Hello, U of T!

My name is Peter, and I'm one of the new Life @ U of T bloggers this year. Let me be the first to say hello, unless you have already said hello to your monitor. A quick introduction: I was born, and then I had a childhood. I started studying at U of T 5 years ago, though this is only the 4th year I am enrolled, and U of T considers me to be in 3rd year. I used to stammer whenever people asked me what year I was in. Now I simply choose a number at random and say it with confidence. I am majoring in English and also majoring in Math. Because a lot of people tell me it's an interesting combination, I've started to preempt the discussion by explaining how people often respond, to which they respond by stating: "that's an interesting observation." Soon my conversations will be the world's most banal Matryoshka doll. My position exists jointly between Student Life Community (who run this blog) and the Academic Success Centre (located in the Koffler Centre). The Academic Success Centre has been a great resource for me in the last year, so I'd like to close off my introduction with a story of how I first got involved with the ASC. Last year, just as I was returning to school full-time, I was doubtful that I would be a good enough student and/or sufficiently sane to handle lectures and homework. I did what many do when faced with anxiety and stress: I wandered aimlessly and ruminated moodily on my future. Campus is green and pretty and bustling in mid-September, so it's particularly well-suited for meandering. I happened to stroll into the Koffler Centre, where I noticed the Academic Success Centre squirreled away next to the Career Centre in the Student Life Commons. The ASC was hosting drop-in hours to see a resident Learning Strategist, so I signed up (at the last possible moment). The Academic Success Centre turned out to be my greatest resource on campus. I can't say the Academic Success Centre was a miracle tonic. The ASC can't do your homework for you, or drag you out to class, or any other unrealistic but admittedly potentially useful things. Instead, the Academic Success Centre helped me help myself. I learned time management skills. I developed strategies to get to classes and tutorials. I started a routine to get homework done. And the ASC was able to refer me to other great resources on campus, like Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS). I would definitely recommend the ASC to anyone who feels like they might need help with being a better student. That's all I have to say about myself for now. Hopefully you will have as much fun reading my posts as I will writing them. Drop me a line in the comments and say hello!