• campus,  maps

    RUN

    June 1, 2015

    I have a question about back to back courses. I have psych at 11 (it’s one hour for that day)and then a first year foundations at 12. Is it horribly hard to sprint across campus in like 1 second….

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i guess it depends on what you mean by ‘across campus.’ most buildings are within 10 minutes of each other, but if you’re trying to get from, say…isabel bader to earth sciences in ten minutes, you may have to book it.

    fortunately, university lectures are not like high school classes. in the unlikely event that you need to dip out from your psych class five minutes early to get to your college one class, no one’s going to chew you out about it. (unless you’ve got an especially crabby professor).

    also, if you’re going to be near the city in the summer, i would highly recommend practising your route between classes. once the timetable is updated with lecture locations, use the uoft map to figure out where all your classes will be. then get on campus and trace your steps. the surer you are about where you’re going, the faster you’ll go.

    or you could just hire a runner to carry you on their back.

    godspeed,

    aska

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  • maps

    it’s not uoft but it may as well be

    May 15, 2015

    a lot of people come to uoft – at least in part – for the “vibrant city” and the “nightlife.” of course, when you finally get to university, you feel so tired and run down most of the time that you rarely ever step off campus. who has time to explore riverdale or dundas valley when you’ve got back-to-back classes and a killer commute?

    besides, exploring is scary. aska knows. i know you all quake in your boots at the thought of crossing Bloor to the North or College to the South.

    NOT TO FEAR: there are plenty of cool and interesting places practically on campus for you to explore. you won’t even need a metropass.

    1. the ROM

    kind of obvious. the massive shard hanging over bloor and avenue is hard to miss, but i know so many people who go through their whole undergrad without going there once. it’s free on tuesday for students, it has a pretty good cafeteria, and there are DINOSAURS. there’s really no reason not to go.

    2. the gardiner museum

    the gardiner museum is a little cement block that sits across from the ROM on University. as well as being a rocking pottery museum (with?clay classes!), there is a beautiful restaurant called the Gardiner Bistro on the top floor. if it’s warm outside, you can even sit on the balcony overlooking University.

    the Gardiner is free every tuesday for students (just remember your T-Card, you mangoes).

    3. Lillian H. Smith library

    the Lillian H. Smith library is a Toronto public?library at College and Huron. the number one selling feature about this library?is that it’s absolutely beautiful. if you’re ever in the Southwestern part of campus and all the uoft libraries are full, why not drop in here?

    4. einstein’s

    einstein’s cafe and pub is a uoft staple. if you’re anyone who’s anyone, make sure you stop on by at least once.

    5. the rooftop at the park hyatt

    and for a complete change of pace, why not try the Roof Lounge at the Hyatt? the Park Hyatt is only a stone’s throw from ?Victoria College, at Bloor and Avenue.

    this place is a bit fancy and, granted, i’ve only got 0.85$ in my wallet right now, but if you ever manage to scrounge up a coupla twenties, it’s worth it to go here at least once. and eat outside, if you can. great view.

    6. 7 west cafe

    7 west is a little bit more down to earth. with 3 floors and a cozy atmosphere complete with brick walls and faux stained glass windows, this cafe?is a nice but relaxed place to enjoy a meal. AND for all you night-owls: it’s open 24/7. 3AM spaghetti: bring it on.

    7. foxes den

    for people spending time around East campus, the foxes den is a super convenient dinner location. a comfort pub through and through, this is the place to go and be merry after writing a test you just know you bombed.

    8. harvest noon

    Harvest Noon is a cafe and coop on Spadina Crescent. it’s volunteer-run and super convenient for graduate students, whose home base – the Graduate Students’ Union – is right next door.

    apart from some amazing food, the really notable thing about this eatery is that it’s?a really good place. sustainable, vegan and socially aware, it’s a better place than most to put your money. if you can support them, you’ll be doing a good thing.

    now go outside and get to know your city, you CHUMPS.

    aska

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  • lost,  maps

    i get lost here and i go here

    May 4, 2015

    Hi, I’m a UTM student and I am taking a course at the St. George campus. This is my first time enrolling in a St. George course and I am highly confused, as I’m used to the UTM timetable structure. Apparently my class is taking place at WO 35. Where & what does that mean? Please help!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the quickest way to figure this stuff out is to take the building code – WO in this case – and stick it into the search bar on the uoft map. this handy, handy map will tell you the name of the building, and show you exactly where it is. isn’t technology amazing?

    (in this case, WO is the Woodsworth College Residence at 321 Bloor St. West, on the corner of bloor and st. george).

    have fun trying to navigate this maze of a campus!

    aska

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  • course material,  maps

    home is where Rosi meets googlemaps

    August 24, 2012

    Hi,
    I am entering my first year at U of T in September and I wanted to ask a couple of questions about buying textbooks for courses.

    Is there a website that lets students know all of the books and any other materials that they will need to buy for each course?

    Also, can we buy all of our necessary textbooks from the U of T bookstore, or would we need to order it beforehand from somewhere else?

    Lastly, I saw on one of the U of T websites that someone suggested waiting until the second day of classes to purchase the textbooks needed for courses. They said this is because sometimes out of date books are not replaced right away and you can be stuck with paying for two. However, I also noticed in different U of T facebook groups that people have already started buying their books. I just wanted to ask what your advice would be?

    On a separate note, when are we told the actual locations of our courses (building & room)? Will that be added to our timetables on ROSI or something?

    Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.

    ———————————————

    Bonjour le first year,

    The U of T bookstore offers a list of course material for some courses. Check it.

    All of your required course material will be ordered for you. Saying that though, depending on the course and the material required it might be ordered at a location that is not the U of T Bookstore. I personally have had to get books from Bob Millers bookstore and the printing house. All material locations are either on campus or close by.

    I have never heard of the bookstore having out of date books in stock at the start of school. The person who posted that may have just gotten their books too early and picked up the material for the summer course instead of the fall one. The same course course can have different material based on the professor.

    I would agree with attending at least one class before purchasing your books.

    Side Bar Ted – 5 Reason for not buying your books before class starts

    1) You might go to one class, hate it and thank the textbook gods (aska) that you didn’t waste the money on books
    2) Some professors have “recommended” books, meaning only the keeners and rich kids buy this shiz

    3) If the edition hasn’t changed you can buy the book used. Either in the U of T bookstore or here?

    4) During the second class, you can just steal the book from another student when they go to the washroom

    5) You can make a buddy in class and go halfsy on the book and just share it.

    If the location of your classes and rooms are not already posted on ROSI, they will be very shortly. Look on the timetable and there will be a couple letters below the course codes and a number. The letters are the building and the numbers are referring to the room. There is a link that says “map of your classes” or something of the sort by your timetable an it will give you a googlemaps image with all your classes flagged on it (this is the kindest part of ROSI)

    Check it out:

    BA is Bahen Centre for Information Technology (BA) and 1240 is the room number.

    with love and a compass,

    aska

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  • maps

    U of T fashion wars: running shoes, rain boots or ice pick boots

    August 13, 2012

    ello, so I lurked your blog and I saw somebody asked if a certain walking commute <https://askastudent.utoronto.ca/?p=429#more-429> was possible for back-to-back classes and so I’m wondering if Lillian Massey Building to McLennan Physical Laboratories is possible??? I’m scared to know the answer?but I’m hoping you have a magical secret path I can take!!!

    Thankies ^____^

    ———————————————

    Hey heeey,

    So I don’t have any underground tunnels, or passages behind lion statues like those damn clever Weasley Twins, but I do have a cut-through for you. I have drawn you a picture … now you can’t say that I never give you anything handmade from my heart. Your best bet is to cut through the circles. Cut through Queens Park, there will paths from other students and homeless people. Go down the stairs past Hart House and cut through Kings Circle.

    Warning: this route is tough terrain. The circles are terrible to walk through in any weather. The rain makes them muddy, the winter makes them slippery, the spring makes them slushy … and some how in the the middle of summer U of T has made Kings Circle into a swamp.

    I have had to do a similar dash and have been able to make it, sweaty and flustered, but make it.

    still regretting not getting rubber boots,

    aska

    p.s YES I realize that picture defies the limits of the page …

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  • graduation,  maps

    size does matter

    February 11, 2011

    Hello,

    My main concern with U of T St. George is its size. Is it really so big that you feel like a visitor? Is it impossible / extremely difficult to get to
    know professors / TA’s well?

    And also, how would a school as large as U of T go about choosinga valedictorian (lol…)

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    When you first step onto the massive St George campus and go to your 300 person class, you will feel a little overwhelmed. By your second year you will start to experience smaller classes and realize that your TAs are fully accessable. As your classes get smaller your profs will be able to offer more one on one relationships.

    I remember driving to the campus, ending up in Little Italy and being late for classes because the numbering of the buildings in Kings Circle are confusing. NOW I know all the secret passages behind the statues in UC and the closet in Knox that takes you to another land far, far away from studying.

    The visitor feel does go away as you start to realize that you?really only use certain parts of the campus and start to have smaller classes.

    So here is what goes down at convocation. There is no valedictorian for undergraduate arts and science graduation. Engineering and commerce might be a little different (as they always are). Sorry bud, maybe just storm on stage and bust out a speech anyways (if you get arrested I didn’t suggest it; if you get a standing ovation, I get a beer)

    Has anyone else noticed that Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka looks a lot like Michael Jackson?
    Evidence One

    Evidence Two

    forever yours,
    aska

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  • maps

    getting around to class – fast!

    September 2, 2010

    Salutations,
    I’m first year new meat at UofT, and I have a couple courses that are back to back, ie: one ends at 2pm, the next starts at 2pm. Do professors mind if we dip about ten minutes early, or I guess arrive ten minutes late to their classes? I tried with all the power invested in me to not end up with these situations, but alas, there was no way around it to fit my schedule. I swear I’ll sprint/bike as fast as I can, but I won’t be on time for some classes – especially when graced with ten feet of snow.
    A thousand in-advance thanks!

    ———————————————

    Ooh, fresh meat! Love it.

    Everyone worries about the same problem you do. That’s why all classes actually start at the 10 minute mark at every hour to allot for travel time. Therefore if you have a lecture at 2, it won’t actually start until 2:10 PM. Definitely get a bike anyways, they’re a travel necessity in the city and way cheaper than getting a metro pass. In the winter it’s a little bit harder to not only get motivated to GO to class, but go between them. Get the warmest, coolest boots you can find – I recommend these.

    Good luck getting around.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • maps,  timetable

    ou est mon tutorial? (that’s french, right?)

    August 26, 2010

    Dear Ask,

    I am a new graduate student at UofT and I am wondering if there is anyway to find out classroom locations for Ger100Y1 L0701 and FSL221Y1 L0401 without being actually registered in the course?

    Best,
    Elizabeth

    ———————————————

    Hi Elizabeth!

    The codes for all your classes should be on ROSI. If you click on “view personal Timetable”, a map will show up via Google with the exact address.

    Addresses used to be printed in the timetable but maybe they stopped doing that to detract auditors. I’m kind of stuck. The best bet is to contact the German Department and French Department to find out where the classes are.
    Sorry I can’t be of help!

    xoxo, Askastudent

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