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Transfering from Western to U of T


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Hey,

I read many posts about people transferring out of U of T to raise their grades, but I'm curious if anyone actually transfered to U of T from an easier school, and what their experience was like?

 

Basically I finished one year at western science with ok grades (91%, 3.9- GPA) but I absolutely hated every second of it, and the thought of coming back to london for the next three years is anything but appealing. Educationwise western seemed to me a big letdown - my last years of high-school were more challenging, and the mistakes made in school were on tricky concepts as opposed to random multiple choice questions I had in first year. When I went back to Toronto for reading week I felt really guilty when all my friends at U of T were studying harder than I had the whole year, and I was doing nothing and had nothing to do... I can't say that I learned much in first year, apart from random cocktail party facts.

I also came to realize that I'm not a good match for western - it is a very social school and I'm not a very social person. I'm not antisocial, but I'm also can't make friends out of strangers instantly, and sometimes it's kind of hard to get along with everyone. I tried joining clubs, even made a varsity team, (which I quit eventually because I wasn't very good and didn't connect with the team), but the whole time I felt like I was trying to be someone I wasn't.

I didn't like london either and couldn't find anything to do there (except for the richmond row bar scene... which isn't for me).

 

So basically this post has two points:

- Encourage people to think twice before skipping on U of T for an easier school (oddly enough many of the profs I've liked at western did their undergrad at U of T, and I would say ALL profs have lots of respect for this school.)

- Get some feedback on what it would be like to transfer to U of T. (i.e. will I have to take a fifth year, do I have a chance of getting U of T equivalency for second-year courses, will I be unprepared relative to U of T students, anything else I am missing?) I think I missed the deadline for this year, but can still transfer after second year.

 

Sorry for the long post!

 

P.S. I went to Western because my teachers said U of T kills and because one of my teachers was obsessed with UWO and said it was a great school (and because I wanted to drink lots and party, etc.)

P.P.S. I'm having BIG doubts about med school so a low GPA at U of T probably isn't a problem.

 

Thanks!

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Sorry you didn't enjoy your experience at Western. What residence were you in? I'm not a major "party social person" either, and I've never had any problem meeting like-minded people, or getting along with different-minded people. I find most students here really friendly, although there are some idiots (likely there are at every school).

 

I too found first year somewhat un-challenging (except Calculus *shudders*) since I went to a very good high school. It did get harder after that though.

 

I'm sorry I can't give you any advice about U of T, I don't know much about that school, but I'd say if you really don't want to go back to Western, you shouldn't. Its important to be happy where you're studying.

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i have to agree with Sheena815, you shouldn't be studying anywhere you don't feel comfortable.. if you really feel like western isn't a good fit for you, then you should try to go somewhere else.

 

with that being said, i'm in my fourth year here at u of t and i have to say that i LOVE it - i'm lucky in that my program is very small (about 40 people) so we're very tight knit and tend to hang out a lot outside of academia-related events.. but with that being said, it's a huge school so there definitely isn't the pressure to instantly become friends with people you meet, or even be a very social person unless you want to (in response to your comment about not being a very social person) - furthermore, if you had said that you were dead set on becoming a doctor i would have warned you abotu coming to u of t because we DO have a very strict grading system and extremely high standards for what is considered at A; but if you want to open up your mind to possible NON-MEDICAL related careers in the future then u of t is the place to be.. we are affiliated with many hospitals (and consequently research centres) where you will get tons of experience in both wet and dry lab research.

 

if you truly have your heart set on coming here, and are willing to accept the fact that you might not be able to maintain a 3.9 (FYI - that's amazing here at u of t, so i wouldn't walk around calling them 'okay grades' unless you want to get beat up lol) then totally transfer!

 

ps.it's TORONTO... we're basically the best city in canada :) why WOULDN'T you want to live here!!

hope it helps!!

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I didn't go to UWO, but from what I hear it's a fairly spirited institution. It sounds like you're looking for greater academic vigour. I too found first year fairly easy. As you progress through undergrad, the courses you take tend to specialize and become more challenging. I personally wouldn't worry about it too much.

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So let me make sure I have this correct:

 

You have a great GPA and your classes aren't overly difficult, yet you feel the need to FIX these "problems" by going into a program that your friends are getting destroyed in?

 

Okay! Sounds great, champ. Good luck with that.

 

Some real advice? If you're unhappy because you don't like the school, fine, leave. If you're unhappy because you feel the need to go to a much more difficult program, to prove something to God knows who, then take a step back and stop being stupid. Getting into medicine in Canada is brutal. You may not be sure of it today, but you don't want to sabotage your efforts by losing a stellar GPA. Tomorrow, you may realize that medicine is in fact for you. You don't want to be held back by a 3.6.

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This has compelled me to reply...

 

I just finished my degree at UWO. First year is easy. But most people who find first year easy find second year much harder. Wait till you start cracking some organic chem and bio chem along with other more challenging courses.

 

I ordered a transcript the other day and it listed the mean mark for each class on the transcript. All of my second year classes had class averages in the low 70s high 60s.

 

Socially you might not be Western material, fine, I will give you that. But don't start thinking Western is some joke academically. If you work hard at Western you can earn a 90. Not so true at UofT from what I heard.

 

Let me make this crystal clear for you pal. If you "socialize" excessively after first year while attending Western I can assure you some 70s await you. Western is a party school but it is also a serious academic player in eastern Canada. Those who forget these two facts or simply can't do both are unhappy. Maybe this is you????

 

 

 

Hey,

I read many posts about people transferring out of U of T to raise their grades, but I'm curious if anyone actually transfered to U of T from an easier school, and what their experience was like?

 

Basically I finished one year at western science with ok grades (91%, 3.9- GPA) but I absolutely hated every second of it, and the thought of coming back to london for the next three years is anything but appealing. Educationwise western seemed to me a big letdown - my last years of high-school were more challenging, and the mistakes made in school were on tricky concepts as opposed to random multiple choice questions I had in first year. When I went back to Toronto for reading week I felt really guilty when all my friends at U of T were studying harder than I had the whole year, and I was doing nothing and had nothing to do... I can't say that I learned much in first year, apart from random cocktail party facts.

I also came to realize that I'm not a good match for western - it is a very social school and I'm not a very social person. I'm not antisocial, but I'm also can't make friends out of strangers instantly, and sometimes it's kind of hard to get along with everyone. I tried joining clubs, even made a varsity team, (which I quit eventually because I wasn't very good and didn't connect with the team), but the whole time I felt like I was trying to be someone I wasn't.

I didn't like london either and couldn't find anything to do there (except for the richmond row bar scene... which isn't for me).

 

So basically this post has two points:

- Encourage people to think twice before skipping on U of T for an easier school (oddly enough many of the profs I've liked at western did their undergrad at U of T, and I would say ALL profs have lots of respect for this school.)

- Get some feedback on what it would be like to transfer to U of T. (i.e. will I have to take a fifth year, do I have a chance of getting U of T equivalency for second-year courses, will I be unprepared relative to U of T students, anything else I am missing?) I think I missed the deadline for this year, but can still transfer after second year.

 

Sorry for the long post!

 

P.S. I went to Western because my teachers said U of T kills and because one of my teachers was obsessed with UWO and said it was a great school (and because I wanted to drink lots and party, etc.)

P.P.S. I'm having BIG doubts about med school so a low GPA at U of T probably isn't a problem.

 

Thanks!

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So let me make sure I have this correct:

 

You have a great GPA and your classes aren't overly difficult, yet you feel the need to FIX these "problems" by going into a program that your friends are getting destroyed in?

 

Okay! Sounds great, champ. Good luck with that.

 

Some real advice? If you're unhappy because you don't like the school, fine, leave. If you're unhappy because you feel the need to go to a much more difficult program, to prove something to God knows who, then take a step back and stop being stupid. Getting into medicine in Canada is brutal. You may not be sure of it today, but you don't want to sabotage your efforts by losing a stellar GPA. Tomorrow, you may realize that medicine is in fact for you. You don't want to be held back by a 3.6.

 

owned lol..............

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Hey.. I finished my first year at U of T doing life science. I have to agree with you that the teaching quality at U of T is very high. Most professors are very knowledgeble.

 

However, people are not kidding when it's hard over here. I am getting around 75s and that's a really good mark at this university. I am now deciding between Western Health Sci or U of T scarborough Paramedicine program. I haven't gotten accepted to those programs yet since my final marks have to come out.

 

If you want a real challenge then come to U of T. You mentioned that GPA is not as important because you are not concentrating on getting into Med school, but I have seen many people with 90s in highschool getting 60's here. Getting low marks can be very depressing sometimes..

 

 

But I ditto that U of T is a very good school when it comes to a high standard learning. I hope you make the best decision for yourself. =)

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Hey,

I read many posts about people transferring out of U of T to raise their grades, but I'm curious if anyone actually transfered to U of T from an easier school, and what their experience was like?

 

Basically I finished one year at western science with ok grades (91%, 3.9- GPA) but I absolutely hated every second of it, and the thought of coming back to london for the next three years is anything but appealing. Educationwise western seemed to me a big letdown - my last years of high-school were more challenging, and the mistakes made in school were on tricky concepts as opposed to random multiple choice questions I had in first year. When I went back to Toronto for reading week I felt really guilty when all my friends at U of T were studying harder than I had the whole year, and I was doing nothing and had nothing to do... I can't say that I learned much in first year, apart from random cocktail party facts.

I also came to realize that I'm not a good match for western - it is a very social school and I'm not a very social person. I'm not antisocial, but I'm also can't make friends out of strangers instantly, and sometimes it's kind of hard to get along with everyone. I tried joining clubs, even made a varsity team, (which I quit eventually because I wasn't very good and didn't connect with the team), but the whole time I felt like I was trying to be someone I wasn't.

I didn't like london either and couldn't find anything to do there (except for the richmond row bar scene... which isn't for me).

 

So basically this post has two points:

- Encourage people to think twice before skipping on U of T for an easier school (oddly enough many of the profs I've liked at western did their undergrad at U of T, and I would say ALL profs have lots of respect for this school.)

- Get some feedback on what it would be like to transfer to U of T. (i.e. will I have to take a fifth year, do I have a chance of getting U of T equivalency for second-year courses, will I be unprepared relative to U of T students, anything else I am missing?) I think I missed the deadline for this year, but can still transfer after second year.

 

Sorry for the long post!

 

P.S. I went to Western because my teachers said U of T kills and because one of my teachers was obsessed with UWO and said it was a great school (and because I wanted to drink lots and party, etc.)

P.P.S. I'm having BIG doubts about med school so a low GPA at U of T probably isn't a problem.

 

Thanks!

 

I just finished up my 4th year at Western in Chemistry. If you are concerned that the school is too easy it depends on what you are taking. It can be very easy if you make it that way. But I wouldn't take first year as an indication of the difficulty of the school. First year is designed to standardize all of the students coming out of high school. People have varying backgrounds so they need to even everything out. Second year is when stuff starts to really happen. If you aren't feeling challenged in second year then yes, by all means, switch schools but I can't see U of T being THAT much harder.

 

As far as your social situation. Its easier to meet people in the upper years as the class sizes get smaller.

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Hey,

I read many posts about people transferring out of U of T to raise their grades, but I'm curious if anyone actually transfered to U of T from an easier school, and what their experience was like?

 

Basically I finished one year at western science with ok grades (91%, 3.9- GPA) but I absolutely hated every second of it, and the thought of coming back to london for the next three years is anything but appealing. Educationwise western seemed to me a big letdown - my last years of high-school were more challenging, and the mistakes made in school were on tricky concepts as opposed to random multiple choice questions I had in first year. When I went back to Toronto for reading week I felt really guilty when all my friends at U of T were studying harder than I had the whole year, and I was doing nothing and had nothing to do... I can't say that I learned much in first year, apart from random cocktail party facts.

I also came to realize that I'm not a good match for western - it is a very social school and I'm not a very social person. I'm not antisocial, but I'm also can't make friends out of strangers instantly, and sometimes it's kind of hard to get along with everyone. I tried joining clubs, even made a varsity team, (which I quit eventually because I wasn't very good and didn't connect with the team), but the whole time I felt like I was trying to be someone I wasn't.

I didn't like london either and couldn't find anything to do there (except for the richmond row bar scene... which isn't for me).

 

So basically this post has two points:

- Encourage people to think twice before skipping on U of T for an easier school (oddly enough many of the profs I've liked at western did their undergrad at U of T, and I would say ALL profs have lots of respect for this school.)

- Get some feedback on what it would be like to transfer to U of T. (i.e. will I have to take a fifth year, do I have a chance of getting U of T equivalency for second-year courses, will I be unprepared relative to U of T students, anything else I am missing?) I think I missed the deadline for this year, but can still transfer after second year.

 

Sorry for the long post!

 

P.S. I went to Western because my teachers said U of T kills and because one of my teachers was obsessed with UWO and said it was a great school (and because I wanted to drink lots and party, etc.)

P.P.S. I'm having BIG doubts about med school so a low GPA at U of T probably isn't a problem.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Hold on a wee minute!! Since when is a 91%= to a 3.9 gpa, is it not a 4.0??

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Some advice:

 

Uni is mostly for the GPA that you get out of it. If you want to come to UofT just to get destroyed or challenge yourself, you should get your head examined. A big part of Uni is learning how to study independently and how to excel in the subjects beyond lecture material. This includes doing homework, doing more homework, looking at the course text and other texts, doing research online, and talking to your profs. If you get what you think are easy tests and exams, then that's great and you should be thankful! But when it comes to applying to medical schools and even graduate schools, you're not going to get a pat on the head for getting a 3.6-3.8 at UofT versus a 3.7-3.9 at Western. If you can do well in the MCAT (or GRE), are articulate, and have a presentable extracurricular history, then you're set.

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I just finished up my 4th year at Western in Chemistry. If you are concerned that the school is too easy it depends on what you are taking. It can be very easy if you make it that way. But I wouldn't take first year as an indication of the difficulty of the school. First year is designed to standardize all of the students coming out of high school. People have varying backgrounds so they need to even everything out. Second year is when stuff starts to really happen. If you aren't feeling challenged in second year then yes, by all means, switch schools but I can't see U of T being THAT much harder.

 

As far as your social situation. Its easier to meet people in the upper years as the class sizes get smaller.

 

4th year chem at Western? Who are you lol?

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sorry, but I have to disagree with the post claiming that teaching at UofT is good. I've just finished my undergrad at UT, and although I had a few amazing profs, I would say the majority were either average or poor.

 

UWO is a big enough school you should be able to find like-minded people. And as for UT, you may not realize it now, but if you come to UT, you may miss the UWO school spirit, cause UT has none.

 

A final note: in the case that finances are an issue for you, living in downtown toronto is expensive. It's a prime location, but if you're studying all the time you won't get to take much advantage of it.

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Disclaimer: I did my undergrad at U of T, and I'm finishing up my masters at U of T.

 

The underlying tone of the whole thread is to suggest that UWO is a more academically inferior school, and that U of T is a more academically superior school. I do not believe this to be true, because this comparison simply cannot be done. You can try to take numbers between schools and compare, but what is important is not the number of A's or C's each school gives out, but how you learn in that particular school. Don't get me wrong - I love U of T.

 

There is no guarantee that U of T will be the school you are thinking of right now. You can also talk to your friends, but they do not learn the same way you do nor do they take the same classes. U of T has its share of crappy MC exams.

 

Your education is in your hands. You learn what you make of it. Don't expect spoonfeeding. Challenge yourself. Go up to your profs and ask questions -- I'm sure a lot of them would love an engaging discussion. Look for opportunities in your field. Of course, if you really hate UWO and their method of teaching, then leave. But if you are coming to U of T thinking that you have to prove to yourself that you are smart and capable like how you rocked high school, then please don't. Almost everybody rocked high school one way or another. Find out more about U of T and our programs before settling in on this choice.

 

What do you want out of your undergrad? What do you want to learn? Who knows if you still want to do medicine four years down the road.

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P.S. I went to Western because my teachers said U of T kills and because one of my teachers was obsessed with UWO and said it was a great school (and because I wanted to drink lots and party, etc.)

P.P.S. I'm having BIG doubts about med school so a low GPA at U of T probably isn't a problem.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm not going to criticize you for wanting to challenge yourself, I think, unless you try new evils, you're never know how evil it really was. However, you gotta think about that dreaded question, what do you want from life?

 

If you want to go into research, I hear UT is a great choice, lots of opportunities, but also lots of competition.

But be aware that sometimes we slump into "roles" without choosing so. Ask yourself if you really want to go to UT for specific reasons or your just want to leave UWO. Then, why leave? Do you actually not fit with none of the students at UWO, or you just think you're not accepted then don't even try to meet new ppl? And, if you have little respect for your classmates, get to know them first and you may be surprised.

 

Sorry to get overly analytical but hope it helps!

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yo, no **** lol. Small world. haha :) What's up?

 

Nothing much... just trying to pas the time until the 15th... i don't have sick video games like you lol. So i;ve been basically surfing the net and chatting on forums for the past two weeks. I also wrote a poem LMAO! Did you get GTA 4?

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I believe I was in your situation. My first year at UWO was pretty easy. I was underage in Saugeen so I couldn't go out with everyone else on the floor. However, I appreciated getting good grades at a low cost (average around 92%, just like you). This gave me a bit of an academic cushion for the later years and also freed up my mind to do other things. In my 2nd year, I decided to take 3rd year courses because they were more enjoyable and in my 3rd year, transferred into Scholars Electives so that I could continue taking courses I enjoyed while not having to fit into any sort of 'curriculum'. Trust me, the courses DO get harder in the later years and you will be grateful for that easy first year. With your spare time, don't forget that you'll want to boost your extracurricular activities to strengthen your CV. I was even able to pick up a part time job while in UWO to boost my CV and make some extra cash.

 

While I respect the UofT system, I think it hampers the competitiveness of their students because so much time is dedicated to studying material that may not be helpful to them in the long run. You're right that you could go to a school that you believe challenges you more academically (though I could argue that your grades aren't perfect, only 91% average with room for improvement) but you could also challenge yourself on your own accord with extra projects and activities. Go join a varsity team. By losing 15 hours a week of time, you'll quickly find school more challenging.

 

If it's purely for social/personal reasons, then that's totally different.

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