Tag Archives: courses

Tuesdays with Professor Wellman

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Last week I marched from University College to Convocation Hall in my robes to end a chapter of my life and start a new one — the final mark of my time here at the University of Toronto. And so begins my wistful remembering…

The university has been the site of a mental battlefield like one I’ve never experienced before and though apprehensive at first, the intellectual challenge is something that I’ve come to embrace and truly cherish. And having a professor to guide me through this time has made all the difference…

One of the most fruitful experiences of my undergraduate studies has been working with and getting to know the great Professor Barry Wellman. I first took his course, SOC356: Technology and Society, in my third year. Throughout the year we analyzed how technology plays a role in our everyday lives in the way that we communicate with our family and friends, how it has the potential to create community and what community even means in a virtual context, how it perpetuates or breaks down social inequalities, and how it affects the broader political landscape. I’ve always had an interest in technology but I didn’t quite know how it fit with my PoliSci and Sociology major. It wasn’t until Professor Wellman’s class that I discovered just how beautifully and perfectly I could couple my interests like fingers interlaced. So for that alone I am thankful to him.

But Professor Wellman has done more than just open my eyes to the study of technology and society. I don’t quite remember how it happened exactly but we really got to know each other throughout that year and he continued to fuel my interest in the subject. He shared and continues to share news items, articles or upcoming events that I may be interested in and happily connects me with people who may help me in this journey of mine. No other professor has shown me such unabashed generosity and kindness and for that I am forever grateful. And I know that I’m not the only one he does this for. Many of my friends have taken his class as well and we’re all in agreement that Professor Wellman is one of the few professors on campus who actually takes the time to get to know your name and is genuinely interested in getting to know you.

Beyond his guidance though, Professor Wellman has been a source of support and friendship for me. He’s so incredibly easy to talk to and it is a joy just to hang out and, as he calls it, schmooze! He is honestly the coolest and most relevant professor I know, always in the loop and eager to learn what his students are up to. It’s easy to forget about time when you’re chatting with him…

With its massive size, U of T can be a cold and unfeeling place. You’re lucky if you have the opportunity to actually get to know one of your professors. You’re even luckier if that professor is Barry Wellman.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry Adams

First Year: The Small Classes at U of T

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You’ve just received your offer of admission from the University of Toronto. Congrats! While you may feel excited and hopeful now, there’s still time for you to encounter the dread and anxiety experienced by most students about to start university. You might even be missing high school already. Never fear! U of T knows just how to handle this – let me introduce to you… the seminar course.

 

I see you.

Continue reading First Year: The Small Classes at U of T →

Don’t Fight the Current: Choosing Courses and Programs

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Sage Advice from a First-Year Student (Part 6)

I have observed in my limited life experience thus far that there are two distinct types of accomplishment: detached and attached. An example of a detached accomplishment for me would be high school. I poured my heart and soul into my senior years, joining every club to plump up my resume, putting extra effort into all my essays and writing mile-long bibliographies, being a teacher’s pet – I have no shame, racking up honours and proficiencies and acing every class. The ultimate goal, of course, was University of Toronto. When I crossed the stage at graduation, I felt intense pride, laced with passionate relief. It’s a miracle I wasn’t selected to be valedictorian because my speech would have been as follows: “My fellow students, it’s done. High school, you’ve just been wrecked. Peace.”

This was a detached accomplishment. I was finished, and as much as I relished receiving my diploma, I mostly just wanted to leave. It wasn’t about learning per se: it was a means to an end, a bridge to better things. I was a great student in high school and I performed highly. But when it was all over, in many ways, it was meaningless. It was something I had to do, so that I could do something else.

An example of an attached accomplishment on the other hand, for me, would be writing. When I finish writing a piece, I worry about it. I contemplate it. I edit and edit and edit, and thoughtfully decide when it’s ready for public viewing. Once I allow others to see it, I crave feedback. I continue to worry and care, and I never truly move on, because the experience of writing that piece and the criticism I receive for it stays with me as I write the next piece. It’s an attached accomplishment, because I’m never truly finished with it – I care about it, and I will continue to so long as I continue writing.

I’ve recently come to the revelation that I want my BA at U of T to be an attached accomplishment. I don’t want to study just for the sake of finishing, so I can once again get my degree and run in the opposite direction, thankful I made it out alive. I want the degree to have meaning, and I want it to intermingle with my next educational endeavor so its meaning is unremitting.

Continue reading Don’t Fight the Current: Choosing Courses and Programs →

Waitlisted? Don’t Give Up!

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It’s that time again. The semester has started and for some of us, we have to go through the hell of picking and choosing which course to drop or take, weighing options, opinions and feelings about a certain course. There are some courses that are just absolutely fabulous and you know it – partly because of the long waitlist that you’re in. However, as a 4th year, I can tell you now, don’t despair! Even if this article does come a little late, hopefully this will be helpful to you next year or the year after.

First of all, being waitlisted doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Here are a few things you can try:

  1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Before you even start the semester, make up a schedule and make sure to have a few backups. Unless there is some sort of reason why you can’t, try adding 6 courses and drop 1 of them after the first week.
  2. When you’re on ROSI registering for your courses, enumerate your courses by how important they are to you. If you absolutely NEED a course, make sure to sign up for that first.
  3. Go to the first class. Maybe the course wasn’t what you expected it to be and maybe you might be happy that you didn’t take it. If you still want to take the course, talk to the professor after class. Your dedication to the course will likely make he or she inclined to give you a spot in the class. There might be some paperwork involved depending on the department, but if you want to get in, it’s worth it! The chances of getting into a class this way gets higher as you reach higher level courses.
  4. If option 3 doesn’t work, stalk ROSI like a stealthy panther when the waitlists turn off. Or here’s a strategy: find someone who wants to drop the course, sit side by side sometime when the waitlists turn off, have the person drop the course and immediately after he/she drops it, attack and register!
  5. If you need a certain course to graduate but you can’t for any reason, you can use the Dean’s Promise. If you find yourself in this situation, you should go see your registrar by the first week o f classes in September.

Finally, here are a few important dates for this semester. Good luck on all of your scheduling endeavours!

U of T Course Finder

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U of T already has a student-developed iPhone app, but now we also have a handy tool for searching for U of T courses online. Created by psychology student Ammar Ijaz, it allows you to search by course code, term, professor, date and time, enrollment indicators, enrollment controls, and whether or not there is a waitlist. Ammar says:

Don’t you hate trying to find courses to take? Using the timetable and calendar books is bad enough, but the archaic website is even worse! I hate searching for courses, too, so I decided to create a website to make the task easier. Looking for 3rd year psych courses? Just put in “PSY3” as a course code and hit “Show me!”

Check it out!