does one clique count as cliquey?

Hey there, I’ve been reading this site for a while and it’s been helpful, sooo
here is a question.
I’m going to be a first year Innis student in the fall, and I’m wondering if
there are particular things I should steer clear from while I’m there. In some
of the older entries, you mentioned that Innis is pretty cliquey and overall
not that great, so do you have any specific suggestions for getting around the
stuffy atmosphere? Maybe any awesome clubs or student groups I should look up?
Or some non-UofT related activities? Thoughts?

innis is pretty great. of all the colleges, they are the ones who were genius enough to support askastudent, making them #1 ultimate. innis residence has the same kinds of issues as any other residence, albeit with some innis-specific features. if any issues come up for the residence, it stems from its suite-based design. because you share a mini-apartment with a few other folks, with your own common area, kitchen, washrooms, single room, you can be more independent. you don’t have to go to a huge shared bathroom, common rooms aren’t the only place to watch tv, and you can cook your own food instead of going to a cafeteria. the downside can be that (bathrooms aside) these things that you avoid by living at innis can have a social element. having an apartment can be insulating, while having a single room in a dorm style residence forces you out more. cafeterias in particular are very social, and though cooking your own food at innis can be cheaper and much much tastier, i haven’t been personally aware of many students who use their kitchens to cook regularly. dirty dishes can become a huge issue between suitemates when they’re not getting done, very often residence will be the first time students will ever have to take care of themselves to this degree. freezer space is precious, consider looking at a minifridge on the side; the woodsworth kids get 2 fridges per suite, so as an innis student you will have to have better space management with your food.

i don’t think innis has a stuffy atmosphere, but because students are admitted based on marks, there tend to be a lot of extremely studious people, and though every college has really serious students, innis is small enough so that it feels more prevalent. in the end, this makes for a great residence environment; you can always go elsewhere to party, but you want to come home to a quiet and comfortable place. so make sure you keep the kitchen neat, are extra friendly to people in your halls, find extracurriculars, and hang out with people from your classes. it’s worth it to not have to share your room with anyone.