Down time – Page 51 – Life @ U of T

First Years – Unplugging on Campus

The start of the ’gap’ between midterms and finals is definitely a good time to find more opportunities to de-stress where possible. As I’ve been emphasizing the importance I’ve placed on striking a balance between work and play, I’ve decided to find out where my fellow first-years have been going to relax on campus. Specifically, I’ve been looking for places to ‘unplug’ and unwind without keeping a constant eye on my phone.

Getting Paper: A UTFOLD Origami Experience

A large origami structure of Hello Kitty, with more colourful folded pieces in the shelves in the background. The Hello Kitty structure is made up of many many smaller folded pieces of paper stuck together to create the larger model. — An origami modular of Hello Kitty made by last year's UTFOLD team. Look how cute it is!! (please also note the Totoro model in the back). Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/utfold/

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I’ve been meaning to check out UTFOLD for some time. I thought that it’d be cool to advance my paper-folding skills beyond paper airplanes (is that even considered origami???).

Life Unplugged

The beginning of November marks the start of “Unplugged” month at U of T, which is an initiative that encourages students to escape the tight grasp of their social media accounts. Who hasn’t felt that nagging feeling to check your phone at least twice during your one hour lecture or the all-consuming fear that your insta-hashtag is “too literal”?. Inspired by Madelin’s leap of faith into a notification-less world. I decided to embark on a challenge of my own: to delete all my social media apps off my phone for an entire week. Here is my story: "UNMISTAKEABLE LAW & ORDER ‘DUN DUN’ SOUND EFFECT"

Weighing In

Happy November all! What if I told you I have absolutely no idea how much I weigh? In fact, I haven’t weighed myself in years! It wasn’t always this way. In high school, I was a member of the school’s wrestling team. During wrestling season, not only was I acutely aware of my weight to the fraction of a kilogram, but so was my entire team. On top of that, I was responsible for maintaining or manipulating my weight in preparation for tournaments, so I could be at my "most competitive".

MoveU Scary Skate & Varsity Centre Fun

Halloween is over, so we’re officially allowed to countdown to Christmas right?

I LOVE holidays, especially Christmas. I can’t wait to see the city all dressed up and to go gift shopping and skating in Nathan Phillips square.

My Mini-Escape to LBU (Life Before University)

I am writing this post from bed. Five days ago, I found myself in the emergency room of a hospital with a rather bad kidney infection. After I was released from the hospital, my boyfriend insisted I take some time to recuperate, called my mother to come fetch me and that’s how I ended up here — writing my weekly blog post from the comfort of my childhood bed. October had been a stressful month; debatably the most stressful month I've had in a long time and though the kidney infection has been a bummer, I am thankful to have the mental rest that has come with the physical rest my body needs.

#UnplugUofT

Hi there! Where is your phone right now? If you are like me, the answer is almost certainly face-up on the desk beside you, or in your pocket on vibrate. I keep my phone within arms length at all times.

my phone is always near me — my phone is my staple study-buddy

Self-Talk

Hello! I’m a chatty person. In elementary school, the comments sections of my report card consistently remarked on how I would benefit from chatting less in class. As much as my chattiness is often directed at others, many of my conversations are in…

On Exploring Toronto

Having had a (relatively) lax last couple of days, I decided to get out and discover a new part of Toronto. At a photo walk last month, I met a couple of people who work at Fujifilm who recommended I…

WABAM! “Stress Tummy” Strikes Again

Hi all, If you're like me, you probably have some go-to strategies for dealing with stress in your life. These may be coping skills or activities that help you slow down, relax, and take a break from life's many pressures and expectations. I like to call this my stress-busting…

Category: Down time (page 51)