The following is not a complaint; it is a statement of fact. I ran around Queen’s Park the other night, for triathlon practice and I worked harder than usual. I worked so hard that I had to walk around post-sprint…
BIG SMILES
Guess what Upbeaters? I’m totally high…on life right now! I just had a birthday and thanks to Facebook and hand held cellular devices (and email and phone calls and snail mails)…my incredible community of friends and family made me feel…
Double Double: Why two professors are better than one
This year, something amazing has happened in three of my courses. My teachers have multiplied, meaning, I've had a number of classes with co-professors/instructors. Yes, two for the price of one. This seems highly unusual and has never happened to…
Is Bigger Always Better?
Is bigger really better? Well, a bigger piece of cake is better than a tiny slice, and a larger paycheck is better (sometimes way better) than a skimpy one. But, is a bigger class superior to those smaller? No. In…
Aliens sucking the creativity out of your soul?
Lack of spontaneity, productivity and creativity in the third week of the semester. That’s right folks, I'm practically a piece of old play-dough left on the table by some kid who has ‘peaced out’ for more fun during recess. Does…
Coming Full Circle in the Classroom
Over the last semester, ENG 434 Cook the Books has garnered media attention from the likes of the Toronto Star and CBC Radio for its innovative approach to learning as students engage in food literature, a genre that has received…
Accessibility Services to the Rescue!
Tests, essays, exams, and classes So much to do! A never-ending barrage of stress Boo-hoo! But, hooray! There is an answer to your agitation And you’ll discover the skills in one of the Accessibility Service’s creations! Tis the season to…
University Life and the Art of Living
Lately, my facebook feed has been stacked with friends’ and acquaintances’ reposts of news articles talking about the most-profitable undergraduate majors. Typically, the people posting these articles tend to be in one of the top 10 “employable” majors – pure…
Learning to learn
I have to admit: This week I intended to write about a séance – a fully-fledged, Ouija-board-wielding séance – put on by one of U of T’s more obscure campus groups. Unconventional events like these are – in this writer’s…
How to learn outside the box
The best part of being in university also happens to be the worst. We learn so much every day and yet we learn primarily through one style - the classic, textbook learning which students complain results in a lot of…