So today was bascially just more orientation finished off with the president's address (which was amazing and super fun, btw). We also went to clubs fair- I think I'll join the dance team, but outside of that I'm not sure. Maybe Amnesty international, although I tried that before and I wasn't very good at it. There's also this space exploration technology or something club (it had a specific name but I can't remember what it was) that I put my email down for. It looked so cool, I couldn't help it. So I think that's at least two clubs- probably plenty for me. The outdoors club looks too expensive and time consuming (although it does look pretty fun), and I didn't really see anything else. I was extremely disappointed not to see any writing clubs or feminist clubs of any sort (although the sexual assault center had a table with some posters, zines, and brochures on it although there was no one behind it- I mean it was still something I guess).
I went to the computers and libraries seminar- very helpful- and then I went to the one called "Party smart and sexy" AND IT WAS SO FUCKING FANTASTIC OMG. I thought they were just going to be like "this is how you drink safely and don't rape" but it went so much further than that- they talked about slut shaming, sexual harrassment, victim blaming, date/acquaintance rape, STIs, communication in relationships... it was so fabulous it made the feminist inside me cry tears of joy. FINALLY OTHER PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS! Plus the whole thing- all the seminars were skits- was based on how i met your mother, which made it better. They even changed Marshall to Marsha, so that they could touch on gay relationships briefly. It was so fantastic and I swear I almost cried from being so happy that this was happening and other people were in the room hearing it and hopefully taking it seriously and just GAH SO MUCH YAY.
They also gave out little swag-bag featuring pieces of paper with information about consent, campus resources, a little zine about online resources and books to check out, and info about which birth control types were covered by the university health insurance. Oh, and a condom. And a dental dam. So... yay? I'm assuming these things will not be used by me probably until next year at the earliest, but I guess it's always good to be prepared...?
We got to learn cheers today, too- I loved the ones for the faculty of science (my faculty). A particular favourite line of mine was "Don't you get on our bad side/ Or we'll slip you cyanide" and I was also a fan of the one where awesome was spelled "S!CI!EN!CE!" and just everything about it was fabulous. The nurses and the engineers also had a rivalry going on... it was fun to watch because the engineering cheers were all deep voiced since mostly guys go into engineering, and then the nurses would answer with their much higher pitched cheers, since nursing was mostly female.
Ooh, and they had a free barbecue for the Science faculty today, so haha to those other faculties, we got free food AND free swag. So much free swag, oh my god. Not to mention we all got t-shirts before the president's address, but the science faculty got there last when they were all out of smalls AND mediums and I think the larges were dwindling so ALL THEY HAD WAS EXTRA LARGE T-SHIRTS AND IT FIT ME LIKE A DRESS. I suppose if I wash it enough it'll shrink, but I was still disappointed that I couldn't even get a medium.
It was a good time, but now I'm tired, and I do have a class at 9 AM so I should probably head to bed. Just wanted to share some more university adventures and my feminist joy.
JESUS MY ROOMMATE SHUTS HER DOORS LOUDLY WHAT THE HELL. It keeps startling me. She's super nice and talkative and even invited me to come hang out with her friends, though, and I really like her. We get along pretty well. I feel lucky that I got such a great roommate. Things could be a lot worse.
Speaking of which... I really need to go to bed. Breakfast starts at 7 and it's so so so good here.
yer pal,
swegan :)
Showing posts with label omg i'm in school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label omg i'm in school. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
UNIVERSITY
I now understand how bloggers disappear from their blogs for months at a time. I have been hella busy- busy packing, busy saying goodbye to friends, busy finalizing things for university, busy driving up to university, busy buying the rest of the stuff for my apartment/residence/thing (I will call it my apartment in the future but it's kind of like a starter apartment- it's a fantastic setup and I love it here), busy setting that up, and then today I was busy with Orientation. It went from 9-5 and holy butts that was so long. Tomorrow it goes from 9-8:30 b/c of the president's address and whatnot... and then classes start. I only have three classes on Wednesday that start at 9 AM with an hour break between each- plenty of time to read up on the syllabus and buy books and stuff, I hope.
We had to go to a seminar today called "University 101" which explained how university was different from high school. To me university just sounds like IB but with more study time, and more free time as well. I'm not taking 7 classes from 8-3 every single day like in high school- I have lab classes, my seminars are all apparently nonexistent and I am not required to show up for them (my bio seminars are cancelled altogether), and the only sucky day is Tuesday because I have an 8 AM lab and then a night class that goes until 9:30. I've sort of accepted that Tuesday is not a day for major studying/homeworking. The rest of the days, however, I'm done at 2. I live about ten or fifteen minutes from campus, which is great (this is by walking, I mean) and I really, really love the campus. It's so beautiful and easier to get around and navigate than I thought, plus there's a hockey rink in the PE building. I'm hoping that rink has public skating hours or just free skating hours or something- I brought my skates and I would love to be able to just go and skate around once a week.
I did bring my car but parking is a big giant mess and I won't actually know where I'm supposed to park until Wednesday. I think I have a spot no matter what, but I might not end up using the car much at all so I might just take it home at thanksgiving. It makes me sad to think of not having my jeep with me, but as a university student I have free access to all public transportation here- the buses, the light rail transit trains, and whatever else. I love that- I can get pretty much anywhere for free with a little bit of walking. Plus I live not even a block from safeway and a 24-hour London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart or whatever, and there's a bank near me too. Not to mention the street I live on is infamous for being a good shopping street- it's close to the university, too, so there's lots of restaurants as well as boutiques and it just looks like such a fun street to be on.
AND HOLY WOW THE UNIVERSITY HAS SO MANY RESOURCES LIKE SHIIIIIIIT. All this mental health stuff and student help and academic help and even an insurance plan for things like dental and vision... like geez. I have no doubt that I'll be able to get help if I need it.
So... in a nutshell, university is amazing. I am still very homesick for my hometown, because it was quiet and small (or at least smaller than this) and I knew all the main roads and I could pretty much get anywhere- it was so small in geographical SIZE compared to here, not to mention the population's probably more than ten times as great. It's not really a big city here, but it's big to me. Actually it looks like a big city in the middle of a forest- there's trees EVERYWHERE. I love it so much. Unfortunately in the winter most of those trees will lose their leaves, and apparently the winters here are real winters unlike my hometown, so that'll take some getting used to.
It's weird though because I think a lot of kids that go there are from there and I am so jealous of them. They're able to bus in or drive in or take the LRT and then go home at the end of the day. What I wouldn't give to be able to go back home at the end of every day. Unfortunately, home is a 6 hour drive away.
The only other unfortunate thing is that for the first week, the university is all "woo welcome to university here are some events to go to, some of which are free provided you have your university ID and your regular ID because you have to be 18+" AND I AM STILL 17 FOR ANOTHER FUCKING MONTH LIKE UGH I CAN'T GO TO ANYTHING. Plus going to those events enters you into draws to win fun prizes and shit, unless you're a minor like me and can't join in the university fun because you're not old enough yet. Late birthdays kind of suck sometimes. I can't even go out to bars with people for a whole 'nother month and I am very upset about that. Unfortunately I can't do anything about it so I just have to suck it up and stay home and watch netflix and study, I guess.
I'm kind of scared of my classes, though. I can only hope IB has prepared me... and I guess the one science building here is really nice to study in (it's all air conditioned and modern with lots of comfy chairs... and I love the libraries here). I think I've got a study method worked out in my head that I'll try, and I have mucho experience with heavy workloads.
UGH I AM A NERVOUS WRECK THOUGH. There's no time to do anything anymore. I have to do laundry and tidy up a little still and talk with people and go to orientation and then go to class and buy books and read things and make notes and review notes and etc etc etc. I don't like being busy all the time, I like having a nice semi-leisurely schedule so that I can at least have some free time to, I don't know, watch old episodes of Glee or read a book or take a nap or something. But now it's 10:03 PM and I have to go to bed to be up for breakfast at 7 AM.
They say the first semester goes by really fast, though. I hope it kind of does- I'm looking forward to Christmas break and being able to relax a little at home.
Anyway, I'm going to watch a video on the science behind naps now so I can try and take full advantage of them. I should have learned this last year and I learned my lesson the hard way. I need to be able to nap effectively.
SORRY FOR TALKING ABOUT UNIVERSITY SO MUCH BUT IT IS LITERALLY MY LIFE AT THE MOMENT AS A FLEDGLING UNDERGRAD IN FIRST YEAR SO BEAR WITH ME.
yer pal,
swegan :)
We had to go to a seminar today called "University 101" which explained how university was different from high school. To me university just sounds like IB but with more study time, and more free time as well. I'm not taking 7 classes from 8-3 every single day like in high school- I have lab classes, my seminars are all apparently nonexistent and I am not required to show up for them (my bio seminars are cancelled altogether), and the only sucky day is Tuesday because I have an 8 AM lab and then a night class that goes until 9:30. I've sort of accepted that Tuesday is not a day for major studying/homeworking. The rest of the days, however, I'm done at 2. I live about ten or fifteen minutes from campus, which is great (this is by walking, I mean) and I really, really love the campus. It's so beautiful and easier to get around and navigate than I thought, plus there's a hockey rink in the PE building. I'm hoping that rink has public skating hours or just free skating hours or something- I brought my skates and I would love to be able to just go and skate around once a week.
I did bring my car but parking is a big giant mess and I won't actually know where I'm supposed to park until Wednesday. I think I have a spot no matter what, but I might not end up using the car much at all so I might just take it home at thanksgiving. It makes me sad to think of not having my jeep with me, but as a university student I have free access to all public transportation here- the buses, the light rail transit trains, and whatever else. I love that- I can get pretty much anywhere for free with a little bit of walking. Plus I live not even a block from safeway and a 24-hour London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart or whatever, and there's a bank near me too. Not to mention the street I live on is infamous for being a good shopping street- it's close to the university, too, so there's lots of restaurants as well as boutiques and it just looks like such a fun street to be on.
AND HOLY WOW THE UNIVERSITY HAS SO MANY RESOURCES LIKE SHIIIIIIIT. All this mental health stuff and student help and academic help and even an insurance plan for things like dental and vision... like geez. I have no doubt that I'll be able to get help if I need it.
So... in a nutshell, university is amazing. I am still very homesick for my hometown, because it was quiet and small (or at least smaller than this) and I knew all the main roads and I could pretty much get anywhere- it was so small in geographical SIZE compared to here, not to mention the population's probably more than ten times as great. It's not really a big city here, but it's big to me. Actually it looks like a big city in the middle of a forest- there's trees EVERYWHERE. I love it so much. Unfortunately in the winter most of those trees will lose their leaves, and apparently the winters here are real winters unlike my hometown, so that'll take some getting used to.
It's weird though because I think a lot of kids that go there are from there and I am so jealous of them. They're able to bus in or drive in or take the LRT and then go home at the end of the day. What I wouldn't give to be able to go back home at the end of every day. Unfortunately, home is a 6 hour drive away.
The only other unfortunate thing is that for the first week, the university is all "woo welcome to university here are some events to go to, some of which are free provided you have your university ID and your regular ID because you have to be 18+" AND I AM STILL 17 FOR ANOTHER FUCKING MONTH LIKE UGH I CAN'T GO TO ANYTHING. Plus going to those events enters you into draws to win fun prizes and shit, unless you're a minor like me and can't join in the university fun because you're not old enough yet. Late birthdays kind of suck sometimes. I can't even go out to bars with people for a whole 'nother month and I am very upset about that. Unfortunately I can't do anything about it so I just have to suck it up and stay home and watch netflix and study, I guess.
I'm kind of scared of my classes, though. I can only hope IB has prepared me... and I guess the one science building here is really nice to study in (it's all air conditioned and modern with lots of comfy chairs... and I love the libraries here). I think I've got a study method worked out in my head that I'll try, and I have mucho experience with heavy workloads.
UGH I AM A NERVOUS WRECK THOUGH. There's no time to do anything anymore. I have to do laundry and tidy up a little still and talk with people and go to orientation and then go to class and buy books and read things and make notes and review notes and etc etc etc. I don't like being busy all the time, I like having a nice semi-leisurely schedule so that I can at least have some free time to, I don't know, watch old episodes of Glee or read a book or take a nap or something. But now it's 10:03 PM and I have to go to bed to be up for breakfast at 7 AM.
They say the first semester goes by really fast, though. I hope it kind of does- I'm looking forward to Christmas break and being able to relax a little at home.
Anyway, I'm going to watch a video on the science behind naps now so I can try and take full advantage of them. I should have learned this last year and I learned my lesson the hard way. I need to be able to nap effectively.
SORRY FOR TALKING ABOUT UNIVERSITY SO MUCH BUT IT IS LITERALLY MY LIFE AT THE MOMENT AS A FLEDGLING UNDERGRAD IN FIRST YEAR SO BEAR WITH ME.
yer pal,
swegan :)
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