What's The Word YU?

I’m really glad that you asked this question!

The Vanier incidents you mentioned happened when I was in my first year at York. Honestly security has improved greatly since then in many ways.

First of all Security in the residence buildings is A LOT more intense. People are not allowed to let strangers in during the day, dons and residence life staff are always on the lookout for strangers that don’t belong in the building, porters avidly check for keys and guest passes as people come in and out of the building at night and there are at least 2 Security Guards stationed in lobby of each building.

The security guards watch people as they come in and out of the building and they do regular sweeps of every floor once every couple of hours between 7pm and 3ish am (I’m not 100% sure when they leave but it’s around 4am).

There is also ALWAYS a don on duty who does a sweep of each floor every hour or so from 7pm- 5ish am (again I’m not 100% sure when they stop patrolling). The don on duty has a cell phone which is specifically for residents to call if they need help and each resident is given the number when they move in and it is posted in the lobby of every building and in each common room.

Outside of residence there are always York Security patrolling the campus and lately there has been an increased presence of Toronto Police officers patrolling as well. We also have goSafe which is a safe-walking initiative that patrols campus as well. You can call goSafe any time from 6pm-2am and they will come to pick you up anywhere you are on campus at night and escort you to your car or the Buses or to your residence. They patrol the campus throughout their shift and so it takes them under 15 mins to get to you no matter where you are on campus and they know where everything is so they can get to you quickly.

There is also a shuttle service that provides you with a safe ride around campus at night so that you don’t have to walk alone. The shuttle starts at Vari Hall and then goes around the whole campus. Similarly there is a shuttle that travels back and forth to the York Village (a community of town houses just off of campus where many students live), it offers students a safe ride home. 

It’s important to remember that safety begins with you. If you make sure to stay aware of your surroundings and try to to walk alone on campus at night you should be fine. All the services I mentioned are free to students so I highly recommend you use them.  

Hope that helps, 

N

Thanks so much for your question…it was challenging, I actually got into contact with some of my friends in the LGBT community so that I could give you an accurate answer! 

I LOVE York! It’s a really great place to learn since there are so many different people that you come into contact with. At first it was a little overwhelming since Keele alone has thousands of people, but once you become accustomed to it, it is SUPER!

I am ALSO an international student from the Caribbean. It can be a little difficult living so far away from home but I thrive on the fact that I have my independence here. There is a REALLY large Caribbean population in Toronto so I’m sure that you won’t get too homesick. It’s also a little annoying when it comes to getting a job since we’re only allowed to work on campus, but I find that if you live on campus having a job on campus is GREAT since there is no commute. Fees are a little higher but that’s to be expected. In general people are very excited to meet international students and I promise you that no matter what people will always ask you “What’s your background?” It’s a REALLY common question so get used to answering it lol. 

The LGBT community at York is apparently strong. There are a number of organizations and clubs at both the Keele and Glendon campuses that cater specifically to LGBT people. At Keele for example we have: The Centre for Women and Trans People (CWTP), Trans Bisexual Lesbian and Gay Alliance at York (TBLGAY), The Undergraduate Sexuality Students Association (USSA) and Peer Sexual Health Outreach Program (Run through Health Education and Promotion). So there are lots of resources on campus that you can access if you need help or you want to make connections on campus. I’d recommend that you start at TBLGAY or USSA especially if you want to reach out and see what the larger LGBT community is like in Toronto. From what I know about Toronto and have seen in the past there is a thriving LGBT community and I’m sure that TBLGAY and USSA could help you take your first steps into connecting with that community. 

I hope I answered your question :)

N

Best Places to eat on campus…that part of the question I could answer NO PROBLEM…but you don’t want to go into debt…that’ll be difficult.

I would recommend the following places for cheap food on campus: 

1. Tastes in York Lanes. It has amazing breakfast, great fresh sandwiches and awesome soup. 

2. The Great Canadian Bagel in York Lanes. Sure it’s a little more expensive than it’s locations off campus but it’s still cheaper than some of it’s neighbours in York Lanes. 

3. Falafel Hut in York Lanes. It has great breakfast, really good lunch and dinner options, it has discounted specials for everyday of the week and it’s OPEN LATE!

4. Berries and Blooms in York Lanes offers a salad bar and fresh sandwiches. It is also pretty reasonable IF you know what to get and how to beat the scale (they price their food based on a scale). 

5. The Orange Snail in Stong College offers Caribbean cuisine, bar food, buffet and salad bar. If you’re willing to walk to Stong College and have some time to wait everything on their menu is AMAZING and the prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get.  

I’m glad that I could help! Keep the questions coming that’s why I made the blog, I’m happy to answer any and all the questions you may have. :D 

Tips for Residence

1. DO IT!!! I lived in residence for my first 2 years and it was the BEST experience! It helps make the transition from high school to uni easier!

2. Think about the kind of person that you are at home and who you want to be at university. If you’re a real studious person at home and you really want to keep that up in university you MIGHT want to consider having a single room. If you’re the life of the party, you might not want a room-mate, unless you plan on rooming with a friend. The housing people are really good at pairing people up…IF YOU ANSWER THE QUESTIONNAIRE HONESTLY! Keep in mind that in most of the residences there are more single than double rooms so don’t be too bummed if you don’t have a room mate. 

3. There are 2 different types of residences offered at Keele. “Traditional” Residences and “Suite-Style” Residences. Traditional = (Complex 1) Tatham Hall and Vanier Res. (Complex 2) Bethune Res and Stong Res. Suite Style = (Complex 2) Calumet Res and Pond Road Residence. Winters Residence (Complex 1) is a mix of traditonal and suite. 

4. You major matters when it comes the residence offers you receive. Housing tends to put similar majors or college affiliations together. People in The Arts tend to get offered rooms in Winters Res while people in The Hard Sciences (bio, chem, etc.) tend to get offers in Bethune Res for example.   

5. EVERYONE ALWAYS WANTS TO GET INTO POND. Pond Road Residence is the newest and some say the nicest. It is really nice, BUT it’s kinda far away from everything classes and food places on campus. It is also known as a hub for international students, since it hosts “Global House.” Pond is nice but I wouldn’t count out the other residences!

If you have any more questions please ask!

N

My first tip for finding your extracurricular niche at York would be to look for something that you are really passionate about!

Take your time, look around, check out your options. There are so many great ways to get involved at York that you don’t have to jump into the first club you find.

Too often people look for extracurricular activities that they THINK will make them look good to future employers. It’s good to pick things that will make you look good but remember if you join a club you have to participate; if you don’t L-O-V-E the club you’re going to resent putting your time into it. If you join a club or organization that you have a genuine interest in then you won’t mind putting your time into it.

But if you can find something that you LOVE that also makes you look good then that’s even better!

Check out all the clubs that SCLD has to offer; there’s really something for everyone here! http://yuconnect.yorku.ca/

York would be a GREAT choice because the quality of education provided at York is really high. There are tons of degree and professional certificate options. On the social side of things York has tons clubs and organizations you can join, there really is something here for everyone!

I hope I answered your question feel free to message me back if you want detailed info or just read my blog it’s got tons of stories and reasons why you should go to York over other schools in the area!

There are soo many things that you can get involved with at York. If you already have a “Passport York” account check the YU Connect website it has a list of all the clubs at York. http://yuconnect.yorku.ca/ 

If you don’t have a Passport York account I recommend joining York is U they’re a GREAT organization that hosts events all year for students from stress buster carnivals to York’s Birthday! Also Health Education and Promotion is currently hiring for next fall/winter. Health Ed has 8 different teams that focus on different student health areas on campus! Check them out http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/

Residence life is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. It is really convenient living on res, you can come and go to classes without having to wake up super early and you can stay late at school without  having to worry about catching the bus. In each res there are “houses” depending on which floor, building or suite you live in. The “houses” are great because you can get to know your neighbours without having to awkwardly knock on their door. The people you live with in res really become like family especially if you’re an international student and you can’t go home on weekends. I would highly recommend living in res for all first yr students!

Well I like this Anon question! There are tons of little things that they don’t tell you on the tour that really help make your first year at York easier. I’ll share a few secrets I wish I knew in my first year. 

1. You can ALWAYS change your major

-If you’re coming from High school and you think that Economics is what you want to do and then you discover that you actually LOVE Biology you can ALWAYS change your major. There is no need to feel stuck doing something that you hate!

2. BEFORE you buy your books go to your first lecture and READ the syllabus!

-A lot of times new students are told to buy their books early and this is GREAT ADVICE IF you know you’re going to stay in the class. I recommend going to the first class and getting the syllabus reading it and then if you still like the class go and buy the books. Nothing is worse than having to return books while people are trying to buy them!

3. The BEST time to go to the Book Store to buy books is NOT DURING PEAK HOURS!

-The BEST time to buy your books is NOT in the middle of the day! I recommend going early in the morning just after they open, OR on the Weekend! First year students often don’t know that the Book Store is open on the weekends for the first 2-3 weeks of each semester. Saturday or Sunday Mornings are usually a little calmer and you can buy your books without having to wait in a LONG line. Also you can order your books online via the York Book Store and they can be delivered to you in residence or at home or you can come and just pick them up in store. That way you avoid the line all together!

4. The Student Centre and York Lanes are NOT the only places on campus you can go for food!

-The colleges have cafeteria’s, pubs and restaurants that are AMAZING. All you have to do is look! A few of my favs are: The Orange Snail in Stong College (BEST FOOD ON CAMPUS!!), The Absinthe Pub in Winters College and Michelangelo’s in Atkinson College! Also the cheapest place to buy snacks and drinks on campus is the Cigarette Shop located between The Student Center and York Lanes!

5. TTC, YRT / VIVA, & GO tips

-Oh first years let me be the FIRST to tell you that the line ups at Keele for transit are LOOONNNNGGGGG!!! Here’s a tip avoid peak times, from about 12 noon - 6 pm are really really busy and the line ups are insane. Try to go to the library and do some homework to avoid the lines. OR JOIN A CLUB! Joining a club is a great way to spend some time doing something fun instead of waiting in CRAZY LONG bus line! If you don’t want to bus you can always drive, just keep in mind that parking can be a little expensive, I would recommend carpooling with a friend. 

That’s all the tips I have…if you want to know more you can ask me privately :D

Wow well thanks for that but I definitely don’t have ALL the answers!!

I learned so much about York by researching everything I could before I even got here. As an international student I didn’t have the opportunity to visit the campus before I started classes there so I had to rely on the York website, my online international advisor and word-of-mouth to get info on York.

When I got here my Don made it a point to provide us with info about how the university worked and where to go if we had questions. So I went everywhere, I took my questions to the Bennett Center, to Calumet advisors and to Terri the Academic Advisor for Mac College and Tatham Hall residents (I lived in Tatham Hall for 2 years). I went to Career Centre workshops and I talked to people, anywhere there was info that’s where I went and eventually I developed a MAJOR knowledge of York. I learned all about it’s services, it’s procedures and most importantly I learned WHERE THINGS WERE (which let me tell you was the most difficult part of the whole learning process).

I definitely don’t know all the answers…but I know people that could probably answer just about any question you have about York if I don’t have the answer! 

Why should students come to York? Some people will tell you “York has a good (insert major) program, and that’s why students should go there.” Or some will say “York is too close to Jane and Finch and so it’s dangerous therefore students shouldn’t go there.”

I say York is more than it’s location, it’s more than it’s programs. Yes it’s a great school academically but it’s also a great school socially. You are more than just the classes you take, and at York they get that! There are so many opportunities to get involved in clubs and organizations that make your university experience richer and more complete.

York is truly a community and that is what sets it apart from other universities. When you come to Keele or Glendon you are welcomed by the college affiliation system which links you to other students studying what you’re studying. Being connected to other students with similar interests helps students to not feel so alone.

Then you have Red Zone, the folks that help you in the summer to figure out what’s up at York and who are there all year round to help you out even if the only help you need is a direction to your next class LOL. 

Of course we can’t forget all the clubs you can join via YFS or SCLD, with hundreds of clubs active at York students will be able to find something that speaks to them…whether it’s York is U or Running Relief!

York offers SUPPORT for it’s students, from the top administration all the way down to the T.A’s York wants it’s students to do well. I could go on all day but I’ll try to reign it in and just say one last thing. York is community minded and community centred and if you’re lucky enough to get accepted to York University, you should definitely take the opportunity to become part of this amazing community!