Advice for new students: Making the most of your opportunities
Upper-years discuss the importance of trying out interesting opportunities and share the abundant resources at UTM that can help you navigate your needs and interests.
Listen to the audio version of this article here!*
Don’t reject yourself before giving it a try
By Maryam Raheel
At some point in university, it is going to feel like everyone has cracked the code for academic success and you are left wondering what went wrong for you. Everywhere you look, someone has landed a research position, joined a lab, secured an internship, or somehow launched a startup.
By the winter semester of my second year, I started to feel like my academic endeavours weren’t enough. I would spend hours staring at my bare-bones resume, wondering how I could make a low-level club position sound more impressive than it actually was. I was constantly reminded of how few skills I had as I scrolled through job boards and postings of various opportunities.
When I found a position that suited my interests, I would read the qualifications, glance despairingly at my resume, read the requirements again, and convince myself it wasn’t worth it to apply. Chances were, someone else had a higher GPA, more experience and better connections. Looking back, the only skill I honed was self-rejection.
Eventually, I stopped treating applications like a numbers game and began viewing them as intentional explorations. Blindly throwing my ring in the arena and hoping it would land wasn’t going to get me anywhere. If a role genuinely sparked my curiosity, I would apply and let reviewers decide whether I was the right fit.
Most applications led to nowhere. Some led to interviews that also went nowhere. Then, one unexpected “yes” introduced me to health policy research, a field that changed the trajectory of my academic and professional life. I had a biology background, but no policy experience that is preferred for the role. Yet, this one “yes” pushed me toward the career I am building today.
University can feel like a race to collect impressive titles and fill every blank space on your resume, when it’s actually one of the few times in your life where exploration is an important part of your journey.
My advice is to stop rejecting opportunities before giving them a try. Sometimes, the door that changes your future is the one you almost convinced yourself not to knock on.
Understanding your opportunity
By Maaz Ahtesham
When I started university, I had one goal written with a red dry-erase marker: “MAKE CONNECTIONS.” I knew that this could not be accomplished through simply completing coursework, and I discovered that being a UTM student grants you access to invaluable resources that can set you up regardless of what your main goals are.
After my first year, I set out to manage a music community. I was able to do it with help from the UTM Students’ Union and the Centre for Student Engagement. Both provided a list of clubs on campus and other resources that helped me join and grow alongside the Harmonix Music Club for what ended up being the better part of four years of my university experience.
In my second year, I combined my interests in music and writing at the St. George campus by contributing to “The University of Toronto’s only music magazine,” Demo Magazine. The downtown campus contains a greater variety of courses and communities (and much to my benefit, an ice rink) for students to explore their interests.
Near the end of my third year, I caught wind of the Research Opportunity Program offered by the Experiential Education Unit (EEU), a department focused on educational opportunities outside of regular courses. Through the EEU, I got an opportunity to spend the summer unearthing local history at UTM’s neighbouring church, St. Peter’s Anglican Erindale.
In my fourth year, I discovered a work-study position in the Department of Historical Studies through the Career & Co-Curricular Learning Network (CLNx). I ended up gaining professional experience while working in the department of my major.
In my fifth and final year, despite the slow onslaught of senioritis, I made one final effort and joined The Medium. I carried my love for fieldwork to journalism through participating in and reporting events, as well as interviewing the campus community.
Academic and career assistance is also available everywhere on campus. Don’t be afraid to connect with professors through email and office hours (you might just end up having a chocolate cake, as I did). If you have questions about your degree, there are academic advisors in each department to assist with your individual needs. The UTM Career Centre is also available to help kick-start your professional life. If you have any questions or concerns about physical or mental health, the Health and Counselling Centre is ready to support you.
No matter what your goals, interests, or needs are, UTM provides plenty of resources. Don’t hesitate to reach out, to plan your future, and make the most of your time (and tuition)!
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