Hello everyone! I hope your midterms have been going well. By the time of publication I will have written two midterms already and hopefully had time to have studied for them too. I want to thank everyone who accommodated the earlier submission deadline in order for The Iron Warrior staff to be able to edit articles and get the paper completed with time left in the weekend to study. Not having enough time to study can be very scary business. Just remember that sleep and healthy eating are important components to the studying process too.
On that note, allow me to transition smoothly into my editorial topic for the issue: finding balance. Many of the people I know in engineering are definitely in the same boat. We are busy with school and also have many other interests and commitments and it is often difficult to find balance and calmness in our everyday lives. Personally, I find it challenging to achieve balance. How many times have you thought that you needed more hours in the week? Or felt guilty for relaxing after a hectic day because there is still so much for you to do? Attempting to find the compromise between being involved with clubs, working, staying healthy, having enough time for yourself, and spending time with your friends and family, all the while trying to pass school and find a co-op job. It can be a lot to handle.
I have been spending a considerable amount of time trying to think of some rules on how to balance things in my life. I have started to think about my life as simply as I can. Although the meaning of life is an elusive and frequently debated topic, most can agree that life seems to be about doing what makes you and those around you happy, while contributing to the greater good. Though what good and happy mean can be discussed at length, I feel that it is really a unique meaning to every person. For me, feeling productive and completing something to the best of my ability is very satisfying. Spending time alone and with friends is also important for me to be able to think straight. All happy things.
However, when we get too busy and we no longer have the time to do the things we like, it is likely that our priorities need reassessing. By simplifying things and compartmentalizing the tasks at hand, I find it easier to see where I can make better use of my time. I, like many, feel that watching television and browsing the Internet are not the best uses of time: however, it happens. Procrastination at its finest! But those are not really the things that bring me joy in life, sitting around staring at a computer aimlessly. I would much rather be outside or spending time with friends or listening to music. So I have started to be very cautious about where I can cut back my Internet time, frequent Facebook checking, and incessant texting. For more in depth opinions on Facebook and other forms of social media, check out Spencer McEwan’s article on page #### and the Point vs. Counterpoint on page ###. I actually spent an entire day without my cell phone being charged and it was amazing! So really, it is the little things that add up to cause distractions in your life, limiting your productivity and taking you away from what you want to be doing.
Being organized, which is more natural for some than others, is a very good skill to have. And if you find your organization lacking, it is a very easy skill to develop. Some write lists, others have calendars and just a plethora of post-it notes; however you want to do it, it’s a good way to keep track of everything and get things done quickly when you have the chance. It is all about seizing the moment. The annoying hour-long breaks between classes are particularly bad time drains for me. However, with a list of the little tasks you have to do on hand, you can effortlessly remember to do your online banking, e-mail your parents and buy gum. No problem. And then cross it off the list (that is my favourite bit).
But enough about being practical and back to finding a balance and meeting your happiness quota. After all, it is the fun stuff that matters and its the fun stuff we remember. So in your free time, why not strive to find new and exciting interests? I find that having a variety of interests is a great way to stay excited about what is going on and to meet new people. Since coming to university, I have been trying to overcome my fears. I used to be rather afraid of speaking in public and was forced to get over that hurdle quickly through presentations for school and making announcements to my class about academic and EngSoc-related activities. Next, I stepped it up a notch and tried to overcome my fears of heights. Originally, my fear of heights was really quite crippling. I wouldn’t even stand on a chair without freaking out completely. And then my friend Amanda convinced me to go skydiving, a bit of a leap up from just standing on a chair. But I did it and it was amazing. After that, nothing really seemed like such a big deal. I just went for it. I started running after a few years of a rather sedentary lifestyle and decided I wanted to run a half marathon. I have a lot of very active friends and knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them when running and that I wasn’t likely to place well after only a few months of training. But I decided not to care. This wasn’t about being as good as everyone else. It was just for me and I had a great time, regardless of the fact that it took me forever. It is all about doing something that makes you happy, right? And this certainly did that.
Once you have made that little bit of extra time for yourself, you are totally free to be spontaneous when the time comes. Nothing like a random adventure! Impromptu road trip? There are great places to visit all around the Waterloo area. Plan a vacation for the distant future when we are no longer poor students? Also awesome. Learning how to cook a fancy dinner to share with your friends? Never ceases to amaze me that I can cook(ish) now. It is truly these little things that make everyday life memorable. It is never too late to learn something new either: start to draw, pick up a new language, try out swing dancing or a musical instrument. It is a lot easier to pick up new interests than you might think. Often times, surprise finds at second-hand shops or discovering a school club can be just the trick for starting up something new. Even taking an extra course at school can open your eyes to an entire realm of information that you never knew existed. Introduction to Philosophy, you still blow my mind. For an entire list of awesome suggestions of ways to spend your time, check out Chad Sexington’s article on page ###.
The best advice I have yet to be given is to think about what makes me happy and to try to find time each day to do that, even just for several minutes. So go tobogganing, volunteer, bake cookies, read a book, or do some yoga. If it makes you laugh, feel productive, and go to sleep at the end of the day with a smile, you win. Now go forth, study and have a seriously amazing Reading Week filled with happiness. We all deserve it.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by school or work, do talk to someone. Counseling Services is available to all students, with campus-wide counselors in Needles Hall and Engineering specific counselors in the Engineering Undergraduate Office, CPH 1320. For appointment booking, call 519 888 4567, extension 84761.
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