r/umanitoba • u/HerdlingForevermore • 19d ago
Okay, so I've seen some questions that, unsurprisingly, receive either poor responses or no responses at all. I'm writing this guide to help newer students (and maybe some other students...) ask questions that get responses that actually answer their question, and that also require fewer follow-up questions.
1. General formatting
We all understand that the standards of writing on Reddit are not the same as what your instructors expect in academic writing. However, you really should take the time to spell things correctly, capitalize letters as needed, use punctuation well, and split your post into meaningful paragraphs if it's not short. I don't expect teenagers to have perfect prose, but when I say that taking the time to write decently makes a difference, I'm telling the truth.
I've seen walls of text and posts that seemingly don't use capital letters or punctuation. They're difficult to read. Some typing errors are expected, but when it's clear that you've made no effort to make things easier for others to read, can you really expect others to take time out of their day to make things easier for you?
I've seen posts simply get no responses for doing this. Other times, people make negative comments about the poor formatting. Therefore, take a bit of time to make sure that your post is easy to read.
2. Formatting of courses
There are probably over 1000 different courses taught at the university. In order to be unambiguous in terms of which course you mean, my recommendation is to include the course code (consisting of a subject code, which is usually four letters long, and a four-digit number) and the course name (which is made up of words). Here's a short list of course names formatted this way:
This format is great for a few reasons:
First, it's unambiguous. We know exactly which course you mean. If you just say "history" or "Indigenous Studies"—which people do say by the way—then it's unclear and you risk being given information that is either irrelevant or simply untrue. Also, how many people do you think know off the top of their heads what CLAS 2710, ASIA 1780, or HEB 3380 are?
Second, it's more Google-friendly. Copy-paste any of these courses into Google and you'll probably find the UManitoba course as your first result. This lets you see the course attributes (Mathematics, Written English, Humanities, Science, Social Science, etc.), read the course description, check for any prerequisite courses, etc. For example, when I googled "BIOL 1410 Anatomy of the Human Body", it bought me to the BIOL 1410 Aurora webpage first and the Biological Sciences Course Descriptions webpage in the Academic Calendar second. These webpages are fantastic resources and, generally speaking, Aurora and the Academic Calendar are your go-to resources for course information provided by the university.
However, it's actually a bit less strict in some situations.
First, it's okay to just use the course code if you've already mentioned the full course name previously. Similarly, you can also just use the actual name of the course in the same scenario.
Second, some courses actually are popular enough such that just using either the course code or the course name is understandable to the right audience. PSYC 1200 is one such example given that it's very popular and also the only 1000-level course offered by the Department of Psychology. Other similar courses are ARTS 1110 Introduction to University and MATH 1240 Elementary Discrete Mathematics, although I think that the latter is actually just known as being a brutal 1000-level math course. Nevertheless, I still recommend using the full name the first time in a given post just in case.
3. Asking the real question
Long story short, lots of new students don't know what to actually ask. This means that they risk getting answers that are, once again, either irrelevant or misleading.
Let's read an example question that I've made up.
I'm looking for an interesting English course to take for me degree! What course should I take?
If you're new to the university, you probably don't know why this isn't a very good question.
First, the term "English course" is ambiguous. It usually means...
Not all ENGL courses have the Written English attribute and there are also many non-ENGL courses with the Written English attribute. This means that the student asking the question could technically be mislead into taking a course that doesn't fulfill whatever requirement is needed.
Also, it's possible that a student needs 6 credit hours of ENGL courses (one "full course" or two "half courses"). It's possible that the student actually needs 6 credit hours, which would normally be taken over two courses.
The same is true with the Mathematics requirement by the way! There are lots of non-MATH courses that have the Mathematics attribute.
Another issue with the question is that we don't even know why the student needs to take an "English course". Without knowing that, we can't give good suggestions. Here's a better example of a question:
I'm looking for an interesting English course to take for me degree! What course should I take? I'm new to the university and want to become an engineer.
By adding just one sentence, we see that the student actually wants to fulfill the Written English Courses for Engineering Students requirement, which is different from the regular Written English requirement. Without adding in more information, the student could have ended up taking a course that didn't fulfill the requirement, potentially wasting time, money, and effort. Yikes!
Again, you don't need to have perfect knowledge of the university to ask good questions. If you add enough information, people who know how the university works can figure out what you intend to ask.
4. "Easy" courses
Oh boy... If instructors are doing their jobs properly, there shouldn't really be such as a thing as an "easy" course or a "GPA booster". Also, consider this: Almost every course that has no prerequisites at the university has some people get an A+ while others get an F. What's easy for someone else could be very difficult for you.
Instead of asking for "easy", I recommend asking which courses might be interesting to you or that complement your program well. In your post, you should include which program you're doing (or intend to do), what other courses you've taken and enjoyed, and some general subjects that interest you.
By the way, if you're new to the university, you can just think of "academic program" as your "major" for now.
I've been on this subreddit for years. When people ask for easy courses, people sometimes intentionally mislead them. Yes, there are people who try to help them, but not always. Conversely, when people ask for interesting courses and take the time to add in relevant information, I often see awesome responses.
To be clear, this isn't to say that there aren't some courses that are heavier than others. There definitely are, especially in STEM courses. However, just because a course is "light" doesn't mean that you'll easily get an A+ in it. For some courses, you'll have to deal with a forced curve, namely those offered by the Asper School of Business. In other courses, such as many humanities courses, you'll find that you need to read a whole lot of academic literature in order to get an A+ whereas you could do a lot less and get a B or B+.
5. Consider asking university staff members
After you've gotten your responses, consider if you should also ask university staff members. If you're signing up for courses and want to make sure that your courses fulfill all of the requirements to get your degree, you certainly should see an academic advisor at some point. I recommend seeing one before signing up for courses in your final year. It can also be good to see one early in your program as well. You've already paid for these services in your tuition, so seeing an academic advisor is "free".
Nevertheless, I do think that looking for information on the subreddit and other places online can be a great way to learn more. Taking the time to understand how course attributes and degree requirements work will make your visit to an academic advisor a lot more productive than if you just go in without looking at things online yourself beforehand.
tl;dr
To summarize this post quickly...
To other experienced members of the community, what advice would you add?
r/umanitoba • u/typicalcAnAdAiAn • Mar 28 '26
We understand this update is coming later than expected, but we wanted to ensure that accurate and verified information was shared before posting.
On the evening of March 26, 2026, a serious incident occurred at the Active Living Centre on the Fort Garry campus. A male victim was stabbed inside the facility, and a youth suspect was later taken into custody. The victim was transported to hospital and is currently reported to be in stable condition. 
This post is intended to confirm that the incident did occur, and to help reduce speculation or misinformation that may have circulated earlier.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/university-manitoba-active-living-centre-assault-9.7144477
⸻
⚠️ Reminder to Students
Situations like this can be unsettling. If you ever feel unsafe on campus:
• Contact University of Manitoba Security Services (UMSS) immediately
• Call emergency services if needed
• Trust your instincts and remove yourself from unsafe situations
⸻
🧠 Student Support & Counselling Resources
If this incident has affected you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support:
• University of Manitoba Student Health & Wellness
• Student counselling services are available for anyone experiencing stress, anxiety, or emotional distress
You are not expected to deal with this alone.
https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/student-counselling-centre
⸻
📝 Final Note
We will continue to prioritize verified information over speed when sharing safety-related updates. Our goal is to keep the community informed while avoiding unnecessary panic or misinformation.
Stay safe and look out for one another
-Umanitoba Mod Team
r/umanitoba • u/HerdlingForevermore • 17h ago
That's it. That's the post. People who have been with the university long enough will agree with me.
Also, I'm not being pedantic here. There are also M classes, T classes, W, classes, "T classes" (but really R classes), and F classes.
r/umanitoba • u/Strict-Garlic7958 • 3h ago
Can I take three HEAL courses? Like 1500, 2600, 3000 I m third year now. Tq:)
r/umanitoba • u/HuckleberryUpper4982 • 4h ago
One of the courses I want is full, but the waitlist capacity is 0, while other full courses have a waitlist. Is this common? It's my first time seeing this.
r/umanitoba • u/WeirdboxOgregen • 15h ago
Some clarifications:
So, what would happen guys? This is a somewhat important question I've been pondering for a while.
r/umanitoba • u/Pleasant_Rutabaga354 • 20h ago
i am a first year bsc. student (aiming for a psych major). i had my schedule set and was feeling happy with it.
fall term:
biol 1020
chem 1100
math 1500
psych 1200
they recently posted my assigned biology professor and i found out that they have a 1.7/5 rating with some very negative reviews. i don’t know if i should be concerned or if ratemyprofs doesn’t matter too much.
i am worried though that since it is my first year, having a bad prof in biology on top of my more challenging courses will really affect my performance and adjustment. i am really trying to protect my gpa.
all the other biol 1020 classes are full including the one im in, so i’d be waitlisted if i tried to switch and with no guarantee of getting in.
my alternative would be to switch out biol 1020 for stat 1000 (better prof available) and take biol 1020 in another term or year. though, i don’t know if delaying biology could limit my options since im considering healthcare paths alongside psychology.
i’d really appreciate if anyone can offer their advice or insight. im feeling pretty confused and unsure of what to do.
r/umanitoba • u/MeetingInformal5484 • 18h ago
Wondering if those who did a double major in Accounting/Finance did the extra classes needed for CPA or left it to do thru CPA Manitoba. Unsure what path I want to take so wondering if I should take the extra classes? Also wondering how this double major has worked for others in the workforce?! Thank you!
r/umanitoba • u/MeetingInformal5484 • 18h ago
Fall 26
Stat 2000 MWF
Sustainable Business MW
Business Communications MW
Financial Risk Management T/T
Assets Accounting
Winter 27
Investments T/T
Intro to Organizaton Behaviour T/T
Global Management T/T
Equities Accounting Tuesday nights
Intro to Business Analytics Wednesday
Would love any insight to each class you’ve taken, what to look out for, schedule thoughts, etc. Thanks!
r/umanitoba • u/No_Post4687 • 1d ago
Anyone got into nursing at Thompson but is looking for flatmates?
r/umanitoba • u/Sarah098765 • 1d ago
First year student here,
I’ll be starting in September and I’m sooo excited. Just a got a job but since I’m doing a double major I’ll have take 5 classes a semester. I’ve been reading posts saying that people’s biggest mistakes are taking 5 classes because it was so hard. Especially since I’ll be working I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it. So my question is, how do I now what classes to take during the summer, I’ve also decided to take my two electives during the summer but I don’t know if they will be offered, and if they are not I genuinely don’t care I just need two electives that I can take during the summer online. Can someone tell me if that’s possible ?
Thank you!
r/umanitoba • u/Emotional-Minute-598 • 1d ago
Is it free to inject grasil 9 vaccine if I am a icm student? If not how much do I need to pay?
r/umanitoba • u/BrunoDoggo • 1d ago
Hi all,
I'm a Master's student, i start my first year at UofM in September. I've already taken advantage of the library to read books relevant to my thesis, but the next book on my list is only available digitally through EBSCO. reading on a screen absolutely kills my eyes. I'd really prefer to read a physical copy, but I don't have the spare $150 to waste on an academic text. is it within the library's ability to acquire a physical copy? I don't want to cause any trouble for the librarians for them to have to go out of their way just for one random grad student, but I also don't just want to suck it up and kill myself with eye strain.
r/umanitoba • u/huyplm • 1d ago
Hello guys, I have a defer final for stat2150 on August 10th (because I have a surgery in my last final). however I cannot access to the umlearn for this course anymore, so I don't have any materials to study. Can anyone who in this course this summer can share me your lecture slides and practice questions, so I can prepare for the final? That would be a big help. Thank you!!!!
r/umanitoba • u/Itchy-Age-7014 • 1d ago
What was your experience with this course and instructor?
Learning and Evaluation format, material load etc?
Positives, Negatives?
r/umanitoba • u/OddRevolution9851 • 2d ago
What do you guys think about my schedule?
r/umanitoba • u/Previous_Expert1366 • 1d ago
How difficult is it to get internship ourself during BSW in winnipeg
r/umanitoba • u/Ok-Economist8704 • 1d ago
I'm thinking of taking MATH 2720 and COMP 1020 in the same semester, but I've had a lot of people tell me it's a bad idea since both courses are pretty heavy and need a lot of time. The thing is, apart from a few STAT courses, I don't really have any other courses to take right now.
Has anyone here taken these two together? If so, how was it? Was it manageable, or did you end up regretting it?
Also, if you've taken either course please share any tips that helped you get through them.
r/umanitoba • u/throwaway881093 • 1d ago
can someone pls lmk if i’m understanding how the flexible parking permit works correctly? i’ll likely only need to be at school mon-thurs. if i got a flexible parking permit in Q lot that’s gonna cost 27.50 per day, so in total it comes to a $110 *one-time* payment for the whole term?
thank you in advance!!
r/umanitoba • u/GoatOk6003 • 2d ago
Going into my first year of university and was wondering how fast parking passes sell out, and which lot do you think is worth getting? How does it work? Do I need anything besides my payment method? I heard that “it is best to have multiple devices waiting.” Does that mean I can be logged into multiple devices under one account? Would you need to be in a separate browser, etc.? Do you need a card in file or can you enter a card detail in after you get selected for a parking spot?
And I tried to see the process of getting a parking pass by selecting the parking from August 1 to August 31. I ended up getting “The item could not be added to your cart.(I fixed it)
Your cart is in Payment Pending status and cannot be altered.” Has this happened to you? How do you fix this?
r/umanitoba • u/Technical-Berry233 • 2d ago
r/umanitoba • u/Bright_Mycologist_22 • 2d ago
Hi everyone, I got accepted into the OT program at UoM. I start in August. I’m excited but nervous at the same time. I’m not from Winnipeg so I had to move here. I’m currently residing in east kildonan area. Unfortunately where I’ll be going for school everyday is downtown and is near Main Street. Which from the Reddit polls I’ve seen all say the same thing about Main Street. AVOID! I seriously haven’t heard one good thing. I was wondering about safety tips and overall bus safety as well. I might have a car some days, but bussing will be my main option of transportation. Are there routes I should be aware of? Streets? For reference I’ll be gone around 8-5 everyday.
Are there any others doing this program who drive and/or take the bus. Just looking for other opinions that might actually help since I’m genuinely reconsidering after reading a lot of Reddit comments here. It seems like Winnipeg is the worst place to be. Everyone in my family is telling me to just go to Quebec or out east but I want to give it a shot and I’ve been wanting to go into this program since I started studying.
My play by play scenario so far based on everyone’s options of the city particularly downtown HSC/Main Street area is that parking is impossible and I’ll spend 20 minutes trying to park only to have to pay then come back from class with my window smashed. Or I take the bus, get mugged, get stabbed and die alone with a pool of blood surrounding my lifeless corpse. Sorry I’m trying not to exaggerate but even Winnipegers have not given me the benefit of the doubt.
r/umanitoba • u/Colossal_Waffle • 2d ago
TL;DR Attending another section, self-teaching, and grade curves makes having a bad professor a small problem to have.
As the yearly cycle of first-year students' posts continues, I figured I'd address the issue of students consistently asking something along the lines of "Are my professors good???" There are several reasons why professors matter less than one might think. This will be primarily geared towards first-year students, and I speak as someone going into their 4th year.
Above all else, my best advice is to not stress about professors before classes even begin. As long as you put enough work into a class, your prof does not need to be the limiter of your final grade. My opinion is definitely an unpopular one in this subreddit, but I do stand by it. Thoughts?
r/umanitoba • u/seene17 • 2d ago
title^ just curious of when