Welcome back, Gaels! I hope you all had an enjoyable and amazing winter break. I certainly took advantage of the time off to see family and friends, but I am now super excited to return and finish my final semester here at Queen's.
As a graduating student, I know this semester will be a bittersweet experience. On one hand, I will be leaving the community where I have spent the last several years making friends, learning to “adult,” and pursuing passions. On the other hand, I hope that I and other graduating students can take everything that we have learned and apply it to bigger and better opportunities in the future.
Looking back on my time at Queen's, I can say that it has greatly influenced the person I am today. University is a time to discover yourself, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and make connections that can last a lifetime. In my first year, however, it was difficult for me to break out of my comfort zone and make the most of this experience.
There were a couple of things that really helped me with homesickness and isolation. Firstly, I joined clubs. Being a part of communities that interest you will provide opportunities to meet like-minded individuals and potential friends. Participating in clubs and teams can also serve as a break from academics and can help alleviate homesickness. You could also look out for events, conferences, and socials put on by the university. In my first year I attended the Queen’s Friends of MSF conference, where I met people who are still my closest friends. As winter gloom sets in, putting yourself out there at events and clubs is a great opportunity! Secondly, I tried to engage with classmates more. We are surrounded by people in similar situations to us! Getting to know some of my classmates by talking to them before or after class has helped me make friends during my time at Queen’s. Offer to form a study group, share readings and notes, or just go for a coffee to talk about class. You never know when you might make a friend!
Last semester, one of my goals was to be more organized in order to avoid procrastination and find more time to explore Kingston. I found that making a to-do list before bed was helpful in preparing for the next day and gave me a sense of accomplishment as I crossed off tasks. I also broke down larger assignments into smaller portions to focus on each element and provide motivation to finish them. Additionally, I used the SASS Assignment Planner to divide up and plan out final projects and found it to be a valuable resource that made big projects seem doable! This semester, I hope to explore more of Kingston with my friends while I still have the chance, so it will be crucial to maintain an organized schedule.
Let's make it a goal to have a successful and fulfilling semester. It's great to be back on campus and see it bustling with students. Let's make the most of our time here!
Welcome back to another semester Gaels! I hope all of you had an amazing winter break that was relaxing and rejuvenating. I certainly took any chance I got to relax and spend quality time with family and friends, but I am super excited to come back and finish my last semester here at Queen’s!
It’s great to come back to campus and see it packed with students! While the semester gets underway let's make it a goal to have a successful, fun, and enjoyable term! Over the next few blogs I will be trying new methods to help improve my academics and university life and I’ll convey what works and doesn’t work for me so that you can get ideas to improve your experience at Queen’s! Until next time!
- Santosh