As the leaves change colours and the seasons change, first-year students continue to better familiarise themselves with the campus and their peers, further amassing a sense of belonging. But, looking back on their first weeks, what are some things that took some time to become acquainted with, and what are some of their takeaways?
About six weeks ago today, I was packing up all my stuff in Ottawa and trying to come to terms with the fact that I would be moving to Toronto over the weekend; “From the official capital of Canada to the real one,” my friends joked. I remember picturing different images and scenarios as I tried to imagine how my life would change in an attempt to prepare myself, but all of that went out the window as my parents and I slowly got off the 401.
The adjustment period of both entering post-secondary and moving away from all I’ve known for the very first time was much different than I had initially expected it to be. I felt extremely homesick, as all my friends and family suddenly lived hours away instead of minutes. Not to mention, I was now living in an environment that is much busier than the suburbs I had known for the past 18 years. However, since moving a month and a half ago, I like to think I’ve become much better acclimated to the city. I have also managed to have my fair share of first impressions and have learned a few peculiarities of the area, as I’m sure my peers have also had the opportunity to do.
Although I acquired many of my own thoughts and experiences, I tend to find myself wondering how others felt in their first few weeks and whether they were in the same position. I remember hoping in my first week that others felt the same as I did but being too nervous to talk to them. So, curious to see what other people have faced and conquered, I figured it’d be interesting to ask around and compile some common notions between fellow first years that have had to move to Toronto (pronounced “Tuh-ronno”, by the way, as I’ve been corrected), now that we’re all settled in.
Living in residence
In terms of living in residence for the first time, there was a variety of learning curves that residents have come to find over the past while. I know that I’ve called my friends and family (and by that, I really mean my mother) daily, whether I have a new dilemma that needs to be solved or I want to hear a familiar voice. From leaving close relatives to learning to share a space with mere strangers, there are a multitude of difficulties encountered.
“[A big change] would definitely be living with people other than my family and sharing a common area,” says Megan Stokes, living in an apartment-style residency room. “Little things you don’t think of like, the dishes will pile up. That would never happen in my house because my mom would always remind us to do them”.
Meanwhile, Eva Hart, who is living in a single room, found that “while mine are very clean [a con would be] the communal bathrooms. Just a preference that of course I would prefer my own!”
Regardless, there is also an extensive list of gains that come with living on campus; “It’s cool how [my friends and I] all live in residence,” Stokes counters. “I can just go downstairs and see people I know. I don’t have to commute or drive anywhere.”
Hart believes a major advantage is “[her] neighbours, as [they] all respect one another and the noise level at night, so [she’s] never had a problem getting to sleep at night.” Personally, I’ve also come to love living in such close proximity to some of my friends. I can just go down one floor and find them: spontaneously paint our nails or bake cookies. I find it creates a nice sense of community. I also really enjoy the new sense of independence and responsibility that comes with that; I don’t have to worry about telling someone when or where I’m going.
Moving to the city
Moving into the middle of downtown Toronto was somewhat of a surreal experience and an abrupt change. Within a day, I had gone from living in a fairly quiet neighbourhood to a city that always seemed to be lively and awake. Though I was beyond excited to live here, the first week was a lot to take in. Luckily, I was relieved to find that many felt the same; “I actually live in the country outside of a small town, so we don’t really have big buildings. It’s all old brick heritage buildings, so definitely the actual ‘city’ aspect of it was a big adjustment,” Stokes mentioned. Nevertheless, it is an incredibly intriguing city to live in, with more entertainment, small businesses, and resources than I could have ever imagined, all of which have become memorable outings with my new social circle.
Meeting people
Considering I was the only person from my high school that was going to Toronto: meeting people and making new friends was a genuine concern of mine. All my friends from Ottawa I had essentially known since kindergarten or had met through friends from kindergarten. I’m also an introverted person and am not the type to spontaneously approach someone. But, to my surprise, making new friends wasn’t as daunting of a task as I had thought it to be. A lot of people were in the same position as me. With many activities planned during the first week, as well as social media, becoming acquainted with others came quite easily. “I was grateful to have a large group chat with a lot of people starting in the same program as me, so on the third day of orientation week, about 14 of us met up and went out together, and the majority of them have been my friends since,” Hart said. My program orientation was also incredibly helpful to me, as I got the opportunity to meet like-minded people, who had similar interests and passions as me.
Favourite study spot on campus
Downtown Toronto has many popular places and hidden gems within walking distance of wherever you’re staying, even on campus, from the SLC to Oakham Cafe. But interviewed peers seemed to have come to an almost unanimous verdict on their favourite spot near residence, which is without a doubt: “Balzac’s!” many exclaim.
Balzac’s is a coffee shop, located on Bond Street, next to the Image Arts Centre. It is well-loved by students with a variety of coffees & teas and delicious treats (seriously, their almond croissants and ginger cookies are truly delectable). “I also just really like the atmosphere,” says Kaitlyn Carswell, another first-year student, “The workers are super nice, and it’s full of other students that are working”.
Additionally, my friends and I have found that their music selection recently has been unsurpassed, with songs like “All Too Well,” “Little Freak,” and “Silver Soul” constantly blessing your eardrums, and of course, we love to watch the many dogs that pass by on their daily walks. This study spot, is without a doubt a superb stop, whether you want to catch up with friends or finish drafting that paper that’s almost due.
Overall, I think the best of us have faced plenty of new experiences within the past month and have had to adapt certain areas of our lives to being university students in Toronto, ultimately pushing us outside of our regular comfort zones. The cool thing is that we’re all in terribly similar boats, if not the same, and we can learn from a multitude of others that are currently living the same occurrences. We’ve all had many firsts and have gained heaps of knowledge, albeit living in an unfamiliar setting, navigating foreign streets, starting a conversation, or finding our very own treasures. Only time will tell what the next month will teach us.