The Mighty DIY

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So I’ve never been all that handy of a person. Creative, yes, but handy? No. Case in point: I bought 5 simple wooden shelves from Ikea in January that are still merrily leaning against my bedroom wall. It’s (sigh) May.

Perhaps it was the home culture I grew up in – don’t get me wrong, my family is wonderful and have no qualms getting their hands dirty. But they work on things that need fixing or maintaining. Ask them to invent something new just for the sake of it? They would much rather “invent” another cup of chai. Extra strong, please.

Mmm Indian Chai

I was 13 when I sewed together some rather hideous scraps of corduroy together and created my very first wearable article. It was a simple corduroy purse, and I had made it from cutting up a pair of baggy, equally hideous pants that I had bought from Value Village (or, as we used to call it then, the VV Boutique).

I paraded my purse (might I add that it was this terrible brown colour) proudly to my parents and brother. Instead of the exclamations of wonder that my ear was ready to hear, I heard stifled laughter instead. My mom couldn’t stop laughing. And my brother? A lost cause. If I could see the purse now, I’m sure I would laugh too. I’m fairly certain that the stitching would be quite uneven, and the strap would be wider one side than another. Like the pants from which it came, it too would probably be, well, hideous.

The Treasures of VV Boutique

All the same, it was my creation, and I loved it for what it was. I told my mom the other day that if she had encouraged my spritely talent, I might have been a famous fashion designer by now. She dissolved into fits of laughter at the memory of the purse instead.

Is it any wonder that I can now make an amazing cup of chai?

Can't have chai without snacks

All this to say that I have chosen this summer to challenge my rather complacent attitude towards DIY projects. Carrying on with my commitment to do and not just think, I’ve decided to see what things I can create or reuse rather than buying everything new all the time.

To help myself along, I’ve been checking out resources on campus that promote DIY adventures. My findings so far: U of T has an impressive array of places to go to if you want to learn a new trade. For instance, want to learn how to repair your bike? U of T’s Bikechain is the place for you!

Stay tuned for next week’s post, as I delve into where to explore hands-on activities on campus, from cooking and gardening, to creating interactive displays and even android apps.

As for keeping my commitment, I suppose I should begin with those Ikea shelves…

-Aziza

On Zen Frogs and Creating Happiness

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It’s 10 minutes to five o’clock on a sunny, beautiful afternoon in May. Just a couple of moments ago, I was sitting in the chapel at Hart House, immersed in a mindful meditation workshop hosted by Cheryl Champagne from Health and Wellness at U of T. I feel calm, happy and, well, a bit surprised.  Who knew that 20 minutes of breathing could transform me from frazzled to zen? I guess I forgot how amazing meditation really is.

In the spirit of wellness and renewal (part two!), today’s post will be all about workshops, events, and resources on campus that can help you keep positive in this journey called Life.

 

 

Dare to Self-Care?

It took me years to figure out that in order to be at my best, I had to care for myself as much as I cared for other people. So I was pretty delighted to discover that U of T’s very own Health and Wellness Centre offers a workshop called Dare to Self-Care. Hosted by Jill Cressy, the workshop explores a variety of self-care practices, including stress management strategies, mind-body techniques, and 10 keys to happier living. Jill usually asks the following questions in her session:

What do you care about?

What are your values related to health and wellness?

How can you best support Happiness in your daily life?

Try your hand at them! I sat down and attempted to, but as usual, when I try to answer questions, I come up with a bunch of them instead: What does it mean to be mindful?  How can we go about creating Happiness?

My quest led me to Sutha Sathananthan, a Masters candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at U of T. Sutha took a Cognitive and Psychological Foundations of Effective Leadership class last fall, and became hooked on the concept of ‘happiness’. The outcome? Sutha founded Engineering Happiness, U of T’s first on-campus Happiness Initiative.

Sutha, founder of Engineering Happiness at U of T

“I started researching a lot about happiness, and I learned that there is a lot of negativity out there” says Sutha. According to her, people don’t start by thinking ‘well, what really makes me happy?’ Instead, they try to find ‘happiness’ when they are faced with depression, anxiety, and other mental health or emotional challenges. Engineering Happiness is all about providing the space and the tools for others to create awareness about the things that bring them balance, contentment, and joy.

Engineering Happiness draws its ethos from the field of Positive Psychology, which seeks to make normal life more fulfilling. Think fostering joy, creativity, and authentic happiness as ultimate goals.

U of T’s Health and Wellness also offers some amazing workshops that explore similar themes. In fact, there is just so much to be explored in the realm of wellness right on campus. Did you know that U of T actually has a Happiness Webinar Series? It’s true!

Not only that, the Multi-Faith Centre is currently offering a class on Mindful Meditation every Wednesday afternoon. Later this summer, you can even participate in a Happiness Challenge, brought to you by Engineering Happiness. You’ll be able to go out in the world an document whatever makes you happy using any medium, then submit your creation for a prize.

My foray into meditation, happiness and self-care kicked off Mental Health Awareness week. Did I get the answers to my questions? Nah…but I did learn a few meditation techniques, and learn a bit more about Happiness. Am I happy? Yes, I can safely say so.

Check out Jill Cressy’s Dare to Self-Care workshop on May 10 from 10-11 am at Charles St. Residence. Engineering Happiness is also hosting a free Laughter Yoga session on Wednesday, May 8th from 7-8 pm at Hart House, 2nd floor Debate Room.

Come out and flourish!

-Aziza

From The Think to The Do

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The first of May is here – finally! And so begins my summer. I can store my school work away and leave my books in my room, instead of letting them carve perma-holes in my backpack. It’s been a whirlwind of a year for me here at U of T – new people, new ideas, new stressors, and an interesting dynamic between sameness and constant change. At times I’ve felt like Kramer, a few (very few) times like Sheldon but mostly like Samwise  – a bit of a wanderer in this strange new space called U of T. Sam always craves potatoes. I always crave tea. We are not so different!

A friend of mine recently wrote a blog about spring and renewal, which got me thinking about my own life. One of my goals for this year and beyond is to focus on Doing and Being, instead of just Thinking. Hmmm. A tricky thing for someone like me, who gets lost in thought. Correction, lost in Many Thoughts. I’m pretty sure that my mind is a leafy labyrinth filled with comfy chairs, cozy throws and west-facing sunny rooms designed for Great Thinks.

I took an Aboriginal Worldviews class with Professor Jean-Paul Restoule at OISE this semester, which was rather life-changing. It moved me from the Think to the Do. Each class began with a Smudging ceremony, which is all about using the Sage plant to cleanse a space of negative energy. I usually entered class a bit frazzled, my mind jumping between to-dos and must-haves and what-nots. And yet, by the time each of us had drawn the smoke from the Sage over our hands, hearts and faces, I always felt grounded and calm. Professor Restoule would end the ceremony by giving thanks for the grass, for the trees, for winter, for the opportunity we had to gather together again, and so on. We were all brought to the present moment. That’s a beautiful way to start, well, anything, isn’t it?

I decided to start be a bit more grateful for regular things every day. It’s a curious thing: the more I gave thanks, the more content I was with who I was and how my life was taking shape. The less I looked at how others around me were doing and the more I focused on what I could do to create change. You know that paralyzed feeling you get when you realize just how much more you need to get done?   Well, those moments came fewer and further between. And, the more I did. I started taking a bit of time to draw and paint again. I started to take a few minutes to close my eyes and breathe in silence in the morning. Bit by bit, I started on a journey of renewal and change.

I have always been focused on next steps. When is the next paper due? What am I making for dinner that will last me a few days? How can I best plan my day/week/month/year? The act of writing these words makes me feel rushed. It is no secret that the life of an undergraduate or graduate student can often be stressful, scattered and difficult. So it was a beautiful gift to learn to be grateful for what just is.

Being grateful for even the smallest things (It’s sunny! I can feel my fingers! My taste buds can still taste this ghastly coffee!) helped me get through was must be the longest winter I can remember. Expressing gratitude is a form of doing. It is giving positivity back to a world which throws a lot of positivity my way too.

You have all written exams, handed in papers, and completed final labs over the last few weeks. Some of you have four months of Summer. Others of you are closing your chapter at U of T, and heading onto other wondrous things. Good Luck. Take a moment to create renewal for yourself (it feels great!).

In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, Happiness and Mental Health Awareness, check out MindFest at Hart House next Monday, May 6th. Activities include exhibit booths, an art crawl, film screenings, workshops, guest speakers (Steve Paiken!), free food, stand-up comedy, and prizes.

- Aziza

An Artsy Afternoon

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Contemporary art and I have an interesting relationship. Sometimes we get along, like two dancers weaving to a rhythmic beat, and other times we tip-toe in each others’ spaces, like hesitant friends at an awkward dinner party.

So it was with a bit of a sense of the unknown that I made my way to the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery to check out the current exhibition, I Thought There Were Limits. As I stepped into the gallery, I reacted as I usually do when it comes to contemporary art exhibits. I wondered: where is the art, and why is there so much space? I like creating art, but my paintings and drawings are a mish-mash of colours and shapes, words and half-finished poems, swirls, strikes, dots, random pairings of patterns and symbols…absolutely nothing like the art that stood staring back at me, daring me to take a leap.

And so, I leapt.

According to the colourful program that I picked up, the exhibit brings together five artists who “engage with both the material and conceptual dimensions of space”. Ah, Space, that most elusive of things. The exhibit spans two rooms, with one room hosting most of the art pieces, and the other engulfed by Kika Thorne’s piece titled Singularity (pictured below). I won’t go into detail about each work of art. I want you, my friend, to go and take a look!

Singularity by Kika Thorne

However, one piece caught my eye. It took the shape of a giant shiny silver blanket of sorts, slightly crumpled and lying on the floor. Not surprisingly, the piece was called Space Blanket, by Josh Thorpe. Yet it was the sound recording that formed the backdrop for the blanket which got me thinking. At first I thought I was hearing noise from the subway cars (if you’re ever in a lecture at OISE, you know what I’m talking about). Then, as I listened more closely, I realized that what I was hearing was a succession of footsteps that got increasingly louder, and then simply fell away. Intertwined with the sound of footsteps was the sound of classical music.

It could have been my imagination (that afternoon sunlight can play tricks sometimes). but every time the footsteps grew louder, the silver blanket moved ever so slightly – just enough to make me believe that perhaps it was moving on its own.

All of which got me thinking about Space. I was the gallery’s only visitor. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me. It seemed as though time had stopped, and I was carried by whatever note the music played next. I opened my eyes and found myself in rather empty space filled with sound and a few works of art. I realized that the title for the exhibit – I Thought There Were Limits – fit really well. There are no limits, until you create them. The art that did have physical limits in that open space did not have limits in my mind. Now that, my friend, is profound.

Since I had thought all the deep thoughts I had inside me, it was time to go. I really enjoyed Josh Thorpe’s work, but I could only reflect for so long on potential interpretations. So, off I went, only to be bowled over in Hart House’s next corridor by the Hart House Camera Club’s annual exhibit.

According to their website, the exhibit ended on April 21. I managed to catch it, and you may have a chance as well in the next couple of days. I must have spent a good 20 minutes immersing myself in all of the photographs, and creating stories as I went along. The photographs are fantastic!

Aaron Tan’s Tension is a compelling piece:

Tension, by Aaron Tan

Art Chow’s work is also wonderful:

Observer, by Art Chow

I was pleasantly surprised by both Justina M. Barnicke’s current exhibit, and my spontaneous discovery of the Camera Club’s eye-opening exhibit (its 91st edition, I might add). Have a spare hour or so? Treat yourself to an afternoon of art at Hart House. You may just be inspired to create spaces and stories of your own!

-Aziza

For more information about Hart House’s Camera Club, check out their website.

Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

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Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

Hello everyone, I am Aziza, your new Student Life Communications Intern at U of T, and I’ll be blogging here for the summer.

I know many of our readers are either undergrads or about to become undergrads, so brace yourself: I am a Graduate Student.

But wait, we are not so different!!

Don’t think of us as the Dursleys…

We get scared, uneasy about school, and hesitant about meeting others also. I was so nervous prior to starting at OISE (U of T’s Faculty of Education) because I had not been in school for – *gulp* - six years.

So, like some of you, this is my first year at U of T, and I’ve had to do a lot of investigative work to find my niche on campus as well. In between juggling mounds of paper writing, late nights and early mornings, coursework, meeting new people, and learning so many (so many!) new things, this year has been a ride.

In my previous, non-student life, I taught English in Spain for two years, learned how to Salsa dance, finally got around to cooking decent meals, and lived out my undergraduate days in Montreal.

While my studies are pretty much limited to OISE, this year has opened up my world in many different ways. I have learned that participation in class is always welcome – even if I make a mistake now and then. And that yes, I do need to eat while writing a 20-pager. And that if I want to produce my best work, well, I have to take care of me first! And finally, on the darkest of days, when I question why I am here and what all this is for, that a smile can go a long way.

I look forward to working with the Student Life Community Crew this summer, and to hearing all of your valiant voices as you conquer your visions for your future (or simply conquer you next exam) – He-Man and She-Ra style.

Best of luck to you all as you wrap up your respective school years. Check back with us, share your stories and let us keep you up-to-date as you move into summer!

Till soon,

Aziza

LSAT Prep Classes: Things to Consider

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Fingers crossed, I hope to write the LSAT this June. Sarah gave some great advice on getting started and what to consider when preparing. She also mentioned prep courses, an option that many students take, especially if they feel like they need the extra boost of self control in a classroom environment. Prep classes are something I’m currently looking into and it’s a pretty complicated process. There are tons of things you need to consider. Not only are they expensive, they also require a lot of time. I’ve been looking into this for the last few weeks and thought I’d share what I’ve found.

Time: How much time do you have to dedicate for preparing for the LSAT? Considering the content and depth of the exam, it’s not something you can prepare for the night before. If you’re writing in June, it’s usually advised that you spend all of May preparing on a daily basis. Also, to start earlier would definitely help if you wanted to work or take summer school, but again it’s a huge thing to take on so investing a great deal of your time should be thought about. With time comes the number of hours, which prep courses vary from a hundred hours (class everyday) to thirty hours (class three times a week). Most of the prep advice I’ve gotten is that the bulk of it is doing practice past tests and really looking how you approach questions or why you got a question wrong. This of course requires a lot of self-work, so a hundred-hour course may not be the best bet here. Many companies offer “crash courses” that you can take over a weekend as an introductory.

Also, some companies offer (for a price) smaller group learning. Before you put down a downpayment, try to find out how big your class size will be. When there’s an offer for a smaller group, I can’t help but wonder how big the class size for the regular course will be. If you find it hard to concentrate with a group of 30+ definitely inquire about class sizes. It’s your money, time and score so don’t be shy to ask a few questions.

Think of LSAT prep as a job. Personally, anything over 40 hours of course hours a week would be too much for me (legitimately the hours you’d work full-time) and I’d want my own study hours as well. Additionally, many have explained feeling additional pressures after taking courses five-seven days a week full-time. It’s not just a lot of money but it’s a lot of time that’s being invested, and the less pressure and over complications you can have before writing a big test like the LSAT (I imagine) the better!

Material: Each prep company provides you with a number of material, everything from homework booklets, their own strategies and guides and even online material. The LSAT sounds pretty scary (and complicated for a test that has only a few sections!) so prep courses can be a great way to begin navigating. A lot of online material (such as instructional videos) can also be helpful if you find yourself stuck after class. You can also find a lot of free instructional videos offered online. Remember though, this is a pencil and paper exam, so get as comfortable as you can practising this way. Watching twenty videos will not have you as prepared as practising twenty games.

One important thing to look out for here is to make sure you get as many real LSAT questions (instead of questions similar to the LSAT) as possible. This is especially important to consider, it can be dangerous to practice with questions that have never existed for the LSAT, and potentially cause panic with the real exams, which do change from year to year with difficulty.

Like I mentioned above, a lot of the advice I’ve received involves focusing on how and where you may have went wrong on a question, understanding why you may have missed the answer and correcting it. This process becomes completely void if it’s not with a real LSAT question.

Also, when considering which company to go with, look for how many proctored test sessions they offer. A huge part of my decision in going with a prep course is because I want to encounter as many of these practice LSAT taking scenarios as possible, one with a room full of people versus alone in the library or my room. These practice scenarios can help with test day anxiety and really change how comfortable you feel, especially if it’s your first time writing.

The Company: How do you decide what to go with? The price? The reviews, your friends, the forums? There’s no way easy way to decide. But, one important tip I’ve picked up: the course may not matter as much as your instructor will! Does your very reliable friend have the name of her awesome instructor from ______ who helped her? Get it! In many situations, the company may be fine but you may not find your instructor as exciting as you expected. If possible, see if you can get information about the instructor who will be teaching your course. Also, make sure your instructor has officially scored an impressive score on the actual LSAT. Many companies may hire folks who have “scored” within the 95th percentile on a practice test. Ideally, you want someone who had actually wrote the LSAT (and someone who will understand all the nerves and panic that accompanies that).

Cost: They do cost a lot. There are always discounts available which you can find through different groups at UofT who are affiliated with particular companies. If you can’t find any, contact the company as soon as possible and ask about possible deals and discounts.  UofT offers free prep lessons if you qualify for the Canada Student Grant for Persons from Low Income Families.

Ultimately, everyone learns at a different pace and be sure to choose what you feel the most comfortable with. Best of luck!

LSAT prep course takers of the past, leave your tips below!

-Vahini

The Best of Life @ U of T (according to me)

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Well I’m sad to say that this will be my last post for the Life @ U of T blog. What a crazily-awesome year it was and I honestly have no idea where the last 25 weeks went. I’ve had a blast being your Faculty of Arts & Science Student Blogger and I hope you guys got as much enjoyment in reading my posts as I had in writing them.

For my last post I want to do a “Best Of” the blog over the past year — featuring a favourite post of mine from each of our lovely bloggers. If you have never read Life @ U of T before these posts are a great way to start!

Abdullah — “oppression, equity and politics” — In this post Abdullah tackles the sensitive subject of equity — or lack thereof — that sometimes has a tendency to surface in the student sphere. While we can all be proud to claim that U of T is a highly diverse and multicultural school, we also have to be cognizant of the fact that sometimes situations of inequity arise and Abdullah does an excellent job in addressing an instance in which he experienced it firsthand.

Ishita — “The Art of Forgiving Yourself” — In this post Ishita discusses the pressures many students experience — especially in their first year — to do well at the U of T and the feelings of failure many of us inevitably face when we fall short of the goals we have established for ourselves. Ishita reminds us that mistakes and missteps will happen and that’s OK, so long as we learn from our experience and leverage it for the better.

Lesia — “Hey U of T, it’s time to get moving!” — As the Physical Activity Blogger I find all of Lesia’s posts highly important and relevant to me personally (as someone who tends to neglect the gym…and every other form of physical activity). The tendency to simply hunker down at your desk and neglect exercise, indulging in less-than-optimal eating habits as a coercive mechanism to get you through your readings or that big assignment is very strong for many of us. Lesia reminds us of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and many of her posts feature the free services and activities available to students in pursuit of it.

Lori — “Raise your hand!” — In this post Lori discusses strategies you can use to try and make yourself a bit more engaged in class discussions — in an attempt to get those ever-tricky participation marks. Her advice is highly relevant, especially for upper-year seminar courses where large chunks of your grade require you to do something many of us dread: public speaking.

Sarah — “Post-Grad Blues” — In this post Sarah does an exceptional job encapsulating how many of our fellow graduating students may be currently feeling. Come May 1, many graduating students will be — for the first time in their lives — completely without the life-structuring mechanism school provides. In addition to this, many students may also feel torn about what exactly the want to do post-undergrad, with different forces pulling them in different directions.

Shak — “TTC? Why man why????” — In this post Shak discusses (or perhaps rants would be a more optimal phrase) about the one transportation service we all love to hate: the TTC. As a commuter myself, I found Shak’s post highly relatable and funny — well worth a read for all those who have, at one point or another, felt slighted by the Toronto Transit Commission.

Vahini — “College Governance 101” — Vahini offers a great introduction to all the various student councils that govern each of U of T’s disparate colleges. In a school as large as U of T, it’s important to know what governing structures are relevant for you! This post is actually part one in a three-part series and her posts about Councils and Unions and Student Societies are worth checking out as well!

Vivian — “The Breakfast Club” — In this post Vivian discusses all the benefits of having a healthy breakfast before going about your day. As someone who tends to neglect this important meal, I found the post very insightful. We are all told how breakfast is ‘the most important meal of the day’ and Vivian demonstrates this!

Of all the posts I’ve written this year I would have to say that my post “Surviving the Winter: Tips for Commuters” is one of my favourites as commuting to school in the winter can be a tedious and downright awful experience for many of us — especially when you consider the fact that winter in Toronto last from November to April (apparently).

I hope you have all found value in reading this blog — I know I have — and if this is your first time on the site be sure to check out all the posts I mentioned above! I’d like to thank the Faculty of Arts & Science for giving me the opportunity to write for all of you as well as the Office of Student Life and the entire Student Life Community Crew for being such a wonderful and awesome group of people!

- Matteo

oh the places you’ll go.

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“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” – Oh The Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss.

Surprisingly, that quote and that video are related. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with a grand conspiracy involving John Lennon, Dr. Seuss and an impostor who acted as Paul McCartney after the real Paul died.  It has to do with my days in elementary school. One grade, I forget when, my teacher opened up class by reading the Seuss book. And then later, we celebrated the retirement of a Beatles-crazy teacher by singing “Hello, Goodbye” in an assembly fit for Sergeant Pepper himself. One event marked the beginning of something, the other was part of a fitting end to a career. Here was the beginning and now, my friends, this marks the end of our blogging journey together.

When I started blogging this year, I had just finished my first year and now all of a sudden, I’m heading into my third year. I’m sure many of you are asking the same question. “Oh my! I’m graduating!” “I’m going into second year!” “I’m going into my LAST year! OMG.” “OMG YAY UNIVERSITY HERE I COME.” Chances are you are saying one of those things right now. I’d like to think that I’ve grown over this past year, and chances are I have — but it’s gone by so quickly, that it’s really hard to tell. This year, I had the chance to do so many things, from joining ASSU to stuffing myself at a barbeque to engaging in weekly religious discussions about life, to volunteering at a soup kitchen. And I discovered Diabolos and took out a book from stacks for the first time! I realized that we all fill the void in each other’s lives with our stories, that we shouldn’t necessarily define ourselves by our prospective careers and that we should carry out our discussions in an atmosphere of respect. I hope you had just as a good time reading about my journey this year as I did living it.

So here we are. No matter what stage you are at in your university career, we will still all be going somewhere. Either you will be stepping on this campus for the first time come September and remark that everything looks like Hogwarts.

Or you’ll strut across the stage at Convocation Hall in June making 35325235235 hours spent in Robarts worth it.

Or maybe you’re like me, at the middle of your university career. Wondering whats next.

And well, in my case, I don’t know whats next. But I know that opportunities are lurking around each corner on this campus, and it is up to me to go and seek them out. Up to me to ultimately get the university experience I want both inside and outside the classroom. You may be wondering whether you are doing things right, or whether you are involved enough, or whether you are too anti-social, or if you should change majors because you aren’t interested in the material. These are questions we all have to deal with during our undergraduate career. But, despite being unsure of the future, I do know what I have learned.

At U of T, there are a lot of opportunities waiting for you. This is the most accessible research university in the country, top notch professors and wide variety of courses await you. Our campus is steeped in history and breathtaking architecture. You can have coffee in the JCR, study Drosophila at the Earth Sciences Centre and have some Zumba fun at Hart House all in one day. Now, life at U of T, I admit, isn’t always a paradise. It’s hard and I’m struggling to adapt as well, still in my second year. What I’ve learned is, we should be confident in our own abilities and not fret over the accomplishments of others. This is our undergraduate career and we should take it at our own pace. Do what you can handle, there’s no need to experience all of U of T. We all have different niches on campus after all. But don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone once in a while to try something new.

And if you ever feel stressed sometimes, like I do, stop and take a breather. Focus on the little things. Your coffee from Diabolos, small concepts in your lectures, the beauty of the downtown campus on a spring day. In the hustle and bustle of student life, sometimes its just helpful to stop and take note of our surroundings.

It’s been fun blogging for you, U of T. Go out and do big things. I’ll see you later.

- Abdullah

My words of work-out wisdom

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Wow, I cannot believe it’s down to the final stretch – just one more week of classes left! And as my second year of university wraps up, I’ve been reflecting lately on what a truly amazing eight months it has been. I really made an effort this year to take advantage of opportunities to get active, and it has tremendously paid off. In first year, I think I used the AC once or twice. But ask me what I did this year, and I could tell you that I…

- Golfed with President David Naylor at the Varsity dome
- Learned how to fend for myself through Wendo
- Braved the SCC
- Played outdoor intramural soccer for my college team
- Biked to and around campus
- Attempted to belly dance
- Found drop-in classes that I love
- Learned the basics of tennis

Reflecting back on all this and more, I can tell you that I really have noticed a change. I’ve realized that my legs have gained more muscle and my upper body has become much stronger. I used to do almost nothing but cardio, but now that I’ve started attending drop-in classes and using weights, I’ve activated and toned new muscles all over my body. I can literally feel the difference in my strength and energy level, and it feels amazing. It’s the reason I keep on keepin’ on.

I’ve learned a lot through my experiences over the year, and there are a few things I would really like to pass on to you:

It’s not so scary doing things on your own. Don’t always wait until you have someone to go with to events and such. I’ve tried to coordinate work-outs with my friends and drag them out to events, but it often doesn’t work out with our conflicting schedules. So now I’ve learned: if I hear of an event/activity that really interests me, then I’ll go, even if it means going alone. Honestly, I would not have tried half the things I did this year if I sat around waiting for someone to accompany me every time. By putting myself out there, I met SO many cool new people.

Don’t avoid an activity just because you think you “suck” at it. No one is there to judge your skill level. And if you never practice, then it’s kinda hard to improve! So if you really want to try something new, then don’t be intimidated by lack of ability. I suck at dancing, but I went out to a dance workshop anyway and just did my best. No one laughed at me or gave me weird looks – the instructors and other dancers were happy to see I was interested and were really encouraging.

Find something you actually like doing. Exercise shouldn’t feel like this tedious chore that you dread doing every day. There are so many different ways to get active that there is no reason to force yourself to do something you hate. I personally still don’t like the fancy weight machines, so I avoid them and use free weights instead. Running is my favourite form of cardio, so I do a lot of that. The reason I exercise is to feel great after, both physically and mentally. So be creative and find activities that make you feel the same way.

It really does feel like this!

I hope that the experiences I have shared over the last eight months have helped you discover all that the St. George Campus has to offer when it comes to healthy active living. I’ve had an amazing time and have met some wonderful people. Now I’m looking forward to staying active outdoors all spring and summer!

-Lesia

Keep Calm and Carry On

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It’s that time of the year again… the dreaded exam period!

Although final exams signal the end of the school year and the prospect of warmer days ahead, for many of us they may also signal the beginning of higher stress levels and potential anxiety.

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Unfortunately, there’s no cure-all solution to stress and anxiety, or specifically, exam anxiety – I know, it’s disappointing to me too!  But, there are a variety of things we can do to lower our stress levels so that we are able to cope effectively with the academic demands during this last month of school.

On camhttp://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/images/ExamJam2.jpg/image_previewpus, St. Mikes is hosting Exam Jelly@Kelly on April 4th & 5th and Arts & Science will be hosting Exam Jam on April 8th at Sidney Smith to help students de-stress and refresh just before exams begin.  Although these events may not miraculously make all of your stress disappear, it’s as close to a one-stop stress management shop as it’ll get. Not only will there be fun activities but there will also be an open study space, course review sessions, and FREE food (and, who doesn’t like free food when you’re on a student budget?).

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Exam Jelly @ Kelly

In the name of combating exam stress and anxiety, I’ve organized a de-stressing event in my residence as well.  Thanks to St. John Ambulance, I’ve been able to get therapy dogs for the event!  Having experienced first-hand the calming effect of playing and interacting with a therapy dog, I can certainly understand why this trend has virtually exploded across North American universities.

http://www.fido.ca/cms/v45/images/360/stjohnsdog.pngOf course, a therapy dog may not be the solution to everyone’s anxiety and let’s face it not everyone has access to a therapy dog whenever they need or want it.  But what’s important is that these de-stress & refresh events, regardless of the particular activities, show us the value in acknowledging our stress and then finding both healthy and effective coping strategies when attempting to deal with it.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Keep-calm-and-carry-on-scan.jpg/220px-Keep-calm-and-carry-on-scan.jpg

For me, the biggest take away message from these events is this:  even though we all have numerous responsibilities, our first and most important responsibility is to ourselves and own health and wellbeing.  By taking care of numero uno, we will be better equipped to take care of everything else – including those pesky exams!

What do you do to de-stress & refresh during final exams?  Feel free to share them in the comments section!

- Vivian