Everyone knows that money doesn’t grow on trees, but what if it did?
What if in a utopian society, tuition was free and each year was one of the freedoms of trial and error. In reality, York is the furthest thing from utopia. Tuition is high and there’s not much time, or money, to waste on good ol’ trial and error.
Excalibur got in touch with Chinasa Modekwe, a sociology major going into her final year at York to give you the tell-all on navigating the halls of York. After all, reaching for the stars of success means soaking up every bit of wisdom that comes your way.
“Our school bus must’ve been at least two decades old, it rattled as it drove and the seats were textured to look like real leather,” Modekwe reminisces. “Each time there was a bump on the road, everyone jumped from their seat as if it were a ride at the amusement park.”
On a crisp fall morning, she would sling her Powerpuff Girls backpack onto her shoulder and step onto the bus that took her and 20 others to school.
Fast forward a decade, and today Modekwe is about to embark on the last chapter of academia as she heads into her final year at York. For those entering their first year, chances are you are more concerned with finding your classes, rather than finding the right career path. That doesn’t mean you can’t start now.
“I’ve learned the ropes of the trade when it comes to succeeding in university,” she says.
“Tips you won’t find in how-to guides and lessons you’ll only learn throughout years of experience.”
We start off with small talk, and I ask about her summer break. “I’ve devoted a tremendous amount of time to volunteering this summer,” she says.
“Through volunteering, you can try out different roles, different fields, or different organizations to see what might be a good fit for you,” says Dianne Twombly from the Career Centre at York.
Many organizations look first to their volunteers when they’re trying to fill a paid position so it can be a great way to get your foot in the door, says Twombly.
“Between volunteering at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto and the Canadian Red Cross’ Meals on Wheels program, the skills and networks I’ve built outside of the classroom are invaluable to me,” Modekwe adds.
Speaking of networking, you might feel overwhelmed going to Canada’s third largest university with first year classes the size of your high school’s graduating class, or bigger.
Instead of trying to make friends during lecture, use the small classroom setting of tutorials to your advantage, says Modekwe.
“Take down the email of the person next to you so that they’ll keep you in the loop about anything you might miss. Also, looking forward to seeing your friend in tutorial might be that extra push of motivation you need to not skip class.”
On the other hand, don’t think that only attending class and handing in assignments will earn you full participation marks.
“Don’t forget to answer questions, participate often, and get your TA to notice you,” she says.
Remember, teachers are people too, even in university. Your instructors can feel awkward talking to a bunch of strangers and need that interaction of you showing interest in the course, says Modekwe.
Eyeing the banner advertisements around the bus, Modekwe notices an ad for back to school shopping featuring the latest MacBook.
She sighs.
“Honestly, there’s no better deal than investing in your education and kicking it old school with a pen and paper.”
According to a study published by the Association for Psychological Science, “laptops impair learning and using them results in more difficulty understanding content.”
Studies found that, students who took notes on laptops performed worse than students who took notes longhand.
“With a laptop, your tendency to write down every single word that the professor is saying instead of only key points, is much higher and leads to unclear lecture notes,” says.
I ask about her program and her busy schedule. Taking five courses might not seem like such a big deal, but with multiple assignments and midterms coming at you, getting off-track is a pothole that nobody wants to find themselves in.
More often than not, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to comprehend everything that university throws at you. Between attending lectures and tutorials, to being assigned papers and readings, it’s important to decipher between what information to retain and what to leave out, she advises.
Always keep an eye for what’s important in your readings and pay attention in lectures, she says. To keep organized, mark a large calendar at the start of each month and use it as a visual reminder of your schedule and due dates.
“Sure, you can have your due dates written down somewhere in your phone, but when there’s a jumbo calendar above you on the wall, you might think twice about taking that ‘pre-study break’ to surf YouTube.”
But after studying up a storm, a study break might be well-deserved.
“If you really need that boost of caffeine, skip the long lineups at popular chains and opt for the small cafes inside each college at Keele,” says Modekwe.
“If you’re at Glendon, head down to the basement of The Manor. Or check out Lunik Co-op, a student-owned café which prides itself on its system of pay-what-you-can for hot drinks and also sells tasty treats,” she adds.
According to a statement on the Lunik Co-op website, “it’s a student run café with fancy teas, ethical coffee, and all sorts of delicious vegan snacks all available by donation.”
“All revenues collected from our daily operations go directly back into growing Lunik.”
“That means unlike a traditional business model, all profits go back to the consumer, the students.”
In the distance, I see York Commons and turn to ask Modekwe what she’d like students to take away from her experiences.
“Well, as cliché as it sounds, don’t fall into the commuter trap of going to class and heading straight home afterwards,” she tells me.
Combined on both campuses, York has over 300 clubs, from cultural to hobby oriented ones and others. Make time for club events and remember that the skills you learn from extracurricular activities and volunteering are just as valuable as those learned inside the classroom.
“Put yourself out there and get involved, because all work and no play takes away from your university experience, and that’s no fun.”
Tatiana Prisiajny, Features Editor
Photo courtesy of Tatiana Prisiajny
