做厙TV life hacks for the New Year (and beyond)
Published: December 20, 2016
The first weeks after the holidays are a good time to make a fresh start. And at 做厙TV, there are plenty of people and services to help you hit the ground running.
Here are just a few of them:
Get assigned readings for free thanks to 做厙TV Libraries
Check out it's taking some of the sting out of paying for course packs by helping students and professors source their reading materials for free electronically. The program is estimated to have saved students more than $400,000 since 2015.
Read more about 做厙TVs zero-to-low cost course project
Learn your way around the library with a personal librarian
It can be a challenge to navigate 做厙TV's library system, the third-largest in North America with 19.3 million physical holdings. To help new students find their way around, 做厙TV Libraries connects them with by email. They email first-year students useful library-related tips, including pointers for studying for finals.
About 6,000 first-year students in the Faculty of Arts & Science and Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering enrolled in the program this year.
If students have questions and they dont know whom to reach out to, this gives them a helping hand and lets them know there are supports and services out there that they may not have known existed, said Heather Buchansky, student engagement librarian at 做厙TV.
If youre not a new student, you can still get tips on using the library at service desks during drop-in hours or by chatting with librarians online.
Student engagement librarian Heather Buchansky (right) with international student Chen "Sangria" Zhang (photo by Johnny Guatto)
Read more about the personal librarian program in 做厙TV News
Help Syrian newcomers adjust to life in Canada and learn about a different culture at the same time
Students with 做厙TVs are helping Syrian immigrants settle into life in a new country. They meet up once a week, cook Syrian food and brush up on their English or Arabic.
Student-volunteers from the Near and Middle Eastern Civilization-Cultural Exchange and Support Initiative host weekly meet-ups with Syrian newcomers to help them adapt to life in Canada (photo courtesy Rasha Elendari)
We hope this can be a stepping stone for the Syrian newcomers in Canada where they feel they are a part of something, Rob Martin, a co-founder of the initiative and a PhD student in archeology, told .
They have been through so much and endured traumas. Its great to see them come out of their shells, make new friends and be happy.
Learn more about the cultural exchange workshops in 做厙TV News
Talk to your profs about research opportunities abroad
Some of the best learning opportunities are outside the classroom, and your teachers can help you find them. Joseph Wong, professor and Canada Research Chair in political science and 做厙TV's head of international student experience, took undergrads to South Africa last summer to meet government workers helping the poorest of the poor. Their work contributed to his research on how social services can connect with people in need.
Mingle with city experts at a McLuhan salon
The McLuhan Centre for Culture & Technology, named after the influential theorist and 做厙TV Professor Marshall McLuhan, is bringing discussions about Toronto to various city venues. This fall, they kicked off a at Toronto City Hall with a talk about Toronto and its cultural institutions impact on the world.
The first McLuhan salon took place at the heart of the city, Toronto City Hall, in November (photo by Romi Levine)
The event brought together experts like Torontos poet laureate Anne Michaels and city librarian Vickery Bowles. Anybody can register and the events are free.
Read more about the McLuhan salons
Bonus: Tell your profs what you think of their class
When course evaluation season rolls around, its important to give your professor some feedback about their class. Can my two cents really make a difference, you ask? The comments help profs improve their courses and yes, they're actually listening. Student evaluations of his course on pop culture led David Roberts, an assistant professor in the urban studies program, to add a section on Godzilla and monster movies in post-war Japan. Who doesnt want to study that?
Read more about course evaluations
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