While my experience as a TA has been different this year, my goal has still focused on the quality of teaching: I have tried to ensure the students are provided with the same opportunities as if we were in a classroom together.
No one wants to sit in front of an online textbook for 8 hours a day for a week straight. If you can, try to take your work offline by listening to lectures while you take a socially distanced walk, printing papers to read outdoors, or just get outside for a quick break!
I recently listened to Rob Dial’s podcast “The 5 Steps to Be More Self-Disciplined.” In the recording, Rob discusses his own journey toward self-discipline. He has some useful tips, so if you don’t have time to listen, check out my edited version.
Rahul Patel (he/him), Sarah Cho (she/her), Joseph Oladimeji (he/him), and Grace Okusanya (she/her)
Many of us have been forced throughout our education in Canada to follow a Eurocentric culture of learning. Some of us are lucky enough to learn the system before enrolling at Queen’s, but others have to learn the “rules” as they go.
In the past, I had an issue with organizing notes, as I drown in all those binders and papers. I write my notes 100% digitally using OneNote and other programs, though during tutorials I tend to take handwritten notes.
In my very first year of university, I remember feeling a strong desire to get involved. At the same time, however, I was completely overwhelmed with coursework, so I knew I could not throw myself into as many extracurriculars as in high school.
Taking a few moments to look back on last semester can help us make better decisions this time around. Think about what you could change this midterm season, and pick one small habit or strategy to try.
The reason these past couple of weeks have felt like pure chaos is the massive amount of content to learn for each course. There are hours of lectures, tutorials, quizzes, and labs, and since the fall term, I haven’t been to more than five Q&A sessions.
I realized that I have a lot of presentations on my plate right now, so I’d like to give you some tips on making a great presentation—especially if yours is online or a group task.
For many of us, January is a time for goal-setting and new year’s resolutions. As a PhD student, I have a newfound autonomy over my education, which has been both a blessing and a curse.