, you’ve earned yourself a brand new blog category… congrats :0

    i’ve never heard of the conflict management certificate or seen certificates available on acorn. maybe it’s like a certification that appears on your transcript? they offer something like that in utm french studies, for example. you could check your unofficial transcript on acorn under academic history to see if it’s been added there.

    i hope that works, but if it doesn’t, well, unfortunately this is probably a conflict that i can’t resolve. but you could try asking classmates from that course or even good ol’ dr. coulson herself. they’d probably know. i mean, someone’s gotta know… right? anybody? help us. please.

    Pingu Shrug GIFfrom Pingu GIFs

    anyhow, good luck, and have a lovely reading week!

    aska

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  • admissions,  cegep,  prospective student

    r score why r u so confusing

    February 7, 2023

    Hello! Im currently a quebec cegep student looking to go into life sciences / animal physiology at U of T and would like some advice on admissions. I struggled quite a bit in calculus this year and my cal 1 grade is only a 72… I was wondering if this is way to low for getting accepted and if its recommended that I retake this course. I’m very worried about this right now so any advice on this or admissions in general is greaaaatly appreciated!!

    hey there,

    i’m so sorry for the long wait on this one, but hopefully this still helps.

    according to the admissions website, cegep students need an r score of mid-20s or higher – specifically, utsg arts and science has an r score cutoff of 26. it does mention that they will see your full transcript with the actual percentage marks, but i’m not sure if there’s a specific cutoff for that.

    you’re probably familiar with the cegep r score, so hopefully that magic number 26 means something to you because frankly after digging around a bit i still don’t really know what it really translates to in terms of a percentage. i mean, you got a 72, but did you really, compared to the course average and then comparing your school to all the other schools… quebec really went all out with this whole scoring thing and tbh it’s just too much stats for me.

    Confused Confused Math GIFfrom Confused GIFs

    hopefully you already know your r score by the time you apply, which will give you a much better idea. if not, it might help to generally follow the recommended grades for the equivalent grade 12 high school subjects? it’s not a perfect comparison since cegep courses might be harder (?) but uoft life sciences recommends mid to high 80s in high school english and calculus.

    based on that, i’d say the safest plan is to retake calc if possible, and aim for a higher mark in the 80s just in case. but then again, if all of your other marks are in the 80s-90s and you are generally at or above the course average, it also doesn’t hurt to try and apply. although 70s might be on the lower side for calc, i don’t think it’s necessarily a dealbreaker, especially if you have a good average overall.

    Just Try It Imane Anys GIFfrom Just Try It GIFs

    best of luck!

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  late withdrawal,  major,  subject POST

    a little cr/ncr never hurts… (unless it’s a course in your program in which case it sometimes might)

    February 2, 2023

    Hey! I’m a first year student that wants to double major in international relations/ political science. The thing is, I have cr/ncr 1.5 Credits and I also LWD a class. Will this affect my chances of getting into the program, even though I’m doing well in all my other classes? Basically, will my transcript look bad for entry into the program?

    hey there,

    in my experience, the departments only really look at the courses that they state are required to apply for the program. it could matter for things like grad school or professional school applications later on, but honestly for something like POSt, i don’t even know if they have the time to scrutinize every part of your transcript and take note of everyone’s cr/ncrs and lwds.

    i know friends who’ve gotten into relatively competitive programs with 60s or 70s in some electives, but they aced the required courses for their programs. as long as you’re doing well in the courses for the international relations and polisci majors, i’d say you’re in the clear.

    N B D GIFfrom No Biggie GIFs

    some programs might also look at things like your supplementary application or overall gpa (i think? not even sure if there are any that do that, actually), but if they do, it’ll be clearly listed in the program requirements. the one other thing is to make sure that you’ll have completed 4.0 FCEs by the end of first year, which is a common requirement for pretty much all programs i think. just remember that if you got an ncr or lwd, those would not count as completed credits, so you’ll have to be careful about that.

    good luck!

    aska

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  • computer science,  subject POST,  Transferring

    chasin the cs dream

    January 26, 2023

    I am a first year international student who bombed in-stream cs class so I’ll be kicked out of stream. I have anxiety disorder and this term has been too rough for me, especially due to not being able to make good connection with my classmates. I feel so sad I literally cry every time I think about it. Should I transfer to another university. Cuz I can not stay sane due to my workload. I was convinced myself that I’ll be super happy not being a cs major but now I see that cs is what I want to do

    hey there,

    really sorry to hear that things have been rough. the first thing that i’d urge you to do (if you haven’t already) is to visit your registrar or book an appointment with them – transferring is a big decision to make so it’d be best to get some personalized advice, and if you decide to stay at uoft, your registrar can help make sure you get the supports and accomodations you need.

    the second thing is – rather specific, actually – if by chance you go to utsc, there might actually be a workaround for your case, because utsc cs stream students get a chance to redo first year cs courses for better grades to stay in the program (lucky you) – except for MATA31 (if that’s the course you did poorly on, well… unlucky you).

    at utsg and utm, you’d have to reapply for cs programs from out-of-stream. in fact, if you’re at utm you’d only be eligible for the cs minor – the major and specialist are for cs stream students only.

    if you decide to give this a shot, it’ll be really important to get on top of your game academically and sort out the kinds of things that went wrong last semester, for example by getting accomodations from accessibility services, mental health support, or taking fewer courses if you can.

    honestly, considering the competitiveness of out-of-stream cs post, it’s going to be tough and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get in. if you decide to give it a try, i’d say that you should be prepared for the possibility of ending up in a non-cs program. for example, you could do a cs minor, which is typically less competitive, along with other majors/minors in different subjects. or you could look into cs-related programs like cognitive science at utsg, which does include a few csc courses and is also relatively less competitive.

    The Situation Jershey Shore GIFfrom The Situation GIFs

    if you’re sure that you’re really only interested in cs, you can definitely look into transferring. for example, there are plenty of other canadian university/colleges with cs programs that may accept transfer students. if you find a program that you meet the requirements for and also seems like a good fit, then i’d say go for it! i mean, sure, uoft’s got the ~clout and prestige~ but there are plenty of other unis with great cs programs that can also prepare you with the knowledge/experience you need.

    i will say, even though uoft gets the reputation of being so hard compared other canadian unis, that’s not necessarily true. transferring gives you a second chance, but it won’t be a magic button to fix everything because chances are, cs is gonna be challenging at any school. so, regardless of where you end up, what’s really important is to reflect on your experiences and make sure to get all the skills, strategies and support systems you need.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • computer science,  programs,  prospective student

    where do all the cs rejects go

    December 14, 2022

    What happens if you don’t get accepted into the computer science program after first year. I’m asking this question for all three branches of uoft.

    hello,

    you get banished. forever. or what i’ve heard is that you go into math/cogsci/*insert cs-adjacent program*.

    i’m just kidding. (don’t come for me, math/cogsci majors.) the reality is kind of like a mix of these i suppose, and it depends on the campus you’re at.

    at utsg, if you don’t meet the requirements for first year cs stream students (cmp1), you can re-apply from the regular artsci stream, but it’s a lot more competitive. if you just haven’t had the chance to take certain required first year courses, you’ll get until the end of your first summer term to complete them. otherwise, they don’t really give you much leeway for the requirements.

    at utsc, you’re allowed to retake all of the first year required cs courses once, except for MATA31, if you need to get a higher mark to pass the cs stream requirements. after that, if you still don’t meet the cutoffs, you’ll have to apply for a non-cs backup program to enter in second year. you may be able to apply for the cs post as a non-cs stream student but again, spots will be limited and it’ll be a lot more competitive.

    with utm, you’d pretty much be banished, actually. utm only accepts cs majors and specialists that entered the stream straight out of high school and passed the first year cs requirements. if you don’t make it, you could still go for a cs minor, which seems to be open to any student regardless of stream. utm may rule with an iron fist, but they’re also kinda considerate in a way — they’ve put together a list of backup programs that are similar to cs or other competitive programs, which might be helpful. you can check them out on page 4 of this document.

    anyway, hope that helps, and best of luck on your future cs endeavours.

    Hacker Pupper Dog GIFfrom Hacker Pupper GIFs

    aska

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  • current student,  profs

    if only prof requests were a thing

    November 28, 2022

    Is there a way we could… ask UofT to consider someone as a professor? Sounds bizarre I know, but a friend of mine at another uni has this author I love for one of her classes, and the prof is a uoft alum! Just wish I could be her student lol

    hey there,

    as far as i know, there isn’t really a process to do this as students. profs/instructors get hired by applying for postings made by the university. students may have some say in the process by giving testimonials for the candidate’s teaching dossier, but these would be from the students they’ve taught before, not potential future students. which kind of makes sense, because while an instructor could seem great on paper, the experience of actually getting taught by them might be different. overall, it really comes down to the prof actually applying to work at uoft, and uoft choosing to accept her.

    You Have No Power GIFfrom Canttouchme GIFs

    if you’re really interested in taking her course, you could see if it might be possible to audit it? and then you can beg her to come to uoft. i guess this only really works if they’re in toronto or have online lectures, though.

    actually, if you really really want to take her courses, you might be able to do it for credit as a visiting student. you’d have to make sure that the course follows a few eligibility criteria, for example, it can’t be a course already offered by uoft artsci, and it can’t be pass fail, has to be in-person, etc. then, you can apply for a “letter of permission” from uoft which allows you take the course for credit. you’d also have to apply to the university you’ll be “visiting” on ouac, through the 105 application stream. it’s kind of a complicated process, but hey, if you really really want to take that course, it might be worth it.

    Shrug Shoulder GIFfrom Shrug GIFs

     

    hope this helps,

    aska

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  • current student,  references

    stuck in a reference rut

    November 23, 2022

    What should I do if I had a good relationship with a professor and was hoping to get a letter of recommendation from them, but then they sadly passed away?

    hello,

    i’m really sorry to hear that and hope you’re doing alright. as for the letter of recommendation, i think the obvious answer is that you have to ask someone else to write it, unless you’ve already asked this prof and they’ve already written and sent your letter (in which case i suppose it’d still be valid), or they’re writing letters for you from the grave (the commitment!).

    i know it’s tough to have to scramble to put together things like this, but at the same time, assuming you’d left a good amount of time to ask your former prof for the letter, you can hopefully manage to find someone else to write a letter for you by the deadline.

    i’m sure you’ve heard how important it is to ask profs early on so that they have time to respond and write your letter. ideally, you’d ask another prof who you have a great relationship with, but if that doesn’t pan out, i’d say a good choice would be to reach out to profs who have supervised you in some capacity e.g. for a research course, work-study, etc. second to that would be profs who taught you in a courses where you got good grades, hopefully participated a good amount in, and are related to the field you want to go into.

    i’d also consider the prof’s approachability. i’ve met profs who were really student-centred and would go to great lengths to help and seemed to always have the students’ best interests in mind, always willing to give extra support or one-on-one meetings even when i didn’t participate a whole lot or wasn’t very close to them. on the other hand, some profs just seem to be less personable, or less available to give extra help to students – either they’re too busy, or the class is too big, and they don’t seem to offer a lot of time outside of class – that could be a red flag for finding good referees, which requires a good amount of time and energy commitment.

    above all, i’d recommend emailing profs (or if appropriate, talking to them in person) as soon as possible. give them the key details, like your name, when you took their course (and which course), the programs you’re applying to, deadlines, and you can attach your transcript and CV as well, to save them the trouble of having to ask for more info if they need it.

    Bruce Almighty Type GIFfrom Bruce Almighty GIFs

    if you’re tight on time, it’s best to email multiple profs (say, 3-4, or more if you really want), just in case some don’t respond. even if you suspect that some of their references may be more lukewarm, it’s better to ask just in case your other options fall through. a mediocre reference letter is still better than none.

    as a side note, most of this advice is based on grad school applications, or applications in academia, but references for professional schools like med school or law school may differ. from what i’ve heard, letters from profs are a must in academia, while for professional schools the status of the referee may not matter as much as the content of your letter, in other words, a glowing review from a different supervisor/mentor figure, even if it’s not from a prof, could still be very beneficial to your application.

    or maybe you need the letter of recommendation for a job (actually, now that i think about it you haven’t really said much about what the letter is for…) or volunteering or something, in which case it might be even easier to find a different reference that’ll do the job. profs are notoriously hard to reach sometimes so if you can even bypass asking them for a reference and go with a different referee instead, that might work too.

    good luck!

    aska

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  • current student,  declaring absence,  petition

    petition petition petition! (unless you’re not eligible, in which case… don’t)

    November 18, 2022

    Okay so I missed a deadline for a homework because of an illness, and the syllabus tells me to file a petition on Quercus. Where is this petition on quercus?? I can’t find anything there, the only petition thing I can see on uoft is that petition thing for major events. Pls help

    hey there,

    so after a bit of searching around, i’m getting the impression that you’re not really supposed to file a petition in this case, as in, the official arts and sciences petition. these petitions are mostly for exams or late assignments/term work, but by late they mean really late, like after the term has ended.

    i have a feeling that rather than a petition, the syllabus is actually referring to declaring your absence on acorn, which you are supposed to do (just go to the “profiles and settings” tab on acorn).

    There Is A Distinction Theres A Difference GIFfrom There Is A Distinction GIFs

    you should also contact your instructor to confirm, and meet with your registrar, who might be able to help by suggesting other options, giving advice on any documentation you might need to gather, or writing a letter to explain your case to your instructor.

    if you do actually need to make a petition, that would be done using the artsci online form, not through acorn. you should also consult with your registrar first to see if you’re eligible and get details on how to apply. either way, i’ve heard lots of good things from people about petitions, so if you’re eligible to petition for this or other issues later on, it might come in handy.

    hope that helps!

    aska

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  • academic success,  current student,  leave of absence,  mental health

    you can do it!

    November 15, 2022

    my time in undergrad has been rough, in addition to much longer than expected; i don’t know how long it’s going to take to get my degree nowadays, and most of my friends have already finished undergrad. i haven’t been in a good place for a while now and haven’t been diagnosed with depression by a professional but everything about me absolutely reeks of it. i still want to continue with higher education, but i don’t know if i should take a break or continue at a relaxed pace. too heavy, or…?

    hi there,

    i think the best thing to do here is to get some professional advice — for mental health, academics, future plans, or whatever else you may have on your plate. your registrar is a good place to start as they can probably direct you to other resources and options, and you can also book an appointment with your family doctor or a clinician at the health & wellness clinic, and get confidential counselling over the phone through mySSP.

    i think it’s a bit hard to know what path would be best for you right now without having a more detailed discussion. it all depends on how your health right now, what your priorities/goals are, possible accomodations… the list goes on. it’s complicated! so, really. reach out to these supports!!

    now i may not be a medical professional or academic advisor, but i’d like to think i’m a bit of an expert in giving some perspective, emotional support, and wholesome gifs.

    speaking of wholesome gifs:

    Cat Ghost GIFfrom Cat GIFs

    i think it’s important to remember that it’s ok to take your time, and rather than trying to push and do things “on time” (whatever that means, anyway) make sure you’re doing it in a way that works for you and your priorities — a very important one being your health!

    i was trying not to get all into the realm of cliche quotes and ~positive thinking~, but since we’re here already i might as well drop a few more, like:

    • “it’s a marathon, not a sprint”
    • “comparison is the thief of joy”
    • “time is a social construct and plenty of students graduate in 4+ years anyway” (ok i just needed to fill a space here but still, it’s true.)

    cliche? oh yeah. helpful? hopefully. easier said than done? yeah, probably that too. but you get the point.

    there are probably other practical considerations that’ll affect your decision, like career goals, finances — all of that fun stuff. i think it’s important to think about these things first and figure out where you really want to be at the end of the day. do you want to enter a career that requires a degree? or maybe you’re really passionate about what you’re learning but just need the time, or the right time and circumstances, to work through it. if neither of these is true, maybe it’d be better to look into other options to really reach your goals. you may feel tied down to finishing your degree, but if it’s not what you really want/need, there could be better options out there — and tbh there’s no shame in jumping ship if this just isn’t working out for you.

    if finishing your degree is your end goal, you’ll have to consider your health, finances, and academics this semester to decide whether to take a leave of absence or drop some courses. there’s still a bit of time until the course drop deadline (literally tomorrow!)

    a leave of absence could be a good option if you really feel like you are floundering right now and need the time to rest/get things together. you’d have to drop all your courses this semester by the deadline, and cancel your registration on acorn. there might also be other ways to take a leave if you ask your registrar (they have their ways…)

    on the other hand, if you feel like you could pull through for some/most of your courses this semester, then cr/ncr may be a good option, especially for more difficult or stressful courses. this way, you could save on the tuition you’ve paid so far while earning some more credits towards your degree. you could then take a leave of absence next semester if needed

    there’s a lot of other stuff that can be done/planned out academics-wise too, like going over study strategies with an academic advisor, getting accomodations and support for health concerns or other extenuating circumstances, or changing to programs/courses that play to your strengths.

    uni life is a depressing mess sometimes, but i think with the right advising and supports/resources, you can definitely plan things out to finish your degree in a manageable way, hopefully with a clear, realistic timeline — that way, there’ll be a real light at the end of the tunnel, and you won’t feel like things are just left hanging up ahead. (it really sounds like i’m just regurgitating some kind of smart goals framework thing right now but hey, i guess the theme of the day is cliches.)

    anyhow, i hope this helped give you some ideas on how you could move forward. it’s a tough situation for sure, but i hope you know that it’s ok to take your time on this journey, and that there are tons of resources you can reach out to for support and advice.

    rooting for you!

    aska

    Motivation Penguin GIFfrom Motivation GIFs

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  • engineering,  Transferring

    so you wanna be an engineer

    November 10, 2022

    I’m a utsc student in my 2nd year (social science), i wanna transfer to engineering at St. George, how hard would that be? Is it possible to still graduate in 4 years if I do that? What would the process be? Really appreciate the help!

    hey there,

    so the good news is, it’s definitely possible to do that, and you might be able to get some transfer credits too, especially for electives.

    Sheldon Bigbangtheory GIFfrom Sheldon GIFs

    the kinda bad news is that since you’re not in engineering already, you’d have to transfer into first year engineering (more info here), so unless you’re really keen, it’d be really hard to graduate in four years total.

    in terms of the process, since you’re already a uoft student, you’d have to apply for an internal transfer on this portal. it looks like your application is based on your transcript and a supplemental application for things like extracurriculars, and apparently you need:

    unfortunately i don’t have personal experience with transfering, but engineering is a pretty competitive program and transfers can be especially hard to get. if you really want to get into the nitty gritty, a bit of snooping around led me to this report where you can see the number of applicants and offers for uoft engineering undergrad each year (pg 8-9 of the pdf) and it does not look pretty. if you’ve got the prereqs, a good gpa and extracurriculars, it’s definitely worth a shot, but you could also look into alternatives like eng programs at other unis to get some more options.

    Good Luck Cheers GIFfrom Good Luck GIFs

    good luck!

    aska

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  • cogsci,  current student,  programs

    will the real cogsci major pls stand up

    November 4, 2022

    hey hey! first off, huge fan 🙂 i’m a first year, and i think i’m going to major in cogsci. however, there are like 7 different cogsci major options, some arts, some science, and all of them different streams. my question is, why are there so many options for the same degree, and does choosing one over the other (eg. arts degree vs. science degree, cognition vs language stream) disadvantage me in any way?

    hello hello hello!

    well thank you! and welcome — hope first year’s going well so far.

    about cogsci, you’re right… there are in fact seven different programs when you look it up, and they definitely have their differences. the five “cognitive sciences majors” are offered by university college, but the other two aren’t really programs at all — they’re actually just part of the computer science major and specialist programs, where you can take 4.0 FCEs to complete a “focus in computational linguistics and natural language processing”. if that horrendously long name doesn’t have you running for the hills yet, the program admissions requirements just might, to be honest, because, well, it’s computer science.

    i’m no cs major, but let’s just say i’ve heard… a lot things about how difficult it is to get into cs programs, especially if you’re not in the cs stream (CMP1) already. but hey, if that’s what you end up being interested in, you should definitely give it a shot — although from the looks of it, the “cogsci focus” isn’t really a cogsci program in and of itself. you’d be doing the cs major or specialist mainly, and just complete some of the more cogsci-related courses within the cs program requirements. another thing to look out for is the tuition, since computer science programs have deregulated fees, which are higher than other artsci programs.

    so we’ve narrowed things down (somewhat) to the five cogsci major streams at uc, and luckily, it looks like CASA (the cogsci students’ association, basically) has put together a list of all the streams, which probably explains them better than i could, tbh.

    Mind Blow Galaxy GIFfrom Mind Blow GIFs

    but what i can tell you for sure is that the stream you choose could affect whether you graduate with an arts degree (HBA) or science degree (HBSc). basically, the arts streams would count towards an HBA, the science streams would count towards an HBSc, and ultimately the degree you get depends on that and the other arts/science programs you take. now does that really matter? i don’t know. depending on what your goals are, employers/grad schools/professional schools can be picky.

    maybe four years from now, you’ll be cursing that decision you made, if only you’d chosen the HBA/HBSc, if only you’d chosen the other stream, maybe then, you wouldn’t have become an unemployed humanities major/cold insufferable stemlord… (ok jk but you get my point) i can’t claim to know all the industry secrets on arts vs science degrees, but if you have a future path in mind, you could start searching around to see if they have any strict requirements for bachelors degrees. on the flip side, i’ve also heard that employers often don’t really know/care much about the specifics of your degree title (specialist? major? same difference), so the courses you take could be way more important.

    Who Knows Shrug GIFfrom Who Knows GIFs

    speaking of courses, the other thing i can say for sure is that you should definitely check out some of the required courses for the different streams to see what you’re most interested in. after all, these are the courses you’ll actually have to sit through, so might as well make sure you’d actually want to take them! another thing you could look into is the possibility of switching streams later on in the program. i know this is offered for some other programs that also have different streams, kind of as an unwritten rule where it’s relatively easy to switch between different streams, and that could definitely give some peace of mind when it comes to choosing between all these options.

    the last piece of advice i can give would be to look out for updates from CASA or other cogsci student organizations/events! i know sid smith does program exploration days in february but student associations sometimes also organize their own events to talk about their programs, and even mentorship events, where you could get advice from upper years already in the program.

    hope that helps, and best of luck!

    aska

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  • current student,  leave of absence,  withdrawal

    drop it like it’s hot (unless it’s your gpa…)

    October 29, 2022

    Hi! This year has been rough so far (who am I kidding the past 3ish years have been garbage), and I’m not doing so hot right now. I’ve been considering taking time off from uni for a while now but much more seriously recently. Since we are mid-semester how would I take a leave of absence (if that’s what it’s called) and would it mark all my current course as incomplete/failed? That would tank my GPA which I can’t afford. I’m at UTSG if that makes a difference. Please and thank you!

    hey there,

    i’m sorry to hear that and given midterm season right now it’s definitely hard not to feel at least a bit like everything’s a whole dumpster fire. but i really hope things get better and less garbage for you, and some time away could help for sure.

    This Is Fine GIFfrom This Is Fine GIFs

    for starters, here’s a bit of good news — there’s actually still a two two weeks left until the course drop deadline, which is on november 16th this year. as long as you drop your courses by then, they’ll completely disappear from your transcript without affecting your gpa.

    Ghost Ghosted GIFfrom Ghost GIFs

    if you drop all your courses now, you’d be able to cancel your registration on acorn and take a leave of absence, no problem (more info on that here). okay actually, don’t do that right now, just hear me out first…

    the not so good thing is, you’ll probably still be charged for those courses because the “program/course freeze date” for fall and full year courses was on september 21st, and usually you’d be charged for any courses you had enrolled by that date. it might still be possible to ask for a refund, but you’d have to speak with your registrar for the details.

    on the other hand, maybe CR/NCR would be a better option? the deadline for that is december 7th. if there are some courses that you think you can pass, you can add it as CR/NCR on acorn so that it doesn’t affect your gpa. if you’re able to complete these courses and get the credit, this could save you some money and time in the long run so that you won’t have to retake them in the future. but as you may know, you won’t be able to use CR’d courses for program requirements, and you can only choose CR/NCR for maximum 2.0 FCE in your degree, so those are just a few things to keep in mind.

    in any case, i’d definitely recommend talking to your registrar asap to go through all your options, whether it be possible refunds, withdrawals, CR/NCR, whatever, you never know until you ask.

    best of luck,

    aska

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