By: Amulyaa Dwivedi

Welcome, future college trailblazers! As you prepare to embark on your exciting freshman journey, you might be feeling a mix of emotions—anticipation, excitement, maybe even a touch of apprehension. Rest assured, you're not alone in this adventure. In fact, you have an invaluable resource right at your fingertips: the collective wisdom of seasoned seniors who've walked the very path you're about to tread. Think of this as your personal guidebook, written not by professors or administrators, but by the students who've been in your shoes just a year ago.

Picture this: a treasure trove of insider insights, battle-tested strategies, and invaluable tips—all tailored to help you thrive during your first year at college. From acing your classes to finding your social circle, and from managing time effectively to making the most of campus resources, we've got you covered.

Our aim is simple: to make your transition into college life as smooth and successful as possible. We've faced the challenges, celebrated the victories, and learned valuable lessons along the way. Now, it's your turn to benefit from our experiences.

Here are some golden nuggets of advice from those who've been in your shoes:

Manage Your Class Load Wisely

Vihaan Bhatnagar, a second-year Journalism student, advises, "Don't take too many classes thinking you'll be able to do it. You won't. You'll just be lonely because you'll have no time for anything else.” This could mean grouping your classes together in a day to avoid long gaps between them.

Kindness Goes a Long Way

Just be nice to people, network more and don’t be afraid and say hi to new people. Compliment them and you can make friends easily. It really makes all the difference, people will remember those interactions.

Prioritize Your Studies

Remember, the first year is crucial. So try to balance both academics and social life. "Study more than you think you need to, then study more," advises third-year Entrepreneurship student, Mason Cohen.

Stay Organized

Find an organizational method that works best for you. Whether it's setting alarms, creating weekly plans, or using smartphone apps, staying organized is key to managing your workload.

Some of the best apps for productivity would be Google Calendar and Todoist to make you schedule and follow through , Zoom or Slack for communication and collaboration. Quizlet provides learning tools for students, including flashcards, study and game modes. And Grammarly or Quillbot can help you make sure you aren’t making any mistakes in your paper.

Establish a Routine

Time management is crucial. Avoid procrastination and start assignments early to understand their complexity. This helps you plan your workload effectively. Setting a routine makes university life considerably easier. Figure out what works best for you in terms of time management and stick to it.

Be Bold and Social

“Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Engage in social activities, start conversations, and attend events. Join clubs, volunteer, and put yourself more out there to build those lifelong friendships that make college memorable,” said Favour Adamson, a third-year Creative Industries student.

Master University Tools

Utilizing university tools and resources, such as the Tri-Mentoring program could help you a lot in your first and coming years. Hamidreza Khoramrokh, a third-year computer science student, said: “Learn how to navigate university resources like emailing professors, using online platforms, and checking your emails regularly. Join student groups to enhance your college experience and your resume."

As you set off on your freshman year journey, keep in mind that it won't always be smooth sailing. You'll encounter various situations and challenges, some of which might even involve the people you associate with. Muskan Garg, a second-year Business Management student, shares a valuable piece of advice: "Discover the art of enjoying your own company."

There will be moments when those around you are preoccupied with their own commitments, so it's essential to find ways to occupy and entertain yourself during such times.

Your journey begins with a wealth of knowledge at your disposal, thanks to those who've paved the way before you. So, prepare to thrive, make lasting memories, and embrace the exciting adventure that is your college experience!

Advice from Canadian writers on how to finally put an end to this never-ending cycle

By: Sania Ali

It’s been a few days, and that article, paper or even novel that you’ve been meaning to write has yet to make a dent in your blinding-white word document. The looming deadline is seemingly coming closer and closer. This doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, or that you’re never going to finish this project. You’re probably just facing writer’s block.

Not to worry, you’re not alone here! It may feel like you’ll be unable to climb out of this pit, but every single writer in history has experienced writer’s block. I spoke to three different writers who have not only lived through writer’s block but also have tips to overcome it!

1. Know what you’re writing about

A lot of the time, writers sit down with a vague idea of what they want to write about, only to discover that they don’t really know what they’re writing about. Thus, they find themselves in the pit of writer’s block.

Christina Anto, a technical writer with a master’s in literature of modernity from X University, said that researching what she’s writing about has almost always gotten her out of writer’s block. “You can borrow ideas and change them, you can get inspiration or even just know more of what you’re talking about. So I think that would be the research aspect. Just keep reading and reading and reading,” said Anto. Indeed, finding inspiration through the works of other writers is a great way to combat writer’s block and start getting your head around the content of your writing.

2. Write, write and write some more

When you have an idea in mind but the execution seems nonexistent, it may be time to try freewriting. Calgary-based content creation specialist at Routeique and fiction writer Ethan Allan says that writing something down, even if you know you won’t like it, is a much better alternative to staring at a blank screen. Once you have something down, you can begin dissecting and figuring out exactly what you want to change and add. It’s also important to remember that writing is about having fun and the dreadful writer’s block is all a part of writing. Allan says, “If you can get anything down, I think that's going to be incredibly invaluable rather than just sitting at your desk and just hoping for magic to strike because it's probably not going to.”

3. Create an outline

Writing can become tedious when you don’t have a plan in place. To avoid this it can be beneficial to create an outline. Kelly Allers, the author of the fantasy book The Final Age of Magic, explains that to write his novel he used a large poster board and wrote down his ideas for the chapter on sticky notes, outlining the entire book chapter by chapter. This idea also allows you to collaborate with others on ideas. “All of it should serve a purpose,” said Allers. “If the work doesn't serve a purpose then you might be spinning your tires. You might not be writing about something that's really important to you or that really matters to you.”

4. Experience life

While it’s no secret that the work of writers can become reflections of their own lived experiences, it can be difficult to write when you haven’t experienced enough. For example, you may find yourself having trouble writing about a boat or a train if you’ve never seen one. “One of the things that really allowed me to break through it — and I know it's not an easy thing to do right now — but travelling and getting to explore different cultures,” says Allers. You never know where inspiration may strike. Allers recommends holding onto a pen and paper as you experience life. If you’re feeling like your story is leading nowhere, a great remedy to spark some ideas is to put your writing aside for a while and go out for a walk.

5. Remember to take care of yourself!

Despite contrary belief, writer’s block is no reflection of your capabilities as a writer. Anto goes back to the root of writer’s block and talks about the culture of being a writer. “Understand that writer's block is an emotional experience, it's a frustration, it's anger, maybe it's insecurity,” says Anto. “There are questions about how systems influence writer's block, how exhaustion and burnout and the 40-hour work week can negatively impact people's ability to write high-quality work. It's not just the writer, it's also everything around the writer.”

If you’re faced with writer’s block you may want to ask if the deadline you’re working towards is reasonable. Are you getting enough sleep at night? Are you eating enough? Sometimes, writer’s block may not have anything to do with writing, it might just mean it’s time to take a break!

No matter what you’re writing or planning to write, writer’s block is almost always a certain checkpoint of writing. Hopefully getting an insight into the tricks and tips of other writers can inspire you to be kind to yourself and get back into the groove of finishing up that project. Good luck!