Here at the St. George Campus, curiosity is heavily encouraged among students. Only now, after three semesters at the University, am I coming to that realization myself. During the academic year, the pressures of doing well and fitting in can potentially distract us from getting the most out of our university experience. But this is not something to beat yourself up over! Rather, take this awareness as an opportunity for reflection and growth—to flourish in post-secondary education and grab it by the horns. By retelling my first-year experience in this article and sharing the hidden gems you should watch out for along the way, I ask that you open yourself up to the process of change and self-discovery. To metamorphose is very real and regular to the human condition.
Research to your heart’s content!
My first hidden gem: The U of T Faculty of Arts and Science Timetable. An absolute resource. Had I stripped it completelyof its fruitfulness, I would have faced significantly fewer surprises coming to the University. My biggest mistake was not fully utilizing the “advanced search” option. Filtering your search provides much faster and more efficient results that are tailored to you! Also, it’s a good idea to keep your courses generally consistent with the year you’re in; the higher the course level is, the more difficult the courses can get. Another thing to note is who your professor is, as their teaching style can have a serious impact on your academic performance. Student-contributing websites such as Rate My Professors or Reddit are fairly reputable, but depending on both the number of comments and the detail put into them, there may be a fair amount of personal bias. Remember: we each have our own unique learning style. Alternatively, searching the web for past syllabi can give you a more accurate estimate of what to expect in a course. When it comes to tackling breadth requirements, I found that the easiest way is to pick courses that you are genuinely interested in. Nine times out of ten, how much you take away from your lectures coincides with the attitude you have going into them. That’s why looking at your courses’ descriptions on Course Finder is crucial! The wording alone can be a dead giveaway on the level of difficulty you should anticipate (i.e. “for non-science students”). Therefore, familiarizing yourself with the setup of your courses, and not shying away from the Academic Advising and Support page if you’re stuck, are great strategies for a more stress-free first year.
“First year is for experimenting.”
My second hidden gem: listen to your Orientation Leaders. The first day of Orientation Week was an absolute roller coaster of emotions—the memory is still so vivid. When I awoke in the morning, half of me was excited to get on with the day while the other half was still in the midst of processing that university had officially begun. Eek. The festivities began and first was registration. We’d be given a wristband and assigned to a smaller Orientation Group, each with two to three Orientation Leaders waiting to greet us. After some slightly awkward icebreakers, the Leaders eventually managed to get an energetic and engaging discussion going and asked us if we were excited for university. Most of us nodded and said we were, but one girl in particular said that she was upset because she was still unsure of her major. Without missing a beat, one of the Leaders quickly assured her that what she was feeling was completely normal: “Don’t worry, your first year is for experimenting.” The other Leaders all nodded in agreement. What caught me by surprise, though, was not what they said, but the way they said it: comically and without any shame. I didn’t think much of it at first. Little did I know, this phrase was practically the “newcomer’s motto” at the University, given how much it would be subsequently brought up in casual conservations. I found myself puzzled; “Was this the new normal?” But when I started warming up to the idea, what I found was a very real and heartfelt message—that it’s okay not to have your entire life already figured out. This is why, in your first year, you are considered “undeclared”: to allow yourself to start that adventure, unrestricted to a specific program. But this adventure doesn’t have to stop after first year; upper-year students are exploring just as much as we are! “We’re all out here just confused uni students,” a soon-to-be fourth-year friend of mine told me once, to which I replied, “Amen to that.” Regardless of age, we are complex individuals with complex interests that span a wide range of subjects; your course selection should, by no means, be any different.
Don’t be afraid to change up your game plan!
Coming to the University, I had this burning desire to pursue a Drama specialist—theatre was my passion. Not even the slightest thought of enrolling in another program was in the back of my mind. But as soon as I heard about “breadth requirements,” whatever mentality was fresh in my mind soon turned sour. Clearly, the University had painted a picture much different than the one in my head initially. My nerves began to envision a reality in which the courses I wanted to prioritize didn’t match the ones I needed to. I’d be lying to you if I said this didn’t happen; what I will say though, is that the extent to which it did was much less than what I had imagined. At the end of the day, what kept me motivated throughout the year was the opportunity to be in an environment that stimulated and challenged me academically. From deep personal anecdotes to very real-world scenarios, all my professors exuberated such a vulnerability, rawness, and passion for what they do, and this made me feel that much more connected to them. And so, when program enrolment came along, what I initially thought would be an easy decision was anything but. The first part was the hardest: downgrading to a Drama major from a Drama specialist. In my heart, I knew this was the only solution if I was truly committed to expanding my interests. At the same time, I didn’t want to double major, so I decided to keep Drama as the priority. Once that was out of the way, it was then time to consult the Program List for my remaining two minors. The first minor I decided on was Creative Expression and Society, the “non-fiction writing” aspect being intriguing to me. The second minor I decided on was Sociology, given that the sociology course I’d taken left the strongest impact on me this year. The parallels between the worlds of sociology and acting—both dealing with interaction and performativity—is too intriguing of a concept for me to dismiss. But more importantly, with all the injustice that is going on right now, the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion within all fields is becoming that much more important. Therefore, regardless of your existing career plan, I ask that you consider doing the same if you aren’t already; it can be as simple as getting involved within your campus’ community! This leads me to my third and final hidden gem: be the you that leaves the earth better than how you found it.
Wonders are meant to run wild.
The University of Toronto prides itself on empowering students to make a positive difference in their communities and in the greater world. This time last year, I (dis)oriented myself to a very narrow-minded pathway. It was the disconnect between the University’s mantra and what I learned in my classes that made me want to change. And that’s why I wrote this article: to hopefully inspire like-minded individuals to become more proactive about their futures and their lives right now. However, what’s just as important to take away is that no matter how many tricks we may have up our sleeves, life can throw massive curve balls that we have no way of avoiding. And that is 1000% okay! To be perfect is absolutely imperfect, and to be imperfect is absolutely perfect. One day, your adversity is what will make you successful in life, because it’s what we learn and grow from that make us stronger, wiser, and kinder human-beings. And I think kindness is something that we need a little bit more of in the world right now.
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