Name: Jasmine
School: Ryerson University
Program, Year: Interior Design, second year
What was the deciding factor that made you choose this school? Ryerson University has a lot of flexibility in terms of options. You can choose to do an Undergrad full time or part time and you can mix and match with the Chang School of Continuing Education (for the indecisive people). Also, the students are DIVERSE! If you want to become an entrepreneur Ryerson is the place to be because you have a design, engineering, and business faculty to choose some awesome talent from. Also, if you have a really great idea then the university is not afraid to back you up with financial resources and free consulting!
What do you love most about your school? It’s right smack in the middle of downtown. Work, eat, play, and shop anywhere!
Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? Yes! I volunteer for various design events and film sets. The thing I mostly devote my time to is AIESEC, the largest student-run organization in the world situated in over 107 countries. We facilitate global internship opportunities and provide various leadership opportunities for post-secondary students. We are over 60 years old and we’re hardcore. Not for the lazy type so join if you dare!
What’s your best advice on how to meet new friends? Honestly residence is the best way to meet new friends. I’ve never been in residence though so two other options are to: join student groups that you are passionate about and stick around areas where most people eat, sleep, and breathe in order to finish your program’s deadlines.
Where’s your favourite place for:
A cheap dinner: Find all the coupons you can that are available through your university and sign up for online coupons like TeamSave and Groupon! Chinatown is also the BEST place to get yummy cheap food. Dim sum with three of your closest friends on weekends and you will get variety, culture, and a good deal.
Brunch: Eggspectations is pretty good for a post-clubbing-night brunch. Don’t go to Fran’s unless you’re desperate, they’re only good if you’re drunk and it’s 4am.
Coffee: I don’t drink coffee. I survive on Booster juice in the Atrium, Freshly Squeezed in Eaton’s Centre, and alcohol in the LCBO also conveniently located in the Atrium. But those are just fun treats. Water is the way to go for everyday: don’t be a victim of the Freshman 15!
Any party nights we should know about? Dirty Bingo at Zeldas. Stay for the X-round if you dare.
Where’s your favourite place to study? I actually need a work environment with a white noise buzz so I avoid the library because it can be too quiet and too loud sometimes. I like to study in the 9th floor of the business building. But I have been experimenting by reading on the subway everyday when I commute. You should definitely study around people that are going to take the same exam or test than you the day before so that you can challenge each other. It’s also a good idea to talk to some upper years.
Do you have a hairdresser / salon you’d recommend? When in doubt you should always go to a hairdresser that knows how to deal with your ethnicity’s hair. I like GOA, a Korean hair salon at Bloor and Christie. Phone up and make an appointment with Hannah, she speaks English.
What has been your favourite class thus far? My favourite class for business is Effective Persuasion, it really helps put into perspective how you should communicate your business and yourself to other people. For design I liked my drawing communications class, it revealed a methodical way of how to draw things accurately. Anyone can learn! Both of these classes are beneficial when taken early on.
What class are you looking forward to most this year? I’m looking forward to History of Design. I really enjoy visually appealing lectures that combine history and stories too.
What’s your best piece of first-year advice? You will get sidetracked. Drinking, partying, meeting new people, clubs, outside work is part of the university experience. But, I can’t stress enough how important it is to establish a good work habit. You need to care right when you get into university. Don’t give yourself the excuse that you can catch up later. Also, it’s best to surround yourself with other people that know how to work hard and play hard too!
What did you learn the hard way?Any misconceptions you want to clear up about your school? Yes, we were a college. But now we are a university with all the perks of a college! The classes are normally small and the professors are helpful and easy to build a professional relationship with. The classes are also practical and allow more hands on experience than other universities do. There are many famous alumni like Edward Burtynsky If you want to add variety to your education the Chang school allows you to take some very specialized courses on campus without restricting students. For example, if you are a business student then you can dabble in some photography, film and design courses and vice versa during the summer.
Before you graduate, you are going to make sure you: Go on an international internship with my student organization, AIESEC!
What do you love most about your university town/city? I love the free cultural events we have downtown. There is always something going on no matter what the season. There are many hot locations close by to the university such as Yonge and Dundas Square, Nathan Philips Square, Harbourfront Centre, The Beaches area etc.
Best memory so far? Finishing projects in the Design Workshop with my own two hands!
Anything else you want to share with first year students?
It’s best to give yourself a detailed four year plan. What do you want to accomplish each year in university, what type of person do you want to be when you are done, and how are you going to do it? It’s okay if you don’t feel like you know what you want to do with your life just yet. Plan to expose yourself to different situations and people. Also, don’t be afraid when your vision changes. When you are working on a project then do a kick-ass job, someone that can change your life could be watching.