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We #hashtag everything nowadays (#duh), so much so that it’s now being used ironically (#yolo), satirized by people like Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake (#jt4lyfe). Needless to say, unless you’re using a hashtag with a purpose, you’re probably pretty tired of them now (#nokidding #soannoying #isitoveryet).

Once in a while, you find a worthwhile hashtag to use. One that you’re glad to tag on to tweets and facebook posts, one that you’re happy to use. One that makes you feel… Joy.

Every February, for two years now, U of T students have been using #joyatUofT to share the joys they’ve experienced here. The idea is to beat the mid-winter blues by lightening up and sharing the things that make us happy on campus.

I spent a lot of time thinking about it this year. As an undergrad student, it was easy for me to identify the things that made me smile on campus – daily bake sales at Sid Smith, finding that one empty couch at E.J. Pratt library, finally getting that A on the paper I worked really hard on.

For some reason, it’s harder for me this year. I don’t go to the places I used to go to anymore. My goal is completely different, now that I’m a grad student. What used to be a no-brainer – telling people the little joys I experience at school – is suddenly harder to articulate. Do any of you feel the same way?

Maybe it’s because the things we enjoy have changed. Rather than feeling happy over praise from a professor on a job well done, you feel happy when a student drops by your office hours just to say ‘thank you’. Instead of feeling the joy of completing a one-day lab, you feel the elation from a successful research study. Gone are the days where finding an empty seat at the library was a victory – now you may have a little nook or corral you call your own.

So what gives you joy at U of T? Use #joyatUofT and join the conversation on Twitter throughout the month of February. To really get into the spirit of things, keep an eye out for the spiffy #joyatUofT button around campus!

Picture courtesy of Michael from the Student Life Community Crew.