Do I need to open a po box at Canada Post to receive packages while living?in residence? (Sir Dans, UC)
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hey there,
you will almost certainly have a mailbox in residence that you can use. ask your don about it.
cheers,
aska
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supervise me!
I plan on doing grad school (in a social science) and would love to (need to?) have a senior thesis or some other significant work to submit. I worry about finding a prof to supervise me- most of my classes are big, required courses unspecific to any topics I’d like to research/pursue further in grad school. In 3rd and 4th year if I want to do research, can I just contact profs I’ve never actually had and ask them to supervise me (specifically if they specialize in topics I’m interested in)?
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hey there,
already thinking about research, huh? good for you. you’re a model student, unlike myself. just thinking about the idea of doing research is sending a shiver down my throat and to my gag reflex – and class hasn’t even started yet.
for the keen and eager student such as yourself however, there are opportunities available. but not to fear – you don’t have to just contact profs out of the blue. there are lots of courses geared specifically towards doing research and working closely with a professor on a project.
for?third year, there are the 397/8/9 research courses, which are available in many departments. other 39*?courses will involve a research component in a different way – for example,they might be “special topics” courses, which
each class will have different application processes depending on the course, but all the details will be posted on the course calendar.
you can use the course calendar to take a look at what’s available this year, and get an idea of what might be in store for you once you get to your third and fourth years. some examples of 39* courses include SOC390Y1, POL397Y1 and ABS398H0.
some of these courses (specifically, the 300-level independent studies courses) will require that you find your own supervisor. other courses, like the 497/8/9 advanced research courses, will already have an instructor attached to them (examples of 49* courses include CJS499H1?and SOC498H1).
again, just browse the course calendar to see what’s available, and see what the usual deadlines are. then you just apply and see what happens!
cheers,
aska
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just do the thing
Hey!
Im going into first year the coming September and I am in Woodsworth college which was my second choice. I wanted to goto UC frosh, and am planning on buying it on the 7th in person. However now, I’m slightly paranoid as to if I’m even allowed to goto a frosh that’s not my own? Thanks so much, all the best.———————————————
hey there,
orientation works on an opt-in basis, which means that if you wanted to participate in frosh at another college, you would have had to opt out of woodsworth orientation and then register and pay with UC. i’m not sure if that’s allowed, but if it is, it would likely have to be a pretty exceptional circumstance, given how complicated the process would be.
honestly? i would just go to woodsworth’s frosh. i understand that UC is your first choice, but the fact is, orientation week is only one week. if you’re still really keen on UC after having spent a couple of months at the university, then by all means, go ahead and request a transfer at that point.
frosh is great, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of the university experience. you may find woodsworth actually better suits your needs once the year starts.
anyway. it’s halfway through frosh week, so i’m curious if you actually went through with attending UC’s frosh. what happened? did you have fun? let us know.
peace,
aska
P.S. a lot of orientation activities will be uoft-wide anyway, so you’ll still have some experiences common with other uoft students. it’s not gonna be all woodsworth, 24/7.
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open sesame
hey, I was wondering what the chances of uoft (at both utm and st. george) opening up another section of classes if there is a big waitlist number of students are. At utm, I have encountered this happening before where they opened up more sections to accommodate the large waitlist. It would be great if they consider this, would save a lot of the poor souls such as myself from anxiously waiting.
Thanks!
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hey there,
i have never heard of that happening. that could mean either that i just have never heard of that happening, OR that it is more common at UTM than at UTSG.
honestly, i would just call the department and ask them if this is something they would consider, or if it’s something they’ve done in the past. like i said, i’ve never heard of that happening, but hey – i don’t know everything.
i mean, i know a lot. but not everything. alas.
cheers,
aska
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black bored
Hi! When I log onto blackboard it states that I’m currently not enrolled in any courses, despite the fact that I am enrolled in courses on ACORN. I was just wondering if I should be concerned about this and if it will affect my ability to receive messages from my professors regarding the textbooks we will require?
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hey there,
so, blackboard is the online tool (some) profs will use to encourage online discussion about the course content, post syllabi and assignments, or just send reminders/announcements about the course. blackboard is responsible for such unique experience as an icy chill of dread that you feel when people are talking about an assignment in class that you’ve never heard of, but that, apparently, was “posted on Blackboard.”
some profs are really into using blackboard, and will have already set up the blackboard page for their course and started posting things on it. other profs hate blackboard and want NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. most profs are somewhere in between.
if your courses have not shown up yet on blackboard, it’s probably because you have the “somewhere in between” profs. they will likely post the course page on blackboard sometime during the first or second week of school, and they’ll let you know when they do.
keep in mind that profs may communicate with you via e-mail before they set up blackboard, so make sure you’re checking your mail.utoronto e-mail on a regular basis.
as long as you’re enrolled in the course on ACORN, that’s the most important thing for now.
if you’re concerned about buying textbooks, keep checking your e-mail. also check out the uoft bookstore website; if you put in your UTORID, it’ll give you a personalized list of all the books for your classes.
xoxo,
aska
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machoor
I’ve graduated uni and have been working for a year now. I plan on undertaking a huge shift in my life and have decided to study again, specifically halfway across the world in UofT (hopefully). I have a Bachelor’s Degree already, but I want to continue studying another program, this time, one I’m interested in. I’m going to be 23 when I start college again should I get accepted into UofT next year. What are the major issues I may be facing since I’m older than the typical college freshman?
P.s. I’ve done a significant amount of researching about UofT, life in Toronto as a foreigner, student life, co-curriculars, academics, etc. I am really serious about wanting to study in UofT. I just want a clearer picture of what I can expect given my situation. Thanks so much for whatever help you can extend me!
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hey there,
firstly, i want to assure you that you’re not the only 23-year-old person at uoft. there are people of all different ages, shapes, sizes, competencies, and life experiences at this university.
secondly, you may find that you have more in common with your fellow 17-year-old first years than you think. you’ll all be discovering uoft at the same thing, and that can be a beautiful thing to do together.
however, your previous experience at university and in life shouldn’t be discounted, and there’s no need to pretend you’re exactly the same as everyone else. for example, you may not find Orientation week worth your while the second time around (though if you do want to attend, you definitely should!).
more than other universities, i find that uoft really allows you to create your own experience. because it’s so big, there are many sub-worlds within the world of uoft.
if you find that the people you’ve fallen in with, the things you’re doing, don’t make you happy and comfortable, then you can just change who you’re hanging out with and what you’re doing. you’d be surprised at how easy it is to do.
practical examples of making this kind of change include: changing colleges, joining a new group on campus, or even just switching up which library you study at.
this is how i see it: you’ve been through university before. you’ve said that you’re coming back because you want to study something you’re interested in, this time. that tells me that you have a much better idea of what you want out of university now.
your experience may be different, but i don’t think you’ll be facing any specific issues, other than feeling a bit out of place amongst a bunch of teenagers.
however – and this is when i finally get to the point – try not to let yourself feel alienated. don’t be afraid to commit yourself, completely wholeheartedly, to what you want out of university. if that’s full immersion in what you want to study, then that’s what you should pursue. consider joining the course union for your program, get involved in your program’s academic journal (if they have one), or meeting like-minded individuals through clubs.
if you just want to meet people with similar experiences as you, you can do that too. i’ll mention the Mature Students’ Association, though i’m not sure if you would be categorized as a “mature student.” however, there’s no association for second degree students (which is closer to your situation), so it may be something for you to check out.
you may also be able to connect with people through other identity-based groups, like faith-based groups, cultural groups or sexual identity–based groups.
and hey – kudos for coming back to school! i hope uoft is everything you need and more.
cheers,
asks
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why are they called “duffle” bags, anyway
This is the dumbest question ever but are we provided with one of those drawstring backpacks on frosh week?
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hey there,
surprisingly, this was a super tough question to answer. i know of a few colleges who do provide them, but i can’t confirm for sure that EVERY FACULTY AND COLLEGE’S orientation activity will provide you with a drawstring bag.
most likely, yes. but if not, you can always buy one at your nearest dollarama. you can even silkscreen uoft’s crest on it, if you like.
cheers,
aska
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no ID frosh week!!!1!!!1
Hi aska, For frosh week do I need my tcard? I have my ticket and everything but haven’t had a chance to pick up a tcard
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nah. though you should get one as soon as you can, because it just makes stuff easier for going to libraries, using your meal plan (if you have one), getting TTC Student ID if you need it, etc.
cheers,
aska
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“not entirely devoid of human emotion” – a fan
Hello!
I’m a UTSC student studying political science and linguistics, and am looking to eventually earn language citations in Russian and Japanese, both of which only have advanced level courses at St. George (the courses required for the citations). I already spent my first two years of university in another program at UTSC, so once I get past 10 credits this semester I won’t be able to transfer. However, I would be fine with a UTSC undergrad and 2 citations, as long as I end up with a high proficiency in these languages. But I’m sort of unsure how to go about this process…
Should I graduate first and then pursue the citations? As a non-degree student I would be placed behind everyone else during course selection, so wouldn’t that basically make taking the courses virtually impossible?
If I take the courses during my undergrad, I would still be behind St. George students during course selection.
You seem pretty knowledgeable and not entirely devoid of human emotion, do you have any recommendations for me on how to study these languages at U of T? Are there more paths available to me that I haven’t mentioned? Any help would be appreciated!
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hey there,
so, i would recommend talking with the registrar’s office about this, because the language leaves a little bit of room for ambiguity.
the official rules as they’re written in the calendar say, “The Citation may be earned in any language, modern or ancient, in which there is sufficient advanced training at UTSC.” i ASSUME that what that means is that if there is not sufficient advanced training at UTSC, as in the case of Russian and Japanese, you wouldn’t be able to complete a language citation.
however, it may be possible for you to complete some of the courses for your UTSC language citation at another campus, so i would recommend that you just ask your registrar.
as for doing language citation when you’re a non-degree: not only would it be very hard to get into courses with your late start date, but – as with subject posts – it’s not something non-degrees can typically do. noting things on transcripts (like subject POSTs, language citations, etc.) only really happens while you’re in school for a degree, and retroactive adds are rare.
the only thing that automatically gets updated for non-degree students is GPA. you’re never safe from a low GPA. NEVER.
peace,
aska
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tool-torials
So courses such as HIS103Y1: Statecraft and Strategy: An Introduction to the History of International Relations[48L/20T] and POL101Y1: Democracy, Dictatorship, War, and Peace: An Introduction[48L/24T]indicate they have tutorials, yet neither the timetables or acorn/rosi have them listed. How am I supposed to choose my tutorial times?
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hey there,
at uoft, no rule comes without an exception – except for the ones where you really hope that an exception can be made. then there are no exceptions. it’s really great for everyone’s blood pressure.
in this case, there IS an exception. typically, you sign up for lectures, tutorials and labs on ACORN (or ROSI, if you’re stuck in YE OLDEN TIMES).
however, despite the fact that both POL101Y1 and HIS103Y1 indicate that there is a tutorial component to the course, you won’t find the tutorials on ACORN. the history and political science departments require that you sign up for tutorials after classes start, typically via Portal/Blackboard.
which, yes, means that you will have to fit two hours of tutorial (one for each class) around an already-made schedule once school starts. and, yes, it may be hard to find times that fit.
i will say, though, that there are typically so many tutorial sections in those massive first-year courses that you can usually find SOMETHING that works. it may be on a friday morning, a monday evening, or some other equally inconvenient time, but sometimes life is rough, and you’ve just gotta bear these things with a brave face.
it’s not easy, i’ll give you that. just when you think you’ve got the hang of uoft, it throws a wrench in the system. i guess you can say we’re all a bunch of TOOLS, here. huh huh
cheers,
aska
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don’t tell your mother, we’re nerds for the summer
Which month for the 2016 year would I apply to a summer course ?
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hey there,
course enrolment in the summer began april 1 and ended may 18th this year, so have your spreadsheets out and your ACORN open for April 2nd (probably), 2016: The Final Showdown TM.
if you’re interested in an E-enrolment indicator course (i.e. a course where you need to apply to the department to get in), then just keep in mind the specific deadline to get into that course. you may have to apply in february or march, prior to course enrolment on ACORN, to get in. those deadlines will be on the calendar and/or the department website.
enjoy those summer courses, man. hope you have a cool, fun time like demi lovato (probably less inflatable ice cream cones on top of buildings, though):
cheers,
aska
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most people can’t handle more than 1 research course in their lives
Hi There! I have a question in response to your research post. In order to do research in third year (399) is doing research in second year (299) a prerequisite. Also are there new research projects being added frequently?
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hey there,
great question! no, the 299 is not (usually) a prerequisite for 399s. generally, people only do one research course in their degree – a 299, 399 or 499. the courses are pretty intense, and most people don’t feel the need to do it more than once, WHICH MEANS that one *99-series course is very rarely a prerequisite for another *99-series course.
however, the best thing to do is to just check the course in question on the course calendar. different departments will have different application procedures for their 299/399/499 courses, so make sure you check that ahead of time and be mindful of any application procedures, deadlines, etc.
cheers,
aska
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grad school, sad school
I’m thinking about coming back for another year (5th year) to upgrade my GPA primarily. I also want to earn more experience to increase my social skills and gain something more than academic.
I have a problem (many actually) and that is expectations. From my parents, according to graduate school and of myself.
I have failed one course in my first year and second year. This was major downfall for me, and I’ve never truly recovered from that despite doing very well in other courses.
I’ve also never fully taken a full course load. Which is a minimal expectation for graduate school. I have taken opportunities outside academia to mentor, volunteer and this year I plan to get in contact with professors that are researching in something I’m interested in. I also plan to be an ambassador and work at the library.
But I know what is done, is done. I’ve browsed many forums and talked to people that have said that Graduate school is not for me.
That may be, but my parents, my upbringing culture , the cousins and people around me that have snagged the best schools and gone on to become doctors really make me ashamed of what I am.
As a student in undergraduate life science, I feel there’s nothing out there for me. Beyond the completion of this degree…there’s nothing. I don’t know how to move past certain piles of failures in my life. I did have emotional burdens and had experienced relocation from one city to another that increased my commuting distance that did factor in impacting my GPA. But every reason I come up with sounds pathetic and its really taking a toll on everything.
My heath, my confidence, my self-worth. I don’t know what to do.
People say College is better for these kind of people but can they really expect me to drop out and walk away from getting a degree when I’m almost at the finish line?
Please help, perhaps a reality check is in store for me.
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hey there,
there weren’t actually any questions in this e-mail (except from the rhetorical one right at the end there), so i’m not exactly sure what you want to know. but hey, sometimes you gotta just vent your problems to an anonymous person on the internet, and that’s totally cool.
not knowing your GPA, what you’re studying, or which graduate programs you’re interested in, it’s hard for me to judge the likelihood of your being accepted to graduate school – let alone the fact that there’s no way of knowing how well you’re going to do in your fifth year, if you decide to come back.
but i’m not in the business of making judgements. i’m more in the “barfing-out-thoughts-in-the-hopes-of-occasionally-striking-on-something-helpful” business…Ltd.
in regards to the failed courses: it happens. your past does not define your future. we all fall down. be the person who gets back up again, because that’s what makes people exceptional. trust aska – you can do it.
as for meeting your parents’ expectations: i understand that parental pressure can be enormously limiting and difficult to break from. it’s natural to want to make your parents proud. besides that, parents are often our financial lifelines, and for that reason, you don’t want to piss them off.
however, if you can’t go to grad school – either for personal or academic reasons – you may as well come up with an alternative plan that will make you happy.
if you have a college program in mind that makes you feel more alive and excited than any graduate program, then that is what you should pursue. and NO, it does not make you a less successful, less special, or less valuable person.
also: your reasons for having a low GPA are not pathetic. they are circumstances which will affect any person who experiences the external world, and may affect you more or less based on who you are and your experiences.
coming back to school for a fifth year to upgrade your GPA for grad school is something a lot of students do, and may be a great idea for you. however, before/if you decide to come back to school, i would recommend talking it over with a few people who can help to make sure you’re ready.
Good2Talk is a helpline geared specifically towards college and university students. they can help you talk about what you’re feeling in a productive way, so you’re ready to face school, or whatever may come next in your life.
Counseline is even more specific – they provide phone and face-to-face counselling for Faculty of Arts & Science students (just keep in mind that you could only use this service once you were officially registered). CAPS is another uoft-specific alternative.
if you’re saying you feel like there’s nothing for you after this degree, that’s something you should talk about with someone. i’ve given three recommendations that i personally really like, but you should reach out to anyone you’re comfortable with.
before coming back for a fifth year and shelling out half your savings for tuition, it’s also a good idea to talk to your registrar’s office about coming back. they can talk with you in more detail about grad school, or any other plans you may have.
and if there’s anything else you want to talk to me about, i’m always here to help.
cheers,
aska