Life in Toronto – What To Expect

By Isabelle Henaghan, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.

Sunset from Toronto Islands

Landing in Toronto for my year abroad, I quickly learned that one of the city’s biggest surprises is just how many people you’ll meet from every corner of the world. The University of Toronto, across the three campuses, enrolls almost 27,000 international students, meaning you are bound to find your clique. The exchange program itself is bigger and friendlier than I imagined and we all share one Whatsapp groupchat that currently has over 300 members for just this semester abroad! Of course, if you put yourself out there, you naturally find your people within the wider groupchat, but there is always the opportunity to meet more people throughout the year!

One culture shock that bonded us as European Exchange students was the academic side. You will undertake 4 modules per semester, each with weekly/bi-weekly compulsory assignments worth around 10% of your grade (you even get 5% granted for just participating!), mid-terms at the end of October/November, and finals at the end of the term in December. You won’t need to revise over Christmas like in Manchester! The assignments my friends and I often joke about are largely multiple-choice or short-answer questions. As a geography student, I have only been given 2 essays to write (both less than 1000 words), so it is safe to say that the workload is completely different from what I was used to doing in the UK. The University of Toronto (all campuses) offers a wide range of courses, and as an exchange student, you get to pick options that you wouldn’t get to do at home. Make sure you challenge yourself and learn something new, as that is what this year is all about.

Other than the academic side, Toronto has SO much to offer!! I am a student enrolled at the Mississauga campus, and when I first got offered the place, I was apprehensive about how easy it would be to experience Toronto itself, which was why I initally applied here. Luckily, having spoken to other exchange students at the time, it became clear to me that I was going to be able to live in downtown Toronto and use the UTM Shuttle Bus (free to all UTM students) when I needed to attend class. This was definitely the right decision for me and I now live in a private shared student flat on Wellesley and Church – the most vibrant place in all of Toronto 🙂

Dinner on the rooftop of my apartment block

I spend most of my academic time hopping between coffee shops – partly because the coffee here is so much cheaper than in the UK (around £3 for a medium vanilla latte, and that’s North American medium), and partly because there are so many great spots right on my doorstep. The university itself is just as convenient, with several large FREE gyms, pools, and exercise classes available to students. When the evening rolls around, there’s usually a bunch of new places to try (even after being here for almost 3 months already). We spend a lot of time on Ossington and King Street West and there seems to be new suggestions every time we go. There is a big eat-out culture here, and most students who live in university accommodation don’t even have a kitchen, so there are lots and lots and LOTS of takeaways and cheap restaurants all over the city. Top tip: the quieter places with bad service reviews often have the best food 😉

Not only does the city itself have so much to offer, but the national parks around it are truly stunning. In October, we hired a car and an Airbnb for the weekend in Bruce Peninsula National Park and had the most relaxing weekend out of the stress of the city. We went for hikes, cooked big dinners, had campfires and shared all the possible card games that exist from all 4 of our home countries!

Bruce Peninsular National Park

Now that I’m settled into life in Toronto, I am excited to think about what might come next semester! A University Ski Trip to the Panorama mountains is definitely booked in as I have managed to score myself a position as the Ski Society Social Secretary (?!) and I’m now wondering if New York is on the cards too!