As a life science student, there are a lot of courses that are mandatory, but there is still room left for elective courses. With the numerous courses that U of T offers, I find it hard sometimes to narrow my…
I Speak Spanish?
I speak Spanish. With two Chilean parents and a grandmother who knows virtually nothing of English or French despite living in Montreal for 40 years, not learning Spanish was not an option. So, my sister and I spoke Spanish in…
First Year Seminar- How it Enhanced my University Experience
I thought I had a clear idea of what courses I would take in my first year, but when I began researching, I encountered this thing called breadth requirements *shudders*. As a result, I frantically searched for courses that would…
Making Friends at University: My Top 3 Tips!
Sometimes, the scariest thing about university is just trying to make friends! As I mentioned in my last post, I moved from Vancouver to Toronto without knowing a single person. Now, I’ve made lots of great friends in this city. But,…
Preparing to be a Stranger in a (Semi) Familiar Land
Ever since I was a little girl I always claimed that “the sea is nice and all but I am going to live near the mountains.” I also always spoke of “going back” to Chile – the country both my…
My Experience Moving To a City Where I Knew No One
Almost two years ago, I jumped on a plane from Vancouver to Toronto. I didn’t know a single person who was going to the University of Toronto, which was super scary. But, after a couple weeks in residence, I realized…
Extracurriculars Are No Stress!
I know it's still summer, but I’m sure a lot of people are already thinking about what clubs they can join during the school year! This is my experience with U of T's extracurriculars. Finding the Right Club I know…
Keeping my balance
We’ve all heard the saying "balance is key", but recently I can’t stop thinking about what the key to balance could be. I hear things such as "work hard, play hard", but don’t often unpack what it means. We probably…
My Homesickness Tricks
The biggest problem I faced in my first year of university was homesickness. I was already familiar with the feeling, having been to sleepover summer camp as a kid, but I still didn’t know how to make it go away.…
4000 km From Home: Missing My Parents at University
Almost two years ago, I jumped on a plane and flew from Vancouver to Toronto. Though I’ve been back since, a lot has changed. Ever since then, my sense of home has blurred from Vancouver to Toronto, and not seeing…