The Medium Blog

Five Youtube Channels to Help You Waste Your Time

April 24, 2016April 24, 2016Candace Ramlall

YouTube, one of the world’s best procrastination tools! I can’t even count the number of hours I’ve spent on YouTube, either watching funny videos or self-learning through educational videos.

These are some of the channels that I absolutely love:

1) CrashCourse

This one is similar to Khan Academy, as they have educational content in 15-minute videos. They cover an array of subjects, from history to chemistry, in a fun and quirky manner. John Green, author of our beloved The Fault in our Stars, is a cohost of the channel alongside his brother. I would especially recommend their psychology video course. Even if you’re not a psych major, the content is pretty easy to understand and is mind-blowing!

2) Jus Reign.

I’m positive that all of you know of Jus Reign, one of the most famous desi comedians! I remember watching his first skits and pranks, and now he makes music videos! These videos are meant to be a small study break, to take your mind off school for a bit. One of his newer videos that I found hilarious was “If DJ Khaled Was Punjabi”. He also touches on issues of race and discrimination. He recently talked about his unfair treatment at airport security.

What do I want to do with my life?

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016Meg Sharpley

This one sentence in itself gives me anxiety. It’s the question you get at every interview, during an awkward silence in a conversation, and family dinner. As if people expect you to have it all together. Well, I can tell you that I personally have no idea. Heck, I started in forensic science and I’m now in digital enterprise management. I am the definition of lost in life.

So what does it mean to know what you want, to search for a dream job? Is it about finding your “passion”, that deep-rooted desire that everyone supposedly has? Or is it about doing something just for the money? How does one decide what they, in fact, want to do with their life?

Looking Back at the Boy I Needed Too Much

April 18, 2016Adelaide Attard

Codependency. It may seem romantic, needing someone every second of the day. But it’s not. It’s dangerous. It can strip you of who you are at your core and turn you into someone else.

When I was in grade 12, I became infatuated with a boy. He seemed to fill in all of my gaps, and because of this, I always needed him around. I couldn’t do anything or be anywhere without him. He felt like the puzzle piece I thought I was missing.

He used to stay with me in the library after school until it came time to catch the bus to work. He used to tell me to text him when I got to work, so he could make sure I was safe. I always did. He had this way of making me feel safe.

10 Things I Wish My Younger Self Knew

April 18, 2016Candace Ramlall

I’ve always been asked what I would have done differently in the past, and what advice I have for my younger sibling. So here are some things that I would like younger people to know:

Difficult Decisions

April 14, 2016Candace Ramlall

Life is full of decisions. Whether it’s deciding which earrings go with that new dress, or if we should drop that really difficult class, we are always deciding something! Up until this very moment, I haven’t really had to make any “adult” decisions. Probably the hardest decisions I’ve made to date are more in the school and family area. So what will happen when I finally venture out into unknown territory?

I must confess that I’m absolutely terrified to become fully independent. I’m worried about starting a new chapter in adulthood. Coming from a home in which I have everything done for me and given to me, I don’t know how I’ll manage living on my own, paying bills, maintaining meaningful relationships, and so on.

10 Things You Know to Be True During Exam Time

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016Samina Sultana

So here we are. The semester is over, the midterms and essays have been written, and the all-nighters have been had, sort of. Exam season is a special time here at UTM and much like Halloween, it brings out the zombie in all of us. Here are 10 things I know to be true about exam season.

1) Sleep goes out the window.

We think we’ll get more work done if we just take an extra hour to review something or finish an assignment, but this is definitely not the case.

The Benefits of the English Program

April 9, 2016Shealyn Ivany

Going into university, I knew I wanted to be an English major. Writing and reading have always been two of my favourite past times, so much so that from a young age, I dreamed of writing award-winning books and making a living sharing my stories with the world. This is still a dream of mine, and it played a large part in my decision to major in English (and minor in professional writing).

I don’t know how many times people have made me feel like majoring in English is not a practical route in university. Most people assume job prospects are slim for those who choose English. They say my only options after graduation are to become a teacher or journalist. While these are important jobs, there are a number of other careers I can achieve that are rarely acknowledged. I could be a publisher, an editor, or a librarian. I could work in public relations, human resources, broadcasting, social media, film, marketing—the list goes on and on! English majors don’t just have one or two options. We develop skills that can take us in a variety of surprising directions.

Looking Back

April 7, 2016Karina Cotran

Do you ever think back to who you were a year ago and think, “Wow, I’m a completely different person”? Given that we are approaching the end of the school year, I’ve started doing what’s quickly become tradition after my first year of university. I’ve started to reflect on the past year.

Student Under Pressure

April 3, 2016Christine Sharma

As a hopeful graduate this year, I’m starting to think about what I’m doing with my life next year.

The options are endless—I could travel the world, I could volunteer, I could apply to a graduate program, I could apply to a college program, I could even say “Not today!” and just sleep all day, every day!

Or, you know, the dreaded… finding a job thing.

I have heard horror stories and seen memes about undergrads trying to find jobs. That endless cycle of needing experience to get a job, but needing a job to get experience. Or needing a Masters or a Ph.D. to get a job but then being overqualified for said job. How is this possible? How do I get experience in my field… with no prior experience in my field??

I am currently working two jobs and taking six courses. My jobs are not in my field, and I don’t think much of my coursework counts as job experience. If anything, I have barely enough work to put together a portfolio of some sort (I’m in CCIT and English), and even if I can make one, how valid will that be to an employer if it is not from the actual workforce?

One of my friends has already secured a job for next year. People, I am freaking out.

I talked to a career counselor two years ago, and she told me that one of the best ways to get this mythical experience is by getting involved in relevant organizations on campus that have something to do with my field so that I can put them on my resume. I have been trying to do that. However, already having a lot on my plate with jobs and school, I admit it’s difficult and requires intense time management (shoutout to the Passion Planner) and little to no time for myself. I like to think that I am involved, but is it enough? What do employers want?

The Graduate: Dear Future Me,

March 31, 2016Christine Sharma

Dear Future Me,

I hope you are well. This is you, at 22, writing a blog post to inquire about your life, tell you about mine, and perhaps motivate you to do bigger and better things than you’ve already accomplished, to always strive for more.

First, do you still drink three teas a day? I don’t think it’s good for you. Sometimes, the caffeine makes you nauseous. When this happens, I hope you still hydrate and take (*dramatic gasp*) a few days off tea.

It is 2016 and I am about to graduate from UTM. I feel conscious of time, because I remember graduating from high school like it happened last night. I remember wearing tall black heels and a leopard-print A-line dress and shaking hands with the principal at Brampton Centennial Secondary, receiving an Ontario Secondary School Diploma to-go.