So, you’ve read Going Abroad: Part I, you’ve thought about it and you’ve decided that you want to go abroad. So, how do you go about doing it?

First of all, do research. Think about what kind of courses you want to take abroad. Do the Woodsworth College Summer Abroad program suit your credit needs (you don’t need to be a Woodsworth College student to do their programs)? If so, please take a look at their application process on their website. The advantage of a Woodsworth program is that you travel with a group and there’s little paperwork to be done to get your transfer credits.

None of the courses at the Woodsworth program interest me. Does that mean I can’t go on an exchange?

No, you just have to do a little more research and paperwork but it’s all worth it.

How to proceed:

Step 1: Find a U of T exchange partner institution with programs and courses that interest you. You can do this through the ISXO website. If you’re unsure, try contacting your professors and see if they can suggest a few universities where you could study.

Step 2: Join the StudyAbroad portal group so you can get regular updates on deadlines, funding opportunities and other information.

Step 3: Get a nomination from the ISXO to study abroad. This is absolutely mandatory. You will NOT get credits from the institution if you are not nominated by the ISXO. To get a nomination, you will need 2 letters of reference (1 if you’re doing a summer exchange), a statement of interest, a resume and you will need to fill in a checklist and an online application on the ISXO website.

Just wondering, what do are they looking for in my statement of interest?

The statement of interest is just a way to find out what you want to study, why you want to study abroad and how that would complement your education. You should also show that you’re either a seasoned traveler and/or that you’re responsible and mature enough to go abroad alone. So any other experiences abroad should be mentioned here.

Step 4: Hand in your application to the ISXO. Please check the website to see which deadline applies to you.

Step 5: Wait for your application to process. You may or may not get called to do an interview.

If you’re accepted…

Step 6: You will have to register and participate in 2 mandatory meetings: a pre-departure meeting and a transfer credit info session. The ISXO will also inform you about the bit of paperwork you’re going to have to do to earn your credit during these sessions.

Enjoy studying abroad!

For more information, try going to the study abroad fair on Wednesday, November 10 from noon to 5PM at the Cumberland Room, 33 St. George St.

For people interested in going to East Asia, the East Asian Studies Student Union is holding an information session on studying in Asia on November 30th from 1PM to 4:30PM in the Cumberland Room in the Cumberland House at 33 St. George St. Drop in and out as you please. Light refreshments and snacks will be served.

U of T is a big university and sometimes, you might feel like a nameless number in a mass of nameless numbers. However, being in the biggest university in Canada has its perks and one of them is the fact that we have the more exchange partners in Canada and abroad than anybody else. Since deadlines for exchanges as well as going abroad info sessions are coming up soon, I thought I would do a two part series on going abroad. The first will explore whether or not going abroad is for you while part II (which will hopefully be written in a week or so) will elaborate on the processes involved with going abroad. I did a course abroad this summer so many of the things I write will be from experience.

So, first things first, why should you go abroad?

• If you’re learning the history of a country or doing area studies, going abroad will add a new dimension to your studies. The person who came to one of my classes to talk about studying abroad studied in France and she said that she never fully understood why the peasants were so angry at the nobility during the period of the French Revolution until she saw the extravagance of the Versailles Palace.
• Learning a language? There is no better way of doing than by going abroad.
• You can learn from famous professors or institutions during your stay abroad! Thinking about a university as a potential grad school? Why not try a course at the institution for a summer or a semester?
• You can immerse yourself in a new academic environment, which can be refreshing if you’re in need of a change.
• All courses done abroad through the ISXO are pass/fail courses on your U of T transcript, so if you want, you can do a relaxing year abroad. However, be warned that if you’re applying to grad school, they will want ALL your transcripts.
• If you do well at the institution abroad, you can get reference letters from professors of other universities for grad school.
• It sounds corny, but you gain lifelong friendships and contacts from all over the world.
• Being able to survive alone in another country is a sign that you’re mature and responsible. As a result, it looks good on a resume.
• The ISXO (International Student Exchange Office) is super nice and very helpful so planning an exchange by yourself isn’t as hard as you think it would be! (more…)

After being away for a month, I’ve got to say, Toronto is a great city. Sure, we’ll make fun of it and the rest of the country can hate us but if you came to U of T, you might as well explore this place. It’s rather upsetting to hear from graduating students who aren’t from Toronto that they have never been on the islands or they’ve never really set foot outside of campus during their 4 year residency here. In any case, here’s a list of places and things to do while you’re stuck here:

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This was submitted by a reader, Anubha Momin:

Here comes September, and with it, tuition costs, book money, and empty wallets. As students, many can feel as though their money is stretched thin, that little is left for enjoyment and pleasure. An evening at the opera? Not possible… or is it? There are lots of ways to enjoy an evening of fine art, music, or dance in Toronto, but here are some of the city’s major institutions at some very minor price points.

Art Gallery of Ontario
A stunning building in and of itself, the new Frank Gehry-fied gallery houses more than 79,000 works and hosts a changing set of exhibitions.
Cost: FREE Wednesday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Website: http://www.ago.net/hours-admission

Canadian Opera Company
The largest Canadian producer of opera in the country’s largest city, the COC offers world-class performances out of the Four Seasons Performing Art Centre. The 2009/10 season includes opera classics like Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Bizet’s Carmen.
Cost: COC’s Opera for a New Age provides a limited number of tickets for most shows at $20 each for anyone under the age of 30. Book early for the best availability.
Website: http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/Under30/OperaforaNewAgeTickets.aspx

Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
Alright, so this may not be a “major” institution, but you don’t have to travel beyond the campus walls to indulge your inner artiste. The Barnicke Gallery is constantly changing its exhibits, and staff are always available to walk you through their collections.
Cost: FREE for all, all the time. Take note of opening night festivities, where the free entrance includes beverages, fruit, and cheese. As an added bonus, the gallery is within Hart House, which boasts its own impressive collection of art work.
Website: http://www.jmbgallery.ca/exhibitions.html

National Ballet of Canada
Headlined by Tchaikovsky’s perennial favourites, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, the National Ballet of Canada promises another stellar season of elegant, entertaining performances.
Cost: Anyone between the ages of 16 and 29 can register with DanceBreak in order to gain access to $20 tickets. DanceBreak tickets are purchasable online at midnight the day of performance.
Website: http://dancebreak.ca

Royal Ontario Museum
This fabulous attraction has been recently covered on blogUT, so I shall direct you to the post: http://www.blogut.ca/2009/08/02/travel-the-world-for-free.
Cost: FREE for post-secondary students on Tuesdays, half price for everyone Fridays from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Website: http://www.rom.on.ca/visit/tickets.php

If you have any other suggestions for enjoying Toronto’s cultural landscape, feel free to post them in the comments!

On my second installment introducing farmer’s markets around Toronto, I’d like to introduce the little one on Borden, one block west of Brunswick (where Future’s Bakery is) since it’s really close to campus. In want of something healthier than the stuff they serve at residence? Drop by this market every Wednesday for some fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, honey, cheese and meat. Although the market is relatively small compared to Brick Works and the famous St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market, it’s still a lovely source of food from the Ontario greenbelt. (Not to mention the organizers like handing out free samples pretty often!) So here is the information you need if you ever want to visit:

MyMarket Bloor-Borden

Where?

The farmer’s market can be found in the parking lot on the corner of Bloor and Borden, 1 block west of Brunswick Avenue where Future’s Bakery is. It is between the intersections of Bloor and Bathurst (its closest intersection) and Bloor and Spadina.

When?

Every Wednesday from 3PM to 7PM, rain or shine from June 3rd to October 28.

Is there anything to do there?

• Sample food
• Buy food if you want
• Do something fun on or off campus

Just as a sidenote…

Ontario peaches, at this moment, are absolutely lovely at this time of year. They’re sweet and slightly tart and full of colour, just as peaches should be.

I didn’t take too many pictures but I really like this one:

Tomatoes of all sorts of shapes and colours!

Pictures by Jess.

Farmer’s markets are a wonderful way to get fresh, organic and local food. Although not all farmer’s markets will have all organic food, many of them provide local produce, which means that your food will take less distance to get from field to table, making them fresher (and have little or no preservatives), taste better and use less fuel to get to your local market. During the summer and early fall months, many farmer’s markets will be filled with lovely summer and fall fruits and vegetables and therefore, will be a lively affair. As a result, I’ve decided to write a few articles on a few of these markets in the city.

A Real Gem: The Evergreen Brick Works Farmer’s Market

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Now, how many times are you going to hear that phrase? Okay well, if you haven’t already heard, every Tuesday at the ROM is FREE — and yes I did say FREE — for post-secondary students! This is perfect for post-secondary students because first of all, it saves us about $22, and second of all, did I mention that it’s free?

Besides the obvious choice to go to the ROM for FREE, it’s a great way to compensate for not being able to travel. Personally, this summer I lacked the funds to travel anywhere around the world so I had to figure out a way to compensate for that, leading me to the ROM. Now, I know what you’re thinking, the ROM is probably the last place you want to go on your summer vacation. However, the ROM has definitely transformed itself to not only showcase history at its finest, but also to take its visitors around the world. You can go from Australia to the Philippines within a few steps, or even ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages within a few minutes. Why pass up this opportunity to travel around the world, and through history all for the price of well, free?