University

Surviving a University Course-Registration

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Since I’ve got two years of university under my belt, I figured it was time I started a series on how to survive university courses.

I hope you guys enjoy this series, and if you have any requests for future posts or advice on anything university related, let me know!

Registering for courses is one of the most important steps after you get into university. After all, you’ll be choosing which courses you’re interested in, or ones that will be useful for your future career. Here are my tips to make the process easier!

  1. Figure out what your program requires so that you know what mandatory courses you have to take. Usually, this isn’t such a big issue for first year, but keeping them in mind will help you make sure you graduate!
  2. If you’re not sure about requirements, ask for help from the academic advising office. They can usually point you in the right direction, and come up with a course pattern that fits your needs.
  3. Find out when registration is. Some universities do it at the end of the winter semester, and some in the summer. Make sure you take time zones into account for your registration time!
  4. If the university releases the course list and schedule before registration, try and plan out a schedule that works. Don’t forget to factor in labs or tutorials into your schedule as well.
  5. Come up with some backup courses in case the ones you want cause time conflicts or fill up.  That way, you won’t panic during registration when your first choice is unavailable.
  6. Register on the specified date and time and hopefully you get into everything you want. If you have any problems, don’t be afraid to email to get help. Remember, there is always time to swap courses before the semester starts!

Do any of the university students out there have any suggestions for registration? Leave them down in the comments if you do!

-Mel.

How To Deal With Being Homesick

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As I’m writing this tonight, I’m feeling the usual bout of homesickness that comes with being across the country from my family.

So, I decided to write down a list of things that’ll make you feel less homesick for the people out there going through it. Here goes…

  1. Talk to your family. As simple as it sounds, just chatting with them and catching up helps, since you feel like you’re almost home in a way. Plus they might send you cute hug stickers.
  2. Hang out with your friends on campus, it takes your mind off home. Plus, I have some friends who also get pretty homesick so we support each other.
  3. Go for a walk. Get some coffee, wander around town, walk somewhere as long as you get fresh air. It’ll clear your head.
  4. Get some comfort food. If there’s one food that always reminds you of home or makes you feel better, treat yourself.
  5. Watch your favorite movie or TV show. It also takes your mind off being homesick, and bonus if it makes you laugh. Plus with comfort food, it makes a good night.
  6. If you have a special object from home, grab it. I personally keep a bunch of cards that I’ve gotten from family and I reread them when I’m down.
  7. Go do something! Find a special lecture, event, go to the pub, something that’ll get you out of your room. Again, it keeps your mind from only focusing on home.
  8. Have a dance party! Blast your favourite tunes for a while to cheer you up.
  9. Get creative. Doodle, colour, play music, write, whatever your thing is. Personally, I like combining this with blasting my music.
  10. Do your schoolwork. As weird as it sounds, I’ve sometimes found immersing myself in a project or paper helps.
  11. If all else fails, let yourself feel your emotions, even if it involves crying. It helps release all your feelings, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

I hope these suggestions help any of my readers out there experiencing homesickness, and that you get back to feeling fantastic like the great people you are.

-Mel.

 

Living With a Roommate

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If you’re off to university or have ventured off on your own for the first time, chances are, you have a roommate.

Lucky for you, I’ve been there, so here are my top tricks for dealing with roommates.

  1. Talk to them before you meet. That way you can figure out some things about them and they won’t be a total stranger.
  2. Respect their personal space. Ask if you’re borrowing things, or if it’s okay to invite over other people, etc. Especially in a small living space, both of you will probably need your own bubble to retreat to.
  3. Know who’s going to take care of what essential household stuff. Whether it’s cleaning or paying rent, be responsible for taking care of your share of household tasks.
  4. If there are any issues, make sure to try and talk to them first before involving anyone else. Communication is key to solving anything, and in a worst-cast scenario, you can move or transfer residences.
  5. Try to find someone who shares your interests. That way, you have enough common ground to get along most of the time. Keep in mind, living with friends can still end badly, and strangers can become your best friends.
  6. Get their number just in case. If there’s an emergency, you lock yourself out, or you need to tell them something important, you can always reach them.
  7. Know whose stuff is whose, and which items are communal. It also goes for areas of the place you’re living in. Trust me, people who hog the bathroom or steal your food are annoying, so it’s best to have some ground rules.

I hope some of this point help you guys with dealing with future roommates (or current ones)! Remember, so long as you have basic trust and respect for the person you’re living with, things should turn out well.

If you have any questions or other roommate advice, please leave them below!

-Mel.

When Home Just Isn’t Home Anymore

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So…you’ve lived apart from your family for a few months, even an entire school year. And now, you’re back to their house or your hometown for a little bit. You’re happy, but coming “home” has somehow become different.

I’ve already experienced this feeling before moving away to university, after having done some traveling without my family. But it wasn’t until I lived in residence in university and visited my home for the holidays that I noticed how out of place I felt at home.

When you first see your family and friends, it seems like everything is the same. Same house, same car, same dog, same city. But they’ve really changed. See, the funny thing is, other people aren’t static. They grow up, get new hobbies or jobs, new friends or partners, and even if you know about all of that before you reunite, you’ll still have to get used to how those things affect your loved one’s daily lives.

But, the hardest part of coming home is being faced with how you’ve changed. After all, you’ve been away and learned some valuable lessons on your own. From friendships to things you learned in university courses, you’re not the same person you left home as. I know I came back from my first semester of university with new friends, a realization of how hard university can be, and with more independence. I’d even become a bit more extroverted, which is no small feat for me.

So, is there anything you can do about coming home and facing change or being changed?

To be honest, you can’t do much but to accept the changes and adapt to your new life. You’ll never be able to change the paths of others in your life, so you’ll either have to accept them as they are or set them loose. Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go of a friend in your life. It might be tough, but you’ll survive.

As for personal change, you’ll have to assess whether it’s good or bad, and then embrace what will allow you to become the best version of yourself. Take some time to have a heart to heart with yourself, and it’ll help you grow as a person. I hope that what you discover allows you to reach your goals and contribute to the world around you.

Just remember, change is a healthy part of life. You won’t be able to avoid it, but you can change how you react to it. So, when you feel out of sorts going home the next school break, go out and embrace the weirdness of change!

-Mel.

Top 3 Tips For School

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Here are my top three tips for post-secondary or university!

  1. Talk to your profs: As scary as going to your prof’s office hours *alone* may seem, it’ll be totally worth it. Getting to know them is really useful for references later, and getting help on content first hand is incredibly helpful. Since I’m at a small university, this is a lot easier since my profs remember me anyways, but I still have to put in the effort to talk to them.
  2. Learn how to study and write: University is a lot harder if you don’t know what types of study methods work for you. Writing is incredibly important for academic writing, so you’ll need to pick up that skill fast. Check out your campus for resources that can help you, for example, my university has a writing center to help students.
  3. Get involved: You’ll probably hear this so many times it hurts, but join a few clubs and societies. You don’t have to go to every meeting, but even being informed by being on an email list doesn’t hurt. I personally have joined a few societies, and the extra lectures and events they facilitate have been pretty cool and enlightening!

Anyone else have a tip for those in university? Leave them down below!

-Mel.

The Best Thing About University

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In my opinion, the best thing about university is freedom.

Suddenly after high school, you’re most likely living in a new place without the support systems like your parents or high school friends that you’re used to. And it’s really scary, that all of life suddenly looks a lot like a giant question mark.

That’s a good thing, because now you have the freedom to make your life what you want and need it to be.

You have the freedom to learn about anything and everything you want to. You can take whatever courses you want, and take what you need to learn about life out of them. You have the freedom to join whatever activities on campus that look attractive, and make new friends with whoever you want. You have the freedom to live on your own, make your own schedule, and take care of yourself.

All those options might look scary, but they’re all important choices you need to make yourself. In doing just that, you’ll learn a lot of lessons about yourself and the world, and from there you can decide where you want to go in life.

So, the freedom in university, it’s a good thing. It allows you to grow in ways you can’t even imagine yet, and I’m sure you’ll be grateful for the roller coaster of an adventure it’ll be.

What do guys think is the best part of university? Leave a comment below!

-Mel.

 

Your To Do List

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So, since today is a Friday, here is my to do list for the weekend:

  • Rewrite my lecture notes for the week
  • Work on my history essay
  • Go and work at the Coady library on Sunday
  • Work on Spanish exercises
  • Do research for other papers
  • Hang out with friends
  • Go grocery shopping 

What do you guys have to do this weekend? Leave a comment down below!

-Mel.

Favourite Quote

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This semester, this has been my favorite quote so far:

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. -Theodore Roosevelt

It’s written on my quote wall in my room, and it’s just a nice little reminder to look at when I’m studying.

I definitely do have bad days in university, and this quote reminds me to have a little faith and I’ll get where I’m going. Especially during midterm, essay, or exam season, it’s a nice reminder that you just need a bit of confidence to achieve your goals.

What are your favourite quotes this semester? Leave it down below in the comments, and I might add it to my quote wall!

-Mel.

Study Playlist

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During the last 30 Day Challenge I did, I started a Spotify playlist for this blog, and I’ve updated it a bit for this post! You can find it here.

Otherwise, I usually listen to more instrumental music when I’m really focusing on studying or doing assignments. This year I’ve been listening to the X-men First Class album as well as some of the epic movie score playlists on Spotify.

If I’m feeling like music with lyrics, I’ll usually listen to acoustic pop or covers, or Hamilton. I listen to those types of playlists when I’m rewriting notes or need to relax a bit between classes.

What type of music do you guys listen to when you’re studying? Leave songs, albums, or playlists down below!

-Mel.