Joyful, joyful!

February, though the shortest month of the year, can also feel like the longest when you’re a student. It is, after all, the season of back to back midterms and papers. Sometimes it can become difficult to see the end of the road. But during times like this, when the stress feels like it is going to spill over, remembering what brings us joy becomes the lighthouse we need to guide us sanely to the end of the semester.

I’m saying this to you as much as I’m saying this to myself. If you’ve been following our social media channels to any degree (which you should if you aren’t*coughcoughDoItcoughcough*) you likely know that February is #JoyAtUofT month. And seeing as it is nearing the end of February, I thought what better time than now to think about what brings me #JoyAtUofT. In fact, I think I really could do with a reminder as to what life is like outside of this stressful season. So the first thing I can think of that brings me #JoyAtUofT is the fact that my college’s student council (perhaps your college does this to) has provided me with a free locker all year! Commuting is tough enough when your commute is over 30 minutes long, but adding an extra 50 lbs to the commute that’s essentially hanging off of your neck shoulders makes for an insanely uncomfortable day. Especially when you’ve pulled an all-nighter. That’s why it’s so amazing to be able to store heavier items in a locker rather than carry them around all day! I love my locker!

Another thing that brings me a great deal of #JoyAtUofT are all of the amazing quads and green spaces that exist on campus. I admit, it’s harder to enjoy when the weather is bleak and the rain is freezing, but since the weather is beginning to warm up a bit, I thought I’d include this. Knox College, if you haven’t checked it out, has one heck of a quad. But I think that my favourite quad has got to be UC’s, hands down. Especially in the fall. What else brings me #JoyAtUofT? Well, I’m not sure if this is something you all know about me, but I’m a sucker for beautiful staircases, and U of T has got a multitude of amazingly gorgeous staircases. My favourite right now is the beautiful marble staircase in the Lillian Massey Building, followed closely by the retro spiral staircase of Vic’s Goldring Student Centre. Bizarre fact: I have no self-control when it comes to beautiful staircases, and I will make sure that I run up and down any beautiful staircase at least once (the tighter a staircase’s spiral, the better!).

Finally, the last thing I’m going to mention that brings me #JoyAtUofT are the free games at Vic’s Cat’s Eye lounge. I love playing all manners of games, but the games at the Cat’s Eye are especially near and dear to me. The foosball table there is the one I learned how to play foosball properly on. Also at the beginning of the past two school years, a close friend and I have made great efforts to schedule a Cat’s Eye day before things got too hectic to justify playing games. The Cat’s Eye, to me, is nothing but good memories. Making this list has actually lifted my mood and spirit a great deal! In the academic whirlwind of midterm season, I’ve forgotten about the things at U of T that make me love being a student here. I think it’s safe to say that these things the bring me #JoyAtUofT now most likely will also be the things that’ll bring me joy as a proud alumnus. What brings you #JoyAtUofT? Leave a comment below to let me know, or tell me by entering the contest (you have a few days still) by using #JoyAtUofT and tagging us on our social media channels.