This blog was submitted by a reader, Anubha Momin (who also wrote Cut-Rate Culture)

I’ve gone through lists of Toronto’s best hair salons, but as someone with really basic hair requirements (trim, cut or grow-out bangs, add layers), I’ve never been able to justify spending over $60 on a cut. Sure, the experience at some of our city’s finer establishments can be fun or luxurious, but I’ve never risen from the stylist’s chair thinking, “Wow! Money well spent!”. That is, not until earlier this year when I tried the Marvel Beauty School. Since that fateful day in March, I have been enthusiastically recommending the school to anyone who will listen (or read). You may be nervous about getting your hair done by a student, but before you scorn the service entirely, read through this list of pros and cons!

PROS

1. Cost: It’s only $10 for a woman’s hair cut, and $7 for a man’s! The salon offers highlighting, updos, and other hair services as well. Prices will vary, but remain low.
2. Location: At 25 Yorkville Avenue, just north of Yonge and Bloor.
3. Staff: The students who are eligible to work in the salon have a certain amount of class time under their belts, so none of them are new to the trade (you’ll see the newbies practicing on mannequins, which is kind of creepy but entertaining). All the students who have cut my hair were also currently working at external salons, many in the Yorkville area, offering the exact same service at a much higher price. Also, there are always instructors on the floor, continuously inspecting the progress of each pupil.
4. Service: There are always cheerful support staff ready to explain the school’s available services and products. The instructors are also very helpful, offering advice to the students in a kind, courteous manner. The school’s salon is run in a professional, efficient way that does not make you feel like you are getting a budget haircut.
5. Altruism: As the client, you are also providing a service – the students need both the practice and the hours in order to receive their diplomas. Think of it as community involvement. In addition, should you investigate its client base, you will find that most of Marvel’s customers are elderly women; as such, the students are very excited to have young heads of hair that ask for something other than a full set of tight curlers.

CONS

1. No Appointments: The salon works on a drop-in basis. Though I’ve never had to wait more than ten minutes for a stylist, it is wise to have an empty block in your schedule before seeking a cut.
2. Hours of Availability: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 10:00-2:00; Wednesday, 10:00-5:00; Friday, 9:30-2:00; and Saturday (beginning September 12), 9:30-2:00. They don’t leave a lot of options for people with 9-5 jobs, but this should work into a student’s schedule. Just take note of the next con…
3. Lengthy Sessions: The students cum stylists are not only cutting your hair for you, but for themselves. Teachers are on-hand to critique or compliment their technique, so they tend to take a long time to finish the job. Be prepared to be sitting in that chair for about an hour, and after the ‘do, you’ll have to be inspected by an instructor before you can leave. Again, you need to have some time on your hands before you can go to Marvel.
4. Simple Styles: If you’re in the market for a brand new you, this may not be the right place, right now. Simple, standard haircuts are the way to minimize the risk of a bad hair day. And you must know what you want – the students are not going to offer many suggestions or try to convince you to try something else (this actually might be a pro…).

As students and consumers, many of us seek ways to save money, by buying used textbooks or taking advantage of student discounts on entertainment. Marvel Beauty School offers another way to minimize everyday costs while contributing to the teaching and training of its students. Give them a try, and let us know how you felt in the comments!

Contact Information:
Web: www.marvelschools.com
Phone: 416 923 0991
Address: 25 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON

The new school year is rolling around and the course textbook list is out now on the U of T Bookstore website.

Before you head on down to the bookstore and leave a dent in your credit card, you might want to try to:

1. BUY YOUR BOOKS USED

   You can get used books from a number of places, including:

   a) Book exchange websites, such as TUSBE (my favorite)
   b) The UTSU book exchange
   c) Websites that sell used books, such as abebooks.com and even Amazon
   d) Your friends!

   Don’t forget that the U of T Bookstore also sells used books, but you might be able to get a better deal if you look around other places.

2. BUY YOUR BOOKS FROM THE DISCOUNT BOOKSTORE

   If the book you want is the latest edition and you can’t get it used, then your best option is to buy it from the discount bookstore, located across the street from the U of T bookstore. The price difference isn’t crazy, but it’s probably the cost of a cheap meal.

3. SEE IF THERE’S AN ONLINE VERSION

   Sometimes if you Google hard enough, you can find a PDF version of a textbook you can view for free. You might prefer to have a hard copy of all the pages to carry around, though it can be handy for those times that you don’t have the book on you.

To make sure you are getting the right book for the right price, remember to:

• Check the ISBN number of the book you want with the one you’re buying
• Look around at the prices people are offering for the book and see if you can get a cheaper deal
• See if the book is actually “Required” for the course; I often find that I don’t even use books that are “Recommended.”

If you have any tips on buying or selling textbooks, leave them in the comments!

This was submitted by a reader, Anubha Momin:

Here comes September, and with it, tuition costs, book money, and empty wallets. As students, many can feel as though their money is stretched thin, that little is left for enjoyment and pleasure. An evening at the opera? Not possible… or is it? There are lots of ways to enjoy an evening of fine art, music, or dance in Toronto, but here are some of the city’s major institutions at some very minor price points.

Art Gallery of Ontario
A stunning building in and of itself, the new Frank Gehry-fied gallery houses more than 79,000 works and hosts a changing set of exhibitions.
Cost: FREE Wednesday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Website: http://www.ago.net/hours-admission

Canadian Opera Company
The largest Canadian producer of opera in the country’s largest city, the COC offers world-class performances out of the Four Seasons Performing Art Centre. The 2009/10 season includes opera classics like Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Bizet’s Carmen.
Cost: COC’s Opera for a New Age provides a limited number of tickets for most shows at $20 each for anyone under the age of 30. Book early for the best availability.
Website: http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/Under30/OperaforaNewAgeTickets.aspx

Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
Alright, so this may not be a “major” institution, but you don’t have to travel beyond the campus walls to indulge your inner artiste. The Barnicke Gallery is constantly changing its exhibits, and staff are always available to walk you through their collections.
Cost: FREE for all, all the time. Take note of opening night festivities, where the free entrance includes beverages, fruit, and cheese. As an added bonus, the gallery is within Hart House, which boasts its own impressive collection of art work.
Website: http://www.jmbgallery.ca/exhibitions.html

National Ballet of Canada
Headlined by Tchaikovsky’s perennial favourites, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, the National Ballet of Canada promises another stellar season of elegant, entertaining performances.
Cost: Anyone between the ages of 16 and 29 can register with DanceBreak in order to gain access to $20 tickets. DanceBreak tickets are purchasable online at midnight the day of performance.
Website: http://dancebreak.ca

Royal Ontario Museum
This fabulous attraction has been recently covered on blogUT, so I shall direct you to the post: https://blogut.ca/2009/08/02/travel-the-world-for-free.
Cost: FREE for post-secondary students on Tuesdays, half price for everyone Fridays from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Website: http://www.rom.on.ca/visit/tickets.php

If you have any other suggestions for enjoying Toronto’s cultural landscape, feel free to post them in the comments!