List? Check.

ahh lists. my good old friends. I am the (self-proclaimed) QUEEN of making to-do lists, complete with fancy notebooks and stationary but as it happens, I’ll spend more time carefully crafting them than actually ticking items off said lists.
My intricately doodled things to do list
case in point
BUT all that is going to change *determined baby face meme* I have come up with a list of things I want to achieve during my second year of study... other than that 4.0, of course Here goes: 1. Visit /study in/ Instagram photos of ALL forty-four libraries at U of T. So we have one of the largest library systems in North America and get this- Ryerson University reportedly pays $90,000 a year just to use U of T’s library resources! That has to mean we’ve got something worth checking out! I realize this is no mean feat, but armed with my TCard, a steely resolve and a love for books of all kinds, I’m ready to take it on. 2. Attend a dinner with 12 strangers No, this isn’t quite as creepy as it sounds and no, I don’t mean sauntering into a restaurant and casually crashing a dinner party although…maybe I should try that someday too. The Dinner with 12 Strangers is a program hosted by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) and the Office of Alumni Affairs and consists of regular social gatherings, including dinners and weekly game nights with people from U of T alumni to professors, current students and more and sounds like a great opportunity to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t come across. 3. Write (something, anything) for The Varsity Besides the Varsity being a great publication to be involved with, I think it’d be pretty awesome to see my own name in print. It’s all about that byline (not really but still, I can pin it up on my cork board and pretend to be really cool). 4. Take a trip to UTSC and UTM Amidst the hustle and bustle of life at St. George, I think we tend to forget that there are two other campuses out there, both with an equally vibrant student culture and lots of things to do and see. There’s even a shuttle that goes from the St. George campus to UTM, as well as a bus from Kennedy Station directly to UTSC, which should make ticking this item off a lot easier. 5. Try 3-D printing at the Gerstein Library. I was pretty excited when I heard about this, not going to lie. Gerstein Library has two 3D printers that are available for use by students after taking a short certification course. And who knows, maybe I’ll discover a newfound love for creating objects and become the Michelangelo of 3D printing...unlikely...but, you know, possible. 6. QUAD PICNIC (complete with wicker basket and homemade snacks, though maybe not embarrassingly bright red checkered blanket). Reading Danielle’s definitive guide to quad picnics got me excited for this one.
Trinity College Quadrangle
the Trinity College quad!
maybe I'll spend an entire day just quad-hopping
The Trinity College quad has been my longtime lounging favourite but this year, I’ve got my sight set on the gorgeous, leafy University College quad. 7. Watch some (free) movies. There are loads of movie screenings happening around campus and I’m liking the sound of Free Friday Films at Innis Town Hall, Innis College 8. Work up the nerve to…. (i) talk to a professor. (ii) raise my hand in class. Sometimes I feel like I'd rather take on a herd of raging bulls than thrust my hand in the air and feel the glare of a few hundred students on the back of my neck or approach an ‘intimidating' prof after class. But I mean, we’re all here in this great big institution to learn from each other and sometimes, talking to other people and asking questions is the best way to do that. *gulps nervously*. 9. Get fit ‘nuff said. Goldring, here I come! (-come september. I promise.)
Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport
who wouldn't want to work out with a view like this?
Credit: Dominic Ali
10. Figure my life (i.e. career) out. U of T has tons of resources to help with career exploration but I’ve got my eyes set on the Extern Job Shadowing Program, where you can connect with professionals in your field of choice, shadow them during a typical workday and ask them all your burning questions. So that’s the end of it! With this digital version of my to-do list immortalized in pixels before you, the pressure is on. wish me luck! what’s on your to-do list for the year, U of T?

2 comments on “List? Check.

  1. Hi Emaan reading your post was very refreshing. Since I am from Pakistan as well i had to ask, are you a foreign student or have been living here but come from Pakistan?

    1. Hey Wasset, thanks for your comment!

      Yes, I’m from Pakistan- I was born there and lived there for eighteen years before I left last year to come study and live in Toronto.
      Hope that answers your question!

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