Jackie Lagos – The Medium Blog

Coping with Being Socially Awkward at School

March 5, 2014September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

Every time I start something new, like a new school, school year, or class, or even join a new club or team, I worry about having to interact with a new and/or large groups of people. Social confidence is not something that comes naturally to me, and I just don’t know how to act around new people. In social situations, I’m shy, quiet, and appear scared at times.

Living this socially awkward life means that us “social awks” tend to stay at home and become television nerds. We watch shows about people who are confident, smart, and are social badasses. In our heads we think, “Wow, I wish I could just strut my way through life like_____ does.”

Valentine’s Day Angst

February 14, 2014September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day where all those who hate it unite and make it known to the world through Twitter, Facebook and the almighty Tumblr. We commence our loathing as soon as the clock strikes 12 on the first day of February.

Broke Student to Broke Student: Textbooks

February 6, 2014September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

The semester is already well in session, but some of us have yet to set foot in the library or the bookstore. Thanks to this thing called the syllabus – a piece of paper that gives us a list of required textbooks for a particular course – entering the library or the bookstore may just trigger a hypo-glycemic panic attack. Unfortunately, that isn’t the only thing students have to worry about. Checking the U of T bookstore only to see the amount of money your text books are going to cost you can make you go Macaulay-Culkin-Home-Alone-panicky.

Picky Eaters with Dietary Restriction Problems

November 22, 2013September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

I seriously dislike the food selection at UTM. Not only do I dislike it, I am downright annoyed by it. I live two hours away, so when I forget my food at home – which happens more than it should – I am mortally screwed. Sure, I could just take the bus and get food, except I don’t want to leave campus to eat, endure the bus wait, the walking, the walking back, and the bussing back. But I’m also not one to go hours without eating – waiting three hours to eat is stretch, I get hangry (the combination of hungry and angry).

One might say: “Hungry? But UTM has a diverse variety of foods. They cater to everyone. There’s Tandoori Cuisine, Subway, Tim Horton’s, Second cup, International Kitchen, Cafeteria food, Pizza Pizza, Starbucks, Mikes Hot Dogs, Oscar Peterson Hall, and the Blind Duck. Jackie, you ninny!” Yes, yes, yes, we do have quite the diverse selection, especially for such a small campus. The only thing is, I’m a picky eater you ninny (not to be mistaken with a fussy eater*)! I can’t eat wheat, nor gluten for that matter, and I’m lactose intolerant, so thank you for providing a list of the many places I can’t/won’t eat at.

Now, again, I forget my food at home sometimes, so that’s when I start scouring the campus to find anything, anything I can eat!

Oh, and did I mention I’m a broke student? I will not pay eight dollars for a Caesar salad. I also don’t eat salad, so you could see how that would be a waste. The options this cruel school gives a person like me, I tell ya! Luckily for you, my fellow picky eaters, I explore the food options on campus on a regular basis, so other than salad, I have recently found a few options:

When I said anything, I meant it, because apparently this is my safest bet for a completely gluten-free, dairy-free snack:

Tim Horton’s Gluten Free Macaroons. Personally, I don’t like them, but they are gluten-free and 90% sugar.

The chips in the vending machine. Most are gluten-free, but sometimes say that they may contain wheat or dairy. My personal favourite are the Plantain chips in the green package in both salt and the spicy flavour.

Also, I know I mention these food options before, but just in case you’re new to UTM and haven’t stepped foot in the cafeteria, here are some places you must avoid, not because you’re a picky eater – no – but because this is actual poison to your body. I envy those who buy pizza for lunch. Then again, I envy those who can eat anything for lunch.

Note: Not actual poison. They don’t put poison in the pizza. I’m not trying to say they poison your food here, so hold back on the angry letters Pizza Pizza, you multi-million dollar company. Cool it.

That’s about it for our sad, pathetic, picky eating, gluten-intolerant/celiac and lactose-intolerant selves. If somebody could actually find me a dairy-free and gluten-free meal on campus, that would be great.

-xoxo Hungry girl

*A fussy eater is one who complains about their food all the time. I know, I know I’m complaining about the food at UTM BUT the difference is I still find SOMETHING to eat. Thus, not a fussy eater. I am NOT a fussy eater, OK?!

The Life of a Commuter: A Tragedy

November 14, 2013September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

Waking up early and getting to class on time can be hard. Sometimes you contemplate if the class is really worth attending. You wonder, is the extra five minutes of sleep worth skipping breakfast? Are the extra ten minutes of sleep worth skipping a shower? Are those glorious eight minutes of sleep worth going to school without a prepared lunch? If I take a later bus and run to the train, then could I sleep for an extra twenty minutes? If you ask yourself these questions in the morning, then not only are you a university student, but you are also one of the unfortunate commuters.

Other signs you’re a commuter:

You have class at 10 a.m., which, hey! That’s not so bad! Except, you have to leave your house by 8 a.m. to get there – not on time, mind you – but just to be five minutes late. Of course, If you want to arrive at school twenty minutes earlier, then you better leave thirty minutes earlier (thanks to the new GO transit schedules, you no longer have to wait an hour for the next bus).

You own this:

For those of you who don’t commute, this is an annoying green card that you load up with money to pay for your city transit, GO bus and GO train fare. You cry a little inside as you tap the card against the PRESTO machine and it takes your money to pay for the train fare. The annoying thing about this card is you always have to have a minimum of five dollars on it, and you can only load a minimum of ten dollars. So, you can see how this can be annoying, especially when you’re on the bus and the PRESTO machine beeps obnoxiously and flashes red because you’re twenty cents short of the minimum requirement.

One or all of your modes of transportation:

You know, taking the bus, to the GO bus, to the train, to the city bus, to school. Then you take the MiWay transit to the train, to the GO bus and then you get picked up by your parents.

Yes, life as a commuter sucks!

The solution:

There is none. Unless you fork up the money to pay for residence, off-campus housing, or a car with gas and insurance, then I’m afraid this cruel commuting life is all yours for the next four (or let’s be honest, five) years at UTM/St. George/Sheridan College. There is no winning for us commuters.

If GO Transit decides to create a Jetson transporting tube, I’ll let y’all know.

Television Ruined My Life

November 8, 2013September 16, 2015Jackie Lagos

I blame television for my false expectations of university.

Remember shows like Beverley Hills, 90210 (Donna Martin graduates!), Saved By The Bell, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Boy Meets World, The O.C? I most definitely do. How could I not? I lived and breathed these shows. I followed Brenda, Brandon and the gang to university; I was there in front of the TV when Zack proposed to Kelly; I watched Summer Roberts dominate university while coping with the loss of Marissa.

Oh yes, I was there, watching and learning, maybe a little bit too much. Most, no, all of my ideologies and influences have come from these popular, American teen drama shows from the 90’s/2000’s. They showed me how to dress, how to act, how not to act, what I should expect in my high school years, and more importantly, what to expect of university (or college as these popular American TV shows called it). But what these shows did not prepare me for is the harsh reality of university, or rather University of Toronto.