Edited by Sophia Savva
Changing programs is not a completely uncommon occurrence. Many university students realize their true passions for new subjects throughout their undergrad and change programs to fit those passions. However, making that first step can be daunting for people, especially those in their first year. But worry not, there’s plenty of resources and people to talk to if you want to make the change. And we are lucky that at U of T that change can be made relatively easily!
I had the opportunity to interview a friend of mine, Nichole Feghali, who changed programs a few times during her three years at U of T. Nichole shared her experience changing programs and how she came to realize her true passions during her undergrad.
Name: Nichole Feghali
Year: Three
Programs: Major in Statistics, Double Minor in Mathematics and Sociology
How has your experience been changing majors at U of T?
Changing programs at U of T has been very easy. Because U of T allows you to take most courses without being enrolled in a specific program, it is easy to change programs as long as you have the required courses. A lot of times I was worried I would not be able to finish my program within four years, but with careful planning I was always able to figure it out.
Highlight your program changes from first year until now, included what motivated your program changes.
Coming to U of T in first year my plan was to do a double major in math and psychology. By the time I had to apply to my subject POSts at the end of first year, I realized I really liked math, but I also wanted to study something with more real-world applications. So, I decided to do a major in statistics and a double minor in math and psychology. Currently, I am in third year and after having taken a few sociology courses I realized how big of an interest I have in that subject. So, I decided to replace my psychology minor with a sociology one and hopefully I won’t have to change my program again!
What are your plans after graduation (goals, aspirations, etc.)?
At the moment I am still undecided about my plans after graduation. My biggest goal would be to work with a company which does sports statistics, but my plans are not exactly set in stone.
How do you think program changes at our university are compared to other universities?
One of the biggest reasons I chose to go to U of T was because I knew how easy it was to change programs within the Arts and Science department. After talking to friends at other universities and through my own research, I realized changing programs at other universities might not be as easy as it is here and going into first year I was not 100% sure of what I wanted to study. So, I think U of T offers a great program for people still deciding what they really want to study.
What do you like about your current POSt selections?
I like that my current POSt selections are a great balance of my interests. Math and statistics are something I have always enjoyed doing, while sociology (a new-found interest) gives me a break from those types of courses.
Any tips for first years who might consider changing programs?
One tip I would give to first years considering changing programs would be to plan ahead. First year you have a lot of freedom to take courses in a lot of areas, so make sure you take the prerequisites for anything you even think you might be interested in. I thought a last minute program change in third year might be too hard, but because my courses in first year were from so many subject areas, I already some of the courses I needed. Also, make sure to use Degree Explorer, it saved me more than a few times when I changed my programs!
Here is are some links to help with program changes:
- Arts & Science Program Enrollment Page: explains what Type 1, 2 and 3 POSts are, and contains a list of which POSts are which types. The 2018-2019 enrollment deadlines haven’t been updated yet, but will be by mid-March.
- Degree Explorer: You can map out your upcoming years using hypothetical programs and create different course plans for your undergrad.
- 2017-2018 Undergraduate Calendars ( Arts & Science / Engineering / Daniels / KPE ) : include program requirements for any of your subjects, as well as information on how to start program changes, as this may differ by faculty.