Midterm Mosh Pit

Last week, I briefly mentioned that midterms had started up; by now, I’m sure we’ve all felt our workloads spike up that much more. I have had 3 this week, amongst other assignments, and that has definitely taken its toll. On top of that, feeling super under the weather for the first time since arriving at U of T hasn’t helped things. All of this, alongside the typical distractions, have made for a massively hectic last few days. Finding as much #JoyAtUofT as possible is more important than ever to keep my spirits up during a pretty trying week of Skule. Mustering the energy to keep showing up to classes and be myself has proven to be a challenge, but I know I’d fall way too far behind if I took an entire day off. Trust me, having a perennial, super-sensitive pollen allergy isn’t nearly as fun as it sounds. On top of that, cramming for those midterms has only accentuated the effects. As a first-year, I guess I’m personally still acclimatizing to a workload that never seems to stop increasing (yay, engineering!). Writing about my experiences, be it privately or through the blog, has proven to be a huge help, but finding alternative outlets extends a lot further. Being an engineer doesn’t limit my life to just applied sciences and a never-ending stream of calculations. I’ve always enjoyed drawing both with pen/paper, and digitally. I’m not going to make you want to wash your eyes out with how terrible my art is, but it is nevertheless still a pastime that helps me relax. It doesn’t require much in the way of exertion, allowing me to clear my mind and regain some much needed energy.

One thing I took the time to do this weekend was to get my camera out and shoot, which I had yet to do this semester. With a friend in town to give me some motivation, I finally convinced myself to leave my dorm and unwind - something I don’t regret in the slightest. The only challenge was trying to keep myself from spending the next week editing files from the excursion! Standing out on University Avenue for half an hour late at night to take a timelapse might have been a questionable decision given the temperature, but grabbing a coffee at Timmy’s alleviated the numbness.

I suppose I’ve found that #JoyAtUofT might not necessarily come directly on campus. It might be something you do with a friend, or something you prefer to keep to yourself. As long as it puts a smile on your face and helps you get through whatever hardships the semester throws at you, I’d like to think that qualifies all the same. If you’re comfortable sharing that activity/thing with the community, be sure to tag #JoyAtUofT !

“No reason why Just to fill the time I know exactly why I'm where I should be” - ‘I’m Where I Should Be’, by Paul Weller