More known as 'U of T', it is a very busy place with more than 50,000 students and 200 student clubs and organisations. There is lots to do and it is a very academically demanding place which demands maturity.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
U of T is very different from most other universities; it is definitely not a party school and the tough examinations, marking practices and predetermined averages for each course makes for harsh competition or good collaboration depending on your major. Classes are mostly very large in the first two years and gradually diminish in numbers. U of T expects more from each student compared to other universities, it might seem harsh at first but you will soon realize that it is the closest preparation to real life that you can get in Canada. The engineering and life-sciences programs are one of the toughest and most demanding in North America and professors alongside with the faculty vary the difficulty of final exams or make use of bell-curves to keep the class averages around 68% and therefore it becomes hard to stand out and easy to fall behind very quickly. However, there is great diversity on campus and lots of great food and bar options. When parties do happen, they are most enjoyable and feel very well deserved.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Academic Rigor is the strong point here at U of T, they want the best of the best. It is known for its unnecessarily tough undergraduate programs and while the material that you learn is mostly the same as other universities for accreditation reasons, the midterms and exams are very tough and are often accompanied by grade deflation or inflation practices through a bell-curve. Most of the professors who teach first and second year students are well established researchers and may lack some teaching talent, but upper years are more enjoyable as professors treat you differently and classes get smaller. Nevertheless, be prepared for long class hours, all-nighters, busy weekends, hectic moments, cramming and very little but intense partying.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Having lived at the New College residence for the past 2 years, I can say that Dorm Life is very convenient and almost makes everything too easy; most residences at U of T come with a meal plan so food is not to worry about. My best friends in life are those I made during my first year in residence and the good times we've had are simply amazing. However, being such an academically focused university, it is very hard to find people out of their rooms looking for friendship or looking for people to interact with, most attendees are nerds and geeks and are nice people but hard to open yourself to and create meaningful relationships. To help with this, the residences adopt a community lifestyle with different Houses for which fun events are organized and also inter-house events for which house points can be earned for performance, teamwork and number of participants for each house. The quiet hours imposed however can impair party times and can be annoying sometimes but once you made some good friends during your first few weeks, the quality of residence, the facilities provided, the cafeteria and events organized makes for a very fun and memorable time. Do not get too distracted though, study hard as well.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
There are literally hundreds of places to eat at U of T, the campus itself feels like a small town with all its facilities and services. Because of the diversity of the country, there are so many food options to choose from on-campus itself. There are food trucks on the main streets selling fries, hot dogs, poutine, fish etc..., there are Indian snacks, pizza snacks, burger and fast food places, salad bars, Italian places and countless number of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai places on campus or very close to campus. I would say that food is in abundance and should be the least of your worries.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
In order to have the most fun at U of T, from my 2 years of experience here, I suggest the following:
1. Choose UofT wisely, it is not a place for everybody, it will push you to your limits and beyond and therefore, you will get the best sense of enjoyment once you've gone through the punishment.
2. Don't be shy, go talk to people, go talk to that girl or guy you've been eyeing while eating. People are generally very friendly and are equally looking for an exciting experience just like you are but chances are they are they shy ones so do approach them, it might lead to some great friendship and relationships.
3. Join into parties even though you don't know anybody, introduce yourself and you will be having a good time in no time.
4. Try to keep up with the work, do not leave anything for the last minute, this makes for the least enjoyable experiences you can have.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
UofT is a very expensive place, especially for international students who pay around 2.5 times the amount paid by domestic students. Aside from the fees, the bookstore and shops around campus are generally more expensive, although if you just go a little bit further outside campus in China Town, things get a lot cheaper.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Make sure you attend frosh week, Winterfest, Pub Nights and Godiva week from the engineering department, they're great ways to make friends.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
U of T is nerd and geek paradise, academic brilliance and astonishing projects are praised and prized at the highest level. Some students are great at studying and have no particular talent and some others have amazing talents which you could not even imagine, as long as you can keep up with the work and you are passionate about what you are studying, you will benefit greatly. I must say though, that U of T is a great place for science and engineering majors but does not excel at other majors so if you intent to be in the medical, science or engineering field, its the way to go!
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are hundreds of clubs here at UofT and you might get the feeling that they are operating behind your back as sometimes, you don't see much happening but in reality, there is a lot of hard work behind each club. It is tempting to sign up for many of these amazing clubs and end up being overwhelmed. My best advise is to stick to one or two clubs which you like the most and give in your contribution.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Great safety on campus, campus police is always patrolling at any time and you can walk around at any time.
More known as 'U of T', it is a very busy place with more than 50,000 students and 200 student clubs and organisations. There is lots to do and it is a very academically demanding place which demands maturity.
U of T is very different from most other universities; it is definitely not a party school and the tough examinations, marking practices and predetermined averages for each course makes for harsh competition or good collaboration depending on your major. Classes are mostly very large in the first two years and gradually diminish in numbers. U of T expects more from each student compared to other universities, it might seem harsh at first but you will soon realize that it is the closest preparation to real life that you can get in Canada. The engineering and life-sciences programs are one of the toughest and most demanding in North America and professors alongside with the faculty vary the difficulty of final exams or make use of bell-curves to keep the class averages around 68% and therefore it becomes hard to stand out and easy to fall behind very quickly. However, there is great diversity on campus and lots of great food and bar options. When parties do happen, they are most enjoyable and feel very well deserved.
Academic Rigor is the strong point here at U of T, they want the best of the best. It is known for its unnecessarily tough undergraduate programs and while the material that you learn is mostly the same as other universities for accreditation reasons, the midterms and exams are very tough and are often accompanied by grade deflation or inflation practices through a bell-curve. Most of the professors who teach first and second year students are well established researchers and may lack some teaching talent, but upper years are more enjoyable as professors treat you differently and classes get smaller. Nevertheless, be prepared for long class hours, all-nighters, busy weekends, hectic moments, cramming and very little but intense partying.
Having lived at the New College residence for the past 2 years, I can say that Dorm Life is very convenient and almost makes everything too easy; most residences at U of T come with a meal plan so food is not to worry about. My best friends in life are those I made during my first year in residence and the good times we've had are simply amazing. However, being such an academically focused university, it is very hard to find people out of their rooms looking for friendship or looking for people to interact with, most attendees are nerds and geeks and are nice people but hard to open yourself to and create meaningful relationships. To help with this, the residences adopt a community lifestyle with different Houses for which fun events are organized and also inter-house events for which house points can be earned for performance, teamwork and number of participants for each house. The quiet hours imposed however can impair party times and can be annoying sometimes but once you made some good friends during your first few weeks, the quality of residence, the facilities provided, the cafeteria and events organized makes for a very fun and memorable time. Do not get too distracted though, study hard as well.
There are literally hundreds of places to eat at U of T, the campus itself feels like a small town with all its facilities and services. Because of the diversity of the country, there are so many food options to choose from on-campus itself. There are food trucks on the main streets selling fries, hot dogs, poutine, fish etc..., there are Indian snacks, pizza snacks, burger and fast food places, salad bars, Italian places and countless number of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai places on campus or very close to campus. I would say that food is in abundance and should be the least of your worries.
In order to have the most fun at U of T, from my 2 years of experience here, I suggest the following: 1. Choose UofT wisely, it is not a place for everybody, it will push you to your limits and beyond and therefore, you will get the best sense of enjoyment once you've gone through the punishment. 2. Don't be shy, go talk to people, go talk to that girl or guy you've been eyeing while eating. People are generally very friendly and are equally looking for an exciting experience just like you are but chances are they are they shy ones so do approach them, it might lead to some great friendship and relationships. 3. Join into parties even though you don't know anybody, introduce yourself and you will be having a good time in no time. 4. Try to keep up with the work, do not leave anything for the last minute, this makes for the least enjoyable experiences you can have.
UofT is a very expensive place, especially for international students who pay around 2.5 times the amount paid by domestic students. Aside from the fees, the bookstore and shops around campus are generally more expensive, although if you just go a little bit further outside campus in China Town, things get a lot cheaper.
Make sure you attend frosh week, Winterfest, Pub Nights and Godiva week from the engineering department, they're great ways to make friends.
U of T is nerd and geek paradise, academic brilliance and astonishing projects are praised and prized at the highest level. Some students are great at studying and have no particular talent and some others have amazing talents which you could not even imagine, as long as you can keep up with the work and you are passionate about what you are studying, you will benefit greatly. I must say though, that U of T is a great place for science and engineering majors but does not excel at other majors so if you intent to be in the medical, science or engineering field, its the way to go!
There are hundreds of clubs here at UofT and you might get the feeling that they are operating behind your back as sometimes, you don't see much happening but in reality, there is a lot of hard work behind each club. It is tempting to sign up for many of these amazing clubs and end up being overwhelmed. My best advise is to stick to one or two clubs which you like the most and give in your contribution.
Great safety on campus, campus police is always patrolling at any time and you can walk around at any time.