University of Toronto - UofT
speciality: English Language & Literature

We all have heard of horror stories about bad professors at University. However, what I have experienced so far at UofT is nothing but! My mental health suffered some devastating blows because of certain personal issues I faced during the year. During that time, I was having trouble completing my work on time that was up to my usual expectations. At the time, I was horrified about asking for extensions because I was afraid of being judged. However, when I finally gained enough courage to speak up, the responses I received were nothing but understanding and emphasizing. All of my professors were extremely understanding of my situation and gave huge extensions to try and compensate for me which I will forever appreciate. As well, most of them decided to give extensions during finals season even without us asking!

I’m a student at the University of Toronto’s English program, I must say that it has been an incredibly enriching experience. The program offers a wide range of courses that cover various areas of literature and writing, but do be prepared to read a lot, naturally.

The professors in the English department are passionate about their subjects and always willing to help students. They provide detailed feedback on assignments, encourage class discussions, and offer a wealth of knowledge and insight into the literary world.

One of the things I appreciate most about the program is the opportunity to develop critical thinking and analytical skills. The courses challenge students to think deeply about texts and to articulate their ideas effectively in writing.

The university’s library system is also a fantastic resource for English students, with an extensive collection of books, journals, and other materials. The department also hosts various events and workshops throughout the year, providing additional opportunities to engage with fellow students and professors.

I love the rich and vibrant community of UofT! There is so much to do and so many wonderful organizations, clubs, events and activities to partake in. I appreciate all the opportunities there are to meet other people and enrich my uni experience beyond just academics

(Victoria College Literature and Critical Theory major) – great professors, a very helpful community, and the course options are so interesting! Often features great readings – the curriculums that i have come across have been diverse

Overall, I really enjoy my program at UofT. The professors are extremely accommodating and they do their best to support student learning. I can tell that they really care about students’ success. As well, the community for my program at UofT is full of generosity and kindness, which makes me feel really grateful to be studying at this university. I am inspired every day by the bright students around me and the lovely people I meet in my classes, at the library, or through extracurricular. I feel very privileged to be studying here. On the other hand, I do think that resources could be made more accessible to students or that the University could do a better job sharing them to make sure all students are aware (ie. writing centres, mental health resources, etc.). Especially in my program (humanities), I also think that feedback could be more extensive and diversified for international students, who may have diverse feedback literacies. This way, students would be able to better improve and thrive in this new environment.

While the University of Toronto undoubtedly fosters the scholastic growth of its many attendants, with a clear, at times over reaching focus placed on all things academic, its gaze at times feels separate from the social aspect, in which is often paramount to a students personal success. Fairs and events are near purely scholastically focused, clubs lack free form appeal, being not just purely formal, but event driven, along with teacher/professionally led, and while the campus is admittedly nice, it lacks any congregational hubs, aside from that of either payed eateries, or study centres.

hence socialization, a key aspect to the mental well being of its attendants, lies purely on the shoulders of the individual, the very same individual managing the often suffocating constant stream of work granted through their courses, hence lacking the time and energy to pursue anything outside of the scholastic realm, leading to a common feeling of isolation through out the campuses studentry.

hence while academically great, I would like to see the university take steps to differentiate scholastics, from socialization, for their student base to personally succeed past their studies, their current intertwinement needs to be deconstructed, clubs should be purely free form/student led, not lite courses, fairs and events should in part drift away from their academic focus, and attempt to foster a currently lacking social cohesion.

The facilities are great, it has a mix of modernity and history. The workload and expectations are heavy, but the social side of the school is alive. Tons of clubs you can attend and participate in, many events, and many interesting courses. It is suitable for those who want to elevate their horizons academically.