Back to School 2014: fall term begins at U of T

For many, September means delving back into studies and campus happenings. But for more than 15,000 undergrads entering their first year of university, this September marks a year of many new beginnings. (Watch some of U of T's orientation festivities on CITY TV's Breakfast Television.)

“There's nothing like the feeling of getting into your top-choice university,” said incoming student Saambavi Mano, who hopes to double major in English and philosophy. The Toronto native is ready to start her academic career at U of T, and already has her career goals in sight.

“I'm interested in becoming an intellectual property and copyright lawyer, so hopefully, law school is next in my academic career,” says Mano. “I think [U of T] will help me create a solid base on which I can continue to grow.”

To help Mano and her fellow new classmates adjust to university, a variety of orientation events were scheduled at the downtown (St. George), Mississauga and Scarborough campuses. (See a photo gallery of orientation highlights.) Celebrations included:

Scarborough Campus Student Union Orientation – August 27, 28, 29, September 5
College & Faculty Orientation Week – September 1 to 6
International Student Orientation: Workshops & Tours – September 2 to 6
��Ƶ Student Union (UTSU) Fest – September 3 to 13
��Ƶ Mississauga Students' Union Orientation Week – September 2 to 5
UTM Welcome Week – September 8 -12
Queer Orientation – a tri-campus series of events from September 19 to 29

“I hope each of our new students participating in orientation meets a friend or two – or twenty,” says Josh Hass, student life coordinator, orientation and transition, with U of T's Office of Student Life. “I also hope that by the end of orientation, all of our new students feel prepared for their first class, excited to get involved in campus life and happy that they have come to U of T.”

The Office of Student Life also wants to make sure all students know that there are a lot of services across the university aimed at helping them achieve and maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle, Hass says. (Read more about the services offered at the Student Life website.)

"There are many programs and supports for mental health and physical health – everything from student-led groups that will help them quit smoking, programs to get fit or de-stress, to professional counsellors, doctors, and academic advisors."

(Read a Toronto Star article about the student group MoveU at U of T.)

New and returning students can also track their activities, from participating in student clubs to volunteering in communities throughout the city, with the co-curricular record.

"There are more than 700 clubs at the university and so many opportunities to get involved in life outside the lecture hall – from starting your own company to volunteering with a community group or the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games,” Hass says. "The co-curricular record is something students can keep and even show to future employers, as a way of demonstrating the skills they developed, or the expertise they shared."

Today’s new students will join a diverse cohort of 69,000 undergraduates and more than 16,000 graduate students. Among them: over 13,000 international students from 150 countries around the world.

International student Antonia Vogel, originally from Germany, is beginning graduate studies in the department of chemistry. “I hope to be a researcher in the future, so in my opinion, international experience is very important,” says Vogel.

With 12,500 faculty members, as well as 6,000 staff members and 145 librarians, who help run the third-largest library system in the world (behind Harvard and Yale), orientation extends beyond students at U of T. The Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation held back-to-school workshops for faculty from August 26-28. The workshops included sessions on how teachers can set the tone for success on the first day and beyond, techniques to support active learning, and how to keep learning and teaching on track.

Recently named the top university in Canada and ranked 24th in the world by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2014, U of T is known for innovative teaching and powerhouse research, says Mano. Its academic quality and global standing are some of the reasons she's excited to begin her studies.

“While U of T might not be particularly forgiving on my GPA,” she said, “I chose U of T because it has an international reputation for being a great school, and I wanted a great education.”

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