BRB – Figuring Out These Acronyms @ UofT

Let's be honest. When people ask what university you go to, you'll often say that you go to U of T instead of UT; even though the University of Toronto usually uses UT in its formal abbreviations, i.e. :

• UTM = U of T Mississauga
• UTSC = U of T Scarborough
• UTSG = U of T St George

Once you've been at U of T for awhile, you'll realize that the acronyms don't stop there. Here are some acronyms I've had to Google or ask someone about at some point in the last year! ACORN

Ah ACORN.. I knew that U of T had a thing for oak trees (in the crest, ACORN and now Quercus; the Latin name for oak tree...). I had my own story behind this platform where we manage our courses, programs and fees before I found out it stood for Accessible Campus Online Resource Network. If the oak trees symbolize wisdom and knowledge, and U of T's motto is "Velut arbor ævo", which means as a tree through the ages in Latin; the tree must've started from a seed... An acorn to be exact (IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE! - or knowledge, specifically in this case). EX You'll figure this one out once October rolls around... HINT: It's somewhere you'll spend 2-3 hours thinking and penning your knowledge onto paper -> if you can't wait for October <- ASSU/ CSSU/ PhySU/ UTSU/ SoManySUs

Just as Simrit recommended joining extracurricular activities, I found the fastest way I make friends is through student union meetings. These meetings are attended by all levels of undergraduates and allow us to have a say in how our programs or departments are ran. The unions, such as the Physics Student Union (PhySU) usually have a their own lounge for chilling or studying together. Not only can you potentially add executive positions in these unions to your CCR (Co-curricular record), but there's also usually free food at the meetings! CLN Where I found this job! (P.S. We're currently hiring!!) The Career Learning Network is a great resource that I'm happy I utilized in first year. I usually carve out time during the week to check for new volunteer, on-and-off campus jobs and research opportunities. The process of applying, being interviewed and being hired has proved to me that U of T has so many opportunities waiting to be tapped into. What's Your POSt? Once first year came to an end, it was time for me to choose a Program of Study in the FAS (Faculty of Arts and Science). With over 700 undergraduate programs to choose from, the process was long but it allowed me to mix and match majors and minors to create a POSt that encompasses things that I'm passionate about. R = Thursday A convention I first saw in the syllabus of my first lecture at U of T. I used to think it made no sense but now religiously use when writing the date on my notes. Since Tuesday = T; Thursday = R (but why not H?)

So the next time someone asks if you want to meet in ES to study or if you've decided to CR/NCR a course, don't be afraid to ask what it means! Check out this list of U of T Acronyms and building names to help you navigate your way through life @ U of T!