The Rumbling Tummy Syndrome

Definition: an uneasy and noisy sensation due to a lack of food and meal planning

Symptoms:
- loud stomach growls
- clutching of the stomach
- headaches and/or dizziness
- the shuffling of papers/feet or the scraping of chairs in an attempt to cleverly disguise the loud growls

When it appears:
- in quiet classrooms while writing midterms
- studying at the library
- in a silent computer lab
- during a tutorial while you are answering a question
- any inopportune/inappropriate moment that serves to embarrass you

If only I could eat this daily :(

Remedies:
- walk around with granola bars - they can help fend off the rumbles temporarily
- EAT BREAKFAST!!!
- always have money for food or bring lunch (keep a map of microwave locations campus-wide)

 Additional Information:
This syndrome has affected countless university and high school students alike - and still continues to do so. Although it is easy to combat - just follow the remedies. But remember, paper is noisy so use it to your advantage; too much feet shuffling looks like you have to go pee. Good luck and get well soon!


*Note: I'm not a doctor ;)

A definite lack of passion

I've been thinking a lot about where I want to go in life. When you're in university/college, these questions come up a lot. The following conversation is one I seem to have at least once a week, when I meet someone new:

Me: Oh, so what are you studying?
Person: (with passion and commitment) International relations and peace and equity studies. I think I want to go into law or join a NGO. How about you? What are you studying?
Me: Languages. French and Spanish.
Person: Oh that's so cool! I wish I knew another language. I did french in high school but never continued with it. (everyone says that!!) So what do you want to do? Become a translator?
Me: I have absolutely no clue...
Person: Oh. Well with languages you can do anything! (trust me, saying that doesn't help, it just makes me more confused.)

It seems that so many people around me know what they want to do, or even if they don't, they have a passion for something. It can be really discouraging because it makes me question myself. Why am I studying what I'm studying? Do I even like it? What do I want to do in life? People keep telling me that I have time or that an undergraduate degree doesn't even matter. It's your masters and doctorate that are important. But I disagree. I'm sure from you're position as an older student, a professor or a counselor, you can look back at these times in your life and say things like that. But as a student who is lost and confused and unsure about what she wants to do, those words do not bring any comfort. I feel like I don't have time - like it's too late to change my field of study, if I was even sure of what I wanted to do.

There are things I regret doing, such as putting myself in a small little box first year, convinced of what I knew and unwilling to try different things. But now that I'm at a new school things have changed. The atmosphere is charged with potential and drive, a need to succeed and the desire to be the best. It puts pressure on you, not only to achieve but also to enjoy what you are doing while you are struggling to do it.

At some point in my life, ever since kindergarten, I have known what I wanted to do with my life. In my years after preschool, I endeavored to become an ocean floor geologist, despite the fact that I couldn't (and still can't) swim. I think I learned the word from the Magic School Bus, because "ocean floor geologist" is not common vocabulary for a 5 year-old. In elementary school, I wanted to be a teacher, modeled after all the great teachers I had. I would be the cool teacher who would let her students eat soup in class, go on lots of field trips and watch Bill Nye the Science guy every day. The 6th and 7th grade sparked a change, where I got more creative and started designing things. Then, my goal was either to be a fashion designer or interior decorator. But as I continued to age, reality caught up with me and my plans changed. After picking up French relatively quickly in high school and Spanish a few years later, I thought, well hey! I seem to be good with languages, why not make it a career. But it's harder than you think when you're not immersed in a native speaking environment.

This uncertainty is new to me and it's a feeling that I don't enjoy. Let's say I hate it. Hate it. It's a strong word for a strong feeling. I'm not sure how to go about tackling this feeling but I hope that the future brings with some certainty, clarity, and optimism, as well as a way for me to discover my true passions.

Have you found something you truly enjoy in life?

The Age of Complaining

I recently saw an article in the Metro newspaper while sitting on the bus. It was saying that social media has created this new environment online to serve as an outlet for our complaints. It was referring mainly to product dissatisfaction but it got me thinking about a different side.

 

I believe that we are in an age where complaining has become a part of everyday life and it seems like we constantly need to share these dissatisfactions  with others. Sometimes it's stuff that does need to be brought to attention - other times, not so much.

While talking one day, a friend of mine remarked how a mutal Facebook friend always seemed to post negative status updates, complaining about one thing or another. They would do this a few times a week. Sometimes their issues were relatable or funny, but after a while you start to wonder why this person seems so easily ticked off.

It's an interesting habit that basically anyone who uses social networking sites have done before. Complaining is in our nature and is how we voice our frustrations. Maybe in the past we complained just as much as we do now, but with the rise of the internet and the increasing transparency of our daily lives, everything is more out in the open. Whining isn't attractive. We should be more conscious  of just how much we complain about the little things and instead be grateful for them.

The Metro Article