Summertime, and the living’s easy

Are you there, student population of U of T? It’s me, Lizzie. Who am I? On a metaphysical/psychological level, I'm uncertain. Depending on who I’m talking to, I would describe myself as someone going into their fourth and final year of a Specialist in Economics and Political Science. Alternatively, I'm an aspiring journalist, law school hopeful, retail junkie, former classical singer, the list goes on ... In all honesty, I am a total geek. I get more nervous about going to a prof's office hours than on a date (I've been known to change outfits multiple times in preparation). I usually have about four potential timetables (along with multiple drafts of each), as well as an ever-growing Word document with research on potential profs in preparation for course selection time. But I have other interests, I swear. I like to think of myself as a clothing collector (read: I filled nine stuffed boxes with folded clothes when I moved a few weeks ago). I usually feed my addiction at the vintage stores in Kensington Market. I simultaneously love delicious food yet never seem to find the time to make it, so as a result I am forced to wander the streets of Toronto searching for the best sushi, Chinese buns, pizza, cupcakes and ice cream. My current obsession is a gourmet sandwich place on Bloor called Sky Blue Sky, where all the sandwiches are priced under $5 and named after Wilco songs. This combines two of my favourite things: indie-folk and carbs. I always love suggestions on delicious eats about town. My first year, I existed almost exclusively on campus, so I’ve made a vested effort this past year to enjoy the city surrounding U of T (the University of What?). Still, despite my best efforts, I’m usually on campus most of the time. This past exam period, I studied in shifts of 11 am–7 pm at a “fun” library (Graham, Pratt, anything with pretty interiors), then 8 pm–3 am at my home-away-from-home, Robarts. It can feel like campus shuts down in the summer, but it doesn't. There are still thousands of students taking courses here and lots of events and activities going on.  Toronto, by contrast, really revs up in the summer--a mixed blessing for summer students, or those studying for all-too-important aptitude tests (like me). In this little corner of the interweb, I hope to talk about both the best resources still available on campus and all the glorious things the city has to offer. I'll also be passing along a few of my hard-learned lessons to students present and future. Oh, the places we’ll go. - Liz