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Fall is a beautiful time to discover York University and go on a campus tour during the annual Fall Campus Day (FCD) this Nov. 8! I remember when I was in high school, visiting YorkU on Fall Campus Day ended up playing a major role in my decision to apply to York. The idea of going off to university intimidated me, but when I got to the campus, it was the positive school spirit and vibe of the university and the helpful Faculty representatives that really made me feel like this was the place I wanted to spend the next 4+ years of my life. No matter where you decide to go to university, I really urge you to visit the campus before making your decision.These are some of the things York’s Fall Campus Day Taught me About University. Students like these take you on tour:
1. Don’t be Afraid to Get Involved and Volunteer:
It was these same charismatic tour guides that made hope that someday I could work alongside them as a student ambassador. Tours of the campus are not just exclusive to FCD but also available year-round, and therefore, volunteers are always needed for large campus events like Fall Campus Day and Spring Open House. I started volunteering at York in my second year of university and eventually got to be one of these tour guides! Getting involved in volunteer opportunities at York is one of my fondest memories from my undergrad. I got to work with great staff, make friends outside of my program, and communicate with future students.
2. If You Need to Work, Get a Job On-campus:
Experiencing fall campus day was one of the reasons I wanted to pursue a part-time job at York instead of working off campus. My volunteer experience helped me land a work/study job at York. Work/study positions are basically on-campus part-time jobs for enrolled undergraduate students. I didn’t let being a commuter student hold me back from getting involved on campus. Since I lived relatively far from campus, finding a job on campus seemed easier to handle and I quickly learned it was one of the best choices I made during my undergrad. After having experienced both, I consider part-time jobs on campus better than part-time jobs off campus. In fact, I’ve dedicated an entire blog to it, here.
3. Discover All Parts of Campus:
On the Fall Campus Day tour, I saw the usual: lecture halls, seminar rooms, libraries, residence rooms and cafeterias. But what really mattered to me is that I could see myself in those same lecture halls, and studying in those same libraries. I do admit that I felt a little intimidated by the size of the campus, but what I found attractive was that no matter where my classes would be there was always a library, cafeteria, or place to hang out near by. I even learned that there were 4 Tim Hortons on campus, not to mention a Starbucks and Second Cup. I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker before university, but now I really appreciate the fact that there are so many cafes on campus. I also learned that I didn’t have to rush to the same spot in the library every week to get my work done because there were 3 other libraries on campus plus tons of other study spaces and resources within the colleges and buildings.
4. Run a Student Club or Meet Peers Through Student Clubs:
What I appreciated about York while on tour at FCD was how diverse the campus was. When my tour group arrived at the Student Center, we were told that York had 300+ student associations ranging from cultural to academic oriented clubs. These clubs are ratified by the York Federation of Students, which held awesome student events such as multicultural week, where York’s diverse community could show off their talents through dance, music, sports and the arts. In my third year at York I decided to open my own cultural student association and our group participated in several events at York. Running a student club helped me network with executive teams of other clubs, meet great friends, and taught me valuable team leadership and organization skills that helped me in my future endeavours.
Throughout my university journey, I felt like York was where I belonged and to this day I am still happy with my decision. I have just embarked on my second degree here and this campus really does feel like a second home to me. You can check out more pics from our last FCD below.
If you liked this post and are interested in visiting York for FCD Nov 8, RSVP here to receive exclusive detailed information leading up to the event! If you liked this blog or have any questions feel free to leave a comment, leave us a wall post on Facebook or tweet us @yorkustudents
Kren
Two degrees, double the insight. Read up on Kren's combined student and alumni experience as she delves into her second degree at York U.
