Raw and uncut, we give you the real juice on University of Toronto campus life.
In this video, I talk about what I’ve been doing to achieve a balanced lifestyle while feeling overwhelmed. I also talk about trying to drink more water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAsA0JSm2j0
And, like always, here’s a supplementary infographic! Click on the image to make it bigger.
Beginning my second year of university was like having a middle child. Prior to entering, I thought that having already had a year of school under my belt, being a sophomore would mean a more mature, sophisticated me ready to tackle all that U of T could throw at me.
Reality check.
I feel no more mature or sophisticated or knowledgable. I still gawk slightly when people speak up in huge lectures, I still have a fear of talking to professors (who seem no less superior and scary), and I still don’t have better time management. What I do not have, though, is the excitement that I had last year. During frosh week, I would look wistfully at the little froshies who always seemed so wide-eyed with excitement as they cheered on their respective colleges and yelled insults at each other. Now, after having moved out of residence, I just looked on at them and recalled the time I had the same zeal for my college.
Classes are not any easier. If anything, I feel so behind. Professors expect us to build on our foundations from first year, and I struggle to finish my endless readings. Last year, while I might’ve been complaining, now I just frustratingly chastise myself for letting things slip.
Also, night classes. Last year, I had one and I hated it. Now, I have one almost everyday.
So the biggest difference between this year and last year?
No longer is there that excitement, but placid acceptance. One more year closer to graduation, and I’m just as confused. But with last year’s gruelling training, I’m just glad that I can say, ‘come at me bro.’
So, to all the second years, how do you feel?
September 10, 2012 marks possibly the last first day ever of my undergraduate career. I am still trying to figure out if I’m happy about my university career coming to an end, or maybe a little sad about it. Perhaps it will remain a bittersweet moment for now.
Saying that I’m in fourth year sounds extremely weird. I feel old, to say the least. I feel scared, to say a little more. I still remember my first day – walking up the stairs of the Museum subway stop onto the sidewalk, walking timidly towards St. Michael’s College and smelling the polluted yet wonderful smell of my city, and hearing shouting, drums, chants, talking, and very loud music. As I walked my little 17-year-old, sheltered, private school self to my first day of Frosh not knowing what to expect, it is safe to say that I was scared – very scared. Now that I’m in fourth year, it is not the university environment that scares me, but the real world. It is so weird how the place that I once feared to enter has become the place I fear to leave.
Enough of my personal reflection.
The topic of this post first occurred to me on the third day of school this year when one of my professors asked each person in the class to turn to the person next to them and share his/her method of keeping up with school. The 2nd year female who I had just met turned to me and said, “Well since you’re in fourth year, tell me what you do.” At that moment it hit me: I’m in fourth year. I am an experienced university student. I GOT THIS. As the week continued, this thought stuck with me and, as I thought about it more, I thought it would be a great idea to make my first post an informative one about techniques for keeping up with school. This post is not only for the younger students but for everyone – maybe I can even teach the fourth and fifth years something new! Continue reading “Everything Fourth Year”
Now that we’re into the second week of classes, we’re long past the informal introductions and the administrative details and classes are beginning to pick up momentum. If you’re a first-year undergrad, then your breath is bated as you begin the portentous foray into post-secondary academia. If you’re approaching the end of your road at the University of Toronto, this year may be the one year that will make or break you.
In any case (no pressure, guys), you’ll be needing some extra fire-power in that utility belt of yours to help you through the semester. A few nifty (and obviously free) mobile applications may be the key to giving you the extra edge that you’ll need. Trust me when I say that it’s dangerous to go alone, so take these:
1) Blackboard Mobile Learn
Blackboard doesn’t even need an introduction. But for anyone who doesn’t know what it is for whatever reason, it’s a ubiquitous tool at U of T (and many other institutions), allowing students and faculty to access course content, updates, grades, announcements, discussion forums, and more. Download this one if you haven’t already, especially if you’re a keener looking for another way to stay on top of things at all times. Check out this link for more information about Blackboard’s mobile app for U of T.
2) Dropbox
I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of this one. Good Guy Dropbox has been very helpful to me over the years, as it allows me to store up to 2GB of documents, photos, and videos in a single folder, which I can then access from either my mobile device or my desktop computer, as long as I’m connected to the Internet. You can also generate a link to share a specific file, or even share an entire folder with another Dropbox user, making note-sharing or group work more convenient.
3) Epicurious
As a student, particularly at the University of Toronto, you know how important it is to count every nickel. That is, unless you’ve inherited a sizeable trust fund from your celebrity parents’ recent divorce settlement, or you just so happen to be a genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist. I’m going to venture a guess and say that you’re not and, if you’re someone like me, that your wallet feels the pinch of buying breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner every other day while you’re downtown.
If you’re living in residence or if you’re renting a place nearby, Epicurious might help you conjure up a simple and inexpensive meal, and help spare you the guilt of unnecessary spending. It’s like a virtual recipe book, and it’s even got an ‘I Can Barely Cook’ section devoted to culinary novices such as myself…
I feel like the biggest hypocrite for talking about saving money on food here. In the end, it’s up to you to decide if the money you save from not eating out is worth the added effort and cost of groceries.
4) Evernote
Taking notes with your quill pen and paper scroll has become archaic. Fortunately, Evernote is a note-taking service that not only helps you take notes in lecture, but is also useful for taking pictures, audio notes, and sharing all of your work with your other devices on the cloud. I think it’s a pretty sweet deal for a free note-taking app, and I’m intent on using it to take awesome notes in all my classes.
There is one minor issue that my friend and I (and apparently other Evernote users) have experienced while using the app on the iPad, which is that the app has crashed a couple of times. Thankfully, all our notes remained intact, and starting the app again was quick. But if your lecturer speaks as fast as Prof. Brian Cantwell Smith, or Dr. Matthias Niemeier (anyone else?), you might miss an entire chapter in the 5 seconds it takes to re-launch.
5) Google Drive
I haven’t used this one enough to give you my personal opinion, but Google Drive bears a strong resemblance to Dropbox in that it offers the same essential features, such as cloud-based file storage and web-accessibility across multiple devices. Google Drive includes 3GB more of initial storage than Dropbox for free accounts, but you can earn up to 16GB of additional storage with Dropbox by referring it to others. I think the biggest advantage that Google Drive has over Dropbox is the fact that you can edit Google Docs through the app, which is great for collaborative work for your group project. If you’re really torn between the two, you can find a more in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the apps right here.
6) iBooks
This one is only available on Apple devices. iBooks allows you to purchase books from the iBookstore, as well as download PDF documents using your Safari web browser for later or offline viewing. I’ve started to use iBooks on my iPad to download course slides, syllabi (I just wanted to say ‘syllabi’), and other documents in PDF format that my professors provide. I then organize all the documents into ‘Collections’ according to their corresponding class, from where I can read everything while studying for a test, or in order to keep up during lecture. It might come in handy, so I recommend downloading it if you don’t yet have it on your device.
7) Twitter
I’m completely serious. So long as you’re not using it to follow the fabulous life of NiC0LE P0LiZZi, or to reflect upon the insightful teachings of @swagboyzzz2020, Twitter can actually be an effective resource to help you keep up to speed with news, activities, and upcoming events around campus. The clever thing to do would be to create and manage lists or groups of accounts that you follow (such as professors, peers, clubs, campus life, professional connections, etc.) so that you don’t waste your time scrolling through irrelevant tweets.
These are only a few of the many applications that are available to you to help you stay on top of your game. What other mobile apps do you have in your arsenal of productivity tools?
In this video, I give an update on how my vegan month is going. I also briefly mention how I’ve been feeling, as well as some other health-related things that I’ve noticed.
And, as always, I digress.
Also, here’s another infographic. The information was collected via 144 Facebook survey responses so I’m not sure how reliable it is, and it’s about Americans so it’s not 100% relevant, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. Click on it to make it readable!
Want to vlog for us? Email [email protected] and we’ll get you started.
We’ve teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures Canada to give away advanced screening tickets to see Trouble With The Curve starring Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, and Amy Adams! To win tickets, comment below with your favourite Clint Eastwood film and why. Winner will be selected at random.
Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. Nevertheless, Gus—who can tell a pitch just by the crack of the bat—refuses to be benched for what may be the final innings of his career. He may not have a choice.
The front office of the Atlanta Braves is starting to question his judgment, especially with the country’s hottest batting phenom on deck for the draft. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner.
Against her better judgment, and over Gus’s objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries—revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.
Trouble With The Curve hits theatres on September 21, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTHSqutzOcQ/