Alumni Benefits

I’m still getting used to the idea that I am an alumna of U of T, even though I officially graduated three weeks ago. Maybe it's because I'm spending the summer here at this magnificent blog, but I don't feel quite ready to cut loose and never walk across Front Campus again. Thankfully, U of T does a lot of things to help with the transition from upper-year student to successful post-graduate. This week, I investigated the ways that you can stay involved with U of T and use it for support as you move forward in your life.  You can even get discounts and free things! Who doesn’t love free things?

Stay connected to U of T To start, you keep your U of T email account for life, though it changes from a @mail.utoronto.ca address to a @alumni.utoronto.ca account. Any emails sent to your old address will forward to the new one for two years, giving you time to let all of your contacts know about the change. You also get a free subscription to U of T Magazine, a great publication that highlights news on campus and the accomplishments of alumni. I’ve been reading it online during my time as a student, but I’m excited to curl up with a paper copy in a new post-grad apartment. Keep using U of T services If you’re experiencing separation anxiety from Robarts, you can get an Alumni card (one-time fee of $22.60) to get up into the stacks as often as you like. And if you’d like to continue to borrow books, you can get an Alumni Reading card ($70 per year).

You can also keep up your fitness levels by obtaining an alumni membership at the Athletic Centre ($571 per year) or Hart House ($423.55 per year, for the first three years after graduation), both of which can be paid in monthly instalments. You’ll be saving a lot compared to what the general public would pay! Graduates also get access to the Career Centre for two years after their convocation date. Make sure to stop by the Career Centre to attend workshops or get advice from a career educator. You can also still access all of the full and part-time job opportunities in the CLN! Continue learning While you could certainly learn a lot by slowly reading yourself through the Robarts collection, possibly the best alumni perk is being able to further your career or personal ambitions by taking a course through the School of Continuing Studies. They offer online and in-classroom courses in business, creative writing and various arts and science topics. And U of T alumni can take one using a $600 credit within the first 18 months after convocation!

I’m definitely looking to use this amazing opportunity next summer. I’ve got my eye on the great selection of writing/journalism courses. Like this one on freelance science writing (which conveniently is exactly what I’m considering doing with my B.Sc. after journalism school!). Which alumni benefit are you most looking forward to using, U of T?