Edited by Carol Eugene Park
There are two kinds of people: the people who actually make an effort to connect with others and make friends during classes, and those who sit in a corner by themselves and rush to the door as soon as the professor stops talking. Although I strongly identify with the second group, one day, I decided to be social and I was lucky enough to meet Fatima. From our lengthy conversations about a particular professor who is very easy on the eyes, debating whether we’ve truly reached a stalker level of obsession, to our second unhealthy obsession with eating, we’ve definitely had some fun memories together. Fatima transferred to the University of Toronto from college, and she offered to share her experience at U of T.
Fatima Baig
Year: 4th
College: Woodsworth
Programs: Psychology, Bioethics, Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Minor
Her Campus: So you transferred to U of T for your second year. Which college did you go to for your first year? What would you say were the major differences between your college and U of T?
Before I went to UofT [sic], I went to Humber College. Having studied at both Humber College and UofT for approximately 2 years each, I can say the major difference is the strict policies and high expectations at UofT and the relative ease in both the atmosphere and curriculum at Humber. Humber courses were helping students transition from high school to university, and so the material that was taught was also pretty laid back to help cover the basic foundation of major subjects such as math, science, English, history, politics, and etc [sic]. At UofT, everything was the complete opposite. There are more expectations, stricter policies and consequences, and overall a more professional environment than what I had experienced at Humber.
HC: Many students find the transition from high school to university to be quite challenging, as the expectations are higher and there is more pressure. Did you find that your first year in college helped to ease this transition to university at all?
My transition to university had a pretty rocky start considering what I had previously experienced at Humber. It was just a bigger and more diversified version of high school. I do think I learned a lot from college that helped me while I was adjusting at UofT.
HC: I know that I personally dealt with many difficulties in trying to determine if I had all the required course equivalents when coming to U of T from an American high school. Did you find it difficult to transfer your credits from college to university? Could you talk a bit about your experience in dealing with U of T administration throughout this process?
The entire process of transferring was actually a breeze for me. Since the program I was enrolled in at Humber was specifically for college to university transfer, it had set course requirements and also GPA requirements. All the required courses along with my CGPA I maintained at Humber helped me with a successful transfer to UofT. I had one very small problem with my course and that was that I needed high school Calculus, which I hadn’t taken when I was in high school. The only reason this was a slight problem was that high school level calculus was a requirement for the Psychology major, which I wanted to pursue.
In terms of dealing with UofT’s administration, college to university transfer happens through Woodsworth College, and everyone at WC was always very helpful and very resourceful. Overall, my transfer was actually very smooth.
HC: Overall, are you glad you decided to transfer to U of T? How do you think your life might be different had you not decided to go to school here?
I’m happy I transferred to UofT. I had applied to other schools and had gotten into them. I decided to go with UofT, because I had fallen in love with the campus the few times I had visited it. What I love most about UofT is the beautiful buildings and their architecture, several different opportunities and resources it offers for its students, and that it has the perfect secluded areas where one can get cozy and comfortable or perfect spots for a quiet study session. If I wasn’t a UofT student, I believe I wouldn’t have the real scares [sic] and goals that my experience at this university has given me.
HC: So you are one of the lucky individuals who has to commute over an hour each way just to make it to campus! What is a typical commute like?
I have a love and hate relationship with commuting. My commute takes approximately one hour and half to a quarter to two hours commute. My commute typically starts with a 7-minute rushed walk to a bus stop close to my house, where I catch a bus to Downtown Brampton. There [sic] , I catch a GO train which takes me to the heart of Downtown Toronto to Union Station in around 50 minutes-1 hour. Once I’m at Union Station, I take TTC subway northbound on University line to a subway stop closest to my class – the ride which is about 8-10 if I get lucky and there are no delays. Finally, it is about a 10 minute walk from the closest subway station to my classes.
HC: I’m sure we’ve all experienced some interesting transit rides with some unique individuals throughout our time in Toronto. Do you have any funny TTC stories?
Although not funny, I have a very fond memory from once [sic] when I was commuting home from a late class. On my way home from university, I was on the subway with a friend. A person sitting across us took out a sketch pad and a pencil and started sketching something. I was really fascinated by this because I always love to see people engaging in such activities, whether it’s sketching, reading, or playing an instrument. I was really curious to see what he was sketching! Fast forwarding to 5-6 minutes later, our stop came so my friend and I got up leave. The guy stopped me and he showed us his sketch which he made of me. He told me he tried to not be creepy by looking too many times, so he only looked at me 3 times and tried to make a rough sketch. Needless to say, I was so flattered. I wanted to ask him if I could get the sketch but it was in a notebook so I didn’t want to ask him to rip a page out of his book, and quickly took a picture of it. When I was later examining the picture, I saw how much accurate detail he managed to put into the sketch.
HC: So you are finishing up your fourth year this year! You’ve almost made it to the end! Do you have any secret tips for how to survive your time at U of T?
I cannot believe I’m in my fourth year of university. From my time here, I would recommend for people to make most of their time at university. Join clubs, make new friends and actually keep in touch with them, try your best to keep up with course work every week and not leave it to the last day. Getting involved and being comfortable with talking to new people will not only help you have a great time but also make useful connections which will come in very handy in your future.
HC: School is a stressful time, and sometimes we just need a class that will take it easy on us. Are there any bird courses you would recommend someone take if they just need a bit of a break?
My absolute favorite bird courses I took at UofT were both Astronomy courses. Introduction to Astronomy, and another course which looked at Suns and galaxies in a greater depth. I absolutely fell in love with Astronomy; the subject was not only very different from my routine psychology major but also so interesting. Even studying for midterms and doing assignments did not feel as if I was studying, but more reading facts about something I truly enjoyed. Other great bird courses are environment and nutrition-related courses.
HC: What has been one of your favorite memories you made at U of T?
My best friend from high school goes to UofT as well, so some of my favorite memories are with her. We loved exploring around UofT, taking part in activities, and attending events and free breakfasts/lunches.
All photos were provided by Fatima.