There are two spaces focused on non-res students!
The NRAC office is the base of non-resident operations is in the northwest corner of the Buttery. The common room (or office, or cave, or whatever) is open all day and provides access to Mac and PC computers, a printer, AC adapters for students in need, a fridge, a PS3, a TV, and quite a bit more. Any Trinity student is free to drop by for snacks, coffee, a chat, or TV and videogames. Just outside the NRAC entrance is a notice board that is frequently updated with events or information relevant to both resident and non-resident students. Feel free to drop by anytime, especially if it's your first time!
The Buttery is the large room located inside the first floor of the Gerald Larkin Building, in between Trinity and St. Hilda's. This wheel-chair accessible building has a cafeteria, study space, a lounge, washrooms, events space, and a fireplace. The space is open to all students. The relaxed setting makes it a perfect spot for informal meetings with your TAs, Dons, or whoever else needs a piece of your mind. The significant amount of space also makes the Buttery the perfect location for the all-important Trinity College Meetings.
First and foremost, stay in touch! The best way to be involved in different events, clubs, activities and life in general around the college is to know when these events/clubs/activities are going to be held! Follow your student heads on Facebook and Twitter for frequent updates and weekly publications of Trin This Week. And if you have any specific questions regarding student life or non-resident affairs, please get in touch with us via email at heads@trinlife.com (for general inquiries) or nrac@trinlife.com (for non-res enquiries). And, of course, continue to check on http://trinlife.net for frequent updates to the official events calendar, important documents, elections results, contact information, and much more.
Non-Res are more than welcome to eat at any of the College dining halls and since dinner is an important aspect of Trin social life, we recommend that you try it out at least once. The atmosphere of regular dinners, high table nights, and "special" meals like Christmas and Thanksgiving Dinners is an experience not to be missed. All non-residents are entitled to 15 free meals per year, pre-loaded on their T-Card, and additional meal credits can be purchased through the Bursar's Office. If you don't want to partake in the unique culinary experience of the dining halls, you are welcome to bring your own food at no charge and eat with your friends (in fact, this has often been cited as one of the best ways to make new friends and stay involved in Trin social life while living off res).
Gowns must be worn for late dinner in Strachan Hall, which is held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6-7pm and especially at high table dinners on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. You might consider getting your own gown, not only because gowns are a glorious tradition dating back to the earliest days of Oxbridgian academia, but for convenience's sake as well— you'll need one to participate in traditions such as gowning-in, TCMs and the Lit. However, if you need to borrow a gown, you may do so at either the Trinity or St. Hilda Porter's Lodge.
Non-res students may purchase a locker for a small yearly fee of $30 and can really come in handy! If you plan on staying late, and are unable to stay with a friend, two non-resident rooms are available on a nightly basis, one in St. Hilda's and one in Trinity. These rooms can be booked through the Porter's Lodges for a nominal fee (for linen service). The non-res rooms are also useful if you have a morning exam scheduled but you live far from campus. Unfortunately, with only two non-resident rooms available, they tend to be booked quickly during exam periods and for the nights of big parties, so plan ahead. Don't forget, you can always ask your friendly neighborhood resident Head if you can crash in their common room. Most of them have spare blankets and pillows put away just for the occasion so don't be shy!
One of the best and easiest ways to make friends who share your interests is by joining one of many of Trinity's student-run clubs. There are a handful of levied clubs, which you can get involved with and dozens of non-levied ones that will have booths at September's club fest and will post announcements and their events on trinlife. If you can't find anything that interests you, start your own club!