Back to School

by Raegan Densmore

Reference: https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/d2/fd/54/d2fd546d404f758e7055e484bd8e9d41.jpg 

Suddenly, it is late August and I move into college in less than a week. If there's anything I really noticed about being in university it's that time begins to fly faster than ever. Entering my second year, I have learned a lot from my first. And so entering this year feels a lot less stressful and nerve wracking than before. I wanted to take the time to share some of my plans and goals for this new school year. 

  Starting off with plans before I head off to university; I hope to become more minimalistic when it comes to having items. Last year I brought a bunch of unnecessary crap with me that wasted space. Now I plan to learn from that and only bring things I know I will use.    Also, being in Toronto, I am constantly surrounded by all kinds of stores, and it is though they are calling my name when I’m on a walk or simply bored in my dorm. I like to believe I am fairly good when it comes to spending, but sometimes, when I have moments where I think I need something, because I live so close to stores, it has been so easy for me to just go and get said item. This also causes unnecessary clutter building up in my dorm. So this year, I plan to save not only my space, but also my money, heavily. 

    Instead of spending my free time browsing stores, this year, I hope to join clubs and attend events. My school and (Toronto in general) always has tons of events and clubs running and I feel like I didn’t do enough last year as I should have. Understandably, I was adjusting to the new environment, but now that I am familiar with everything both environmentally, and work load-wise, I would love to participate in more things within my school, not only for the enjoyment and experience, but also to make new friends. 

    Lastly, I plan on working on balancing school work and free time. I have heard a plethora of times that second year is the worst year as a university student, meaning I should prepare for an even heavier workload this year compared to last. With my current procrastination habits, this year will be rough. That is why I am going to focus on school work first, before my free time. But also making space for breaks and free time for the sake of my mental (and physical) health. I plan to keep my grades up this year and avoid any urge to slack off. 

    And so, I will embrace the last bit of relaxation I have before the summer ends. Soon, I, and many others will be living the college life, whether that be for the first time, or again. With this, I believe it is great to have goals and plans set to not only prepare yourself, but also give yourself a sense of direction and a plan laid out to follow. This year, I hope to follow through with these goals and plans I have set, to enjoy my college experience and make it easier for myself. Before I know it, it will be summer break again!