{"id":31613,"date":"2017-07-17T07:32:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T11:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=31613"},"modified":"2017-07-17T13:40:00","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T17:40:00","slug":"summer-kind-of-wonderful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2017\/07\/17\/summer-kind-of-wonderful\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Kind of Wonderful"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Accurate<\/a>
Accurate portrayal of me chilling this summer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

If you\u2019re starting your first year at U of T this September, I\u2019m sure many of you are spending most of your time thinking about course selection, choosing programs, residence life, non-residence life, etc. Trying to grab all of this information at once can get stressful, especially if it\u2019s all you\u2019re thinking about.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While I think university is exciting time, and it\u2019s great<\/i> to be enthusiastic about it, it\u2019s also important to take a step back. There is an entire month and a half between now and the start of your university career, and it\u2019s important to enjoy that time as well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m taking a break from writing about U of T. Instead, I\u2019m going to get into how I\u2019m spending this summer. Having free time in the summer is something I cherish. U of T is great, and I\u2019ve had a ton of great experiences here, but even too much of a good thing can get overwhelming. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

One of the biggest changes at U of T is that, if you aren\u2019t taking summer courses, you have a four month break in between academic years. Four months is a lot of time. I already felt like two months was long when I was in high school. It definitely takes some time to get used to, but here\u2019s how I spend my summer:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Picture<\/a>
After this photo was taken, I started discussing whether or not there was a hole in the space-time continuum under this bridge, just like the movie\u00a0Kate & Leopold<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Right after my final exam, I booked a trip to New York. I\u2019ve been to New York a couple of times and I love to experience it the way Carrie Bradshaw does, which includes going to nice restaurants, checking out some art galleries, shopping at used bookstores, and hanging out at Washington Square Park (which is more Felicity Porter than it is Carrie Bradshaw, I guess).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I also went to Chelsea Market with my sister, and found a store which sold jewellery made out of vintage typewriter keys. I found a ring which had a 1930s typewriter key my first and middle initials on it. Naturally, I geeked out and spent $50 on a brass ring, thinking, \u201cHey! I\u2019m a writer so I love typewriters, these are my initials, and I love vintage jewelry. This is so on brand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I had also purchased a lot <\/i>of books from all the used bookstores I went to. And I mean a lot<\/i>. I think what I\u2019m getting at is that this trip helped me take a break from the pressures of everyday life and think<\/i> about who I am and what I want to be. I also rediscovered my love of reading, which can be difficult to hold on to since I was always reading for classes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\"Picture<\/a><\/p>\r\n

So that\u2019s what I\u2019m spending a bulk of my summer doing: reading for pleasure. I mean, I currently work full-time but after-hours, I have all night to not think about work and just relax with an iced latte and a good book.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To quote Victoria Beckham, \u201cIt\u2019s always good to have a good book.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Now that I'm back in Toronto, I\u2019ve taken to becoming Rory Gilmore. I\u2019m checking out more books from the Toronto Public Library than I have time to read, perusing used bookstores in the city, and going through my current bookshelf.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I guess what I'm saying is this: it's okay to be excited for U of T and curious about things like program enrolment and residence life. But it's also important to relax and enjoy the summer you have at the moment because having free time is awesome. Even if you can't go on\u00a0a trip, take some time to do things you really love.<\/p>\r\n

Currently, I\u2019m in the middle of Mozart in the Jungle <\/i>by Blair Tindall and The Magicians<\/i> by Lev Grossman. I\u2019ll let you know how they are once I\u2019m done. Otherwise, here are some books I recommend, in no particular order:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n