Looking at U of T’s campuses from the eyes of a UTM student
Reviewing what Sheridan College, U of T Scarborough, and U of T St. George had to offer in terms of student life, courses, and resources.

In my first couple of years studying at the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM), I endeavoured to enroll in at least one course at every campus offered through ACORN. I wanted to enhance my university experience by taking different courses and learning different things. After visiting each campus, here is my experience with studying at all three as well as Sheridan College.

Sheridan College

My first class at Sheridan felt like a long Among Us game. I felt like an imposter. I took a course called Design I (FAS236H5) in the winter of 2024, focusing on design and concept principles using Adobe applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. The class was filled with art students except for one person—me. At first, I was horrified at the thought of someone discovering my lack of artistic abilities.

But my fears were unfounded. 

The class was welcoming and supportive. Professor Atanas Bozdarov became one of the best professors I have encountered in my academic journey. He started the class by sharing stories of those who have taken design courses that were not in art or art history programs and encouraged all students to take the class in stride. 

The courses at Sheridan were long. The course I took had a duration of six hours. These six hours were split into two periods with an hour break between them. In my experience, the first period teaches students concepts and hosts critiques. The second period is an optional work period. I found the class engaging, but the six-hour block can be difficult to accommodate into schedules. 

In terms of travel, commuting from UTM to Sheridan is convenient as there is a shuttle available by the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building.

When students are enrolled in a Sheridan course, they are considered a Sheridan student. This means access to their onecard (equivalent to UTM’s TCard), Accessibility Services, Career Centre, Student Life opportunities and more. 

It is harder to engage in student life activities if you only take one class at Sheridan. However, there are still opportunities to engage in smaller activities. In the hallway near the Tim Hortons in the B-Wing, there are sometimes 10 to 20-minute activities for students. One of my favourite activities was writing a story or drawing a comic strip using words and scenes provided on whiteboards.

Some of my favourites include writing a story with words and scenes provided on whiteboards or drawing a comic strip.  

U of T Scarborough

“The Alaska of U of T”—my friend once called the Scarborough campus (UTSC), alluding to it being a forgotten campus of U of T. With no direct connection between St. George (UTSG) or Mississauga to Scarborough, like a shuttle, it is easy to forget the campus. But, in my first year, I knew I wanted to take a course there. With the commute being difficult, I enrolled in an asynchronous course in the winter of 2023 called Introduction to Clinical, Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology (PSYA02H3). 

For the final exam, I had to commute to UTSC, which made me realize how large the campus truly was. People who believe the St. George campus is huge have not visited the Scarborough campus. The UTSC students who trek to their classes in the colder months are U of T’s strongest soldiers. It took me a 20-minute walk through the campus to find out where I would write my exam. Even after asking for directions and consulting maps, the architecture of the campus made it very confusing for me. It felt like navigating the exit of an escape room. 

Confusing campus aside, UTSC in April is quite beautiful. The greenery and paths create a gorgeous and soothing environment. The disconnected campus makes it a great place to lock in during warmer months when the commute is easier than in the winter.

While at UTSC, I participated in the Reading and Writing Excellence Program, which is offered by the Centre for Teaching Learning at UTSC. It is a four-week program that helps students develop reading, critical thinking and reflective writing skills and understand and meet university-level expectations. The program pairs students with an expert writing instructor and provides personalized feedback for students’ work. This program ensured I didn’t procrastinate on my course readings.

In general, I found UTSC to have many valuable opportunities to develop their academic skills. Through workshops and videos, UTSC provides useful information and beneficial tools for students.

U of T St. George

As I like to call it, our founding father, UTSG. At first, I was worried about how UTSG students would perceive a UTM student like me. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the students and staff are quite welcoming. With the abundance of food options close to campus, the sounds of the cityscape, sleep-deprived students, historical architecture, and libraries that are open 24/7, UTSG feels like the traditional university experience. After taking multiple courses at this campus, participating in extracurriculars, and actively completing my work-study term there, I became well acquainted with the campus. 

What sets the campus apart for me, is the abundance of workspaces offered at UTSG. UTM students know the difficulty of finding a study spot in UTM’s buildings. At UTSG, with the multiple libraries spanning the campus, there is always a place to study. I also find UTSG’s Student Life program amazing. As a UTM student, this programming is not always available to us. But, I have found that a nice email can open up many doors. 

In terms of courses, I find that St. George offers a wonderful opportunity for students to explore courses they might not be able to at UTM. While there are restrictions on certain courses for Rotman students and other programs, there remain plenty of courses available for students to engage in. My favourite course has to be Innovation in Society (CRE235H1). The course touched upon different innovations that have revolutionized our way of life in recent years—a wonderful elective course for students to take if you ask me. 

Final Judgement

After exploring each campus, I found UTSG to be the best one from a UTM student’s perspective—not only due to its close proximity to UTM but also to its vibrant student life and various courses. Its location in downtown Toronto makes it easy to access public transit. There is also a diverse course range that students can participate in from different year levels. 

I would tie Sheridan and UTSC for second place. It is difficult to place one over as it depends on each student’s interests. For me, I would rank Sheridan higher than UTSC as the art courses and opportunities are more interesting to me. Sheridan is also easier to commute to than UTSC. However, UTSC offers programs that enhance students’ experience and develop study skills. The only problem I encountered is that it is difficult to find upper-year courses at UTSC that are offered online and open to UTM students.

Exploring courses across different campuses was a memorable and valuable experience that expanded my perspective on student life. Each campus had something unique to offer, whether it was Sheridan’s hands-on approach, UTSC’s academic skill-building programs, or UTSG’s city atmosphere. No matter where you study, stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to unexpected growth and memorable experiences.