BEng Aeronautical Engineering student Jiya Patel is currently studying at the University of Toronto, Canada, and shared her experience of her first semester.

Coming to University of Toronto for my year abroad has been one of the most exciting and transformative academic experiences I’ve had so far. When I first arrived in Toronto, I had mixed feelings of excitement, nervousness and uncertainty. Questions like what the academic culture would be, how will I settle in such a dynamic campus and many more were going through my head. However, as the fall term started, I slowly stared to get the hang of it.  

I followed the checklist given by the Go Abroad team before departing for my exchange year, that way I made sure I was on track for all the paperwork. I found this to be an efficient way to plan my departure while making sure I do not miss anything. Starting early research is the best way to feel prepared. Finding an accommodation can be a bit tricky and a bit pricey in downtown so I do recommend starting the search early and using official rental websites. UofT has its own dedicated on and off campus rental websites as well. It’s easy and affordable to live a bit off-campus and share an apartment with a friend (something that I did and truly enjoy!). It’s quite easy to commute around downtown Toronto in street cars and subway using the Presto card (Toronto’s version of oyster card). I did my research on all these things before arriving to Toronto which made it a bit easy to settle in. I would recommend this to all future students.  

Academics and university culture in Canada is quite different than the UK in terms of teaching, assessments, courses/modules offered and general campus life as well. Things do feel daunting at the start but if you’re proactive you’ll settle in no time. People are helpful and are always ready to guide you so it’s just easy to ask instead of struggling. I attended the orientation and campus tour given by the inbound team at UofT during the first week which really helped me to navigate my way around the campus and understand the university culture in general – I highly recommend attending these! UofT’s downtown campus is very vibrant, dynamic and huge (sometimes takes a 10-15 minute walk from one building to another!) I did not really expect the campus to be this enormous and got lost multiple times during the first weeks, so I would advise to get a campus map or try and spend a day to just explore the campus and the different buildings before classes begin.  

In terms of academics, UofT has a very different approach than QMUL. Courses tend to be fast-paced, discussion heavy and mainly research focused unlike the lectures and seminars system in the UK. It took a bit time to adjust to this style of learning as I wasn’t mentally prepared for it but you will quickly adapt to it. The workload at UofT feels continuous and assignment based. Most courses offer weekly quizzes, participation points, midterm tests and other smaller assignments spread throughout the term. This way you have many ways to improve your overall grades. The professors and TAs are very open to discussions and answering questions so do not hesitate to ask. Unlike QMUL’s campus which feels like a tight-knit community, UofT is much larger and dispersed. UofT’s main campus area (King’s College Circle) is one of the best places to relax on sunny days while enjoying the historical architecture. There are so many libraries on campus (my favourite one is Robarts Library which is a 14-floor library, open 24 hours and has great spaces to study with a food court inside). UofT has a great selection of clubs, sports and societies – something for everyone. I joined the skiing club (I have never skied before but I look forward to trying out something new). I would advise to join them as it is a great way to connect to local students and get to know the place more. The inbound team at UofT regularly organises events for exchange students like watching the football matches, pumpkin carving during Halloween, chat sessions etc. This is a great way to meet fellow exchange students who are also going through the same wave of feelings as you.  

The city of Toronto is very vibrant with lots of things and activities to do so you will always have something exciting to keep you busy. Some of the best local places to visit would be St. Lawrence market (similar to London Greenwich market), shopping centres like Eaton Centre and Yorkdale, High Park, Harbour Park and CN Tower. There are so many good restaurants and food options in downtown Toronto offering a variety of cuisines. Toronto lightens up during the festive time and the best places to visit would be the Distillery Christmas village and Canada’s Winter Wonderland.   

Adjusting to a new place, culture and managing studies while exploring and travelling the city can be hard but it’s equally doable and fun. My top tip would be to budget your finances properly so after spending on the necessities, you can travel the city/country and do lots of fun activities – the biggest point of doing an exchange year!  GPO funding was a big peace of mind as it really helped me during the first weeks without the need to worry about my finances while I settle in. I really look forward to the next term at UofT as I am better prepared to start the new term!