Tutorials 101 or How I Went From a Skeptic to a Believer

I didn't know if I was going to like tutorials when I came to U of T. I've been notoriously known for not participating in class and it was never for any reason except for the fact that I preferred to listen rather than input my thoughts. When I received those syllabi for the first time, my heart dropped. How could participation in tutorials be worth 15% of my final grade? I dreaded going to that first tutorial because I had so many questions. What was a tutorial? What was a TA? How would I participate? What if I said something ridiculous? Never fear, I have the answers here (Ha, I rhymed).
Picture of University College
I once had a tutorial in the basement of UC, which was difficult to find. Can anyone relate? (Source: uc.utoronto.ca)
Empty classroom

Arts (and/versus) Science: Tutorials

Most people at U of T (and in life) will generally label themselves as either an "arts/humanities person" or a "math/science person". Being able to pursue (or even have an interest in) both in equal measure certainly creates a lot of rewards, but it also comes with some unique challenges. As someone who's currently doing one arts major + one science major, I have learned that I definitely have to wire my brain differently for courses depending on whether they're an arts course or a science course. Things like studying, taking notes, knowing what to expect from instructor-student relations are different enough in these two areas that sometimes I get caught off guard when I'm not being mindful of when I need to switch my brain from one mode to another.
Arts & Science banner outside of Sidney Smith Hall
Pick your team? (from: news.artsci.utoronto.ca/)