Looking Back, Looking Forward: Interviews with Trinity’s Young and Old

With spring on the horizon (ish), big changes are coming to Trinity College. Like newborn animals, first years are setting off on wobbly legs, eager for what their futures will bring. On the other hand, older, wiser, and somewhat more mature fourth years are leaving their proverbial den to enter the cold, hard world of graduate school and office spaces.

From sides both young and old, the College is being swept in a haze of nostalgia for the past and hope for what is to come. To encapsulate this sentiment, the Salterrae has interviewed both Fourth and First Years at Trinity in an effort to glean their thoughts, memories, and snippets of advice for our readers. We hope that you will enjoy their answers as much as we have.

The Fourth Years

What were some of your goals coming into Trinity in first year?

“My main goals when I came to Trinity were to get as involved in the traditional side of the College as possible, because that stood out to me as marking Trinity as different from other colleges at U of T, or even from other universities. I was also determined to start a fresh page of my life, and be a lot more open to new experiences.”

Guy Taylor

“I came to Trinity because of Trinity One, which in hindsight was a pretty uninformed decision. While Trinity One was a great experience, it represents such a small part of my experience at Trinity. I was determined to be an IR Specialist and so I took courses that I needed to fulfill pre-requisites instead of what really interested me. As a result, I did poorly in the courses that I wasn’t actually interested in. Thankfully, by second year I realized that it was more important to love what you were studying than to take courses you think are going to impress grad schools.”

Craig Gilchrist

Looking back on your four years of undergrad, can you think of one of your favourite memories? Why is this particular moment special?

“Looking back at my undergrad, there have been some very memorable moments – Bubbly, birthday parties, all-nighters etc. What I know I will take with me forever however are those quiet evenings spent at Trinity with my friends, where we simply enjoyed each other’s company. I am so grateful for the friends that I have made here, and I hope to always have them as a part of my life.”

Caroline Leps

“Coming out of first year, I had somehow acquired two gowns. I don’t know how, a lot of people left things in my room in first year, but regardless, I had an extra. One of my roommates, on the other hand, had lost his. He argued my extra gown was actually his. I maintained it was not. In order to resolve the issue we decided to see who could eat a package of raw Ramen noodles faster. The winner got the extra gown. I maintained I won, because part of the challenge was to not leave any noodles on the ground and my roommate made a mess, but technically he didn’t finish his vegetarian Ramen before I could guzzle down my chicken flavoured noodles. At the time, I did not enjoy the experience. Looking back, its the type of thing that I’ll miss about undergrad.”

Dryden Storm

How does the person you were in first year compare to who you are now?

“People say that U of T crushes your spirit, but I’m actually a lot more optimistic now than I was coming here. In first year, everything was up in the air; I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know whether I had what was necessary to get there. I’m also a lot more aware of others; before, I didn’t really understand mental health issues, gender equity, or really any other type of biases in society. I’m continuing to learn how to be a valuable contributor to these conversations while recognizing my privileges - a factor which I was totally oblivious to before coming here.”

Tina

“I don’t believe that people can reinvent themselves when they come to university, so who I fundamentally am hasn’t really changed over the past four years, but certain things about me have changed. I am much more comfortable in my own skin now than I was when I started at Trinity. Trinity is an environment that has let me expose a lot of the inner craziness that I suppressed in high school. I’m not afraid to dance like an idiot or study things that interest me regardless of people think or say about it.”

Craig

What advice would you give to your first year self?

“I would tell first year Dryden not to wear cowboy boots to concerts because they are really hard to get off when you are drunk.”

Dryden

“There will be times when you disappoint yourself, and you will definitely disappoint other people. Be sure to keep things in perspective and try your best to balance having high expectations for yourself while being realistic.”

Tina

Well, my first-year-self is stubborn and won't take my advice anyway...but that's not such a bad thing. Even though first year was filled with ups and downs, I learned so much about both myself and other people that year. I wouldn't really change a thing, because the tumultuous nature of that year allowed me to grow.

Sarah Levy

Would you have done anything differently about your undergraduate experience? If so, what?

“I’m not sure if I would have done anything differently. As cliché as it is, all the mistakes I made during undergrad (and there were quite a few!) turned out to be learning opportunities that in the long-run I am grateful for.”

Caroline

“I could go back and properly plan out my degree, do my breadth courses earlier, and have a well structured university path. But by doing that I wouldn't have all the bumps and knocks that force you to learn and adapt from your mistakes, or the experiences that helped move you towards different directions or destinations. So as great as it would be for undergrad to have been all smooth sailing, the lessons learnt on the road have helped shape me and my university experiences as much as the highlights have. So no, I wouldn't change a thing.”

Guy

I would have taken advantage of academic travel opportunities more. I probably wouldn't have chosen to study abroad for a whole semester, but I wish I did a course abroad during the summer or applied for a Travel Fund Request. I wish I made the most of those opportunities more, but I don't regret how I spent my time at Trinity or in Toronto in general.

Sarah

The First Years

Why did you choose to come to Trinity? Are you happy with that decision so far?

“I was always set on studying in Toronto. Looking into U of T I stumbled upon Trin, did some research and immediately fell in love. The diverse and small community full of tradition really appealed to me, and I have to say that I currently could not be happier. I can’t see myself studying and living anywhere else.”

Sofia Jelovac

Do you have a favourite memory of Trinity?

“I don’t have a specific favourite memory, but probably my favourite thing about living here is the conversations at Strachan. I’m a big fan of Strachan sitting - during exam season I once stayed in Strachan for 12 hours straight. I feel like sitting for hours with different people, talking about everything from gossip to current events and eating as many Strachan cookies as possible, is something I will look back on fondly when I don’t live here anymore.”

Tamsyn Riddle

“It’s really hard to pick one specific memory, as my first year has been filled with great and unforgettable moments. The first thing that comes to mind is Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It’s quite unreal to see students, from first year to fourth, despite all differences, come together and celebrate something. Also, despite not being a particular moment, the friends I have made who instantly became like family, have given me many special things to remember when I am old, grey and senile.”

Cassandra Geisel

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

“In three years, hopefully I will be passing everything and will still be a forestry major”

Basil Patrick-Southey

“In three years I see myself in the last year of my undergrad, freaking out about what I want to do with my life. But I’m used to not knowing what I want to do; I like it that way because I don’t close myself from opportunities I wouldn’t see otherwise.”

Sofia

“In three years I see myself as an experienced Model United Nations delegate and committee chair who has at least under ten university-level conferences under my belt.”

Stanley Chia

“I’ll be in my fourth year of Criminology (and whatever else I decide to major in), probably ecstatic to be completing my undergrad. I want to prove to myself that my good qualities will become even better and that I can succeed despite my personal shortcomings and anxieties. I really want to be at peace with myself and happy with my accomplishments.”

Cassandra Geisel

Do you have any big goals for your undergrad?

“To get signed to a semi-reputable record company, if I'm being honest, and starting a music career. Also, publishing my first novel, which is a comedy/fantasy thing I've been writing for three years.”

Bosibori Moragia

If you could tell your future self one thing to remember, what would it be?

“Look, D's get degrees, and you don't want to go to med school.”

Basil

“It’s cliché, but I hope I never forget how lucky I am. This summer I volunteered in Tanzania and I met someone who had wanted to go to U of T but couldn’t afford it even with a major scholarship. University can be really stressful and I’m sure it will get a lot more so after first year, but we’re also getting a great education. I never want to forget that there are a lot of people who wish they had this opportunity.”

Tamsyn

“Stop procrastinating, get to work and balance out passions with rational things to do.”

Stanley