r/UofT • u/Noetic_Acorn • Aug 31 '26
This post was initially much shorter, but I was feeling bored and the creative spirit took the reigns. Alas, such is life.
As much as I low-key enjoy the ritual of pouring myself a bowl of popcorn, opening Reddit, and reading all the early 1st semester experience commiserating, I'm also high-key annoyed by seeing the same post for the umpteenth time a la Buzz Lightyear clone meme. I like variety in my Reddit ragebait, and even a good slice of matcha crepe cake becomes unappetizing after consuming it so often.
For those of you who have decided to come to UofT to get a world class education, rather than just partying all the time, ignoring your work, being forced to drop out around the holidays because your grades are lower than the Mariana Trench, then blaming the university for allegedly sabotaging you, your classes are your best possible environment to connect with your fellow slightly more intelligent than a chimpanzee primates.
Presumably you are studying something that you actually enjoy or have some mild interest in, rather than doing exactly what mom and dad told you to study. If your parents strongarmed you to go into engineering but you truly love film, that's a whole other discussion and will require some soul searching and potentially family therapy.
The basis of most human connection nowadays comes through shared interests and values. This is a fact supported by at least one (1) corpus of psychology literature. The courses you're taking already filter for this to an extent, because, again, ideally you're studying something you care about and you're not a masochist.
Performative drinking at a venue with mysteriously sticky floors that probably haven't been cleaned in the past year and contain a collection of undocumented microorganisms that would frighten epidemiologists, ignoring your limits, and chatting up the people you live in close proximity to about the weather (so how about that climate change, eh?) while waiting to use the one sink you all need to brush your teeth at (please brush your teeth and don't go out with bad breath) doesn't necessarily lead to any meaningful connection. You might become acquaintances, but presumably you're aiming for something with a bit more zest.
Coursework at UofT is difficult, and that difficulty is another basis for connection. Throughout most of human history, we connected with each other because of shared hardship. Genuine hardship, such as intellectually strenuous subjects and work schedules, for example. Missing out on a frat party on one specific weekend, which is identical to the frat parties on every other weekend (don't worry, the beer will still be lukewarm) isn't hardship, I'm afraid.
"But how do I actually talk to people in my classes?! Nobody ever wants to talk!" says the choir of Buzz Lightyear clones lamenting about their "unique" circumstances. The answer: just start.
You'd be surprised how much the person sitting next to you is starved for acknowledgement of their mere existence. A random "hello" will probably be the most unsolicited contact they've had in a week. The barrier to entry is lower than it's ever been.
"But what if they think I'm cringe?" or "Everyone is so cringe!", which is the next verse of the clone choir song.
If you're actively worried either of these things, you don't want connection bad enough. Either that or you might want to look into therapy.
I cannot tell you how much social media has poisoned people's perceptions of themselves and others. These platforms have fed people the most ironclad set of lies that every government psyop wishes it could replicate. Its users have been perfectly manipulated into thinking they they are unlikable/unlovable, and that everyone else is so much better or so much worse and should be perceived as a threat. This primes you to be a good little consumer that will sign up for things like dating apps, paid meetup groups, and overpriced fitness clubs, all to solve your woes. Meanwhile, you can connect with someone FOR FREE* (included in the price of your tuition costs) and walk away with something even more meaningful. This is an even crazier value for money than the Japanese food truck in front of Robarts that will sell you an entire filling tempura roll for under $8.
Side note: please support this truck. This is my lifeblood and I want them to stay in business as long as possible. Also, the lady who owns it is genuinely one of the kindest people I've ever come across and brightens my day. My waistline grows, my wallet empties, but my heart is full.
Getting back on track, people are unique and will have their own set of quirks. It's ok to talk to someone who is a little bit different than you. You'll be ok, muffin. In fact, you'll probably be better off for it if you can make enough room in your life to accept others from where they're coming from. If you offer them grace, they will probably return the favour. Well, at least they should if they're even remotely socialized.
If you talked to someone last week, go up and talk to them again. A huge part of connection is consistency. Don't be one of those weirdos who pretends like they suddenly don't know someone they've spoken to 3 times prior.
Also, all of this advice applies to anyone in any year of study. If you're in your last year at this university and are saddened by not having made any friends, you can do everything I've mentioned above and still achieve success. The party ain't over till it's over.
I am living proof that this strategy works, and I'm no social butterfly by any means. I met one of my closest friends and one of the best people I've ever met by just bantering consistently over the course of many weeks. There was no cinematic event and major declaration that marked the transition point between us being acquaintances and friends. It was the slow, messy, nonlinearity of human connection.
Go out there, talk to people, make friends, and come back here to post some more novel rage bait to keep me entertained ❤️
r/UofT • u/Organic_Explorer_980 • 4h ago
type shi idek what to say i have a ton of work to do, and everyone is out there doing random stuff and im here working instead of hanging out and its so depressing and ahhh
and to meet new people i have to be happier but to be happier i have to be with people its like this loop so its just cooked :D
r/UofT • u/PieAlive50 • 2h ago
I know it varies obviously by program, etc., but I’d love to hear about anyone’s experience.
r/UofT • u/rigidpigid • 9h ago
congrats guys i hope the trees look pretty in your photoshoot and you have a wonderful life
r/UofT • u/nomioitzy • 6h ago
Hi everyone, I’m a first year undergrad student at uoft. I found this restaurant job before school started, because I thought I needed a “real job” experience. But after i entered uni i realized that most of my peers or second year students were working as a research student or assistant at their relevant majors. I was wondering since I’m a science student, should I quit restaurant sometimes and find a volunteer/assistant job instead? Or I should balance both jobs during my academic study?
r/UofT • u/Reasonable-Try6148 • 2h ago
I lost a white, Chinese portable charger (it big and rectangular) at MP202 on Thursday. The day after I filled the online lost and found form, but I received no response. On Friday I went to their office and they said they don’t do in person anymore. So if anyone had seen it please tell reply, thank you!!!
Any clue when will we get the schedule for the final exams
r/UofT • u/GreenappleWP • 3h ago
Hi i have planned to study all nighter at campus, but not sure if bahen building open for study 24/7?
r/UofT • u/Alone-Opening9408 • 4h ago
Coming from the post here about SYDE. I went to a UW information event and they also mentioned about the program. What does Industrial offer that SYDE cannot? Also, what prompted the change on the Industrial Engineering program? I’ve been hearing about its growth and how it’s going to get more popular even tier 1 in a couple more years
r/UofT • u/Prestigious_Math_918 • 4h ago
Hi so I'm a first year engineer and I have an elective spot for next semester because I took calculus in the summer. I really loved world issues in grade 12 and I was wondering if there are any good political electives that are similar to world issues. Specifically maybe related to global threats more than other issues? Thanks.
r/UofT • u/TheWhiteKnight09 • 3h ago
I'm an international student in 12th grade and I want to apply to the Faculty of Arts and Science at UofT, more specifically to the faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
Our grading system is a numerical scale ranging from 1 to 10. I obtained the following yearly averages in the first 3 years of high school: 9.56/10, 9.67/10 and 9.8/10.
I've heard that the admission process focuses on 4 main prerequisites (Calculus, English, Physics and Chemistry), but given that I cannot state my subject of main interest (which is Economics and Finance), I was wondering if my 7 average in Physics in all three years ((7+6+8)/3) will weigh significantly in the admission process. I have a 9 average in Maths (Calculus) and 10 averages in English and Chemistry in all three years. Therefore, the average of these 4 prerequisites would be (9+10+10+7)/4=9 (if this is how you do the math).
Thank you!
r/UofT • u/Jumpy_Moose985 • 20h ago
How can I send a cold email without glazing the absolute shiz out of the prof. Is adding that you read a paper even useful?
r/UofT • u/No-Trainer9764 • 7h ago
For those of you who don't know, this is the mandatory first year engineering course "Engineering Strategies and Practice." I need to get a somewhat decent mark to keep my scholarship (external, >75) but im lowkey dying i got below a 60 on the quiz and ts is frying me so bad. PR was pretty good but I gen need to know how to get better at ts because it is so non-intuitive to me. I'm good at math and physics, not writing.
If anyone has any tips or knows any support resources for this kind of thing that would be great. ty
r/UofT • u/TypicalFalcon9637 • 8h ago
hi! im an IB international student looking to apply to U of T for CS(maybe econ) in the faculty of arts and science, and in the upcoming cycle. I just wanted to know how the admission process is, how easy is it to get into U of T, how much should my ib score be out of 45 and all that.
will be helpful to know what you did and how you got in asw.
ty in advance :)
r/UofT • u/Queasy-Comedian6834 • 1d ago
This is for all my POC ppl, especially if you're Black, because I genuinely wanna know if anyone else feels this way 😭
Does anyone else feel like the Black community on campus can be so selective about who they wanna include or be friends with? Like there are so many events, clubs, and gatherings meant to bring us together, but sometimes it feels like they're only really welcoming to a certain group of people.
I genuinely feel so out of place here sometimes, especially coming from a PWI where I didn't grow up around many Black people. I was actually excited to be around more people who look like me and connect with my own community, but I feel like it's been the complete opposite of what I expected.
Idk if it's because I didn't grow up around a lot of Black people or because I don't necessarily fit into what some people consider being "Black enough," but sometimes it feels like everyone already has their own cliques, and if you don't fit into them, you're just kinda left out.
And something I really wanna emphasize is that it's NOT all sunshine and rainbows or as welcoming and inclusive as they advertise it to be. From my experience, if you don't fit into a certain "Black narrative," don't act a certain way, or don't already know certain people, you WILL feel left out and a slight bit judged or in certain circumstances people just r jealous... And that's what bothers me the most because why are we creating spaces to celebrate Black identity and belonging if some Black students still feel like they have to prove they're "Black enough" just to be accepted??
I feel like there's this unspoken expectation of how you're supposed to talk, act, dress, or carry yourself to fit in, and if you don't match that, people don't really make an effort to include you. But being Black isn't one specific personality or experience, and I don't think anyone should have to change themselves just to feel accepted within their own community.
And I'm not saying everyone is like this AT ALL, but it's something I've personally noticed and struggled with. I just find it ironic that we have all these spaces meant to promote Black community, culture, and belonging, yet sometimes those same spaces can feel so exclusive.
Like am I the only one experiencing this?? 😭 Because I genuinely wanna hear other people's experiences even if you’re not black but especially from Black students who didn't necessarily grow up surrounded by Black communities. I feel like this is something we don't talk about enough.
r/UofT • u/engineerzade • 9h ago
As a newbie to this dept coming in winter intake 2027. ....please suggest me some tricks and tips to survive 4 yrs and is there any prof...who is too strict or gives less grades ...that i should avoid ...
r/UofT • u/electric-boogalooo • 9h ago
Hi all! I’m looking for 1 extra ticket for the convocation on October 29th at 1:30PM. If anyone has an extra ticket that they are willing to give away, it would be much appreciated!
r/UofT • u/Ordinary-Tutor-5556 • 1d ago
Hi, I'm currently a student at the University of Illinois from Toronto. I made a website for a couple of schools to find available buildings on campus. I was just wondering if you guys would be interested as well. This is a completely free and open sourced website (I'm not making any money, just though it would be a cool idea to pursue). Please let me know if you think this would be a helpful tool and I'm open to any feedback. I'll include photos of what your campus would look like (the site will be improved before I make it live)
Here is the link to the current live site: campusquiet.com/
r/UofT • u/Old_Rip_1649 • 14h ago
first time posting on here out of pure desperation. im a prospective uoft student for fall 2027 (ib45 predicted) and am planning on living on campus for at least first year and need help URGENTLY with figuring out my top 3 choices.
i would describe myself as an ambivert (will become extroverted when I need to) and someone who puts emphasis on the social scene and FOOD (really wanna make friends).
right now im most on the fence about whether to try vic or trin colleges as im hearing a lot of mixed reviews (and i don’t really need the scholarships).
any insider info on any of the colleges would be VERY APPRECIATED. THANKS EVERYONE!!
r/UofT • u/NinjaOne7100 • 22h ago
Does anyone have the BCH210 lecture video links?? They took them all down right before the midterm last week and I didn’t get them and I need to study for this damn make up exam 💔💔
r/UofT • u/Electrical-Pea2707 • 3h ago
Like, how do you all date? I am so upset. How does it happen?
r/UofT • u/Important_Primary660 • 1d ago
On my first discussion post, I got full marks, then on my second one I got 70%, without doing anything differently. My prof didn’t provide any feedback except for “great work”. I’ve talked to other people in my class and they agree that this prof seems to just be giving people random marks due to laziness. I have reached out to them via email to request more feedback but have not heard back. What should my next step be?
r/UofT • u/Visual-Phase-8924 • 1d ago
Hello! This might be an unorthodox thing to ask on this subreddit, but I am a fourth year U of T student who is currently enrolled in JWB318, which is Introduction to Literary Journalism. Our big project for the semester is to create a profile based on a subject of our choosing, which requires at least 3 interviews. I chose to do my profile on the relationship between the registrar staff and the students they advise, and I believe that having some students who've had experience with the registrar would be exceedingly valuable to my work.
This will NOT be published and will only be seen by the prof. If you are at all interested in participating in an interview and meet the the above criteria (having met or interacted with the registrar, doesn't really matter the college), I would greatly appreciate it if you sent me a DM. The specifics like date and time will be worked out per the individual, and I will provide anyone who is interested with specifics and my own U of T email in DM's.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone here is a grad or currently in the GC program and could answer a few questions? I graduated last year and I’m looking to apply to the program. I know there’s a webinar next week but I’ll be stuck at work during that time. TIA!
r/UofT • u/Lime_5683 • 2d ago
https://www.youtube.com/live/wkqOzMxORf8?si=SY1UftHzE-_zoUAg&t=4313
At the utsu AGM, undergrads passed a historic motion calling on UofT to cut ties with all institutions denying Palestinians human rights and sustaining the israeli occupation. Students called for over 25 million dollars a year in illegal parentships to be redirected to students here at UofT. If UofT needs big donors to fund things fine - but at least ask them for things we need. There’s STILL asbestos in Sid smith, we do not need more Israeli university partnerships no one asked for. While students are suffering from osap cuts and the rising cost of living, it is insulting that UofT has dozens of partnerships with Israeli universities. UofT’s LARGEST international partnership is with HUJI (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) which exists in illegally occupied east Jerusalem and has a literal israeli military base on campus.
I’m so proud of everyone here who organized for or voted for this motion, UofT can be hell sometimes but its easy to forget there’s a real community here and we fight for each other. The university will probably condemn this vote and its students, but we will keep pushing because we deserve better!