ZUBIN GELL, 18
Studying arts at U of T
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.
WHERE HE IS NOW: In residence at U of T
Iwas born and raised in Brooklyn, but I decided early on that I wanted to go to a Canadian university. New York schools are expensive, and I realized I could get the same quality of education for much cheaper if I moved north of the border. Plus, my mom’s Canadian, so I wouldn’t have to pay international tuition fees.
Because I was coming from another country,
I had to quarantine for two weeks. I’d been accepted into Chestnut Residence near Dundas and University, but I wasn’t allowed to quarantine there. So I booked a room in the Chelsea Hotel down the street, and my mom and I took a road trip across the border in late August.
I’d never spent a day of my life in Toronto before I arrived in September. They told my mom she wasn’t allowed to get out of her car once she dropped me off, so we said goodbye in the car, and I spent the next two weeks confined to my room. Hotel staff left food at my door twice daily. It was better than airplane food, but not by much. I talked with my family and girlfriend back home, played video games and watched a lot of Star Trek. A U of T nurse also called me every day to check if I had any Covid symptoms.
When the two weeks finally passed, the first thing I did was check in to my residence. It was still pretty desolate since the semester hadn’t started yet. Only two people were allowed in an elevator at once, and facilities like the gym were closed. I normally have dinner in my room, but if I need fresh air, I’ll sometimes eat at a small park across the street. Even though I’m a few weeks into the semester now, I only really run into people at that park or in my residence’s hallways.
Since I can’t really socialize, I’ve been spending a lot of time checking out my new city by bike: I’ve gone along the Waterfront Trail as far as Mississauga. My favourite area is High Park. I also like the Stockyards. I’ve applied to volunteer at an animal adoption centre there.
Virtual learning at my high school was bare bones—I wasn’t even in contact with my teachers by the end of the year—so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at U of T. Thankfully, they’ve done a good job. My five courses are on Quercus and Zoom, and lectures are either livestreamed or recorded and emailed to students.
I stick to a daily schedule: in the morning, I’ll eat breakfast while watching a Zoom lecture, then step outside for a break around noon and do homework in the afternoon. The professors have been more helpful than I expected. One of them even gave us his phone number to text him if we ever had any questions. I also have a lot of Zoom meetings with my profs and TAs, so I feel connected to what’s going on. I’m looking forward to the handful of in-person courses I’ve got next semester—if they happen, of course. I’m thinking of majoring in political science and history.
If Covid cases keep going up, I have a feeling I might not be able to visit my family for American Thanksgiving or over the Christmas break. But that’s okay. I’ve become a lot more selfreliant in the past few months. I’m used to being alone.