As I am nearing the end of my term at the University of Western Australia (UWA), I wanted to compare my experiences studying at both UWA and U of T! I’ve found that at UWA, besides language courses, courses are…
How I am going to be more actively participating
It’s pretty hard to catch a yawn off zoom classes and nobody’s going to share a Timbit with you anymore. It’s hard to listen to someone and even harder to grasp their body language from just their face or impossible…
How I Deal With My Fear of Participation
Participation: the dreaded 20% of a final grade. My heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest, I can hear the blood pumping in my ears, anxiety is through the roof--all because I need to raise my…
Shout out to Seminar Style Courses
Being in my 3rd year, I've realized that my class sizes have gotten significantly smaller. As opposed to first year, when I sat in Con Hall with approximately 1, 500 students, I now have classes that range in size from…
Tutorials 101 or How I Went From a Skeptic to a Believer
I didn't know if I was going to like tutorials when I came to U of T. I've been notoriously known for not participating in class and it was never for any reason except for the fact that I preferred to listen rather than input my thoughts. When I received those syllabi for the first time, my heart dropped. How could participation in tutorials be worth 15% of my final grade? I dreaded going to that first tutorial because I had so many questions. What was a tutorial? What was a TA? How would I participate? What if I said something ridiculous? Never fear, I have the answers here (Ha, I rhymed).
Asking Questions
A few weeks ago, I suggested that students try applying to conferences. A question I’ve heard since then is: “But how can I participate in conferences outside of presenting a paper or poster?” “Good question”, I respond, spinning them into…
Making Mistakes at the U of T Public Speaking Club
On the fifth floor of OISE, in a large room full of wheely-chairs and a whole wall of windows, the U of T Public Speaking Club comes together. Every Friday from 3-5pm the club holds its general meeting, an open…
Raise your hand!
Can you remember back to the first week of classes? You know, back when everyone had something to say in class…eager to impress Profs with their extensive vocabulary and subject knowledge. If like me, you do remember these students, you too might…