Arts & Science Student Ambassador: On Rotman Commerce and Life @ UofT

There are almost 26,000 undergrad students enrolled in 300 programs in the faculty of Arts and Science (A&S). The A&S Student Ambassadors represent the thousands of students in our Faculty, and provide prospective students great information about the school, their experiences, and their programs. You’ll find the Ambassadors at events like the Ontario University Fair and Fall Campus Day (save the date – October 19th). I got to speak with Amara, one of the Ambassadors, about her program and life as a UofT student. She found out about the opportunity through the Career Centre’s Job Postings page, and it caught her eye because she loves talking to people and sharing her experiences (she’s telling the truth – she’s friendly and awesome). She dropped tons of gems about her program and experience here at UofT! Rotman Commerce Amara is in her 3rd year in the Rotman Commerce program. As a Student Ambassador, she gets a ton of questions about the program. She answered a few of mine and debunked some “Rotman Myths”. Rotman commerce in three words - “I love it!” Rotman commerce in 21 words - “It’s a great program…it’s given me lots of opportunities that I don’t know if I would have had at other places.” Other pluses - It’s in the heart of Toronto, the faculty is stellar, and they have the perk of being enrolled in both the Rotman School of Management and the Faculty of Arts and Science. She does admit that it’s a challenging and competitive program, but for her, it’s worth it because “it really builds you up!” But it’s not a co-op program! - Internships are not guaranteed, but opportunities are available if you take the time to look for them. After spending 2-3 days a week attending interviews and networking events, Amara’s already got an internship lined up for next summer! Suit-clad Rotman students might seem intimidating – In her first encounter with the program, Amara was intimidated by the high-profile program and smartly dressed students, but things have changed. “Yeah, we might seem intimidating with like, suits on”, she says, “but on the inside we have the same fears and the same concerns as everyone else.” On Life At U of T (I’m awesome for using the title of the blog in a post) Choosing a College – It’s common, Amara mentions, for prospective students to be confused about UofT’s colleges (“but I thought this was university!” cried the UofT applicant). She loves her college – Woodsworth – and highlights two things about colleges in general: they “are like your family outside of your program”, and they “have a lot of events that will help you get to know more people”. Overcoming Challenges - Amara had to drastically change her study habits, change the way she thinks (“U of T is more about thinking than about memorizing”), and look for support amongst upper year students and professors. Despite the challenges, she remarks happily, “Over the past three years I’ve seen myself grow and become better, and I think that change in myself is why I’m happy about choosing U of T.” Last Words? – “I love UofT. I love Rotman Commerce. I love being on this campus and being in this city…[UofT] is the best university in Canada and I’m really proud of it.” A million thanks to Amara for letting me interview her for this post! To find out more about the A&S Ambassadors program, click here