Student review [#26341] for Psychology
at University of Toronto - UofT

The University of Toronto is a school that arouses a lot of discussions, both online and offline. Online, and especially on forum-based websites such as Reddit, I’ve noticed that people’s opinions and reviews fall on extreme sides of the spectrum; from reading them, you’d get the idea that UofT is either superior to all other schools, or the worst place on earth. I hope that my review is representative of the middle ground, as I fall into the underrepresented camp of “it’s okay”.

A lot of my negative experiences so far at UofT can be attributed to the global pandemic. For example, I’ve found the social life at UofT to be quite lacklustre over the past two years, but the school can’t be blamed for this. However, there are definitely times I’ve believed that UofT could have better handled the challenges that came with the pandemic, such as the confusing and disorganized shifts between in-person and online learning.

A major strength of the school I must highlight is its quality of education. I certainly can’t speak for everyone and for all programs, but I have found that my professors thus far have been, for the most part, intelligent, compassionate, engaging, and qualified to teach. I have learnt a lot over the past two years, not just in terms of my program itself (Psychology and Art History double major!), but I feel that I have learnt a lot about learning itself, and how to be the best and most efficient student I can be. I do feel at times that the grading schemes in certain classes are unfair, and believe that the school should have a more standardized extension policy, given that some professors don’t provide extensions at all.

If you’re an international student like me, you probably will find yourself grappling with the cost of education. UofT is incredibly expensive, and while I do believe in the school’s quality of education, I think that it is overvalued in its monetary value.

One of my absolute favourite things about the school is its location. UofT is located in a part of Toronto that is both deeply connected to the greater city, and also feels like its own place, somewhat separate from a lot of the hustle and bustle. As an international student in the pandemic, I’ve definitely spent less time than I would like to in Toronto and on-campus, but it truly is amazing. There are a lot of places to eat on and around the campus itself, including cafes, dining halls, and food trucks, though I wish there were more variety. However, the nearest grocery store and/or supermarket is farther away than I would like; I wish there were one on campus, it would definitely be valuable!

The last thing I’d like to speak about is accommodation. Over my time at UofT, I’ve lived in two of its dorms (Chestnut Residence and Whitney Hall), and I’ve found both to be quite satisfactory. The rooms themselves are comfortable and quite spacious for a dorm. The Dons at both buildings are great; they’re helpful, available, and feel like genuine friends when you need someone to talk to. On the other hand, the people on your floor (even the people right next door) can sometimes feel like complete strangers. I definitely think the school could do more to foster a more friendly and warm environment in each dorm, though I suppose this also could be another consequence of the pandemic!

I hope my review has been helpful! Though of course, recent events have affected university life deeply, I still feel there are many factors that are in the control of the school itself that require improvement.