Human Biology and Psychology at University of Toronto (Scarborough)

Parsa (Year 3)

parsa.azizi@mail.utoronto.ca

@parsa.azizi

What made you choose this institution over all others? Did the university exceed your expectations?

I chose the school because I found the life science program allowed more flexibility than other schools. I also thought that a smaller school would allow for closer interactions with professors and other students.

Do you have any lingering thoughts or regrets in your year as a whole (ex; application process, mistakes going into first year). If so, describe them.

I regret taking so many electives in my first year. It has made my choices for upper year courses more limited. I wish I had looked more deeply into requirements for upper year courses and planned my first year better off of that.

Briefly describe the academic rigour of your program (in terms of competitiveness, courses, professors, etc.)

I think that the amount of effort you put into a course is almost directly seen in the grade you receive. In general, the professors are all nice people and very willing to meet with students and help out. Course grading tends to be pretty reasonable. Sometimes there is disagreement with grades on more subjective assessments (papers/projects) but that’s given at any school. But really, your grade comes down to how much effort you’re willing to put into the course.

Describe the social life at your campus based on your own experiences (making friends, clubs + extracurriculars, party culture etc.)

Out of 10, I’d rate my social life at the school a 3. UTSC is made of like 95% commuters (my estimate), so there really is not a social scene on campus. However, through my past couple years at the school I have been able to make a lot of close friends. I’d say one aspect I like about being at a smaller school Is you get to see your friends pretty often, which is nice.

What are some of the best and worst parts of your university experience so far?

One of the best experiences so far has been meeting new people and making new friends. Worst would definitely be taking ecology.

List three effective study techniques and/or habits:

1. Studying alone and not with friends

2. Summarizing lecture notes

3. Reading notes out loud

List three pieces of advice for first-year students:

1. Stay focused

2. Plan efficiently

3. Don’t stress

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