• clubs

    sad music & concrete toboggans for everyone

    February 24, 2022

    if i’m a student at utm, would i able to join clubs at utsg/utsc or am i limited to joining clubs at my specific campus?

    hello!

    as far as i’m aware, you can join clubs at any campus! it might be hard to get to in person meetings at different campuses but i guess one good thing about covid is that a lot of clubs are probably doing online meetings now too.

    Join The Club Be With Us GIFfrom Join The Club GIFs

    soooo yeah! you are free to explore the 1095 (!!) student clubs on ulife in all their tricampus glory. i gotta say, the utsg clubs scene seems to be particularly unhinged… this post wouldn’t be complete without a shoutout to gems like the sad music club (which is exactly what it sounds like), onion club (which has nothing to do with actual onions), and university of toronto concrete toboggan team (which is in fact a club dedicated to concrete toboggans) — the point being, you’re bound to find something for you.

    happy club-searching,

    aska

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  • clubs

    ah yes, the page with all the options

    November 15, 2020

    Hi! I’m in my first year and online and I was wondering if you knew how we could possibly join clubs? I visited the page with all the options but it doesn’t actually tell us how to join? Thank u!

    belated welcome to u of t! i definitely sympathize with how difficult it can feel to get involved with campus activities this year, and am really glad you reached out.
    my guess is that you probably visited ulife, where the most central listing of u of t’s clubs is located. ulife can serve as a good springboard to getting involved. my advice would be to go through the listings and jot down a few clubs that seem particularly appealing to you.
    then comes the slightly more difficult part: tracking those clubs down. i’d recommend using social media to do so, particularly facebook and instagram. all the clubs and student organizations that i or my friends are involved in have a presence on at least one, if not both, of those platforms. that’s where word about online events, challenges, and office hours will go out, plus you can send DMs to an instagram or facebook page to ask how you can get involved.
    for example, the vietnamese students’ association posts a cute lil instagram graphic whenever there’s something going on. the chemistry students’ association also posts updates on their instagram. i see VUSAC posting a lot of event news on facebook.
    tl:dr do a lil social media stalking and you should get a sense of what events are running! i’ve never encountered a u of t student group that’s not welcome to having people join casually, at any point in the year— you can drop in to an event and meet some new people, or you can reach out directly and ask about getting involved. sometimes there are mailing lists you can sign up for, or exec boards with empty spots— won’t know unless you ask.
    i hope this helped!
    be Boundless,
    aska
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  • clubs

    u go, girl

    November 8, 2020

    Hi! A society I applied for has asked me for an interview.. do u have any tips on what to prepare and what kind of questions they may ask? thank u!

    ——————————————

    hey,

    congrats on the interview! that’s very cool.

    the way you said “society” reminds me of my exchange student friend from edinburgh, back in the good old days of … airplanes and exchange students and seeing people outside your immediate household. you’re only the second person i’ve ever heard use that word in this context.

    as someone who’s conducted interviews for student organizations, the first thing i think you should know is that there’s no need to let your nerves get the best of you! think of it as just chatting with another student to see if a position is a good fit for you. if it helps, you can remember that the student on the other end could also be nervous as well. i know that i’m usually nervous when i interview people.

    anyway, here are my top eight club interview tips. i tried to make it to 10, but alas. no thoughts head empty.

    1. research the organization and get a sense of who they are, what they do, and what makes them special. this information will give you an edge when predicting what kind of questions they may ask. it’s also useful to know what you’re getting into!
    2. be prepared to answer super vague questions like “tell me about yourself” or “tell us why you’re interested in this position.” basically, just know who you are, why you’re going into this, what you bring to the table, and what you hope to get out of the experience.
    3. act like a more professional version of your regular self. showing that you have a personality will give the interviewers a better sense of what it would be like to work with you and have you on their team.
    4. build rapport with the interviewer! ask them how they are and make a little small talk at the beginning if you’re able.
    5. give an honest, but not too honest, answer if they ask you about a weakness or failure. most people who have conducted interviews can spot bs and non-answers instantly. don’t say that your weakness is that you’re a perfectionist, or that you work too hard. i mainly add the “not too honest” qualifier because sometimes people say things that get a lil awkward or too personal.
    6. if you talk about a weakness or failure, give the interviewer a sense of what you learned from the bad experience or how you’re working to improve yourself!
    7. if the position is something that requires creativity (writing blog posts, managing social media, planning events, etc.) come up with some innovative ideas for how you’d want to go about doing your job. something that’ll make you stand out if other candidates are being interviewed.
    8. prepare some good questions for the interviewer, in case you’re given an opportunity to ask questions at the end of your time. obviously you’ll want to tailor those questions to your position as well as the group you’ll be working with. here’s a list that might prompt some ideas. i usually like to ask about workload, since i like to know what i’m committing to.

    linking you to a few additional resources as well:

    UTM’s “preparing for interviews” page 

    studentlife’s interview techniques info package 

    u of t’s career community interview videos 

    and for future resources, if you ever want to practice your interview skills with a real person, you can check out this mock interviewers with employers program. 

    i hope this helped and that you saw the post in time for the interview! i did try to get to it sooner but as we all know, the week before reading week is absolutely brutal.

    best of luck! i hope you get the position.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • art,  clubs

    i kinda want to do everything help

    July 18, 2019

    hi is there any room for exploration of creativity and art at u of t bc I kinda want to do everything help

     

    ——————————————

    hello,

    ahahhah this is such a vague question but i totally get the mood. it’s fantastic that you’ve got that drive to explore, and i hope it’s something you hang on to throughout uni.

    these are some of the options i can think of. i’m assuming you don’t mean programs, so i’ve focused on things you can do outside the classroom:

    join clubs: there are tons of options– and this is probably your best bet.

    are you musical? we’ve got gospel choirs, acapella, and more. if you’re into illustrations, i’ve got a friend who joined a sticker selling club– dunno what it’s called tho. photography and cameras? got it down. drama? ballroom and latin dance? just want to release stress through art therapy?  are you an engineer AND a poet?

    you can check out the full ulife arts clubs list here. 

    i would encourage you to go to the clubs fair during frosh– wander up and down the booths, especially in the arts section, and see if anything catches your eye. joining them is a great way to make new friends as well– nurturing a sense of community is super important as a first year.

    check out your college: most, if not all, colleges should have some sort of arts programming. i know uc has a theatre troupe, innis shows free movies on friday nights, and trin/vic both have choirs. see here for more.

    explore hart house: there’s some kind of hart house art committee that seems to be involved in actual curation, as well as the hart house theatre where donald sutherland used to perform. if you’re into books, check out the literary and library committee. more hart house clubs here!

    use that breadth requirement 1: take a creative writing course, or something in cinema studies. study some chinese art in EAS199. anything in FAH should be artsy as well.

    it’s really easy to get absorbed in academics, especially at u of t, but you seem to already have the right idea. so best of luck with it all!

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • clubs,  UTM

    mewsik

    June 2, 2019

    Hi! I just recently accepted my offer to UTM and will (hopefully) be majoring in Criminology, Law and Society by the end of first year. However, my question has to do more with musical opportunities at UTM. I absolutely love singing and playing the piano and have enjoyed competing and performing throughout high school. I was wondering if there are any music clubs that I can join or courses that I can take as a non music faculty student during my time at UTM. Thanks!

    ——————————————

    hello hello hellooooo,

    enormous congrats on accepting your offer! i sense … a future lawyer, maybe?

    well, maybe-future-lawyer, i hope the weather is as good where you are as it is for me right now. there’s something about sunshine and blue skies and cotton candy sunsets that make me feel like everything’s gonna be okay.

    anyway, i looked this up for ya– many of your options are listed here! a quick rundown on what we got:

    harmonix music club seems pretty cool– as far as i can tell, their focus seems to be on creating a very international/multicultural space for making music. i guess the idea is that music can unite people no matter their background or culture– or maybe that you need difference to produce beauty the same way you need different notes to make a harmony. wow! metaphors! maybe i’m reaching.

    into heavenly harmonies? the utm gospel choir might be a good option for you. they do monthly/bimonthly performances, and if there are openings you can join either as an instrumentalist or vocalist.

    there’s a straight-up utm music club  you can check out, too, that holds a bunch of music-centred events on campus– think karaoke, open mics, jam sessions, and guitar workshops. sounds pretty cool to me. they claim to be the best music club on campus on their facebook page, anyway.

    beyond these options, there’s a chinese music club or kpop organization you can join if you feel so inclined. this post is gonna drag on if i plug those two too, so look them up yourself if you’re curious, would ya? appreciate it!

    you should have the opportunity to connect with many of these clubs your first week at uni! i dunno specifically where/when the clubs fair is yet, but as long as you keep an eye out i’m sure you’ll hear about it. tends to be quite well-advertised, especially if you plan to attend frosh. if you can’t make it to clubs week, it shouldn’t be too difficult to contact these orgs directly through social media and ask about getting involved.

    in terms of courses, well… not sure if i’m doing something wrong, but it doesn’t seem like utm offers music courses, or has a music department at all? i can’t find it, anyway, which is surprising to me because i always just kind of assumed there was one. this is the full list of undergrad programs at utm, if you wanna check for yourself. if i’m right, then your options for getting involved with music might be limited to extracurriculars.

    since we’re on the topic of music, i would tell ya to follow my spotify, but that would defeat the point of an anonymous blog, wouldn’t it? guess i’ll just have to appreciate my own curated-til-3-am playlists. i kind of feel like the world is missing out, but we’ll never know, will we?

    wishing you the best of luck and a 10/10 work ethic for first year! lord knows most of us could use it.

    over n out,
    aska
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  • campus,  clubs,  extracurricular,  international relations,  polisci,  residence,  St. George,  student groups,  Toronto,  UTSU

    long time reader, first time asker

    May 23, 2017

    Hello Aska!

    First – You are utterly brilliant!
    I will be applying to UofT this fall, and scrolling through your blog has
    saved me many a panic attack! Within this wall of flesh, there is a soul
    that counts thee its creditor.

    P.S. I went through the tags before writing this (true fan here) so don’t
    worry – this doesn’t have ‘another college question’…..(or does it…..?).

    1. Oh all seeing eye, how do you know everything that’s happening at UofT’s
    massive campus? What are some of the best ways to keep on top of student
    events, displays, Disney serenades, aska fan-fests, food trucks etc? (Most
    importantly – food trucks!).

    2. Slightly beyond UofT – which are the best natural sites to explore in
    and around Toronto – hikes, trails, hidden Narnias perhaps?

    3. Innis is one of the only apartment style residences on campus, and as
    far as I can see this style of residence (and Innis in general) seems
    perfect. But, as an Innis insider, what are some of the disadvantages of
    apartment style living?

    4. I have been looking through the PolSci and International Relations
    department pages, and although I found a massive list of internships
    offered to PolSci students, I could not find a similar list for
    International Relations. Does PolSci generally have more available
    internship and exchange opportunities in general?

    Finally, I feel like I am compelled by tradition to put this question here,
    if only as a symbol:
    ‘Innis or UC?”

    May the odds and even be ever in your favor.
    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hello!

    thank you so much! i am always humbled and delighted to meet a fan like yourself.

    since you’ve asked me a five-part question, here’s a five-part answer:

    1. first, you could check out the student life website. they have a lot of stuff on events, displays, clubs, anything you may desire! if that isn’t enough, you can also check on facebook- lots of clubs and societies post when they’re hosting events (and whether or not there’ll be free food). you could also check out hart house (they always have a bunch of stuff going on), the utsu (university of toronto student’s union), your college’s student society, and the clubs fair during orientation week.
    2. there’s lots of nature-y stuff to do in and around toronto. so much so, that i’ll just redirect you to this. in all seriousness though, there are a lot of places to go hiking in toronto, check out this article.
    3. it all has to do with your personal preferences. however, you’ll have to think a lot about things like food (innis doesn’t have a dining hall, but you could still get a meal plan) and cleaning (you’ll have to look after a kitchen and a bathroom and a common area AS WELL AS your own room).
    4. i don’t know if there are MORE internships for polisci students as opposed to international relations students… it just looks like the IR department’s student experience page hasn’t been updated as recently as the polisci department’s. you could get in contact with the IR department and they’d probably have way more information than me, a humble not-IR student.
    5. innis or uc?

     

    xoxo,

    aska

     

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  • clubs,  UTSU

    wholesome “club”ing

    May 15, 2017

    hii im a first year student thinking about starting a club for the next academic year. ive read the pages on ulife about starting a club (writing a constitution, applying for recognition, etc) but i would like to know more! how do clubs get custom shirts, donation boxes and posters? ie. students for wishes have shirts, donation boxes and posters with their club name on them. and how do transactions work? clubs receive funds by cheques… does this mean i would have to create a bank account??

     

    ********************************************************************************************

    hey,

    im a first year student interested in starting a club for the next academic year. i read ulife’s page about starting a club. from what ive gathered, i (basically) need to write a constitution and apply for recognition. i would still like more information on how transactions are made. i read that utsu funds a club and that clubs are paid by cheques. so like would i have to create a bank account? how would i do that??

    also, do you know how clubs get custom shirts, donation boxes and posters? students for wishes and other clubs ive seen have shirts, donation boxes and posters with their club name on them.

    …also, where can clubs set up their events? I know clubs can rent some places around campus but which places?? or could a club just randomly set up a stand outside? lol

    right now, im just thinking about starting a club. i’m a commuter so i would like to get as much info as i can on starting a club before i actually commit to it.

    i dont have any background in business or any experience in leadership but i do feel passionate about a certain cause.

    plz help

    ———————————————

    why hello there,

    first of all, i can 100% guarantee that sending in the same question twice to our email and tumblr will not make us respond any faster! that’s a big aska no-no. pls do not clog up our inbox with extra emails thxxxxx. seeing extra emails = more stress = more anxiety = less productivity. capisce?

    on to the main event:

    once you’ve completed your constitution and applied for recognition, you can do the following:

    1. form an executive team: i would recommend that you assemble a good team of people you work well with who share your passion about the cause. this group of people will become your executive team and you’ll work together to start up your club.
    2. recruit members: you need to have at least 30 members and 51% of these members have to pay UTSU fees. plus what’s the point of having a club if you don’t have people?
    3. find your club headquarters: location, location, location. do you require an office space for your club or would you be perfectly content working from home? where will your club members hold meetings or events? if you do need office space, you should check out this link to learn more about how to apply for a club space at 21 Sussex Court. for meeting spaces or room rentals, the campus room finder is great, but you’ll need to be registered as a primary or secondary contact on ulife.
    4. money, money, money: if you want to get funding or sponsorship, you can reach out to businesses and ask them to sponsor you. sometimes they’ll offer your club members discounts or straight up give you money. be very professional when approaching businesses and always have a portfolio prepared. if you require funding from the UTSU, you’ll need to first be recognized by Ulife. here is basically every question you could possibly ask about UTSU recognized clubs answered. watch out for deadlines because they exist!

    if you do receive recognition from Ulife and UTSU before september, you’ll be able to set up during the st. george street fest and UTSU clubs fair at hart house circle in september! that’s where you’ll get a bunch of people coming up to your booth and signing up to join your club.

    printing t-shirts and other swag can be done through the UTSU, you just have to reach out to them. there are other options available for t-shirt printing of course, you can always do more research and compare their prices with other retailers. not sure what you mean by donation boxes, but it can’t be too hard to make one yourself! nice long banners can be ordered from the UTSU and if you need to print paper posters, UTSU’s got you too!

    in terms of opening a bank account, check out question 30 at this link! there are many different kinds of accounts and it would be in your best interest to sit down with a financial advisor at the bank of your choice to discuss what kind of account you would need. i would ask before the appointment if you require any extra documentation in addition to the Office of Student Life recognition letter. it might save you a trip!

    important people to contact when you need help:

    clubs and leadership development: i’ve heard that they are wonderful people who are happy to help you with any inquiries regarding club development!

    the UTSU also has a contact who can help you with all aspects of your club. if you need advice, you can contact vpcampuslife@utsu.ca to book an appointment and sit down with someone.

    anyways. i think i’ve covered it all.

    if you have any more questions, reach out to the people i’ve mentioned above. ^

    happy clubbing.

    *bonus points if you know what movie this is from! ^*

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • clubs

    clubbing on mondays

    December 19, 2012

    Do you guys know any clubs that meet Mondays?

    Frank

    ———————————————

    Hey Frank!

    I can’t seem to find some sort of calender about club events or meeting dates, so I suggest maybe checking out specific websites of the clubs you’re actually interested in and getting in contact with their executives. 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • clubs

    club hopping at u of t

    November 16, 2012

    Hello 😀

    I just think you do such a fabulous job in answering UofT questions, so thank you so much ( it’s my third email). Anyway my question is how many clubs do you think is appropriate to join? I’m not too familiar with how much time each club requires and I’m interested in quite a few… So your advice would be greatly appreciated!

    Thank you so much
    Overly Zealous.

    ———————————————

    Hey Over Zealous!

    I’m glad you find us useful! 🙂

    The number of clubs you want to join is entirely up to you. You’re not required to go to a club meeting or event the way you’re required to go to a tutorial or midterm, so the number of clubs you join is up for debate. My personal opinion is go to a bunch that interest you early in the year and see if you actually like them, what they do, and the overall vibe. Sometimes all you really need is one club to get that atmosphere that you’re looking for.

    Cheers!

    aska

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