One of my extremely vivid elementary school memories include my 7th grade teacher attempting to teach us the definition of an oxymoron. When she asked us to give an example to show that we understood, she started us off by saying ‘Cafeteria – food’. Harharhar.
Another girl said ‘bitter-sweet’. Finally it came to my turn and I replied ‘TTC – Schedule’. I have always hated the Toronto Transit System. It’s the number one factor for being late, aggravated and smelling like an expire sardine can.
In my previous post I offered part 1 of the Commuter Survival Guide – The Apps, but not all of us have smartphones; here’s your Commuter Survival Guide on the Top Online Applications to use
1.. TTC Trip Planner
Avoid ever having to estimate your commute time again by planning your destination route through TTC Trip Planner. This online application allows you to calculate the quickest transit route and ballpark time that it will take you to get from point A to point B.
2. Facebook Collaborative Groups
Facebook is in fact a very good studying tool (of course we have to be careful because we all know what happened to poor Andrew Wallace). Facebook chat can be used to share quick notes and collaborations but for those of you looking for insight, quick tips, partners, even job postings try creating a collaborative group specific to your program. By easily tighten up your privacy settings on the group, you can confidently share posts, ask questions, even sell old books directly to the people in your program who are looking for them without having to worry about information falling into the wrong hands. This also eases up some of the annoying mass email traffic…somewhat.
3. Check Emails Every Morning
I can’t stress this enough. There is nothing more annoying than sitting in an empty lecture hall wondering where the hell everyone is, only to find out that you missed the email notifying you that your class was cancelled that day. Check your email at least twice a day, most importantly in the morning for any updates and perhaps in the evening if you have a chance.
Also, don’t be afraid of taking advantage of the mass email options on Blackboard. If you’re having an issue, looking to form a study group or even unable to commute to school one day and looking to borrow someone else’s notes – take advantage of the mass emailing option, you’d be surprised by how many people can help you. Word of advice though, when I say take advantage I don’t mean treat it like Twitter and constantly keep others in your program updated. Remember, these DO get annoying.
4 .Twitter Lists
Twitter is one of the easiest ways to keep up to date. I suggest creating lists for specific school entities and checking up on them often so that you’re always in the loop.
Tip: Make a list following these accounts to stay updated on all that going on in and around campus
@RyersonU, @RUstudentLife, @AskMeRU, @RUAcademicLink, @theeyeopener, @TheRyersonian, @RyersonDMZ, @RyeronLibrary, @TriMentoring, @TEDxRyersonU, @EggyTheMascot, @RyeWhiteRibbon, @RUfarmersmarket
Tip: Follow your program specific Twitter account rep and add your peers to the List to get program news.
@RTARyerson (Radio and Television Arts)
@RyersonJourn (School of Journalism)
@LBSA (The Law and Business Student Association),
@HTMSA (Hospitality and Tourism Management Student Association)
@RUSOPHe (SOPHe Student Course Union)
@RCS_Online (The Ryerson Commerce Society)
@HRSA (The official account of the Human Resources Student Association)
@IMAUnion (Image Arts students union)
@RMAryerson (Ryerson Marketing Association)
@raccounting (Ryerson Accounting)
@RyersonEngineer (Ryerson Engineering Student Society)
@CJSA (Criminal Justice Students’ Association)
@RyersonNP (Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program)
@ChangSchool (G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education)
Look out for more upcoming commuter survival tips – Part 3: Routine Practices
What are some of your commuter survival tips?
What Twitter feeds do you follow to stay-up-to-date on campus news?
