Last mad dash for the finish line

Wow. I can’t believe that 7 months have already gone by.

Today is the last day of classes for us here at UW, before we go on break before exams start next week. I just can’t get over how fast it all went by. Last week I was swamped with final reports and projects and presentations and next week I start writing final exams. In exactly 18 days, I’ll be done my whole first year of university. I’m still stunned at the thought of that.

In non-school news, everyone is scrambling applying for summer jobs. I spent last Friday night writing cover letters and sending in my resume to places back home. It’s kind of funny – I used to get bored during our 2-month breaks, and now I’m faced with 4 months and I don’t even know what I’m going to do yet.

Not only that, at least before I used to be able to see my elementary or secondary school friends over the summer, but most of the friends I made here are staying here in Ontario and I go back home to BC and won’t see them until September. I’m actually more upset than I thought I’d be, even though I know I’m coming back and I’ll easily be able to keep in touch with them over the next 4 months, but it’ll be a little weird, I think, going from being with these people 24/7 to not seeing them at all. Over the past year, I’ve gotten really close with some people here, and to think that I’m going to go home and not see them until we come back to school next year is a bit of a bummer. On top of that, my room, which has basically my home this year, needs to be all packed up and ready to move out in 2 weeks. Looking around, so many memories have been made here and, looking back from the person I was on the first day I moved in to the person who’s leaving this place now, I think I’ve done a lot of growing up here, too. I’m really lucky to have gotten the chance to have gone through such a rich experience here in my first year at Waterloo.

On the flipside, I’m super excited to go home and see my family (yes, I did end up missing them way more than I thought I would, surprise surprise), and I definitely missed my lovely Vancouver. I can’t wait to go back to our pretty weather – they’re expecting snow again here by the end of the week, how fun is that? – and go back to my job and see all my old friends. I also turn 19 this summer, and although now most of my friends live here and I’ll be there, which only means I’ll have to recelebrate my birthday with them when I come back next term, I am absolutely thrilled!!! Above all, however, the first thing I plan on doing when I go home is going out to this wonderful restaurant called White Spot for dinner, and hopefully go down to Seattle soon after. Of course, you can’t forget the best part… school’s finally out!

Who knows? With 4 months, I could do so much this summer! There’s so many things I’ve always wanted to do… Maybe this time around, I will.

Odds and ends

I’m sorry I haven’t updated in, again, about a month. I was having problems logging in to post, but it finally got fixed last night, so now I can fill you guys in on what’s been going on lately.

I had Reading Week about 3 weeks ago, although it feels like much longer. I stayed in Toronto and got to roam the city myself and hang out with friends and my mum. I saw Phantom of The Opera while I was downtown, too, and it was so good, I really liked it. I was kinda bummed out about having to come back to school, but that feeling usually wears off when I get to see all my friends again. I won’t lie, I can’t say I was too delighted to have to come back to more work, but oh well.

Yesterday was Campus Day, and that was fun. For those of you who couldn’t attend, Campus Day is an open house the university holds for secondary school students to come visit UW and take campus tours, get more information from the faculties they’re interested in, and get to see a lot of other things offered here such as Athletics, Library services, or learn about Orientation Week.

I loved helping out with the Recreation and Leisure Studies presentation at BMH, and I think I’d enjoy doing it again. It was fun answering questions and being able to share how much I loved my program and this school. Afterwards, I wandered around the rest of campus and listened in on the other different presentations that were on. It was so busy, and I was a little jealous of all the grade 12s getting to do all their universities tours. I wouldn’t mind doing that all over again, I thought it was so cool! Enjoy it while you can. Remember, if you ever have any questions about my program, my faculty, or the university, feel free to e-mail me.

Anyway, other than that, the term has been flying by. So many assignments and exams… it’s good to have a break (or take one, even when I shouldn’t) once in a while. Of course, this would be one of those moments when I should be working on a report due next week but find myself watching TV or movies instead.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention! Guess who’s going to be an AHS Orientation Week leader next year? Yours truly!!! I can’t wait, I had so much fun this year that I wanted to do it all over again. So, some of you lucky (or unlucky?) future AHSSIES just might get to enjoy the thrill of putting up with me next year, but I promise you, it’s going to be FUN! Our faculty has some awesome stuff planned for you guys, and the people running it this year are very cool, so I think you’ll all really enjoy it when you come.

Well, I think I should maybe consider getting back to work and trying to be even a little productive tonight. It’s almost the end of the week, and then there’s only 5 more weeks until I can go back home to lovely Vancouver, I’m so excited! I miss my family, and I miss the city and I miss our West Coast restaurants, so the first thing I plan on doing when I land is go to White Spot.

I hope you’re all enjoying/will be enjoying your March Break!

What time is it?

It’s amazing how time seems to have become warped ever since I’ve come to university. On days you want it go by fast, it goes slow. And then on days you need more time, it’s gone before you even realize it.

I know my updates have been far and few, and for that I apologize, but it’s so easy to get caught up in everything and then find that it’s been a month since I’ve last posted anything. I’ve been so busy with assignments and exams, but only one more day and we get a week off for Reading Week!

You don’t even notice how fast everything happens, either. We’ve only had 6 weeks of classes, which sounds like a lot but I guess it went by so quickly that it doesn’t feel like it’s been a month and a half, and now we’re all back into midterm exam- and huge assignments-mode. This time thing is definitely not on our side; all of a sudden, we want it to stop for us because we don’t have enough time to get everything done, but it only goes by even faster.

The even crazier part is that in just over two months, I’ll be finished my whole first year of university. I don’t remember a year ever going by at light speed like this year’s been going. And to think of how much has even happened this year, in a way it makes it seem like I’ve been here for longer than almost 6 months but it feels like it’s only been a week.

So I think in the rush I’ve written this, what I’m trying to say is, manage your time wisely when you get here, and savour it as much as possible. I know that made for a very awkward ending to this post, but my fingers are starting to freeze and I think I may be late for my next class if I don’t run now.

On a last sidenote, when you guys come here, bring very, very warm winter clothing — it’s been about -30 degrees with the windchill and I’d hate to see any of you freeze to death like I’m almost sure I will. Maybe I’ll thaw out in time for summer.

Having fun is number one

As a Rec & Leisure student, you’d have thought that I would’ve gotten involved with Campus Recreation earlier. I didn’t. However, now, almost a quarter into my second term here at UW, I can finally say that it’s about time I did. I just wish I had earlier.

During my first term, I did take advantage of our free entrance to any of the university’s workout gyms, those being the one at Ron Edyt Village (REV), the one at the Physical Activities Complex (PAC), and the one at the Columbia Ice Fields (CIF).

This term, I decided to take a couple of dance classes offered by Campus Rec, and found myself in Jazz Dance and Pop Ballet. Now, you have to understand, I am most probably the least coordinated person you’ll ever meet, but I thought it would be fun to try anyway. As cliche as it sounds, I am having so much fun, making new friends and getting a good laugh at myself, all while picking up a few dance moves that I can barely do properly. But that’s okay, because having fun is what counts, right?

Dance classes aren’t the only classes that Campus Rec offers. They also give students the opportunity to participate in fitness classes, intramural sports for those of us who aren’t exactly Varsity level athletes, racquet sports, conditioning sessions, aquatic or ice programs. You can also become a certified coach, get First Aid and CPR training, or take wellness and health workshops and clinics, and many other things.

There is really something for anyone and everyone, and I would recommend you continue participating in physical activity when you come to university, be it something you love to do or even trying something completely new. You never have anything to lose but so much to gain, be it a newfound interest or a new friend.

(P.S.: Excuse the corny title, I didn’t realize it rhymed until I wrote it out.)

I’m glad I don’t have to shovel

It was only a month late, but Waterloo finally got snow! Our patience was sweetly rewarded yesterday when Mother Nature was kind enough to dump on us snow and freezing rain overnight, and the school declared a snowday!

To university students, a snowday is a close rival to Christmas. All classes are cancelled and all assignments and tests are extended for 24-hours. Many of us woke up early yesterday because of 8:30 am classes, only to read the bright red announcement on the university website stating, “UW CLOSED MONDAY BY WINTER STORM.” Believe it or not, and I’m not even joking, people were jumping up and down and running around the halls squealing in pure excitement. Within 5 minutes, it was complete chaos and everyone was awake. Forget going back to bed for the rest of the day, there’s no school!! You would never think that anything could make students literally jump out of bed until you see this.

Many people spent the day catching up on studying and getting work done, whereas many others went tobogganing on cafeteria trays at the Columbia Ice Fields or simply relaxed and watched movies all day long. Some students played hockey on the snow-covered basketball courts, and others built snowmen and had snowball fights outside. No matter what anyone was doing, though, everyone agreed that it was a nice surprise and a good break from evil Monday.

So today we find ourselves sighing as we all get out of bed groggily and going back to class. You can just tell that no one was even half as excited as they were yesterday, especially when one of my professors pulled a Ferris Bueller (if you haven’t seen the movie yet, do it now) and asked the class a question, “Anyone? Anyone?…”, only to receive a hundred blank stares in return. And other than the very, very cold weather outside — my Gatorade began freezing on my way back from class — I think everybody was even the littlest bit happy, if not absolutely ecstatic, to at long last get to see snow out. Let the winter fun begin!

Lesson #5: Technology can and will be used against you

We here at Waterloo are proud to admit it.
Everybody knows it, and we all live by it.
We depend on our technology, and when we lose access to it, our world comes crashing down.

My laptop broke down on me a few months ago, so in December I sent it in to get fixed and finally got it back today, yay! So, yes, I am in fact still living and breathing (and, no, the first term didn’t kill me), and back with a vengeance!

Like I was saying, at Waterloo, we count on computers for pretty much everything; QUEST is our online system over which we register for classes and check our marks, UW-ACE is our online system over which we access our course websites and download our lecture notes and keep in contact with the professor… Not to mention that e-mail is our primary method of contact, and so as soon as you get ripped away from your beloved computer, it’s pretty much the end of the world.

Ok, maybe not to that extent, because we are very lucky to have computers pretty much all over campus that allow you access to all of the above, but it’s still a bit of a hassle. I can’t say that I’m speaking for everyone, but it’s been a little annoying for me anyway, because I use my laptop to take notes in class and for my pictures and music and almost everything else. Wow, that sounds so nerdy.

Anyway, I just thought I’d apologize for not updating my blog in over a month, so it was only fair that I posted something as soon as I got my computer back. I’ll try putting up some pictures from the second half of the first term and from my Christmas break back home in Vancouver. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, whatever it is you celebrate, and here’s to a great start for the new year!

Lesson #4: No calculator? Find a Mathie!

I know it, I’ll admit it loud and proud: I am not a number person. At all. I can’t do mathematical equations, remember formulas and sometimes, I can’t even count or add properly.

Most of the time I carry a calculator on me, just in case. However, as I’ve learned from first-hand experience, there is a hidden secret to Waterloo that I now feel the need to put out in public for all to know.

A friend and I hit the jackpot in the cafeteria one day a while ago. Seeing as how he and I are completely mathematically-impaired, we couldn’t figure out this simple multiplication, and being the smart kids we are of course, he came up with the wonderful idea of throwing out the question randomly and hoping someone would answer it. It was a long shot, but we agreed it was worth a try.

I kid you not, ladies and gentlemen – I swear to you this is a true story – a random someone answered our question!

When I shared this story with some Mathie friends, they all laughed and declared that they were most definitely proud of the fact that they could calculate almost anything off the top of their heads or recite Pi to a hundred decimals.

So, anyway, I just thought I’d tell my little story for all to hear. I thought it was amusing, and it undoubtedly comes in handy every once in a while, too. Unfortunately, I have to get back to studying and getting work done now… We’re down to 7 days of class left before exams begin, so crunch time has obviously sunk in across campus. Let’s hope everyone survives!

P.S.: Please don’t take this post as though I’m telling you to actually not bring a calculator with you to university. If you are in a maths-based program or are taking any classes that need you to carry a calculator, do it. Throwing out a random question during an exam will more than likely guarantee you a 0, so it’s probably a better idea to bring one than take a gamble like that. But I’m just saying.

University tourists

I was sitting in my Business class at Laurier today, and a big group of students came bustling in and sat in on our lecture. It occurred to me that this is the time of year when you grade 12 secondary school students are beginning your university tours.

As dorky as this is going to sound, I absolutely loved visiting the different universities. I even visited universities I had no intention of even applying to! I spent forever – although the realistic estimate would probably be months – reading over and over and over glossy university booklets. In fact, I’d been reading university viewbooks since grade 9 (yep, I was an eager one).

Now, as you all begin touring the different universities, here are some pointers I learned that I’m offering you to keep in mind as you backpack along. (This might get a little long, sorry.)

First, I would definitely recommend you visit the campus of any university you are interested in, if possible. You have no idea how simply the feel of a campus can influence your decision. I visited one university in particular that I couldn’t ever see myself spending four years stuck there, even though it looked okay in the brochures. It just didn’t feel right for me.

Maps can be misleading. One university I visited took an hour to walk across the entire campus. I wanted a big campus, but that was too big for me. Looking at the Waterloo map, I remember being horrified at how far my residence was from the rest of campus. In reality, it only takes about 15 minutes to get from one end of the other, and I’m a slow walker. Visiting a campus will give you a good idea of how big or small a campus really is.

Try sitting in on a class, or two, or three. Some schools will organize for you a day where you can attend lectures in any given program that you may be interested in applying for. This gives you an idea of how the lectures work, and how big or small the classes are.

Whatever university you choose to attend, it will never look the same way as it did when you first toured it. This sounds really weird, but I recall my first visit to UW, and looking back on it now, it’s like I didn’t even visit the same campus. I recall it being completely different; I had no idea where I was going or what any of the buildings were, or how far point A to B was. However, from my visit, I decided that this school was the best fit for me. I loved the campus, I loved the people that I met and everything felt right.

Notice I am emphasizing the best for me. If you really like one school that none of your friends are going to, don’t worry about it. The last thing you want is to choose a university because all your friends are going, but then end up miserable there when you’d have much rather attended a different one. Visiting university campuses is probably going to be a big help to you when it comes to deciding where you ultimately want to go. And to those who cannot visit a campus in person until they go in September, try to find people to talk to. I ended up choosing Waterloo, even though many of my friends decided to stay at universities out West. I didn’t end up actually seeing the campus myself until May, and lucky for me, it was perfect and exactly what I was looking for.

Bottom line – take advantage of campus tours. Take advantage of university days that they offer. Take advantage of all the resources they give to you when making your choice. Remember to ask, can you see yourself spend years at that school? If you can do your research now, you’ll save yourself later. Enjoy!

Lesson #3: Neglected laundry gets its revenge

What do you get when you keep dirty laundry piled up at the bottom of your closet for 3 weeks straight?
No clean clothes, and an embarrassingly smelly and heavy load to carry to the laundry room on a Saturday night.

It all started when I noticed a weird smell emitting from my general closet area while I was working on a presentation in my room this evening. I decided to investigate, and all it took was barely opening the closet door and being slapped by this horrible whiff of gross.

I already knew that I badly needed to do laundry, considering I was down to shorts and my last pair of clean underwear. I thought I could hold it off for another day or two, but the reek just didn’t agree with me.

I plugged my nose and reached into my closet to pull out my clothes. It seemed like an endless black hole of dirty laundry was being pulled out of nowhere, and the bag I was throwing everything in was about to explode. It took a bit of stepping on, but I managed to fit everything in. Oh, wait, the fun part had yet to come.

Imagine the thrill of trying to drag an overly-stuffed bag of laundry down three flights of stairs, across the quad, past the cafeteria and to the laundry room in the Village – and don’t get too excited now, it gets better.

It took me 3 washing machines and two 45-minute dryer loads, but I got it done. Well, as done as done is getting tonight. At least the fun of carrying the bag back to my room was doubled because my laundry smelled good, and because, as I write this, the bag still sits in the corner of my room full and unfolded. I just couldn’t care less right now.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please do the smart thing and do your laundry once a week, every two weeks at most. It’s easy to throw your whites and colours in, press the button, move them to a dryer and press another button – it doesn’t get any easier than that! You can socialize, watch TV or even study while you wait – it’s a luxurious life! Trust me, your arms and your un-stinky room will thank you. But, if you still insist on putting it off for almost a month like I did, then I quote the unwritten code of university students and recommend you wear all your clothes inside, outside, forwards and backwards before tossing them out. Have fun!

Pictures speak louder than words