Just like in high school, you will have a timetable for each semester of university. In first year your timetables are already made for you. You can access your timetables in early July on ACORN, U of T’s student information service, and a hub for everything you need to manage your student life. A timetable provides the times, locations, and sections for the lectures (LEC), tutorials (TUT), and practicals (PRA) for each one of your courses throughout the week. Above is a sample first-year EngSci timetable from 2019. You’ll see similarities with your timetable for the upcoming semester.
It may seem overwhelming at first glance, but don’t worry! For example, the PRA time slot for ESC101 from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday is optional time allotted for meeting with your Praxis group.
Don’t worry if details such as room numbers haven’t shown up on your own timetable yet – they will be added before the start of classes. It is also typical to see timetable conflicts between courses early in the summer while the timetable is being finalized. We advise you to wait until mid-August to report any conflicts as they should be resolved before then. Also, make sure to check your timetables right before the first day of classes, as last-minute changes may occur.
Reading Your Timetable
The Different Classes
Each colour in your timetable corresponds to a different course. For example, all ESC180 classes will be the same colour, while all ESC101 classes will be a different colour from ESC180, and so on. However, while the boxes are coloured the same, the text will be different. Each block will have either a “LEC,” “PRA” or “TUT,” followed by a number.
Reading Locations
The first two letters indicate the building code. For example, the code for the Galbraith building is GB, and that for the Bahen Centre is BA. To learn more about all of the buildings and their codes, check the Campus Buildings section of our blog.
The three or four numbers indicate the room number in that building, with the first number indicating the floor the room is on. For example, GB144 is Room #144 on the first floor of the Galbraith Building, and BA2195 is Room #2195 on the second floor of the Bahen Centre. If you’re having trouble locating any of the buildings for your classes, then check out this great interactive campus map.
Sections
On the same line as the LEC/PRAC/TUT label are four numbers. Examples include LEC 0102 or TUT 0107. There are two sections which divide the entire EngSci class into different lecture groups. If your LECs include 0101, you are in section #1, and if they include 0102, you are in section #2. Some lectures, such as those for ESC101, are common to both sections: all shared lectures will be indicated as LEC 0101 by default.
Within your section, there are smaller groups for tutorials and practicals, which is why TUTs and PRAs can have numbers like 0107 or 0111. These groups are distinct for each class; you will have the opportunity to meet many different classmates throughout your coursework in first year! You will remain in the same section throughout first year, but your section may change in second year.
Important Things to Note
All your lectures, tutorials, practicals, and midterms in first year will be during the work week (Monday – Friday) from 9 AM – 6 PM. In your timetable, there will be a gap spanning a couple of hours during which midterms are scheduled; in the sample timetable above, this midterm timeslot was on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 AM – 11 AM (this may be different for your year).
Exam schedules come out later in the semester, but they are usually held Monday – Saturday in either a morning (9:30 AM – 12 PM), afternoon (2 PM – 4:30 PM), or evening slot (6:30 PM to 9:00 PM).
Every day, you will have at least one hour-long break between classes, which acts as a lunch period (this break may not occur at the same time every day). We recommend you use it to take a break and eat with friends! Be sure to check out some of our food recommendations.
One amazing thing about U of T is “U of T time”! All classes start ten minutes after the hour. For example, if your timetable indicates you have a class starting at 2:00 PM, the instructor will begin teaching only at 2:10 PM. This gives you time to travel between buildings to get from one class to another.
Many of your back-to-back classes will be in different buildings. This may seem odd at first, but walking is an excellent healthy break between the long sitting times in lectures! The classes are also within reasonable walking distance, plus there’s U of T time, so you don’t always need to run.
First-year schedules usually cannot be rearranged unless religious, medical, Varsity athletic, or other important accommodations need to be made. If you have a significant request, we encourage you to speak with your academic advisor.
We recommend you follow your timetable and attend your designated lectures and tutorials. However, because tutorials and practicals may include attendance or quizzes for marks, if you have a good justification for doing so, you might be able to speak with that course’s teaching team to request to attend a different time slot. However, if you require recurring accommodation, speaking with your Academic Advisor will be the best option.
In first year, between going to class, doing homework, and studying, you will likely put in around 50 hours of work per week (this number may increase or decrease based on midterms, projects, and exams). This will likely be more than what you had in high school, and it is okay to feel a little bit overwhelmed! Yes, first year will be challenging, but you can absolutely get good grades, engage in extracurricular activities, and make time for personal endeavours with proper time management, focus, and effort.
Try your best to attend all lectures, tutorials, and practicals (especially those which take attendance). Try and find a schedule that works for you, and always remember to take breaks and relax. There are plenty of supports available to you through the university. We also encourage you to talk to upper-years to learn their strategies for success in EngSci and beyond; they will always be happy to help!
Sometimes, things do not go as planned. A petition, which is submitted through the Engineering Portal, is your formal request for an exception to a Faculty or University rule, regulation or deadline. To read more about petitions, check out the Petitions Website.