Whirlwind

Last week, I was packing my belongings, saying bye to folks at home and getting ready to dive into what they all said, will be the best time of my life. 

I guess it wasn't just last week...it was 9 weeks ago actually. Time has gone as fast as a bolt of lightening. One minute I was meeting new people, and the next minute, I feel like they're my family. My short while here, which has felt like a millennium, has been an utter whirlwind. It's hard to process everything that has happened; the good, the bad and the eye-opening.

School, education; the reason I'm at U of T. The first couple weeks I was here, I was really disappointed to hear from more than one person, about their own disappointment with choosing U of T. U of T is known to some as the Harvard of Canada, and I, for one, did not come here expecting an easy ride. One 3rd year said, "Not going to lie to you guys, but choosing U of T is the biggest regret in my whole life." Multiple people said they could have gotten a better GPA if they went to other Universities, and some just flat out said we probably should have chosen another school. It is challenging, there is no question about that. I felt like I was behind already in my first week of school, and I have yet to catch up. It's all about time-management and prioritizing...things I am still trying to learn and master. My stress levels have definitely been peaking over the last few weeks, with midterms upon me, but it is all a learning process. A major difference between high school and University is the fact that everyone is feeling this stress; some more than others, but for the most part, the weight of exams is always on your shoulders. No matter who you talk to at the University, everyone knows the importance of studying, and it is on the top of everyone's minds. In high school, you might have been considered a nerd if you were studying. At University, it's silly if you're not. Yet everyone finds the time to have a little (or a lot) of fun Thursday through Sunday. Like I said, it's all about time management.

Within the first week of classes, I decided to run for First Year Off-Campus Representative on the University College Literary and Athletics Society (UC Lit). The UC Lit is Canada's oldest democratically elected student government, established in 1854. The walls of the Junior Common Room, where the office is housed (along with amazing red couches and the best little coffee shop, Diablos) are adorned with the names of all the past members of the Lit. A week long campaign hanging clever posters and knocking on the doors of Rez ended with a call at midnight that I got in! I'm pretty stoked about this opportunity, as we run, organize and host many of the events at UC, including the annual Fire Ball. It will be quite the time commitment, but something I hope to be able to look back on and, as I see my name on the wall of the JCR, along with some pretty important people, be proud of.

The one thing that I am most amazed by is the incredible group of people I have met. In such a short period, I have become so close with so many people. They've become my family, I guess. We are all so different, yet have so much in common. They're people from all over the world who have come to this one amazing place to study in countless different programs. No matter how different our interests or paths are, as of right now, we have everything in common. And together, we are taking this whirlwind by storm. Whether its stressing about exams, helping each other with homework, consoling, arguing, chilling, partying or sitting in silence, we just get each other. Because we all know how hard University is going to be, but being in it together takes a little bit of the weight of of everyone's shoulders.

I've already experienced countless new things; some were tough, some were amazing, but all taught me something. As my first semester reaches it's mid-point, I think about how much of a whirlwind University has been so far, and I just smile. Unfortunately, it's times like right now, after just writing my calculus midterm, that my smile fades a little. With a few successful midterms under my belt, ending with an exam that didn't go so hot has me feeling pretty down. But, after drowning sorrows in sugary, unhealthy, delightful ice cream with friends, the only way from here is up. Hey, isn't it an unwritten rule that you have to bomb a University test at least once? If it isn't, let's make it one. Then I won't feel so bad.

All I know is, no matter how stressed I am, how late I stay up and how many hours a day I study, I am having the time of my life. And this whirlwind called University continues... continues to keep me excited, eager, surprised and tired. But like a lightening bolt, it will be gone in a flash...and so will tonight. The hours in a night seem to dwindle away in University making sleep a luxury...a luxury that I will be happy to take advantage of tonight as the first half of this semester wraps up.
....only after a week of class? Hmm, where does the time go...