Hi everyone in Upbeat land. The winter semester has come to an end - hope you all survived final exams in one relatively sane piece - and so has an amazing term of student blogging. But just because spring/summer is…
The girl who internalized everything
There were some weeks last semester where school started to sound like life. In two of my classes, the word Bildungsroman came up a lot. It does not mean a Roman named Bill defecated. It refers to a story in…
The Last Lecture: Celebrating Change With Dr. Jane Goodall
Do you remember how easily amused we were when we were younger? Do you remember having an insatiable curiosity for everything that surrounded us? Do you remember being touched by a zen-like wholeness during those rare moments when we were…
The (amateur) naturalist’s guide to U of T
I can't believe we're here again. The sun is shining past 7 pm. The hustle and bustle of students walking to class has slowed, if not ended altogether. On my lazy walk this afternoon whilst soaking in the sun, a…
Surviving setbacks: the end of the year
I have now sunk to the lowest point a student can sink to. I have begged for marks. I'm not quite sure how I got to this point. I think it was a result of four months in one of…
Introducing the library video contest winners!
Happy belated Easter, dear readers! Hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I absolutely did! Exams are starting (ugh, I know), and unfortunately, I foresee lots of time spent cooped up in the library, looking forlornly out the window at the…
Feeling ROMantic about the library
Ah, spring. Season of love. Season of infatuation. Season of fluttering hearts and wistful glances. True to the time of year, I've been scribbling love notes everywhere. All over my binder, throughout my notes, on the inside of my palm: I ❤…
Am I a monster every day of the week? Harnessing your inner Hulk
Long before Beyoncé had Sasha Fierce, my studies at U of T helped me craft an alter-ego of my own: Monster Fariya. She developed from my love of Monster energy drinks, which I seem to consume effortlessly when I am…
The keener’s perspective on doing stuff at U of T
"I feel like I missed out on undergrad." I said it out loud to no one in particular and was overcome by a fleeting moment of emptiness before being yanked back to reality. It was Saturday night and my friend…
The bugs are back! Toronto Entomologists’ Association’s Student Symposium.
Soon they will be back. They are starting to wake up again. Pulling themselves out of sleepy, snow-covered cocoons where they spent the winter. Emerging from between crevices in ice-encrusted bark. Eating their way out of eggs and onto the leaves…