How to Make the Most of Your Time at SMU
Written by Aiman Khan
@Mlle.romanichelle
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
University students are known for being chronically stressed and anxious, and with good reason! After second year (or second semester for Engineering students), the reality of the undergraduate life really hits home, and maintaining a high enough GPA without turning into a total hermit can suddenly become a challenge.
If you are anything like me, and struggle to balance your school, work and social lives, I’ve got good news for you! There might just be an easy way to tackle all your commitments and still get a good night’s sleep.
ON CAMPUS WORK
University isn’t exactly cheap, so many students decide to take part-time jobs to help out their parents – and if you’re paying for yourself, hats off to you! But, as we all know, work can be demanding and managers aren’t always going to take your schedules into account. Having worked off-campus these last few years, I have come across all sorts of managers, and the most common were the sticklers to the schedule – managers who will be your best friend until you ask for fewer shifts during your exams. This is especially true for restaurant and bar managers, so if those are the jobs you’re looking for, beware!
Not all’s in vain, though! There are plenty of job opportunities for students on campus. Not only can you work with fellow smudents but your managers/supervisors are likely to be more lenient (and the pay tends to be higher too!). Aside from the obvious options like Tim Horton’s, Aramark, catering, and the Gorsebrook, there are tons of positions that need to be filled in order to keep our school running. If you’d like to check out what’s on offer at the moment, head over to Career360!
EVENTS AROUND CAMPUS
If you don’t live on campus and never have, you might be missing out on some of the fun events the Residence team comes up with. The good news is, they don’t discriminate between students living on campus and those living off – everyone is welcome to participate! Residence events are a great way to meet new people and relieve some stress without having to step one foot off campus! You can find them at smureslife on Snapchat where they remind students of new events coming up every week!
There are also many amazing events that take place every year. The International Night, which you just missed, showcases our student body’s diversity and their talents in a range of different activities, the Bangladeshi Night serves amazing food and an opportunity to dance like no one’s watching, and most excitingly this February 7th, a TED Talk from our alumni, faculty, and current students!
According to the SMUSA website, “The Gorsebrook is a consistent finalist of The Coast’s Best of Halifax for ‘Best Student Hang’ and ‘Best Campus Eats.’” So if you’d like a more relaxed evening with friends, you can head over there on Wednesdays for Trivia Nights and cheap (but delicious wings). If you’re 19+, you can also join the SMUSA team for Margarita Mondays, where you and your friends can sip on $3.50 Margaritas while watching the Bachelor. If all else fails, you always have the First Class Bash and the Last Class Bash at the start and end of the semester, although you’ll have a hard time holding a conversation there!
GETTING INVOLVED
For those of you looking to volunteer on campus, my first suggestion would be the Community Food Room - not only are the hours flexible, but you and your buddies can shop for groceries without paying a dime! Not to mention, it’s a great way to expand your CCR and add some volunteering experience on your resume.
You can also volunteer at the Fred Smithers Centre for Students with Disabilities, SMUSA, SAGA and many other societies. It’s a great way to meet new friends and give back to the community.
If you’ve been around campus these past few weeks, you’d have a hard time not noticing the election posters plastered on every campus wall. It’s that time of the year when student leaders vie for the higher-level positions in SMUSA. The lobbying and politicking may not be your cup of tea, but it’s important to remember that these students represent our concerns with school affairs like tuition, accessibility, discipline and grade appeals; and since all of us are already paying a fee for SMUSA, the least we can do is vote for the students who are advocating for what’s most important to us. Luckily for you, there will be poll stations at the Loyola colonnade within a few weeks, so you can cast your vote on the way to your morning coffee!
They say that you never forget your time at university. While it may be some of the most stressful years of your life (to date), it’s also the last leg of your education with like-minded peers before you head off to the adult world of mortgages, nine to fives, and retirement funds. While that can be another unique journey all on its own, you don’t want to look back and wish you had spent a few extra hours on campus with your friends every week!