Graphic Courtesy / Anna-Maria Kaleoski and Dianne Khaye Ruaya

FOOD OPTIONS

UTSC’s idea of gourmet is the H-wing Marketplace, which is tasty but overpriced. Ole reliable: Pizza Pizza in the Marketplace. Cheap, quick and healthy: Subway is your man. Stay away from Asian Gourmet. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. SCSU’s Rex’s Den: mediocre service, pretty layout, decent and affordable food. Be daring!

THE GYM
A great place to meet people, UTSC’s Athletics and Recreation offers workout equipment and several fitness classes; hip-hop, Zumba, yoga – whatever floats your boat. Most first year exams are also in the gym so you’ll definitely have some great (read: miserable) memories here.

LIBRARY
Probably not what you think of when you imagine a university library, but take what you can get. It’s too loud and cold, but the library is a cozy place to hit the books. Don’t hesitate to tell the people next to you to shut the hell up. During exams, the library has extended hours.

STUDY SPACE
UTSC’s biggest flaw: not enough study space – finding a good spot is like finding gold. You can find quiet study rooms upstairs in the library, outside the ARC and in the Instructional Centre. There are group study rooms in IC and the library, but the latter need to be booked on Intranet. You’ve probably noticed the cubicles floating around in the S-wing and H-wing – not ideal study environments, but can work well on a quiet day (Bring a sweater in the winter). If all else fails, a good corner might suffice.

BATHROOMS
They may be dark, the lights may flicker, but that is the beauty of the fourth floor bathrooms in the H-Wing. Other notables: third floor Social Sciences building, Instructional Centre (for now), AA building. Our tip: the higher you go, the cleaner the bathroom. Altitude is your friend.

THE VALLEY
X marks the spot indeed, because if UTSC has a hidden treasure, this is it. Here you’ll find the mysterious Miller Lash House, tennis courts, a bridge over water, and of course, that steep, scary meandering pathway.

STUDENT CENTRE
The building with the highest traffic at UTSC, home to The Underground, the SCSU, Department of Student Life, Campus Xpress, a few trusty places to eat and more offices. Your requisite pit stop to refuel.

ACADEMIC BUILDINGS
The new Instructional Centre takes the cake, but it’s dominated by management students (They pay higher tuition, go figure). The AA and Social Sciences building (ex-Management wing) are strong runners-up. Some call the Humanities and Science wings classic – we call them depressing. Give it a month; you’ll think so too.

HANGOUT SPOTS
Not a lot of these, either. Students flock to the library to socialize, but you’ll definitely piss off students who actually want to study. Other popular spots: Tim Horton’s, the Meeting Place, Student Centre and the Marketplace – pretty much anywhere you can find a seat (food is a bonus!).

MAKE OUT SPOTS
For nippers and peckers, the Meeting Place couches will do. Other options: the surprisingly sensual H-wing stairwell, the TV lounge, second floor of the student centre, Bladen wing locker room, the Valley, etc. Be creative. (And elusive.)

– Files Courtesy / Sadaf Ahsan and Aly Kassam