• courses,  UTSC

    courses for coop

    April 5, 2016

    How do co-op students finish their studies? Do they have to complete a year course in 4 months(study term)? I checked course schedule there?s no specific course for co-op students. I’m from utsc btw.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    because of coop, UTSC doesn’t have any full-year courses (with a very few exceptions, like work term prep courses, independent and research project courses, and capstones; these can either be taken alongside a coop term, or are not required courses). other than the exceptions i listed, all courses are?half-year courses, so you can take any one you want and finish it in four months!

    best,

    aska

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  • grad school

    do you really want to talk to divorcees all your life

    March 31, 2016

    Hey aska! I am a current undergrad student at UTSG who is interested in becoming a family/relationship counsellor. I was wondering what grad school programs uoft offers for this type of career?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    unfortunately uoft doesn’t have a graduate program in family/relationships. to become a certified marriage and family therapist (RMFT), your only option in Ontario is to do an M.Sc. in Couple and Family Therapy at the University of Guelph.

    the next-closest things we have to that at uoft are: OISE’s M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology, OISE’s M.A. in Clinical and Counselling Psychology, and Factor-Inwentash’s M.S.W. (Master of Social Work).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    HP for health studies

    March 31, 2016

    Hi aska I’m interested in the health studies major at UTSG however it says 1.0 FCE in life science is recommended but not required. I have a half course in life sci and was wondering if that’s still okay?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the health studies major (THANK YOU, by the way, for specifying whether you’re interested in the major or the specialist – that makes my job a billion times easier) is a type 2L program. that means that there are a limited number of spots in the program, so meeting the requirements does not guarantee you a spot.

    which means, yes, you could still get in without having met the recommendations. do keep in mind, though, that they are recommended for a reason; completing them will give you a better chance at getting in.

    don’t get me wrong: i would definitely encourage you to apply. you’ve got nothing to lose, and a half credit isn’t the end of the world if you’ve got a strong transcript. however, since it is competitive, it is also a good idea to come up with backups, ideally including some type 1 programs that you know you’ll get into for sure.

    best of luck, and i hope you get in!

    aska

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  • OSAP

    don’t lie to the government

    March 30, 2016

    Hi there,

    I was recently placed on a 4 month academic probation due to my GPA being so low, but i’m in kind of weird dilemma.

    I was “financially cancelled” kind of late, i was already two weeks into the winter semester and was pulled out of my classes without any warning.

    The problem is that i already bought a lot of textbooks and supplies like lab coats and manuals that i can’t return and i don’t have the money to pay it off.

    Since i was pulled out late, osap thought i was still enrolled and sent out my loan but i haven’t received it yet due to some issues with my banking info and the national student loan service.

    My question is will i still receive the loan or will the national student loan service turn around and send it back, i still have to pay off the textbooks that i bought.

    I also plan on returning immediately in the next session which would be summer 2016, if there is anything remaining from the loan after paying off the books i would use it for the next session or pay it back to osap.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    again, this question is super late, sorry, see previous post.

    if they haven’t sent it to you, then it’s likely they won’t send it to you. however, even if they do, it’s a really bad idea to take that money under false pretences. you are required to let OSAP know when there are changes in your course load. if you’ve dropped all your courses but OSAP gives you money thinking you’re full-time, that could have very serious consequences, regardless of your good intentions about what to do with the money.

    i understand that textbooks are expensive and you need some way to pay for them. OSAP is not the way to do so if you are not actually in classes. if you’re in a situation where you need money now but you won’t be in courses until the summer, i’d recommend talking to your registrar’s office about how you could get together some money. you may be able to get an emergency grant, or your advisor might be able to point you to other potential sources of money.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • OSAP

    untangling the broken slinky that is OSAP

    March 29, 2016

    Ok, I need some advice (although I will be going to a financial advisor in a day or so + maybe academic counselling as well) I’ve been full-time in terms of Uoft definition and OSAP definition.However ever since I got a job on the side (which was almost around 20+ hours of work per week) things took a down turn and I ended up dropping courses. Not only was I placed on academic probation from osap BUT now I have been dropped to part-time status on my student account on ROSI/ACORN I know I need to immediately write down a letter to explain myself to osap and my future goals as to how I will improve but what about my part-time status at UofT? Does this mean I need to start paying back OSAP now? Will be eligible for OSAP? Will be able to enrol as full-time next time? I just need advise as I am panicking b/c Its more than job that made me drop those courses. I didn’t like them and dropped them as close to the final day of dropping a course.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so this question is like…three months late. sorry about that. as has been noted, i’m on a bit of a backlog right now and y’all are NOWHERE CLOSE to slowing down with your questions. which is totally cool – it’s just that it’s gonna take me some time to catch up. please stand by.

    i’m sure you’ve gotten the answers you need by this point, but for general interest and the PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER, i’m gonna go ahead and answer this anyway.

    you don’t have to start paying back OSAP right away just because you’re in a part-time course load. you will be required to start paying it back 6 months after the date that you dropped down to part-time. also keep in mind that you will likely be put on OSAP probation, which just means that you’ll need to write the NSLSC a letter explaining why you dropped down to part-time. they’ll be in touch with you with instructions, so just make sure your address online is updated and keep an eye out for any information from them.

    as long as you follow those instructions and start paying back your loan when it’s required of you, you would be eligible to apply for OSAP again once you got back on full-time studies. once you did that, you would no longer be required to pay back your loan – until you graduate/stop your studies. and yes, you would be able to enrol in a full-time course load; neither OSAP nor the university will stop you.

    if you do end up having some time between the end of the 6-month interest-free period and when (if) you return to full-time studies, you would have to pay back the loan every month until you returned to full-time studies.

    OSAP is a finicky beast, so keeping in touch with the financial advisor at your registrar’s office is a great idea. good luck with everything.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • fees

    you gotta pay if you wanna play

    March 29, 2016

    Hey Aska,
    So I’m in a bit of a pickle right now, basically, I wanna do summer school but I still have outstanding fees from Fall/Winter 2015-2016 that I may not be able to pay by the end of April 2016. I just wanna know if it’s possible to take summer school with outstanding fees.
    Also, say, if I’m able to pay off the outstanding fees during summer, I’m considered registered for the Fall/Winter 2016-2017 without incurring any additional fees other than interests right?
    Thank youz!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you don’t pay off your outstanding Fall/Winter fees by May 1st, your student account will be placed on a financial hold. unfortunately, that would prevent you from registering for the summer session and enrolling in courses. if you think you’re going to be in that situation and you still want to take summer courses, i’d recommend talking to your registrar’s office to come up with a plan to pay it off in order to be able to pay for your courses.

    similarly, you would not be able to register for the Fall/Winter 2016-2017 session unless you have paid off all outstanding fees from previous sessions (either the previous Fall/Winter or that Summer).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grades,  partying,  probation

    GPA slave

    March 23, 2016

    Hi Aka,
    Long words in short, I’ve been here in Toronto for so long and never feel too sure academically of myself.Now I’m in my last term of 2nd year, bearing a repeat probation and the feeling of falling down the cliff is comingback again. For this time my midterms are done so poorly that I’m now writing to my registrar’s to see if switchingto part time is a wise option. But I feel like I’ve been delaying so long that I nearly lost all my acquaintances and evenmy roommate is going away to do a super fancy internship in California. My discipline is also a limited one, I also haven’tseen the possibility of switching to another major, feeling my graduation is just further that way. Is there really a way torisk and get a good-looking final mark even though my midterms are really fucked up?
    Slave of GPA

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    we’re in crunch time now. exams are about to smack everyone in the face, much sooner than anyone expects, i’m sure. if i were you, my immediate strategy would be to focus on passing my classes and getting above that 1.50 CGPA that you need to get off probation.

    cancrushed

    crunch time at uoft.

    that means you need to: put everything else aside (except food and sleep) and focus on studying. go to review sessions if they’re available. read the textbook(s). do practice questions. whatever you need to do. if you need to LWD a course/courses, start planning for that now – touch base with your registrar’s office, maybe set up an appointment with them, etc.

    after that’s out of the way and you have a little bit of time to breathe, then you can start thinking about your long-term plans. maybe you need to re-evaluate whether university is really for you. maybe part-time courses are, in fact, the best option for you; talking to your registrar’s office about that is a wonderful step in the right direction. if you’re feeling that you don’t like your current program and you don’t really like any of the other programs uoft has to offer, though, then maybe uoft isn’t for you.

    maybe that’s a signal to start looking into other universities, colleges, or jobs. what career paths are you excited about? or, if you find you can’t bring yourself to feel excited about anything in particular, is there some path that is presenting itself to you right now, that you could be qualified for?

    or, if you’re really set on staying at school, then it’s a good idea to come up with some concrete steps to improve your performance in class. commit to seeking extra help, either from a private tutor, TA/prof office hours, the academic success centre, the writing centre at your college…there are lots and lots of options, depending on what you need. your registrar’s office is a great place to discuss those options and see where you can get the help you need to succeed.

    finally, just a note: you say you feel like you’re delaying and therefore losing friends, opportunities, etc. i don’t mean to say that the situation you’re in isn’t an unpleasant one, or that you don’t need to figure out your academic situation. however, i do just want to give you a gentle reminder that just because you’re going through a tough time, doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. as long as you end up where you want to be, then it doesn’t matter how long you take to get there. focus on you. you’ll get there.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • Transferring

    a stitch in admish

    March 22, 2016

    hi there, i’m currently a first year student at a different university looking to transfer to uoft. i know that they look at my high school marks (which are really good) and also my current gpa – however, i did really bad this year and i’m currently in the process of petitioning my marks off my transcript. what are my chances of getting accepted if i write a letter explaining my situation?

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

    hey there,

    it all depends. if you had a rough year for a particular reason and you can explain in a letter what exactly happened that affected your marks, then yeah, they may consider admitting you. having a good high school transcript helps bolster the idea that you can do well, you’ve just had a hiccup along the way.

    that being said, uoft does require a GPA of at least a B in order to consider you. the further you fall below that, the less likely your chances of being accepted. that being said, “really bad” is not a term i can quantify, so i can’t say exactly how good a chance you stand, but you can make the assessment yourself based on the ‘B’ baseline.

    and finally – i’ll keep repeating this ad infinitum, or as long as people keep asking these kinds of questions, whichever comes first – please keep in mind that admissions is unpredictable beyond certain generalizations. also, i have no control over it, so i will not always be right. if you want to apply, you should apply. yes, it costs a little, but i would argue that the chance to get in is worth it. without getting too grossly starry-eyed about a large, for-profit institution, the experience is worth it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • colleges,  scholarships/bursaries

    i need scholarships now

    March 18, 2016

    Hi,
    I was wondering if its possible to change colleges (after acceptance from U of T but before accepting their offer) to a college that offers better scholarships. I had a 91% at time of application, and U of T was the only school that did not offer me a scholarship. I don’t mean to sound desperate but I really need any financial assistance I can get. Will I still be eligible for an entrance scholarship from a college if I switch now?
    If you publish this question PLEASE keep all of my personal information private.
    Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    where do y’all see me publishing your personal information? when, in 16 years of operation, has aska published so much as a name? ok, maybe we have like, once or twice, but that was back in the stone ages where no one really understood the internet. point is, i will never post your name or any other personal information on this website – other than your deepest darkest stories/questions, of course.

    it will depend on the college, but i have a feeling that if you request a switch at this point, it will not come with a scholarship from that college. the logic will likely be that you received an offer from one college, and now you are transferring to another one – transferring, not entering. ergo, no entrance scholarships. also, there is not a massive difference between the scholarships offered between different colleges.

    as always, there is nothing stopping you from calling the registrar’s office of your preferred college and inquiring, but i would say that receiving another scholarship offer is probably doubtful. still, nothing’s stopping you from calling and asking.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • CR/NCR

    oh wait i’m actually doing well!

    March 18, 2016

    I had one of my courses on CR/NCR because a chunk of my mark was not posted (including the mid-term) before the March 13th drop deadline. The instructor only posted an assignment worth 10% & wasn’t sure I’d do well in the course as the mid-term worth 25% (written on March 7th) was not posted by the deadline. It was eventually posted on march 15h, and I did alright, will I be able to have them switch it over to a general credit with a final mark?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    since the deadline has now passed to make changes to a course’s credit/no-credit status, you wouldn’t be able to switch it back yourself on ACORN. you’re now at the mercy of your college/divisional registrar’s office to make a special exception and reverse the credit/no-credit for you.

    best thing you can do is contact your registrar’s office and book an appointment, and present them with a compelling argument about why they should make an exception for you. they may be able to or they may be forced by university policy to say no, but ultimately they are the people making the call, not me.

    best of luck!

    aska

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  • financial aid

    grantz

    March 17, 2016

    Helloooooo, I was just wondering if you knew how long it would take to receive a grant after the application has been accepted. Cheers!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    grants are administered by colleges, and there’s no university-wide policy regulating how they’re distributed – at least that i’m aware of. SO it really all depends on your college/divisional registrar’s office and how quickly they can get it to you. i’d recommend directing your questions to them.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  grad school

    the lesser of two evils

    March 16, 2016

    hey aska!

    straight up – I took up a 6th course this semester as compensation for only taking 4 courses last term. Said 6th course is really hurting my gpa right now (got a 55/100 on the first test that’s worth 25%). So I’m thinking of either cr/ncr-ing or dropping it. I’m conflicted because

    1) I heard cr/ncr looks bad on paper for grad school and

    2) dropping it would mean only completing 4.5 FCEs this year which also hurts my grad school chances since it’s not a full course load. (ps. I had 2 transfer credits from high school, so I’m not worrying about graduating a semester late.)

    So, between cr/ncr and dropping, which is the lesser of two of two evils?

    much appreciate

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    1. it really depends. if it’s not a course affiliated with your program or the program you’re hoping to go to grad school for, CR/NCR’ing it is’not the end of the world. also, one CR/NCR in a transcript otherwise full of good marks is not going to destroy your chances. however, it all depends on the school/program you’re applying to -how competitive they are may affect their policy on CR/NCR.
    2. again, double-check whether having a full course load is relevant to the program you’re interested in. as far as i know, the only cases in which a full course load is a really big deal are medical school, pharmacy school, nursing school, and possibly similar professional programs in the field of medicine. usually, graduate (as opposed to professional) programs aren’t too concerned about the difference between 4.5 and 5.0 credits in a year.

    the drop deadline has passed now, which is too bad, but at the end of the day, neither credit/no-credit nor a less-than-full course load will completely destroy your chances at getting into graduate school. if one of those options will make you breathe easier, let you focus on your other courses, or otherwise positively impact the rest of your transcript, then that’s the one you should go with. however, both options are valid, as far as i’m concerned.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • admissions

    second chances

    March 16, 2016

    hi aska,
    today i received a refused admission to my first choice and got an alternate offer. i was wondering if i can still send in my midterm transcript to still be considered or is this a straight up rejection for my?first choice. keep in mind that i only sent in my interim marks before the deadline because i’m from BC. im sad but not really..thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m assuming you mean you were rejected from your first choice of program and received an offer to another program. since i don’t know what your first choice was, what the alternative is, and what campus you’ve applied to, i really can’t help you out that much.

    generally speaking, offers of admission are final. however, there’s no law against calling an office and asking a question, so if you really want to, you can ask whether there would be any value in sending in your midterm transcript marks. if you’ve applied to the downtown campus, a great place to pose this question would be enrolment services.

    cheers,

    aska

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