Queen Mary University of London History student and Turing Scheme grant recipient, Najma Kabash, has been studying abroad at the University of Toronto in Canada and shares the life of a UofT study abroad student with us!

I have been studying at the University of Toronto for the past academic year and it is definitely a lot of hard work. The education system there is different in comparison to UK universities; the main difference being the style of assessments. In the social science departments you have many more assignments than you would have in the UK; these assignments being worth much less in percentages but they can pile up and feel quite overwhelming. Time management is key when you have an assignment due every other week, but once you have done that, it is very much doable.

One thing you soon realise if you choose to study in Canada is you will need a THICK winter coat and a pair of winter boots. I definitely suggest investing in some once you get there! There will be times where it gets as cold as -20 degrees and the wind there is very icy. I definitely overpacked when preparing to go to Canada and soon came to realise I did not wear half of the things I had brought with me. When you are there it’s definitely worth buying some uni merchandise – it’s very popular and you will see everyone on campus owns a hoodie or some sort of UofT sweater. Thrifting in Toronto is also a big thing and you can find so many nice items for affordable prices so don’t be too concerned about bringing everything with you, because it is not a permanent move.

The experiences I’ve made in Canada are unforgettable, both good and bad. Living so far away from home definitely teaches you a lot and makes you appreciate home so much. The homesickness you feel is very much real and you should be aware that it will eventually happen but a flight home is very costly and with how busy the term gets, going home for a quick visit is not necessarily an option. It is, however,worth going! The St George campus at UofT is full of international students going through the exact same thing as you, so don’t be afraid to go to societies and put yourself out there. That is the best way to make friends on campus! You will only ever do this once, so make the most of it. The funding from the Turing scheme made it possible for me to come home during the holidays and help me buy the thermal clothing that was much needed in Canada which I’m so ever grateful for.

There is so much to visit in Toronto from ice hockey games, NBA games and baseball games, the sports culture in the city is insane and it is definitely like that within the university too. Attending the university sports games are free, so be sure to check some out and go support the teams! Keep an eye out on apps such as ‘game time’ and ‘stub hub’, and you can find very affordable last minute tickets to hockey and NBA games. There are so many different things to try and do – you’ll soon learn how different Canadian culture really is. There are some really great markets you can visit that are filled with the life and culture of Toronto. I recommend St Lawrence Market and Kensington Market, as these are both quite iconic and truly represent how multicultural the city is.

Food is a big part of the city because of how multicultural Toronto is and Canadians love big portion sizes, so that is another thing to look out for. One thing I did find harder is finding halal meat, which it not as easy to get hold of as it is in London. There are specific areas in Toronto that are known for having larger Muslim populations. Places in the GTA have more options than downtown, for example. I definitely struggled with this, as not every supermarket stocked halal meat so I had to go out of my way to find it but once you learn and get to know the city you, will be okay. Brunch in Toronto is the best so get exploring your food options!

My last piece of advice is make the most of your reading weeks as it is so easy to travel to different cities and even to the US from Canada. You can go to NYC, Montreal, Vancouver or even Cancun. I highly recommend budgeting for this in advance if you know travelling is something you want to do because it is so much cheaper to go to these places from Canada in comparison to the UK.