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Oh the things we do when we study

From the blog asianssleepinginthelibrary.tumblr.com

C’mon, we’ve got our study habits. Some of us bite our nails, while others rest their heads on their books because being in close proximity to them “helps you study” (guilty). I’ve asked people what their study habits are and… well, you’ll see.

Groovin’ and Movin’

Sorry! I know that was a cheesy heading. I blame it on peristalsis and rhythmic muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.

We all have our jams and playlists. I either listen to intrumentals (I recommend Chris Botti if you love jazz trumpet) or something that is easy to sing to (Richard Marx, anyone?). Some of you may also do drum solos on your laptop, desk or wall. Others may belt out solos like nobody’s business (guilty again). Whatever it is, remember to be considerate of your neighbors/roommate/comrade-at-arms. You may think you’re doing a wicked solo, but your roommate may not. Unfortunately, not all of us are the next Susan Boyle.

Point of no return

It’s 4am, and your mind is so scrambled you could eat it instead of eggs. You are what you eat, right? blogUT co-editor Lori says that when she gets to that point in studying, she forces herself to finish the last paragraph and really understand it before stopping.

So you’ve stopped studying, your nerves are running high and now you’re just staring at the ceiling, contemplating your impending doom. What should you do? Someone said that she would watch a movie before going to bed. I would recommend meditation to get you back in the zone.

Maybe you shouldn’t do that…

We are all civilized young people. We have a colourful vocabulary. It should come to no surprise that many of us cuss like a pirate with his leg chopped off. Admittedly, it’s a form of stress relief, but remember to not take that language to the street! I once watched a friend swear while she ranted about her final only to be scolded by a grandmother walking with her grandchild. Probably not the best thing that can happen.

A friend told me he enjoys watching TV and cramming during the commercials. I call that guilty pleasure. I mean, I know I do it by going online and cramming while a YouTube video loads, but we all know that that is definitely not a good way to study.

Another friend of mine chooses to take 5-hour “naps” and wake up at 3am to study before going to sleep again. Another pulls allnighters consistently throughout the week. What I do when I have to keep myself awake is look for the strongest tea and coffee I can find and brew them together. Caffeine galore, but please, don’t do it too often (or at all). The shakes lasts for days.

We do some pretty crazy things when we study. What are your weirdest, quirkiest study habits?

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So… we’ve got another election on our hands

In case you didn’t know, this will be the 4th election in 7 years. By now, I’m sure a lot of people are frustrated with having to vote, knowing that it’s probable that very little will change. This is one of the major reasons why voter turnout was at a historic low at the last election. I distinctly remembering the low morale during that time and the cynicism at our own elections, especially when we could compare all of our candidates and their attack ads with all of the positive campaigning that was going on in the States. It might have been the only time in my life I wished I was American.

In any case, you could ask, well, what does this have to do with student life? Well, Rick Mercer makes a fair point in this rant:

And when he mentions that point about the senior homes (at 1:10), here’s one of the pictures of Elections Campaign Day 3 on the CBC website:

So on May 2nd, vote!

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The Crunchtime Breakdown

Image via blogs.umdbk.com

As school dwindles to a close, all students have one major thing in common: the crunchtime breakdown. Don’t act like you don’t know what that is. The crunchtime breakdown (according to my own personal dictionary) is known as your reaction to having all the essays, labs, tests, what have you all in the span of two weeks or so. This reaction happens in a few ways: anger, frustrated tears, accompanied by an overall sense of “How the #@*%-ing hell am I supposed to do this all in ___days?!!”

Although I am definitely not an expert on how to relieve yourself of this inevitable stress, I can offer some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years here at our ever so loving school:

1. Go ahead, have your breakdown. Once you’re done freaking out about the never ending list of things to do, you can take three big deep breaths and just get through it. (This may occur more than once depending on how overwhelmed you feel.)

2. BREATHE. Make a list of things to do and tackle each item one at a time. Remember it’s better to do things one at a time so you can put all your focus and attention on that one task instead of attempting to multitask a million things at once.

3. Pace yourself. You know that at the end of the day it’s just going to work out, so relax and work at your own pace.

4. If you can squeeze in some time at the gym, DO IT. Even working out for an hour, can help you release your stress at the gym and feel relaxed.

5. Go to the library with your coffee or poison of choice, donned in comfortable clothes and just do what you have to do. We’re THIS close to having summer, so finish it on a high note.

My tips and tricks might not be your cup of tea, so I ask you this: how do you deal with the inevitable crunchtime breakdown?

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Thank you! Love from blogUT

About a week ago, we at blogUT put out a post asking for your help. We’ve been running into some financial problems and we on the editorial team have been taking money from our very thin wallets to pay for some fees necessary to keep the blog running. As university students sucked dry by the institution we begrudgingly but lovingly call “our school”, we were getting desperate. So we asked for your help here on the blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook to donate whatever you could.  Ten dollars. Five dollars. A toonie. A buck. Lint from your pocket. Whatever.

To be perfectly honest, we didn’t really expect to get much out of this. But we thought we’d give it a try anyway.

And after ONE WEEK, we are blown away by the amazing response we’ve received from our readers and supporters. After ONE WEEK, we’ve received a whopping…drum roll please…

$383.37!!!

We are so incredibly thankful to all of you who stepped up and gave such generous donations**. You’ve given us the chance to repay our debt as well as pay for hosting fees for the year to come! We could not be happier! You honestly saved the life of this blog.

And for those who were unable to donate, we thank you so much for giving us some fundraising ideas, for sharing and passing along the message to your friends, and just speaking such kind words of support. It’s been humbling to hear from our readers how much they enjoy reading this blog and that stuff make our hearts melt. And it’s really the only reason why we’re here and why we do this.

So from the bottom of our hearts, we love you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**A special thank you to all of our donors:

Sumaiya Ahmed
Crystal Chin
Paul Morrison
Winna Tse
Jocelyn Yu
Anonymous Donor
Anonymous Donor


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The A.G.O.’s Maharaja Exhibition: My (Lazy-ish) Look into the Lives of India’s Princes

Maharaja Poster

It’s that time of the year again, folks. Heads are aching from constant essay-writing, eyes are straining from late nights spent studying, and few of us have the stamina to drag ourselves to class, let alone head out to local arts events and attractions.

Nevertheless, I’m writing this to you, the over-worked reader, in hopes of changing your mind about the latter: to get your curiosity flowing, to fire the artsy half of your brain up after a long winter of creative hibernation, and to give you a peek into the AGO’s newest (and definitely most vibrant) exhibition, entitled “Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts”.

Being one of the over-worked students mentioned above, I’m entitling this entry a “Lazy-ish Review”, as I don’t have the time (or nearly enough artistic prowess) to write elaborate insights on the significance of each piece in the exhibition, and you certainly don’t have the time to read them. So here’s what you do need to know:

Continue reading “The A.G.O.’s Maharaja Exhibition: My (Lazy-ish) Look into the Lives of India’s Princes”

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Ongoing Event: Hart House Film Challenge

72 Hour Timeline. 5 Minutes max. 2 Words. 1 Ongoing Short Film Challenge.

Think you can make a film in three days? The Hart House Film Challenge is an ongoing short film contest. It gives students the chance to be creative, while offering an outlet for their films.  By indicating interest in a challenge, entrants are contacted through email on Friday with a particular genre as well as two words that must be included in their short films.  Contestants then upload their videos onto Youtube by the following Monday and their video is embedded onto the Hart House Film Challenge’s website.  Each month, a draw is held for entrants to win prizes. Past prizes have included movie passes to Bloor Cinema and advanced screening passes to films such as Unknown and Sucker Punch.

The contest started up in December 2010 and has already had several entries.

“We are a place for filmmakers to grow. In less than 5 minutes, you are challenged to think outside the box by incorporating seemingly unrelated ideas in your film,” says Camille Johnson, a member of the Hart House Film Challenge committee. “There are infinite paths that our entrants may take and it has been truly amazing to see their unique interpretations. We are all ecstatic about the continued response and the amazing submissions we have received. Keep them coming!”

In addition to the challenge itself, each video submitted is eligible for consideration to be screened at the UofT Film Festival. This year the festival is being held Wednesday March 23rd, 2011 at Hart House.  Amazingly enough, all entrants thus far have qualified to be part of the festival.

The Hart House Film Challenge is always looking for new entrants as well as volunteers with any level of film experience.

For more information and to see submission videos, visit the Hart House Film Challenge’s website. For information on the UofT Film Festival and their 2011 program, check out their website here.