How To Take Control of Finals

I can't believe I'm already writing a post about finals. It feels like yesterday that I wrote a survival guide for midterms! But, despite my disbelief, the semester is coming to an end and finals are in the tangible future. While many people are beginning to freak out, I'm remaining as optimistic as possible. Here's how.
First thing's first- clear your head and de-stress as much as possible before crunch time officially starts. I was lucky enough to have a mini getaway this weekend when I went home for American Thanksgiving. It was so nice to visit with my mom, brother, and friends, eat "real" food, sleep, and get out of the chaos of the city. I still did plenty of studying while I was home, but it still felt good to remove myself from the stress bubble that was building up in my apartment. Maybe you don't have the same opportunity that I did, but there are other ways to release the stress and clear your mind here at McGill. Take a yoga class, splurge on a massage, or do whatever it is that you need to do to get in the right mindset for your studies.

Now that you've de-stressed as much as you can, it's time to plan your studies. Make sure not to procrastinate; start as early as you can so that you're not cramming the night before the test. Spread out your work efficiently and make sure not to overwork yourself. Be aware of your study habits and capabilities, and do not push them further than your limit. For example, I know that I am pretty unproductive past 12 or 1, but I really am useless past 2. Because of this, I make sure never to stay at the library past that time, since my time will be better spent getting a good night's sleep rather than trying to force myself to study when I'm not absorbing anything. Make schedules, set goals, and make sure to meet those goals. That way, you'll feel accomplished in your work, and I'm a firm believer that your attitude has a huge impact on your success. Studying stressed will get you nowhere!

Now for all the obvious ones. Don't hesitate to seek help if you need it. Go to your TA, your professor, or a tutor for questions. I'm doing prep101 for two courses, since I know I really need the extra teaching sessions. There's no shame in getting extra help if that's what you need to succeed. After all, that's what those tools are there for! Don't panic, study hard, and keep a level head. Don't forget about all your other obligations-such as grocery shopping, extra curriculars, and the gym- since productive study breaks can help you maintain focus and add structure to your day. Take these study breaks, and don't underestimate their value! I find that if I study for too long and don't stop, then I am much less productive than I would be if I had taken a short break. Make sure to get lots of sleep the night of your test and eat a big breakfast. Bring a watch, wear comfy clothes, and tie your hair/bangs back so they don't distract you during the test. Bring a bunch of writing utensils, erasers, a calculator, your ID, and everything else you might need. Double check that you haven't forgotten anything. Double check that your alarm is set correctly. DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE. YOU CAN DO IT! I have faith in you! And don't forget to reward yourself over the holiday break! You deserve it. Good luck!

How to Get Healthy

Yep, another post about food. It seems to be all I think about lately. With the holidays looming (Thanksgiving is just around the corner for me!), I really want to get into better eating habits before all the cakes, cookies, and other Christmas treats start to pile up. Entering the holiday season with healthier eating habits will help me to avoid over-indulging and gaining lots of unwanted weight next month.

My solution to this upcoming issue was to do a detox with my roommate before December sneaks up on us. It also wasn't such a bad idea to do the detox right after Hype Week. Click here to see where we got our inspiration for our list of rules; we tweaked it a bit to make it our own. Essentially, we are cutting back on meat, dairy, gluten, starches, alcohol, oil, salt, sugar, and caffeine, and adding lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, tofu, eggs, nuts, healthier grains (such as quinoa and brown rice), and tons of water each day. We're also trying to get more regular exercise and sleep. We are doing this for about a week before I leave for Thanksgiving, and 5 days when I come back to Montreal.

It's true that the rules are very strict and it was hard to adjust to at first, but each day gets easier. Today is day 5 (round 1) and I'm feeling much more energized! They say "you are what you eat," and I've never believed it more than I do right now! I'm also learning to use certain ingredients that I don't normally use, like lentils and other beans. We've made some really delicious things, like spiced sweet potato fries, chickpea curry, lentil & quinoa salad, and spaghetti squash with "pesto alfredo" sauce (we used avocado to make the sauce creamy- so delicious).

I know that an intense detox isn't right for everyone. But adopting healthier habits and challenging yourself to maintain a well-balanced and nutritious diet is something that everyone should consider. After the detox is over, we will change some of the rules (I know we'll add oil and salt back into our diet, in small quantities), but we hope to continue eating similarly to how we are now. As for this weekend- I'm going to have to make sure I don't load up too much on stuffing and pie. I hope I can successfully complete our plan, and continue my healthy eating habits once I'm done. Either way, it's been a great learning experience so far, and has tested my determination and self control.

How to Keep Your Fridge Full

If you are a university student and you have a perfectly balanced, healthy, complex, and gourmet diet, then you are probably lying. If you're not lying, then kudos to you for being super-human! It is next to impossible to find enough time to plan well-rounded meals, grocery shop, and cook every day. I never realized how much I appreciated mama's cooking, and the ready-made dinners at BMH dining hall last year. Cooking for yourself is no easy task for a busy student.

My favourite way to make sure I'm well fed is to plan dinner dates with friends. We like to come up with an idea for dinner beforehand, split up the groceries, and then cook together. It's a nice way to unwind after a long day, and it certainly ensure that you will be fed (at least for the night).

OR, if you have lazy&hungry guy friends and you love to cook (like me), then you can make your friends pick up all the ingredients and then make them something! I made my boys some pumpkin pie a few days ago... how lucky are they?!

If you're short on time, like most of us are, then the best thing to do is set aside some time about once or twice a week to do all your groceries and then make a giant batch of something that you can go back to and eat all week. It's so nice to make a giant pot of some delicious meal that you can feed off of for a while, and you also don't have to worry about making time to cook. For those that don't enjoy cooking, aim for easy and tasty recipes, like stir-fry, chili, curry, pasta, or anything else that doesn't require much effort or culinary talent. Hopefully grocery shopping and cooking will eventually be fun instead of feeling like a chore!

How to Manage Time During HYPE WEEK

McGill Management puts on some pretty awesome social events. Whether its Frosh, Hype Week, Carnival, or 4a7, it is clear that Desautels students enjoy having a good time and consuming copious amounts of cheap beer. But how do you balance all these social events with your school work and other commitments?
Its all about time management. It's so important to make sure that you have your priorities straight and can finish all of your school-related obligations. Only then can you fully appreciate and enjoy your week of fun-filled Hype events!

I learned this the hard way at the beginning of the week. I had a midterm at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, so I had to decide whether or not I would be able to attend Monday night's events. I set a goal for myself to get enough studying done over the weekend so that I could enjoy myself Monday night for the first event of Hype Week. I wasn't even planning to drink; I simply wanted to attend the event to cheer on my team and show my spirit. Unfortunately, I did not meet my studying goal for the weekend. While my friends were out celebrating, I was stuck at home reading through my chapter notes.
Even during the craziest of weeks, it isn't worth it to fall behind and risk your GPA plummeting. After missing the first night, I was able to get enough work done to feel confident during my exam. And after it was done, I felt very relieved and got to go to the rest of the week's events. Hype Week was a nice reward for finishing my last midterm, but it was also a reminder that social life can't come first when you go to a school like McGill. I know that I need to stay on top of all of my work in order to fully appreciate all the fun things that happen here. I'll see all you Hype Week-ers tonight! And maybe I'll see you at the library the next day... just maybe...