Today, I thought I’d share my gluttonous lifestyle with my fellow peers. Let this, my most unhealthy post to date, be your guide to finding poutine downtown at U of T.

1) Smoke’s Poutinerie

490 Bloor Street West, M5S 1Y5

The country-style poutine at Smoke’s (found on Google images)

There can never be too many varieties of poutine, so try a different one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Smoke’s. They’ve recently opened a new location close to Bathurst and Bloor. The other location on Adelaide might demand a fair amount of walking, but it’s probably for your own good.

2) The Ideal Catering or Blue Chip Truck

100 St. George Street, M5S 3G3

50 St. George Street, M5S 3H4

I know at least one person who would frown in disgust at the mere thought of eating “greasy truck food”, but you really don’t have to go that far off U of T grounds to find ones with decent poutine. Both trucks have similar menus, and are located along St. George Street – in front of Sid Smith and the Astronomy & Astrophysics Building, respectively.

3) Burger King

267 College Street, M5T 1R6

Their Angry Poutine still wasn’t as angry as that one homeless guy who just wanted his goddamn drink.

4) W Burger Bar

10 College Street, M5G 1K2

The pulled pork poutine at W Burger Bar

I wish I had discovered this place sooner. They serve their regular (Quebecois) poutine over thinly-cut fries, and also offer pulled-pork and beef varieties. But I’m going to go off on a tangent for a moment and mention that they also have awesome drink specials! $10 pitchers and $2 shots? Easily one of my new favourite watering holes downtown.

And as a side note, they won’t accept your Ontario health card as identification, but they will take your UK driver’s license. It might sound silly, but the waitress did offer an explanation, that “they’re older so they’re, like, easier to fake”. That’s probably not how it works, but I’ll let it go just because this place is great.

5) Burger Bar

319 Augusta Avenue, M5T 2M2

The Saag (image from BlogTO)

Their raved-about Saag poutine is a unique variation. The fries are served in a thick curry sauce of pureed spinach and paneer cheese, but it didn’t exactly blow my mind like it did for those guys on Yelp. It might have something to do with the fact that it took almost 40 minutes to get to my table. Either way, you’ll have to go to Kensington market and find out yourself.

6) O’Grady’s Tap & Grill

171 College Street, M5T 1P7

Apparently, they have poutine served with wedge-cut fries on their menu. I wouldn’t know because my friends and I would be too busy verbally abusing each other with beer-induced slurs over at the foosball table.

7) Lick’s Homeburgers & Ice Cream

720 Spadina Avenue, M5S 2T9

Lastly, I’m only including Lick’s on this list to warn all poutine enthusiasts to turn the other way. It’s just not the same with shredded cheese…

That should be more than enough options for you to have an enjoyable lunch and a satisfied tummy. And possibly some form of premature heart disease. Enjoy, and eat responsibly.

There are few academic phenomena that are as notorious as the following, which plagues U of T undergraduates from a remarkably diverse range of subject POSTs. It has unconsciously governed your ability to make decisions, and has been both supportive of your goals and occasionally a source of misery. This phenomenon may commonly be referred to as the Paradox of Post-Secondary Priorities, and is outlined in full detail in Figure 1 below (click to expand).

Figure 1: The Paradox of Post-Secondary Priorities. In some extreme and unfortunate cases, you only choose one. #YOCO

With my last post, I tried to equip you with the tools to help you succeed in the classroom. This week, I’m writing for those who find that they have little choice but to prioritize good grades and enough sleep when it comes to life at U of T.  If you’re a freshman hoping to make new friends, a socially awkward recluse trying to break out of your shell, or even if you’re just looking for ways to expand your social circle, you may benefit from one or more of these suggestions:

1) Join a Club or Team

Naturally, a great place to meet people is one where you share a common interest. Getting involved in an activity that you’re not even remotely passionate about just to meet members of the opposite sex might work out in rare cases. But I imagine that trying to balance your Vegetarian and Vegan Society meetings with your self-imposed dietary intake of bacon will prove quite challenging in the long run.

After joining a club, try to attend more than just the important meetings. You’ll get to know the other members a lot better if you venture out of your comfort zone every once in a while and attend the group outings, practices, retreats, parties, end-of-year dinners, or whatever other social opportunities you might find.

2) Eat Pancakes

I think we can all agree that there is something endearing about enjoying a couple of pancakes hot off the griddle and drizzled in sweet, silky maple syrup, especially on a slow weekday morning and among fellow pancake-lovers. And that’s the story behind Victoria College’s weekly Pancake Brunch at the Birge Carnegie building in the Cat’s Eye (the Birge Carnegie Reading Room). The atmosphere is friendly, the energy is inviting, and there are plenty of opportunities to make small-talk with the other students waiting in line, or with the volunteers. They’ve also got music, couches, books, pool tables, and foosball, so if you can just say ‘hello’ and strike up a conversation with someone, there will be plenty more to do and talk about.

The event is intended for Victoria College commuter students and is being held from 11 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays this year. From past experiences, it’s a cool place to meet other people, and there’s no better way to bond than over food. Did I mention that it’s free?

3) Drink Beer

Now, I’m not proposing here that you go bar-hopping between classes. What I do suggest is that you keep yourself informed about the regular pub nights and events that occur throughout the semester. It’s a great way to get to know the other students in your program, who share your academic interests, outside of the classroom.

Depending on the kind of person you are, and the type of relationship you’re looking for, getting to know people at the bar can definitely have its advantages and disadvantages. I think the wise philosopher, Homer J. Simpson, said it best when he profoundly called alcohol “the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems”.

4) Form a Study Group

Now if watching Community has taught me anything, it’s that shared adversity is the key to fostering eccentric and intimate relationships with your peers. I know that the last thing most of us want to see in our cluttered inbox is another confusing mass-email. But you know what? Of the 2 billion people in your class at Con Hall, I’m sure that a handful of them are willing to hear you out. In addition, there are likely more students like you looking to make connections and to take advantage of the support that a study group provides, so inviting them to work with you at the library might not be such a bad idea.

Another approach you might want to consider is attending your professor’s office hours, particularly the ones right before a major test. During these times, everyone suddenly has questions that they desperately need answered, which gives you a great opportunity to start a conversation. Try to help each other out, calm each other down, or even better, swap contact information so you can meet up in class and/or get your awesome study group going.

“Conflicts like these will inevitably bring us together as an unlikely family.”
–Abed, student at Greendale Community College.

5) Frɑτεrnizε

Greek life is often misconceived as being rated R for adult content, sexually suggestive themes, and explicit alcohol or drug use, when it is usually the media that’s guilty for amplifying these occurrences that are equally as present in other aspects of society. That being said, Greek life is certainly not for everyone, and as such has never really been at the top of my list of options for cultivating relationships.

Fraternities and sororities, such as the ones at U of T, are organizations that are external to the university, and as a result are responsible for funding their own operations. In addition to academic incentives, they value philanthropy in the community. Sigma Chi’s annual Derby Days event and Gamma Phi Beta’s outreach initiatives are only a couple of examples of the involvement of these organizations in the community.

Other than supporting charitable causes, social events organized by your fraternity or sorority will also help you make connections with members within your own community and those in other communities around campus. Obviously, there is far more to Greek life than plain research can tell you, and it might be something worth looking into.

6) Play the Piano

Although highly unconventional, I have witnessed students reel in other people by the ear using their carefully rehearsed abilities to play the piano. I know there are pianos at St. Mike’s, UC, and Victoria College, so get to work.

If you don’t happen to be a very musical person, don’t be discouraged. I guarantee that if you visit any of the locations that I’ve mentioned and start randomly hammering away at the piano’s keys, someone will definitely come over to you with something to say.

7) Take Note of the Email and/or Phone Number of the Person You Want to Meet from the Sign-up Sheet Circulating Around the Classroom So You Can Contact Them in the Future

Just kidding. Don’t do this. You know who you are.

7) Use Social Media

Keep connected with all the different clubs, groups, and organizations at U of T through e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. Every now and then, you may find out about an interesting upcoming event on campus, where you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet new people. Ulife (@UTulife), University of Toronto Students’ Union, (@UTSU98), UeaT (@UeaToronto), and obviously blogUT (@blogUT) are just a few places to start.

In any situation (and as cliché as this is going to sound), remember to be yourself. Attempting to change your personality to please another person will likely result in conveying false expectations of who you are, which will only end up being unfulfilling to everyone involved. I’d especially advise against it if you’re unwilling to put a potentially meaningful relationship at risk.

The opportunity for social interaction is all around you. What do you do to meet new people at U of T?

Now that we’re into the second week of classes, we’re long past the informal introductions and the administrative details and classes are beginning to pick up momentum. If you’re a first-year undergrad, then your breath is bated as you begin the portentous foray into post-secondary academia. If you’re approaching the end of your road at the University of Toronto, this year may be the one year that will make or break you.

In any case (no pressure, guys), you’ll be needing some extra fire-power in that utility belt of yours to help you through the semester. A few nifty (and obviously free) mobile applications may be the key to giving you the extra edge that you’ll need. Trust me when I say that it’s dangerous to go alone, so take these:

1) Blackboard Mobile Learn

Blackboard doesn’t even need an introduction. But for anyone who doesn’t know what it is for whatever reason, it’s a ubiquitous tool at U of T (and many other institutions), allowing students and faculty to access course content, updates, grades, announcements, discussion forums, and more. Download this one if you haven’t already, especially if you’re a keener looking for another way to stay on top of things at all times. Check out this link for more information about Blackboard’s mobile app for U of T.

2) Dropbox

I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of this one. Good Guy Dropbox has been very helpful to me over the years, as it allows me to store up to 2GB of documents, photos, and videos in a single folder, which I can then access from either my mobile device or my desktop computer, as long as I’m connected to the Internet. You can also generate a link to share a specific file, or even share an entire folder with another Dropbox user, making note-sharing or group work more convenient.

3) Epicurious

As a student, particularly at the University of Toronto, you know how important it is to count every nickel. That is, unless you’ve inherited a sizeable trust fund from your celebrity parents’ recent divorce settlement, or you just so happen to be a genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist. I’m going to venture a guess and say that you’re not and, if you’re someone like me, that your wallet feels the pinch of buying breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner every other day while you’re downtown.

If you’re living in residence or if you’re renting a place nearby, Epicurious might help you conjure up a simple and inexpensive meal, and help spare you the guilt of unnecessary spending. It’s like a virtual recipe book, and it’s even got an ‘I Can Barely Cook’ section devoted to culinary novices such as myself…

I feel like the biggest hypocrite for talking about saving money on food here. In the end, it’s up to you to decide if the money you save from not eating out is worth the added effort and cost of groceries.

4) Evernote

Taking notes with your quill pen and paper scroll has become archaic. Fortunately, Evernote is a note-taking service that not only helps you take notes in lecture, but is also useful for taking pictures, audio notes, and sharing all of your work with your other devices on the cloud. I think it’s a pretty sweet deal for a free note-taking app, and I’m intent on using it to take awesome notes in all my classes.

There is one minor issue that my friend and I (and apparently other Evernote users) have experienced while using the app on the iPad, which is that the app has crashed a couple of times. Thankfully, all our notes remained intact, and starting the app again was quick. But if your lecturer speaks as fast as Prof. Brian Cantwell Smith, or Dr. Matthias Niemeier (anyone else?), you might miss an entire chapter in the 5 seconds it takes to re-launch.

5) Google Drive

I haven’t used this one enough to give you my personal opinion, but Google Drive bears a strong resemblance to Dropbox in that it offers the same essential features, such as cloud-based file storage and web-accessibility across multiple devices. Google Drive includes 3GB more of initial storage than Dropbox for free accounts, but you can earn up to 16GB of additional storage with Dropbox by referring it to others. I think the biggest advantage that Google Drive has over Dropbox is the fact that you can edit Google Docs through the app, which is great for collaborative work for your group project. If you’re really torn between the two, you can find a more in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the apps right here.

6) iBooks

This one is only available on Apple devices. iBooks allows you to purchase books from the iBookstore, as well as download PDF documents using your Safari web browser for later or offline viewing. I’ve started to use iBooks on my iPad to download course slides, syllabi (I just wanted to say ‘syllabi’), and other documents in PDF format that my professors provide. I then organize all the documents into ‘Collections’ according to their corresponding class, from where I can read everything while studying for a test, or in order to keep up during lecture. It might come in handy, so I recommend downloading it if you don’t yet have it on your device.

7) Twitter

I’m completely serious. So long as you’re not using it to follow the fabulous life of NiC0LE P0LiZZi, or to reflect upon the insightful teachings of @swagboyzzz2020, Twitter can actually be an effective resource to help you keep up to speed with news, activities, and upcoming events around campus. The clever thing to do would be to create and manage lists or groups of accounts that you follow (such as professors, peers, clubs, campus life, professional connections, etc.) so that you don’t waste your time scrolling through irrelevant tweets.

These are only a few of the many applications that are available to you to help you stay on top of your game. What other mobile apps do you have in your arsenal of productivity tools?