u/Emergency-Chip-6928

hello hello!

i am hopping on here hoping to get some insight from TIFF volunteer veterans. Venue selection due date is approaching and I have nooooo idea where I want to volunteer for preference. Initially I was thinking I would put single screen venues as my two of 3 because they are closer to where I'll be staying when I'm in town and I figured it might be more chill for a first timer? But I also think it might be good to do Scotiabank or TLB to get a richer experience out of this... rahhhhh i have no idea. (also, less important, I was hoping to try to pick venues that might make for easier transport with the training days before the festival starts since I'll have to take a bus into the city each time and would prefer to save money by taking fewer rides.. but also not intruding / staying too long each time at my family's place before I'll be with them for the duration of the festival)

I am so excited ugh I really want to make the most of my time volunteering and enjoying the festival!

Hello!! I'm seeking advice from any current or recently graduated OVC graduates (domestic applicants) who pursued a masters before going to OVC. I got rejected last cycle and didn't apply this past cycle only because I am pretty sure the issue were my grades for the most part (~80% prerequisites based gpa and then I think ~83% cumulative for the last two full time semesters before the rules changed-- I knew these were too low to get in but I applied just to get a lay of the land working through the application and take a shot in the dark since there is no longer a cap on the number of attempts to apply)

My initial plan was to do a non-degree path at Guelph but I just don't have the money to fund it myself without trying to get a bank loan or something since it isn't OSAP eligible and I have no familial support or other sources of support otherwise. So the inevitable debt just to improve grades feels risky. So I scrapped it.

Now I am looking at Masters programs to be able to both get a useful degree (debt with an actual degree at the end feels more worth it while I try to improve for a future application) and be able to improve my grades. HOWEVER, given that getting a masters is a lot of a workload on its own, I wonder how people actually use this path to improve their grades with undergrad courses? How does it work? Do you have electives where you can opt to take the undergraduate pre-reqs? Is it just that the masters itself puts you into a completely different list of requirements they consider when they look at your application?

Realistically, with the prerequisites, I wasn't the strongest with genetics, cell bio or biochem- just average so I would like to have a clean slate improving those the most but I wonder if that's possible with pursuing a masters and how much it requires to be focused on the masters itself versus using it as a stepping stone. Ultimately I would love to pursue a useful masters for its bare benefit alone, but want to be strategic in using it with OVC as an end goal in mind. But OVCs website at least from my look, doesn't give the deepest dive in assisting me on this. Any advice from people who took on a similar path would be much appreciated, thank you guys :)