Dear Former Self,
I鈥檝e completed my undergraduate degree, and I鈥檇 love to tell you about some of the experiences I had and the lessons I鈥檝e learned. Shall we begin?
I had some great experiences during my first year at 苹果淫院. One of my favourites was sitting on the Carrefour Sherbrooke (C4) Hall Council and the Inter-Residence Council (IRC) as the C4 Hall Council President. I loved working with the councils to plan events. However, I also had to learn how to balance a university course load with my extracurricular responsibilities and social life, which was challenging. Because it was my first year of university, I wasn鈥檛 sure how much I needed to study to do well on my exams, so I would often study for hours on end, which was sometimes stressful. Looking back on this experience, if there鈥檚 one thing I would say to you, my former self, it would be that you should take breaks when you study! It might seem counterproductive, but taking breaks will allow you to refresh your brain and body, which will subsequently help you stay focused and be productive. So, get up, take a walk or work out, and then come back to your studies a little later. Your brain will thank you for it.
In my second year, I worked as an IRC advisor, and balancing a part-time job with a full course load was demanding. I had to stay on top of my work while also trying to maintain a work-life balance. Then, toward the end of my second year, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I was so excited when 苹果淫院 announced that students would have two weeks off because that meant that I鈥檇 have time to prepare for my exams and to rest. But little did I know that things would not go back to normal after just two weeks.
Because of the pandemic, I couldn鈥檛 go home for the summer, so I spent it in Montreal, and it was amazing. Although dealing with the pandemic and social isolation was really hard at times, I made some great memories during this time as I got really into exploring the city. I would also go for hikes up Mont-Royal to see the sunrise and for walks around the city to make sure I wasn鈥檛 staying inside all day. Based on this experience, if there鈥檚 one thing I would say to you, my former self, it would be that you should get out there and explore Montreal! There are so many incredible things to do, and I highly recommend that you take advantage of it all while you're here.
Once again because of the pandemic, my third year was completely online, and my senior year was both online and in-person. At first, I was excited about having online classes because I felt like it would give me more time to focus on myself and my hobbies, and while it did, there were also times when getting through online school proved to be really difficult. I鈥檓 glad that my senior year was at least partially in person, and places in Montreal were open again, which was really nice. But my senior year came with its own challenges aside from the pandemic. Altogether, if there鈥檚 one thing I would say to you, my former self, based on the last two years of my undergraduate degree, it would be that you won鈥檛 always have control over everything that happens in your life, and that鈥檚 okay. Whether it鈥檚 in relationships, in your career path, your academics, or any other area, sometimes things won鈥檛 go how you planned, and while that can be hard to accept, learning to adapt to your situation instead of trying to force things to go how you envisioned is a powerful skill that can benefit you greatly.
One last thing that I would say to you, my former self, is that you should capture moments! Take photos and videos, and keep a journal. It鈥檚 such a beautiful thing to be able to look back and not only reflect on the amazing memories you鈥檝e made but also to see how much you鈥檝e changed and how far you鈥檝e come. Trust me, you鈥檒l thank me for it later.
Well, that鈥檚 about it! I wish I could spend a day with you, my former self, to see how different I am from when I started university. I think that would be interesting because I feel that I鈥檝e grown and changed a lot during my time at 苹果淫院. But that鈥檚 okay. I鈥檓 so excited for this next stage of life and to keep learning and growing, and I guess we鈥檒l see how different you and I are from each other again sometime in the future. Talk to you later!
Sincerely,
Glory Chima
Glory plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology, but until then, she'll be working, travelling, and learning new skills. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours.聽