Balance – Page 59 – Life @ U of T

UofT Bookstore Haul

It’s that time of year again! With course selection times coming up, we are suddenly uprooted from the comforts of summer and thrown into fall semester preparation. One of the things that I have done in the past to calm my September nerves is to go crazy with Back to School shopping. I know what you’re thinking: who even goes Back to School shopping after the 8^th grade? Answer: me 🙁

Adventures in Wonderland

I’m addicted to the adrenaline rush. This addiction is a strange one because I would never go as far as jumping out of a plane, nor would I jump off of a bridge attached to a cord, but in this case I can’t seem to get enough of the rush. The entire package sets me off: the anticipation before the rush, the rush itself, and the reeling feeling afterwards. My name is Jasper, and I’m addicted to rollercoasters.

An Ode to Lee’s Palace

A brief review of one of my favourite concert venues in Toronto -- Lee's Palace.

This past school year, I lived in a creaky, vintage (old) house comprised of both students and young professionals. Inside, examples of some common occurrences were: uncomfortable heating spikes, cleaning up other peoples’ messes so I could cook dinner, and, my personal favourite, forgetting to bring some toilet paper rolls from my room to the bathroom only to realize the terrible mistake I made later on in the day.

Taking A Breather

Buckle up your seat belts, folks, we’re approaching exam season full throttle.

Jim feels you. Jim understands. Photo source: giphy.com — Jim feels you. Jim understands.
Photo source: giphy.com

We’re (Almost) Halfway There

Now that we’re almost into April and spring, I’m also almost into the end of my second year here at U of T.

And I can’t help but think about the fact that I am indeed, Halfway There.

Halfway through my undergraduate degree and a mere two years from graduation.

Time doesn’t just fly- it soars.

Loving Doing Nothing

I have a secret hobby. This is a hobby that is the opposite of brag-worthy and my personal definition of “indulgence.” It’s a little counter-productive, but on my busiest days it’s the one activity I want the most. It’s more of an anti-activity and yet it’s one that may be a universal favourite among all U of T’s tired library dwellers. This (now not-so-secret) hobby of mine, is doing absolutely nothing at all. I used to feel guilty about loving doing nothing. As my post-secondary education has progressed, I’ve become busier and busier and as a result of this, my idea of a “fun” time has changed too. Of course, I still enjoy a night out on the town every once and awhile (YAASSS, shoutouts to the 6ix) — but for the most part, my perfect evening involves a homemade dinner, a good movie and pajamas. I know what you’re thinking. Only nineteen, and I’ve reached my full grandma potential already.

A snapchat of Madeline with the old/wrinkly filter over her face. She looks displeased. — A little crazy how fast U of T can age the average nineteen year old...

Snapchat filter wrinkles and all, I’ve come to accept that with a crazy personal schedule of work, school, assignments — and this month, upcoming exams — sometimes doing nothing for fun is okay.

‘So Long, Winter!’ (or, ‘Later, Midterms!’)

“English summer eating up the atmosphere Day-time bathers sleep in the shade Clouds crawl over dampening our attitudes People run for shelter from the pouring rain” - ‘English Summer’, by The Moons

Well, we did it. Mild or not, our first winter here in Toronto has come to pass, and we're in one piece! With one final flurry of tests, I’ve wrapped up midterm season, too. It’s a peculiar feeling - one on hand, having so many evaluations has made time pass by awfully slowly. On the flip side, it feels like freshman year has passed me by entirely too quickly.

Basic Training: Lessons for Student Life

Hi there! This is my good friend Conor. We met at Trinity College Orientation Week 2014 and have been buddies since. Among other things, Conor and I share a passion for physical activity and education, and we share teaching responsibilities for a Bootcamp class at UofT.

10274177_10203685559126582_3800031889733152331_n — My buddy Conor is one of the most intelligent and honest people I know, and he is always able to provide the best advice!

This week I sat down with Conor to discuss the four pillars of the HealthyU mandate (MoveU, SafeU, HappyU and FuelU). I am always eager to hear Conor’s perspective on important issues, because his life experiences include being a full-time student, a fitness instructor, and Military Maritime Surface Officer with the Royal Canadian Navy. Mostly, I was interested to know how Conor applies some of the techniques and teachings he has received from the military in his life as a student. I learned a bunch of new military jargon; concepts that have considerable applicability to student life too. Here I’ve pieced together our conversation:

Drop-In Skating and Exam Prep (Already?!)

I’ve been feeling a little-more-than-a-little subpar recently. I’m not sure if it’s the weather or a change in routine due to injury or just everyday stressors, but I don’t like to hang out in ruts like that. Last Friday served as a nice little pick me up, thankfully. I finally made it out to drop-in skating at the Varsity Centre! I regret that I didn’t take pictures, I was consumed by how good it felt to be using my legs after making my arms so terribly sore at aerial silks. I’ve been less active recently and I think that might be contributing to my lousy mood. Skating with a good friend helped! I went on Friday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon and it served as a nice study break. Skate rentals are available for only $3.39 (debit/credit only) and entry is free with your T-Card of course! It wasn’t very populated, which I really appreciated. I definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you’re looking for some space to make some mistakes (I sure am!).

Category: Balance (page 59)

UofT Bookstore Haul

Adventures in Wonderland

An Ode to Lee’s Palace

Taking A Breather

We’re (Almost) Halfway There

Loving Doing Nothing

‘So Long, Winter!’ (or, ‘Later, Midterms!’)

Top 189 types of Instagram posts using the #UofT hashtag

Basic Training: Lessons for Student Life

Drop-In Skating and Exam Prep (Already?!)