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CAMPUS LIFE
Halloween’s Best Dressed Favourites From JAC Student Activities’ Costume Contest
Ask Alice I’m constantly stressed and can never find time for my friends and family since I’m always doing schoolwork. How can I learn to balance my life?
First place Ken Cave
Second place Nikolas Dolmat
Third place Jodie Couture
It’s great that you’re placing importance on your studies, however, there is more to college than schoolwork. If you solely devote your time to studying, you may just drive yourself insane. You should place an emphasis on maintaining a healthy state of mind by allocating your time to family and friends at least twice a week. You’ll be surprised how spending even two hours with someone you love can relieve stress. I would also practice yoga and/or meditation to gain control over my emotions. Many students are feeling stressed, so I would advice that you go speak to a school counselor in Students Services. I’m 18 and still have never had a boyfriend. How can I change that?
Julian Ragosta and Chloé Lamborelle
Phillip
Mandeep Singh supporting the Loonie Line
Don’t wear yourself out Doing an Exta Semester Isn’t the End of the World Charles Keita Staff Writer
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ollege is a lot different than high school; you’ve probably already figured that out. Along with the newly found freedom is a demand on your time. You will learn that the more time you spend on something, the better your result will be. For example, if you work an hour extra, you will get paid more, and if you spend an extra hour studying, you will receive a better mark on that test worth 15%. Now, you are probably feeling that there is not enough time in the day for you to do everything that you want. Let’s do the math. Seven classes a semester is roughly 20 hours a week in class, thus 20 hours a week at home doing class work. It is recommended that we get 8 hours of
sleep a night, accounting for 56 hours a week. Now let’s add a parttime job that takes 20 hours of your time a week (note: this can be volunteer work, too, or time spent doing extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports). You’re left with 52 hours to just do anything, right? The obvious answer is no. I have not taken into account eating, getting dressed, socializing, Twitter (and, no, it is not the same as socializing), and commuting. Seeing that this is an unsustainable lifestyle, what should you do? Well, you are obviously working those hours for a reason, so why not cut down on your school hours? It is only required that you take 4 classes a semester for you to remain a full-time student. Now, I know what you’re thinking, that all your friends will be gone by the time you finish CEGEP, but that is not the
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case. The John Abbott Annual Report shows that only 40% of the Pre-University population actually graduates within the 2 years. This tells us that 60% of the student population decides to take an extra semester. Universities do not care about the amount of time it took you to complete CEGEP or that you were able to take 8 classes in one semester, nor will they care about your extracurricular activities. The only thing that universities care about is how well you performed in each class. It is too late in the semester to drop a class but it is a good time to think about your priorities for next semester. For those of you who would like to keep your seven-class course load, the college suggests that you work 12 hours a week or less so that it does not affect your academic standings.
You’re at a point in your life where having a boyfriend should not be your main priority. Sure, it’s always nice to have a partner in crime by your side, however, it’s also important to embrace the single life. It gives you more time to nourish your current friendships and see your family. If you wish to broaden your potential for a new relationship, there are a few things you can do to seek such opportunities. Socialize with different groups of people, whether it be with students studying in Visual Arts or even Sciences. Step away from your comfort zone and take up a new hobby. It may even be in your best interest to join clubs, form study groups and find out how you can help out in your community. Perhaps you’ll meet someone who spikes your interest; therefore, it is vital that you draw their attention by introducing yourself. It’s as simple as a warm “hello”. Don’t strain any of your relationships and ease off the pressure. Focus on the more prevalent aspects of your life, such as finding security within yourself and enjoying your youthful college years.