5 reasons I am looking forward to university at Waterloo-Laurier:
- Residence: I suppose it is the novelty of staying long-term somewhere I’ve never stayed before and on my own that makes this seem appealing to me. I am starting to think of things I’ll need to get while I’m away, such as furniture (maybe, if what I need is not provided). I’ll also need to learn to live light since I can’t possibly drag a lot of stuff in and out on a regular basis (as regular as my co-op, possibly taking place back in Toronto, employment terms).
- Independence: I’m looking forward to having to set up my own schedules for stuff like when to study, eat, sleep, go to church, do the laundry, work out, play, and visit home. I’m thinking I’ll probably set up a 5 day system for the week days, with time specifically set for going to the gym and for laundry, and having a second system for alternating weekend plans, such as coming back to Toronto to visit every two or three weeks versus attending Sunday service at a local church in Waterloo-Kitchener.
- Purchases: Already I’ve been buying not a few things in anticipation of living away from home. The most recent (as in, yesterday) would be my new lime-green Panasonic stereo headphones, RP-HTX7 (definitely more on this purchase later). I wanted a pair of high-quality headphones so that I would be able to enjoy my music and movies comfortably without disturbing my neighbours on residence. I’ll also be grabbing a Macbook Pro when I get back to Toronto (as soon as possible, actually, so I’ll be tweaking and hacking by August) and the accompanying complimentary (but hopefully upgradable to 32 GB) iTouch. These, I don’t really know why I’d need them, but I shall enjoy them as university/graduation gifts. I also bought (and intend to buy soon) bags and sleeves and covers for all these gadgets, along with said stationaries if I were to revert to pen and paper during lectures.
- Money: So far in life, I’ve only had one paying job, and that didn’t even pay that much (I was responsible for some data entry and database updating at my dad’s office downtown). With the co-op program I’m in, I’ll have that external motivation (if money is not enough) to go out and find a job that both suits me and pays enough to help me pay off my bills. It’s about time I stopped being such a burden to society and contributed a little something something. I’m hoping that by the end of my five years doing school and co-op, I’ll get hired right off the bat doing what I enjoy (or at least don’t mind) and getting paid handsomely. If I’ve learned anything from Economics, it’s that making yourself a worker in a field where workers are in short supply and high demand is undoubtedly the best option if you want opportunities and high price/wages. Here I come, niche labour markets involving Math!
- Learning: I don’t think I’m one to take my personal edumacation lightly. The way I see it, what you learn and take out of a course (apart from a credit towards a diploma) is yours to keep. It’s equipping yourself in both very practical, straightforward knowledge and understanding, and more abstract work ethics and maturities. To make sure I actually learn rather than memorize before exams, I’m planning on writing (i.e. by hand) notes during lectures and then typing them out in the evening as a sort of ongoing review. I really don’t feel like studying too hard before exams or cramming just before, so this should help me retain info while keeping actual work to a minimum! I think we’ve got a winner!