Getting Out There: Spring Term, and Springing into Action

Spring term has officially begun!

I apologise for the pun in my title but I couldn’t help it.

With the (finally) warmer weather, we Warriors find ourselves in many different situations.  Perhaps you are transitioning back into studying (that’s me!).  Perhaps you are embarking on a brand new journey with a co-op position.  Or maybe you have found yourself returning home to take a well deserved break from your of hard work, personal growth, desperately trying to squeeze in just one more episode of your favourite series (hey, binge watching shows in between assignments can take a lot out of you!).

Wherever you find yourself this term, the season provides a perfect opportunity to embrace the spirit of growth and take steps toward a healthier, happier you.  If you’re anything like me, first year may have proven to be a bit less of a journey of self improvement, and more of a journey of getting through your classes. But that doesn’t mean all is lost!

Take advantage of the sunshine and get out into your surroundings. Try things you’ve never tried, but have always had an interest in. Turn on your favourite pump-up song and kick-start that fitness goal you have been considering.  Explore ways to spend your time that leave you with feelings of satisfaction rather than feeling like you should have been doing something else.

Set personal goals, but always remember to forgive yourself if you get off track. The fact that you are putting in effort is a beautiful and admirable thing. So take each day as a new opportunity and a fresh start, get out there, and see what the next four months can bring.

Along the way, I will be doing the same.  I will be making posts about my own adventures in Waterloo, as I explore the city and document my experiences. I would love for you to read along, and I invite you to reflect, (or perhaps leave a comment!) sharing your own story as you spring into action this term!

Take care, and take time for yourself.

Get yourself out there, and see what lies ahead in the wide open expanse of opportunities.

A Better Future Starts Here: Why I Chose the University of Waterloo

University: a time of change and growth; a chance to spread your wings and collect every little piece of the experience required to soar when the years are finally over and you have that degree in your hand.  Or, more universally: a time of nerves, excitement, and a million other emotions you have no idea how to describe, as you kiss your high school years goodbye (either with a reminiscent afterglow, reflecting on the best years of your life so far, or with a both-fists-in-the-air-screaming-to-the-sky-above, “SAYONARA!”, looking forward to a brighter future).

Whatever your position as you prepare for University, there are a number of really important choices to make. Let it be well noted that decision making is not my forte.  It’s very far from it, in fact.  Deciding which university to attend was something that burdened me for a very long time.  I was lucky in that each school I applied to accepted me; but for an over analytical 19 year old with poor decision making skills, this is a blessed curse.  Although very grateful, I came to wish that only one school would have accepted me so that I wouldn’t have had to dig myself into the chasm of research, school visits, open houses, informational events, and discussions back and forth to numerous people from each program (all the while fuelling the intensity of my aversion to deciding upon one school).

In the end, I chose the University of Waterloo.

It came down to a battle between my right and left brain.  In one corner: The Comfort School; the emotional connection and experience I’d had at Guelph University. In the other corner: The Challenge School; the program possibilities and opportunities at Waterloo.  It should be noted that I’m a very emotionally driven individual (and also a very anxious one), so feeling the comfort of Guelph was the most tempting choice I’ve ever had to turn down.  But, no matter how hard it was, and no matter my nerves, I went with the challenge.

Choosing the University of Waterloo is a choice to push myself outside of my comfort zone, away from decisions held back by my fears and anxiety.  It’s a choice to go to a land of self-discovery, as opposed to familiarity, where I’m granted the opportunity to explore myself in the people around me.  It’s a choice to invest myself in a program that is new, one of a kind, and, yes, could be a risk because it’s an unrecognized degree in the big picture; but I’m proud of the choice to be part of a growing community.  UWaterloo is a choice for change; something that I have been yearning for, whole-heartedly, for years now.

The university’s mantra is that “Ideas Start Here.” And I intend to embody that phrase throughout my experience, while adopting one of my own: A Better Future Starts Here.

I will learn. I will grow. I will begin.

I hope I can share my story with you as it unfolds.