• suspension

    some tough medicine

    October 15, 2015

    Hi there,

    This past week, my life took a turn for the worst. I came back from a 1 year suspension, and really studied hard, and looked to get things back on track, finishing a whole academic year with good grades, and not being kicked out (being that I am already on academic probation). In the following summer term, I took a politics class, and was later caught for plagiarism. I had a meeting with the Academic Integrity Office, regarding an essay I wrote for the politics class. In the end, the decision was made that I was to receive a 0 on the essay, and a further reduction of 25% from my final grade. This decision, dropped my final grade significantly. I was unable to meet the 1.7 SGPA at utsg, and was effectively put on a 3 year suspension.
    I am at a loss for words, and I am constantly running circles at UofT, trying to get someone to help me in my situation.
    I spoke to my registrar, which told me to either petition, or to simply find another school.
    My registrar also said that the success rate of petition regarding suspension/plagiarism is not so great.
    My question for you is, what does someone in my position need to do in order to get the suspension lifted, so I can resume my education?
    I am looking for any and all options, and in the mean time I am looking into petition to the Vice Provost in regards to the suspension.
    Looking forward to hearing from you, and I hope there is a chance that you can guide me in the right direction and get this whole situation sorted out.
    Thanks in advance!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    firstly, i’m so sorry that you’re in this situation. i understand how difficult it is to go through something like this with OSAI.

    however, i can’t give you any more or better advice than what you’ve already received from your registrar’s office. if they are advising you against filing a petition, then it’s probably with good reason. they anticipate that it won’t go through, and they don’t want you to waste your time.

    i don’t know the context under which they told you to look for another school, but as far as i know, you’re not allowed to study at another university while on suspension. i mean, obviously no one’s gonna stop you, but if you try to transfer those credits over to your uoft degree after your suspension ends, you won’t be able to.

    i would try and open your ears a little to what the registrar’s office is telling you. if you’re not jiving with the advisor you’ve been speaking with, maybe you can try speaking with someone else.

    however, they have the experience to know how this is likely going to play out, and the wisest thing for you to do at this point is to listen to them. if you’d like to read up a bit more to understand where they’re coming from, i’d recommend this page from the faculty of arts & science.

    have a candid conversation with your advisor about what it is you want. if you’re not sure what you want, try and figure it out together with them. try and come up with things you can do outside of school for these three years that will better prepare you for your return from school. maybe you can get some work experience related to your degree, pursue a college certificate, travel, or earn some money to pay for school.

    if you’re really adamant about the petition, then you certainly shouldn’t go it alone. you’ll need the help of your registrar’s office to increase your odds of writing a persuasive, successful petition.

    either way, staying in contact is paramount.

    i know this may not be exactly what you wanted to hear, but i think it’s important that you do hear it. don’t tune out your registrar’s office. stay with them. listen to them. and listen to yourself, and be honest with yourself.

    best of luck,

    aska

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  • grad school

    shoot for the stars

    October 14, 2015

    Hi! Do you have any info on where to find program prerequisites for grad school for astronomy and atrophysics? And also, on whether it is possible to get in with just an major as opposed to a specialist in the subject? Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    according to the department of astronomy and astrophysics at the university of toronto, “[s]ince many universities do not offer extensive undergraduate training in astronomy and astrophysics, preparation in physics and mathematics is considered an acceptable background. It is up to the Admissions Committee to determine whether an applicant meets the admission requirements or not.”

    they then go on to say: “In terms of prerequisite courses to our graduate program, our advice is to make sure you have a significant number of upper year physics courses, including at the minimum E&M (Electricity and Magnetism) and quantum mechanics.”

    obviously, a specialist is going to give you more upper year physics courses, but it is not absolutely required. since terminology, parameters of programs and the availability of programs at different universities differs so greatly, grad schools are rarely able to put such narrow limitations on their application requirements.

    what i’m saying is: it doesn’t make much sense to say that a specialist is required to be considered for the program if your university doesn’t even have specialists.

    take a look at the rest of the requirements here (requirements for entrance into the M.Sc. are the same as entrance into the direct entry-Ph.D.) and see how you measure up. if it looks like you’re meeting a lot of them, then the difference between a major and a specialist certainly should not discourage you from applying.

    you may also want to speak with the department itself. they’re the ones who actually look at the applications, and will probably be able to give you more insider info than i can.

    best of luck!

    aska

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  • dropping courses

    i could sneeze out a 10% paper

    October 9, 2015

    I remember reading that a certain % of the grade must be returned before the add/drop deadline… I can’t find it now, what is this %? Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    incredibly, they only have to return 10% worth of graded material before the drop deadline. here’s the red tape on it: “Instructors shall return by the deadline one or more marked assignments worth a combined total of at least 10% of the total course mark for H courses and 20% for Y courses.”

    doesn’t seem like a lot to me. i could fluke my way through a couple of quizzes and get a decent mark out of 10%. doesn’t mean i’m gonna do so good on the 50% research paper.

    oh well. such is uoft.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grad school,  subject POST

    down to the wire

    October 9, 2015

    Hello Aska,

    I intend to graduate at the end of the academic term, but I want to change my subject post to something that helps me meet degree requirements. The thing is that I can no longer add a subject post on ACORN/Rosi. The next open enrolment date is on April 1, 2016. Will I be able to graduate on time for summer 2016? In other words, can I have the subject post added even though its been 3 days past the last day to add a subject post that meets the 2015 program requirements?

    On another note, throughout my undergraduate years, I haven’t really come to know any profs really well, nor have they gotten to know me. Since I plan on graduating and look to apply to graduate schools, how can I get a reference letter from someone? I know it depends on profs, but is there a rule or protocol where I can get a reference letter?

    Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    subject POSt stuff

    if you are graduating in June, any subject POSt changes want to make after the last day to add/change subject POSts have to be through your college registrar’s office. even if you were to wait with April, it’d be no dice. after making a graduation request, your POSts are pretty much frozen.

    also, it just makes good sense to talk with your registrar about any changes so close to graduation. they can make sure that you actually meet the requirements for the POSt, so you’re still able to graduate.

    as long as you’ve actually completed the requirements for the POSt you’d like to add, your college registrar may be able to add you to the POSt.

    HOWEVER, there may be complications in terms of the requirements in the year you’re adding the POSt (versus 2015-2016, or even the year you entered uoft), and it may not be possible to add the POSt so late. so definitely talk with your college registrar about it as soon as you get the chance.

    reference letter stuff

    i do appreciate how tricky this is. asking for reference letters is probably on my top ten list of things i hate doing. however, if you want to get to graduate school, it’s something you have to do.

    that means that you’ll just have to pick the professors who you think you’ve been closest with. you may not be best friends with any of them, but as long as you did pretty well in their class, you prepare a really strong package (sample work, explanation of what you need from them, deadlines, etc.) to allow them to write a reference letter for you, and – ideally – they remember who you are.

    then just dive in and ask them. some conversations may be more comfortable than others, but at the end of the day, professors who teach third and fourth year courses KNOW people will want reference letters from them. they expect it. and they do do it. so don’t be so afraid. still respect their time and and don’t expect a ‘yes’ as given, but don’t be AFRAID.

    finally, consider attending an info session offered by the school or department you’re interested in. there are a whole bunch of them here, but if the program or school you’re interested in is not listed, you can always contact them and ask if they will be having some kind of event. they will rarely have absolutely nothing in the way of recruitment.

    best of luck with it all!

    cheers,

    aska

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  • course conflicts,  subject POST

    you’re gonna skip class so much even without course conflicts

    October 9, 2015

    Hi aska,

    I am a first year undergraduate here at UTSG, and planning to major in immunology/microbiology. Since I got AP transfer credits, i’m currently enrolled in BIO230 for fall, and IMM250, BIO220, and MGY200 for winter. I’m just wondering that if ACORN (or, who or what ever would do this) hasn’t kick me out of the course by now, it means that I am eligible to take those 2nd-yr courses right?

    Also, I really want to get into biomedical communication program, but that’s in UTM. Is there any way I can take HSC courses without internal transfer? Like summer school or? idk, anything else? I know there’s HMB304 and HMB404 in UTSG, but it is getting me nervous that the course isn’t offered this year.

    Last question: is it a good idea to skip one MAT136 lecture a week in order to go to MGY200? I just don’t want to drop professor Lam’s class? Well, I took AP calculus but I’m still not sure will it become like super hard in 136.

    Sorry for asking so much questions. Btw your website is awesome!! Thanks for helping us out all the time.

    All the best,

    A Freezing-Cold First-Year Student

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the official party line is that you can be removed from courses AT ANY TIME. and certainly, there are some departments (i won’t name them specifically) that only removed people from courses this week. so. you do want to be absolutely certain that you meet all the requirements for taking the course.

    just in case, here are those requirements for the courses you listed:

    BIO230Y1: you need to have taken (or have transfer credits for) BIO130 and CHM138+9/151 to be eligible for this course.

    IMM250: they won’t kick you out of this course if you don’t have BIO120 or 130, but they do recommend you take them (or, again, have transfer credit).

    BIO220: BIO120H1 (or equivalent transfer credit) is a prerequisite.

    MGY200: BIO130H1 and BIO230H1 (or equivalent transfer credits) are both prerequisites.

    you’re free to take HSC courses at UTM, either during summer or fall/winter, as long as you meet the prerequisites for those courses. you can’t add a subject POSt offered at UTM without transferring, so the biomedical communications POSt is out of the question unless you want to transfer.

    you can find prerequisites for HSC courses here and figure out if you have the appropriate transfer credits here. you can also use transfer explorer to see if there are equivalent courses on the downtown campus, so you don’t have to go to UTM.

    it is definitely not a good idea to skip a course on a regular basis that you will ALMOST CERTAINLY need for a subject POSt. like, MAYBE you’ll manage to pass both courses, but wouldn’t you rather actually do well in just one of them?

    at the end of the day, it’s up to you, but skipping class on a regular basis is never something i would advise – no matter how smart you are. you’ll be tempted enough to skip anyway.

    finally: you’re cold already? wait ’til we hit november, amigo. i’m still walking around in t-shirts.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. glad you like the site. sometimes the constant weight of cliched, 20-year-old existential angst i feel about my impact on the world is momentarily alleviated by those comments. so. thx.

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  • americans,  GPA

    international education is a nightmare

    October 8, 2015

    Hi aska, I’m not sure who to ask this so I’ll ask you: do American grad schools weigh uoft undergrad GPAs differently because the grading scale is different in Canada vs. the U.S.? Because my GPA would be significantly lower at a U.S. uni where an 80 is a B-, not an A-, for instance. If you don’t know, who do you recommend I ask? Registrars haven’t been able to tell me (shocking) but a number of my professors did undergrad at uoft and went to American grad schools so I’m thinking of asking them.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, have you been asking the registrar’s office at uoft, or at the schools you’re interested in? because ~ shocker ~ uoft is only going to be an expert about the rules at uoft.

    at the end of the day, it’s going to depend on the school you’re interested in. not all american schools are the same. to be honest, the situation with higher education is a bit of a nightmare in North America in terms of consistency. then you go over the pond and it’s like a foreign freaking language. like, what the heck is a first? what’s 2:1?? don’t even get me started.

    ANYWAY. if you do a bit of calling around to?the schools you’re thinking about, you may be able to track down someone (probably in admissions) who?may have a more concrete answer.

    or you may have to do a bit of the grunt work yourself. you’ll have to figure out what kind of GPA scale the schools you’re interested in use, and then translate your GPA on a 4.0 scale (which is what we have) to that scale.

    for example, if they are on a 4.33 scale, you can use this handy chart to figure out where your percent grades would put you on that scale. here are some other ones. there are many more like it on the internet. have a look around.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • computers,  food,  library,  studying

    nom nom nom

    October 7, 2015

    Are there places on campus where I can plug in my laptop and also eat my lunch? I don’t wanna get caught being sneaky in the libraries!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    fun fact: Kelly Library is the only library on campus where you’re allowed to eat, so if you find yourself on the east side of campus, you could go there! there are also outlets available by study tables- though there’s sometimes a bit of a battle for them around midterm time.

    there are also barstool-type things at Robarts that have outlets on the counter. you can grab food from the food court, park yourself on one of those high chairs, and you’re all set for food and power.

    the Bahen Centre has a similar setup, with a row of stools and a counter that has outlets. you can grab food from The Cube and sit there until your next linear algebra class or whatever.

    finally, the Exchange in the Rotman building has outlets, tables and food – the holy trifecta.

    happy eating and interneting!

    aska

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  • tutorials

    my TA looks vaguely like kevin bacon and it’s throwing me off

    October 7, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    if I want to change a tutorial section, do I need to get permission from the lecture prof first?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    so many people not happy with their tutorial sections! what’s the deal? does your TA remind you too much of some actor and you just can’t place him, so you can’t focus in the class? (no, that TOTALLY didn’t happen to me. what are you talking about.)

    talk to your TA about it first – depending on how many TAs there are, it may be up to the head TA or your to coordinate. either way, your TA will know for sure, and will likely be able to coordinate a switch.

    you may have to get it switched officially on the SWS at your registrar’s office, but that depends on how your tutorials for that class are administered. talk to the TA first and then go from there.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • alcohol,  extracurricular,  friends

    you’ve got a friend in me

    October 2, 2015

    Hi there,

    I am going to be coming to Toronto uni as an exchange student from London and I am extremely worried about making friends. This is because I am coming as a second year student and in the second semester, so I’m worried that everyone in my class will have already made their friends and not want any more…

    I will also likely not get residence as I am not guaranteed it as an exchange student and as Toronto is such a big uni I’m afraid it’ll be rather impersonal.

    The possibility of me not being able to make friends and have a social life is making me think again about whether I want to go, because although its a great opportunity I don’t want to be miserable while I’m there!

    I want to join clubs but will it be too late by the time its second semester? Also do you have any advice on what the drinking culture is like in Toronto?

    Any advice would be fantastic [?]

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m gonna start from the bottom up in this post.

    incidentally, “bottoms up!” is something you’ll hear a lot in London (haha great segue, aska); not so much in Toronto.

    i would say that the drinking culture is definitely not as strongly ingrained in Toronto as it is in London. there tends to be more of a clubbing culture, as well as a “hanging out” culture. the closest thing you’ll find to the pub/lad culture of London is the first-year residence hall, but again, you likely won’t be living there.

    that said, people do still go out. we are in our twenties, after all. it’s not quite the same, though, and that might be a bit of an adjustment for you. i’m sure it’ll be an interesting story you can regale your U.K. friends with, though.

    it ABSOLUTELY will NOT be too late to join clubs in the winter term. a lot of clubs accept members throughout the year, and many will get a wave of new members in the second semester. they may have a new season/repertoire/project/goal, which will make the transition more seamless.

    some clubs only get started later on in the year. some clubs completely start over each new term. as long as you search for clubs that are interesting, you will find something (and maybe even a few somethings)!

    not all classes are yearlong classes, which means that there will be brand new people in brand new classes in the winter term. these are an especially great opportunity to connect with people.

    finally, whatever college you’re with (it’ll likely be woodsworth, since exchange students are usually automatically assigned to woodsworth) will have its own social circles, hangout spaces and social events. hang out in those spaces, go to those events, and you’ll be sure to meet lots of people!

    those are about all the tips i have. i hope you don’t pass up on this opportunity. uoft is a really unique community full of friendly people, and you’re bound to have a wonderful time!

    best,

    aska

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  • friends

    MIA roommate

    October 2, 2015

    I’m in first year and I’m finding it difficult to make friends. I have a roommate but their best friend from high school also attends u of t so i dont see her that much. I’ve joined some clubs but i’m not sure whats the best way to meet people on campus? Any advice?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    sometimes, roommate-hood is like a slow burn. remember that scene like halfway through the philosopher’s stone where harry, ron and hermione battle the troll, and then they become really good friends after because, well, how could you not after battling a troll?

    that may happen to you. it was only about december when my first-year roommate and i became better friends. you never know.

    however, that may not happen. let’s say your roommate is MIA for the whole year. what do you do then?

    joining a club is a great idea. some tips about clubs: try to go consistently. when people see you on a regular basis, they’ll be more comfortable talking to you. that goes the other way around, too. you’ll feel more confident approaching people you see regularly.

    if you live on residence, absolutely talk to other people on your floor! attend floor events, or events organized by your college’s residence council.

    if you’re shy, maybe start by talking with your don. express your concern to them. they can keep you in the loop about events and make you feel a bit more comfortable, or even give you a more active role in organizing/helping out, so you don’t feel so awkward. they’re also just there if you want a bit of a chat and don’t feel comfortable talking with anyone else.

    i know reaching out is hard in a new place, where every face is a new face. however, all you have to do is reach out to one person.

    any one of these options is a potential avenue for friendship. all you have to do is start walking down one of them, and see where it takes you!

    good luck,

    aska

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  • courses,  OSAP

    JUST DO WHAT U WANT, MAN

    October 2, 2015

    Hey!

    So, I’m a first year life-sci student at UTSG, and I initially took seven 0.5 credit courses for this year, giving me 3.5 total credits. This is because I got a 1.0 transfer credit from IB for English (which means I’m done BRs!!), and I thought doing a half-credit course in the summer would be ok. Then I called the registrar’s office and they said that it is recommended that I take 5.0 FCE’s. So I added another course, but I really wasn’t interested enough in it. So I asked an upper year friend and he said it was perfectly ok to take less than 5.0 FCE’s. So I dropped that course. Later, while I was browsing through your website, I saw that anyone who takes less than 4.0 FCE’s is still considered a first-year and it could affect my OSAP funding. And now I’m freaking out. So is it ok to take 3.5 FCE’s? I was really looking forward to the smaller course load to ease into my first year (if you can’t already tell, I suck at dealing with stress). Please help a super anxious and stressed naive first year! :'(

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you are absolutely allowed to take 3.5 FCEs. 5.0 is only “recommended” because it will allow you to complete your degree in four years, without having to take courses in the summer.

    for some people, that is ideal. certainly, it is considered the standard course load by the university, and some professional schools prefer (or even require, in the case of medical school) that you complete what’s called a full-course load, i.e. 5.0 FCEs per year.

    another important thing that may have been motivating the recommendation from your registrar’s office is the fact that 3.5 FCEs is the lowest number of credits you can be taking while still being under fixed program fees.

    if you were to have dropped to 3.0, you could’ve been under part-time per course fees. if you’re going to be full-time, 5.0 FCEs is the best bang for your buck, because it’s exactly the same price at 3.5 FCEs, but you get more credits out of it.

    finally, you can always take 5.0 credits, see how it goes, and then, if you feel overwhelmed, drop some before the deadline to drop a course without academic penalty.

    so yes, there are pros to taking 5.0 – at least to begin with – financially, and academically.

    HOWEVER. that absolutely does not mean that you should feel pressured to take on five courses per term if you feel unprepared to do that. if you think you will do better by taking 4.0 credits, 3.5 credits, or going part-time (3.0 FCEs or fewer), then that’s what you should do.

    obviously, keep in mind that you may have to take courses in the summer, or take an extra year to complete your degree, if you choose to do this. every choice you make will have certain consequences. that does not mean, though, that certain choices are bad.

    regarding OSAP: as long as your course load is at least 60% of what OSAP calls a full course load (which is 5.0 FCEs in the fall/winter at uoft), then you’re still eligible for full-term. 60% at uoft would be – get your math caps on – 3.0 FCEs in the fall/winter.

    you may want to follow up with your registrar’s office to have a more in-depth chat about your situation. keep in mind that you can no longer add F and Y courses, but you can add S courses until January, if you want to up your course load at the end of the fall term.

    these are your choices. it’s important to research and consider all your options, but at the end of the day, the best choice is the one that will make you the happiest and most successful.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • subject POST

    POSts, POSts, POSts, POSts, POStPOSts!

    October 2, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    I was wondering what my chances would be if I petitioned the university to do a triple major of Computer Science, Math, and Statistics. Apparently it has been done before:https://www.reddit.com/r/UofT/comments/2nozph/triple_major/

    I would be able to complete it within the 20.0 credits in order to graduate. I would also only have 6.5 credits overlapping between the three of them, which I will have enough to have 12.0 distinct credits between the three. I will be taking all the same courses regardless, but if all the courses I take satisfy the requirement for a triple major shouldn’t I try to petition for it?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    to be honest, i’ve never personally heard of someone petitioning for three majors successfully, and i don’t entirely trust that reddit thread. seems like a lot of second-hand information. i mean, kudos for doing your research, and hey, i guess it COULD happen, but it usually doesn’t.

    that being said, you can petition it if you want to. it won’t cost you anything, and it’s allowed.

    however, i would urge you to think about why you want three majors. what will having three majors – as opposed to a double major and one minor – really accomplish that the latter combination couldn’t?

    this is something that your registrar’s office (who you’ll have to talk with if you want to submit a petition) will ask you, so i recommend you think long and well about it.

    tl;dr: you can do it. but you may not be successful.

    cheers,

    aska

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