Lessons From My First Year of University

When I arrived at the University of Toronto from Winnipeg to study history last year, I felt confused, bored, eager, out of place, lonely, frustrated, thrilled—all in the first twenty minutes. University is different from high school in many ways: more free- dom, tons of course options, new people to meet and, for some, a new city to discover. These changes are exciting, but they’re also very disorienting. Now in second year, I’m much more comfortable, and am here to share what I learned during my first year.

It pays to talk to professors

At first, I didn’t try to get to know my professors. Many of my classes had hundreds of students in them—what chance did I have at developing a personal relationship? Then one evening, a classmate told me that he had been going to our professor’s office hours regularly, and invited me along. I started talking to this professor every week, and then I started talking to others whenever I had the chance. Not all were warm and friendly, but by talking to profs I learned more about the course content and what they’re looking for in assignments. When a professor knows you, it’s much easier to ask them for a letter of reference, and you may even get hired as a research assistant. Most students don’t take the initiative, so those who do have a chance to stand out.

When trying to make a friend, compliment their clothes

During the first few weeks of school I often found myself waiting outside a lecture hall, or alone at a party, wanting to talk to people but not knowing what to say. What I didn’t know then was that there may be no other moment in your life when so many people want to be your friend than the first few weeks of first year. But you still have to break the ice. I soon discovered a quick, “Hey, I love your Nirvana shirt!” often does the trick.

Have a plan for your required classes

Your program or degree may come with a lot of specific little requirements. For example, in order to graduate as a history major, I need to take at least one class that focuses on Asia. So much information gets thrown at us about our majors and pro- grams that it can be easy for a few details to fall through the cracks, but that can mean summer makeup classes or even an extra semester. Talk to your advisor, know exactly what classes you need to graduate and make sure to sign up for those as soon as you can.

Eat the free food

Food started to take up a lot more of my attention once I got to university. It can be terrible in dining halls but expensive at restaurants, and it’s very time-consuming to cook. The good news is that in any given week there must be tens of thousands of dollars worth of pizzas, fruit slices, and blocks of cheese floating around at public events on campus. Most of this food is eaten by club leaders and the bored friends they drag along to their movie nights. What a waste! Take advantage, and eat your body weight in chips and cookies.

Bring sandals for the dorm showers

Self explanatory.

Perfect is the enemy of good

University can involve a lot of reading. Key to managing this is prioritizing your time and being honest with yourself. I once fell behind in a history class and spent four weeks always having read one chapter less than I was supposed to. I eventually gave up on the First World War and jumped to where we actually were in lectures and was finally able to understand what was going on in class. You’ll be best prepared if you do all the reading, but sometimes you just won’t have the time. Skipping less import- ant chunks, reading the introduction and conclusion of a chapter, or skimming each paragraph is sometimes the most effective way to spend your time.
*P.S. This advice may not apply to one of those silly majors where you need to know everything. Like math.

You’re not a bad student if you ask for an extension

I had a long-instilled fear of how tough university professors are and asking for an extension didn’t cross my mind at first. Eventually, my desperation overcame my fear and with three essays due on the same Friday, I asked for more time. I’ve learned many professors are happy to help students and will approve extensions readily. Some- times you need extra time to deliver your best work—realizing this has improved my grades and enjoyment of my courses. ■

This story appeared in the 2024 edition of the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities.