A thesaurus groups together words that are similar in meaning. It exists for those tip-of-the-tongue moments when the right word seems just out of reach: “Gah! I need another word for something that’s pretentious … to be pretentious, to put on airs … Ah! An affectation!”
I was not an athletic child. Never one to break out a ball on the playground, never one to try out for teams or clubs.
This summer, the Writing and Communication Centre embarked on a campaign to promote reading for enjoyment. Often our lives get too busy to do things just for fun. It’s understandable. Life gets hectic and tasks pile up; however, it’s extremely important to take time for yourself just because you can. We need to make more time for enjoyment, and what’s a better time than summer?
“I’ll do it later” seems to be one of the most common phrases we say and it seems to be the most common phrase when it shouldn't be. Procrastination is one of those habits that the majority of us just can’t seem to beat. It hits everyone at some point, but can be much more difficult to shake for some people. Except, even our most productive students or colleagues face the same feelings of procrastination; however, they know how to beat it. Recent research regarding procrastination has shown that it is much more complex than a simple “I don't feel like it” attitude.
Gone are those days when summer only consisted of swimming, friends and sleep. Suddenly it's summer, and we are all working or studying. It seems that much harder to stay focused when the sun is out and the temperature is hot. It may be much more difficult to get your work done when it seems like this is the time for late summer nights, travelling and adventure. So today, I offer you a few tips on keeping yourself focused when it seems hardest too.
Journal writing is one of those things that everyone seems to start, but can never maintain. Life gets in the way and we are often too busy to sit down at the end of the day and dedicate time to self-reflection.
It’s hard to conclude your work when you get to the end, especially when so much has happened. This is usually where you question yourself: What have I learned? Why was this important? How could I improve? Did I enjoy what I did?
In high school, I took visual arts every year, and I loved it. Weirdly enough, I’ve always had one art teacher (hi, Mr. Simpson!). I loved the amount of freedom I had with my projects, and the exercises we did every week; the class was liberating (especially compared to the AP STEM courses I took).
I’m hungry (I’m always hungry), so I think about the options I have. It’s a bit overwhelming: Should I cook or should I buy? Should I eat a lot or should I just snack? Is there even food in the fridge (and by this, I mean is there anything I want in the fridge)?
(My hair is too long, I need a haircut)
Sometimes I’m not in the mood to write, y’know? And when I’m not in the mood (when I’m lazy (all the time)), writing becomes a thousand times harder.