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DEC. ISSUE | DEC. 202 1
THE ONTARION
CREDIT: PEXELS
Advice for the discouraged first-year There are lots of ways you can succeed despite your struggles, but remember, university doesn’t have to define you! ELENI KOPSAFTIS
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s your first year not going how you planned? Look, I know university can be challenging, especially when you’re just starting out. I came out of Grade 12 in high school with stellar grades only to barely pass one of my first electives with a 53 per cent. And yet a few years later, I graduated! So despite what you’re feeling now, I promise you that it’s possible to succeed and that you’re not the only one struggling. Yes, even the top student in your hardest class and your roomie with a ton of new friends are having a hard time. If there’s one thing I picked up on at uni, it’s that they’re almost definitely sacrificing another aspect of their life to maintain their success, such as sacrificing their mental health to maintain grades or their social life. So don’t worry, there are ways to excel at university no matter what you’re struggling with!
For working students Working and studying fulltime has become very commonplace, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do. According to a 2020 study by WhatToBecome, an education and career advice blog, approximately 45 per cent of college students experience more than average amounts of stress, and 70 per cent of students stress about their financial situation. Luckily though, there are ways to balance work and school. Monster.ca suggests developing a “plan of attack” by outlining exactly how many hours you need to set aside for work and school to meet your financial and academic obligations. Once you do that, you can formulate a realistic plan on how to meet your goals. You should also try to merge work and school whenever pos-
sible. For example, if you need to report a job’s employment requirements for a marketing class project, you can use your current field and avoid doing additional research on a subject you’re less familiar with. Also, schedule work and school on a single calendar and reserve time for any last-minute overtime. You can even bring study notes with you to work so you can study during breaks!
For commuting students The ideal form of commuting is not commuting at all. If possible, rent out an apartment that’s close to the university so that you don’t have to waste much time going to and from school. If you’re eligible to live on campus, that’d be even better. If you can’t live close enough to university to cut down on com-
muting, don’t worry! You don’t have to be stuck twiddling your thumbs on your 40-minute bus ride. Blog Writer Roxine Kee explains that there are actually plenty of benefits to being a commuter. For one, it’s an excellent way to catch a break and practice some self-care. You’re usually going to be alone while you’re driving to school, so if you take the bus or train, you can catch up on your favourite Netflix show or use a meditation app on your phone. If you’re comfortable enough, you can even catch up on a bit of sleep! Depending on rent prices, you might actually be saving money by commuting to campus
instead of living there. Another pro to commuting is that it’s a pre-scheduled study session for when assignments start to pile up. Bring cue cards with you on the transit and quiz yourself on your school notes. If you’re heading to class, you probably have your lecture notes on you anyway, so make use of them! If you’re driving, listen to audiobook versions of your textbooks or record and play your personal notes via text-to-speech.
