University Student Survival Kit

When students transition from high school or college into university, they often ask, “what’s the difference?” There’s a lot of change, but the biggest adjustment is always balancing the freedom with the responsibilities. The last thing you want is to show up to a class and everyone else is ready to write a test, and all you can think is, “what test?!” Keeping yourself on track with readings, assignments, tests, and appointments can be difficult, so I have devised a University Student Survival Kit! These are the things that I have found that I am lost without…

1. Student Agenda
   Luckily, you will not have to purchase one, as all Student Unions across the University of Toronto will supply you with one at the beginning of the school year.
   
   Students will organize their own in a multitude of ways, but I have found that if I write down my tests, assignments, and their % weight the moment I get my Syllabus on that first class of the semester then I don’t have to remind myself later on. It’s a good idea to colour-code as well, so my tests are always in red, gym classes in orange, work in green, etc. It’s a great idea to jot down the readings for your classes over the weekend to prepare yourself for the week ahead.
    
2. Writing Tools
   At the bare minimum, bring a pen to class. A back-up pen would be nice, especially on test days. There’s no reason to bring a giant pencil case, but one or two pens, pencils and highlighters should be more than enough.
   
   There will always be people in class who think you are a school supply store and that you will always have pen, pencil, extra piece of paper, etc. for them. If you bring just the one or two, then you don’t have any extras to give away and potentially lose!
   
   A clipboard with lined paper has been my choice for 5 years because it’s easier (and lighter) than carrying around multiple binders. Then, all you have to do is put the notes in your binders when you get home!
   
   FOR EXAMS: BRING 3 PENS, 3 PENCILS and a functioning eraser. It is AMAZING how many people forget to bring pencils to a multiple-choice exam and rush to the bookstore right before their exam. Rookie mistake…
    
3. To Laptop Or NOT To Laptop
   Laptops wind up being a huge distraction (what with Facebook, Pinterest, EBay, online games, etc.), so as a senior student, I would strongly suggest leaving your laptop at home, or at least in your bag during class. It is great practice to type up your hand-written notes after class as review. If you don’t feel like lugging a computer around all day, the library is stocked with many laptops you can borrow, and there are lots of desktop computers available.
    
4. USB Key
   If you don’t like the idea of carrying around a computer, this little technological piece of genius will save your tush! It’s a great idea to keep documents that you access frequently (like course syllabi, your resume and cover letter, assignments-in-progess, presentations, etc.) close at hand. It’s just another way to always be prepared and avoid disasters!
    
5. T-Card and Bus Pass
   Your T-Card is your Golden Ticket on campus. You’ll need it to get into the gym, take out or request books at the library, pay for printing, even purchase food on campus (if you load it up with a Meal Plan). Your T-Card is MANDATORY at exams as it acts as your identification, so don’t forget it!
   
   One of the great advantages of UTM is that the Bus Pass is hugely subsidized, so your busing fees are less than $100 for the academic year, and included in your Additional Fees. It’s so easy to hop on one of the many buses that come into campus.
   
   Let’s not forget our handy-dandy shuttle buses! The two shuttle buses bring you to Hart House on St. George campus or to Sheridan College, all with a simple scan of your T-card if you are a UTM student. Otherwise, shuttle bus tickets are $6 at the Student Centre.
    
6. Reusable Water Bottle
   UTM recently installed filtered water fountains all around campus, so you can grab some fresh, cold H20 on your way to class or gym! Having water in class is way more refreshing than coffee, and that way you don’t need to worry about coffee breath as you share some seriously insightful thoughts in class. The bookstore often sells reusable water bottles for really cheap during their “secret sales” as well, so pick one up, rep UofT, and get your 8 glasses a day!

Happy Reading Week, everyone!

  

Emily Johnston is a fifth year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program. She is working toward both a Bachelor of Education and an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Double Major in Teaching and Learning French as a Second Language and English. She has loved her time at UTM for the small campus life and opportunities to get involved.

Planning, studying and having fun are possible!

-“Do you have your T-Card?”
-“Yup.”
-“Pens and pencils?”
-“Check.”
-“Did you shut off your phone?”
-“Oh no, I almost forgot!!”

These overheard conversations give a strong indication that midterms are finally here! Yup, no need for the fashion police because track pants, socks and sandals, no make-up, and pony tails are in style this week. It is that time of year where hygiene is lower on the priority list and stress levels are high. However, there is no need to worry because stress buster activities facilitated by the Health and Counselling Centre on campus give you the tools – and the free and delicious fruits and vegetables – to cope with the chaos.

I have to say I learned a whole lot the hard way in my first year of university. Realizing the day before your French test that grammar is much more complicated to understand than in high school is not a good feeling to experience! It was soon after I attended a residence life workshop about how to beat procrastination that I decided to invest in a calendar and create a study game plan.  These are two of the numerous simple and effective ways that help me balance studying, sleeping, and spending time with family and friends.

What I really want to emphasize is the importance of both studying hard and squeezing in time for your friends and family into your game plan. In hectic times like these, it is easy to forget to take breaks from studying and, for some of us, to take a shower!  Ensure that you occasionally put down those books and mark on your calendar a planned phone call to your mom, dad, brother, or sister, or maybe even watch an episode of the Big Bang Theory with some close friends in between studying.
Another bonus to using a calendar is the fact that it makes counting down the days until Reading Week so much easier. Giving yourself a visual representation of what your week/month looks like grants you the opportunity to set both short and long term attainable goals and it makes the rough times bearable. 


UTM students can feel stressed right now because some of us are wanting to go home to family, some are praying for snow and wanting to hit the ski slopes, and some of us have planned to hop on a plane to spend the week sleeping on a beach! University organizations and clubs also plan trips during the break for great prices such as the four day trip to Montreal happening this year.  How fantastic is that? Because, realistically, after all this stress with studying for these mid-terms, who really “reads” during reading week? Wait a minute, isn’t miserable March just after Reading Week? Maybe catching up on all those readings is a good idea! Mark that down on your calendar!

My message is this: have a strategy which includes studying efficiently with breaks and don’t forget to reward yourself for all that hard work!

Carla Correa is from Caledon, Ontario and is a a second year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program. She's pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Exceptionality in Human Learning and French Language Teaching and Learning and a minor in Biology. She's part of the Residence Life Staff as a Residence Don. She loves zip-lining and playing volleyball, basketball and soccer.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For university students, there are four seasons: Winter, Midterms, Reading Week, and Exams. And though it seems that happiness is not on the schedule, it will be after Midterms. Ah, February  –  the month of midterms. The academic peak in the life of a university student. A peak that might be climbed with impetuous cramming, insane and illegal levels of caffeine, and for some, frequent visits to the Dollar Store for packs of sticky notes. This is it people – February!  The hapless month for university students! Everybody knows that this is a month for academic doom, but have no fear there is a light at the end of every tunnel – READING WEEK.


Procrastination is a common problem amongst university students. The symptoms include random searches on Google, the inherent need to obtain really unnecessary information from Wikipedia, the undying urge to publicly address your procrastination on your Twitter, and lastly, the strange desire to watch fails of all sorts on Youtube. There is no natural remedy to procrastination and perhaps that is the reason as to why we university students have a hard time overcoming these habitual internet practices, but there is a way to divert yourself from this serious problem; ORGANIZATION, TIME-MANAGEMENT, and a little bit of SELF-DISCIPLINE, will be your tools of success for the rest of your life. 


That is why midterms don’t scare me as much as they did when I was in first year. University opened my eyes to the word “reinvention.” In high school, teachers reminded us when something was due. University, however, is quite a different story. It is your responsibility to know those important dates. Those dates will be your mantra for the rest of the semester. Well, you’re not totally left out on your own. The syllabus will be your best friend for the next four months (or eight for a full year course): use it wisely. With this simple document, I was able to create weekly schedules for readings, assignments and tests. This is what helped me fight off procrastination. I had to be willing to throw aside the unnecessary “breaks” that dictated my life and had to teach myself to stick to my schedule and finish the things that needed to be done. Other useful resources included The Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, which provided me with some valuable tips for time management and effective studying methods. You can also take advantage of Office Hours, which is a great way to interact with your professors and get one-on-one advice or feedback about major assignments or tests. In university, it is not to up to the professors to tell you that you are doing something wrong and offer you some help. It’s up to you, the student, to take advantage of all those sources that can you give you the help you need to succeed. At UTM, there are a lot of places that you can get help from, even with little things like organization. It’s the key to help you get over the dread with midterms and it also becomes beneficial later on in the work place.


Even when organized, there will also be some stress! But don’t worry! UTM’s got your back with the Health and Counselling Center and its tips for overcoming stress during busy times like these. Or if you’d like, you could always visit the RAWC (our gym) to get some exercise to boost your energy levels and to get your mind off all those assignments. For every concern, UTM has a slew of solutions, but it is up to you to take advantage of them! After exploring all these opportunities, the midterm season doesn’t stress me out as much.


Before I know it, midterms will be over. But for now, I will be focusing my time with readings, perfecting essays, and studying for tests. Not to worry though, with the glimmering hope of reading week on my mind, a large cup of coffee in hand and instrumental music in the background…it will all be over soon.

Maria is a third-year English Major, French and History Minor student here at UTM. She grew up in Oakville, Ontario and went to St. Ignatius of Loyola. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, painting, drawing and volunteering. Why UofT? I chose this school because education has always been an important aspect of my life, and why not go to a school that's world renowned for their research and their exceptional education, right?