Academic Advice

Academic advice

University is an exciting and rewarding journey that requires planning, adaptability, and a proactive approach. Success in your studies goes beyond attending lectures鈥攊t involves developing strong study habits, managing your time effectively, and seeking help when needed. Regularly reviewing course materials, engaging with instructors and classmates, and making use of campus resources can all contribute to a positive academic experience.

One of the resources available to you is academic advising. Your degree and program advisors can help you navigate university academics and address any challenges that may arise. The advising relationship is a partnership with shared responsibilities. Academic advisors provide guidance to students, helping them make informed academic choices in light of their learning, career, and life goals. Advisors assist with course selection, understanding degree and program requirements, interpreting university policies, and identifying available resources.

Students play an active role in this partnership. You are expected to engage with your advisors, take responsibility for understanding your requirements, and familiarize yourself with university regulations and deadlines. While advisors are here to help, you are ultimately responsible for making decisions about your academic path. Taking advantage of the information available through university offices, services, and websites will help you stay informed and prepared.

Making the most of your advising appointment

To ensure you get the best support from your advisors, consider the following:

Reach out to the right place 鈥� While advisors are happy to refer you if you鈥檙e unsure where to go, you鈥檒l get answers faster if you contact the correct office directly. This webpage identifies the office to contact for various advising issues and services.
Plan ahead 鈥� Avoid waiting until the last minute before important deadlines (e.g., course add/drop, graduation review period) when advising demand is high.
Come prepared 鈥� Review your degree or program requirements and bring a list of questions.
Take notes 鈥� Write down key advice and next steps during your appointment to ensure you follow through on recommendations.
Be open and honest 鈥� Share any academic challenges or concerns so your advisor can provide relevant support and guidance.
Understand the role of advisors 鈥� Your advisors are here to support you academically, but they are not licensed counselors and cannot provide professional mental health services. If you are struggling with personal or emotional challenges, they can help connect you to appropriate support services. In an emergency, consult this list of emergency support services.
Use university resources 鈥� Many questions can be answered through university websites and the Course Catalogue. Checking these in advance can make your advising session more productive.
Follow up 鈥� If you need additional clarification or encounter new challenges, don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out again or explore other support services.

Advisors are here to support you, but taking an active role in your academic planning will help you make informed decisions and get the most out of your university experience.

Self-assessment

Self assessment is a critical component of academic success. External factors are often the root of academic problems, but they are not always a direct cause of poor grades. Rather, it is often the decisions made in dealing with various problems that can have a direct effect on your grades. You have a great deal of control over your academic success.

For example, you may describe your academic performance this way: "Being ill with mono all term, I was forced to miss classes. I decided to keep all of my courses because I didn't want to fall behind, and I wrote all of my finals even though I was tired all of the time. Having mono is why I got poor grades."

This differs from: "I was ill with mono all term and I knew I couldn't carry a full load. I should have withdrawn from some of my classes, but I didn't want to fall behind. I made a mistake believing I could write all of my finals when I was still sick. My decision to keep a full course load when I was tired all of the time resulted in poor grades."

To assess your own academic performance, look at the categories below and pinpoint which one applies to your situation. You may find that more than one category applies, and a combination of factors reflects your situation. When you read the questions, take note of any that you can answer with a "yes". This list is not comprehensive, so your own list may include factors not described here.

External factors

Did you have financial problems?
Did you have too many extra-curricular activities?
Did you do too much socializing?
Did you have a job outside school?

Academic factors

Was your course load too heavy?
Were you unaware of university policies, procedures & resources?
Did you not study enough?
Did you fail to go to lectures, conferences or tutorials?
Did you lack a proper environment for studying?
Were you unable or unwilling to identify weaknesses in your study skills?
Did you lack organizational or time management skills?

Personal factors

Were you not ready for school (unmotivated)?
Were you here only for your parents?
Were you unhappy with your program or faculty?
Did you feel you didn't "belong" at school?
Were you bored?
Did you experience test anxiety?
Were you struggle to handle stress?
Did you have language difficulties?
Did you suffer from isolation or loneliness?
Were you ill?
Did you experience personal problems?
Were you unable to evaluate the effect of your problems on your school work?
Did you fail to take the initiative in seeking help for your problems?

听

Think about the items you have listed. Then, in a few sentences, describe how the choices you made or the actions you took (or did not take) affected your academic performance. Be honest with yourself: were the factors that affected you beyond your control, or could you have done things differently? The answer to this question is key to identifying the steps and actions needed to improve your academic performance in future terms.

After having evaluated the factors that affected you, and examining your choices and your actions, make a list of concrete steps you plan to take to overcome your academic difficulties. Your plan might include some of the following suggestions:

Reduce your course load, the hours you spend at your job or at extracurricular activities.
Learn time management techniques.
Learn to be more proactive when assessing your progress in school (e.g., talk to professors, T.A.s, other students; don't be afraid to ask questions).
Learn how to evaluate courses in order to make appropriate, timely academic decisions (e.g.,听before听the withdrawal deadline, ask yourself key questions like "do I understand the material", and "am I keeping up with the work").
Familiarize yourself with university rules and deadlines (it may be boring, but it's important).
Participate in study skills workshops, hire a tutor, form study groups with other students, or find useful self-help and study skills information at the library or online.
Take advantage of resources available on campus to help you when you have health or personal problems, or to advise you on academic matters.
Learn to recognize your limits and what is realistic for you to accomplish given your particular circumstances, talents and skills.

If, after working through this exercise, you still have unanswered questions, please consult your degree and/or program advisor for academic questions, or consult the appropriate support service for questions concerning medical, personal or financial problems.

Failing a course

If you fail a course, you may wish to consult with a degree or program advisor to discuss your options. Depending on the type of course (required or elective course), the grade ("D", a conditional pass, or "F"), your performance in your other courses, and the circumstances for the failure, there are three options:

Repeat the course;
Substitute another course for the one you took;
Apply to write a听supplemental examination.

If you fail a required course, you should consult an advisor about modifying your course choice. You should expect that taking Calculus II when you have failed Calculus I, for example, will only result in another failure.

Regardless of whether a course is a required, complementary or an elective course, a grade of "D" is a conditional pass and will only earn you credit as an elective course. Program requirements or prerequisite courses including basic science courses in the Science Foundation program, or the core courses in the Arts Foundation program, must be passed with a "C" or better. Before proceeding to the next level, you must repeat required or prerequisite courses in which you received a grade of less than "C", or you may choose to take a听supplemental examination. You can generally replace complementary courses with other optional courses. If you fail an elective course, you replace it with a different elective course

If you repeat a course for which you have already earned a grade of "D", you will receive credits for the course only once.

Supplemental exam aren鈥檛 always appropriate to your academic situation, and in some instances may actually hinder your degree progression. You should apply for a supplemental examination only under the following conditions: your GPA is 2.50 or better; you have reduced your course load for the winter-term, or do not have a heavy summer schedule; you know the material well and will have little trouble studying for the supplemental on your own.

Review the information on the Exams website, and meet with a degree advisor if you wish to discuss your options. Note that there are no Supplemental Exams offered for Summer courses.

Illness during a course or exam

Missed assignments

If, due to illness, you have missed assignments or mid-term examinations,听contact听your professor and try to make alternative arrangements. At the start of the term, you were provided with a course outline for each of your courses which should be available to you on myCourses. The course outline provides you with the method of assessment for the course, information on how to contact your course instructor as well as information on late submissions and/or acceptable circumstances for extensions. You should听be prepared to provide听medical documentation if you are requesting special accommodations. Examinations for multi-term ("D1/D2" courses)听courses during the Fall semester听final examination period in December are treated as mid-terms and alternative arrangements must be made with the professor.

If you have fallen too far behind to catch up in a course, you should meet with a degree advisor to discuss your options. Depending on your situation, you may be able to request a late course withdrawal, an exam deferral or an extension on your coursework.听 An advisor can help you听go through all the possibilities, find the best solution based on your circumstances and听figure out what the steps involved would be.听 As a B.Sc. or B.A. & Sc. student, all requests for late course withdrawals and deferred exams are handled by Service Point.

Missed final exam

If you have missed a final examination (one that is on the Final Exam Schedule and held during the final exam period), you can request听permission from Service Point to write a deferred exam. Service Point reviews and makes decisions on deferred exam requests - degree and program advisors have no authority over these decisions. Depending on the circumstances, medical documentation may be required to support your request. You can find details on the deferred exam policy here. If the missed final examination is a take-home exam that appears on the Final Exam Schedule, you will need to apply for a on Minerva. If it is approved, you must contact the professor to agree on a time frame and deadline to submit the take-home exam.

Illness during an exam

It is assumed that upon entering the exam room, it is your intent to complete the exam. It is your personal responsibility to judge your own state of health before entering the exam room to assess whether you are able to undertake the exam. If you attend your exam, you are no longer eligible to defer it, except under some exceptional cases of unforeseeable medical emergencies. In most cases, once you have started a final exam, no accommodations for an alternate exam will be provided. Note that requests based on minor illnesses (e.g. nausea, headache, dizziness, etc.) will not be approved.

If you unexpectedly become ill during your final exam and cannot complete it, you must report this to the exam invigilator. The invigilator will file an incident report, and direct you to an onsite health practitioner for initial evaluation. You should also contact your degree advisor to inform them of this incident and they will advise you of your options, which may include requesting a deferred exam. Note that except in exceptional extenuating circumstances,听once you have started a final exam, no accommodations for an alternate exam will be approved.

In cases of incidental illness (e.g., a cold, cramps, nausea, etc.) that affected your study time leading up to the exam, but where you recovered on the day of your exam, you are expected to write your exam, and a deferral will not be granted.

You can find details on the official听Exam Regulations听here, under "Illness during examinations."

If you complete the examination normally听or simply walk out of the examination without notifying anyone of your situation, the grade you receive will remain on your record and cannot be changed.听 You should not begin an exam if you are too ill to complete it.

不良研究所

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