Remember starting university and thinking senior students must have totally had it together? They just knew where all of the buildings and classes were, how to conquer Blackboard, how to achieve perfect time management skills, and they knew exactly what they were going to do with their lives.
Oh, those were the days.
I doubt I’m speaking only for myself when I say, as I enter my 4th year, I have no idea what I’m doing. I thought that by now I would have it all together too. However, even though I’ve been involved on campus since my first semester, have worked hard and rarely skipped class, and tried my best to balance as many extra-curricular activities as possible, I constantly feel like I’m encountering new challenges (some enlightening and others seemingly impossible) and yet I have not figured out the key to being a perfect student.
One thing I have learned is that time management is about progress, not perfection; even if you spend weeks working on an assignment, you can still wind up pulling an all-nighter the day before it’s due. I’ve accepted that I will never climb the stairs of Erie Hall without having to hide my shortness of breath at the top floor. As far as “knowing what I’m going to do with my life” goes, I’m just incredibly proud to say that I at least have an idea.
To all third-, fourth-, fifth-year students and beyond, know that you are not alone. To all of you new to UWindsor this year, try not to let us fool you. We’re all in this together.