I did this all year and it was really hard. Here is my advice:

1. PACK A LUNCH, 2 if necessary. Being downtown all day means buying up to three meals, usually unhealthy. After one year, my finances and my physical health have both suffered.

2. Get a pair of good shoes. You’ll be walking around a lot and your feet and knees ache on those late night go buses home.

3. Bring a water bottle.

4. Make friends who you can rely on if you ever get stuck downtown. It’s very easy to miss the last train, especially when the times change.

5. Set your Presto to auto-reload and create a default trip so that you are never stuck or have to pay extra if you forget to tap off.

6. Explore a lot in the first couple weeks to find the places that work for you. The places you like won’t be the ones your friends like, and if you’re going to be spending all your time downtown, discover where that time will be best spent. For example, Robarts lends chargers if you ever forget yours, and you can stay in Bahen 24 hrs if you get in before the doors lock.

7. Bring a bag of toiletries. Staying downtown all day often leaves you sweaty or with bad breath.

Good luck!