Happy New Year!

I’ve always thought of the New Year starting in September. Maybe it’s to do with my cultural background (in Judaism, we celebrate the New Year in the fall... actually, right now). But I suspect it has more to do with my intense nerdiness (i.e. my life revolving around school), because it’s not just anytime in September, but the first day of classes. I have a (originally sub-conscious, now quite conscious) compulsion to “start afresh” with every new (school) year. As the leaves start falling, apparently regardless of the weather, I always think “this year I’m going to …” Call them new school-year resolutions. Though they’ve varied over the years (in second year my goal was to stay better hydrated), the big constant is do well in school. In fact, most of the other resolutions revolve around how to do well in school. This year, I thought I’d share my top-3 such resolutions with you in something of a mini-series. Take care of my body Last exam time, I would quite regularly study at Robarts till 2 am. Not only did this result in a very unhealthy sleep pattern, but by keeping those hours I would often end up eating whatever was available (a.k.a. vending machine fodder). When the majority of your sustenance is derived from hickory sticks, you may experience strange side effects not conducive to successful studying (or social interactions; hickory stick breath combined with sleep-deprived squinting does not a good networker make). Though the "taking better care of my body" resolution has taken on many incarnations over the years, I’ve learned it’s best to be specific (for example, my hydration plan). This year, I’ve decided I should focus on physical wellness. Since I’m so used to taking classes, I figured it would be extra incentive (and feel most natural to me) to do this in the context of a structured class. Thankfully, Hart House offers loads of extra-curricular curricula on a whole range of topics, from filmmaking to fitness. After careful examination of the Hart House class options (registration available online!), I settled on Pilates I because of its body awareness/breathing component (also, I want a six-pack). If registered classes aren’t your style, both Hart House and the AC offer loads of drop-in classes (Hart House, The AC) which are free for students, and give you the opportunity to try out a whole bunch of different aerobic activities without a commitment of more than an hour at a time. So, student lifers? What are your new school-year resolutions?