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<\/a>\r\nThe winter version: Steeped tea and strudel<\/em><\/p>\r\nMy final year of Undergrad is coming to an end.\r\nAnd this year, \u201cU of T\u201d for me was about goodbyes.\r\n\r\nFive years on campus means habits I\u2019ve developed, relationships I\u2019ve built, couches I\u2019ve become attached to, and routines I\u2019m comfortable in.\r\n\r\nIt is hard to envision that come September there will be no agonizing over conflicting classes, calculating textbook budgets and walking into wrong classrooms on the first day.\r\n\r\nSaying goodbye to campus has been an intentional part of my year, and I\u2019ve taken time to savour places, spend time with people and indulge in favourite foods.\r\n\r\n\u201cU of T\u201d is also slowly shifting from being my present, to becoming my past.\r\n\r\nWhen you think about it really, goodbyes really are just about transitions.\r\nThey are doorposts to new spaces, new seasons and new goals.\r\n\r\nThis is the time of the year when\r\nwe say goodbye to winter, and hopefully welcome spring.\r\nwe say goodbye to courses, professors and classmates, and hello to the exam grind.\r\nwe say goodbye to university and prepare to go to larger work environments.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThere are three essential habits I practice in times of transition:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1. I give myself options<\/strong>\r\n\r\n It is time to move on,\r\nbut I am not going alone,\r\nand that makes all the difference.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a>\r\n\r\nWhen the season starts to change, it becomes important to pick clothing that accommodates the fluctuating weather.\u00a0Wearing layers I can remove or add is a good way of providing myself with many choices that can be combined in different ways to meet any curveball the weather might throw at me.\r\n\r\nThe same philosophy applies to studying for exams or looking for jobs.\r\nDivide your daily studying schedule into sections with different options for the day. This makes it easier to adjust to potential time you might lose to unforeseen circumstances, or even just give you room for those poor, unproductive study days.\r\n\r\nExpand your criteria when looking for jobs and experiment with different times, environments and expectations. I\u2019ve been looking for evening jobs for next year, and it\u2019s surprising how future plans change when jobs don\u2019t span the typical 9AM-5PM time slot.\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0 I listen to good music<\/strong>\r\n<\/a><\/p>\r\nNeed I say more?\r\nMusic will be with us for most of the study season. It will energize us when we are tired, isolate us when we need focus, and empathize with us in the wee hours of dawn before a final.\r\n\r\nMeet musician Mandy, who herself is in a time of transition<\/a>.\r\n\r\nHer personal EP is in the works. \ud83d\ude42\r\n\r\nCheck out her free downloads on Facebook<\/a>\r\nHer stuff is my current study playlist. : )\r\n\r\n3. I surround myself with good company<\/strong>\r\n\r\nKeep your relationships close.\r\nThey will become your rock in times of trouble.\r\nBut even more than that, they also will live completely different experiences, and can offer you a completely different perspective on the future. I have friends who are taking time off next year to travel, moving to another country to work, starting entry-level jobs, or are continuing with Education.\r\n\r\nFor the last five years, U of T has been a space for other lives to intersect with mine, stories that have built little bridges of relationships, and long hours of conversation.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n