Hello!
There's no doubt, this time of year can be full of emotions. We are reminded of all the things we witnessed and experienced over the past twelve months. Google is reminding us of what we Googled. Facebook is sharing our top moments. We count down 2015's top songs, movies, sports moments, inventions, new stories, and of course, funny memes.
This time of year also calls on each of us to consider our personal Year in Review. I love counting down to the New Year, and feeling all the hope that comes with a fresh start. Looking forward with a vision for the next year can be daunting, however, I believe it's important to reflect on our accomplishments and milestones from the past year.
On New Year's Eve, I normally find myself lounging on a couch, babysitting, and reflecting the past year with these familiar faces. Photo courtesy of www.adweek.com
Once exams are over, I often take some time to check in on how things are working in my life. I encourage you to try doing this too - patiently, thoughtfully, and truthfully. I like recording my thoughts down on paper so I can get a visual se. What were my ambitions for 2015? Did I achieve them?
Although the exam season is upon us, you can’t help but feel that tingle of holiday joy in the month of December. Whether it’s organizing gatherings to see friends and family, exchanging gifts or taking some time off to relax, these are all aspects of the holidays that we enjoy. However, there is one important part of the holiday season which I look forward to, and that’s giving back to the community!
It’s that time of year. We’re all muscling through, and we’re all going to make it! Don’t get overwhelmed by stress - practice self-care by eating right, staying active, and taking breaks! There’s no way a full day at the…
Edinburgh is in full holiday mode and so am I, even though I really, really shouldn’t be. My last exam is today, but I’ve spent the last week or so doing a little bit of studying, and a lot of hot chocolate drinking and Christmas market-going. It always seems cruel that exams happen at the same time that holiday excitement is ramping up. It’s almost like they don’t want you to study.
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!
As a Life Sciences student, I understand the pressure and trepidation you feel when someone in class goes “So in my research lab…” Meanwhile, you’re screaming internally about how you can barely fold laundry properly let alone have your life so put together as to be in a research lab.
(Source: memegenerator.net)
Whether you plan on pursuing a career in healthcare or science research itself, having research experience on your CV and learning lab skills are a bonus when you apply to professional or graduate programs. But where does one even start? It’s daunting trying to maneuver the Interwebs to find viable and worthwhile positions. I’ve compiled a list of possible scientific/medical research opportunities by the year you might think of applying. But first, a few preliminary questions to ask yourself:
As I was walking down St. George the other day, I heard snippets from other peoples’ conversations. I promise, I wasn’t eavesdropping; I just forgot my headphones and I was bored. Anyways, these are the kinds of things I heard:“Blah blah blah blah stressed blah blah blah failure blah blah forget blah tired blah blah I can't blah blah blah..."UofT, it seems we are in a sorry state of affairs at present. Of course, it’s to be expected at this time of year. We’re all just trying to put in that final hustle and make it to winter break.As I mentioned in my last post, I’m actively trying to face my final assignments with a more positive outlook; I’m trying to use my stress as a motivator. I want to appreciate every moment that I have as an undergrad student. However, I want to make something very clear:None of that makes the work easy, and it certainly doesn’t make it go by any faster.
It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year - but first, it’s a marginally less wonderful time: final papers and exams! I’ve got an all-day event everyday in my calendar for the next two weeks called “never leave Robarts”, so the concept of purchasing holiday gifts seems decidedly out of reach. If you’re hibernating in the library like me this month, here’s a few ways you can get your gifts out of the way without straying far from your study den.
Exam time has finally arrived. If you’re anything like me, your sleep schedule is not the only thing that suffers during this time of year. In addition to never getting the amount of sleep my body would like, I’m also…
If you’ve ever chatted to someone about moving to a new city or country, going on exchange, or travelling abroad, you’ve probably come across the idea of culture shock. According to wikipedia, culture shock is characterized by disorientation people feel when they experience an unfamiliar way of life, after moving or travelling to a new place. Since it sounds like the kind of thing that only happens when you move to somewhere totally, wildly foreign, I wrote it off as something I didn’t need to think about. Edinburgh doesn’t exactly seem like an exotic, foreign place – the language is the same (even if the accent sometimes proves a bit tricky to understand), the systems for everyday things like shopping and banking are really similar, and there aren’t many dramatic cultural differences.
