When it comes to getting advice on university, Antonella is my number one person. She became one of my first friends at U of T, after we bonded over our inability to get anywhere without getting hopelessly lost, our hatred of eating tacos in public, and our deep everlasting love for Troye Sivan-if that’s not a recipe for friendship, I don’t know what is! We first met when we were both lost finding our philosophy class the first day (surprise), and ever since she has been an amazing friend.
My first year would not have been the same without her, and she has a ton of knowledge and advice that incoming students can use to their advantage in an effort to make this their best first year experience at U of T.
Name: Antonella Ibarguen
Age: 19
Year of Study: 2nd
Program of Study: General Chemistry Specialist
1. How is starting second year different from starting your first year?
I am definitely less nervous to start my second year, and way more excited. I remember being scared that I wouldn’t make friends, as I literally didn’t know anyone in any of my classes. This year is different. My friends are taking some of the same classes so I am looking forward to that. As for the other classes, I am sure I will meet some new and awesome people there.
2. Many incoming freshmen spend their first year in residence, but you lived in an off-campus apartment. How is the commuter life treating you? Is there any truth in the stories we hear about commuter kids ending up lonely?
I believe my first year would have been more enjoyable if I had lived on campus. There seemed to be lots of experiences I missed out on, such as random mid-week parties and late-night study sessions. As a commuter, I could only be around campus until a certain time before I had to head back home, which is unfortunate because most of my friends did live in res. Nonetheless, I did end up making great friends during classes so I feel like my first year was still definitely fun and I was able to meet great people without living near them.
3. What was the hardest part of being a commuter in your first year?
The hardest part of being a commuter was having to wake up early. I was lucky compared to other people, as it only took me 20 to 30 minutes to get to my classes. But in university, every minute of sleep counts. I wish I could have just woken up 10 minutes before class, which is what some of my friends did. I actually have not overcome it. I figured one way to solve this would be to fix my sleeping schedule over the summer, which I did. Sadly, I did not account for the fact that I would be travelling, which means that I will definitely be jet lagged at the beginning of my second year.
4. Our campus size is huge. What was your initial reaction when you realized your classes weren’t all in one building but multiple buildings you’d have to hurry to during the winter? Any advice on how to handle this for incoming students?
Since my older brother goes to U of T as well, I had been warned about how classes could be really far away from each other. During my first year, I was constantly late to my chemistry class because my philosophy class was a ten minute walk away — at least according to Google. As I consider myself quite the “fast-walker,” I figured I would still make it on time. I’m pretty sure I never did. However, being late was not a huge issue because professors are very understanding. You can always leave class early or walk in late, as long as you are respectful of the fact that they are giving lectures and you aren’t loud or disruptive. If you don’t want to be that person who stands up and leaves, or walks in while the professor is speaking, avoid scheduling back-to-back classes to allow yourself some time to walk, eat, study, etc.
5. Did you ever feel like just another “number”? Do you find that a lot of your peers feel that way?
I can honestly say I have never felt like just another number. From my perspective, UofT is a tight-knit community, especially because all of us “suffer together.” I do not think any of my friends have felt that way either. Sometimes our campus can feel a bit large because it is weird going to the same class all year and feeling like most faces seem unfamiliar. However, this just means there are more chances of meeting someone who likes, or dislikes, the same things you do.
6. Was it hard making friends in the huge classes and lecture halls?
Having huge classes has its advantages and disadvantages. On one side, there are lots of people who do not know anyone, which means they are easy to approach. However, since classes are so large, there will be times where many seats will be available, so everyone will sit down leaving at least one spot empty in between them and the other students. This can make it hard to strike up a conversation. Overall, though, making friends is definitely on the easy side. What I usually do, if I am unsure of what to say, is ask if I am in the right class or if they know which way the lecture hall is. This tends to develop into an actual conversation.
7. If you could change one thing you did or didn’t do in your first year, what would it be?
I definitely wish I had joined more clubs during my first year because I would have loved to meet even more people. Also, I ended up having way too much free time when there were no midterms or exams coming up, so it would have been nice to have something else to do. Instead, I would usually go back home and binge-watch Netflix shows, which can get boring.
8. What drew you to your current program? Any idea what kind of job you are interested in for the future?
When I came to U of T I did not know what I wanted to do yet, so I just took courses that appealed to me. I enjoyed chemistry the most and I also found myself doing really well at it, despite the fact that it had been my worse subject in high school. This lead me to decide to specialize in general chemistry, although I might decide to switch into a more specific chemistry program later on. At this point, I would love to go into research but I am open to other opportunities I might find once I graduate.
9. Did you finish your first year much better than expected, despite the many stories about students dropping by 20% in their grades?
I do wish I had done better during my first year. I thought I’d be able to get really good grades in all of my classes, but one of them was more challenging than what I had initially expected. My GPA did drop a little because of it, but not by 20%. I think that can be expected since university is definitely harder than high school. However, my second term was definitely better than my first one, so I believe it was just a matter of getting used to new professors and different exam formats.
10. Was freshman 15 a real thing for you? Did you see it happening with any of your peers?
I did not know what freshman 15 was until I googled it just now, but I can honestly say that it was real in my case! I ate a lot of junk food during my first year and did not really have the time — or the time management skills– to go to the gym. At first I thought I was the only one going through it but later, when I talked to friends from university or caught up with friends from school, it was obvious that most of us had developed similar unhealthy habits which lead to us gaining some weight.
11. If you could change anything about U of T, what would it be?
This is probably a bit unoriginal but I would love it if U of T’s weather was a bit warmer. I know there is nothing that can be done to change that, but not having to wear five layers of clothes to go to class would be nice.
12. Do you have any advice to offer incoming first years?
I would say that first years should not let anyone discourage them from taking the classes they would like to take. Sometimes people will tell you that a class is hard — and it might be. However, if you put effort into it, you will definitely pass the class and might even find yourself doing well at it, against everyone else’s expectations.