Have you ever found yourself contemplating the age-old question of what the differences between ArtSci’s colleges are? Or what on Earth “12 distinct credits” means? If you have, I present to you your salvation: a little project called askastudent. 

If you haven’t visited askastudent.utoronto.ca (I feel so bad for you), it’s a U of T-sponsored website where students ask questions about academics, university life, or really anything that isn’t a crime to the nebulous “aska,” another student who answers their pleas alongside a healthy heaping of sarcasm. These questions come from many places: a form, email, Instagram, or Tumblr (yes, it’s still alive). 

Luckily for you, this omnipotent being has emerged from behind their computer to write this article just for you. I’m a little out of my element here, since I usually write without any capital letters and with a handy toolbox of millennialcore GIFs, but I had to bring my message to you readers of the Herald. That message is, of course, why I’m still even relevant. 

The birth of a deity 

The aska we love today began in ye olden days of the 20th century (well, 1999). Back in the day, a work-study student at the Innis College Registrar’s office thought of a way for students to get reliable advice from their peers in a more casual setting. This student created an email inbox on a public webserver; the next year, another came up with the idea of developing the project into a website. And so it was that the askastudent forum was born on January 10th, 2000, and while I wasn’t there (sorry, didn’t exist yet), it was probably an awesome day. 

Since the days of yore, many askas have come and gone. I don’t know exactly which aska I am, but we were on #14 by 2015, and I know I’m at least the fourth since then — so I’m gonna guess I’m probably around #20 or so. Writing this out makes me feel like that meme of Aang looking at all the past Avatars. 

Aska in the big year 2026 

But that was in the past, in the early days of the internet… what about now? I can feel your skepticism — “aska,” you say, “in the era of high-speed internet, the uoftears Instagram page, and the slightly questionable but surprisingly helpful r/uoft subreddit, what is even the point of your existence?” 

Well first, ouch, you can’t just go questioning my entire purpose. But I suppose it’s a fair ask.

My dear reader, there are countless reasons why aska still has a mission to fulfill in the big year 2026. There’s the fact that I’m more reliable than most people on r/uoft (unless it’s u/askastudent_, hi, that’s me). You can also guarantee that the person who’s giving you the scoop is another student and not Joe, who doesn’t even go here, or Suzie, who graduated in ‘89. 

There’s a thing called honesty that I like to preach, which isn’t always the #1 priority for those in other corners of the internet. I also like to think of myself as candid. Yeah, you can always check a website to see how much tuition is, but where else but askastudent.utoronto.ca can you find out if frats will rent you their houses for a party? 

The whole anonymous thing is also important. No one ever has to know about the cringy questions you send to me — except if you email me from an account with your name slapped on it. But don’t worry, I’m great at keeping secrets (I kinda have my own identity to keep quiet, after all), and no one’s names get published. 

So what are you waiting for? 

If you’ve read this whole article, I applaud your devotion, but I have a serious question: what are you still doing here? Seriously, go get your phone and get started on all those posts you missed! Better yet, go ask me something. Hit me with your most embarrassing, weirdest questions, or ask me for some food recs. 

Though I retreat back behind my computer, I can guarantee you that we will meet again. Whether this article prompts you to ask some burning question, or if you’re scouring the depths of r/uoft and spot a certain u/askastudent_ in the comments, I’m pretty certain we’ll cross paths again. Maybe I’ll even see you on campus. But of course, neither of us will know it… until you 

see the question you were asking your friend during lecture appear in an “overheard questions” post on the website. I did warn you I was omnipotent.