Tag Archives: learn

How I got a semester’s worth of credits and didn’t set foot on campus for eight months

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I need to let you all in on a little secret.

I’m a travelaholic. At any given moment, my desk has more guidebooks than textbooks. I dream in maps and mountains and UNESCO world heritage sites. Dropping Introduction to Archaeology because it overlapped with a required course for my program was my current saddest moment of fourth year. That isn’t the secret though. The secret is this: one of the greatest moments of the last two years was when I left U of T.

NO WAIT. CALM DOWN.

It’s because I got the opportunity to be an exchange student!

(One of the perks of living abroad is that you get to say things like, "Hey, tomorrow do you want to go on a boat ride... to Russia!?!")

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I never really considered myself the “exchange student” type. Like most people at U of T, I take academics pretty seriously. I have goals! Dreams! Ambitions! Why then did I choose to leave my entire life, friends, culture, school and family behind for almost an entire year? Why should you?

For me, it was something I stumbled into. My parents took me on my first “real” adventure – 7 countries, 15 days, zero language skills – when I was 17 and from that moment on, natural curiousity became my most defining feature. In second year, I went to Stockholm on my own for reading week, and upon my return, the first email in my inbox was a call for applications to a study abroad program. In Sweden! I thought it was a sign. I applied to it, not really thinking it would actually materialize, or that I was actually signing up for the semester of a lifetime. At the time it was just another email sent into the ether.

That is, until I was accepted, packed my bags, and realized I now had to learn to speak Swedish. From the moment I arrived and spent my first night staying up through the midnight sun, I knew something amazing was happening. That crazy, beautiful line across the maps of my childhood – the arctic circle – all of a sudden wasn’t a barrier to me. Nothing was.

Now I know that going overseas gives you a chance to completely let go of everything that’s trying to become a part of you that just isn’t supposed to be a part of you. It lets you shed layers of social pressure, academic anxiety, and existential uncertainty. It lets you keep the parts of you that you want to keep, and allows the rest to fall away.

Stripped of your culture, familiar friends, and the safety net of routine, you’re forced to encounter yourself. Struggling to speak a language that you do not yet understand not only makes you fully consider the content and impact of your words, but also gives you appreciation for your own thoughts. Living abroad opens the doors to your heart, and even after you return, you tend to want to keep them open. You realize that most of the time, it’s okay to talk to strangers, that the next train from the station is probably going somewhere interesting, and that everyone you meet can teach you something.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a “re-entry” conference for returning exchange students from U of T, York, and Ryerson. Discussing our experiences, we unanimously concluded that we’re more open to learning, people, places, and experiences than we ever were before. The hard part was realizing that “home” can be many places simultaneously; once you’ve realized this, you’re forced to carry a sense of both global connectedness and longing, for the rest of your life.

Whatever your goals may be – whether you’ve decided to be a doctor, teacher, activist, artist, or something else entirely – getting outside of yourself will bring you far closer to who you really want to be. You’ll come back more confident, imaginative, social, and alive. You will finally know what your hometown means to you, and what Canadian culture actually is. Suddenly, your goals won’t seem as abstract, and you’ll begin to find intense joy in the little pieces of everyday life. So go – get out there – and come back transformed.

- Jennifer

Final Countdown

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Time: 3:23AM

Word count: 2,929. (just 71 words short of finishing my 3,000 word research paper)

Typical countdown of a U of T student during finals week. (or even any typical week while drowning in schoolwork for that matter!)

In 14 days, 2 final papers, and 3 exams, I will have officially completed half of my undergraduate degree at U of T. Looking back on the past two years of my postsecondary career, I have learned, unlearned, and relearned more than I have ever expected to in such a short amount of time. And the time went by so quickly! You know how they say time flies when you’re having fun? Well, who knew that education could be considered part of that time-bending bracket of fun?

Blogging with UpbeaT this school year has contributed greatly to my experience and has challenged me to think outside of the box and actively seek out opportunities. I found answers to my own burning questions and discovered the hidden gems of our university. Collaborating weekly with the other bloggers has also allowed me to gain a small sense of community in the sea of U of T students. We touched base weekly, supported each others ideas and even sweat out buckets at Frosh Fit together – a fun experience I will never forget. Shout out to the rest of the UpbeaT team, this year has been a blast with you all!

So while I take advantage of the free wifi and 24-hour service here, I am leaving you with my final UpbeaT blog live from the golden arches of McDonalds. I look around and find myself among the night owls, fast food fanatics, and even other students entering the trend of taking late night study sessions to McDonalds. (Don`t judge me. It saves the trip for coffee runs!) As we all stare at our laptop screens in zombie mode, studying for finals, I can’t help but hope that every student here has put a little UpbeaT step in their stride and gone beyond the classroom to seek out opportunities on and around campus this year.

It’s hard to explain my experience into a few words, but here’s the best way I can explain it: You know when you discover something really cool that is just so awesome you can’t keep it to yourself and you just want to tell all your friends and your friends’ friends, and friends of friends of friends? That is exactly what UpbeaT means to me. Every Tuesday, I’ve had the opportunity to share my insights and discoveries with you and although it is my final chance to do so, my never ending thirst for discovery still remains. In fact there are several ideas I never fully got to pursue. The opportunities are endless!

So I leave you with these final words and snippets from lessons that I have learned throughout the last two years:

1. Partying hard = studying harder.

2. Always back up your files. Especially when you least expect you should.

3. Deadlines are closer than they appear. Instead of wasting time thinking about starting, just start now. Open the book, write the date, anything to just get you started. Fight procrastination!

4. No pain, no gain. Keeping physically fit = keeping mentally fit.

5. We’ve got spirit, yes we do. U of T has school spirit! How about you?

Lastly, I encourage you all to keep the UpbeaT torch alive this summer by discovering your passion! I know I will be doing so during my summer abroad. When I return on campus next Fall, only then will I know what the next school year has in store for me.

Until then, good luck with exams and if you’re already done – get off the internet and enjoy the sunshine!

- Danielle

LEARN Institute, Toolkit Conference, and Marketing and Promotions at U of T!

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My hands were clammy, my stomach did flips, and my legs maybe even trembled. Cynthia, you ask, what did you do this time? Why, I co-facilitated my first workshop ever at the 2009 Toolkit Conference!

If you’re like me, you are constantly told that you need leadership skills to do well in your future. But if you’re also like me, then you’ll be lamenting the fact that you weren’t born with leadership skills. Here’s where the LEARN Institute comes in. No, they say, leadership is not something you’re miraculously born with. It’s a process – it’s something you develop and practice and refine.

Through volunteering for The Centre for Community Partnerships in my first year, I was invited to join the LEARN (Leader Educators And Resources Network) for their pilot program. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to go, but I was warmly welcomed back this year (yay!).

I participated in LEARN’s Leadership Lab over the summer where I learned about things like effective communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and diversity and equity skills in a supportive and nurturing environment. It was so much fun! Food was involved of course, but we also did group presentations and role-playing and recorded ourselves making a short presentation. I loved how interactive each activity was and we shared learning and laughter in equal parts.

After the Lab, it was time to put what I’ve learned to the test. I was invited to co-facilitate the GET NOTICED, GET RESULTS: The Basics of Marketing and Promotions workshop at the Toolkit Conference (check out their new blog and read about all their exciting changes here!) with Student Life Communications Coordinator, Josh, AKA, one of my three summer bosses. Toolkit is the conference Leadership Development runs every year for executives and members of group organizations.

Our workshop was simple enough: we were presenting in a relatively small room for 20 or so student leaders in a relaxed, we’re-all-sitting-in-one-big-circle kind of setting, and all I had to do was do 10 minutes of a 45 minute presentation. Simple, right?

Not quite. Even though I practiced (a little) before hand, there’s nothing quite like those 20 or so pairs of eyeballs staring expectantly at you to impart some sage knowledge upon them to take home. My first “Hi!” was too loud and my first joke was met with silence, but as I took a deep breathe and plowed forth, I got nods and smiles and questions and even (finally) giggles! 600 seconds passed surprisingly quickly and all too soon I was finished.

My first experience was surprisingly fun! It’s neat to see that I’ve somehow absorbed my lessons from LEARN and was able to listen actively during questions and not fidget (as I’m prone to do!) while talking in a steady not-too-fast speed.

Also, another cool thing about the workshop was that I finally met Lori from BlogUT who did the three-part msn interview with me, and Sunny, the writer of the FOLD guest blog story! They were both in our workshop, and it’s great to be able to put names to faces!

So what about Marketing and Promotions you ask? I know you want to know, so here are some free but uber-useful tips for marketing at the university!

Basically, the Coles Notes for M&P 101 says:

  • think about why somebody would want to get involved with your project/event/group and then name and create a tag line that you can use for all your promotional materials together
  • Don’t forget the details! Answer the five W’s (Who? What? When? Where? Why?) and think about whether guests need to RSVP, pay, or register for the event/project
  • Double check your message (and get somebody to triple check!) – Is your message inclusive? Will most people get what you’re trying to say?
  • Understand your resources, including your budget and partners, and create a timeline
  • There are lots of ways to get your message out there, but whatever you do, don’t forget your group’s logo on your nicely designed materials!
  • Get out there! Whether it’s by posters or emails or blogs or word of mouth (or even a street team!) – the more people who know, the better!
  • Finally when you’re done, take the time to get some feedback. What worked, what didn’t, and be sure to include it in your next project/event!

Got a success story regarding M&P? I’d love to hear it in the comments!

See ya next week!

- Cynthia