FIRST SEMESTER COMING TO AN END

Students are thrilled that the term is going to end, no more exams, midterms, essays, projects!!!

E INTERVIEW

E INTERVIEW BRIEF STORY

We all learn from experience, and what better way to find out firsthand the survival guide to being a first year student, than to interview someone going into their fourth year in 2010. On November 24th 2009, I interviewed Trevor Faessler, a third year student who’s currently in the Criminology Program at Wilfrid University Brantford. Not only is he a full time student, but he also engages in extracurricular activities including, the Student Council Committee and is practicing his role as the Don of the Lawyer’s Hall Residence. He gave useful tips to survive the first year university and great advice to move onto the second year of university.
At Wilfrid Laurier University, and any other Universities for that matter, many students are still trying to find their footing in a place where they no longer have their parents to rely on, and usually, their friends are off to pursue a career that obligates them to move away. Far from familiar faces, it’s not an easy transition to University without the ease of Orientation Week, and Don’s to welcome you into a jam packed year, that most students are anxious to begin. Surely, in grade 12, students are well aware that the workload should not be lightly expected, even for a first year student. New study habits need to be learned, and time management becomes a key, in the success of one’s first year.
Initiative to do well in school becomes a priority, because professors, unlike teachers in high school no longer are there to remind you of when all your assignments are due, and are usually strict about deadlines. Another major change would be how a student sees themselves in the society as a whole, instead of their state of mind in high school, where smaller things were important. University is now a major foot hold, where your career is at stake, and where you’ll meet a lot of new people, learn to live with them, and in turn will help in preparing you for a life on your own.
A concern most first year students have nearing the end of their first term is finding housing around campus. It is important to consider that whoever you choose to be your roommates, that it be responsible people you can trust and get along with. Conveniently set up in apartment style, the residences at Wilfrid Laurier places you in a suit with 3 to four people for 8 months., allowing you to experience living with complete strangers, and getting to know them, long enough to build upon each other’s trust.

HOMESICKNESS

It's hard to face the fact that, although you are striving to obtain that independence, and freedom you so longed for, when you first moved out.. It's hard not to admit that home sounds like a good place to be, especially during times of stress. Most of us are scared to admit, but you can only spend so much time with people you've only known for 4 months.. and it's coming down to terms.. that you've been living with your family for over 17 years.. and compared to how long you've been living here.. at residence doesn't compare at all. It's okay to feel homesick every once in a while, it's normal, and it took me, and I'm sure a lot of you a fairly long time for the homesickness to kick in.




Homesickness basically feels like you just don't want to be anywhere but your bed at home. With your old comforter and your old pillows and everything that is familiar to you. When you are away at school you do get used to the new bed but nothing can compare to the old one.

As well when your home and your parents cook for you it's the greatest feeling, they make all of your favorites, when your away at school you end up having to cook for yourself and sometimes the more difficult things is something you don't have the patience and time to do. By eating a very repetitive diet of mr. noodles and canned food, we begin to miss the warm comfort foods of home.

The cure may be something as simple as a visit home, although sometimes it makes it worse. First try calling your loved ones, or using Skype its a quick fix that can easily be done from your dorm room and requires much less traveling time.

STRESS RELIEVERS

GYM AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK
MOVIE NIGHTS, GET YOUR MIND OFF WORK
COFFEE BREAK WITH FRIENDS, SOCIALIZE
STEPPING OUT OF YOUR ROOM AT ALL
A WALK IN THE PARK
CALL HOME, OR A CLOSE FRIEND FROM BACK HOME

NO NOT FOOD
BUT DO REMEMBER TO EAT YOUR 3 MAJOR MEALS

GOOD SLEEP vs BAD SLEEP

Good Sleep:
Occurs during the night..

Bad Sleep:
During the day
Naps longer than 1 hour

THE CONVENIENT DIET

Most Universities have meal plans, to regulate what students consume and slowly enable them to make meal choices on their own on a daily basis. Here at Laurier University, meal Plans aren't a given. So, students are left with the option of making their own meals. At residence for instance, everyone is provided with a stove, a microwave, a fridge, and a few cupboards to store their food. Students are then obligated to make food for themselves, or go eat out. A few choices are:

Eat IN?
Price Choppers/Food Basics/Zehrs/Metro

Many students choose to go grocery shopping with their room mates, to save money, and have a good stock of food available in their residence.

Eat OUT?
Boston Pizza

Subway

Little Caesars

Tim Hortons

Williams Pub

Coffee Culture

My Thai

UNIVERSITY DOWNHILL FASHION

Following the Freshman 15... clothes don't cooperate as much. First day of classes, everyone is looking their best, all dressed up, looking forward to making a good first impression. After a couple of weeks, people just head to class straight out of bed. Some even show up in their pj's.


Sweats
Sweat pants, sweat shirts, and t-shirts are probably some of the most comfortable clothing ever invented. They are easy to maintain and extremely easy to wear especially right when you roll out of bed. Most sweats are easy to match with everything in your wardrobe. Everyone has a black pair of pants and guess what black matches? Everything!

With the stress of school, students much rather maintain their marks than maintain their appearance. This means that instead of wasting time picking out what to wear students much rather spend the extra 5 minutes studying.

Lack of Hygiene
The new mentality is..skip the shower, brushing your hair, your teeth..skip the washroom all together, because you have the rest of the day to do all that. Besides, people don't hang around much after class, and the teacher could care less what one out of 100 students look like in his lecture hall.

FRESHMAN 15

After Orientation week here at Wilfrid Laurier, Brantford.. it's been difficult to keep off the pounds. Let's talk about the major causes of this inevitable gain weight.



Laziness
Moving away from our homes has made us dependent on ready made food, that we can just pop into the microwave. Our parents aren't here anymore to cook home made meals that fill our stomachs, but don't pack the pounds.

Boredom
Remember the days when you would sit at home during the summer, having absolutely nothing to do? Well, that's how it is when you live away from home. Other than school, and extra curricular activities, you are grounded in your res, when all your room mates are in class, what are you doing? Well If you're not reading, or taking a break.. you are... EATING!!!!!!! Oh guess what, your friends come back from their classes, and how are they feeling? HUNGRY? so what do you do with them? EAT

Ignorance
You constantly visit your fridge and your cupboards, hoping something you want will pop out of no where. Your fridge is your best friend. Next thing you know, you're paying your best friend a visit every time you get out of your chair. How much you've consumed in the past hour, you've lost track. By the end of the day.. you have consumed an enormous amount of accumulated small meals. It happens.

Lack of exercise
Basically.. the most exercise you get is walking to your classes, and if you don't go to some of them.. how much exercise does that leave you?

Partying
Partying throws off your sleeping patterns first of all. So for example, you would stay awake 'till about 4 in the morning, and of course, you get hungry right before you crash, so you end up eating. Eating right before bed causes you to store that food you just ate. Second of all, you are consuming great amounts of calories from the alcohol. Oh University life.

APPETITE ON THE ROAD

It’s very rare, with the tight schedule bands are given to deal with that they have the time to think about what is fueling them to perform, show to show, and keep them on their feet while their on the road. In most cases, they have resorted to fast food restaurants on pit stops, and just move on about their day. Are there solutions to this bad habit?

GAGE YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHY

There are many talented photographers in the music industry right now, but one caught the attention of many major underground bands, and reluctantly, he has been on tour with several of them in the past couple of years. At the age of 17, Gage Young began building an empire that has gradually gained much respect and online publicity. Growing up in Florida, Gage was exposed to several local bands that have made it far in the music industry, in regards to the underground stream. Today, recently turned 19, he can be found on countless websites, and his photography is found in mainstream magazines, such as Alternative Press and band support and advertisement. For many would-be photographers, he has an exceptional trail to follow.


Gage Young Official Website
Gage Young Flickr
Gage Young Twitter

BLESS THE FALL

Originating from Phoenix, Arizona, Bless the Fall has yet to uncover their latest album, 'Witness' which has been released on October 6th, and is now available on i Tunes as well. It’s been hard to keep up to date with all the tours and upcoming bands that are now in the indie stream of music. Previously leaked on the site, mp3boo.com, their entire album can be streamed, where many other underground artists can also be found. They are currently on the road co-headlining, side by side with bands such as Finch, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Vanna, and Of Mice & Men on the Atticus Tour. Dates are available, and carry on until December 19th. To catch a glimpse of this band’s new cd release tour, show locations are in vast majority, many in the US, and nearing the end of the tour, they can be found performing in various European locations, where they will have their last show at Hasselt, Belgium in Germany.

Listen to Bless the Fall
View Tour Dates

Purchase their new album 'Witness'
US release
UK release

On tour with
Finch
Vanna
Let's Get It
Of Mice & Men
Drop Dead, Gorgeous