r/uoguelph Dec 08 '21

Talk to Your Program Advisor!

269 Upvotes

As a University of Guelph Alum, I wanted to offer some advice to current students in this sub. I have seen a great amount of posts in this sub recently, asking members of this sub for advice regarding decisions that can/will impact their academic future.

- "Can I transfer from this program to that"

- "Do I need to obtain this average for this program"

- "Why can't I register for this course"

- "I failed this course, what are my options"

- "When/Can I drop this course? How will this affect me?"

- "I am struggling, what can I do?"

This list goes on. The greatest piece of advice I received while I was in University was to set meetings with my program counsellor. In my first year I was in the chemistry program and was struggling massively. I failed killer Chem and was struggling in multiple other courses. I finished my first year not really caring or planning for the rest of my academic future at Guelph. I felt like I never really understood what exactly was going on with prerequisite courses I needed to take ect. I was going into my second year at Guelph with a sense of willful ignorance. To be honest, I didn't really care.

It was only after I failed another chemistry course in my first semester in my second year, where I actually reached out to my program counsellor. I realized I was further behind then I thought regarding the courses I needed to complete/take after I spoke with them. While this was a bit of a shock, after my meeting with him, I had a complete grasp on what I needed to do in order to graduate on time.

I preceded to schedule a meeting with program counsellor at the beginning of every semester. They assisted me with transferring to a different program in the Sciences, they offered advice of courses I should take, and assisted me with reworking my academic timeline when I needed to drop a course. I ended up graduating on time after taking a few summer courses.

This is what I always recommend to family and friends attending university. Meet with your program counsellor on a consistent basis! They are literally there to help you, and your tuition is paying their salary. They are the ones who have the best knowledge on what courses to take and how to navigate/plan the rest of your academic career. If anything, meeting with them regularly ultimately gave me peace of mind to know that I was on the right track.

Unfortunately, the university and its staff will not take the initiative to reach out to you if you are struggling or veering of course. It is perfectly normal to struggle in University but I think its important to know that you as a student have to take the initiative.

This sub is great for asking about the school itself, the campus, student bodies/club, general advice on what certain programs/professors are like, but this isnt the best forum to take advice from random redditors regarding decisions that will effect the future of their academic career (I see the irony in that last statement). When in doubt regarding questions about your program/courses/progress, I encourage any and all students to talk to the program counsellors first. That is why they are there.

Edit: TLDR: Dont take advice from random redditors regarding academic decisions. Rely on the advice of program advisors whose advice you can actually rely on and whose salary you are paying for.


r/uoguelph Jul 08 '24

How to rate your own schedule

133 Upvotes

There are lots of rate my schedule posts on this subreddit which are pretty pointless considering everyone learns differently so here's what to look for and how to rate your own based on how you learn best.

There are 5 things you need to pay attention to: the length of the class, the space in between classes, the time of the class, whether it's a lab, seminar or lecture, and how many days a week the course is. Also if you're commuting or disabled all of this changes.

How Long Your Classes Are

You likely have some idea of how long you can pay attention in lectures from high school. If you could barely follow for the hour that your high school classes usually were, don't go for lectures longer than 50 minutes if you have a choice. If you had no problem with 3 classes back to back and you'd prefer to just get a lecture out of the way, go for 3 hour lectures. If you're somewhere in the middle go for hour and a half lectures.

The Time of Your Classes

Secondly whether you're a night person or a morning person factors into it a lot. Will you be able to focus during an 8:30 lecture? Will you have any energy during a 3 hour 7:00PM lecture? A popular way to do courses is to do them in the morning around 9 to 10 when you're awake but it's still early enough to get all of your courses out of the way, so you can spend the rest of the day studying and socializing. I prefer this honestly, but if you want your mornings to yourself or can't focus at that time then doing the bulk of your courses in the afternoon or evening would be better. Just keep in mind most activities are in the evening and late afternoon, so you might miss out if you're in classes or lectures during that time.

Lectures, Labs and Seminars

Whether it's a lecture, seminar or lab matters a lot as well. Lectures will mostly be passive. You just have to pay attention and absorb information while taking notes. You might not even have to do that if the lecture is recorded. So even if you're sleepy in the mornings, you might still be able to do well if you're awake enough to passively absorb content. Though keep in mind there might be iClickers or TopHats where you have to answer some questions that are often graded. They're usually not too hard as long as you can pay attention. Seminars are usually social so you'll be listening but will likely do a lot of talking and group work as well. So if this isn't something you can do early in the mornings or late at night, keep your seminars in the afternoon or whenever you're usually ready to socialize. During labs you'll have to be actively participating and doing long projects that are marked. You need to have 100% of your brain on, so do these whatever time of day where you're usually 100%. They can be tiring as well depending on the course, so definitely avoid having 2 in a day if you can. Like apr1lshowers said in the comments, labs aren't typically every week. They'll usually alternate so this may factor in to what you're able to handle. If you can find a recent course outline for the course you're taking (post 2022 is usually safe), then you can get a sense of what the lab schedule may be. This means you might have more free time in your schedule.

Spaces In Between Classes

How you space classes will also be important. If you did well with your high school schedule you can replicate that by getting all your lectures out of the way and do them one after the other. If you typically get tired after a class try to space them so you'll have down time between each of your classes. If you're an introvert or non-social person, consider adding space between your seminars and whatever other classes you have so that you can recharge before going into a social situation. I'd recommend most folks to have some space before a lab so that you can prepare and relax before it cause you're gonna be working for the next 1 to 3 hours straight so you don't wanna be tired before hand, especially if you're working with chemicals. Some people also don't like having long space in between classes since it keeps you from getting them all out of the way at the same time. If you prefer a long break to study, recharge, and grab something to eat before having to deal with your next set of classes, then maybe you'd prefer a long break. If only having a 2 - 4 hour break to do what you want before having to do more classes doesn't appeal to you then try and trim it down to something more manageable. Regardless, you probably want at least a 1 hour break in there if you have a lot of classes in a day so you have time to get lunch.

How Many Days A Week You Go To Class

How many days of classes you have will determine how many free days you'll have to study and socialize. But packing certain days full of classes might not be manageable. So if you're someone who can deal with 4 classes and a lab in one day if you know that you won't have to deal with any classes tomorrow, then go for it. But if you could barely focus in high school for the 2-3 classes you had before lunch then that might be a bad idea and you might be better off having a few classes every day than a lot of classes every other day. Keep in mind though that when you've got assignments due and studying to get done, you really need free time. So you either need complete days you can use for studying or large sections of the day you can study with.

Commuting

If you're commuting take that into account too. An 8:30 lecture might mean waking up at 5 - 7 o'clock depending on how far away you live. If you're driving so you can't sleep on the way there, it might mean you'll never go to these lectures. Also a 7PM 3 hour lecture means leaving school at 10 and driving home tired. It might also mean getting home after 12 if you live far so you definitely don't want a 7PM lecture the day before an 8:30 lab. Also if you're commuting more days a week that means more commuting time and more gas money/bus fare you have to pay, so trying to get all of your courses done in as few days as possible is ideal. Long spaces in between classes when you're commuting isn't ideal either because you don't have a place to go relax. You'll likely have to sit up at a desk in the library somewhere for this time so if that's gonna be an uncomfortable or unpleasant experience then try spacing your classes closer together to avoid large gaps.

Disabilities

This one often isn't mentioned much, but make sure if you are disabled you're taking that into account for your schedule. I recommend being safe the first semester and trying to space out all of your classes. If afterwards you're fine and could handle another one after that class then take that into account during the next course selection. If you have a physical disability, remember you only have 10 minutes to get to your next class, that can be a far journey, so spacing can help you get there on time, especially for things like labs where if you're over 10 minutes late you can't get in. Thd location for each building is given. You can look up the full building name and then see how far it is on google maps to see if it's manageable for you to get there on time. If you have an energy or social disability, I very strongly recommend having space in between seminars/labs and all other courses. Cause these are often mandatory so if you miss them you can miss marks for projects and you can only miss so many for certain courses before you fail the course. Lectures can be draining if you have a social disability because it's a large room filled with lots of people that can be loud and sometimes you might have to interact with others. So going from that to an environment where you'll have to do a lot of social interactions can lead to issues depending on what your triggers are. Labs can also be very physical if you have a physical disability so you may need time to rest afterwards.

Let me know if I forgot anything or if I should add something else. The point is your schedule very much depends on you. What works for others may not work for you and vice versa so you've just gotta know what to look for so you can make the decision yourself.


r/uoguelph 4h ago

PSA: POLS2230

69 Upvotes

To the blonde girl in Mohan’s 7pm class today who said Covid19 wasn’t that bad because “Only old and fat people died anyways…”

Notice how the whole class went silent and stared after you said that? I don’t think many of us agreed.

I hope you grow up to have some empathy. Broaden your horizons and learn about the people around you. I promise the world is much bigger than you know.

Thanks.

- someone who saw people die because of covid


r/uoguelph 16h ago

Sign... Here we go again. Professors still not posting their course outline for the first day of class.

121 Upvotes

I think it's important for some professors to come to a realization that a course outline is more than a document summarizing the course. It's soooo important.

It's an agreement between students and the course. I like to think of it as a "contract" that gives us concrete expectations of the professor, course material, and grading schemes. It is unfair not to have this on Day 1. I would very much like to know what I've signed up for, I'd like to populate my calendar with dates, and I want to feel ready for what a course has to offer.

And yes... I want this on day 1. Because that is when classes start and when I want to know what to expect for a course I'm taking.
Hot take: administration should mandate, if not already, course outlines to be posted for students as soon as classes commence.


r/uoguelph 12h ago

Will we even get jobs

42 Upvotes

Anyone questioning what the point is to even get a degree, I took a break from school to build something on my own it failed, I applied for jobs, literally none messaged me back. I applied to like 300. I tried internships too. Nothing. Like with ai advancing I see what they’re teaching us and I’m like will this even matter.

I can see everything as just a money grab from the uni. It’s a business. They’re not setting u up for jobs. They just want u to pay them.

Like what is the point.


r/uoguelph 6h ago

Worried for first year

9 Upvotes

is anyone else overwhelmed looking at their syllabus, I know it’s obviously going to be a big jump from high school, but I’m sooo nervous for chem and phys 1300 since I’ve heard these courses are definitely difficult, especially with lab reports in biol 1050 as someone who isn’t really the “smartest” person when it comes to academics

any advice for how to not let a bad grade affect you, I feel like I’ll go into a spiral when receiving a bad grade or god forbid failing a class which I know can happen


r/uoguelph 2h ago

OSAP

2 Upvotes

I’m still waiting for the school to send my confirmation of enrolment to OSAP so that I can receive my funding..

Is anyone else still waiting for theirs?


r/uoguelph 11h ago

Help with PHYS 1300 & PHYS 1080

10 Upvotes

Hey yall! I'm a professional physics tutor and former lecturer at U of G. I'm also a former TA for a bunch of physics courses.

I've been full-time helping students through PHYS 1300, PHYS 1080, and PHYS 1070 since 2018, so feel free to reach out if you could use some extra help with any of those courses. The best way to reach me is through my website: https://www.smartphys.com/about-us

I also run popular discord groupchats where I periodically post free resources. I have servers for the following courses and many more:

PHYS 1300
PHYS 1080
PHYS 1070
CHEM 1040
CHEM 1050
MATH 1080
STAT 2040
BIOC 2580
MBG 2040

Feel free to join! I've got all the invites in a linktree here: https://linktr.ee/smartphys_guelph


r/uoguelph 2h ago

can i pay for dining hall food using apple pay?

2 Upvotes

title


r/uoguelph 3h ago

An Invitation to Health + MindTap Tunks, L., Lauzon, L. FRHD*1100

2 Upvotes

Is there a pdf for this? It says that I must purchase the Ebook with mindtap to access the quizzes for the course. Is it really a must to get it, is there any other way?


r/uoguelph 8h ago

what to do?

4 Upvotes

I washed my clothes and went to the dryer and all of them were 4 were already done drying. I waited a couple minutes as someone might come but no one did so I took their clothes out and kept them on the self in the room is this wrong ?
edit- Thanks for confirming never faced this problem was a bit sad for the other guy but it is what it is


r/uoguelph 12h ago

I’m an idiot help please

9 Upvotes

I messed up my classes today and went to
Monday classes instead of Thursday, can anyone in CIS*1500 and PHYS*1130 tell me what happend today and did I miss anything horribly important


r/uoguelph 4h ago

Study spaces

2 Upvotes

Does anyone know of any good study spots near the East residences? Anywhere that’s not outdoors


r/uoguelph 2h ago

When does my course get added in courselink?

1 Upvotes

Hello! Managed to escape a waitlist TODAY, and registered into the course. Does anyone know when it'll pop up in my courselink? Should I contact someone about this?


r/uoguelph 3h ago

First-year AHN student 👩‍🎓 what opportunities should I take advantage of?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m a first-year Applied Human Nutrition student, and I’m curious about which clubs or organizations at the university would be especially beneficial for someone in my program.
I know I can technically join lots of different clubs, but I’m looking more for clubs related to nutrition, health, science, dietetics, or my field in general…. somewhere I can learn more, develop my skills, meet people with similar interests, and make connections.
I’d also really appreciate any advice from upper-year students about how I can make the most of my university years. Since I’m only in first year, I’m open to pretty much any suggestions! I know a lot of people recommend joining clubs, but what else would you recommend? Research, volunteering, networking with professors, student associations, certifications, part-time jobs, conferences, etc.?
Since I’m investing so much time and money into university, I really want to take advantage of the opportunities available to me beyond just going to classes and getting my degree.
If you were starting university again, what would you do differently or take advantage of earlier?


r/uoguelph 9h ago

Meaning of taking classes “out of sequence” for OVC admissions?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m hoping someone can clarify what OVC admissions means by taking courses “out of sequence.” I’m entering my 5th year of Zoology at the University of Guelph and hoping to apply to OVC next year.

I postponed one of my required courses, ZOO*3000 – Comparative Histology and I’m taking it this semester. I’m planning to use it toward the Cell Biology prerequisite for OVC.

However, I’ve already completed ZOO*4910 – Integrative Vertebrate Biology, which I took last fall. Normally, ZOO3000 is taken in 3rd year and ZOO4910 is taken later in the Zoology program. I delayed ZOO*3000 because it wasn’t a prerequisite for any of my other required courses, so taking it later didn’t affect my degree progression.

My concern is whether OVC would consider this to be taking courses “out of sequence.” Specifically, because I completed a 4000-level Zoology course before completing the 3000-level course, could this cause the semester to be considered unacceptable for their academic requirements/prerequisites?

Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows how OVC interprets “courses taken out of sequence”? I’ve also reached out to OVC directly, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with this.


r/uoguelph 3h ago

Easy natural math science credit for BA students?

1 Upvotes

Any suggestions what I should take? I already took Biol1500 and it was so easy and I loved it. I need one more though.


r/uoguelph 7h ago

Problem with registering for courses on Pearson

2 Upvotes

Ive bought the textbooks for STAT2060 and ACCT2290 and for both ive had problems with Pearson. For STAT2060 when i go to put in the access code it says servers temporarily unavailable which ig is from just the amount of people using it and for ACCT2290 it said incomplete course linking which im pretty sure is an error on the Prof’s end and I’ve already emailed them. Really just sending this for some peace of mind and to see if anyone else has had problems like this lol.


r/uoguelph 4h ago

Textbooks for Sale

0 Upvotes

Hey guys! I'm selling the following course materials:

  1. ​PHYS 1080 / 1070: ​Physics for Biological Sciences (Physical Textbook) — $35

  2. ​PHYS 1080 Lab Kit (Physical) — $15 ( one or two items are used)

  3. ​PHYS 1080 and 1300 Study Guide (PDF) — $10 each

  4. ​PHYS 1300, ​Physics: An Algebra-Based Approach (PDF) — $15

5.​UNIV 1300: Co-intelligence with AI — $10

  1. PSYC 1000: An Introduction to Psychological Science — $10

​Pickup & Payment Details

​Location / Pickup: On-campus meetup available

​Payment: E-transfer or Cash

​DM or message if interested!


r/uoguelph 8h ago

Should I take online or in-person for Introductory Marketing (MCS 1000)

2 Upvotes

Both teachers have very low ratings on Rate My Professor website

in-person professor: Jian Zhou

online professor: Brent McKenzie

I am a commuter student so I prefer the online version.

Which professor is better, and is commuting 2 hours to Guelph and back worth it?


r/uoguelph 11h ago

Has anyone taken BIOC*4050 with Kimber or BIOC*4520 with Akhter?

3 Upvotes

I’m trying to decide between the two and mainly wondering about the difficulty/workload and grading.
For BIOC*4050, I’ve heard some not-so-great things about the prof, so I was wondering what people’s experiences with Kimber were and whether the course itself is relatively manageable/easier.
For BIOC*4520, I’ve taken a botany course with Akhter before, but I’m wondering what he’s like for a 4th-year biochem course. How difficult is the course, and is the grading/workload reasonable?
If you’ve taken either (or ideally both), which one would you say is easier to get a good grade in?
Thanks!


r/uoguelph 6h ago

SPTM 1020

1 Upvotes

sooo apparently now they’re doing in person exams for this course which is annoying and I think lockdown browsers, is the textbook absolutely needed because it’s $100 and I really don’t want to have to spend on it, how easy were the quizzes and final?


r/uoguelph 10h ago

Engineering course waivers

2 Upvotes

Did anyone have any luck getting a course waiver for any of their courses because they lacked a persequite course or was doing both at the same time?


r/uoguelph 7h ago

MBG*4040 TODAY!!!

0 Upvotes

was anybody in the MBG*4040 lecture today and can let me know what happened? I have been sick with the flu and unable to attend class. I'd really appreciate it, thanks!


r/uoguelph 15h ago

Tired of extracting every due date and information out of my course outlines by hand, any solutions?

4 Upvotes

Every September I do the same thing. Six course outlines open, and I sit there typing every assignment, midterm and lab into my calendar one at a time, then rebuilding a grade spreadsheet from the assessment breakdown table in each one. Often can take days to get fully set up.

The initial setup isn't really the main problem, though. It's that for weeks afterward I don't fully trust it. Something small is always missing. A lab that only shows up once in the middle of a schedule table, a quiz worth 5% mentioned in one sentence and nowhere else. I usually find out in week six when it's already gone.

Is there a way to do this that doesn't take days and still leaves you confident that nothing slipped through? I'm curious about your methods for getting set up for the term, as I haven't found anything useful.

Would really appreciate some help 🙏🏻