A 2020 transfer student reflects on coming home
When I packed my bags to attend an American college in 2013, I didn’t know what was in-store for me. I knew that it would consist of lecture halls filled with students, warm beer, and manicured greens. This new adventure was (somewhat) far away from home and an adventure where I knew no one. But, to be honest, I was mostly excited. The opportunity for a fresh start in a new country felt bigger, and perhaps most importantly, different. I loved it. I spent seven years living in different parts of the Northeast spending time in Providence, Washington D.C., and New York City. Four years in college, two years working, and one year in law school.
All it took was a global pandemic, the rise of populism, and TikTok to induce me to come home. After spending many years away, I thought I could share some reflections on returning to the Great White North after living in the U.S. for the better part of a decade.
When I started college, I felt different. In jest, I got made fun of for how I spoke. This good humored “chirping” continued when I started working. Despite the cultural similarities between the United States and Canada, there are different words for the same thing and other words that are the same but said differently. Pawsta instead of Pa(h)sta. SUBSTANtive in the United States vs. SubSTANTive here. Beanie instead of toque. A 30 rack of beer instead of a two-four. The slight idiosyncratic distinctions add up.
The delivery of education is called different things in Canada and the U.S. At U of T Law, classes are described as “lectures” whereas at the University of Michigan Law School, my previous school, they were called “classes.” I think the distinction is substantive. At Michigan Law, students did almost all of the talking without notice. The success of learning depended on your classmates, and you never knew who was going to be on-call. At U of T, professors do an excellent job distilling concepts and pulling out the key doctrinal learnings for students (in varying formats because of COVID-19). The more Socratic U of T professors, at least so far in my experience, provide people with a heads up that they are going to be called on on a specific day.
I don’t know if one is better. It is just different. But, I guess my midterms will be the judge!
Both student populations are wonderful; I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend such great schools. Although COVID-19 has taken schools online, those first few weeks at U of T allowed me to meet some of my classmates and feel somewhat integrated into the community. I feel lucky. The intelligence, commitment to excellence, and general willingness to be friendly are a deep part of U of T’s community (and were a part of Michigan, as well). I feel fortunate to attend law schools where other students are committed to helping one another succeed. I’ve been able to meet great people through study groups, student organizations, and classes. By no means has it been easy. It’s difficult to strike up a conversation with someone wearing a mask sitting six feet away. But I feel lucky to be a part of legal communities where the students are nice, smart, and inclusive.
