As I’m sitting in my favourite building on campus (FSS, duh) one hand grazing over the keyboard, the other holding onto a warm cup of mint tea, trying to think of a topic for this blog post, I can’t help but to want to write about my time in university as it is quickly coming to an end; seeing as I’m in my fourth year.
My time in university has probably been similar to some, and the complete polar opposite to others. But lets rewind a couple of years first… In high school, I always got good grades (other than the occasional C in math). I had no study routine as I listened in class and remembered what the teacher was explaining. If it was a heavier subject like history, I’d reread my notes once or twice but that was about it. I even got a scholarship for my high grades and quickly lost it after my first year at uOttawa.
The transition was harder for me than expected, I made poor choices in my class scheduling which had me stuck with long 1-10pm days. By 8pm my focus was shot and I just wanted to be back at home. My focus was also impaired as most first year classes were gigantic, I’m talking easily 200-350 people, so I felt less pressure to sit close to the teacher and listen efficiently. On top of that, it was the first time that I was allowed to have a laptop to take notes in class which lead me to wander off into distracting websites (curse you, facebook).
ALSO, having 3 first year classes in one day is a bad idea since that means you’ll end up with three midterms to study for the same date. As I had no previous experience in proper studying, and under estimated the difficulty of the exams, I did very poorly. As you can expect, it took a shot to my confidence. I quickly accepted that I was no longer a straight A student and told myself that I would never be able to attain those grades again. Having that mental attitude lead me to slack for most of my first year. I was feeling isolated in this situation, I thought I was the only one doing poorly and it was having a downward spiral effect on me. In the summer going into second year, I got that dreadful (but expected) email that I was on probation as my grades were too low for my special condensed program.
I was sick of school and feeling unhappy, unintelligent, and lonely. I booked an appointment with a guidance counsellor and told her I wanted to drop out. She surprisingly convinced me to stay and do a shorter, easier program. I decided to not make any rash decisions and stayed. Next thing I knew I discovered my love for philosophy and ethics. I went back to my guidance counsellor and changed my program to a specialized bachelor in communications with a minor in philosophy. My minor may or may not give me a lead in my job applications but I know it will serve me a great deal in my moral decisions in life.
Being in fourth year I have finally found my happy balance, I know what works for me and what doesn’t. There are aspects I regret about my experience in university but it has forced me to grow and learn about life and about myself and I am forever grateful about that.
If you’re still with me, thanks for sticking around!
I will now list a few of my helpful tips for those entering their first year or still have time to make these good decisions and changes.
1- don’t be afraid to switch classes around (if you attend first class and are already falling asleep at the sound of the prof’s monotone voice, switch it! it’s not too late)
2- if you see that you will 100% fail a class, and there is no way to pass even if you do well on the final, drop it! it’s better to be behind a class that you can catch up during summer time than lower your GPA with a failed mark
3- dress cozy and warm (of course it’s okay to look good if that’s what’s important to you but I’d opt for comfy shoes and a warm scarf so that you’re not distracted or uncomfortable because of your outfit)
4- join clubs! stop by a table at clubs week and ask them what it’s about, it’s an amazing way to meet people and make friends, but also looks good on a resume to work with an organization and you may find your new passion!
5- make appointments with your profs (his office hours aren’t there for no reason, profs love when students go and see them because it shows initiative, and that you really care about getting a good grade in their class, you will build a relationship with them and they will be happy to help and might even give you a couple of good tips that other students won’t know about)
6- go to those student parties and events (this is something I rarely did, and it would’ve been good for networking, making connections, and friends in your program)
7- talk and get to know the people sitting next to you in class, that way when you miss a class because of that pesky winter cold you’ll have someone to ask for notes, and a study buddy!
8- make a school schedule that works for you (this may not always be up to you, but I prefer a max of two classes a day with little to no space in between them, that way I focus for a solid period and then get to go home and relax, study, gym, etc etc)
9- student jobs (FSWEP is your bff) also working for the school looks great on the resume. (don’t worry, I didn’t follow this tip, my love for clothing and retail was too strong to quit)
10- Enjoy it, even those stressful exam periods, in a blink of an eye you’ll be done this journey in your life and it’ll be time to get serious and actually apply for that job you studied so hard for!

Those are all the tips I thought of for now,
I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

Stay kind,
Emily xo