• dean's list

    we all need a little pick-me-up

    October 28, 2015

    Hellooo aska,

    I was wondering if you knew when the university sends out those Dean’s List certificate things? My GPA is higher now than when I’ve gotten it before, and I think it used to be sent earlier in October (for those of us who earned our 5th, 10th, etc. credit over the summer). I’d appreciate that piece of paper right about now (for the sake of my present level of self-esteem). Thanks for your help.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i understand the need for motivation. with at least one paper due a week ’til pretty much the end of term, i’m considering opening a boutique fortune-telling shop on College instead of finishing the semester. there’s this really perfect 24/7 neon sign at a second-hand shop i’ve been eyeing that would be just perfect.

    unfortunately, the dean’s list certificates are only sent out once a year, in July. that means that you’ll have to wait ’til the summer to get yours.

    until then, i’d recommend brownies-in-a-mug and reruns of Parks & Rec to keep your spirits up until the end of term. also, those stellar marks are available on your transcript – just open ACORN and gaze at yours for a pick-me-up if you really need it.

    best of luck,

    aska

    Read More
  • UTAPS

    and still there never seems to be/a single penny left for me/that’s too baa-ad!

    October 28, 2015

    Hey there!

    So I recently got my UTAPS funding and ended up with about $2000. What’s weird is a couple of my friends say they got just over $7000. Now the only difference between our OSAP information is I reported an income of $5000 in the summer. I know these grants are not suppose to be at a 1 to 1 ratio (right?) but it clearly looks like it is. Kind of feels like I worked for free in the summer and I was just wondering if there is anything I can do about this situation.

    Thanks in advance!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    listen, a $5000 income in the summer is going to have an effect on your funding. i don’t know exactly how financial aid is calculated because it depends on a lot of factors, none of which i have access to or know about you.

    what i would do is go to enrolment services and ask if you could sit down with someone and talk about why you got the funding you did. another option would be your college registrar – there, you can inquire about bursaries or grants that may be available at the college level to top you up.

    these options may both end in, “sorry, you’re not getting another cent,” BUT it’s always worth asking. after all, i would never have found out that cats and dogs didn’t pee out of their tails without asking about it. (i was in elementary school when i made this particular discovery, by the way – i haven’t been walking around in my twenties without a working knowledge of animal tails. heaven forbid.)

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • Transferring

    as long as none of your questions are “which college is the best college,” you’re ok

    October 23, 2015

    Hi Aska,

    I’m a student at another Ontario university right now, and I’m interested?in transferring into UTSG to do a double major in comp sci and cog sci. I?have a few questions to ask:
    1. Would I be able to transfer into these programs right away if I finish?all the courses by the summer? (I need to take CSC148 in the summer) Or?would I need to apply for Arts and Sci first and remain there for a year,?and then apply next year?
    2. Is the transfer explorer accurate (ie does it guarantee that the courses?listed as transferable will be transferred over?)?
    3. The site says summer courses are around $1000/course (not the exact?number). does this mean a course with 0.5 credit or 1.0 credit?
    4. Would I be able to transfer over courses that are unrelated to my?degree, but may fill the breadth and depth (something like that)?requirements?
    5. Is it not recommended to do 2 majors? I’m thinking that most people do 1?specialist and a minor, so I’m wondering if I could apply for graduate?school or jos with just 2 majors.

    Sorry for asking too many questions, but I’m quite confused by all this,?haha. Also, I really like your blog, it’s very helpful!

    Thank you!

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

    hey there,

    1. both options are possible. if your credits transfer over and you have all the requirements necessary to enter both majors, then you could be admitted into them. alternatively, you may be admitted into just one, or as a general, program-less, first-year student.
    2. it’s not a guarantee (“Student Transfer Explorer does not automatically guarantee the transfer of credit for courses taken at other institutions“), but it’s typically pretty accurate.
    3. this past summer, it was just over $600 for 0.5 credits, and about $1200 for 1.0 credits for a regular, Arts & Science course, though it creeps up a little every summer. which is JUST LOVELY.
    4. yep! you can transfer over up to 10.0 FCEs, and if they have some kind of equivalent at uoft, they will transfer, regardless of whether they go towards any particular subject POSt. they may transfer?as a specific credit – for example, your first year calculus course may transfer over exactly at MAT135+MAT136 – or it may be unspecified – for example, MAT1**Y1, which means you would be getting?a 100-level, unspecified math credit. if you have more questions about the intricacies of transfer credits, i’d highly recommend this PDF, which has been a lifesaver for me.
    5. actually, 1 specialist and 1 minor – while allowed and possible – is an irregular combination. the three standard subject POSt combinations that can get you an undergraduate degree is 1 specialist, 2 majors, or 1 major and 2 minors.

    not at all! they were all pretty easy questions, actually. good on ya.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • graduation

    you just gotta drop the ‘H’

    October 23, 2015

    hi aska,
    I am hoping to graduate this year, but my cgpa is below 1.85. i am wondering if its possible to graduate with gpa lower than 1.85? or do i need to take more classes just to pull up my cgpa? thank you.

    ———————————————

    hi there,

    yes, it is possible! you will just be graduating with either a B.A. or a B.Sc., instead of an H.B.A. or H.B.Sc. make you sure you go to your college registrar’s office to fill out a form requesting that you graduate without the honours, and then you’re done.

    if you do want that ‘honours’ designation, you can definitely stay an extra semester or two, and take more classes to try and get over that 1.85 benchmark. it’s up to you.

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • english,  other schools (boo!)

    do you love literature or do you want a job

    October 23, 2015

    I wish to pursue an English degree (Bachelor of the Arts) at U of T. Any advice regarding my specific field of study? Also, I am debating U of T with Carleton, amongst others. Any suggestions?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i can’t really compare uoft with carleton, because i’ve never even been there, let alone taken any classes there, so it would be unfair of me to try and compare it to uoft, which i know so well.

    what i can do is tell you about uoft and its english program. then, hopefully, you can find some pretentious, narcissistic shmuck at carleton who’s the equivalent of me and can tell you about their school for probably longer than anybody cares to read.

    the english department at uoft is world-class. there’s no question about that. if you want to one day become a professor of english, you can’t do better in canada than an undergrad at uoft. we have world-class academics as professors, and a wide variety of interesting, relevant courses.

    however, our english program is very traditional. you’re not going to get a digital/communications angle, a journalism angle, an editing/publishing angle, or a business angle to your english degree here. it is very specifically a degree in english literature: shakespeare. pope. faulkner. chaucer. other white guys who’d probably insult you at a dinner table.

    that being said, uoft is very flexible in terms of programs of study. you can pair your english major with a book & media studies major, with a writing and rhetoric minor, with semiotics and communication studies, and so, so much more. or you can just stick on the straight english route and get a very thorough – if traditional – education.

    everything you’ve heard about uoft being a big university in an even bigger city is true. yes, it’s possible to get kind of swallowed up by this place. however, it’s not inevitable. if you put in even the minimum amount of effort into connecting with your college or faculty community, you will be richly rewarded.

    i don’t think uoft – and especially uoft english – is for everyone. however, i think that if you come here knowing what you’ve signed up for, you will absolutely love it.

    also, toronto has so many literary-themed cafes, and it’s super cute to read your s’phisticated school novels in them and imagine someone will sit down across from you and begin a whirlwind romance by asking you about it.

    come on. i know you think about that too.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • library

    “research” a.k.a. falling asleep in library carrels

    October 22, 2015

    Hi aska, this may be a dumb question but I used the uoft libraries website to find some books I need to use for research…how exactly do I sign them out at robarts/kelly etc

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not a dumb question at all. so you found the books online. the listing will tell you if and where it’s available. once you’ve got that information, take down the call number, go to the correct library, and sign the book out using your TCard. your TCard acts like a library card at all uoft libraries.

    some books are only available on course reserve or as in-library reference materials, so you won’t be able to take those out. however, that’s typically not the case, and you can just sign out whatever you like no problem.

    hopefully that answered your question!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • architecture,  GPA

    daniels secrets

    October 22, 2015

    Hey there! I have a Daniels faculty question. At the end of 1st year I decided that I’m really going to try and transfer to the Daniels faculty for a double major in architecture and visual studies. So I must wait until this January (halfway through my 2nd year as an artsci student) to apply to the programs. I’ve tried asking Daniels faculty staff what the chances are of getting in according to my CGPA, no answers. Do you have any idea what my CGPA should look like?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    firstly, i’m sorry for making you wait so long for this answer. the only reason i made you wait was because i was looking for an answer and couldn’t find it, and i kept putting it off because i thought the answer would turn up. turns out i was wrong.

    this information is not published anywhere that i can find, and if daniels won’t tell you, that’s probably because they don’t want you to know.

    moreover, the fact that you also have to complete a written application complicates things, because it means that GPA is not the only factor considered in your application. an exceptionally strong or weak one idea essay will affect your chances as well.

    all i can recommend is that you do the best you can and try to put the competition out of your mind.

    sorry about that.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • polisci

    look, ma, i’m in the papers!

    October 21, 2015

    I want to get one of my papers (political science) published – can you help me figure out the process and where/who do I send it in to?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    good for you! i’m glad that you have enough smart things to say that you are considering publishing them. i barely have enough interesting thoughts to rub two sentences together. (and yes, i realize that i say that as someone who writes stuff on this website on a regular basis, but hey, i fully realize how obnoxious i am, and that’s gotta count for something.)

    anyway. you can get your paper published anywhere, really. depends on how high you want to aim. you want to submit to the Globe & Mail? go right ahead.

    however, an academic paper might be better suited to a smaller forum. for example, you may want to start out with a campus journal, like Polis, the undergraduate journal of Political Science. the IR journal is another possibility, and Mindful, the Ethics, Society & Law journal, is another.

    just keep an eye on the pages i linked for application deadlines, submit according to their guidelines, and wait to hear for a response!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • athletics

    i can’t remember the last time i did A Sport

    October 21, 2015

    Hey!

    I’m hoping to pick up rugby (or a new sport) in the Winter semester of university, but I’m unsure as to whether they’ll let me join half way through the year….also I’m still a beginner, are there many sports that allow beginners to join in the second semester?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    in terms of varsity, the tryouts are all over now, so you’d have to wait for next year for that particular echelon of athletics.

    intramurals doesn’t have rugby, but there doesn’t seem to be any deadline for when you can join. all you have to do is contact your college representative and then wait to be picked up by a team.

    maybe you could inquire after a few different intramural teams and see what turns up? my friends who go outside tell me flag football is similar to rugby – maybe you could try that first?

    a note: intramurals go by levels, so if you’re still a beginner and want something more low-key, that might be a better option for you than varsity.

    i hope that helps!

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • computer science

    plug into the real world, nerd

    October 16, 2015

    Hey aska,

    I hope this is the right place to ask this question. In June 2016 I’ll graduating with my H.BSc here at UTM after 4 years and the problem is, I COULD be happier! I learned in 3rd year that I should’ve switched into Comp. Sci. when I had the chance, the field I dream of working in on a daily basis, but I was a fool and was just too lazy to take another 4 years here since I have no courses from my Majors/Minors that would be usable for any Comp. Sci. programs. I guess my question to you is, are there any co-op programs at UTM (that don’t exist on the site dedicated to co-op programs) that could maybe put me into a Comp. Sci. program (where I could be a bit more specific later) where my current H.BSc. degree would be beneficial? I know this is vague as shizz but any info would be appreciated! And if not, would this be a question best suited for an academic adviser? Thank you again aska!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m not sure i 100% understand what you’re asking. if you’re already graduating with a bachelor of science from UTM, you would not be able to do another undergraduate program leading to another bachelor of science from UTM. you’re only able to do another bachelor’s degree at UTM if it is leading to a different degree – so either an H.B.A., or B.Comm.

    if you want to delay your graduation and change track a little bit, you could start taking computer science courses now at UTM. however, that would probably require you to stay at UTM for a while longer, and there’s no guarantee you’d get into the subject POSt.

    in addition, co-op doesn’t exist as an undergraduate option at UTM, only at UTSC, and you likely wouldn’t be able to transfer so late in your degree.

    what you may be able to do is take some computer science courses as a non-degree student. you may also be able to enrol in a B.Eng. program on the downtown campus as a second degree student. you could specialize in electrical and computer engineering, as a way of studying computer science, but still graduating with a different degree.

    you may also want to consider a college program. for example, here’s a two-year computer programming certificate offered by Seneca College – and there are lots more.

    these are all just options. i’m sure there are a lot more i can’t think of. i’d highly recommend you check in with your registrar’s office. they’ll know a bit more about your situation and be able to give you more specific advice than i can. plus, they’re just infinitely cool. i’m registrar’s offices’ #1 cheerleader, tbh.

    best of luck!

    aska

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More
  • 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

    Read More