the money i dont have is burning a hole in my pocket!

Read this:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/625639

and then read this:

WHAT THE HELL. as if university fees werent shitty enough, the U of T has decided that regardless of the number of courses you're taking (which currently dictates a portion of what tuition goes towards) theres just going to be ONE fee. the fee for FIVE courses. 

so what? the university just doesnt want to do as much math now?

the best part of the article is that they admit the point is to make money. if i have to hear one more thing about "these troubling economic times..." im going to scream. i recognize that university is not a charity (my financial aid rejection letter definitely says that loud and clear) but they could have atleast come up with a few feeble lines about how this helps students. even they realize in no way would a student be happy with the change. unless they're one of those crazy wunderkinds who take six courses a semester, in which case, score! you are more hated now that ever before!

its annoying. plain and simple. annoying that a school would forget that it was established to pass on knowledge, not the stress of debt. annoying that students would be disregarded by the administration. annoying that a university is DUMB ENOUGH to think its ok for someone to pay for services they DONT WANT. 

and why do you ask am i concerned, as i do not attend u of t? because, like the swine flu, stupid seems to be catching in the post-secondary world. 

The Undeveloped Story

Re: "Profs Blast Lazy First-Year Students"
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/614219

As a first year student at the University of Ottawa, I can't help but be offended at the gross generalization presented in this article. I am shocked to see that students and professors alike would assume that, en-masse, first year students are lazy and unprepared for university.
Throughout high school I knew I would be attending university and from that certainty was the understanding that there would years of hard work ahead. Not only did the school re-enforce this understanding, but so did my peers. The reading, writing, and research skills necessary to succeed in first year were drilled into me in high school, and yes while the transition was difficult to begin with, I would not want anyone to say that it was a result of lack of preparation on my part.

For those professors and students who would make such an assumption, I wonder if they considered what their university does for its new students within the first weeks of school. Consider the traditions of frosh week where socializing seems to be the primary focus as opposed to tours of the libraries or an effort on the part of teachers to discuss expectations with students. Had we a better grasp on the ACTUAL reality of university, perhaps professors and older student would see the maturity and seriousness I recognize in my peers every day.

As midterms and final projects come to a close here, students have already begun preparations for final exams. We draw up study plans, cancel evenings at the pub, and crack down on ourselves to ensure that we complete our first year with a sense of pride. What should be noted is that no matter what a high school does, or does not do, to prepare its students for university, once said students enters the halls of higher education it is that institutions responsibility to mold them into what is needed for their role in the world in years to come. Never should first year be a "sink or swim" experience, though I would say, this is slowly what first year at university is becoming. What the profs and students in the article have noticed is not a failure on the part of first-year students or on the part of their high schools, it is the inflated ego and expectations of post-secondary institutions that leads them to believe that its ok to throw students in to the whirlwind of university without first informing them of what exactly the institution requires of them.

welcome to university. you have no life.

today is st. patricks day, and as i sit here in the library while my friend destroys my philosophy essay, im reflecting on this year at university. for possibly the one night a year when it is socially acceptable to get drunk on a tuesday i am stuck thinking about euthanasia. pleasant, i know. and somehow ironic... while atleast 3/4 of my building is getting plastered im in the library (with a surprising number of others i may add) i am writing a paper thats due a 8.30am tomorrow morning. i did not procrastinate as i usually would have. finishing it at this point is a great success. moving on though, this night is very much so the epitome of my year.

while countless others are out about town, i remain here on campus, whether in the library or in my room, keeping it pretty low key. not that i havent had some interesting nights, but the majority have been on the studious side. it turns out that living at school, being a full time student, and hanging out almost exclusively with other students means my life revolves around academics. when i hang out with friends we talk about classes, and things in the news, and university scandals. maybe these are just the kind of people i hang out with, but then again, maybe this is what you give up when you go off to uni. part of your life, if not the majority of it, is surrendered to school. its my focus, my source of news, entertainment, and of course, knowledge. these are good things, sure. but i kind of resent it.

resent it because i willingly signed up for an institution with the misconception that i would "get a life" when in all reality, i gave one up. instead of enjoyin a st paticks day where i can legally drink in one province, i gave it up to write a philosophy paper. and i am not pleased.