Five Down, None to Go.

Ah, exam season. The stress that came from having three exams plus an interview within less than 24 hours of each other was phenomenal. I’m quite happy to say my studying actually paid off and my GPA is right where I want it to be, that is until I get my economics mark. Equations and graphs just don’t sit well with me. I didn’t find the work load to be that bad this first year, but it definitely wasn’t a stroll through the park. What I discovered is that courses differ A LOT. Some courses will have you doing numerous assignments and reading multiple books while others will simply consist of a midterm and an exam, both worth 50%. Personally, I like a course that’s in between that. My ideal course would have two assignments worth 20% each and a nice multiple choice midterm and exam worth 30% each. Everyone learns differently and likes different approaches to being tested though, which makes me wish students knew what they were getting into before they register for a course. To me, it would be really beneficial if a course’s syllabus was available before registering and perhaps that would even slow down how many people switch classes at the beginning of a semester.

As Lauren was saying in her blog, it’s super super super important to get involved as quickly as possible! If you take advantage of welcome week you’ll have a whole bunch of friends right off the bat, and if you join a club of sorts you’ll be well on your way to networking and friendships. The worst thing you can do is be too intimidated to make friends. Even if you were shy in high school, it’s important to try to talk to the people around you. Something I didn’t take advantage of enough was professor’s office hours. In fact, I only talked to one of my professors all year and it wasn’t even about the course I was taking. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I’m above asking professors for help, but with the courses I’m in I either didn’t need help or I had a TA, GA, mentor, etc. assigned to help me. As much as I wanted to connect with my profs, I couldn’t seem to think up an excuse to talk to them and was way too scared of seeming like a suck-up. I need to change that next year for sure. Some students’ best opportunities come through friendship with a professor. Anyway, it was a fantastic year overall and yes, I wish I could stay in university forever. At least another five years ahead of me though, so I’m pretty excited! I started the year wishing I wasn’t going to the local university, and now I can say I’m actually happy to be attending the University of Windsor.

Hello, Goodbye – Molly

I just finished writing my last exam (which I’m pretty sure I aced, by the way) and I’m officially done my first year of university. That’s kind of . . . surreal. I feel like I just moved here.

Since this is my last day, I guess this is going to be my last official blog entry. Well, on this blog, anyway . . .

Before I get to that surprise I promised you guys, let’s talk about my first year!

Advice For Future UofW Students- Fairwell!

So, it’s currently 11pm on Sunday night and I’m almost half way through my exams. I can also say that I am beyond exhausted. I know that I’ve already experienced this amount of stress during semester 1 finals but I’m still not used to it. The fact that summer is just a few days away doesn’t help either. It puts me in an “I just want to get this over and done with ASAP” kind of mood. That’s not necessarily a good thing. I am happy to announce that my first two exams went very well though! Hopefully I’ll be able to say that about the next three.
As for my summer, I don’t have much going on. My brother is getting married soon. I’m so excited for that. Other than that, my summer will consist of a lot of working and maybe the odd road trip. Spontaneous little trips are always the best! At the very least, I’d really like to go to Grand Bend and Cedar Point this summer. We’ll see though!
I’ve probably said this a million times already, but I am amazed at how fast my first year of university has gone by. I think this is partially due to the fact that the UWindsor Profs like to keep their students very busy with endless amounts of reading and assignments; not that I had expected anything different for university, though. High school definitely doesn’t prepare students for the work load and responsibilities of university. Expectations for each university student are far different than that of high school. University is serious business. I have a professor this semester that has said several times throughout his lectures that “university is for the purpose of weeding people out. Those who are capable of great success throughout their university career are the ones that graduate and go far. The ones that can’t handle it won’t make it far.” Although this is harsh, it’s very true. University is very tough and I’m so proud that I’ve made it through my first year. Maybe it wasn’t as successful as I had hoped, but I did it. I might not have achieved the best marks possible, but people have to understand that it is a HUGE adjustment and there are many challenges along the way that we have to overcome. If in your first year, you didn’t achieve a great GPA but you tried your hardest and by the end can say that you learned how to do it properly for year two, then you can say you’ve succeeded. I can say that. There were so many instances throughout my first year where I wanted to give up because no matter what I did, I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. Each time though, I would try something different; I would improve what my previous method was. And, each time, I would improve my mark a bit more. If I had to give advice to future first year students, I would tell them that it’s perfectly okay if you mess up a few times as long as you pick yourself back up and try again. If you give up or stop working hard, then it’s not okay. My first year consisted of a lot of trial and error but I think that when I start back in September for my second year, I can do it all again, and I’ll be a lot more successful at it. During my first year, I learned a lot about myself and what learning methods work best for me. However, like my mother always reminds me, there’s always room for improvement. I think life is all about trial and error. It’s perfectly okay to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them and improve. I’m not done learning and I’m sure that the rest of my university career will consist of a lot of struggles and successes. University is difficult and there’s always a new challenge but if I can do it, anyone can! However, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about the workload. University always has new and exciting opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. I’m happy to say that I’ve met a lot of really amazing people this year and I’m always looking to meet more! Maintaining a balance between school and your social life is important though.
To future University of Windsor students:
-Try to attend as many Windsor Welcome events as you can. It’s a great way to meet some people!
-In your first days of new classes, try to sit near people you could see yourself being friends with. But at the same time, it’s important to not sit next to people that will distract you from learning.
- Always maintain a healthy balance between your social life and school work. I struggled a lot with this but if you get into the habit early, you won’t regret it!
- Give 110% to everything you do, even if you might not get the results you wanted. It’s okay to make mistakes.
- You will have to make sacrifices sometimes so that you can focus on your education. Do it right the first time and never look back!
- Get involved as much as you can! Joining clubs, committees, going to social events- they’re all a great way to meet people.
- Get to know your profs! Attending their office hours and having one-on-one time with them will really benefit you. Also, don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions during class.
- Don’t be shy! In your first year of university, nobody knows anyone within the first few days. Everyone is looking to make friends. If you’re approachable, you’ll meet tons of people!
- Enjoy every minute because it flies by!!

In closing, thank you to everyone who read my blogs, although not posted very often. (Sorry!) It’s been a great first year and I’m happy to have been able to share my experiences with everyone.

Goodbye!
- Lauren !!

My Overall Experience: PART 3: This is it!! -NABILA

It’s 12:30am, and I just got back from the library. And no. I’m not hopping straight into my cozy bed. I still have half a chapter to complete, a blog to write, and many numerical problems to do. This is university. We have to face it.

Well, hello all. This is ‘the’ last blog post I’ll be making about my first year!! Before I get down to how my Sundays will feel incomplete without this blog and so on, I’ll get straight to what I should really be writing.

Well, I’ve talked way too much about problems and hurdles I’ve encountered, so I’m going to keep this post as optimistic as a rainbow. 
I hope I haven’t scared you off about university with my talks and experiences. Well, university is a challenge, and who doesn’t love a good challenge! And, it gets better! With all the friends, movies, parties, study groups, and more, university has a lot to offer and it’s an amazing place to learn about life itself. I know that it has not been easy, but at the end of it all, I know that I’ll never forgo this year no matter what. All the rich experiences, the interesting people I’ve met, and even my exams have taught me so much like time management, balancing academics and fun, dealing with issues and stress, eating healthy etc. I’m not done with first year yet, but I can’t wait till the next! (Of course, I’m more than looking forward to my summer break!!  maybe after that.. )

Of course, it’ll be my second year, so most probably, no blogs.  :( boohoo…  I’ll miss the whole experience. My thank you’s to everyone who gave me this opportunity, and helped me along the way.

One last important piece of advice before I sign off-share. Get a group of friends together before exams or so and share your knowledge about difficult problems, hard-to-understand concepts, and so on. It’ll help you revise, and who knows? When you need help sometime, your friends will be there to help you. And, sharing is caring isn’t it? Of course, make sure you are ethical in the way you ‘share.’ Cheating, plagiarism, etc are definitely the most detrimental of all things in university. Earn your degree.

Well, with those last words of wisdom, this is me, Nabila, signing off and wishing you all happiness and success at university and ahead. (I had hoped to make this post epic, but I guess that’s a fail  ) Take care, wish me luck for my finals, and now, for the last time 

Ciao for now!!

Goodnight, best wishes, and with sincere miss you’s

Nabila

House Hunters (Windsor Edition) – Molly

Today my future housemates and I finally put our deposit in for the place where we’re living next year. I am so unbelievably glad to have that done and out of the way. If there’s one thing you guys learn from reading my blog (besides that refrigerators have adjustable levels), I hope it’s this: You never want to be finalizing your housing plans in mid-April. It’s ridiculously stressful to not be secure in that kind of thing, and during exam time extra stress is the last thing you’ll need.

Okay, so my books aren’t that brightly coloured.

Because I’m just sort of into lists these days, I thought I’d compile a list of tips for any future students who will someday end up looking for a house. Residence is a really fantastic experience and I would never give up my first year for anything, but on-campus housing can be seriously expensive and it’s also nice to have a bit more privacy than res has to offer. These tips all really apply within the time frame of a Fall-Winter year, but if you rework them to suit your situation you should be cool.

Abject Terror – Molly

Rather than freak out for no reason about my jury tomorrow (which in music world is a final performance, not a public service), I figured I’d write a little blog entry for you guys. Isn’t that nice?

I’ve already done one exam, and I think it went okay. I can’t really say for sure, but I’m thinking I’ll probably get an A- in that class. I’m hoping for a bit higher, though, because I don’t know what my Intro to Psych mark will look like and I might need an extra push from my other classes to keep my average above an 11.0 (A-). A lot of money’s riding on that one.

This next part’s a bit image-heavy, so here’s a fancy Read More thing.

My Overall Experience: Part 2 – Nabila

Hello again!!

This is part two of a tri-series of finale posts about my first year at the University Of Windsor. In my last blog post, I spoke about goals, friendships, and the like. Well, after an initial period, I got used to the pressure, the workload, the deadlines, the crazy weekends in residence, etc. It all seemed like monotony to me, but in that routine lay a certain comfort zone. I was making my mark, my first few sets of midterms were done, Christmas break was over, and I was in semester two. For me, that itself was an achievement.

I can’t say it was an easy time. I’d fallen a  few times, but that only made me stand up stronger. Let me be candid. University isn’t a cakewalk, and engineering certainly is not easy. But, I’d fallen in love with engineering, and I loved how everything I learnt was so related to life itself. That was a relief. I knew I had chosen a program that worked for me. Nevertheless, the hurdles are always there. Think of them as speed breakers. They slow you down, and give you time to think.

Well, I might have been from a different part of the globe, but I still faced the same problems. I was pushing against the flow, trying to be somebody, with a string of problems ranging from deadlines and broken friendships to depression. Now, like Cobb’s top from the movie Inception, I believe we must have something that can pull us back to reality, and away from these obstacles. This can be a person, a hobby, a game, a sport, a phone call, etc. I, for example, prayed. Every time I missed home, every time I fell sick, every time I lost a friend, or did bad on a test, I prayed. It seemed comforting that God was there listening to my problems, assuring me that He would solve them soon. Some of us have mothers, fathers, boyfriends, diaries, etc. These are the people and things that keep us on earth. They keep us from flying into the air, and they keep us from sinking into the ground.

Well, that’s all about hardships. Now, about personality. In university, it’s really hard to keep away from following trend. International students, especially, try hard to blend in, and basically do what everyone is doing. I found a new sky to fly here. No one told me what to do, no one gave me restrictions. These eight months have brought an ocean of change within me. I finally realized who I was. Here, miles away from home, with no restrictions, or expectations holding me, I could see into myself and find out where my boundaries lie, where I want to be, and who I want to be. University is an experience like no other. Here, I could play with my attitude to find what suited me best. I am stronger, sharper, and more mature than I was eight months back. This hasn’t been just any learning experience; it’s been an experiment. I’m so much more interactive, expressive, and confident now. I feel I can carry my self and my thoughts without needing someone to intervene on my behalf. I feel like the runner who came first in the first quarter of a marathon. I feel happy and successful, but I know I have a long way to go. The path is hard, but I’ll try my best (God willing).

Well, that’s all this week. Stay tuned for the last and final blog of the series. See you next week, take care.

Ciao for now!

Nabila

Adventures of a UofW Freshman

I can’t even begin to tell you what an adventure my first year at University of Windsor has been. In the past eight months, I have learned so much about myself and who I want to become. I’ve faced so many challenges and struggles as well. Most importantly though, I’ve made friends this year that I’m sure I’ll keep for a lifetime.

Dating back to September, my beginnings as a Lancer were difficult for me. Adjusting to the responsibilities and independence that university brings was definitely a challenge. However, I adjusted relatively quickly. One thing I am certain of is that high school definitely doesn’t prepare anyone properly for what lies ahead in their university career. In high school, I was a great student. I held a pretty high average throughout my 4.5 years (I went back for a semester). However, using the same study and work habits as I did in high school for university was definitely not enough. Throughout the past 8 months, I had to learn, and am still learning the most efficient way for me to maintain a great GPA. I am constantly trying to teach myself new ways of studying through trial and error. I’m happy to say that my marks this semester have greatly increased since first semester. I must be doing something right. However, as my mom always taught me, there is always room for improvement. I can always do better.

Aside from the educational part of university, I have met some of the most amazing people throughout the past 8 months. Before university had begun, I was worried that I wouldn’t meet anyone or I would fall into the wrong crowd. I was definitely wrong about this. If I can give any advice to future University of Windsor first year students, it would be to join at least one club. I joined a sorority and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The people that I’ve met through becoming a part of this club will definitely be my lifelong friends. However, it wasn’t just the girls in my sorority that I became friends with. Being a part of this group has introduced me to so many other people outside of the sorority. Not only did Delta Alpha Theta help me to meet tons of new friends, but it helped me to grow as a person. When university first started, I’ll admit, I was very shy and had little confidence. Being a part of a club where everyone accepted me for who I am has boosted my confidence so much and has helped me ‘come out of my shell’. I blame this on joining a club. I’ve also met many of my friends through sharing a class with them. The first few days of a new class are always hard because you don’t necessarily know anyone in your class yet. Deciding where you sit and who you’ll sit next to will likely determine your success in that class. In the beginning of the school year, being as shy as I was, I chose to sit secluded from everybody. However, once I became more familiar with the class, I began to make friends in it. The best thing about meeting people in your classes is the fact that you can study together. Personally, I love studying in groups. I find that when everyone in a group is giving input for one topic and explaining it to each other, I grasp the concept much better. Lectures where the professors are just reading word for word off of their Power Point slides are not very stimulating for me. I enjoy classes more when my teacher is interacting with the class. For example, in a class that I have this semester, there is always an open debate during each lecture. I enjoy this much more and I learn the concepts much more efficiently.

As for what’s going on in university right now, my midterms are finally done and my last assignment for this semester is due Thursday. This time of year is bittersweet. Although I have no more homework, I really should start studying and put my social life on hold until after final exams. It’s crazy to think that first year is almost over already. It went by SO fast!

Anyways, I’m going to go work on my last assignment. Until next time!

Lauren

Y U NO TAKE DOWN TERRIBLE SIGNS? – Molly

It looks like everyone’s getting ready to say goodbye . . . but I still have plenty to say! You can expect to hear from me in the next few weeks, if for no other reason than that it gives me an excuse to avoid studying.

I mean, what?

So a few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday. I’m sure you’ll all (or at least you, Mom) be glad to know that I didn’t spend it getting, well, inebriated. I wish I could say that this is because the tradition to overindulge when you turn nineteen is tacky and I won’t have any part in it, but the truth is, it was actually my eighteenth birthday. Not a lot of people know this (it’s not like it’s usually a big deal—I skipped, like, half of Kindergarten so I happen to be younger than everyone), so I got a LOT of misguided Facebook posts, which kept me entertained for the day.

My aunt (hi, Analiz!) says that I should write some sort of thought-provoking, mature article now that I’m officially an adult. So I’m going to write about a really disturbing practice that I think ought to be abolished right away.

Nearing the End

Only a few weeks left until my first year of university is over. It feels like it absolutely flew by. I’m really feeling the stress again since I have four projects all due next week, but it’s really my own fault for saving them all until the last minute. The thing is, I’m very good at managing my time down to the last minute. I have the exact amount of time I need to get the projects done with quality results but have added stress to work productively within the time I’ve given myself. Personally, I work much better under the stress and find myself not getting so distracted, but this method definitely does not work for the majority of people. Most people who procrastinate as much as I do seem to do worse on their assignments. I feel like I’ve really discovered the ways that work best for me to be the most productive this year. I’ve gained a lot of study habits that help me feel confident before writing a midterm or exam, such as rewriting all of my notes and shortening them to the most vital information that I’m least familiar with and making lists of key terms.

I really wish I had gotten more involved. I joined Students Offering Support at the beginning of the year, which is really a great student organization to be a part of, but it wasn’t enough. I know I can take on so much more if I really dedicate myself to volunteering instead of spending hours on the computer doing virtually nothing. Next year, I’m almost 100% joining a sorority since I’ve met some great ladies who are in them and their sister events as well as their philanthropy would be such a positive addition to my university life. I’m also going to take advantage of “Club Days” in the CAW next year to actually check out the clubs we have on campus. There’s really an endless amount, but since I’ve only tried to find them online, I haven’t been motivated to actually join them. I have to say, these first two semesters have been the greatest time of my life so far, hands down. The freedom and the spirit and the academic environment of university is so enriching, and I’ve learned so much in just eight months.

-Mystic