My University Experience At Uni of Toronto

My name is Sarah. I graduated from the University of Toronto about a month ago with an Honors Bachelor of Arts. I wanted to make this video to share my university experience at U of T because it was a long four years, and I feel like I should get something out of it.

First Year

First year is very difficult. There's so much change happening all at once, especially if you move away from home for the first time. I lived in residence and had three roommates. We weren't besties, and I think that's fair. A lot of people end up living with random people they meet once and never talk to again, while some meet their best friends for life.

In first year, you often want to reinvent yourself, but it's not entirely possible to do so in just a couple of months. If you're sad now, you might still feel sad there. School-wise, I was very confused. I didn't know how to do course selection properly and ended up taking an extra course, ECO 101, that did nothing for me. I thought it was a breath requirement, but it wasn't, so I credit-no-credit it because I was doing poorly and the professor was mean.

I joined a bunch of clubs, including a public speaking club, and cyber-stalked another club I was too shy to join. I didn't really make friends until the second semester, and that's okay. Maintaining high school friendships can be challenging, but it's all about effort.

The summer after first year, I volunteered at a law office, which I found on Indeed.com. Finding a job after first year can be hit or miss—sometimes things just happen. First year is a rip; you just go through it, and then it's over.

Second Year

Second year was a lot better. I moved into an apartment with one roommate, whom I met through a mutual friend. Classes were going better, and I joined the UTVSA club, which took up a lot of my time. I was a frosh leader, which made the start of the year fun because you know people and play a lot.

A difficult aspect of second year was dealing with the mental health crises on campus. There were students unaliving themselves, which was very hard to process. It's something they don't tell you about at university fairs.

Then there was the phenomenon called "pee pee poo poo man," a person going around Toronto campuses dumping buckets of feces on people. The first incident happened at Robarts, where I often studied. I decided to avoid studying there afterward.

Eventually, the pandemic hit, and school stopped in-person activities. They don't tell you about pandemics at university fairs either. During the summer, I did some online tutoring but not much else.

Third Year

Third year was fully online. I took on the role of club president, which kept me very busy. It was challenging because many team members were in different time zones. Despite being online, it was my most social year because I met and talked to many new people virtually.

I took an extra course, making it six courses in the second semester, which was tough but worth it. I also had my first work-study position in the sociology department, which was interesting and related to my program.

During the summer, I did summer school, prepared for the LSAT, had a work-study job, and participated in clubs. Third year is when things get really busy. You have to do a lot for everything to come together in fourth year.

Fourth Year

Fourth year was stressful, mostly due to law school applications. My roommate and I grew closer, often coordinating "floor time" to just lie on the floor and decompress. I reduced my extracurricular activities to focus on applications and spending time with friends.

Thanks to my previous self, I had a lighter course load, allowing me to take courses I was genuinely interested in. I took seminar courses with small class sizes, which felt more engaging and meaningful.

I also started therapy, which was a big part of my fourth year. It felt like another class on my schedule but was incredibly beneficial. Once I started getting acceptance letters, the relief was immense, and everything went more smoothly.

Graduation was a hot and sweaty affair but a significant milestone. I felt fortunate to have an in-person graduation, especially after the pandemic disrupted so many plans.

Conclusion

If you've ever wondered what university is like, that's my experience: good things happen, bad things happen, and then it's over. Now I'm sitting on a bench, talking to a camera. Thanks for watching, guys! Smash that like button and hit subscribe.

Reflecting on my university experience, I would say it was overall net positive. It's not a glowing review, but it's honest. You get a big piece of paper at the end, and that's something. Thanks for watching my video about my university experience. If I could talk to my four-years-ago self, I'd say, "It's going to be a rollercoaster, but you'll come out stronger on the other side."