What the Last Term Has Taught Me

And just like that, the Fall 2018 term is coming to a rapid close.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed at this time of year between final assignments, exams, travel plans and looming holidays.
Our student ambassadors share what they’re doing to succeed at this time year – and the personal lessons they’ll carry forward into the Winter term.

Make Time for What Matters

Identify 1-2 top priorities outside of the classroom, and build them into your schedule for the week – whether it’s cooking a healthy dinner or calling a family member. Not only does this commit you to a more balanced set of activities, it serves as a reminder that things like your health and relationships remain important during the busiest seasons of life.

“When the time crunch becomes more stressful, the more time I dedicate for self-care through meditation, exercise, and spending time with family and friends,” says Catherine Melo, IMBA candidate. “I meditate every morning and work out as often as I can. I carve time for friends and family because they are important.”

Write It Down

Visuals can help you plan your project timelines, track meetings and commitments, and pin down all of the To Do’s floating around in your brain.

“At the beginning of each semester I map out all of my deliverables on a spreadsheet calendar so I know exactly when I will be busy and when I have a chance to breathe!” says Henry Le, MBA candidate and GBC Executive. “This allows me to allocate my time accordingly.”

“I make To-Do Lists for every day the night before and plan how much time I’m going to allocate to a particular task,” says MBA candidate, Shomik Roy. “Doing this usually calms me down, since I can see how many tasks I have to do and where I need to prioritize.”

Take a Time-Out

When things feel overwhelming, take a spontaneous short break to lift your mind out of the task for as long as you can afford – whether 15 minutes or an hour.

“In order to cope with the challenges I have with time and stress, I take at least an hour before bed to focus on myself,” says Kat Haly, MMgt candidate. “I find that at the end of the day, it’s a great time to unwind, whether it’s by going to the gym, catching up on the Walking Dead, or even a sports game.”

Celebrate Personal Growth & Life Lessons

Our student ambassadors have a final important reminder: make sure that you take time to reflect on the term that’s winding down. Chances are, you aren’t the same person who walked into your first week of classes in September.

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned throughout your first term at Schulich so far?

“You will have good days and bad days, and the only person that can change that outlook on those bad days is yourself. I’ve learned to bounce back from grades that I didn’t expect to get and learned from the mistakes I’ve made. I’ve noticed that I have become more open to change, and thus more versatile and open to new ways of learning.”

-Kat Haly, MMgt Candidate 2019

“I have learned that I can manage and succeed in more things than I thought I was capable of!”

– Catherine Melo, IMBA candidate 2020

“I’ve learned that sleep is important. I could only remain productive for a very short period on limited hours of sleep. Ensure you give yourself enough time to rest and recover as the 12-week semester is a marathon and not a sprint.”

– Henry Le, MBA candidate 2019