top 10 spots to exist on the st. george campus

study spots

sidney smith commons: west side (the side that’s not facing st. george st)

this humble study area might seem unassuming at first, but you’ll soon find that it is one of the only true consistently quiet study spots on campus. something about the location of the room within the building and the dim prison-like lighting makes this the best spot to get into a quick flow during that awkward 2-hour gap you have between classes. it’s just insanely quiet. i don’t even put on earbuds when working here because the silence is so plush and velvety. i think it might be because it’s facing a street that’s a lot less busy?

this is the singular and only place i have ever been able to get work done in short blocks on campus. usually my brain gets anxious about doing deep work if i don’t have at least a 3-hour free block, but i’ve been able to do so much even in just 30mins here. also, they only have comfortable chairs, which is something that a lot of other popular spots don’t offer (most floors on robarts, myhal, the east side sid smith commons, etc.)

knox college library

it’s places like this that made uoft feel so worth it for me. the high ceilings create an amazing sense of space, and walking into this library on a sunny day immediately takes a feeling of burden off your chest purely because of how beautiful and spacious it is. the floor-to-ceiling vaulted windows offer a ton of natural light, and the wooden desks are really grounding to touch. like all the older libraries located in the religious colleges, unfortunately this one doesn’t have many chargers available, so make sure you’re fully loaded up before you go. you can take breaks inside the gorgeous knox college quad as well, which is so beautiful that you will often find engaged couples taking wedding photos here. it gets really lovely closer to the summer as people are hanging out on front campus and everything outside becomes washed in greenery (not that i would know though, as front campus was closed for construction basically my entire undergrad lol).

bahen: 2nd floor, computer science labs

something i realized about midway through my undergrad is that the best all-nighters are pulled in a windowless room, because you don’t realize the passage of time that way and can get more immersed into your work without the stress of seeing the sun rise.

as such, i present to you my favourite place to pull an all-nighter on the west side of campus - the bahen computer science labs! contrary to the very lovely engineering science lounge in the same building that is covered with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, this room is completely devoid of any access to the outside world. the cold fluorescent lighting is sure to prevent your melatonin production from kicking into gear all night. also the chairs tend to be comfortable, the a/c is always on (so make sure to bring a sweater), and the lab machines are always great to have on hand.

unfortunately, you do need to be a computer science student to be able to gain access to the lab, and people inside don’t really open the door often, so if you’re not able to get inside this is not that reliable of an option.

robarts library: 4th floor

i’m not partial to the robarts commons, purely because of how crowded it gets, but because the ceilings are so high on the 4th floor of robarts it never feels as claustrophobic (even though it can get really busy here too). this is my preferred place to study with friends, because you won’t need to worry about getting in a (respectful) yap session, but you can still do some actual work if you really want to because the desks are really comfortable to work on. it’s also stunning early in the mornings around 8am, because it’s completely empty and you get all the warm sunlight to yourself. this is my personal favourite place to drop by if i have a 9am exam and want to do a last minute review of my notes.

emmanuel college library

like all the religious college libraries, this one is gorgeous too. it looks like it came straight out from a novel, and it’s probably the coziest library on campus since it’s quite small. this place is so nice during wintertime! and the best part is that every seat has an electric outlet, which is really rare for these older libraries. unfortunately it does close at 5pm on the dot every day, so you can’t stay here for long periods of time.

emmanuel college library, sometime in my 3rd year

i really like this one because not many people really know about it, so it’s never super packed. there’s also some really comfy sofas right outside of the library if you want to be able to chat with your friend.

myhal: 4th floor, locker areas

i hate studying at myhal because unless you get a room, all the chairs are literally the worst to sit on. however! my friend jessica showed me the locker areas and i changed my mind. it’s so quiet in here and you still get a nice amount of light because of the windows, plus there is literally never anyone in these areas. it’s perfect for studying with friends or getting a quick half an hour in if you have classes in the building. or just to scroll tiktok in blissful peace.

gerstein

i love all of gerstein. by far the best overall building to study on in campus. it’s only lower on my list purely because i stay on st. george st most days, so it’s a bit of a longer walk to get here if i’m already on campus. it’s breathtaking both during the summer and during the winter because the windows open out in a grassy area filled with trees, and it has sooooo many options and private rooms you can book. if you want a more sterile, quiet environment, you can get it; if you want something more romantic, the reading room is amazing; if you want something more modern, the basement area has a newly renovated, decked out study zone. it’s just the best place on campus for work. the only problem is that the temperature control in here can get a little wonky in between seasons (sometimes there’s no a/c in the summer, or it’ll be too cold in the winter).

honorable mention: kelly library

kelly’s brutalist library is good for one thing and one thing only: exam crunchtime with friends, because it is literally the only place that will get you to shut up and work so you can leave as fast as physically possible. it’s super quiet, the sound gets really nice and muffled by the stacks, and the lighting is completely miserable. there’s also not enough electric outlets for everyone, so it’s great motivation to finish everything before you run out of battery on your laptop. the only good thing about kelly is that it’s close to bay st and yonge st so there’s easier access to yummy food.

hangout spots

university college quad

this is the crown jewel of campus for me. while there are objectively prettier and better maintained quads, something about the casually overgrown grass, the haphazardly placed tables, and the open space makes this the absolute best quad for hangs or campus breaks. because the uc buildings are a bit taller than the rest of the older buildings on campus and the trees are older, it frames the sunlight coming in a lot better than the other quads, creating this really soft, warm feeling even as you go deeper into autumn. this is the perfect place for a gardening session, some lunch, a tiktok scroll, a cheeky campus nap, or a bit of journaling. it’s also pretty fast to get to from st. george st, and it never really gets too crowded.

i’ve taken friends here so often for hangs, long conversations, and photos. i just really love it here, it’ll always have a fond place in my heart.

utsu student commons

full disclosure, i’ve literally only been here twice because it’s just so far to get to compared to everything else on campus, but if you live near the southwest corner of campus you might like this place a lot. it’s really modern so definitely a different vibe to hang out at, but it’s really well equipped. they’ve got tons of rooms with gaming consoles you can book, lots of board games, a turntable for vinyl records, bean bags, and lots of microwaves to heat up lunch. the ceilings are also pretty high, so it feels nice and spacious. i really like it whenever there are events here, like board game nights!

hart house: piano rooms (bickersteth room)

you can walk in and book the piano rooms for an hour, so this is a really nice option for non-music faculty students who don’t want to take a gamble waiting in front of the practice rooms on wellesley st. my personal favourite is the one on the topmost floor, it’s a really small room so it’s nice and private, you don’t have to worry about the whole building potentially hearing you. everything is made of wood, so it’s really cozy! this is a really nice spot to take a breather and plink plonk a bit to de-stress in the middle of the day. there’s also a full length mirror, so you can take some selfies… or practice a bit of singing… lol.

philosopher’s walk

i go on walks here pretty often with my roommate even now that i’ve graduated! it’s just a really nice and quiet stretch of greenery, and i really like it because you can always hear music students practicing something or other in the rcm building. there also used to be a trombonist who would practice out on the grass pretty often when i was in school. just a really nice place to go on a walk or have lunch.

victoria college quad

i used to pass through this quad every day going home from school and it was singlehandedly the only thing that helped me keep my grip on my sanity. it’s nice during the nighttime, even better during the daytime, and i love all the dogs that play here. my absolute favourite corner of campus is actually in this quad, down the stairs, right before you exit the area. i think its government name is the lester b. pearson garden for peace and understanding (whew), but during the summer they turn on a waterfall here, and the flowers attract so many butterflies and bees. it’s straight out of a fairytale, especially with the stunning japanese maple they planted.

i have a wonderful memory of playing the legendary battle against colgera in legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom for the first time ever here :”)

places to eat

innis cafe (now acacia cafe at wycliffe college)

warm staff, delicious coffees, and yummy sandwiches, innis cafe was probably one of the best campus food spots i frequented during my undergrad. i was introduced to them by my friend zini who was a fervent advocate, and we were both really sad that it was shut down when innis college underwent renovations. i have heard from a little birdie that they are now at wycliffe however, so you can still try some of their delicious menu items!

caffiends

this victoria college student initiative is one of the sweetest things on campus. it is an entirely volunteer-run cafe, selling quite a large variety of drinks. they do not give the drinks in to-go cups but instead reusable mugs that you bring back at the end of the day. this small detail always made me feel so warm inside because i feel like it is such a strong marker of the unique sense of community that you get when you’re living inside the university or college bubble: a collective level of trust, a strong sense of environmental justice, and a willingness to try implementing new things. though their drinks aren’t gourmet or anything like that, you probably won’t be able to find any place that has cheaper coffee and tea, and they always, always have plant milks on hand.

caffein coffee truck

i really hope this coffee truck long outlasts this blog post because they are hands down my favourite “food truck” available on campus. they offer an assortment of truly unique coffee drinks with flavour profiles that i had never tried before. they are ballsy enough to combine something as acidic as grapefruit sparkling water with an americano, and they handle it with enough subtlety that it actually works! i have never tried coffee like it before it in toronto, and it’s really funny to me that i got the experience from a food truck on uoft of all things. the staff is always really friendly too. i really recommend them!

i look back on my time overall in uni with a lot of fondness. during graduation i had to say goodbye to a sweeter version of myself that i felt like i could give a little more slack, shield her from some of the hardships in the world. i also had to part ways with a lot of treasured friends, though thankfully some of them continue to be in the same city. it’s been a few months, and some days i truly miss the way i grinded so single-mindedly in my early uni years - i feel like every day i find a new thing to worry about. but i also have the confidence now to carve out my own life with my own hands - with my friends!