Scout your campus in advance!

When applying to college, I (like most people) applied to the schools that I had heard were the best for the field I was planning to study. After all, this seemed like a fairly fool-proof plan that in theory, couldn’t be beat. How wrong I was…

Toronto broke its record for most gun-related homicides in a year in 2005… Before the end of the summer. Yes, it was indeed a dangerous time to live around the city, and guess who was starting his first year at the college located nearest to it all.

A good portion of my friends have been mugged since first year, there’s weekly street shootings, someone was pistol-whipped for their laptop inside the school, and I fell asleep each night to the sound of gunshots ringing throughout the neighborhood. Not to mention the bank robbery that I watched unfold not only on TV, but through my bedroom window. In fact, I’m fairly certain that at least 20% of the people in my school aren’t even supposed to be there! I think it’s just a central hub for gangs to get together, play dominoes, and compare how far down their pants can sag.

Luckily, my life has thus far been spared. My 5′10″/150lb frame is clearly too intimidating for anyone to mess with. Let’s hope it stays this way.

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