• probation

    well, we can’t both be wrong

    June 23, 2015

    So, things went kinda bad for me last year, I ended up dropping a couple?courses and landed on academic probation. I know you’re only allowed to?take 3.0 credits on probation, but my question is, will there be any?consequence if I don’t stick to the 1.5 each semester suggestion? I know?the suggestion is to ease stress and make it easier to do well in the?courses so you can get off probation, but three of the 0.5 credit courses I?want to take are only available in first semester, along with the one 1.0?credit course I would be taking all year and one 0.5 credit course in?second semester. Will I be blocked from doing that? Or will me academic?adviser just discourage it? Because I really see no other way.

    Thanks so much.

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

    hey there,

    either i’ve missed something major, or you?have, because i can’t find any rule – on any of the three campuses – that says you can only take 3.0 credits/year while on probation.

    on the downtown campus, the maximum number of courses you can take per semester is five (see “Academic Standing“). at UTSC, the limit is four per semester.

    i can’t figure out what the limit is at UTM – it seems like it’s 5.0 per year but they’ve got some finicky wording going on that’s confusing me. in any case, i don’t see anywhere that the limit is 3.0.

    so either you’re just MAKING STUFF UP, or you’re WRONG, OR this is a special circumstance that falls outside the regular rules.

    i’m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the latter: if?your course restrictions are part of a special limitation from your?faculty that is specific to you, then there’s not much advice i can give you. your college/faculty registrar’s office has gotta be much more dialled in about your situation?than i am – so you’d better talk to them about it.?and if they do advise you against a lopsided?course load, then?listen to them, for goodness’ sake.

    if you DON’T have any special limitations,?then you’re just wrong. haha. (but seriously, double-check the probation course regulations on your faculty/campus).

    good luck with it,

    aska

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  • tcard

    not everything has to be at UTSG

    June 23, 2015

    Hola!
    I’m going to be a first year student at St George come September. I just wanted to know if I could get my tcard at the UTM campus since I live closer to it? Or do I have to lug my butt to downtown?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    looks like there is a UTM location! no Toronto traffic for you. lucky duck.

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. for some unknowable, godforsaken reason, they’ve wildly narrowed the number and combination of documents that can be used to obtain your TCard, so make sure to read this page carefully to make sure you’ve got everything you need.

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  • probation

    no one wants to hear about first year, including grad schools

    June 22, 2015

    I’m thinking of returning to U of T now that my three-year suspension has ended, but as I did so poorly before, I’m trying to figure out how far I’ll be able to progress in the future! I’m a second year student (8 credits) with a 1.22 cumulative GPA, and while I believe I can bring it up, I fiddled around with this calculator (http://gpacalculator.net/how-to-raise-gpa/) and it seems that even if I were to average a 4.0 from now on (positive thinking!), it would be difficult to raise my CGPA just to 3.0 (and that’s the best case scenario).

    How important is your CGPA (at least your early CGPA) down the road? Does U of T’s grad school typically look at your entire academic history, or are the last two years their main focus? I’m thinking ahead and wondering if I might want to go to U of T’s cinema studies grad programme for an M.A., but the page (http://sites.utoronto.ca/cinema/MAprogram.html) says “Minimum” *B+* standing, demonstrated by an average grade in the final year, or over senior courses”. Does this mean B+/3.33ish as an annual GPA or as a CGPA? And even if I do meet the minimum requirements, will they take one look at my terrible early academic history and run away screaming???

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s not often i get to give out good news on this website, you know. some say it’s turned me into a bitter, hateful old witch, but i think it’s spawned my own special brand of offbeat charm.

    regardless, it’s times like this, when i actually get to give good news, that i particularly cherish. they’re little gems of hope in a river of let-downs and disappointments.

    that quote you pulled means that cinema studies will only be looking at your ‘senior courses’ i.e. mainly 400-level courses to make admissions decisions for the M.A. program. for most people, that translates strictly to your final year (and maybe parts of your third year). which is great news! finally!

    yes, after a 3-year suspension, it must be daunting to get back up on your feet and once more tackle the beast that is academia. however, if you can muster a really exceptional average for your last year, then you’ve got a real chance for that master’s program. i doubt they will look at your first two years, but even if they do, they will be encouraged by the massive improvement that you’ve made.

    so don’t worry about your first year. it will not be the death knell of your grad school application. as long as you work hard and strive to do better in your senior years, that’s all you need.

    remember to take advantage of the writing centre and your TAs’/profs’ office hours to make the very best of your courses. your registrar’s office is also always available for any bumps in the road.

    in sum: YOU CAN DO THIS! JUST DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU! ANY OTHER CLICHED (BUT GENUINE AND HEARTFELT) ENCOURAGEMENT YOU CAN THINK OF!

    cheers,

    aska

    P.S. GPA scales work slightly differently from university to university, so if you’re going to be using a GPA calculator, you may as well use the one actually created by uoft itself.

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  • OSAP,  UTAPS

    all that $$$ going straight to The Man

    June 22, 2015

    Due to some unfortunate circumstances with OSAP, I had to pay for school on my own last year. It was really painful because every paycheck I got (till the end of the school) went straight to my tuition. This year (15/16), I would like to get assistance from OSAP. I have just finished submitting my application.

    Would OSAP not give me money if my estimated financial amounts are too high?

    They are high because, when I estimated my amounts, I assumed I would be working full-time till the end of the summer. (So far, I have been working full-time since May.) If something changes.. like maybe I get fired tomorrow and can’t find a job for the rest of the summer.. how would they know?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    that sucks, man. don’t you love how the UofT Corporation Inc. continues to demand money in exchange for its services? despicable.

    i’m assuming you used this aid estimator to see how much funding (if any) you’ll likely receive based on your current circumstance. (if you didn’t use that…you may want to try it).

    if the estimator says you’re not eligible for funding, then that is probably an accurate reflection of what actual OSAP will say. however, just because OSAP says no dice, doesn’t mean you’re out of luck in terms of funding. you can always talk about your situation with your registrar’s office.

    every college has some amount of emergency grant funding for their students, in case you suddenly lose a job, gain an unexpected expense, or your trust fund runs out because you bought one too many yachts (again. Dammit, Wilbert Charles Samuel the Third, when will you learn?).

    also, students whose costs aren’t completely covered by OSAP for whatever reason can receive extra assistance from UTAPS.

    finally, if you were to suddenly lose your job or have some other financial calamity, you can and should definitely report that to OSAP by altering your application online. that way, OSAP will know your situation and might bump up your funding. which is always nice.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • architecture

    architecture doesn’t mind if you have a POSt on the side

    June 18, 2015

    hey yo aska. wondering if you could answer thing question for me: i’m currently an artsci student wanting to transfer to the architecture faculty. i plan on doing a double major (archi + artsci). now i know i’ll have to apply to transfer later this year an then will probably get a reply next spring/summer so i was wondering if i finish my artsci major this year, will the credits transfer over when im hopefully in architecture? hope this makes sense. ty.

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

    hey there,

    man, this would’ve been like twenty times easier if you’d just told me what year you were in. but i get it. y’all wanna stay mysterious, ask your questions anonymously, not provide any identifying information that would make your question easier to answer. that’s cool. i don’t need details to answer your questions. i’ll just READ YOUR MIND through the screen.

    ross fine by me

    aska is totally fine with general and obscure questions

    here’s your blanket answer: if you’ve completed more than 10.0 FCEs already, you won’t be eligible to transfer?to architecture. so if you’re going to have more than 10.0 by the time you want?to apply, you may want to change your course plans around a little bit.

    however, if you’re under the 10.0 mark, then you’re eligible to have all of your credits transferred over! note that i said eligible – they may not all carry over, but they’ll all be assessed.

    also, you don’t even have to finish your major before transferring – as long as you complete at least one daniels subject POSt?during your degree, you can do both.?isn’t that just?archi-tastic?

    keep an eye out for deadlines to transfer so you don’t miss it when the time comes. hope you get in ~

    aska

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  • failing,  grad school

    …another clever idea to get us killed – or worse, EXPELLED

    June 17, 2015

    Hi.

    I’m an international student at uoft. I finished two semesters. In first sem I failed 2 courses and was told by my graduate coordinator that I’ll be expelled if I fail one more course. But in second semester I ended up failing one course. Will I be expelled?? Is there a rule that permits that?

    Being an international student, is there anyway I can drop out and get a job in Canada? I have a complete masters with distinction from India.

    Thank you.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    without much context about your program or academic history, it’s hard for me to predict how your academic standing will be affected. however, it’s definitely possible for you to face consequences for failing a course (or courses) in graduate school.

    the School of Graduate Studies states that “[i]f a student fails to complete a graduate course in a satisfactory manner (i.e., receives a grade report of FZ or NCR in a course or receives a grade report below the minimum acceptable by the graduate unit), then the graduate unit in which the student is registered may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies the termination of registration and eligibility of that student.”

    so right off the bat, i’d say the school does permit it. HOWEVER, i’d recommend you talk to a student services officer ASAP to see if there’s anything you can do to avoid it.

    if you have the appropriate work permit, it’s possible for you to work in Canada (speak to someone at CIE if you have any questions about work permits).

    however, i have no idea how easy it will be for you to get a job. that all depends on what your master’s degree from India is in, and on what kind of job you’re looking for.

    it’s hard for everyone to land a job these days, and what’s even harder is to land one with a liveable salary. but it’s possible, if you do everything right and you’re lucky. if you need help with the job search, you can always find it at the career centre.

    a lot of this is way over my head, to be honest. i’d really recommend that you talk to a student services officer at the school of graduate studies about next steps, whether you want to try to stay on at school or start looking for a job.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • colleges

    i hear they stuff frosh kits with rhodes scholarships at trin

    June 17, 2015

    hello! I finished my first year (I’ll be a third year in the fall due to transfer credits, though) as a Woodsworth student but want to switch colleges (ie Trin or Vic). I fared okay academically (3.8 cgpa) and hold some leadership positions in some extracurrics. Is it too late to try to switch colleges? would it just be an unnecessary administrative hassle? do grad schools even care about what college I’m in? I want in on a more academically reputed college now that I know the differences D:

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’m a little baffled as to how you made it through a year here and you’re still clinging to this whole college elitism business. surely you know by now that colleges mean diddly squat when it comes to your academics?

    well anyway, it’s never too late to learn.

    graduate schools absolutely DO NOT care what college you’re coming from. most universities in Canada (and the States, for that matter) don’t even have colleges, so whether you’re coming from woodsworth or trin won’t mean anything to them, as long as you’re uoft.

    also, a 3.8 is more than okay, keenerino. sheesh.

    BUUUT if you still want to transfer to another college and you have a valid reason, like: you spend so much time there anyway because of your classes/program/extra-curriculars, you’re interested in their scholarships or residence or some other service they provide, or you just really want to be a part of High Table, then go for it, dude. just e-mail your registrar’s office to get the ball rolling.

    tl;dr: transferring colleges is not that much of an administrative hassle at all, but it’s not worth it if it’s just because of the “prestige” or whatever.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • ROSI

    ROSI is CHANGING

    June 17, 2015

    alright fools, listen up: something is HAPPENING on june 22nd. something BIG. something BESIDES you skipping work “because it’s a monday and what is even the point of it all?”

    our beloved ROSI is being phased out and replaced by a newer, better system! *blows party blower*

    how does it feel, huh, ROSI? to be the old, abandoned gal? how does it feel that you’re leaving and half of us still don’t know how to pronounce your name properly? how does it feel knowing that your limited capabilities won’t be missed?

    sorry, ROSI. i didn’t mean to make you cry. tuck your head into my lapel. there, there.

    so who’s ROSI going to be replaced by? well, it’s the new, the shiny, the everyone-is-going-crazy-about-her ACORN! ACORN is more functional (and easier to pronounce). she’s the hottest babe?in town.

    you’ll be able to login to ACORN on june 22nd – and we urge you to take her for a spin – but it’ll still be a little while since ROSI is phased out completely, so not to worry. you’ll still have time to say your goodbyes.

    and try not to be too torn up about it – at its core, the system will remain the same SWS (student web service) that it was before. ACORN will be like the new casing for the same old stuff. in other words, it’ll still?do all the same things – show you your fees, let you enrol in courses, etc. – but it’ll just let you do it better.

    if you’d like to know MORE about ACORN, you can take a look here, and keep an eye on FAStanswers for more information.

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • distribution,  easy,  UTM

    *bill nye voice* inertia is a property of matter

    June 16, 2015

    I’m sure you’ve been asked this before, but for those of us who were maybe a bit naive and short-sighted in high school and didn’t take any Grade 12 U-level math or science courses: what are our options to fulfill the one science credit requirement? Preferably @ UTM. There’s a super-incredible course in CCIT (my intended major) that’s a science, but requires a first year intro to psych course, which of course requires 12U math and biology.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, if you’re keen on that super-incredible course, you can always take 4U math and biology in summer school/night school. (math is also available through a uoft program called PUMP, though we don’t have any equivalent for biology, unfortunately).

    buuuut going to school in the summer sucks, so let’s consider some other options, shall we?

    there are lots of introductory science courses which favour the strengths of a humanities or social science student (i.e. no scary math or graphs to be seen). most of these courses don’t require any high school science courses, or ask that you have any previous familiarity with the course material.

    a few of these courses include:

    ERS103H5: Geology and Public Issues (gain the skill to confidently sprinkle the term “anthropocene” into regular conversation)

    ENV100Y5: The Environment (learn how 2 have opinions about climate change)

    BIO201H5: The Biology Behind the News (learn to read and understand parts of the newspaper other than the comics and crossword sections. next – a course on understanding the Financial Times)

    PHY100H5: What’s Physics Got to do with It? (for those who “want to gain insight into this interesting and important field in a non-intimidating way.” no five kinematic equations for you.)

    and there’s plenty more. note that you don’t have to take a first-year course, but upper-year courses generally have prereqs, so do keep that in mind.

    when you get a chance, spend some quality time with the course calendar and see if you find any other courses that spark your interest – and don’t have any pesky prerequisites attached.

    to make sure a course fills your science distribution requirement, check whether it’s labelled ‘SCI’ – only these courses will count towards your distribution requirement.

    happy hunting!

    aska

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  • engineering,  new college,  residence,  trinity college

    i’m an alien, i’m a legal alien. i’m an engineer in trinity

    June 15, 2015

    Hi, so I’m going to be starting at U of T as an engsci in September. As such, I have to rank my residence options. I had also received an offer from Trinity for artsci, but I declined this in favour of engsci. However, I’d still quite like to live at Trinity. My concern is that if I do manage to still get residence at Trin, would I be kind of isolated from the rest of the engineering faculty? Would it be a better idea to put somewhere like New College as my first choice, and be in residence with more engineering students? Thank yooouuu

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    living in engineering’s living learning community at new college is a great idea. engineering is pretty gruelling, and living with a whole bunch of people – including your don – who understand what you’re going through is probably a very comforting and supportive residence experience.

    you’ll always have people to study with and people to vent with. people will be by and large on the same schedule as you are – so when you’re buckling down, everyone else will be too. when you have some time to wind down, you’ll have people to enjoy it with.

    so yeah, living with engineers could be great. but it could also be not so great.

    think about it this way: you love your mom, right? of course you do. you and your ma are the tightest. you would do anything for her. but do you want to live with her? see her day in, day out?

    of course you don’t – that’s why you’re moving out.

    a living learning society has the potential to be kind of like that. engineering is pretty intense, and you might find yourself?wanting a break from it when you come home from class.

    living at trinity could provide you with that break. no matter where you live, you’re not going to be isolated from your engineering peers – so don’t worry about that. firstly, you’ll be spending too much time in class together for that to ever be possible, and secondly, most people commute anyway, so living on res won’t exclude you.

    but what trinity can give you that engineering can’t is a community outside your studies – friends from other programs, with other perspectives.

    there are only 425 people living at trinity, and trinity, more perhaps than some other, newer colleges at uoft, has a very strong sense of self (dressing up in black robes every wednesday evening can do that to a group of people).

    being a part of the trinity community as well as the engineering community might give you a nice balance between engineering and, well, something else.

    ultimately, there’s no right answer. residence is very largely a non-academic experience, and different people will prefer different kinds of communities. just try to go with whichever option you feel more excited about. if you can, book a residence tour at each college. then just feel it out.

    best of luck, and see you in september!

    aska

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  • frosh,  st. mike's

    st. mike’s, st. mike’s, ra ra ra

    June 11, 2015

    When can smc student register for frosh?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    SMC hasn’t updated their orientation website yet, so unfortunately, i have no idea. last year, however, the earliest deadline was July 15th, so we’ve still got some time left. you can keep an eye on @SMCCampusLife if you have twitter for updates, or check SMC’s frosh website closer to July.

    have fun at frosh. hoikity choik or whatever.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • St. George,  UTM

    Mississauga deer vs. the St. George…pigeons

    June 11, 2015

    Hello, I was wondering what you think about UTSG and UTM campuses, in your opinion which one do you think is better both academically and socially, or are they pretty much the same?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    full disclosure: i’m a UTSG student, so i have more experience with the downtown campus. however, i don’t have like, any special allegiance to St. George, so don’t expect this post to have any prejudices.

    my only true allegiance is to the original Oreo. don’t talk to me about that faux-marhsmallow double-stuffed crap. i’m definitely prejudiced against those.

    UTSG (academic): the downtown campus is an all-arounder when it comes to academics, mostly because it’s so big. no matter what your interests are, you can probably find a good program to satisfy them. UTSG is neither a liberal arts or a STEM university – both mix and mingle within the Faculty of Arts & Science, which is pretty unique.

    especially notable undergrad programs include engineering, rotman commerce, and international relations.

    UTM (academic): UTSG has a lot of programs, but it’s not flawless. a common complaint from downtown campus students is that their degree has no real-world applications. which is a pretty reasonable complaint considering we’ll all be DROWNING IN DEBT after we leave this place.

    in addition to having a solid (albeit smaller) selection of programs to match UTSG’s, UTM has a few programs unique to its own campus, which bridge academic study with real world experience nicely.

    the most notable of these, i would say, are the Institute of Culture, Communication of Technology programs, management programs, and forensic science program. to be honest, the fact that UTSG doesn’t have its own communications program is kind of baffling to me (though our closest equivalent, Book & Media Studies, is gr8).

    UTSG (social): if you want to have a social life on the downtown campus, you have to make it happen. the Faculty of Arts & Science offers a lot of flexibility in terms of mixing and matching programs, but that means that being in a certain program doesn’t guarantee you’ll see the same people all the time.

    making friends means putting yourself out there, here more than anywhere. and there are opportunities to get involved in the community, be that your college community, the community around your academic department, or a certain extra-curricular organization.

    however, it won’t come to you. you have to actually join stuff – which can be annoying and hard. if you’re commuting (which a lot of downtown campus students do), that makes things even more difficult.

    also, UTSG can feel a bit old-boys-y, especially if you’re part of one of the older colleges. that can sometimes put people off.

    so there is community here, but it’s hard to find, and a bit all over the place. there is almost definitely a community of people here that’s perfect for you. the trick is to find it.

    UTM (social): UTM is a lot quieter than UTSG. it is also a lot smaller. the lack of a college system means that there is no intra-faculty bickering, which will save you a headache and a half. also, if you’re planning on living on rez, you will a part of the UTM residence community, rather than just the rez community at one college, which is very insular and can feel a little bit like being back at high school.

    UTM tends to be a bit more peaceful than the downtown community, and students will often see deer on campus.

    that said, you likely can’t sustain yourself for four years based on a friendship with a deer.

    UTM also shares the rather unfortunate status of commuter school with UTSG, making community harder to build and maintain. relatedly, Mississauga is quieter in terms of things t0 do than Toronto, so if you’re someone who loves the nightlife, then you may want to think about that.

    hope that helps! see ya around in September maybe,

    aska

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  • admissions,  engineering

    “graduate school in engineeri – ” nope. nopity nope.

    June 10, 2015

    Hey!

    I recently decided to attend UofT for computer engineering and I was?wondering if the 3.6 GPA requirement is as strict with engineering students as it is with other (because you know, it just aint easy being an engineer)

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    why tell aska whether you’re applying to undergrad or grad studies? she doesn’t need to know! that would’ve just been just TOO EASY for her, huh?

    my HUNCH is that you’re applying to grad school, both because of the GPA requirement and because of your cynical, embittered use of the word “ain’t.” that cold, hard cynicism is usually underdeveloped in 17-year-olds. though not always.

    engineering tends to be one of the more no-nonsense disciplines at uoft – and at most universities, acutally. i guess spending a life around gears and wiring requires being absolutely wrung out at school.

    point is, if they say a B+, then they mean it.

    in addition, ECE specifically states that you need at least an A- to be competitive. i doubt they’re joking around about that, either. also, “[s]tudents with academic records equal to or below the minimum eligibility requirement are strongly discouraged from applying.”

    if they wrote that in bold on their admissions page, it’s probably there for a reason.

    however, if you’re uncertain about how your qualifications match up, you can always use their international degree equivalencies tool. you can also just call them up, because sometimes departments are willing to chat with people about where they stand, admissions-wise.

    good luck with grad studies in engineering. like, seriously. i hope you enjoy the gears and wiring and stuff.

    cheers,

    aska

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