On Majors, Subject POSts and Change

This was the first year I actually had priority enrolment and got into almost all my courses because: *drumroll* I got into my subject POSt! I’m going into third year so maybe I’m a bit late, but picking majors and figuring out what you want to do is one of the most confusing parts of university. So I’ve decided to share my own subject POSt story, in the hopes that maybe it will help someone!

You see, I entered U of T with the intention of a double major in human biology and health studies. I then learned how subject POSts actually work and what on earth a type 2L major was and all that fun stuff. We don’t declare our program until 2^nd year, which meant that I didn’t have to worry about that yet, right? Not quite. I spent an entire year doing the general life sciences and social sciences prerequisite courses, which is where I realized one very important factor: I was not a science person. I find it interesting and I wasn’t horrible at it, but I didn’t love it. So there I was, at the end of my second year, having finished the first-year courses for a program I no longer wanted, and having to apply for a program that had specific mark requirements. Just my luck, at the end of subject POSt enrolment, I didn’t get in.

After much panic, I finally got myself together and looked at my options. I sat down for an afternoon with the course calendar and poured through courses and programs and made not one plan, but several. I also got some guidance from every U of T student's favourite place: the registrar! After painstakingly waiting out the priority enrolment period, I managed to get into most of the required courses for the majors I wanted to pursue so I wouldn’t fall behind.  I also took a couple of summer school courses to completely catch up. By the time subject POSt enrolment rolled around this year, I was prepared! I reapplied and got into a major that I love, and thus my course enrolment was saved this year! Yay Api!

Although I hope that I don’t end up changing up my plans too much in the future, I realize that it’s a part of life. Some students will go on to study exactly what they always planned, and some won’t. What’s important to know is that you have options, and you have resources! It’s scary having my education in my own hands but it’s also reassuring to know that I’m not in it alone! I want to hear your stories too, U of T! Let me know how you got through it!