Have you ever looked at a finished piece of writing and wondered how someone could ever write something that amazing? Have you ever looked at one of your own first drafts and wondered how it could ever be something worth reading? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this is the blog post for you.
Breath-taking beauty awaits you in this rainbow-land of fantastic ideas and colour-splashed coping strategies. Consider how grand it might be to pitch-tent upon the blissful symbolic plains of the subconscious.
Almost everyone gets nervous before they have to speak in public. It’s natural and common, but can actually be a positive thing. Public speaking is an important part of many careers and professions, and being an effective public speaking is a huge asset to have. Whether you are speaking in front of an audience of 300 or speaking in front of a board or committee of 10 people, effective public communication skills are essential to getting ahead professionally. First and foremost, you must understand that nerves are okay; it’s your body telling you that something is at stake.
Stress can be caused by many different situations, but it can also affect many different parts of your life. For me personally, it affects my food habits the most; specifically what I am eating and how much I am eating. This then cycles back to being more stressed out because I am hungry, not eating the right foods, and worried about possibly gaining or losing too much weight, while still having to do all the things that made me stressed out in the first place.
When someone hears mention of the 3 Rs they usually think of reduce, reuse, and recycle (I do at least). Well, I am here to tell you that there is another list of Rs you should look into if you want to survive university! The list consists of being reasonable, being responsible, and being rational. If you do not like using schedules for organizing your time, these 3 words will help you manage your time and think through choices you have to make.
I’m sure you know the stressful feeling when midterms are either just around the corner or already happening. As midterms come around the corner, it feels like students simultaneously take out their blinders, put them on and think “no distractions, only study”. Everyone becomes machinelike; you feel as if you can read the notes someone else studied the night before because they are etched so deep into their brain that you can see it in their eyes.
In the last few weeks I’ve been listening to the Mortified podcast, which features adults reading their adolescent diaries in front of a live audience, with no exaggeration, no embellishment, “just god-given awkwardness”. Every episode is guaranteed to produce cringing smiles.
I kept a diary of my own for six years, running from grade nine through my first year of university.
(Unless it's our Instagram you're looking at!)
When you look at someone else’s Instagram account you see the great vacation, the beautiful hair, the new girlfriend, and the winning game. You don’t see the peeling sunburn, all the days she hid under a hat, the heartbreak it took him eight months to get over, or the years and years of practice that led to a single successful game.