writing – Page 5 – The Medium Blog

You Can’t Sleep When You’re Dead

November 4, 2014September 16, 2015Samina Sultana

There’s a phrase for university students: “I’ll sleep when I graduate”, and it is an ironic joke—mostly because, sadly, it’s true. We tell ourselves it’s a few more minutes, you’ll make up the time later, but when you finish your work you realize an hour or more has passed. By morning, if it’s an all-nighter, you’re tired and you have to get over it and attend class. You may find yourself falling asleep halfway through, which disrupts your learning process. You don’t take notes, you’re too tired to focus, and you miss the lecture.

#commuterproblems

November 4, 2014September 16, 2015Christine Sharma

We are sitting next to you in lecture. We are in line behind you at the Blind Duck. We are ordering coffee at the cash next to you at Tims. We are studying near you in the library until our last bus leaves campus.

We are commuters. We have #commuterproblems. And we are all over campus.

Allow me to make a general statement: UTM is informally known as a commuter campus. The majority of students on campus seem to commute—that is, take some form of public transport to and from school.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard of some faraway lands that our peers commute from: Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Markham, Woodbridge, Toronto, Scarborough, Milton—a whole bunch of places in and around the GTA. Think about it: the person sitting next to you in lecture might’ve woken up three or more hours ago to commute.

First Month: An Observation

October 10, 2014September 16, 2015Kimberly Johnson

It’s a little weird, but when I was a kid, September meant something different to me. September meant everything that I loved—my freedom, my lack of math homework, and my hours of Anastasia marathons—were suddenly coming to a grinding end. September meant homework. September meant bedtime at a reasonable hour, and September meant a juggernaut of newness. September, now that I think of it, was the first time I realized I hated change.

What’s strange, though, is that university is somehow different. Now I don’t know if that was just because I was working and doing summer school, but when September came around, I couldn’t wait to get back to school. I actually liked school, and I, especially now (as this is one of my last “first months”), like the first month of school.

How NOT to Psych Yourself Out Before an Exam

November 30, 2013September 16, 2015Karuna Israni

Let’s get down to something that’s going to drive us all crazy this coming month: exams. I can already hear terrified shrieks as some of you merely read the word. All-nighters, pervasive coffee breath, and complete disregard for physical appearance are only some of the symptoms of this dreadful epidemic. From what I’ve mentioned so far, it’s apparent that exams can cause a fair amount of panic, be it from testophobia (yes, that’s actually the word for it) or last minute work. So let’s talk about tackling exam stress and avoiding a freak situation at the eleventh hour.

Getting Stuck on Exam Questions

November 29, 2013September 16, 2015Sarah Boodram

Exams. Everyone hates writing them, and by the time you’ve been writing nonstop for an hour, you just want to finish. But, you can’t… because now you’re stuck on this one question that you can’t seem to conquer.

Don’t you just hate that?

When you’re stuck on an exam question, it’s either because:

1) You haven’t studied enough.

2) You studied too much all at once that your brain is now fried.

3) You’re so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start.

4) Writing in the RAWC Gym terrifies you.

5) You’re sleep deprived.

6) The question is just wack.

And if you’re writing your exam in the RAWC Gym, it certainly doesn’t help that the scoreboard is counting down the minutes until the exam is done.

Now, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and don’t be afraid to clear your mind. Everything you’ve studied will come flooding back.

Study Tips for the Infinitely Stressed

November 28, 2013September 16, 2015Leah Waddel

Guess what guys? Exam time is approaching, AKA the few weeks in every semester full of sadness, stress, and snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. Like, mountains of cookies and Pepsi and coffee, all so we can hopefully pass our classes and our essays and, after it’s over, sleep and enjoy our short break.

But, before you get to the partying and the sleeping and the holiday cheer, you have to get through those exams. But how? Well, my stressed out friend, let me help you with that.

Why All-Nighters Suck

November 27, 2013September 16, 2015Kimberly Johnson

All-nighters are like a bad hangover. You tell yourself you won’t, yet when the time comes, there you are, doing what you said you wouldn’t do. Plainly put: all- nighters suck.

I’m in my third year of university and I still haven’t figured out why at least once a semester (doesn’t matter what courses I take), I find myself pulling an all-nighter. Do I lack self-control and an effective schedule? Yeah, probably. Will I change? Maybe—fourth year—fingers crossed.

I’ve never enjoyed an all-nighter; they’re not meant to be enjoyed. They’re a terrible way to do… anything. So, from one disgruntled student in the middle of an all-nighter herself, here are five blunt reasons why all-nighters suck:

Reason 1: You look like cow poop.

I say this with love, I swear! This whole post is one big verbal hug! But seriously, after an all-nighter, your face looks like cows took turns using your face as a toilet. You have on yesterday’s makeup, you’re wearing yesterday’s clothes, and for some reason your face has aged 10 years. All because you didn’t sleep.

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 Tragic History of William Shakespeare and I

November 22, 2013September 16, 2015Leah Waddel

When I came to university, one of my main goals was to avoid the whole “talking” thing. I know, I know, it’s anti-social but that’s why tutorials terrified me. My voice isn’t loud, I’m alone, and sometimes you get one of those crazy tutorials where everyone is super, duper passionate and, well, you’re not.

Gonna be honest, I didn’t go into my Shakespeare class loving Shakespeare. Not at all. Shakespeare and I actually have a very complicated, long relationship dating back to grade 9 where we first locked eyes. Ever since then, he’s been my enemy and I’ve avoided his work like the plague (even as an English student).

So why did I take a Shakespeare course? Well, I wanted to be BFFs with Old Will and I thought this would be a good way of going about it.

Catching Zzz’s at UTM

November 21, 2013September 16, 2015Sarah Boodram

When I started attending UTM, one of the first things I noticed was that it was normal to see students sleeping. Since I’ve been going here for quite some time now, and have experienced sleep deprivation myself, I’ve come to understand other students’ need to accommodate ‘naptime’ during their stay.

I’m a fellow Z-z-z-catcher myself and I believe it’s my duty to credit the Z-hot spots around campus.

The Library Cubicles

There are three floors of cubicles in the library. Although these areas are meant to provide silent study space for students (hence the name ‘Silent Study Zone’), I’ve experienced some of the most glorious sleeps here. Even though I initially come here to study, its silence provides such tranquillity, and most of the time, it tempts me to rest my head on my books, close my eyes, and drift away into dreamland.

But there is a disadvantage when it comes to sleeping at the library cubicles.

Yes, SNORING.

If you’re a heavy snorer, your snoring will probably be heard throughout the Silent Study Zone. Trust me, I’ve heard some.