A huge part of my job is writing profiles of students for the intuit Student Life Guide. In addition to overwhelmingly amazing involvement, these students all share one thing: each and every one commented on how massive U of T…
Methinks we doth protest too much
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell once came under fire for (allegedly) saying that elections weren’t a time to discuss issues, and I have come to a similarly paradoxical conclusion: Universities are not a good place to have debates. Wait! Before…
Now is the summer of our discontent?
Summer school can be brutal. No matter how much I rationalize, justify and bargain with myself about it, summer rolls around and I just can’t bring myself to go back to school. That was certainly the case last summer. I…
Summertime, and the living’s easy
Are you there, student population of U of T? It’s me, Lizzie. Who am I? On a metaphysical/psychological level, I'm uncertain. Depending on who I’m talking to, I would describe myself as someone going into their fourth and final year…
The end of the semester, a new blogging era begins
Hi everyone in Upbeat land. The winter semester has come to an end - hope you all survived final exams in one relatively sane piece - and so has an amazing term of student blogging. But just because spring/summer is…
The girl who internalized everything
There were some weeks last semester where school started to sound like life. In two of my classes, the word Bildungsroman came up a lot. It does not mean a Roman named Bill defecated. It refers to a story in…
The Last Lecture: Celebrating Change With Dr. Jane Goodall
Do you remember how easily amused we were when we were younger? Do you remember having an insatiable curiosity for everything that surrounded us? Do you remember being touched by a zen-like wholeness during those rare moments when we were…
The (amateur) naturalist’s guide to U of T
I can't believe we're here again. The sun is shining past 7 pm. The hustle and bustle of students walking to class has slowed, if not ended altogether. On my lazy walk this afternoon whilst soaking in the sun, a…
Surviving setbacks: the end of the year
I have now sunk to the lowest point a student can sink to. I have begged for marks. I'm not quite sure how I got to this point. I think it was a result of four months in one of…
Introducing the library video contest winners!
Happy belated Easter, dear readers! Hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I absolutely did! Exams are starting (ugh, I know), and unfortunately, I foresee lots of time spent cooped up in the library, looking forlornly out the window at the…