General – Page 131 – Life @ U of T

The Weird and the Wonderful: A New Year’s Resolution

Well, hello there, U of T! I know it’s been three weeks since we rung in 2016 and the ‘new year’ excitement has worn off considerably with classes and assignments already piling up (it’s not just me, right??) but being my first post of this year- let’s talk resolutions.

For me, seeing as most of my courses are full-year, the second semester always seems to be longer, more difficult and most importantly, colder. (though I’m told that this winter is one of the mildest yet- positive temperatures in January- whaaaat?!) But even though the second semester brings on so many more challenges to deal with, I decided to voluntarily add another little one on the side in the form of a resolution: to explore Toronto more. Last year was a busy one, and what with academics, commuting, and managing extracurriculars, I found myself not venturing outside the 'U of T bubble’ as often as I should have, which is really a pity considering how much Toronto has to offer.

An Insider’s Guide to Choosing Courses on Exchange

Well, it actually happened. Real life is back: school started again after the winter break, classes are in full swing, and assignment deadlines are looming again. All of that fun academic stuff – classes, assignments, readings and lectures – might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about exchange, but they do form a big part of your experience. So I thought the time was probably right to write a post about choosing your courses while you’re studying abroad.

#TryItUofT – Yoga!

As students, we often feel stressed out. Understandably, we attempt to find ways to cope with the stress by taking part in activities to “de-stress”. Finding that “one thing” that allows us to take a step back, breathe, and relax. This can include a multitude of different activities such as sports, reading, gaming, etc. For me, I was looking for something that wouldn’t take up too much of my time and would leave me feeling relaxed and energized. Recently, I have found the perfect activity to do just that, and that happens to be yoga! In line with the #TryItUofT campaign, I felt it was fitting to share my new found love for yoga!

#HowDoUMove: the DPA of UNI

If you grew up in an Ontarian elementary school, you probably remember the Daily Physical Activity (DPA) program, which required teachers to facilitate a minimum of half an hour of physical activity per school day. It was a commendable initiative, but it fell short for me as my school's idea of physical activity was to get us to run around the neighbourhood boulevard right after we arrived at school. For me, this was not ideal as I was the kind of kid who more-so preferred long, slow, chatty walks in the morning, and not running in my low-rise Garage jeans being chased around by my homeroom teacher.

It wasn’t until my intermediate grades that I got into running, and stuck with it on the high school cross country team. Now as a full-time university student, I recognize that it can be challenging to find the same time and energy resources to be active. That said, I am able to achieve my prescribed half an hour of physical activity on most days.

Breaking the Ice

In my very first post, I gave a pep talk for when you’re on your way to office hours. Did you read it? Did you go? Are you and your profs best friends now? Do you give each other wardrobe advice and go ice-skating? Well, that’s wonderful! Just in case you wanted some more concrete advice, however, I have been compiling a list of potential icebreakers that will start you off on the right foot with your winter term profs. What better time could there be to share this list than right now, when you have to break literal ice on your trek to your prof's office and break figurative ice upon arrival? The way I see it, there are five main icebreaker categories:

The Wonderful World of Student Run Cafés

With the new semester, I've found myself with a schedule that leaves me with a lot of time to kill on campus between classes. Though school may have only just started, I've already grown tired of frequenting the same Starbucks every day, and my wallet is really feeling the pinch. This week I decided to kill two birds with one stone: explore as many student run cafés and restaurants as I could in order to find a place that I wouldn't mind spending time in, and that wouldn't hurt my wallet. Diabolos Coffee Bar

a sign reading "diabolos" with an illustration of a coffee cherry

After a hiatus last year, UC's 50 year old student run cafe is back and better than ever. Diabolos' space in UC's Junior Common Room was recently renovated into a bright and airy one, dotted with ivy and tiny succulents. Diabolos specializes in espresso based drinks (all of which can be found under $3!), but also offers delicious locally baked cookies, kombucha, as well as vegetarian wraps and sandwiches.

photo of hanging plants above the counter

Battle of the Bands: U of T Style

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Winterfest 2016: Battle of the Bands, which took place at the Annex venue, Lee’s Palace. The Battle of the Bands event is a competition for U of T bands to win a prize of five hundred dollars and a set at Fireball 2016! If you haven’t heard about this totally epic musical battle sesh you should...

Consider creating a Facebook account, if only to keep up with the never ending stream of FB invites to UofT affiliated events (that are actually fun to go to).
Continue reading, because I am about to give you a recap.

Upon entering Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor St. West / a popular venue for musicians and people alike whose music preferences would 100% offend your grandmother) I was reminded the battle of the bands scene in the movie Scott Pilgram vs. the World. The atmosphere of the venue was awesome in a grungy underground teenage angsty way, even if the smell distinctly reminded me of Queen Street’s “Black Market” vintage store. Various smells aside, I was in for a night of great music, dancing and a general good time. Competing Bands Spaceship Thoughts — Founded in October 2015, by Sky Casket, Spoon Johnson and Lump the Potato (who is unsurprisingly, truly a root vegetable) the sounds of Spaceship Thoughts are unlike anything I had ever heard before. They go for an “acoustic rap” vibe which was as interesting as it sounds. Despite being the youngest band at the battle, they rocked their first live performance! The lead singer was dressed up as a traditional 90’s “bro” complete with a popped collar, pink polo shirt, exceptionally spiky hair and two ties to really finish off the look. This interview-style video done by The Varsity will give you a glimpse at the personalities of the bands who competed in the Battle!

Fitness Instructions

It's a New Year! A fun fact about me: I am a fitness instructor on campus.

No, but seriously. I love being a fitness instructor:

I find group fitness motivating. It keeps me active, because I know that at least once a week I have to smile while I'm working out. That takes training. In our industry, we are often reminded that when we are instructing, our focus is on the participants getting a great workout. So I try to attend multiple group fitness classes a week to get a good workout myself.

Spilling Afternoon Light: An Interview with a Founder of PoC@Trin

Hey U of T! Recently, I had the phenomenal opportunity to interview Nathan Chan, one of the founders of a group based in Trinity College called PoC@Trin.

Meet Nathan Chan, a third-year physiology specialist and pharmacology major!

Spotlight on Physiotherapy!

If you remember last semester, I shared the story of a recent nursing grad. This semester I hope to showcase students from other professional faculties! My next Q&A session is with a first year physiotherapy (PT) student, Amanda. Amanda completed her undergrad at McMaster where she earned her Honours Bachelor of Science with a major in biology and minor in psychology. Check out all the insight and advice about the PT program!

Category: General (page 131)