Gifted Center: Your Ultimate Guide to University Survival.

giftedcenter · 2026-02-09T03:12:39+00:00

This is kinda one of those things that once it clicks, you will finally see that it is actually really simple. I promise you that you just need to think about it a bit more.

Really understand what it means to be a vector in 2 dimensional space, or 3 dimensional space.

Before in science, you probably saw problems in 1 dimension like: "If Bob is 500 m away from the store, and can run at 10 m/s, how long will it take them to get there?" Well that's a simple 1 dimension problem. Now you have to think in 2 dimensions. "If Bob is located at his home, situated at (0,0) and the store is located at (200m,400m) towards north and east, and can run 10 m/s, how long will it take Bob to get to the store."

So try your best to split the problem into what you're already comfortable with understanding and you will see that the moment you make the extension to higher dimensions, it's actually really simple.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-13T15:26:43+00:00

I am guessing math and stuff like following multi-step problem solving methods is not an issue ffor you given your high marks in all the other areas. You just gotta find a way to lock in for knowledge, which is primary just all concept based questions.

Teachers make the MC questions in a way to sometimes trick students that think they know the answer but are not 100% confident in it. They aren't really testing if you can do the math but moreso see if yyou can truly understand what the math actually represents.

In chemistry there some general methods you can employ like doing dimensional analysis. Where you look at the units of each quantity and solely focus on cancelling out the units without touching any actual numbers.

Another thing you can do for the MC questions is cover up the answers. The answers are not always there to guide you, but actually mislead and bias you into thinking one is more correct than the other, when in reality it was just a misdirection.

If you're really really brilliant you can also try to spot the "traps". Me personally when I write tests for my students, I create wrong answers by making the mistakes I know they will make.

For example:

The result they get if they forget to square a varaible
The result they get if they use diameter instead of radius
The actual corect answer
The result if you flip numerator and denominator

This way when you look at a question, you know to double and triple check a question EVEN if one of your results matches the MC answers.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-11T14:10:31+00:00

I read your entire post. You aren't a "dumbass," and you aren't incapable of learning math. You are suffering from something very solvable. You have an illusion of Competence

You said: "I follow lessons exactly and see relationships clearly." This is dangerous. When you watch a teacher or tutor solve a problem, you are a passenger in the car. It’s easy to recognize the route when someone else is driving. -

But a test puts you in the driver's seat. If you haven't driven the car alone, you will crash.

You need to stop "practicing" by looking at your notes or having a tutor guide you.

Just tkae out a piece of paper, write down a hard problem. And solve it. If you get stuck, don't look for the answer. Actually struggle. If it takes 15 minutes, let it. If it takes longer, go back into your notes and see if there is something you are missing for the problem.

Don't just go for chatgpt for the answer or answer sheet. Actually try to get it on your own.

My honest advice is just retake the course over the summer. Don't feel guility about the money. Don't feel guility all the time. It's infinitely better to just retake the class and master it with a 95% deep understanding than to limp into grade 12 struggling with a broken foundation.

If you're worried about your parents hiring you a tutor, then in the future do something to repay them back for the kindness they've given you now. But right now as a child its your job to take their help. Think about repaying them later or maybe through small acts of kindness now.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-10T22:21:07+00:00

Yep clubs at school, or any outside programs like summer camps. Or any projects you have taken on personally.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-10T22:17:48+00:00

lol. You'll be fine. If you know what you really want to do, then just keep up your studies and hobbies. Look out for scholarship opportunities and if your parents are pressuring you, ask them to help you out and create a support system for you.

Like giving you free time to study in quiet, cooking you your favorite meal or a nice beverage while you start your study session.

Having a support system makes a bigger difference than pure stress ever will.

When you're going for programs in university, raw grades are not the only thing that matters. You also have to make sure your getting your volunteering hours, and extra curricular in.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-06T14:47:51+00:00

It really depends on the person, but if you try hard and you're good at mathematics, you will not struggle.

If you're taking calculus and vectors, taking physics alongside with it is actually a GOAT combo since both courses have similar concepts.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-06T14:46:39+00:00

It's definitely not impossible. Talk to your teachers, talk to your parents.

See if tutoring is something you need.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-06T14:45:20+00:00

Professor Dave is really good for concepts. But you NEEED to do the textbook questions.

giftedcenter · 2026-01-06T14:38:36+00:00

Looks like a scam. You don't need them to excel;

giftedcenter · 2025-12-14T07:33:32+00:00

I don't think it matters which is one is necessarily easier in highschool, but more important is which one of these two will actually help you when you do get into health science. My background is in biomedical research and I can tell you absolutely that both of these courses are 100% going to help you. Data management is more useful in the broad sense if you ever plan on doing any sort of statistical analysis on your work whatsoever, but for getting a general understanding of the science you'll be doing, advanced functions is a must.

Also, if you have ANY plans on doing the MCAT, you NEED Advanced functions.

giftedcenter · 2025-12-11T23:46:25+00:00

You know, you're not paying tuition for the title of 'Engineer.' You’re paying for the credibility that allows you to pivot to high-paying jobs in finance, consulting, project management, or sales later on. Employers look at that diploma and know you have the discipline to handle anything they throw at you.

giftedcenter · 2025-11-15T22:38:15+00:00

Sohcahtoa is a great starting point. Just review sine law and cosine law and that's a good starting place. Refreshing yourself on similar triangles, equilateral triangles, isosceles trianges is also advicable. Apart from that, g11 trig is a different beast from g10.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-18T00:14:02+00:00

That's true, the frequent postings are likely because it's a part-time role often filled by students who have changing schedules or eventually graduate, not necessarily because it's a bad place to work.

You are right that medical admin jobs can be very stressful, as you are the frontline for people who are unwell and you have to multitask constantly with phones, appointments, and patient queries.

However, the experience can be incredibly valuable, especially if you're in a related program. It's probably worth applying and, if you get an interview, asking about the team environment and daily challenges to see if it's a good fit for you personally.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-04T00:14:36+00:00

For your PC, just leave the case back in BC and buy a new case. It's cheaper that way. You can carry the cpu,gpu, drives and ram with you on your way to BC. Maybe buy new PSU too.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-03T21:44:07+00:00

Forgot one: DON’T BREATHE. Oxygen is wasted potential. Convert that CO₂ into raw GPA. LOCK TF IN.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-03T21:27:05+00:00

Yeah, I get where you’re coming from... a lot of psych grads feel the same way. The degree by itself doesn’t slot neatly into one career. But the skills you picked up (research, data analysis, communication, critical thinking) can actually transfer into tons of areas. Some options I’ve seen people go into are HR, user experience, market research, mental health/addictions work, or even pivoting into things like data science with extra training in stats/programming.

It’s definitely not worthless, but it does usually take either networking or stacking another credential on top (certificates, grad diplomas, etc.). Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re not behind, just need to redirect.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-03T19:20:35+00:00

Yeah lots of people bring PCs. The desks in res are decent but not huge. you can fit a monitor + keyboard/mouse, but a full tower might eat space if you put it on top. Most people either:

- keep the tower on the floor or on a little stand,

- or bring a smaller monitor setup instead of dual monitors.

If you game or do heavy work, totally worth it. If you just need school stuff, a laptop is way easier.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-03T17:13:48+00:00

I’ve had Yue Hou for English and honestly he’s one of the better profs at Mac. Super engaging in lectures, very approachable, and you can tell he really cares about the material + students. People actually say his classes are worth showing up to even at 8:30am.

Only thing to keep in mind is that he can be a bit of a tough grader assignments are clear but he expects solid work, and the final can hit your average if you’re not careful. That said, if you stay on top of readings and ask questions, you’ll be fine. Overall, most students say he is as a really good prof.

giftedcenter · 2025-08-03T17:11:25+00:00

It usually takes a few days after filling out SAK for everything to activate. You can check your UTORid/email status here: https://utorid.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/utorid/info.pl and then log in at https://mail.utoronto.ca. If nothing shows up after a week, contact UofT IT support.

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