<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2012\/07\/296568_10150874963930147_1649981361_n-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\nWhile flip-flops in the shower may be feel like you're roughing it way more than you originally planned, in the grand scheme of things, none of this matters for more than a few reasons:\r\n\r\nMeet Your New Family<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs I\u2019ve mentioned before<\/a>, university is definitely the place to meet a wide variety of people, so you can imagine how this culminates when everyone lives together<\/em>. The most important thing is that you\u2019ve filled out your residence applications honestly because I promise no good can come from trying to make yourself seem like a recluse if you aren\u2019t in order to avoid a \u201cwild floor\u201d. This is an old trick that people do only to realize it may have stopped them from meeting the kind of people they wanted to. Your new family is also unlike any of your other social circles, because unlike your previous companions, they are going to see you at 2AM post-Robarts-adventure or 3pm post-nap. More importantly, they make frosh week feel a lot less scary, university a lot less boring and campus much smaller, and after a while they begin to feel a lot more like family.\r\n\r\nRoommates<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBack to the honesty part of your residence<\/a> application, I mean it when I say this *insert dramatic clap of thunder here*.\u00a0 A couple of dozen questions asking you exactly what kind of music you prefer, to your sleeping hours aren\u2019t to create your future UT love profile<\/a> but to match you with someone your compatible enough to live with. And since honesty always wins, chances are you\u2019ll meet the<\/em> Roommate - not the\u00a0Leighton Meester<\/a>\u00a0kind of the <\/em>Roommate -\u00a0but one but the one who becomes your newfound sibling.\r\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2012\/07\/tumblr_lm2zs63hc91qii6tmo1_250.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\nI did not understand this concept while initially doing my first application and specifically requested to be in a single, as my roommate had too, and were we both glad the odds did not work in our favour! There is no greater advantage to adjusting to first year and residence than having someone by your side who understands.\u00a0Everyone always describes how the first year transition can be rocky, but no one will be easier to relate to than the very person who is there beyond the walls of Facebook and smartphones. This is one part of res life that the movies (mostly) got right!\r\n\r\nPS - 2 kettles or mini fridges may be a little crowded for your double room, so get in contact with your roommate when you can and discuss things like these ahead of time to avoid any surprises!\r\n\r\nPreparation<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs much as you\u00a0think\u00a0<\/em>you\u2019ll love being away from home, you are going to miss the organization that came with parental units the second you realize its laundry-can't-see-my-room-but-the-library-needs-me-day! Yes, this will happen, the universe will probably send another hundred things your way too, which is why being organized and making the most of your\u00a0i-cal<\/a>\u00a0& to do lists will help you combat any rough day in the real world (that for is what the university bubble is, the\u00a0actual\u00a0<\/em>real world is still eons away!...right?)\r\n\r\nBalance<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u201cWork hard, Play Hard\" is a phrase that will certainly resonate with you in first year. I fell into the trap of feeling guilty if I wasn't busy<\/a> when I first lived away from home, and it became this constant battle when I was taking a break or working. Ultimately, I was never happy with the fact that there were only so many hours in the day.\u00a0Finding the perfect balance of when to work and when to make the most of your university experience, the way all of those thought catalogs<\/a> told you that you would, can be really tricky at the beginning. Eventually, though, you discover the true greatness that is in all of the libraries our campus has to offer and just like that, the scale begins to emerge for your days!\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/strong>Dive In<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<\/strong>\u2026Into fountains (@chris_UofT<\/a> is an expert) , interests<\/a>,\u00a0college<\/a> spirit and making new memories.\r\n\r\n- Vahini\r\n