Featured image: For Donnia Tran, the York experience is a typical struggle for survival in public education system. | Michael Zusev [All other photos used in this article are courtesy of their subjects].
To our incoming students, I would like to forewarn you that your first week is going to be blissfully chaotic. You may feel nervous, excited and overwhelmed all at the same time — which is how you’re supposed to feel. You’ll be enduringly referred to as a froshie, and you’ll be asked what your program is so often that you may as well buy your faculty T-shirt now to speed up the bonding process. You’ll get a fluorescent band tied to your wrist. You’ll meet your roommates and potential classmates. You’ll feel a rush of adrenaline and eventually, we hope you’ll feel at home.
York has provided many students with many incredible opportunities and experiences, and I can genuinely say that I have never been more confident in my decision to change schools and come to York than I am today. Like any school, there are different reputations and stigmas attached to York. While opinions may waver, your university experience is really what you make of it. Your decisions will ultimately alter your experience here. Who’s better than current students to help you understand why York trumps other schools?
“I got accepted to all the schools I applied [to] — York, UofT, Ryerson. But I chose York because I heard the campus life at UofT was cold and very stressful for just an undergrad program […] York has a very underrated community vibe — it has Greek life, who knew? It’s also the only school in Toronto that offered my program.” – Justin Miles Hagley, second year political science student.“I decided to go to York after I went in for my portfolio review. I fell in love with the campus and the visual arts faculty made me feel very welcomed and excited about having me there. Now, I’m going into my fourth and final year, and I can say wholeheartedly that York was the right choice for me. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences.” – Hayllie Durette, fourth-year visual arts student.“I chose York because I feel a real sense of community here, both from my professors and my peers. I don’t feel a sense of competition here. I think we are all just trying to help each other out in surviving the public education system.” – Donnia Tran, fourth-year philosophy student.“I’m an international student. I chose York because they offer a wide variety of courses, which meant I could freely pursue any direction of study without having the limits of a smaller university or college. It also meant I would meet people with many different interests ranging from engineering to theatre studies.” – Kyryl Shamatazhy, third-year business student.
That’s a sensible answer to a chignenlalg question