When I tell people that I'm a writer, a surprising reaction that I often get is "I used to write too, but I never have the time anymore," or "I write too, but I'm too scared to show anyone my work."…
Free Writing and Reflection
I took a course in creative writing some time ago, but something that my professor said on the last day of classes always stuck with me. She encouraged us to write in any form, whether it be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or…
Jump-start on Prepping for Exams
I know you just read that title and exclaimed, "Exams? Prep? Already?" But I checked my calendar and today is exactly three weeks until my first exam. Initially, I thought that sounded very far away from now as I still have final…
Writing Alone Together
To be honest, I'm not big on group studying. For some people it can be beneficial to think out loud with others and work through ideas together, but I'm not one of those types. It's hard for me take in information,…
The Perks of Going to a Writing Centre
I have been to a writing centre for every assignment I've had since I began attending U of T. It's November (a.k.a. essay season) and I have six essays due between now and the end of the term. Winter Break,…
Getting Some Good Reminders at Mindfest 2016
Taking care of your mental health can be a bit of a chore if that's not something you're already mindful (ha ha) of. To be honest, taking care of your health in general can sometimes be a chore. I think it's hard to self-discipline yourself when you don't feel the immediate consequences of your actions. It just doesn't feel like not sleeping well or not eating healthy is going to affect you right. now. and so it's easier to just give in sometimes.
So it's nice to have reminders every once in a while to keep yourself on track, especially during times when things are going relatively well and you think you don't actually need those reminders.
This past Wednesday was Mindfest, a "festival to create awareness and gain appreciation for mental health." I had missed out on Mindfest last year (check out Madelin's blog from last year if you missed out as well), and so I was glad I had a chance to go this year.
Lessons in Objects
It’s tough to feel confident when you’ve had setbacks. Very few of us can immediately bounce back after some kind of a failure without feeling burned for a little while.
For me, returning to school after a few years away proved to be a bigger challenge than I had thought it would be. I bit off more than I can chew in an attempt to make up for lost time and ended up paying the price for it—academically, mentally, physically.
But what good is it wallowing in past failures? Starting this school year as a full-time student again, I try to keep in mind the things that I learned from my disappointments and the mindset and new habits I want to try to stick to going forward. Here, I present some of the “tokens” of my learned lessons.
It’s essay season; do you know where your apostrophe should go?
You gotta write good like you know you should. Take them words and string 'em together all smart-like. Why? Because words make us wanna go:
That was painful, I know. I am deeply sorry for putting you through that. The point of it was to show how cringeworthy bad writing can be. [Life@UofT will not be held responsible for any damages resulting from rageful fits my above paragraph may have induced, including but not limited to thrown computers, torn pillows, and a decreased faith in humanity]
Good writing is so important in the academic environment. Professors believe that profoundly; a lot of what they do depends on the written word. It's no surprise, then, that professors are often experts at writing well. I have picked up so many great tricks from them throughout my time at university. In the spirit of solidarity during prime essay season, I would like to share my favourite tips with you lovely people.
A Soul’s Ballad: The Blessing of Reflective Writing
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife university students write—a lot. At some point, the word ‘writing’ might elicit an instinctive groan because it…
Hand Cramps Be Gone: The Art of Note-taking in Lectures
Maybe you got hand cramps from packing sand to make sandcastles all over a beach, maybe you got them from tapping lines of candy in the intense game that is Candy Crush, maybe you got them from whipping fluffy cream…