<p>I have a high level of intrest in Toronto, but I'm a little uneasy because I feel like I don't know enough about the school's social scene. What type of student comes to U of T? I've heard negative things like alot of the student body is condencending. Is this true?</p>
<p>As far as I know, compared to the states canadian schools are generally much more academically oriented… little school spirit, athletics, greek life, so on. But you’ll get a good education for cheaper here, you just have to work your ass off to earn the grades.</p>
<p>what is the workload like at U of T</p>
<p>something to keep in mind about the canadian system - you’ll pretty much have zero freedom to take courses outside your major…and that’s even more true if your in the sciences…</p>
<p>and you’re absolutely right, the school spirit is definitely lacking, it will not be a normal “college” experience, like in the States</p>
<p>and in my opinion, the state of Canadian post-secondary education is rapidly declining in comparison with the States…be prepared for huge overcrowded class sizes, uninvolved professors and to have your marks based entirely on m/c exams</p>
<p>not saying it can’t be a good experience, if that’s what you’re looking for, it depends a lot on personality types etc…it just sure isn’t the right fit for me</p>
<p>on the flip side, Canada itself is a lovely place to live :)</p>
<p>Much of what canadianemigre states as fact isn’t necessarily factual. It will depend what your major is, and what school you’re attending, that will determine how many courses you may take outside your major. At U of T, you don’t choose your PoST, program of study until the end of your first year. You can choose a specialist designation, a major designation with minor, a double major, etc. Many students double major with a minor, which obviously means that you can, indeed, take classes outside of one major. </p>
<p>As for ‘huge overcrowded class sizes’, that, again, depends on your major and on which classes you’re taking. Some first year science classes are large, that’s true. One of my Ds took a first year Psych course that had around 1000 in the lecture. It didn’t really impact her enjoyment of the course, and the subsequent Psych classes she’s enrolled in have been small. Even that first year course had small tutorial sections. In the Humanities, you will have no difficulty in finding classes, particularly after first year level, that are small and participatory in nature. My D who is now in law school had no difficulty forming good relationships with her profs, who all have office hours open to students on a daily basis. She and my D who is currently in fourth year both obtained excellent letters of reference/recommendation for law/grad school from profs. They’re not unique in this regard.</p>
<p>U of T is not going to provide you the same type of college experience as a small liberal arts college in the U.S. It’s a large university with an urban setting that is a wonderful experience for some but not for all. There is no hand-holding there. Students are expected to have a certain level of maturity needed to live in the city, be responsible for their education, have good work habits, etc. If you’re a mature student who is willing to work hard, you will be able to reap the many rewards of an experience at U of T. It isn’t for everyone, but for the right type of student, it’s a very good place to go to college.</p>
<p>William, the workload, again, will depend on your program. Generally speaking, the workload is more intense than it is at U.S. universities. I have two Ds who attended college in the U.S. so have a good basis for comparison. At Canadian schools, students are generally expected to maintain a full courseload of 5 full year equivalent courses. The number of class hours will vary depending on your major. It’s difficult to get good grades at U of T if you don’t work hard, keep up with your readings, attend class, and study.</p>
<p>As for what you heard about a lot of the student body being condescending? That’s pretty silly, in my opinion. There are approximately 50,000 students at U of T. You can find just about every possible type of person there.! Have you visited? This time of year is a beautiful time to visit Toronto. I highly recommend it! Best of luck with your decision.</p>
<p>a thousand thank you’s mom</p>
<p>I am a current applicant for UT eng. Below are some facts of me.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am very confident that I can be admitted, no matter which program, Engsci, Track one or Core 8.</p></li>
<li><p>I like study, but not too much workload. 7-8 hours of sleeping every day fits me well.</p></li>
<li><p>I prefer practical skills to pure theories.</p></li>
<li><p>I am pretty sure that I want to go to top American graduate schools after 4 or 5 years.</p></li>
<li><p>I am only 60% sure that I will be an engineer in the future. I want liberal education although it is not quite possible in UT eng.</p></li>
<li><p>I value social life, network and interactions among peers and teachers very much</p></li>
<li><p>I am a Chinese who is holding a Canadian greencard </p></li>
</ol>
<p>So which program should I choose? Engsci, Track one or Core 8? Thx a lot~</p>
<p>I echo what alwaysamom said about U of T—almost down to a T. As I attended U of T, and got great recs and got into Columbia University grad school. I was active on the campus paper and was a frosh leader several times. Being on the paper limited me to what activities I was allowed to get involved in but I was able to meet so many people from covering events on campus. It’s easier to get involved and make friends if you are living on campus and if you do frosh week. The latter I highly encourage, it will be one of the best experiences of your life. That said, I must say U of T student can be condescending, in relation to other students from nearby schools like York and Ryerson and colleges like Humber and Seneca, U of T students know they’re in a class of their own and aren’t afraid to let that shine through. But of course not all of them are like that. Keep in mind if you want smaller classes in your first year, take the same courses on a suburban campus like UTM or UTSC. After that stay in St. George as the classes will get smaller and more interactive.</p>