Gradlife

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By: Samara Moore, Gradlife Ambassador

If you are reading this then it is safe to assume that you have survived the regular school year. This is no small feat! We all know how grueling a graduate program can be. At this time of year I have found myself reflecting on my academics, strengths and weaknesses, and on matters of personal and professional development.

I don’t know if this has been a reflective time for you too, but I have a question for you. Do you feel connected to other people at UofT? Do you feel like you are a part of the community at your department and beyond it? Would you say that you have made genuine connections here? If you are going through a tough time or need to relax and decompress, are there people that you can reach out to?

As graduate students it can be so easy to get caught up with our classes, grades, thesis, practicum placements, publishing, and a number of other academic related pursuits. While these things are critically important to our work, so is community. Graduate school can be isolating. It is important to remember that we are social beings who are not meant to survive alone. We thrive when we are connected to other people.

At Gradlife we have a number of programs designed to bring graduate students together! We have fantastic events running throughout the summer. If you have not attended a Grad Escape or one of our Grad Talks before, I strongly encourage you to attend.

• Grad Escapes
  • These are fun outing and activities! They give us an opportunity to connect with other students and take a much needed break from our studies. “Avoid your thesis in style” with us at an upcoming Grad Escape!
    • May 21st: Get Crafty at Hart House
    • June 28th: Improv Class at Second City
      • Register: http://bookit.studentlife.utoronto.ca

• Grad Talk
  • These are invaluable learning sessions that help graduate students to build skills and knowledge together! Join us at the Grad Room for this fantastic talk series. There is usually always pizza!
    • May 28th: Setting Boundaries and Learning to Say No
    • June 18th: Scholarships and Awards: When to start, where to start?
      • Register: http://bookit.studentlife.utoronto.ca

If you are a student from a Health Science discipline, there are also a number of interprofessional education (IPE) activities running throughout the summer. I am a part of the IPE program and it has been a great way to connect with students from other health disciples and learn alongside them. For more information about the programs and events, check out the IPE website.

Lastly, I recently learned that the School of Graduate Studies is offering a Summer Gym Bursary to graduate students. I have never been the athletic tye, but I know that a lot of people connect with other students through sports and fitness-related activities. You can find out more information about the SGS Summer Gym Bursary on the SGS website.

I hope that these suggestions have been helpful for you. I am thrilled to be back as your Gradlife Ambassador for the summer and hope to see you at one of our events! If you spot me on campus please introduce yourself, I would love to meet you!

Until next time,

Samara