{"id":28057,"date":"2016-03-21T15:39:39","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T19:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=28057"},"modified":"2016-03-21T15:41:32","modified_gmt":"2016-03-21T19:41:32","slug":"basic-training-lessons-for-student-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2016\/03\/21\/basic-training-lessons-for-student-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Training: Lessons for Student Life"},"content":{"rendered":"Hi there!\r\n\r\nThis is my good friend Conor. We met at Trinity College Orientation Week 2014 and have been buddies since. Among other things, Conor and I share a passion for physical activity and education, and we share teaching responsibilities for a Bootcamp class at UofT.\r\n\r\n
\"10274177_10203685559126582_3800031889733152331_n\"<\/a>
My buddy Conor is one of the most intelligent and honest people I know, and he is always able to provide the best advice!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nThis week I sat down with Conor to discuss the four pillars of the HealthyU mandate (MoveU, SafeU, HappyU and FuelU). I am always eager to hear Conor\u2019s perspective on important\u00a0issues, because his life experiences include being a full-time student, a fitness instructor, and Military Maritime Surface Officer with the Royal Canadian Navy.\r\n\r\nMostly, I was interested to know how Conor applies some of the techniques and teachings he has received from the military in his life as a student. I learned a bunch of new military jargon; concepts that have considerable applicability to student life too. Here I\u2019ve pieced together our conversation:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFirst things first, let\u2019s talk about fitness:<\/strong>\r\n\r\nFitness is holistic. It\u2019s relative. It\u2019s different for everyone. Fitness is all about operational-ability<\/u>. \u00a0This is the ability to physically complete an operation. Some people want to be body-builders and others want to be mothers who can pick up their children. It's all about being able to accomplish your role.\r\n\r\nBasic training for the army demonstrated how important it is to be fit\u2014when you don\u2019t have to worry about physical fitness training becomes just a bit easier. Life is easier when you\u2019re fit, too. It's important to get up, move around. Keep the blood flowing in the body.\r\n\r\n
\"**As<\/a>
**As we were having this conversation a man was taking a study break beside us to do some squats. Clearly words to live by.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nWhat about sexual safety?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe Military is undergoing \u201cOperation Honour<\/a>\u201d, which is all about changing the culture of sexual assault. Culture changes through the structure of the Chain of Command<\/u>, encouraging people to act in ways that are safe for everyone. Accountability<\/u> is key too. We want to live in a nation where sexual assault is not an issue, so we need accountability from everyone. We all need to act as leaders whenever we can.\r\n\r\nWhat about stress\u2026 how can we be stressed-less?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIn the Canadian Forces, there is a lot of stress that comes from being in a high-stress position. Everyone has someone else relying on them. We see PTSD, alcoholism, clinical depression, drug abuse. People are pushed to the extremes in combat positions, and this weighs on the human psyche.\r\n\r\nThe thing to remember here is Prioritization<\/u>. When you are given a mission you are first given the Commander's Intent<\/u>. The reason is because if there is a break in communication or chain of command or things go awry, individuals need to know the greater purpose of the operation in order to continue working toward it.\r\n\r\nWe need to think about our own Commander\u2019s Intent<\/u> in the long run in our lives. Why are we at university? To get good grades, to get a degree? What about bettering ourselves as people, and to achieve some level of happiness and to contribute meaningfully to society?\r\n\r\nGoals are difficult to accomplish when we have damaged our body over things that are not contributing to this greater picture. Prioritization means remembering that whatever we do is contributing to our Commander\u2019s Intent.<\/u>\r\n\r\nThe point of university is not to be detrimental to your life in the long run. If you are causing yourself stress that might manifest in negative ways then you are totally missing the point.\r\n\r\nLast but not least, how do we Fuel?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nEat healthy, be ready to go. Again, it's all about operation-ability<\/u>. In Basic Training, when you\u2019re given your rations, the point is to give you enough calories to get through the day. You need energy to carry 50-pound sacks and rifles. When you\u2019re living a normal life, you want a diet to match your needs as well one that\u00a0is going to keep you going.\r\n\r\n
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of nationalpost.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nSleeping is a source of fuel too. Prioritize it! A good night\u2019s rest is always a\u00a0better choice\u00a0than staying up all night cramming. I can attest to that because the longest period of time that I went without sleep is\u00a0my week in Basic Training. It is really hard on the body-- you start dropping things, you can\u2019t communicate anymore, you make mistakes, you start hallucinating. After having pushed myself to that extreme, I value sleep so much more. And I would avoid sacrificing sleep as much as possible.\r\n\r\nSo, this is topical because exam season is around the corner\u2026<\/strong>\r\n\r\nCramming happens. I understand, I\u2019m a student. So the last thing to keep in mind is adaptability<\/u>. Your mission might be constantly changing. You have to be able to put yourself in a position where you can be open to new opportunities too.\r\n\r\n\"2000px-Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nIt comes back to Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs<\/a>. Cramming to reach enlightenment is probably the least important thing going on in our life right now. What is important is making sure we sleep in a safe place, that we eat properly, that we move our bodies. We take these for granted, but these things keep us alive. Without them, none of the other things are possible.\r\n\r\nThe essay that you\u2019re writing at university is meant to make you better, not something to be put ahead of your personal wellbeing.\r\n\r\n
\"Conor<\/a>
Conor and I attending a semi-formal event together in our first year!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nThank you Conor, for these wise words!!\r\n\r\nMadelin","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi there!\r\n\r\nThis is my good friend Conor. We met at Trinity College Orientation Week 2014 and have been buddies since. Among other things, Conor and I share a passion for physical activity and education, and we share teaching responsibilities for a Bootcamp class at UofT.\r\n\r\n
\"10274177_10203685559126582_3800031889733152331_n\"<\/a>
My buddy Conor is one of the most intelligent and honest people I know, and he is always able to provide the best advice!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nThis week I sat down with Conor to discuss the four pillars of the HealthyU mandate (MoveU, SafeU, HappyU and FuelU). I am always eager to hear Conor\u2019s perspective on important\u00a0issues, because his life experiences include being a full-time student, a fitness instructor, and Military Maritime Surface Officer with the Royal Canadian Navy.\r\n\r\nMostly, I was interested to know how Conor applies some of the techniques and teachings he has received from the military in his life as a student. I learned a bunch of new military jargon; concepts that have considerable applicability to student life too. Here I\u2019ve pieced together our conversation:\r\n\r\n
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