“Woke up this morning I was laid out flat on the dark side
With the moon and the room on the wrong side
I took a needle, sewed myself right back at the seams
I saw my universal gleam” - 'Flick of the Finger', by Beady Eye
Liam Gallagher might not have the same vocals he did back in Oasis’ heyday, but his last effort to bring back the glory days with his (now disbanded) Beady Eye did bring back some of the open lyrical interpretation the band was known for instigating - but I digress. Nevertheless, it makes for a great quote that can relate to the idea of starting the new year with resolutions. It’s a time of year when - for whatever reason - you can see your errors more clearly, and when you decide to pick up the metaphorical needle and attempt to sew yourself back together again. I’m not typically one to fall into the societal norm of setting resolutions specifically to ring in the new year - but given that this will be my first full year as a university student, I decided to give it a shot.
Welcome back! I hope everyone’s well on their way to settling into a new semester. I can’t say I started it particularly enthusiastically; however, I feel I’m very much back in the groove. I start a circus silks class at…
It's a New Year!
A fun fact about me: I am a fitness instructor on campus.
No, but seriously. I love being a fitness instructor:
I find group fitness motivating. It keeps me active, because I know that at least once a week I have to smile while I'm working out. That takes training. In our industry, we are often reminded that when we are instructing, our focus is on the participants getting a great workout. So I try to attend multiple group fitness classes a week to get a good workout myself.
Hey there!
The Community Crew has been sharing some great tips recently for de-stressing during exam season. Annette wrote about staying active when we are busy; Tiffany provided some very helpful study tips in her post; Madeline (our Arts & Science Blogger) wrote about remembering to eat healthfully; and Emma recently discussed the importance of taking breaks.
Now imagine taking all these tips and tricks, and showcasing them all in one lobby. That's exactly what happened this past Thursday, as part of UofT's annual Exam Jam - 2015 edition!
Brought to us in the spring and winter exam season by the ASSU and the Faculty of Arts & Science and friends
Somewhere in the building students reviewed with their profs, and elsewhere there were open study rooms to hang out in. The lobby was alive with activities!
Crazy as it may seem, this semester’s almost over! Classes ended this week, and finals season has finally arrived. If it weren’t for my impending doom, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that it’d already been four months since I first touched down in Toronto. Amidst all the hapless cramm — I mean, conscientious studying, in a bout of productive procrastination I thought I’d take a look back at my first semester here at U of T.
Exams are upon us, U of T. Time to buckle down, catch up with readings, and hit up the nearest campus library for some serious studying. Robarts is the natural go-to choice for many students. Exams may make you miserable, but at least being around other people who are stressing out as much as you are is somewhat comforting. Also comforting is knowing that you’re making Drake proud by acing that calc exam. And always remember that if Aubrey Graham could go from a teeny-bopper D-list actor on Degrassi to a bonafide rap legend, then you can certainly power through these final weeks of the first semester.
Even Drake's gotta constantly put in werk (Source: Instagram @champagnepapi)
This past week, as I found myself staring at the textbook that I haven’t bothered to open in weeks, and looking at the rubric for an essay I really didn’t want to write, a little bird whispered something in my ear. What did that little bird say you ask? “Drop the course”.
I tried to ignore it, but the thought of dropping kept pushing itself to the front of my mind. Sure, I could push myself to catch up on weeks of lectures and readings, and take time away from the projects I was truly passionate about to smash out an essay that I wouldn’t be proud of. After talking it through with a few friends, as well as an academic advisor, I made the decision to drop the class, as in the long run it would be better for my GPA and far better for my mental health.
In the hopes of easing the stress that comes with dropping a class, I’ve written up what I learned from my experience dropping a class with less than a month left in the semester.
Last week, as I found myself staring at the textbook that I haven’t bothered to open in weeks, and looking at the rubric for an essay I really didn’t want to write, a little bird whispered something in my ear. What did that little bird say you ask? “Drop the course”.My internal monologue last week (credit: dontworrybecolorful.tumblr.com)I tried to ignore it, but the thought of dropping kept pushing itself to the front of my mind. Sure, I could push myself to catch up on weeks of lectures and readings, and take time away from the projects I was truly passionate about to smash out an essay that I wouldn’t be proud of. But after talking it through with a few friends, as well as an academic advisor, I made the decision to drop the class, as in the long run it would be better for my GPA and far better for my mental health. In the hopes of easing the stress that comes with dropping a class, I’ve written up what I learned from my experience dropping a class with less than a month left in the semester.
In the wise words of Ned Stark: “Winter is coming.”
Nothing screams winter like a bowl of mini candy canes.
However, with winter comes . . . exams. Did you feel a sudden shudder ripple through your body, too? Recently, I conversed with an Academic Success Centre learning strategist, Dr. Graham, and learned some tips to keep in mind as we transition into this season. Here are a few of her tips, as well as mine:
I recently chose to attend the safeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone training for the same reason I decide to take First Aid and CPR training every year: I want to know what to do if someone needs my help. In other words, if ever I encounter someone who is thinking or talking about harming themselves, I want to make sure I can respond appropriately and feel confident in doing so. The safeTALK training helped me in many of these aspects, and incorporated a variety of helpful resources including a take-home manual, video modules, wallet cards, as well as opportunities to engage in role play.
The safeTALK Resource Book contains the course information, plus additional readings about suicide prevention policies, healing after a suicide has happened, and mental health.
I’ve included my thoughts and notes about how the training went here!
This past month has undoubtedly been one of the more strenuous months of my life thus far, and that probably goes for a lot of my fellow freshmen. Midterms hit me hard and have left me feeling absolutely exhausted. Even though mental wellness month just ended, I still think it's important to make sure sure that I head into the second half of this fall semester with a healthy mindset.
No, but seriously. I love being a fitness instructor:
No, but seriously. I love being a fitness instructor:
