Starting a new post-secondary education can be very different from secondary school or other post-secondary institutions, so it’s important to be realistic about what is expected from students.
Your course outline or syllabus will be shared on your first day of class. It is the most crucial document you need to abide by for your courses.
That is where your professor has laid out the schedule, important due dates, required materials, grade weights for assignments, policies you need to follow, and contact information. If you need help understanding your syllabus, book an appointment with a Peer Mentor who can go over everything with you.
Also, download all of your course outlines, as they may be hard to find later. You may need them by the end of the semester if you want a record of what you learned, or if you transfer to another program and have to prove what you studied.
Figuring out time management as early as possible is extremely crucial to how your semester will go. Things can move fast, and with multiple classes, you need to be realistic about how much time is needed for your studies, aside from the rest of your responsibilities.
Go through your course outline and make notes in whatever type of calendar you use of all your deadlines – set alarms or reminders, or whatever works for you to be aware of how much time you have left for each.
We recommend working with a 1:1 ratio for your studies. This means, if you have a one-hour lecture, that should be matched with at least one hour of preparation, and one hour of independent study. Making and going over your notes before and after each class will create cognitive functions that help you remember material. Pairing this for each class, along with work, taking care of your health, having a social life, even sleeping and eating, is a lot, but we know you can find ways to make it work! Creating a schedule to stick to at the beginning of your semester will ensure you’re not scrambling by the end.
How do you learn best? What do you need to do to be a good student? When are you most alert? Do you need quiet or like to be around others? How can you make real-life connections to the content you’re learning? Where do you succeed and where do you fall short?
Everyone learns differently, so there’s no one right way to learn. If you know that you learn better with visuals, have a clearer head at night, or know a pattern that may constantly frustrate you, there are ways to work with that! At the beginning of the semester, take some time to reflect on these questions and see how you can feel the most confident with the material.
And if you need help, that’s okay too! You can visit the Tutoring & Learning Centre to learn more about learning strategies.
This might sound like a given, but it’s always worth reminding. We expect our students to treat everyone with respect. This includes but is not limited to: being mindful of your tone and language, careful with your digital footprint, addressing your professors with their preferred title and your peers with their preferred names and pronouns, and communicating clearly.
Our students are expected to show up to class as their authentic selves. Don’t let a bad day get in your way — important information is shared in class that might not be shared online, your professors might count your attendance toward your grade, and your peers depend on your participation just as much. If something does come up for you that impacts attending class or getting an assignment done, communicate this to your professor using your GBP email as soon as possible.
As a student, you are responsible for demonstrating academic integrity in all your work, including learning, scholarship and field placement. It is important that you understand our guidelines and your rights, so you receive an accurate and fair assessment of your work.
Academic integrity is the demonstration of the values of honesty, equity, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in all forms of learning and scholarship. All members of the George Brown community must uphold and demonstrate a commitment to these values. For students, failure to comply may result in suspension or expulsion from George Brown.
Any breach of academic integrity, intentional or unintentional – including cheating, plagiarism, interfering with the educational environment, fabrication, falsification, impersonation, inappropriate use of technology and Generative AI, and copyright – is subject to conditions and resolutions outlined in our Academic Integrity Policy.
Read our full Academic Integrity Policy
Once you receive your course outlines, take a moment to read through the sections on academic integrity. It is up to you to speak with your professor if you have any questions.
Any assignment you submit (essays, papers, lab assignments) must be your own work. Representing someone else's work as your own is plagiarism.
If you submit someone else's work as your own, even with permission, you are not only violating the principles of academic integrity, but you are also implicating that person in academic misconduct.
Allowing someone to represent your work as their own, unless authorized by faculty, is also academic misconduct.
It is up to your program and faculty members if Generative AI is permitted or not permitted per course. Please refer to your course outline or speak to your program administrator if you have any questions. Generative AI tools include, but are not limited to, ChatGPT, Copilot, Bing, ChatPDF and Dall-e. Generative AI sources are not infallible and have been known to produce inaccurate, biased, unethical and offensive information.
It is good practice to disclose and keep track of all the activities you engage in with Generative AI tools for your coursework: which tools you used, the prompts you used, the links to the outputs, and dates. This documentation may be requested by your instructors. This documentation can also help you reflect on your learning process.
Please refer to the Library's Responsible Use of Generative AI Resource Guide for more information on how to evaluate GenAI content critically, important biases to note, copyright considerations, and much more.
To avoid committing plagiarism, you must acknowledge the source of anything included in your submitted assignment that is not your own work. Citing sources is an important part of the academic process – your instructor needs to know what parts are your original thoughts, ideas and research, while your readers need to know where to locate more information. It is also crucial you diversify your sources for your work.
Check out our resources on citing sources for details.
You may be required to participate in group assignments in your courses. In those cases, your professor will clarify the rules and roles around collaborative work.
For your own protection, it is important to keep detailed track of your work. Some ways of doing this include:
Students taking part in the impersonation of, or the act of having another person impersonate, another student at any academic assessment or in connection with any other form of work related to your studies (including Work Integrated Learning) is considered a breach. Same goes for forging and falsifying documents.
If at any point you are unsure that something in your work could be considered misconduct, or if you have a question about what constitutes a breach of academic integrity, ask your professor. It is much better to be up front ahead of time instead of dealing with potential confusion and consequences later.
Whether you’re researching a paper, doing a group presentation, updating your computer or struggling with a specific course, you can get the learning and academic support you need here.
We have free services designed to help you make the most of your studies, so you feel confident in your knowledge!
Accessible Learning Services (ALS) provides academic support and services for George Brown students who have a disability or ongoing medical concerns. ALS is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities receive reasonable and effective academic accommodations and support services to fully participate in the academic environment. ALS services are free and confidential.
You are not required to disclose your specific diagnosis to ALS to receive accommodations. However, documentation outlining the functional impacts of your disability is required and will help Accessibility Consultants understand your strengths and challenges so that they can determine the most appropriate accommodations to support your learning.
If you are a student with a disability, your first step is to register with ALS by filling out the Confidential Registration Form. Please see the registration process below for further details.
If you are a student already registered with ALS, you can book an appointment with your Accessibility Consultant at any time to discuss your accommodation plan or any barriers you may be experiencing in the learning environment.
You can learn more about all our accommodations in the ALS Guidelines and Process Manual.
If you have registered with ALS and require assistance with a placement assessment or admission assessment testing, Accessibility Consultants can support organizing your accommodations and booking your appointment.
ALS provides workshops throughout the semester to provide essential resources, information, and skills to help you succeed at George Brown. If you are a new student coming from high school, we highly recommend you sign up for a Transitions to Success workshop.
Students with a permanent or persistent and prolonged disability who receive Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding may be eligible for the Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE) to help pay for eligible disability-related educational services and/or equipment. Please connect with your Accessibility Consultant to discuss if this applies to you. Visit the OSAP website for more details.
We understand that everyone learns differently. Visit the TLC for support with:
They offer their services through one-on-one tutoring, drop-in sessions, workshops and more!
The library has many ways to support you during your studies, both on and off campus! With the LLC, you can:
There may be peer support available through your specific academic program or centre. Check with your student support teams and faculty to find out more information.
If you identify as a Black student, you can join the BSSN. As part of their services, Black students can make appointments with a BSSN English peer tutor at the TLC. When you book your appointment, there will be an option to choose the BSSN English Tutor. You will learn more about the BSSN in the next module!
If you identify as an Indigenous student, you have access to peer-to-peer academic mentorship through Indigenous Initiatives as well as Indigenous Student Centres on each campus and more.
Brightspace is the virtual learning environment and Learning Management System (LMS) that George Brown uses. This means all your course content, assignments, resources, discussions, and so much more will be there!
You can access Brightspace via learn.georgebrown.ca. Make sure to bookmark the webpage in your browser or access it via The Portal.
Please review this module before classes begin so you have a smooth start to the semester. If you have any questions, check out our student FAQs for Brightspace first, then find more info in the Accessibility & Troubleshooting section below.
To get into Brightspace, you must use your George Brown credentials:
Username: IDnumber@georgebrown.ca
Password: Your George Brown password
These are the same login credentials you use to access STU-VIEW and your George Brown email. If you have login issues, it might be easily solved by resetting your password.
We suggest you use the latest version of Chrome or Firefox. You can also test your device's compatibility on the login pages.
Brightspace has an app called Brightspace Pulse that you can download in the Apple App store or Google Play.
If you need login or account help, please call our Help Desk at 416-415-5000 x4357 or email helpdesk@georgebrown.ca.
You can edit your user profile by selecting your username and then “Profile.”
You can update the following elements in your profile:
You can also update your pronouns by selecting your username and then "Account Settings."
To ensure optimal performance, accessibility, and security, D2L advises all users to access Brightspace using the most recent version of a compatible browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. To check if your Browser is compatible, visit https://community.desire2learn.com/d2l/systemCheck.
Tips for using your browser settings to optimize performance:
It is important to opt in to notifications and keep them on, so you don’t miss any important communication or assignments for your courses.
To update your notification settings, select your username and then “Notifications.”
Email notifications will be sent to your George Brown email account.
There are many options for customizing your instant notifications. Review this video on PulseApp notifications.
Once you log in to your Brightspace page, you will find your dashboard. You will see your navigation options, courses and customizable features. Here are key items on your dashboard to help get you started:
Here's a great way to stay on top of your coursework, assignments, and due dates! You can integrate your Brightspace calendar with your Outlook calendar. You will need to log in to both your Brightspace and Outlook to complete this task. Follow the steps below:
Brightspace is a fully accessible learning management system that includes many tools to make the most of your experience.
Some of the customizations include adjusting the text size and contrast, screen reader compatibility and enabling assistive technologies to provide a better learning experience.
To manage your customizations in Brightspace, select your name at the top right. Then select "Account Settings" to get started.
Brightspace has an easy-to-use tech support within the platform called Get Help, which you can find in the bottom right of your browser window.
Get Help can give simple instructions to fix your issues, connect you with an agent or create a support ticket.
Further George Brown account help can be found via the Help Desk at 416-415-5000 x4357, helpdesk@georgebrown.ca, or the Ask George chatbot in The Portal. You can also find more Brightspace support and FAQ on our website.
Your registered courses should appear in Brightspace within a few days of the course start date. Please do not fret if you don’t see them before then!
However, if you still don’t see them in Brightspace after that, your courses may not have synchronized with STU-VIEW. If this is the case, there are a few ways to get help: using the Brightspace chatbot, the Ask George chatbot in The Portal, email helpdesk@georgebrown.ca or call 416-415-5000 ext. 4357. Include your full name, student ID and the course CRN.
Once your courses have begun, there are two places where you can view your full course list. On the homepage, in the “My Courses” tab, click on “View All Courses.” You can also select the icon that looks like nine squares in the top menu for a drop-down list. From there, you can also pin a course, so it shows up first in lists.
Within your course page, there is much to see, such as:
Your virtual classes will be listed under each course's page. Navigate to the Microsoft Education tab. Your classes will take place on Microsoft Teams — you will be prompted to log in to Microsoft 365 using your studentID@georgebrown.ca and George Brown password.
Then you can access upcoming class links, previous links (in case you're arriving a few minutes late), any recordings, and more.
Here are some helpful video tutorial playlists from Microsoft to enhance your use of Teams:
As you progress through your course, you'll complete different types of assignments: problems to solve, chapter questions to answer, research papers, presentations, quizzes, tests and so on.
You can find your assignments and quizzes under “Assessments” in the top menu within the course's page.
Your instructor controls the date when assignments and quizzes can be accessed and when they are due. Please keep important dates in your calendar and contact your instructor if you are unable to locate it on the scheduled release date or if it has expired.
To view your grades in Brightspace, within each course’s page, select “Grades” from the top banner.
Every grade associated with projects and assignments for that class will be housed within the course page. Faculty will also include feedback in this section. Grades may not appear until your instructor adds them. Please contact your instructor if you have any other questions relating to your grades.
Please note that your official final grade for the class will be posted to your STU-VIEW under the Academic Records tab at the end of the semester.
Alright, now you should feel more ready to start your classes and know what’s expected of you as a student! And don’t forget, there is so much help available to you, and it’s good to know about it before you get busier.
In the last module — you're almost there — you'll learn about how to manage and find support for your health and well-being during school. After that, you'll be unstoppable!
George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.