I used to snowboard a lot in the winter. Ever since I was about six years old, I was out on the snow-hills and riding chairlifts. But once I came to university, I stopped. I guess I got busy. Always…
in which we continue the topic of achievement
Last week I talked about the pressure we face to perform well, and offered some general tips such as holistic awareness and goal setting. This week I offer more! In academics we are bombarded with messages of urgency: “Grab hold…
How to fine tune your caffeine intake for the daily grind
My relationship with coffee started in first year when I first saw it in a pot across the breakfast table. At first, I would only see it in the mornings, often accompanied by cream and sugar. Gradually, as I got…
5 Things Alumni Taught Me
It’s called Backpack to Briefcase. The idea is that students will benefit from early experience with the professional world, such as listening to industry lectures, attending faculty events, and meeting U of T alumni. This year B2B is offering program specific…
in which we discuss the pressure to perform
As an English student, essay season always finds me suffering from stomach discomfort. There is the sinking panic right before I hand in an essay, and the queasy nausea right before I get back an essay. I’m pretty sure we all know…
Cold showers: A chill 3-month self-experimentation and what I learned
I’ve always had a love for experimentation—just to see what happens. Being a student of psychology has really amplified that tendency. I first came across the concept of cold showers after reading an article on Ray Cronise1, a former NASA…
Face The Music (and Mid-Terms)
On the school calendar, the first semester might as well highlight the months of October and November as not the months that belong to fall, but to midterms instead. Like I have mentioned before, midterms are notorious energy-drainers. It’s easy…
Get Your Laugh On (Finding Place and Purpose at U of T)
In my first year, I went with a guy from residence and joined a sketch comedy troupe. I was really nervous and I suspect he was as well, though he never showed it. He was from Waterloo and performed on…
Why I Might Pretend to Embroider Kanye West Quotes at Parties
The other week at a party, a stranger asked what I did. I told them I was a student at U of T. But then they said, “No, what’s your thing? You know, for fun." So I just paused and…
A Conversation with a Friend about Life
Last week I met a friend for coffee. It was the end of summer that I saw him last — O how that winged tyrant flies! — and it was lucky because he’s graduated and he’s very busy these days.…