Hey everyone! I’m an incoming first year student going to UofT this fall. So excited to be there soon! Since we have just graduated from high school, I know a lot of us feel like using the time to rest. That’s me too! Except, once I finish charging myself up, I get bored really easily! After 3 weeks of doing absolutely nothing, I’ve started doing several activities to spend my time not slacking. If you’re similar to me - you can’t stay put doing nothing and your attention span is not long enough for Netflix binging, here are some of my tips!
1. Grab a book! OR make a book list
Well I know some of you guys probably don’t read, but that’s okay! If you feel bored watching shows and you’re not a reading person, why don’t you start making a book list? Booktubers have a long list of “to be read” and I’d say we should learn from them! I like looking through book reviews and adding some interesting books to my ‘TBR’ list. However, most of the time, I don’t actually read them. If I do come across the books in the library, I’ll flip through the pages. And if they’re fascinating enough, then maybe I’d get them. So if you’re not a reader (yet), make a book list! It’s pretty fun to read completely different reviews about a book. My 2021 choice, for now, is The Poppy War by R.F Kuang. Pretty traumatizing but it was such an engaging read!
2. Review your favourite subject OR learn something new
I’ve always liked studying Biology and Chemistry for some reason. I’m not particularly good at them, but I enjoy taking notes. This is nerdy, but I’m actually doing some revision for AP Biology right now! It’s similar to how people enjoy problem solving in which questions only have one answer and I’m pretty sure Mathematics is their ultimate favourite. Since I’m studying life sciences at UofT, I figured that spontaneous revision is a great way to kill time and prepare for UOFTEARS. If not, learn something new! Have you always been intrigued by The Middle Age or The Chinese Dynasties? If so, there are so many free resources online to learn them. Check out Khan Academy or EdX! Spanish? Korean? Download Duolingo! If you want to revise STEM related subjects, I’m currently using Numerade.
3. Explore university options
I spent quite a lot of time looking through the UofT website. I was lucky to have found some wonderful opportunities for first year students in UofT. My favourite right now is the ones foundational program. I applied and am now enrolled in Munk One. I’m so thrilled! There are still ones programs open, so make sure to check them out! When the academic calendar came out, I looked into all the programs I was interested in and I familiarized myself with the prerequisites. I’d say that if you have not done it already, make sure to look through all your options and make wise choices. Play around with the timetable and make several schedules to see how it would fit to your liking. Join your college meetings and talk to people through group chats. There are group chats for both Malaysians and Singaporeans respectively or people residing in either countries. Reach out to us and we’ll help you connect with them.
4. Family nights
With COVID lockdown, my family and I have been having occasional family nights. Each night we choose a movie and sit in the living room enjoying the time together. Our latest movie was The Pursuit of Happyness. I highly recommend this movie - such a classic! Some other recommendations for you are Jackie Chan’s movies, Grave of the Firefly, and Eagle Eye. Keep in mind that we are going to embark on a new journey soon and in the future, we may not have much time with our parents and siblings. So use this summer to talk to them and spend a lot of time together. One rule in my family that should apply to all: ALWAYS have meals together.
Okay - trying to keep this short! I hope these four things can help make your summer a little bit more meaningful. We’re always open to connect and talk. Reach out to us through instagram (@uoftmssa) and/or facebook (search: Malaysian Singaporean Students Association). If you’re interested in writing a blog for MSSA, shoot us a dm. See you soon!
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