r/UofT • • Aug 31 '26

Social To everyone asking how to socialize at UofT: TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CLASSES AND BE CONSISTENT

308 Upvotes

This post was initially much shorter, but I was feeling bored and the creative spirit took the reigns. Alas, such is life.

As much as I low-key enjoy the ritual of pouring myself a bowl of popcorn, opening Reddit, and reading all the early 1st semester experience commiserating, I'm also high-key annoyed by seeing the same post for the umpteenth time a la Buzz Lightyear clone meme. I like variety in my Reddit ragebait, and even a good slice of matcha crepe cake becomes unappetizing after consuming it so often.

For those of you who have decided to come to UofT to get a world class education, rather than just partying all the time, ignoring your work, being forced to drop out around the holidays because your grades are lower than the Mariana Trench, then blaming the university for allegedly sabotaging you, your classes are your best possible environment to connect with your fellow slightly more intelligent than a chimpanzee primates.

Presumably you are studying something that you actually enjoy or have some mild interest in, rather than doing exactly what mom and dad told you to study. If your parents strongarmed you to go into engineering but you truly love film, that's a whole other discussion and will require some soul searching and potentially family therapy.

The basis of most human connection nowadays comes through shared interests and values. This is a fact supported by at least one (1) corpus of psychology literature. The courses you're taking already filter for this to an extent, because, again, ideally you're studying something you care about and you're not a masochist.

Performative drinking at a venue with mysteriously sticky floors that probably haven't been cleaned in the past year and contain a collection of undocumented microorganisms that would frighten epidemiologists, ignoring your limits, and chatting up the people you live in close proximity to about the weather (so how about that climate change, eh?) while waiting to use the one sink you all need to brush your teeth at (please brush your teeth and don't go out with bad breath) doesn't necessarily lead to any meaningful connection. You might become acquaintances, but presumably you're aiming for something with a bit more zest.

Coursework at UofT is difficult, and that difficulty is another basis for connection. Throughout most of human history, we connected with each other because of shared hardship. Genuine hardship, such as intellectually strenuous subjects and work schedules, for example. Missing out on a frat party on one specific weekend, which is identical to the frat parties on every other weekend (don't worry, the beer will still be lukewarm) isn't hardship, I'm afraid.

"But how do I actually talk to people in my classes?! Nobody ever wants to talk!" says the choir of Buzz Lightyear clones lamenting about their "unique" circumstances. The answer: just start.

You'd be surprised how much the person sitting next to you is starved for acknowledgement of their mere existence. A random "hello" will probably be the most unsolicited contact they've had in a week. The barrier to entry is lower than it's ever been.

"But what if they think I'm cringe?" or "Everyone is so cringe!", which is the next verse of the clone choir song.

If you're actively worried either of these things, you don't want connection bad enough. Either that or you might want to look into therapy.

I cannot tell you how much social media has poisoned people's perceptions of themselves and others. These platforms have fed people the most ironclad set of lies that every government psyop wishes it could replicate. Its users have been perfectly manipulated into thinking they they are unlikable/unlovable, and that everyone else is so much better or so much worse and should be perceived as a threat. This primes you to be a good little consumer that will sign up for things like dating apps, paid meetup groups, and overpriced fitness clubs, all to solve your woes. Meanwhile, you can connect with someone FOR FREE* (included in the price of your tuition costs) and walk away with something even more meaningful. This is an even crazier value for money than the Japanese food truck in front of Robarts that will sell you an entire filling tempura roll for under $8.

Side note: please support this truck. This is my lifeblood and I want them to stay in business as long as possible. Also, the lady who owns it is genuinely one of the kindest people I've ever come across and brightens my day. My waistline grows, my wallet empties, but my heart is full.

Getting back on track, people are unique and will have their own set of quirks. It's ok to talk to someone who is a little bit different than you. You'll be ok, muffin. In fact, you'll probably be better off for it if you can make enough room in your life to accept others from where they're coming from. If you offer them grace, they will probably return the favour. Well, at least they should if they're even remotely socialized.

If you talked to someone last week, go up and talk to them again. A huge part of connection is consistency. Don't be one of those weirdos who pretends like they suddenly don't know someone they've spoken to 3 times prior.

Also, all of this advice applies to anyone in any year of study. If you're in your last year at this university and are saddened by not having made any friends, you can do everything I've mentioned above and still achieve success. The party ain't over till it's over.

I am living proof that this strategy works, and I'm no social butterfly by any means. I met one of my closest friends and one of the best people I've ever met by just bantering consistently over the course of many weeks. There was no cinematic event and major declaration that marked the transition point between us being acquaintances and friends. It was the slow, messy, nonlinearity of human connection.

Go out there, talk to people, make friends, and come back here to post some more novel rage bait to keep me entertained ❤️


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Humour can you believe it guys? midterms, just a week away

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128 Upvotes

r/UofT • • 9h ago

Social this girl in my csc207 lecture is so cute aaaaaaa

29 Upvotes

I've seen her a few times and can't look away. but im too shy to talk to her. wanted to get this off my chest bye


r/UofT • • 19h ago

Rant ANOTHER MOTIVATIONAL POST TO MAKE YOU GO TO CLASS, DO YOUR ASSIGNMENTS, DO THE READINGS, AND USE THE OXFORD COMMA

136 Upvotes

At this point of the semester, people tend not to go to class anymore or not do their readings, so I’m here to tell you to GEETTTCCCHHHYYYOOOO AAAAAASSSSSSSS TO CLLAAAAASSSSSS 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 And do them readings up in that school-house cause it’ll pay off when you’re studying for exams. Oh and another thing, use the god damn Oxford comma 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

OMGGGGG AND HOW IS EVERYONE?! Did you guys die yet? If so, please respond by saying “I” and I will hold a funeral for you, and also invite all of UofTears to honour your contribution (a.k.a. your tears) 😂🤣😭😭

AND DID Y’ALL ACQUAINT YOURSELVES WITH CLASSMATES AND MADE FRIENDS YET?! BECAUSE IF NOOOTTTT 😡😡😡😡 Don’t worry, you still are amazing 🫶🏼😘

HAPPY READING, RAVING, AND WRITING MY LOVELY UOFT TORONTO STUDENNNTTTSSSSSSSSS (and other peeps) 🐺😍😍😍🇨🇦🫶🏼


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Question Glasses broke midterm tmr what do I do lmao character

14 Upvotes

So my glasses broke and I don’t have a backup or contact lenses. My vision is terrible, the distance between the phone and my eyes right now is probably 25cm. Midterm is tmr and the format is an essay styled question. Any suggestions on what should i do lmao tyy

The glasses you can buy at shoppers or something makes me feel dizzy so idk if that can work

My current plan is just stick my face close to the exam paper and raw dog it


r/UofT • • 8h ago

Life Advice (looking for advice) so far my uni experience has been miserable and lonely

10 Upvotes

this is really depressing but i’m just looking for any and all advice from people who’ve been through this or something similar. i’m living in residence, though i go home every single weekend because despite my efforts, i haven’t made friends with anyone who’s actually like me. what i mean by that is a similar sense of humour, hobbies, etc - everyone i’ve met so far i can’t really let my mask down for. i just feel so anxious and depressed here, and i can’t seem to learn how to “adult”. i go to bed hungry because i’m scared of walking after dark, i don’t know how to study effectively, i feel like such an alien and i don’t get how people are just so carefree here. maybe im caught up in strict schedules for myself or i need to learn spontaneity but i swear my social skills have vanished since getting here. i don’t know what’s wrong with me, i used to be so much more comfortable and social. has anyone else experienced this? does anyone know how to get that uni experience everyone else seems to have? does it get any better? again, sorry for the depressing post. i just feel really aimless right now.


r/UofT • • 19h ago

Other I spent the last few months making a free degree planner website for UofT students

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68 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I just graduated from UofT and somehow figuring out what I needed to graduate felt like a course of its own lol.

Throughout my degree I spent way too much time going back and forth between Degree Explorer, the academic calendar, and different course pages just to plan for graduation.

So I ended up building Atlas, a free website to hopefully make degree planning a little less painful for other students.

You can track your degree requirements, see which courses count toward your programs, get suggested on what you can take next, and plan future semesters all in one place.

It's mainly for UofT Arts & Science students at St. George for now. It's an unofficial planner and still a work in progress, so definitely double-check important info with official resources.

I'd genuinely appreciate any feedback especially if you notice something inaccurate or confusing. I've been working on this for a while and would love to know whether it's actually useful to other students!

Here's the link: atlasuoft.com


r/UofT • • 3h ago

Question Missing One Exam but Attending Another on the Same Day? (Absence Declaration, VOI)

3 Upvotes

I have two exams today (Wednesday), one in the afternoon and one in the evening. I'm sick and don't think I can make it to the afternoon exam, but I really don't want to defer both, so I'm planning to try my best to attend the evening one.

I'm thinking of using a doctor's note or an Absence Declaration (AD), but I'm worried my petition might get rejected because I attended the later exam.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or seen someone do this? Would it affect my petition, or could it still be approved? Any advice? Pleaseeeee help meeeeee


r/UofT • • 5h ago

Rant Accessibility Services is so slow, it's honestly frustrating

3 Upvotes

Not only did Accessibility Services take over a month to get back to me, but they erroneously closed my ticket, which I had to message them again just so that they would remember it existed. I needed this for my mental health, and it just feels like they sat by at a desk while I deteriorated.

I ended up calling the hotline before managing to schedule a meeting with them


r/UofT • • 16h ago

Health Best water fountain on campus is NOT Gerstein Library

10 Upvotes

Go to the Daniel's building at 1 Spadina Crescent, head up to the second floor (it HAS to be the second floor) and right across from the undergraduate studio east door you'll be rewarded with the most heavenly north-pole-cold water that doesn't taste like saliva after an hour.

I'm not sure if anything changed in Gerstein's water fountain but IMO it actually tastes so abysmally bad that I would rather drink lukewarm Dasani water.


r/UofT • • 9h ago

Question Is There Anything I Can Do About a Late CSC108 Assignment Submission?

3 Upvotes

I noted on my calendar that I had an assignment due today for CSC108; however, I assumed it was due at midnight (11:59 PM) rather than 4:00 PM, the actual deadline. I only realized this at around 6:00 PM and submitted my work shortly after.

The late submission policy states that there is "a one-hour grace period after an assignment deadline, during which no penalty will be applied. Assignments submitted after this one-hour grace period are late and will be accepted only under the policy on special consideration and accommodations."

Am I screwed? Is there anything I can do? Should I send an email or attend office hours regarding this? How lenient are professors with situations like this?

The assignment is only worth 3%. Part of me wants to just suck it up and take it as a learning experience, but I also want to do something about it if I can. I'm still learning and adjusting to university expectations, so any advice is appreciated. :)


r/UofT • • 9h ago

Courses Anyone looking for friends or people to study with in ast101?

3 Upvotes

absolutely massive ass class lmfao i feel its been hard to make friends and stuff in the class because of the sheer size of it 😭 like idk what to say its all in the title lmao, im open to friends of all years and programs but i am an upper year taking it as a GPA booster so if any of my fellow upper year life science peeps wanna reach out hmu 👀


r/UofT • • 5h ago

I'm in High School Indian IB student considering UofT Psychology Pearson nominee, Math AI SL & admissions advice needed

0 Upvotes

Hiii everyone!! 😭🫶

I'm an Indian student currently doing the IB Diploma, graduating in March 2027, and I'm considering applying to the University of Toronto for Psychology for Fall 2027!!

UofT has been one of my dream options, but my situation is a little complicated because my parents are mainly concerned about the cost of studying abroad. Canada is something I'm considering partly because of the scholarship opportunities, so whether I can actually afford to attend will make a HUGE difference. My mum isn't fully convinced about letting me go yet, but I'm trying to gather information in case she changes her mind!!

A little about my academics:

  • I'm currently in IB DP2.
  • My DP1 result was around 26–27/43.
  • I don't have my final predicted grades yet, so I'm honestly unsure how competitive my application would be.
  • I'm taking Math AI SL, and I'm particularly worried about whether that will affect my eligibility for Psychology or certain UofT campuses/programs.
  • I've been nominated for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, which I'm really grateful for, but I know being nominated doesn't guarantee receiving it.

I'd LOVE to hear from current students, especially international students and anyone studying Psychology!!

A few questions I have:

  1. Admissions: With a DP1 score of around 26–27/43, how realistic would applying to UofT be? I know predicted grades matter, and mine aren't final yet, but I'd appreciate honest advice about what I should focus on improving.
  2. Math AI SL: Does UofT accept Math AI SL for Psychology? Are there differences between St. George, UTM and UTSC in terms of prerequisites or program requirements? Did anyone apply with Math AI SL and get accepted?
  3. Pearson Scholarship: If you're a Pearson nominee or current Scholar, I'd LOVE to hear about your experience! What advice would you give someone applying, and what do you wish you'd known beforehand?
  4. Psychology at UofT: How is the actual undergraduate Psychology experience? Are the courses interesting, are professors approachable, and are there good research opportunities?
  5. Workload and grades: Is it genuinely difficult to maintain a high GPA? I'm interested in potentially pursuing postgraduate study in Psychology, so I'm worried about managing my grades while also getting involved in extracurriculars and research.
  6. Campus life: How easy is it to make friends as an international student? Is the environment supportive, or can it get isolating and competitive?
  7. Campus/program choices: If I'm interested in Psychology, which campus or program structure should I research most carefully? I'd love to understand the differences beyond just rankings.
  8. General advice: If you could go back and give your high-school self advice about applying to UofT, what would you say? Any tips for international applicants would be SO appreciated!!

I know UofT is competitive, and I'm not expecting anyone to predict my admission chances from one score. I just want to understand my options and hear honest experiences from people who actually study there!!

Thank you so much for reading this!! Any advice, experiences or resources would genuinely help me a lot. 🥹💗


r/UofT • • 9h ago

Courses what should i be studying for the hmb265 midterm and what to look out for?

2 Upvotes

I've gone through all the lectures and have been doing the QnA questions alongside the TA review questions. Is it worth doing textbook questions as well, like will it help a lot if I do them or are the questions being done enough (plus the practice midterms they gave us). I feel like it isnt enough practice though, and lowkey freaking out. Thank you!!


r/UofT • • 14h ago

Courses Course recommendation for Winter 2027 to fill breadth requirement?

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone, current Artsci 2nd year. I initially planned to take 4 courses in the winter, but Bio260 filled up way too quickly (Highest seating was like 80-90 something) and at this point I've given up on it. So now I want to take 1-2 course that are easy to fill up my breadth requirement in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd area. My English is not the best, and I am terrible at geography, but other than that, any recommendation is welcome :)


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Courses Bio230 midterm, how's the prep going? Anyone want to study tgt or just make some new friends :)

2 Upvotes

Hey hey! The bio230 midterm is coming up next week and there's a lotttt to cover, it would be great to have someone to go over and review concepts with :)

Also, I've lowkey given up on trying to make friends in the class because everyone ive spoken to during lecture has been so dismissive of me 😭 so if anyone wants a new friend or someone to sit with that would be cool :> I have the evening class but if anyone in the afternoon class wants to reach out to be friends or study buddies and what not thats cool too!


r/UofT • • 6h ago

Question Should I bring a sleeping bag if I wanna sleep at robarts

0 Upvotes

commuting feel like wasting time when I have something important to do the next day. And btw hows the sleeping quality?


r/UofT • • 17h ago

Question Mathematical & Physical Sciences vs Humanities Course Demand

6 Upvotes

Hello! I'm a gr 12 student from Ontario currently looking to apply to UofT, and I'm stuck between going for the Mathematical & Physical Sciences Stream vs the Humanities Stream. I'm hoping to double major in physics and literature (the astronomy and astrophysics major paired with the literature and critical theory major), which fall into two different admission streams.

I'm aware that I'll be able to pick courses from any of the streams in first year, however I do know that priority for enrollment goes to the students in the streams the courses are for. Since I'd like to be able to fulfill the requirements for each major, which stream would be better for me to apply to?

I know that the first year math classes are very large, so are they easier to get into than the first year courses required for the literature major? Should I pick based on which major is more important to or more difficult for me, or does the priority for course enrollment play a big role? I don't think I need to factor in my grades, as I have mid-90's grades overall which fulfills the requirement for both streams easily.

Does anyone have any advice?


r/UofT • • 17h ago

Courses ECO358 Midterm😭😭😭 Thinking about dropping🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 😓🫨🫨🫨

7 Upvotes

That midterm was way harder than I expected, and I'm honestly not sure how I did. I'm seriously considering dropping the course.

How did everyone else feel about it? Does anyone know if this prof has adjusted marks in past years???


r/UofT • • 15h ago

Humour How this whole sub be acting with utaps charcharchar

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3 Upvotes

Y'all actually got the financial maturity of a 12 year old


r/UofT • • 21h ago

Question utaps october amount not yet depositedxyxyxyxyxyxyxy

10 Upvotes

My utaps october sum has not yet been deposited to my account, anyone else?


r/UofT • • 15h ago

Question Is BCH311 offered in the summer semester? Is the midterm multiple chioce?

3 Upvotes

Is BCH311 offered in the summer semester? Is the midterm multiple chioce?


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Question Anyone interested in a massive campus wide game of manhunt?

0 Upvotes

Like the title suggests would anyone be interested in a massive manhunt game hosted on campus? The weathers going to get colder so I want to make this happen before it gets too cold but I played a big game of manhunt with some friends at Kings College in first year and it was a lot of fun so I was thinking this could be a bigger thing if we got this out to the general student population. We could make it like a club and make it like cops and robbers or manhunt and using the full campus could make it super fun. Thoughts?


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Transfers What is the average for first year engineering? Want to transfer to uoft

1 Upvotes

Hi all, I'm currently studying at Western but would like to transfer into UofT's engineering program (Electrical Engineering to be exact). Does anyone know what average I should aim for as a transfer student? I tried asking student services but they aren't replying. Does 85 look fine?

Thanks!


r/UofT • • 10h ago

Question Anyone have Ragan Microeconomics 18th edition? Pdf or copy?

1 Upvotes

Ragan Microeconomics 18th edition needed.

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