On to this week's topic!
'30 things I wish someone had told me in first year'
Your undergraduate career is unlike that of any other academic enterprise you have or will embark on. Fresh out of high school in all your wide-eyed glory you either feel like a master of the universe or like a measly ant, lost in a giant farm. Well luckily I am here to tell you a few things that will help you navigate through this labyrinth of decision making.
1. Be happy and true to yourself. An identity is what you make of it. People will like you, just give them a chance to.
2. Do not be late for class. You will miss the announcement about the midterm or assignment.
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| ALL THE THINGS!!!! |
4. On that note, do not get involved in too much too fast. Quality over quantity is vital.
5. Say things in class. Awkward silences are for cemeteries.
6. Professors are human beings too. The more you talk to them the more interested you'll be in each other.
7. Bring food from home occasionally because that line at Subway is a killer.
8. Hang out at Rex's Den. The food is pretty good and it's nice.
9. Talk to everyone regardless of colour, creed and clothing. Diversity is one of UTSC's strengths; you will learn lots.
10. Take courses that will challenge you. I did a third-year course in second year and got my first 'A'. Miracles happen.
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| Worst case scenario? |
11. Know all your school can do for you. Free dental, medical coverage and movie tickets are all things you will get as easily later.
12. Have a picnic in the valley. It is gorgeous.
13. Do not go to class sick. You will infect others. Being cured is better than prolonging your illness.
14. If you are mentally exhausted talk to someone about it. Burning out is a brutal process best avoided.
15. If your laptop is distracting do not bring it. I mean you, dude in GGRA30 with the gaming. Pokemon is distracting to us all.
16. Today my prof said, "If there is one thing you learn in university it is that you do not know everything". Socrates once said, "I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance."
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| #truth |
18. Make schedules. They are not just for control freaks. It is the difference between waterfalling a drink and using a glass.
19. Money is not the most important thing in the world. Do not prioritize a minimum-wage job over your academic career.
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| Harsh but it could be me in a year |
21. Sing, dance, eat, pray and love. At least once a day remind yourself about why you are human.
22. That video game you play with your buddies is not going to help you on tomorrow's midterm. Put the controller down.
23. There are innumerable major+minor combos. Don't be afraid to merge art and science or business and philosophy. Learn what you love. You'll have to read a lot about it.
24. Try brainstorming your assignments as soon as you can. Wait too long and you may feel like this:
25.Go to class. Go directly to class. Do not pass Tim Hortons and collect a bagel. Bagel < class time.
26. Do not stop dressing up because you are too lazy or depressed. Looking good helps you feel good.
27. The Library is a zoo, study in the comp labs.
28. Nothing ever goes according to that five-year plan you made in high school. Don't worry though, change is good! Or make it so.
30. Ultimate-ground-breaking-jaw-dropping word of advice: Do not be afraid to be the awkward, slightly strange or just plain weird person you are. High school had about 1000 other people, UTSC has 10,000 and the job market has hundreds of thousands more. There nothing wrong with standing out. YOU DO YOU!
This week's stylish entity is:
A first year Health Sci major again this week! Med school is going to be looking pretty jazzy with all these fashionistas walking around.
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| White lace is my personal fav material |
Happy Thanksgiving + Everything !
Zarish
Not a bad list. It's great to know you're learning as you go. Life's complicated and we face a lot of adversity and challenges. While being diverse as possible is a great idea, it's also important to have a focal point so you can really focus on something and do exceptionally well at it.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I find all her tips to be very self-serving. It seems her intent in society is to soak everything up and give back little in return. It's nice that you are maximizing your world's resources, but it's not everyone's intent to take everything they can get their hands on. A good article, but like most advice columns, it's best taken with a grain of salt.
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