Category Archives: Student Life

Rage Against the Machine

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Ripley being awesome!

 

Do you remember that scene in Aliens when Ripley climbed into that robotic armor and kicked serious butt? I do. For her, the technology made her stronger. It allowed her to extend her reach, it increased her strength, and let’s be honest it looked pretty cool!

Last week, I spent a few hours with a machine. The machine I communed with, like Ripley’s, armor extended my reach, in an intellectual context it made me more powerful, but unfortunately it didn’t make me look super cool. Ripley had armor, I had a microfiche viewer.

It’s cool too. Right?

So let me break it down for you. You might be wondering how I would ever be able to compare these two pieces of technology.

1. Extending my reach: Just like Ripley’s armor the microfiche extends my reach. How you ask? Why it extends my reach back into history of course! In the two hours I spent in front of this machine, I was able to scan through of weekly newspapers published in Toronto from 1917-1919.

2. Increased power: Do I need to remind you all that Knowledge is power? I didn’t think so. The microfiche didn’t increase the strength of my punch, but it did increase my knowledge. For example, I learned that most front pages in 1917 were devoted to the discussion of conscription. Behold my power!!

3. Cool looking: Admittedly, the microfiche lacks the inherent coolness that Ripley’s armor possessed. However, the microfiche is not without it’s own unique beauty. Notice in the image above that the microfiche has a nostalgic quality that reminds me of the classic lines of an Atari system or my old commodore 64. It’s the same phenomenon that makes people eat at Fifty’s diners. Old stuff is cool.

So that’s my argument. The microfiche might be a relic of the past, but it has its own advantages. It the loudest thing permitted in the library. If you’ve never used a microfiche, try one and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. If you were ever to make that much noise doing anything else in the library, you’d surely get kicked out. But when you’re using the microfiche you can be loud vicariously through the machine. Just wait till you have to rewind the reel. It really sounds like a small helicopter is landing in the library! Literally, everyone will be looking at you with annoyed glares as they try to read or study.

It’s really great fun.

I encourage you, before you graduate, try a microfiche machine. Microfiche is the only way to view a large category of historic documents that have yet to be digitized. If you have patience, it’s a great underused resource for researching at the University.

-Lori

Up All Night: Essay Cramming by the Hour

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I managed to escape the curse of the all nighter until my third year (unless the Royal Wedding counted). It hasn’t been easy, and it’s definitely been a curse, but I’ve learned that there seems to be a riveting hourly breakdown that follows in what all nighters for the average student looks like. A window into what essay cramming in one night is like. Warning: the following will feel all too familiar, unpleasant, and may bring back some painful reminders. 

7pm: Fresh out of dinner with coffee(ssssss) in hand, and (half) your research done, it’s go time!

7:30pm: JSTOR spree! If only there weren’t so many pdfs setting up camp on your desktop…maybe you should have started sooner.

8:00pm: Your friend decides to come join you aka someone to watch your things while you momentarily leave the room every hour to regain sanity

9pm: Outline is done, now for a Facebook break!

9:45pm: Your friend decides to leave…weakling…

…You shoot a disapproving look as you resume you tweeting about the trials and tribulations of being a student.

Midnight: Bring out your coffee machine, time to start draft #1.

2am: Wait…your thesis..WHERE DID THE THESIS GO? What is my thesis?

2:30am: Draft #2 begins….scour wait-lists for possible writing centre appointment. Will accept anything up to an hour before deadline at 10am.

4am: Still on draft #2. Time for a 20 minute nap.

6am: THIRD DRAFT IS DONE. Three is all you need…right?

6:45am: The sun is coming up. How long has it been?

7am: Coffee bean supply becomes non existent.

8:00am: Citation time!

8:15am: Whaaa? WHY is Purdue Owl down? NO! NOT NOW! OF ALL THE TIMES.

9:30am: 30 minute nap before class.

10:00am: SUBMIT10:10am: Crawl back into bed, tell yourself you’ll never do this again.

-Vahini

anything you can do, i can do better

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I had to really sit down and think about what I would write about this week. Especially due to recent events, but despite the controversial nature of what I’m about to blog about I feel like it needs to be said. (That being said, I would like to reassert that the following are my opinions, not those of the Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) or anybody else.)

Election season ended off with a bang.  Sana Ali, Team Renew’s VP-External forfeited the election with a letter that she posted on Facebook.  In response, a few days later, the Renew slate came out with a response to the letter in a two part YouTube video (part 1, part 2).  I have linked both so that you, the readers can decide for yourselves what to believe. Needless to say this debate has been passionate and emotional. As a student union executive, I have to say that I am glad that students are engaging with their student union and giving their input into what they think their student union should look like. (I also have my own respective opinions on the UTSU, the Canadian Federation of Students and the college council based opposition structure. However, for the purposes of this blog post, I won’t divulge into those at the moment.)

Since I began covering this story for The Varsity a year ago, I have become familiar with both sides of the divide and their points. Both have good points that deserve proper discussion. However, what I have seen is passion and emotions get the best of people and arguments become lost in translation a midst a sea of angry voices. I’ve seen Facebook statuses written, Facebook pages created, catchy Twitter handles, and some very fancy Photoshop work. But at the end of all this, we really should ask ourselves – have we really achieved anything? I’d say we’ve achieved more polarization.

Mobilization is good – but only if it’s productive. And thus far, the way both sides have presented their arguments have been far from productive, focusing on individuals, accusations and defamation. What we risk is both sides becoming so entrenched in their side of the ideological divide that they refuse to consider the other’s point of view. As a result, a lot of students whose cup of tea isn’t a good ole hard fought game of political football will turn away from being involved in their student union. And that’s a really sad thought.

This year I decided to stay out of UTSU elections. I didn’t write about it for the Varsity and I tried not to pay attention to it. And if a student like me who sits on an adjacent student union and clearly is not apathetic about the issues, choses to turn away due to the atmosphere, how many more students will?

How people react to student politics.

I have seen events play out this year and people have reacted to these events like their team just scored the winning touchdown with one minute to go in the Super Bowl, or even worse, like successful revolutionaries after storming the Bastille. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate and being happy when things go your way, but doing this excessively can be hurtful to those who don’t agree with you.  There is also the issue of throwing out the word “students” excessively.  Both sides like to position themselves as if they are the only legitimate student voices and that they truly represent the students. Now, we aren’t even getting into debates about the issues, we are getting into debates about who is more legitimate as a student voice. We need to articulate our arguments respectfully and make sure that we are arguing for the sake of our campus, not for the sake of being the winner in an argument and telling off the other side.

Let us go forward with a productive discussion and debate on our student union and college councils. And if we find that we have to run referenda in our colleges as to our membership in the student union, I like others ask the debates around this be done be in the good spirit of being in the best interest of students and again not to smite each other or prove a point.

- Abdullah

 

Stone Cold Extensions…

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Alas my friends I have fallen ill with the dreaded March head cold. There could be no worse time of the year to contract this virulent pestilence that renders my brain nothing more than a cloudy, congested dome of confusion.

It happened Saturday morning. As soon as I woke up I knew I was infected. My head hurt, my nostrils were clogged, and that little tickle in my throat that I had been ignoring all week had transformed from a tickle into more of a sandpaper on raw skin kind of thing.

Am I whining?

Yes.

However, there’s a point to my whining. With three papers due in the next four days and an illness, I was inspired to write about extensions. No not hair extensions. Paper or assignment extensions.

I am in my fourth year here at U of T and before this week I had never asked for an extension. You might ask why. Most of my friends get extensions regularly. The reason I’ve never asked for one is that the whole process makes me nervous.

First you need to email or meet with your Prof. and request the extension. Usually you’d provide them with some justification for the extension ie. My computer was stolen, My dog died. Yet, most likely the conversation would be about how you need an extension because you have two other papers due the same week or a midterm on the same day. Worst case scenario you tell your Prof that you started too late and simply can’t finish it on time.

Having a conversation about any of these things with my Profs would give me serious anxiety. I mean why I would want my Prof. to know that I am horrible at time management, or worse that I finished all my other assignments before I even started to think about his.

Luckily, I only had to tell my Prof. that I was really sick and she happily gave me an extension. Even still I am left to wonder if she now thinks that I am a bad student for not being finished with the paper early, so that something like a cold wouldn’t get in the way of submitting the paper on time.

The other thing that makes me nervous about extensions is that I am convinced that late paper will automatically be graded more harshly. This might not be an issue if your class has 500 students, but in a seminar class with only 15 people, it’s pretty easy for the Prof to remember who was diligent and who was not.

I have no proof or basis to say this, it’s just a fear I have. I’m sue lots of Profs. grade papers equally regardless of whether they were submitted on time. I’m only saying that this aspect of extensions makes me very uncomfortable.

I actually found this great how to site on the web…How to ask for an extension! Take a look it’s very step by step and instructional.

I hope you all don’t get sick, but if you it might be the perfect opportunity to ask for an extension.

-Lori

Post-Grad Blues

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My post-grad plans as of now

My dad always says: “if you are too busy focusing on whats on the plate of another, then the food on your own plate will go cold” or something like that. Lately, I’ve been feeling like the ultimate loser. I don’t know where my life is going. I feel like my degree is worthless in the sense that I have no idea how to convert it into a “future”. I have no idea how to start planning what I am going to be doing next year. I feel like my chances at my dream future (the one first year me used to think about) have been unfairly tampered with because of the craziness that is my personal situation. And I keep thinking that its just not fair that I have to deal with so much and be expected to compete with people with easier lives for the same opportunities.

The universe has presented me with three opportunities: 1) What my parents want, 2)What I think I want and 3) What I really need. But I feel like that I’m either 1) not ready to make the commitment, 2) not willing to settle for less than the best and 3) scared to take a year off because I have no idea how I would spend all that time.

And it doesn’t help that my Facebook feed is full of “I GOT A JOB AT ___” “I JUST GOT INTO LAW SCHOOLLL X” “I’M GOING TO ___ FOR GRAD SCHOOL”. I can’t help but feel like everything I’ve done in the last four years was meaningless because I am graduating now with no idea how to convert it into a future.

SUPER FLAWED THINKING

You know why?

1) Because I am understanding all of the moments of my four years and the experiences as a means to an end. The university experience is not supposed to be an input-output transaction. And its silly of me to value the worth of my undergraduate experiences based on whether I got into the post-grad school or the job of my dreams or whether my post-grad life is all nicely planned.

2) I need to stop comparing myself to others! It is eating me alive! Just because other people don’t have a similar situation as mine, does not necessarily mean that their lives are easier. Everybody is suffering (its a part of the human condition) not in different quantities, but in different qualities. To say that my life is harder than yours, is to undermine and de-legitimate the experiences of another–which is not cool SARAH ! And just because  A, B and C got their dream post-grad output does not mean that my future is doomed. My time will come.

3) I also need to stop stressing about planning the future. I honestly never know what I’m  really going to do until I am actually doing it. And I think that is the case for everyone. This year was full of so much heartbreak rooted in unmet expectations and failed planning. I just don’t want to plan anymore, I just want to DO.

4) And my final worry, separation anxiety. Why is it that when at the end of the year you always end up getting super close with all of your friends and everything seems to be good in terms of your social life? Only this time, its not the end of the year, I’m not going to see a lot of my friends in September…maybe never again. And that is freaking me out.
Looks like I’m my own worst enemy once again. I’m trying to get out of the post-grad funk but first, I need to finish a few 15-pagers and then I can process and mediate on the despair.

Are we on the same page fellow fourth-years?

-Sarah

Student Societies: Part III

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The final edition to my three part series on the various student governance structures on campus is on student groups from other faculties and professional programs. Elections are currently happening everywhere, with posters all over campus to Facebook cover photos galore. While some of the elections have now passed, you still should know about the bodies that govern you (or at least hope to make life a little easier during the roughest of times!).

EngSoc - The Engineering Society is the student government for undergraduate (full time and part time) Engineering and Applied Sciences students at the home to the oldest engineering school in Canada. Every student in this faculty is automatically a member and eligible to use provided services through annual membership fees. EngSoc offers a number of services, resources and activities for its student. They also represent students on a number of councils and representations. You can find an extensive breakdown of their council here. Fun Fact: Skule is actually a registered trademark of EngSoc. You can also find out more about Skule related items on Skulepedia. 

Physical and Health Education Undergraduate Association (PHEUA) - The PHEUA is the student society for all undergraduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. They help organize activities for students, enhancing community life for their undergraduates. Their executive consists of an elected president and seven vice presidents for finance, academics, graduates, external, communications, social, and equity.

The Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association (FMUA)
Available for all undergraduate music students in the Edward Johnson Building (room 117D), FMUA includes an executive committee, annually elected officers and a number of different committees with varying responsibilities. They plan a number of events for students while promoting the interests of their students.

Nursing Undergraduate Society
NUS represents all undergraduate nursing students. They help to facilitate student life for nursing students, provide support and plan a number of events.

Medical Society
The Medical Society is the student governance group for all undergraduate medical students. They oversee student life, organize events and networking opportunities. There are a number of positions on the executive, including President, various VP positions (from internal affairs for each campus to communications) and class representatives.

OISE Graduate Student Association

The GSA’s council has four representatives for each department in OISE: Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development (APHD), Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education (LHAE), Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning (CTL) and the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences & Social Justice Education (HSSSJE). There is also the department student association (DSA) which works with the GSA to plan a number of events and create a welcoming environment for OISE students.

Student Law Society
The SLS is a governing body for every student enrolled in the Faculty of Law. There are year representatives and an executive, both of which are elected (secretly I was hoping to find something funnily tyrannical here, just for kicks, no such luck!).  There are a number of positions in student affairs, social affairs and the exec, aimed to improve and represent their students.

-Vahini

TTC? Why man why????

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So earlier this month I (along with many of you other U of T students) dished out a whopping $106 for my monthly TTC Metropass. As I sadly saw that money drift away never to be seen again, I had a thought: “If I went to school in another city would I be paying the same amount of money as I do here in Toronto?”. I know we all love to hate on the TTC (I think they charge far too much and provide a fairly poor standard of service), but when we actually take the time to compare the TTC rates to other cities does Toronto still suck all our money from us?

Obviously as the result of the economy most cities have to increase prices from time to time. Cities such as Dallas, and Boston saw fare increases range from 15% to 23% from 2010-2012, which is pretty high if you think of it. So where does that put the TTC in comparison to other cities here at the beginning of 2013? Well even with our somewhat more stable economy , Toronto still has the highest trip index among most North American cities.

Yep We WIN!

“Now what is a Trip Index Shak, you may say!” Well I shall tell you dear random reader. It’s basically the amount of trips one needs to take in order to make up for the $106 you paid at the beginning of the month. Shockingly it takes one 48 trips in order to pay for itself, this basically evens out to having to travel there and back, from either school or work, 22 days out of the month, plus a few more times on the weekends. No other city has such a high index, not even New York’s (47). (Just check out the graph above)

Also what is with this business on transfers….. I mean what the heck is up with those things. I’ve been taking the TTC for years and years and I still am not entirely clear on how exactly I am supposed to use one. Is it useable in most places? Generally not, only in certain designated stops is one allowed to use a transfer to go from a subway to bus, or streetcar to subway, etc. I mean just look at how some of the other Canadian cities deal with transfers/stopovers. Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver use a 90-120 minute time allotment for stopovers in either direction on their lines. So for instance if you are running an errand you have the ability to use one fare there and back, provided that you simply don’t go over your time limit. GENIUS I SAY!

Look we can't even afford maintenance!

Toronto residents could also greatly benefit from having “downtown” fares much like Calgary does. Downtown fares in these cities provide lower rates due to the higher density population base in certain parts of the city; but of course we don’t have that either.

Seriously Toronto get your stuff together, our wallets are getting sucked dry here and our system isn’t all that great! I think I’ll give the TTC a call……. oh wait nvermind.

Those sneaky devils

- Shak

Reflections on First Year at U of T

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Seeing as how the school year is rapidly coming to an end, I thought it might be apt to share the experiences had this year by one of the university’s newest members — a first year student. In pursuit of this I approached student life rising star Jelena Djuric (pictured below) to get her take on her first-year experience at Canada’s leading academic institution. My questions are in bold with Ms. Djuric’s response following subsequently.

I would like to thank Jelena for agreeing to being featured in this week’s post.

What classes did you take in your first year? Any in particular that you enjoyed? What Program of Study do you hope to pursue going forward?

This year I took five full-year courses, allowing me to have a more spread out workload. I took POL101 (Democracy, Dictatorship, War and Peace), HIS103 (Statecraft and Strategy: An Introduction to the History of International Relations), ECO105 (Introduction to Economics for Non-Majors), DTS200 (Diaspora and Transnational Studies), and a first year seminar titled “The Embarrassment of Scripture”. So far, my political science and history course have been most engaging. I intend to pursue an International Relations Specialist degree, or a double major in International Relations and Political Science. However, a Peace and Conflict Studies major/minor is still an option following second year.

What, in your opinion, was the hardest part about your first year as an undergrad? How did you cope? Would you offer any advice to incoming students who may face a similar issue?

As a residence student, I experienced many distractions on a daily basis. I dealt with this by being in the library and ensuring I was being productive while I was off residence. With the constant urge to socialize with new friends, I understand this may seem easier said than done. I would recommend incoming students facing a similar barrier to getting their work done to motivate their peers to do the same. That way, when productivity is achieved, everyone gets to reward themselves!

What extracurricular activities did you get involved with this year?

This year I had the pleasure of serving as an elected member-at-large on my college’s student council! Being on VUSAC (Victoria University Student Administrative Council) was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences I have had so far. It allowed me to form multiple relationships with many like minded students across campus. As a member-at-large I helped to organize UofT’s annual Winterfest, the Victoria College annual formal Highball, in addition to being a member of the Budget Steering Committee. Additionally, I had the opportunity to debate at Yale University and McGill University with the Hart House Debate Club. I am also a policy analyst for the G20 research group, analyzing the commitments made by G20 member states in the area of climate change.

What motivated you to get involved?

Before going in to university, I was already immensely passionate about governance, political debate and so on. I knew that in order to engage in these passions I could not solely rely on the ‘lecture experience’. I also knew that constantly doing readings and essays would not give me the best university experience. I knew I wanted to share my passions with students and I knew I could find that by getting involved at UofT.

Where did you first hear about the extracurricular activities you are currently involved with?

I heard about VUSAC during frosh week, and I knew I could positively contribute to the council. As for debate, I was already a member of my high school debate team. In terms of the G20 research group, I accidentally stumbled across it while reading John Ralston Saul’s book “The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World”. For no particular reason, I looked up a footnote and realized he cited his information from the G20 research group based at the university. When I realized I too could contribute to the report, I immediately applied to be a policy analyst!

What’s your favourite thing you did this year outside of the classroom?

This year I signed up for two sessions that are a part of a Vic initiative titled “Ideas for the World”. Every week, students get together with a professor over lunch for 2 hours to discuss various, often controversial and thought provoking topics. In the fall, I was in “Environment and Economics”, and I am currently in “Culture and Conflict in the Media”. The unique part of this program, is there are no marks or assignments. You simply show up, watch a video, and have an intellectually stimulating discussion. This was a great way to voice my opinions on various issues without fear of getting a bad grade!

What was your favourite thing you did inside the classroom?

I believe my favourite thing has been the freedom to research a wide array of topics that are of interest to me. For example, I am currently in the process of researching the Serbian diaspora situated in North America in the post-communist order and the impact the breakup of Yugoslavia has had on the creation of the Serb identity. And this is for my diaspora and transnational studies class! It is very exciting to be able to delve in to a topic that deeply resonates with me.

What extracurricular activities do you hope to purse next year?

I plan to continue to pursue all the activities I am currently involved in. I am also hoping to get involved with the International Relations Society, or with the Association of Political Science Students.

Would you say your extracurricular experiences enhanced the quality of your first year at the University of Toronto?

Without a doubt! Getting involved at UofT has opened up many future opportunities for me.

Would you recommend first year students get involved in extracurricular activities?

YES! I understand going in to university from high school can be very daunting. However, getting involved will give you a sense of community that you may not necessarily find in the classroom or in residence. The campus seems a lot smaller when you see so many familiar faces!

First year students are not typically the students who are most inclined to get involved in extracurricular activities. Can the university do more in promoting the benefits of extracurricular involvement to first year students? What would you like to be seen done?

A lot of students seem to think getting involved means your GPA will suffer. This is definitely a misconception. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. I think the university should promote extra-curricular in a way that accurately shows students who get involved will not only reap social benefits, but their academic experience will accordingly be enhanced.

exam jammin’

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Hey U of T! Hope this week wasn’t too stressful for you. Remember, only a few more weeks until you get to dance your way out of the Exam Centre. Yes, it’s a dreadful paradox. Freedom is so close, but as it inches ever closer, so too does the impeding doom that is the E word or the thing that must not be named. Because every year it’s like this:

To prepare, you have a few options.

  1. Listen to R&B heartache songs at 3 AM and grieve with NeYo about the impending stress event. True, NeYo is probably singing about a girl — but you can pretend he’s “so sick of exams” instead of love songs.
  2. Go raid your nearest Metro and prepare the bunker. Your soups, your crackers, your nuts, your dried fruit and your coffee/tea. Also; make sure to get fresh fruit and veggie and store them in your bunker fridge – because otherwise you’ll get scurvy. And scurvy sucks.
  3. Organize your stuff. I did this today, I feel proud of myself.
  4. Go to Robarts. Don’t open a book or anything. Just sit there. Sit there for a while. Observe how many people look at you.
  5. Tell yourself that YOU ARE FIERCE.
  6. After studying very hard, head on down to the most fun place during exams .. Sidney Smith!
Wait what? You’re probably saying, they put those fancy banners on Sid Smith and now he thinks the place is the salt of the Earth. Full disclosure: I spend a lot of my time at Sid Smith, so after a while, you do come to appreciate the brutalist architecture. Somewhat. But no! I’m talking about Exam Jam!
Exam Jam is an event held jointed by ASSU and the Faculty of Arts and Science, as well with Hart House, MoveU, UeaT, the Faculty of Kinesology and Phys. Ed, Health and Wellness and the Academic Success Centre. It’s in its second year and is a day during exam period meant for distressing. We had it last semester and they are bringing it back for you on Monday April 8th.

 

Last time there were puppies, there was a BUTTON making machine (most fun of life I am telling you), there was free coffee and not just any coffee – SECOND CUP coffee. There were free snacks, yoga sessions, free massages, life sized Jenga, among other things. Exam Jam is a drop in event, so you can drop in when you feel tired of Robarts, or you can utilize the open study rooms located in Sidney Smith.

 

So, make sure to come on out to Exam Jam on April 8th to destress! The puppies will be waiting for you. :)

 

Councils and Unions

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Since election season is underway, I’ve decided to dedicate a few posts to explaining the who’s who of different structures, unions, groups and councils on campus. Last week I talked about the different student government structures each college has, and this week I’ll focus on general councils and unions.

The Governing Council - The Governing Council was first created in 1971, a senior governing body and oversees all issues of academic and business, as well as the Board of Governors and meet approximately six times a year. Anyone can attend the meetings. The kind of decisions made that relate back to student life can be everything on matters of tuition to academic programs and expansion. There are a number of boards and committees  (such as the University Affairs Board which oversees “the quality of student and campus life”. It includes the President and Chancellor of the University, as well as 18 appointed members and 30 elected members. Of these 30 elected members, eight members are students (4 are full time undergraduates, 2 graduates and 2 part time undergraduates). At the beginning of each year, students are elected via ROSI. And with the significant issues the Governing Council considers every year, it’s crucial that students participate by voting for who they would like to represent them.

Image Source: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/home.htm

UTSU -The University of Toronto Students Union is a union in which every full-time undergraduate and professional faculty student belongs to at the University of Toronto. It is apart of the CFS (Canadian Federation Students), an umbrella organization that oversees all student unions across Canada. Every student is automatically a member, with annual student fees paid to the UTSU. It is made up of an Executive Committee (which includes their President, Vice President Internal etc.) and a Board of Directors, who are all student representatives elected by their respective colleges and faculties. They offer a variety of services (such as UTSU’s Got You!), various political campaigns (such as Solidarity With Quebec Students) and oversee clubs (more about club recognition how-to here).

Image Source: BlogUT

Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU) - ASSU represents all undergraduate Arts and Science students (that’s a lot of students – about 20,000!) and includes all course unions, as well as seven elected executive members, including a president. The are located at Sidney Smith Hall. It also includes at least 55 course unions (which you are automatically a member of depending on your major). ASSU oversees a number of bursaries, awards, a massive past-test bank (which I’d suggest checking out) and a number of other events. They also work with U of T administration and other campus wide initiatives on items that directly concern and affect students.

Graduate Students Union (GSU) – The Graduate Students Union (one of the founding members of the Canadian Federation of Students) represents all graduate students on campus, all of whom are automatically members. It has a general council with representatives from each course union and an executive and several subcommittees, you can find more about their structure here.

Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS) - APUS is the official association for all undergraduate students registered as part time (2.5 credits and under) across all three campuses, offer a number of services, programs and resources. Class representatives are elected and its main governing body the Board of Directors. APUS is also a member of the CFS.

Be sure to check back next week to learn more about other student societies, with everything from EngSoc to Music.

Happy voting!

-Vahini