Here is your quick guide to all the best spots on campus for whatever you are into.
Hey first years, have any of you gotten lost since arriving to campus on that very first day? I, for one, have gotten lost so many times that I’ve lost count. Despite those unnerving experiences, I’ve wandered enough around campus to know where I’m going and where I need to be with the help of some friends and upper-year students.
If you’re still trying to find your way around campus, let me help you.
Getting Around
The overall layout of the campus is mostly circular, revolving around the Students’ Centre located in the middle of the campus. Here you can find Chatime and our very own on-campus pub: the Blind Duck.
I have yet to try the food from here, but I’ve heard many good things and look forward to trying it in the near future. The Duck Stop (which is a convenience store on-campus) and the Multi-faith Prayer room can be found directly in front of the Students’ Centre’s front door.
If you’re rushing to get to class and need a quick snack, I would recommend checking out the Duck Stop. There is rarely a line, which makes it a great place for a grab-and-go snack, especially if you’re tight on time.
The Kaneff Centre, Communications, Culture, and Technology (CCT) building, and the Davis building (DV) are all located about one minute away from the Students’ Centre. If you’re heading to the gym or the RAWC, the quickest way is to get there is through Davis. While there, you can enjoy many of the drop-in sports the RAWC has to offer like basketball, soccer, or dodgeball. If you’re not into organized sports, then the gym is the place to go. Feel free to drop by anytime during the week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends.
Just outside of the RAWC, you can find the South Field which is where most of our varsity teams compete against other universities. Don’t be afraid to come out and cheer them on! The women’s team take to the pitch this Saturday at 1:00 p.m., and the men’s team plays afterwards at 3:00 p.m.
Food
Hungry or low on energy after your workout? You can find Booster Juice near the south entrance of the RAWC. It’s always a great pick-me-up after an intense workout.
As for solid food, UTM has a new food court that boasts dishes from Thai Express, Harveys, Pizza Pizza, and Mongolian Grill, among others. Be warned: you could be in line waiting for your food for 40 minutes to an hour. Across from the food court is Tim Hortons, a Canadian classic.
Personally, the food courts in the DV building and the IB building are the two places I would recommend going to on campus.
Bentosushi, Subway, and Quesada can be found in the IB building, which makes it one of the best places to go if you want to eat something a bit healthier. Unless you’re living on campus, I would recommend against eating at the cafeteria in OPH—the quality of the food isn’t exactly worth the price.
Study Spaces
If you just want to do some light reading, I recommend the upper-levels of Deerfield. It has comfy sofas, relaxing armchairs, and a quiet atmosphere.
If you want to study, you can either try to find a seat in the library basement or go to the study carrels on the third and fourth floors. There are also some carrels on the second floor of the CCT building, but with the number of students waiting for their classes to start, that area gets crowded and loud fast.
But if the library is full (like it usually is), the best place to go and study is the OPH cafeteria. It’s quite empty throughout the day, has some comfy chairs, and you’re only a few feet away from solid snacks and food.
UTM is a small, close-knit campus, which makes it easy to get from building to building and class to class. Not only is this campus close-knit, but it also incorporates a lot of its environment and nature into its design and layout. And keep your eyes peeled—you might just see a deer roaming around campus.
