Studying Abroad at the University of Toronto, Canada
Emma studies Chemistry and is currently studying at the University of Toronto in Canada. Emma has kindly provided the following testimony about her time in Canada so far:
By studying at University of Toronto, I have had so many amazing experiences that I would never have had, if I had not chosen to study abroad.
Living in such a big city has been very different for me. There are so many things to see and do which has been very exciting. The city has an abundance of museums, and the food scene is also very big – there are still so many places I want to try!
The University has an athletic centre which is free for students. The centre has a track, badminton and tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, and an ice rink! I have definitely made good use of this opportunity.
As a city, Toronto is well located. Due to the great train connections, I have been to Montreal, Quebec City, and Niagra Falls. These have all been amazing experiences. Quebec City and Montreal, where French is the main language spoken, were particularly incredible experiences – it felt a lot like being in France! Just north of Toronto is Algonquin National Park, which I have also visited. There I went hiking and canoeing, which was great fun!
At the university I have been involved in the badminton club and have been ice skating too. I have also joined an outdoors club that arranges hikes, cabin trips, geocaching and much more. This has also been great fun and I have been able to meet lots of like-minded people.
The biggest adjustment for me was the amount of continuous assessment here. Every week there are quizzes, midterms, lab reports, or problem sets to be handed in. Everything counts towards the final grade, so it can be hard to stay on top of everything. But if you are struggling, the professors have office hours, and they have all been very nice and helpful. Going to their office hours almost feels like getting a private tutorial, because they take the time to explain everything in great detail. I would definitely recommend going to your lecturers’ office hours and asking for help if you need it.
One piece of advice I would give to someone coming to the University of Toronto, would be to join sports clubs early, because spaces fill up really quickly! In terms of budgeting, it has been tricky to stay within my budget, especially since I needed winter gear for the Canadian winter (which is significantly more brutal than the European winter). This has definitely been one of the most expensive parts. Toronto in general is also an expensive city, so that is definitely something to consider. I would highly recommend trying to save up as much as possible and apply for scholarships and funding, as this gives you a lot more freedom to do things you want to, like going on trips or joining clubs.
Thank you to Emma for sharing her experience and photos from her time abroad.
If you would like to speak to Emma about her time in Toronto in more depth, or would like to find out more about studying abroad in general, please email [email protected]. If you would like to read more about finance and scholarships, please check out our Outbound webpages.