Tag Archives: books

Student Burn Out — Stressful Times Call For Simple Measures

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Most of us have days when we feel overloaded, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. When the dozen or so balls we keep in the air aren’t manageable. When dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. It’s called burn out. If the “lacklusterness” of school or my day-to-day routine lasts for over a month, I consider myself burnt out. But it helps in knowing that I’m not alone and that it’s not permanent. I’ve even found that it is possible to feel content and stimulated with a full course load! All it requires is a little bit of organization and a whole lot of motivation. Burn out may visit from time-to-time but it definitely doesn’t have to stay!

This school year, I have experienced greater levels of burnout than I normally do. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve entered my senior years of university and have to start making concrete decisions about the rest of my life or if it’s because the stress of the past several years has built to the point of overflowing. In any case, the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that I have felt the first few months of the academic year have rendered my problems insurmountable.

I suppose that the stress of managing 5 courses, 3 on-campus jobs, and a handful of personal and professional relationships was bound to take its toll sooner or later. This past semester, every day was a bad day. The negative effects of my burn out spilled into other aspects of my life. To top it off, I was sick with headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, body aches (you get the picture!) for most of the semester.

Thankfully, after several sessions of personal reflection, I’ve been able to reassess my priorities and regain my footing. When I finally accepted it for what it was, I decided to simplify my daily activities to regain control of them. I started taking regular breaks while studying. I stopped thinking about Tasks 3, 4, or 5 when I wasn’t even done Task 1. I changed what I ate to spice things up. And I wrote. I wrote down my frustrations on a piece of paper and read them out loud. Then I ripped up the piece of paper into as many pieces as I possibly could. I can’t describe how liberating it felt. And over time, the burnout faded away.

Since then, I’ve taken several steps to prevent another burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown:

1) Lately, I’ve been starting every day with a relaxing ritual. Rather than jumping out of bed the moment I wake up, I spend at least fifteen minutes every morning meditating, reading, or day dreaming. I’ve realized that stress-free mornings translate into stress-free days.

2) I’ve set boundaries, which has probably been one of the smartest things that I’ve done during my undergrad years. I’ve started to say “no” to requests that demand my time and willpower. Saying “no” to certain requests has allowed me to say “yes” to the tasks I truly want to accomplish.

3) I’ve resolved to take a daily break from technology. Once a day, for at least half an hour (better than nothing!), I completely disconnect – shut off my computer and turn off my phone. Somehow, I find it strangely comforting when I can’t be contacted for short periods of time.

Experiencing burn out, whether or not it’s full-blown, is a risk of being a student (especially at UofT!) Some months look bleaker than others and that’s okay. It’s important to remind ourselves, however, that the best part about burn out is that it’s temporary.

Stay healthy,

Ishita

Goals That I Probably Will/Might/Probably-Won’t-But-Like-To-Tell-Myself-I-Will Accomplish This Year

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Hello bloggies!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays!

I feel like I haven’t posted since last year. (Ha, see what I did there?)  I’ve spent the past few days trying to actively pull myself out of Holiday Mode (somewhat unsuccessfully I may add).  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I forget what I resolved to do come January the 2nd.  But in an attempt to remind myself that I can’t lie in bed forever, I wrote up a list of goals that I probably will/might/probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish this year:

1) Express my appreciation to family and friends: We live in a fast-paced world and it seems that saying “thank you” has become underrated. And so, despite having a “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, I want to spend 2013 slowing down and smelling the roses.

2) Try new things: I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I don’t like change.  I prefer predictability.  I’m used to ordering the same thing at a restaurant, shopping at the same stores, and watching the same shows.  Needless to say, my world can get somewhat repetitive and uninteresting. In 2013, I am determined to try the strangest dish on the menu the next time I go out.  Or shop at the small vintage clothing store between the bank and the bakery.  Or watch the slightly questionable T.V. show that all my friends are crazy about. I’ll mention the new things I try in a follow-up post! Stay tuned!

3) Get my G2…finally: I realize that most 20-year olds have a driver’s license by now.  But I have an excuse, I promise!  When I was 16, the “I can finally drive now” realization didn’t hit me as hard as it hit some of my friends.  And when I entered university, the subway was more practical than a car, so it became very easy to put off my driving test. But it’s probably time to get on that.

4) Watch a football game: A friend of mine is football-obsessed. Truly. He actually schedules his classes according to game timings. (I know!)   He’s been begging me to watch a game since I’ve met him.  And because I’m athletically-challenged, I’ve been avoiding it as long as I possibly can.  But sitting through a game would be the perfect way to achieve Goals 1 and 2 (see above).  So I hereby decree that I will force myself to watch 22 sweaty men chasing an inanimate object football at least once this year ;-) .  If I’m honest, though, this is one of the goals that I probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish in 2013.

5) Complete all readings for my courses in the week that they are assigned: Seems like the easiest way to avoid procrastination, right?

6) Fit in fitness: Have you ever noticed that laziness gives rise to more laziness?  I always seem to get more accomplished when I am swamped.  I recently found a mobile app called MyFitnessPal that calculates your caloric intake based on food choices and activity level (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/).  I’m planning on using it to track my diet and exercise.  It’s not about losing weight.  I’m just hoping that keeping a “Fitness Journal” of sorts will reduce the amount of junk food I eat!  Maybe adding regular exercise/fitness to my schedule will increase my productivity ten-fold!  Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Looking at my list, I’m proud to say that many of my goals seem doable and realistic.  I might actually achieve them!  If I do, I’ll let you know. And if I don’t, please remind me!

Good luck with your goals this semester! I hope 2013 is your best year yet!

Till next week,

Ishita

ASK me about my new online love…

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I met someone online a few months ago. They are smart, resourceful, and they always want to talk to me. I have become quite attached to them as of late and I feel like we’ve developed a deep and meaningful relationship. With all these essays due in the next two weeks, it’s so great to go online and talk to someone who really understands what I need. This is what I need: scholarly journals, citable dictionaries, and article databanks.

My new online love is none other the library chat function “ASK” on the U of T Library website.  This app. Is possibly the best thing ever conceived of in the history of universities! It’s so amazing, you just log in and like magic a librarian is there live on your computer to help you out with any library related needs you might have.

One thing I have learned since starting at U of T is that librarians love to help. They are the most helpful profession. Go and try this. Walk up to the reference desk at your library and ask them to help you find some random piece of research. Notice the glimmer of excitement in their eye. Now notice how they provide you with the information you requested, but they also give a whole wealth of knowledge that you didn’t ask for. You might think “I didn’t ask for that”, but give yourself a few minutes and you’ll realize you
actually do need this information. You just didn’t know it yet!

I’m not a masochist. I will not spend hours in the library trying to uncover research material, when I can just ask someone else to do it for me. Now I know that sounds lazy, but if the University is providing this service to us free of charge, they must agree that this manual labour is just too tiresome for us to be doing ourselves.

I’m sure there was some backroom discussion with all the Humanities Professors on campus, that went something like this, “We’ll find all the stuff for them at the library and you guys can assign another essay or two per term.”

I’m most likely conspiracy theorizing here, but whatever the motivation was for providing this amazing research tool was, I am a much happier student because of it.

Yesterday morning, I was trying to find a scholarly Latin dictionary online, when I stopped myself and asked “why am I doing this?” I quickly logged onto ASK and a librarian sent me a url to an approved Latin dictionary within minutes.

Give ASK a test drive and I’m sure you’ll never research the same again!

-Lori

 

Book Hunting

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In my last year of high school, all my teachers reminded us that this would be the last year we would be getting our books from the library. After we leave the safe halls of grade school, we’re going to have to buy all our books.

Every. Single. One.

There will no longer be piles of textbooks in the back of the school library, ready to be dog-eared again.

It won’t be as simple as lining up with the rest of my class as we file rambunctiously down the hallway only to be shushed by the librarian.

No. Now we have to actually buy books. It’s exciting, definitely, but to some, that prospect is a bit overwhelming.

At U of T, there are many options. Save the obvious ones, it’s a bit hard to navigate. Here’s a list of some places/people you can get your textbooks from.

1. U of T Bookstore

You can find the U of T Bookstore inside Koffler Centre, on the corner of St. George and College. This is where you will find most of your books. They can be new or used. Recently, they started a rental program, which means you don’t have to buy a textbook at full price for an elective course! I did that for a stats course I knew I was only taking to fulfill my degree requirement. Saved me almost $80, since I rented a new book.

2. Discount Bookstore

Across the street from the U of T Bookstore is the Discount Bookstore. They have pretty much the same selection of the U of T Bookstore, but at slightly different prices. Here’s my tip to you: they’re called the Discount Bookstore, but not all their prices are necessarily lower than the U of T Bookstore. Take the trip across the street and compare prices – a short walk can save you a few dollars.

3. Women’s Bookstore

Some courses require you to buy books from specific stores. The Women’s Bookstore is one that my old roommate always visited. It’s located on Harbord and Spadina, so it’s not too far of a walk from campus.

4. UTSU Book Exchange

Soooo I’m going to come clean and say I’ve never used the UTSU Book Exchange. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it! You basically set a price for your textbooks, and sell them. You can also buy old textbooks through the service.

4. Bob Miller Book Room

Earlier today, the community crew told me about the Bob Miller Book Room on Bloor and Avenue. I’ve never been there, but the fact that it’s hidden in the basement of an office building makes it a pretty neat place to hear about and visit.

5. TUSBE

I’ve used TUSBE a lot over the years. You can search for your books by class or author and look for the best offer. Visit TUSBE early though. All the good offers get taken up fast. I’ve gotten a lot of my textbooks through this website, so I highly recommend it! blogUT has a wonderful post on TUSBE, so be sure to read it.

6. Ads on Bulletin Boards

One day, early in my first year, I was standing by the elevator at the Koffler Centre. For whatever reason, I was looking at the giant bulletin board and saw an ad for a set of books for MAT135. I hadn’t bought my books for that course yet, so I jotted down the contact and emailed the person as soon as I got back to res. Within a week, I got textbooks, solution books and years of past exams for a price that’s lower than the selling price at the bookstore. Moral of the story: don’t ignore those bulletin boards.

7. Various printing stores – Prof Specific

Sometimes, non-science classes have assigned course readers. These are just lots of articles and readings that your professor has put together in one package. The reason why profs use this is that they might find buying a whole book a waste if all you need is one chapter. Other times, it may be out-of-print articles. Sometimes, the prof gets these course readers made through the U of T press. Other times profs will direct you one of the printing stores that surrounding the campus. To know how to get there, you might have to wait until classes start.

8. Online!

Some profs are very nice and green-conscious, and put the readings up online for you. It might be a pdf scan of parts of a book they have in their collection, or it might be an electronic copy of a journal article. The prof might either upload it on to the U of T Portal or tell you to search it up on our library website. You’re saving paper and money.

If there’s one tip I can give you, especially to first years, is to not buy your books too early. What I mean is, don’t feel like you have to buy your books weeks in advance. Sometimes, the book list on your course syllabus is different than the book list at the bookstore. You don’t want to end up buying a book that is  ”recommended”, not “required”, by accident. Like I said before, sometimes you won’t even know where to get your books until your prof tells you.

Good luck, and happy book hunting!

- Crystal

 

Library Fines Aren’t So Fine

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Ever have a moment of clarity, when you think to yourself, “Why did I do that?” I had that earlier this week when I checked out my online library account . I have $49 in fines, because I had 14 books checked out, and returned them seven days late. At $0.50 per day per book, it adds up quickly.

 

Library Fines Add up Quickly

Library Fines Add up Quickly

It is completely my fault; I used the books near two months ago, and kept renewing them online because, well, I was too lazy to lug 14 heavy books from home back to the library. If I was smart, I would have brought a couple of books to campus with me each day, but, sometimes we can all do rather stupid things.

Outraged at this amount owing, I took up my frustrations on Facebook, to which several friends shared their library fines horror stories.

Clara says, “$100 in late fees… that was when I signed out over 20 books for a research essay and was a few days late….”

Lori, a friend who has since graduated, says, “in second year I racked up $200 and then cried to get out of them. Six months later I incurred another $150 – when I tried to cry my way out again they had a note in my file that I had already used up my ‘cry card’ – who knew!?”

The common theme through the comments is that some students for some reason have an issue with getting books back on time! And that online renewal system, well I swear it was created by the devil! They lull you into a false sense of security thinking, “oh I have another two weeks before those books are due,” and then two weeks is up and you renew them again. Eventually you can’t and you get stuck with these fees.

So why, you may ask, is this important?

Well, first off, you cannot take any more books out of the libraries until the amount is paid off. They do this if your balance owing hits $25 or higher. I guess they think you are pretty unreliable for getting books back at this point, so better to cut you off before you do more damage.

Second, you cannot graduate or receive your transcripts with a balance owing!

The library folk are a smart people and have thought of all the angles to make sure a) you return the books, and b) you pay your fines.

My suggestion: be on top of it. Set a reminder in your phone to tell you to take them back. $0.50 a day doesn’t seem like much, but trust me, it adds up very quickly.

So I have shared with you my story, why don’t you share yours in my comments section?

Cheers,

Jon

 

 

Love at U of T

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In a little less than a week, the international day of love otherwise known as Valentine’s Day will be celebrated. Do you find yourself overwhelmed by midterms, assignments, essays and studying to even be bothered by this Hallmark holiday? I know I do – I personally have two assignments due on and around that day. So while I am hibernating in the library, snacking on candy hearts, I can’t help but notice that it can get a little lonely and isolating – and not only because of Valentine’s Day. U of T is a huge campus with so many students, yet sometimes it can be so difficult to meet someone or find any form of companionship.

That’s exactly what the creators of LoveUT developed their website for. LoveUT was developed to foster interaction and connect with other students.

University doesn’t have to be just about going to class and studying. It’s also a great place to meet and hang out with other students who have the same interests as you. -LoveUT

That’s absolutely right. Although the word ‘love’ is connected to their name, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use their website to spark any kind of romance. Love @ U of T was launched early this year and has already gained popularity. In November, they hosted a successful speed dating event with UFashion.

The great thing about LoveUT is that it is a service for students on campus, by students on campus. The website was designed and developed entirely by U of T students and all students signed up for the website are more likely bound to be the real deal since they only accept utoronto web-mail addresses.

This means your information is only visible to other students, whether they are on the St. George, UTSC, or UTM campus. Students are searchable by several details such as: program, campus, age, religion, orientation, physical appearance and can even upload a profile picture. Security is very important and you can choose which details and information you would like to display. In addition, several features such as messaging and favouriting profiles are included on the website. Lastly – it is completely free to use, so why not give it a shot? A lot is still in the works and if you are interested, development and advertising opportunities are available. The folks at LoveUT would ideally like to expand to other campuses and spread the love.

If you’re a shy guy and find anonymity to be more up your alley, then there is another site for you!  It’s like Craigslist’s Missed Connections meets online dating  - LikeALittle has spread like wildfire and is among several campuses in Canada and the States. It’s more of an online anonymous flirting message board of sorts where students can profess their love online. I would never take this too seriously, but it definitely is worth a look and a chuckle when boredom strikes. Plus, you never know who you may recognize from the descriptions. Check out their testimonials, where apparently people have found each other through this website. Can you imagine meeting through LikeALittle and having to answer the… “so how did you meet?” question?

I’m sure the answer would have to involve awkward glances and interesting explanations. We live in a day and age where it is becoming more and more common for people to meet each other online. With the online world creeping its way into the every day real world, the merge of the two only enhances our means of connection and interaction. However, it is important to note that security is always important. I strongly encourage you if you ever decide to meet someone in person that you have met online, to meet in a public place and always keep in mind that sometimes people aren’t always who they seem.

Anyhow, I am no Valentine’s Day expert.. but I did happen to find a great number of people who are. And they are right here on campus! That’s right, your very own professors from ranges of disciplines such as Psychology, French, Film and even Engineering have something to say about the annual celebration of love. Check out this link here for a full list and you can contact Media.relations@utoronto.ca for more information.

Other than that, if you find yourself without any solid Valentine’s Day plans – why not make some? There are several going on right here on campus. At a glance, here are a few upcoming events to celebrate the love.

SMCSU Presents: Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction and Valentine’s Pub Night. The auction is on Thursday at Brennan Hall and the pub night follows on Friday at the Brunny.

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The Bound Paper Thingy Affair

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BOOK

Mental note to self, this is called a BOOK!

Empress Irene was playing hard to get.

I had been trying in vain to research this stealthy 8th century ruler of the Byzantine Empire for five days and I was coming up empty handed. Last year I had gone on a tour of the monolith that one of my professors affectionately refers to as “Fort Book”. The Robarts tour was informative and it had included a 45 minute workshop in e-resource search engines. So as I began my research, I purposefully typed Irene’s name into the scholars portal search engine. I employed all the steps that I had been taught. But, Irene was not materializing in cyber space.

Sometimes when I’m craving a sweet, I will look into my fridge over and over again in the vain hope that a tasty treat will become visible. I keep looking even though I have already looked in the fridge ten times. I think I’m hoping that a chocolate cake, will magically appear behine the mayo. After spending four hours late one night typing the same keywords into the search fields over and over again, I realized Empress Irene was no more likley to appear on my laptop screen than a cake was to appear in my fridge. I have been told the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Empress Irene was driving me crazy. I knew I needed professional help.
I recalled being told about a service that is offered through the libraries, to help students do research for papers. I found the site to book a research consultation on the library’s main site,
It was two days later when I met with Dave Hagelaar at Kelly Library. Dave was great! I didn’t even have to explain to him who Empress Irene was. He was already well aware of her historical significance and the fact that she was a very cheeky Empress to research.

The Research Consultation Room at Kelly Library

The Research Consultation Room at Kelly Library

In my week of searching I had found one article about Irene. Dave found eighteen in a matter of minutes. I was unable to find any e-resources. Dave found five.

Dave is my new hero. He not only showed me that the articles existed, he also taught me how to find them. Did you know that if you leave the search field blank and press go, the search engine pulls from a much wider group of databases? I didn’t. Did you know that if you put an asterisk at the end of a word in a search field that the engine will pull up that word and every conceivable ending for that word that occurs within the database? I didn’t.

At one point, in trying to explain to him that my search had yielded only books, so excited was I that I couldn’t recall the word book. It came out something like this “all I can find are those bound paper thingies”! I’m not usually this dense…but in the dark, scary pit of researching an elusive historical figure, the blinding light of rescue is just that, blinding. The overwhelming relief I felt, coupled with the mental processing of new search methods left me short for words.

I am happy to say that I have now found Irene. She’s in my binder. It’s okay if she executes a successful escape because I now know where to find her.

Kelly Library’s research consultation service is brand new this year, so it’s not hard to get an appointment. But do it now…before word gets out about how great this resource is. Research consultations are available by appointment at most of the main libraries on campus. According to Dave, Kelly Library receives a mix of appointment requests from undergrad and grad students. So this resource is really for everybody.

Happy Researching!

-Lori

Act One: The Magic of Rare Books

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Before I had gone there, this is how I pictured the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library:

The student walks onto the stage, through the revolving doors of the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library. In front of her is a grand atrium, made of white marble. There are about fifty floors rising above the atrium, each with a gallery, and with walls lined in brown, leather-bound books, their spines embossed with the gold lettering of their titles. Magic book dust© catches the light and sprinkles continuously to the ground. Each footstep the student takes echoes resonantly. There is a female librarian nearby, behind a counter. She wears pince-nez glasses, capped oxford shoes, and a ladies’ tweed double-breasted two-piece tailor-made suit.

LIBRARIAN

Can I help you, miss?

 

STUDENT

Oh, yes please. I’m here to look at old books.

 

LIBRARIAN

Ah, very good. Did you bring white gloves?

 

STUDENT

I’m afraid I didn’t. I don’t have any.

 

LIBRARIAN

Not to worry, you can sign some out here.

 

The student walks to the desk, flashes her U of T card, and signs a piece of paper. Over the countertop, the librarian hands her a pair of white gloves. The student walks off-stage and reappears on one of the balconies, wearing the gloves. As she makes her way from one end of the balcony to the other, angelic harp music starts, as if from nowhere. The student carefully pulls a book from off the shelf. The spotlight focuses on her, the rest of the stage gets dark, and the voice of Linnaeus is heard, omnipresent, through the digital sound-system.

LINNAEUS

I wondered when you would come to say hello. I’ve been sitting here years.

 

STUDENT

I can’t believe I’m holding you! I feel smarter already.

 

LINNAEUS

Melius tarde quam numquam.¹ I feel particularly sanguine today.

 

The student turns a page or two, looking reverently through the Hortus Cliffortianus, printed in Amsterdam, 1737. The scene then fades to black.

Unlike my daydream, which was nice while it lasted, here’s what really (just about) happened today:

The student walks into the library, through the revolving doors of the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library. She has never been to the Rare Books Library before, and is sure that someone will stop her before she touches anything printed before 1979. She is an undergraduate, you see, and therefore feels like an impostor. “First edition books,” she thinks, “are for Ph.D. candidates.” She walks two steps and reaches a reception desk. She feels being positive is her best bet for getting in.

STUDENT

Hi there! I’m here to see old books!

 

DOOR STAFF

Coat and purse, here’s your vestibule ticket. The elevator is broken, you can take the stairs.

 

STUDENT

Do I go up or down?

 

DOOR STAFF

Go down, around the corner, there you’ll see reception, where they’ll make you a Rare Books Library Card. You can’t go into stacks.

 

STUDENT

Do I need to wear gloves?

 

DOOR STAFF

Gloves?

 

STUDENT

Gloves… So as not to contamintate the books.

 

DOOR STAFF

[Looking sidelong at the students hands]

Contaminate the books with what?

 

STUDENT

Oh, oops. Haha. To protect the books. Haha. Okay! Downstairs, around the corner. Haha. Ahem. Goodbye.

 

The student walks down the cement stairs. Fluorescent lights line the way. She comes to the reception desk. There is a man sitting behind the counter. When he looks up to greet the student, he gives her a shockingly warm smile for a U of T librarian. He also gives her colourful forms to fill out.

 

RECEPTION

Your new card is good for two years. Enjoy!

 

The student walks through one last set of doors into a very quiet room. There are a number of dark oak desks scattered about the room. Looking up, the student sees several stories’ worth of walls lined with books, about five floors high. The room has a special smell. This is too much to be true: it’s the old book smell.² A few people are seated at random desks. Behind a counter there is a wonderful-looking man with glasses and a white beard.  He is wearing a wool sweater.

STUDENT

Hello, good day. I signed out some books online last night?

 

LIBRARIAN

Ah! Have you got the library card that reception just made you? Excellent. One moment, please.

 

He walks over to a small wooden shelf lining the wall behind him and carries back a collossal, behemoth book the size of fifteen textbooks. He has also brought four small taupe volumes.

LIBRARIAN

So… Hortus Cliffortianus, by Linnaeus. And Pamela, by Richardson. Hoho. Isn’t Pamela the book in which the maid marries the master because he offers her chocolate but she doesn’t even like chocolate? Hoho.

 

STUDENT

[The student's jaw drops to the ground.]³

 

LIBRARIAN

Okay: can you initial these two forms, please? You can take three volumes at a time to any desk. You can’t photograph them unless you sign up to do so on special dates but otherwise, feel free to make yourself at home. Don’t be scared of the Rare Books Library. After all, I am one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet at U of T.

 

STUDENT

It’s true! You are so nice! I need to come here more often!

The student picks up the books. Linnaeus’ work is very heavy. It is very big. The student walks across the little room to where there is a solitary desk and chair. She puts the books down on the desk. She can’t believe she’s holding an illustrated 1st edition work from 1737. “Either I fooled them with my cool confidence, or this is the best library ever,” the student thinks. She sits down and pulls Linnaeus’ book up close. She opens the front cover and looks around the room.

…

…

…

Silence. The student waits… No voice. No Linnaeus speaking from the other side. Only the occasional swish as the page of a yonder book is flipped. The student turns another page.

STUDENT

[Internal monologue]

“Hortus Cliffortianus: Plantas exhibens quas in hortistam vivis quam siccis, hartecampi in Hollandia, coluit vir nobilissimus & Generosissimus Georgius Clifford.” Holy smokes! A lot of Latin! Best get out my thinking cells.

 

The scene fades out to black.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

© Property of UpbeaT.

¹Anonymous. Latin for: “Better late than never.”

² Fariya! I can’t believe it! It’s the old book smell!

³ During our last weekly UpbeaT meeting, Heather brought with her a synopsis of Pamela, written by a friend in an English Lit class. It was short, shocking, and guffaw-inspiring. So in tribute to the salutory works of U of T summaries, I signed the book out online the night before my trip to the Rare Books Library.

 

-Mary

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned?

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Alrighty Penny Pinchers! This post is for all of you who empty all the change from your wallet and start counting pennies, just barely scraping up enough change just to pay for cookie at Tim Hortons.

Almost two years of University have taught me some awesome tricks to saving money…so here we go:

Eight (Crazy, Practical, Wild, Unique, Ridiculously Cheap) Ways to Save Money.

1. Get a re-usable water bottle: The amount of money you can save from buying a water bottle and filling it up with water from a fountain as opposed to using those plastic bottles is really enough to buy yourself the cookie :)

2. Get a thermos: A lot of coffee places, like Tim Hortons, Second Cup and even Starbucks, (I think) will give you a discount when you use a thermos. Even if the discount is small – like 25 cents, after 5 or 6 hot drinks, you could get a free one with the money you save! (like buy six and get the last one free!) A good deal for those tea or coffee lovers.

3. Re-use the tea bag: Okay, this one is a crazy one – I’ve seen it been done before, but I’ve never actually tried it. Lets say you get tea from second cup. After you are done, pour boiling water again into the cup, let the tea bag steep, add milk and sugar and voila! You have another cup. Rumour has it, the tea bag can last two rounds.

4. Use the free stuff: Hey, you’re real cheap? Sid Smith & Koffler Centre Second Cup, have milk and sugar outside their locations. If you’re like me, and you’ve bought a box of tea (a good way to save if you are a heavy tea drinker – buy a box, and get 25 tea bags for $7!), use the milk and sugar provided from the coffee shops.

5. Take advantage of the discounts: I always come near the U of T bookstore on Fridays to discover the array of books available…I picked up a 600-page book that was $0.99! Now, a good deal doesn’t mean you have to buy what you don’t need, but take advantage of the opportunity to save money in areas you would have to spend anyways.

6. Use coupons: Grocery flyers, newspapers and other publications all have coupons available that can cut down your cost expenses. You’d be surprised how much $2 here and there can really save you.

7. Take advantage of your Health and Dental Plan: You pay a lot of money every year to have a plan – very few people take advantage of the services you plan offers (I know, they don’t exactly make it easy by explaining exactly what’s covered and how to get reimbursed), but check out what’s covered, and use the plan!

8. Tokens or a Metropass: Yes, it makes a different. You can get 4 tokens and a loonie for inputting a $10, and you can save about 10 bucks every month by using a Metropass…if you travel a lot, or would like to travel more, do get a pass. But even if you only travel once a week (as I do, being in residence and not needing to use the subway), tokes are still a way to save.

Any More Ideas?

Be sure to leave a comment or suggestions :) (Don’t worry, your email address won’t be published)

Happy Saving!

Fariya

Get a little literary

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Last weekend I got a little literary on myself, and before I went to work on Saturday, I walked down to Hart House and went to the Stories That Bind Festival, a free event celebrating multicultural writing, dancing, and performance art.

I got there in time to hear Priscila Uppal, and Dae Tong Huh read some of their fiction and poetry, and to hear Al Moritz read a short story. It was refreshing to sit down amidst a crowd of people and listen to the authors read, but to not have to jot down notes at top speed. A bit like being read bedtime stories as a kid: totally recreational, and all you need to do is sit, relax, and ingest.

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a literary reading, and it sort of reminded me of Trampoline Hall, a monthly event held both in Toronto and New York where non-professionals give speeches about specific topics. Some past speeches that I’ve seen included topics like War Craft, Amazonian Exploration Mishaps, and Fungus. They’re a real lark, and surprisingly informative too.

Between the readings at Stories That Bind, several groups of dancers of all ages performed a number of colourful Korean Ham Mam dances. One of the dances involved about a dozen girls, whose dresses were adorned with sleeves that flowed down in streams of silk to about the bottom of their dresses, instead of ending at the wrist. When any one of them moved their arms, the sleeves replicated colourful wings or flags, flowing around the dancer. It made quiet the impression when they all moved in syncronocity. In another set the young dancers, all in layers of dyed silks, drummed along with the music while dancing around.

The event that got the most attention was a magic show put on by Jason McConnie. A lively crowd of both kids and adults sat around the room while he mysteriously put into play a number of tricks involving knives, boxes, and human heads, and all other sorts of fun.

Some of the other performances between readings included Axe Caporeia, Slovenian folk dance, two storytellers, and some music by the Sandy MacIntyre Trio.

I learned about The Stories That Bind Festival from the Open Book Toronto website, an organization that features and publicizes Toronto and Canadian writers. The idea behind Open Book Toronto seems to be to keep Toronto’s literary scene accessible through the promotion of readings and literary events, which can be found here. It puts a strong emphasis on independent authors and publishers, and on showing a wide range of authors. It also has a new writer-in-residence, Linda Rogers, who has a blog of her own (oh wow!), where you can ask questions pertaining to writing and get back personal responses. Events aren’t only literary, either. Although you find a lot about various reading series and book launches, the site also includes dancing nights, film festival showings, and art exhibits.

- Mary