In Hindsight…
We asked members of the International Relations community a question: in hindsight, what do you wish you knew before joining the IR program? Here are their responses:
GENERAL REFLECTIONS
I wish I knew how important it is to keep hope. When I first came into the IR Specialist program I was naively optimistic. I came in convinced that my classmates and I had so many fresh, new ideas and perspectives; we only needed the chance to solve global problems that our professors and their professors couldn’t solve. The more I learned, the more I realized that no, we’re not that special. Sure, my cohort is full of brilliant people with good ideas and intentions, but we’re just as trapped by politics, beaurocracy, and ourselves, as everyone else. After that unfortunate realization, I had a slump of disappointment. I had to reassess myself and what I wanted to do in IR. I asked myself: why am I in IR? Thankfully, I found my answer: to add something to the field and the world. I know that I want to work with like-minded people to, if not solve all the world’s problems, at least add clarity to a few. Everyone needs to find their answer to that question, to have something that keeps them going through slow, long essays and fast, short tests. If you keep that spark going, everything else will fall into place around it.
If there is a course that seems IR-related that isn’t listed on the Arts and Science website as a major requirement, you may be able to still count it towards your major! Email the IR program coordinator — they’re usually more than happy to help you out and make accommodations. There was a course that I wanted to take and even though Degree Explorer didn’t initially count it towards my IR major, I was able to get it to count by emailing the department.
That IR doesn’t have to be competitive. When people see the limited enrolment status, the Trinity College affiliation, and the incredible work the program’s students do, they often jump to thinking of the ways that they will or won’t “stand out.” But at the end of the day, it’s the people around you who will be your greatest assets. There’s a lot of value in collaboration. I wish I’d known to put that teamwork over-ambition and pride.
That you need to take ECO200/202/206/208 if you want to take 3rd-year econ courses. After ECO101/102, I didn’t think I would want to pursue econ but when I got to 2nd year, I turned out to prefer econ over poli sci and history. If you are like me, do take POL361/362 on global political economy because these courses are the closest econ courses that ECO231/232 students can take to count towards your IR program in 3rd year!
It’s super interdisciplinary, and that’s a big advantage of the program. You can take history, poli sci, and economics courses that count toward your requirements, so it allows for a lot more flexibility to cater to your interests than other programs!
How varied a workload a double major in Econ/IR will give you. Half your work is very math and Excel heavy, while the other half is very essay and reading heavy. You really need to be well-rounded to get through it successfully!
Great for course flexibility. Let’s you take basically anything. Ensure you really like at least 2/3 of HIS/POL/ECON, you can pretty easily avoid taking much of the third.
Not to stress as much as I did!! Things will work out!! Enjoy your time, join clubs, talk to everyone, and stay on top of your readings (from time to time)!!
How good of a study area John Graham is when you need a quiet space to focus
Do not overstretch at the expense of your wellbeing. We grow by being defeated by greater and greater things, apply especially well to this program.
COURSE REFLECTIONS
Munk One
Munk One is an amazing program overall, but especially if you want to go into IR. The courses count toward IR program requirements, and will easily be one of the highlights of your time at UofT — if you get accepted, take it! MUN101 (taught by Professor Wong) especially will change your entire perspective on the world!
MUN102 with Professor Teresa Kramarz (Munk One)
Make sure to do the readings! They can be a bit tedious at times, but the content will give you a solid understanding of what questions to ask in IR, Political Science, and Economics courses that you’ll take in the future. The class gets a lot of hate, but if you ask lots of questions (don’t be afraid!) and talk to Professor Kramarz at Office Hours, the material can be absolutely fascinating, and applicable in a pretty wide range of disciplines (I used one week’s reading as the foundation for a presentation in an EEB class).
Vic One Pearson classes
I wanted to play it safe and take some of the other courses that would fulfill IR admission requirements even though I had 2.0 Vic One credits (like HIS103, POL101 etc) and I wish I could’ve taken other first year courses so I meet the prerequisites for some upper year courses!
ECO101, Gazzale/Farhoodi
Make use of the Economics Study Centre (At the Max Gluskin House, 150 St. George street), it is an excellent resource for getting help with homework and assignments since it is staffed by 3rd/4th year students who still have their work for those classes on hand or in recent memory!
ECO105, Avi J Cohen
Take ECO105! There’s a bit of a stigma around the course when you’re first applying to university and selecting courses, but the course is hands-down one of the best introductory courses that UofT offers. Also, if you do take ECO105, make sure to stay on top of the weekly lectures/practice questions and, I cannot stress this enough, *read the chapters in the textbook before you watch the lectures.* It’s a huge time commitment, so it’s something that’s best done during the summer and winter breaks, but this one step can put you lightyears ahead when it comes time for the midterms and final exams. Final thought — watch the prep videos for the assignments. Trust me, it’ll save you.
Stay on top of the coursework and do the textbook readings. And just try to enjoy the course — I think I thought it was a bore while I was taking it, but looking back, I have a soft spot for the course!
If you don’t plan on pursuing econ into upper years (and like me, aren’t math-oriented) choose ECO105 to fulfill your econ prerequisite! It is a really easy course to do well in if you keep up and do the work, and professor Cohen has a really great structure that remains consistent throughout the course. There is barely any math, and will definitely prepare you for ECO231/232 in second year! I HIGHLY recommend this course.
ECO202
Compared to those I know who have taken ECO231/232, ECO202 is very possible to do well in. It has a math prereq, and is more numerical, but it’s certainly not “impossible” or designed to mess you up.
ECO220, Ugarte/Murdock
Consider taking this class in the summer before your second year if you are aiming for an IR/Econ double major! There are 3 econ classes you need to take simultaneously, and while ECO200/202 are similar in content to 101/102, allowing you to ease into the feel of 2nd year work, 220 can be challenging to handle, especially if you don’t have prior experience with statistics.
ECO231/232, Olga Denislamova
Reach out to the prof when you have questions! The material isn’t easy if you’re not familiar with them, and she goes really fast with each lecture so watch them twice if necessary and go! to! office! hours!!
Ye who enter here, abandon all hope (Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate) attend the lectures on time and try to make sense of the concepts after class, try to resolve any confusions ASAP, set time slot for practice before doing weekly homework, and don’t you dare miss any, read the textbook if comprehending through lecture is not for you, find a study buddy to ran through thought process and ideas with, it’s ok to cry, you will be doing a lot of it. getting two 50% on your homework wouldn’t eliminate your chance to get an A, so don’t give up.
I can’t stress this enough for her course: attend her office hours regularly! If you attend her office hours, I can guarantee that you will excel in the course. Many students have complained how long her exams are, but if you know your stuff, you will be able to finish on time. And to know your stuff, OFFICE HOURS ;)
ATTEND OFFICE HOURS
Go to office hours!!!! And take advantage of the writing assignments, they’ll boost your grade
HIS102, Profs. Adam Ali and Joseph Sproule
It is a good idea to run essay ideas by the TAs in advance to make sure you’re on the right track!
HIS385, Prof. Chin Lim
Amazing course!!! Definitely take it! Prof. Lim is awesome!
RLG101, Professor Sol Goldberg
Be careful on the essays! There’s an unwritten expectation that you’ve studied philosophy before, so make sure to read up on the contemporaries of any philosophers you discuss in lectures — you’ll need to use this information to compare and contrast their arguments when it comes time to write your essays. You only get two shots at assignment grades in this course, so make sure to talk with your TA about your essay topic in advance to get their thoughts and advice. RLG101 is insanely valuable, even if you end having to CR/NCR it, so don’t be afraid to give it a try! The readings are broadly applicable to IR, CAS, and a few other related disciplines, and the Professor is fantastic.
RLG 309, Professor Pontoreiro
Amazing class and professor!! Super sweet and engages in important discussions regarding women’s rights and the role of spirituality in peacekeeping!!
TRN250, Cindy Ewing/Erin O’Halloran
I wish I took notes (even if they were short and simple) on the weekly readings instead of cramming them all into my brain the week before the exam
Do the readings!!! While there are ALOT of them, you’re going to need to be familiar with them for the exams and it’s a pain to cram all of them at once. also, tutorials are a big part of your grade (20%) so being familiar with the readings before them is super important for engaging in discussion.
Make sure you pay attention to Imagined Communities! It’s hard to give it your due diligence due to how much emphasis is put on Bayly in the first semester & on Mazower in the second, but you’ll really need to be familiar with Anderson’s main ideas for your final paper!
Definitely do the readings and think about it critically beyond just “this author said xyz in this article”, take some time to reflect on the main points and connect them to the course theme & materials!
Be prepared to not understand anything, fail, and cry.
TRN337
Think carefully before you choose it, even if you are passionate about your topic & talented in research. It is a full-year committment that demands a lot of self-discipline and time management skill. Keep an email thread with your supervisor, and maintain frequent email and in-person communication. Check in with them before making any major decisions on research direction. It demands a 40-page research paper, longer than most things you have ever written in your life, so caveat emptor.
TRN350
This course is not at all like TRN250. Builds in somewhat quantitative analysis aspects (not in a heavy math way though), and goes over 3 very distinct “trends” in IR. In hindsight, consider taking a substitution course with a theme you actually find interesting… rather than this strange mix.
POL208, Seva Gunitsky
All the assessments were based on readings!! While the lectures ARE interesting, I wish I didn’t spend as much time stressing over them because evaluations were all readings-based.
Familiarize yourself with the themes, and keep yourself organized. Do the readings, take out quotes that stick out to you and try to connect different readings to each other. Make sure you know your own ideas and you know how to express them clearly; when you’re reading, ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the author and then ask yourself why or why not. (That’s good practice for all IR classes in general) Participate in tutorials! The one thing worse than being in a tutorial and talking is being in a tutorial and not talking. Make sure you listen to your TA: they’re the person grading your assignments. Finally, go talk to Professor Gunitsky, he’s a super cool, chill dude who knows a lot about IR. His lectures are always engaging and funny. :)
POL211, Steven Loleski
My specialized field of interest is cyberpolitics so I might be a tad bit biased here but this course was fascinating. Honestly, I came away from this course with more questions than answers but in the best way possible. This course tackled the idea of information and how it makes up and changes politics, starting from classic, Cold War-style spying and going into today’s social media disinformation campaigns. Professor Loleski has great lectures that are really complemented by the readings; he’s also a really approachable, smart guy so make sure to stop by his office hours if you can. Keep an eye out for the terminology: I would suggest making a list of definitions since part 1 of the final exam was to define and explain a few key concepts. The big 40% essay sounds intimidating but it’s great because you get to pick a case study you’re interested in and analyze it. Overall, this course is a delight for anyone who’s even vaguely interested in how information affects politics and I highly recommend it.
POL 340, Professor Quayat
Very interesting course, but you do need to stay on top of all the readings and lectures to fully understand the material!! A lot of readings but worth it!
POL 361, Professor Pauly
If you are interested in political economy but don’t really enjoy economics this is a really good class!! No math whatsoever, but you learn a lot about economics and the international economy.
PHL256 Professor Simona Vicu
Professor Vicu is one of the sweetest professors I have ever had. She’s willing to go above and beyond to make sure her students are comfortable and happy, and I really appreciate that. The class itself is about the philosophy of technology so it’s really 90% discussions about the impact of technology on the human condition: can you be best friends with someone online, how does VR affect women and women’s rights, etc. Do the readings before the lectures and be fully prepared to talk with your peers about them. This is my only class that doesn’t have a tutorial but the two lectures a week completely make up for that. The only real downside of the class is that it’s 6–8 PM which isn’t great but c’est la vie, and Professor Vicu usually ends class at 7:30. For the essays, make sure you go to Professor Vicu’s office hours and listen to the instructional video she uploads: she gives super clear essay directions. Overall, this is a great class that covers fascinating content.
Social Reflections
Get involved in as many activities as possible! Use Orientation Week to meet as many new people as possible. Don’t be shy — say hello to people! If you want to meet people, I would also recommend taking a language course. There are usually lots of opportunities in these types of courses to interact with peers. Plus, learning a language is super fun and is very relevant to the field of IR! (I’ve taken both Arabic and Mandarin at U of T and would recommend them both!)
Joining things is a great way to meet people but not the only way. Don’t feel pressure to join things every year if you notice your extracurricular plate getting narrower. That’s normal
IRSOC is a lot of fun!! I wish I joined in first year.
How fun Model UN at UofT is and how everyone involved is really incredible
I am really, really grateful that I got involved in IRSOC pretty early on during my second year. IRSOC has given me great friends, and a real sense of community and support, which is something going into the IR program could benefit from. I know that everyone in IRSOC understands the struggles and triumphs of the program, and they’re just good people who are there to hang out with. On a more general note, I wish I would have joined one or two clubs completely unrelated to IR. I’m passionate about astronomy so joining an astronomy club would have been a great way to meet people outside of my usual circle, and a way to destress from the IR readings and assignments.
Join the clubs that interest you!! You will meet many amazing new people and make many great connections. Take the risk and talk to people, join clubs, run for a position, etc. it will pay off!
I wish I joined IRSOC earlier :’)
Honestly, one of the most important skills you can develop in IR is learning to say no to attending extracurricular/club meetings if your work demands you focus on studying. I found it so hard to get stuff done this year when I loaded my schedule up with club obligations & crowded my calendar signing up for every webinar and Munk School talk I heard of.
Join extracurriculars! It doesn’t matter which ones, they’re the best place to meet people and make friends!
Miscellaneous Reflections
Unless you REALLY love economics and are up for a challenge, take ECO105 instead of ECO101/102. True me on this.
Everyone complains about Robarts but it’s really not that bad if you manage to get a window seat.
How important it was to have a resume & LinkedIn ready by my second year. I missed out on so many opportunities in my first semester of second year cause I didn’t have those ready to send to jobs & internships, but thankfully I also rebounded and found some in my second semester!
