General – Page 125 – Life @ U of T

Spotlight on Occupational Therapy!

It's time for another one of my special features where I get shine the spotlight on students from other professional faculties! Here, I will introduce to you two Occupational Therapy (OT) students who will share their experiences with the program and why they chose OT!

Meet the new off campus housing site!

Finding off-campus housing is a challenge that many U of T students will face. When I looked for my first apartment after living in residence in first year, I looked at over a a dozen places, and almost fell for a scam in the process! Eventually I found a place with a great roommate, but it wasn't easy. It's hard to find a place that meets your needs, stays close to campus, and stays within your budget — but the new off campus housing website from Housing Services just made it all a bit easier!

Writing the Future

“I'm writing the future, I'm writing it out, loud.” - ‘Future’, by Paramore Fun fact about that song: it is (to my knowledge, at least) the longest Paramore song to date, as well as the one containing the shortest set…

Lions and Rhinos and Bears… Oh my!

It seems like spring is finally springing! Sure, there’s been a lot of rain, but we’ve also had a few beautiful, sunny days. Last weekend, I took advantage of the balmy 12-degree temperatures and went on a day trip. What better place to fill yourself with the joys of spring than at the beautiful Toronto Zoo? It’s actually pretty simple to get there on the TTC; just take the Bloor-Danforth subway line all the way East to Kennedy Station and then transfer onto the East 86A Scarborough, which will drop you off right at the front entrance. The trip usually takes just under an hour and a half, but it’s worth it to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. General admission is $23, but if you’re going to be around Toronto for the next year, I’d recommend getting a student membership for $60. The zoo is open every day of the year, except for Christmas Day, but I think it’s especially nice at this time of year because it tends to be less busy and the warm-but-not-hot weather is perfect for wandering and exploring.

Pictured: my Health app data — I certainly did a lot of wandering!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the urban jungle gets a bit overwhelming for me. The zoo is a great place to get some fresh air, take in some sights, and learn something new! It’s the largest zoo in Canada, covering 287 hectares, and it is home to over 5000 animals. There’s always something going on and there are a ton of conservation initiatives to get involved with too! Of course, there’s another draw this springtime. You may have heard by now that the Toronto Zoo recently welcomed two not-so-giant-yet panda cubs! Their names are Jia Panpan (Canadian Hope) and Jia Yueyue, (Canadian Joy). These two fuzzy little stars already have friends in high places.

Pictured: Justin Trudeau with pandas — OMG!!!! (Picture credit: cbc.ca)

Well, those three are not the only majestic bundles of joy who have been hanging around the zoo lately.

U of T: Then and Now

As a longtime history enthusiast, I’m always curious about what used to be. And every so often, while I’m walking across the tiled corridors of University College or peering up at the latest whimsical pattern on the ever-changing UTSU dome,…

Students On The Hunt: Off-Campus Housing

“Beautiful 1 bedroom, perfect for a tidy, respectful young couple” This was the title of the Craigslist ad I responded to last April with high hopes. Two weeks later I was out of $1300, apartment-less and feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. I had become a victim of the “I’m a [insert very respectful job that only a wonderful person does here] and I am out of the country with my family to work in Europe for the next five years and I need someone really great who will take over my second apartment” scam. The thing with people who scam for a living is that like most people who are career crime-sters, they are really good at it. If you are unsuspecting (which I completely was) or even worse, a Toronto newbie who has never rented before (hey, I was both) your scammer comes off as a really nice person who is willing to phone you at 3am “England time” to explain to you in great detail about how to money transfer your first and last month of rent. Your scammer will do almost anything to make it easier for you to hand over your money — but once that money has been removed from your bank account, your really nice doctor/engineer/teacher family-man landlord gives you literally nothing but radio silence. When I say nothing I am definitely implying that yes; you for sure are not getting that “Beautiful 1 bedroom, perfect for a tidy, respectful young couple”. Que the tears and the calls to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The best way to avoid being scammed is to be realistic about the rental places you find on the internet. Websites like Craigslist, Kijiji, Apartmint, Padmapper, etc can be great resources for a student on the hunt BUT it’s so important to keep in mind the old adage: “if it’s seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Absolutely no one is going to rent out their 1000 square foot, fully furnished King West loft for seven hundred dollars a month. If you do decide to use these websites, here are some things to keep in mind:

Working on Exchange

When I was planning my exchange, I had the idea that I wanted to get a part time job while I was living in Edinburgh. I figured I’d need extra money for adventures and travelling (and for the unexpectedly high…

A Reflection on Pain Week!

For many years, students in professional faculties (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant), typically in their second year, are required to participate in “Pain Week”. Pain Week was developed in order to foster interprofessional collaboration in an area of healthcare that is one of the most challenging to provide treatment. Pain management is not a “one size fits all” approach. It has to be tailored to the patient as each person’s lived experience with pain will be different. Consequently, this requires the expertise of various healthcare professionals to ensure all aspects of the patient’s pain is managed. It was through this week that I acquired a new found appreciation for how true this is.

Take a 100 Meal Journey!

Hiya! On Monday evening I attended a workshop focused around my favourite topic of all time: food. (I have Italian origins and I can quite happily discuss food forever). The workshop was hosted by a UofT Dietician on behalf of the Dieticians of Canada, to celebrate March as Nutrition Month. The title,100 Meal Journey, represents the average number of meals that one person will eat in a month. The workshop focused on goal setting and planning to create small changes in eating habits that make a big difference over 100 meals.

100 meals — The idea is that the journey is broken up into weekly tasks, but it is not too late to join. You can make a pledge and dieticians will send you motivational tips on how to achieve your goal.

Attending the World Vision Campus event “Raw Hope: A Night about Refugees”

Last Friday, I attended an event hosted by U of T World Vision Campus. It’s an annual titled “Justice Works,” and this year’s theme focused on the refugee crises that have been regularly making the news. WVC also hoped to showcase the “Raw Hope” World Vision initiative which serves children living in conflict zones such as Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, etc., providing immediate aid and working towards longterm safety and care.

Category: General (page 125)