Looking Back: My First Semester as an OISE Student
As I stepped out of the heat of an early September day and into the lobby of the OISE building for the first day of orientation, I was not sure what to expect. It was the first day of the next stage in my academic and professional life. Having only received my Bachelor’s at Western University in the spring, I was still getting used to the idea that I would not be returning to my favourite study spots or seeing the same friends that I spent four years getting to know during my undergrad. I only moved to the city at the beginning of August and was still getting used to life in Toronto.
The idea of starting at a brand-new school in a city with just a few people I knew, was daunting. Graduate school was always the plan after finishing my Bachelors, but it always felt like something that I could see on the horizon—something that I was bringing myself towards. But now that I was actually there, it felt surreal.
Since I began at OISE in September, the past five months have been a whirlwind—but in the best way possible. The course load for my program—Master of Education in Adult Education & Community Development (AECD)—is three courses per semester in both the Fall & Winter terms. Coming from undergrad, I was used to five courses per semester and thought it was strange to only be doing three. However, the change to three courses has been phenomenal. The course load is a bit higher than what it was during my undergrad, but the extra time has given me more opportunities to delve into my course readings and really get more invested in each course. Your exact course load and the associated workload will vary depending on your program.
With over 3,000 students and 100,000 worldwide, OISE is one of the largest faculties at the University of Toronto. As a result, a variety of student groups and social clubs are available for students to join. OISE has a Graduate Students Association (GSA), several department student associations (DSAs), program student associations (PSAs), as well as other groups such as the Sustainability & Climate Action Network (SCAN), Academic Social Club (AcSoc), and more! You can read more about the GSA, DSAs, and PSAs in my previous blog post. As a graduate student at OISE, you are also a UofT student, which provides you access to the University of Toronto Graduate Students Union (UTGSU) as well as countless other clubs and groups on the general UofT campus. I’ve only been at OISE for five months, and I’m already involved with the OISE GSA as the Associate VP Internal, as well as a Steering Committee Member of Students on Seven, which is the PSA for the Adult Education & Community Development Program.
With OISE’s grand size and number of students, it was easy for me to make friends and find my group on campus. I have found the community at OISE to be incredibly welcoming, diverse, and kind. Although I can’t speak for programs such as the Master of Teaching (MT) program, which is quite large, the AECD program is incredibly tight-knit.
My time at OISE thus far has been incredibly empowering. On my first day, I didn’t know where I would fit in, or how I would adjust to graduate school. I was filled with feelings of stress and anxiety. However, sitting here writing this a full semester later, I can confidently say I am where I am meant to be.
