A day in the life of second-year Social Work student, Ruth
Over the last few weeks I have been talking to students in different programs and faculties to learn about their day in the life at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). My last chat was with Ruth Dinzala, a second-year Social Work student in the Faculty of Community Services.
A couple of fun facts about Ruth: she can speak French and loves to sing. On top of this, she has an academic interest in learning about anti-racism and anti-oppression practices.
Hadiqah: What does a typical day at TMU look like for you?
Ruth: I’m on campus almost every single day, so I have 8 a.m. classes until my latest at 6 p.m. My favourite class is SWP 335: Power Resistance and Change and I love it because my professor is a very understanding and engaging person. We talk about anti-racism and oppression, while also preparing for presentations. A skill we need to have when dealing with a client [when in the Social Work field] could be advocating or [answering] open-ended questions — so we do roleplays on these skills in front of the class.
After class, I work with National Student Recruitment as a student ambassador for the campus tours office. I give tours to prospective students, parents or all sorts of people who are interested in coming to TMU. When I’m not doing tours, I usually stay in the office and complete other tasks. I’m actually a student lead for Open House, which is coming up on Saturday, November 9, and my colleague and I are preparing and interviewing applicants who can support us at [the event].
H: What do you like about working at TMU events and why should future students attend?
R: I love getting myself involved. When I was thinking about applying to TMU, I knew that they had the best events. The Offset and G-Eazy concert happened last month and it was free for full-time students. They have workshops on mental health and wellness, careers or application assistance.
I love working at Open House because I get to meet with future students. Students are in the process of making up their minds about where they want to go and our goal is to say, “Hey, come to TMU!” So, working at Open House gives me the opportunity to engage with them, [learn] the things that they’re interested in and [share] the different resources such as events, clubs and opportunities.
A glimpse into the Campus Tours office where Ruth works!
H: What advice do you have for students preparing to apply to TMU?
R: Don’t apply late and apply now when you have the time. Don’t stress yourself [out] — just follow the deadlines! When I was in the process of applying to universities, yes, of course, I was very stressed. I told myself that I shouldn’t be thinking so negatively — I knew that I met the requirements and I submitted my application before the deadline. From there, I decided to think positively about my process and be confident enough about it.
There are multiple routes to achieving career and life goals and university is just one of many options. Stay calm, focused and remember that things often work out even if the path isn’t exactly as planned.
H: Why did you choose TMU?
R: I chose TMU because there was a session I attended and a staff member gave us brief information about the university. It was all about the stuff [TMU] has to offer academically and outside of campus.
When you look at the city of Toronto in relation to my program, there are different things you can do here. While being in my program, I can do my placement in hospitals. Other than hospitals, Social Work students [can also] work for community centres, mental health clinics, child welfare agencies, refugee and immigrants services and schools.
Ruth had one last bit of advice for future students, “When it comes to the grades, go for higher. The higher your GPA, the [better your chances may be].” With that said, I also highly recommend taking advantage of your academic and personal strengths and consider exploring TMU’s scholarships and awards.
Speaking with Ruth was a great way to conclude my Day in the Life series interviews and to learn about campus tours and Open House! If you're interested in learning more from current TMU students, don’t forget to take a look at future student events for additional ways to get in touch.
Talk to you later,
Hadiqah