Semi-Gossa-Den: How to Survive University

by Jill

As I sit here waiting for my last Concordia grade to miraculously appear, I can’t help but think about how much I’ve changed over the past four years spent running between the Hall building and Loyola campus in the boonies of NDG.

How much I’ve changed by going from the 47-45 bus combo between Brossard and downtown, to the 24 along Sherbrooke, to the 47-45 once again (sigh). From writing about people with passions to actually having some of my own. From losing friends to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones along the way.

And I can’t help but wonder, what would I tell my 19-year-old self, what advice would I give myself, as I was preparing for that first wide-eyed month of university? Here’s what I came up with:

· The Bonaventure-Vendome-105 route to get to Loyola sucks. Cut through the parking lot in front of the Bell Center and hop on the shuttle. Trust me.

· Campus newspapers are not the be-all, end-all of journalism. Don’t kill yourself trying to cover every single possible news story in the city. Have fun with it.

· Objectivity doesn’t exist. Stop preaching about it. Seriously.

· Put down the Chuck Klosterman (that you’ve read 2358725 times, anyway) and pick up something a little bit more serious. It will help you become an expert on something. Anything. Not just how to write a lead, or how to spew out useless facts about ‘80s hair metal bands.

· Get involved with something you care about. Discover your passions. Stop shying away from taking a stance because you think doing so makes you a bad journalist or “biased.” That’s crap. (Pssst, here’s a clue: Palestine)

· You don’t have to pretend to like emo music anymore. Those Dawson days are behind you. Go back to your first loves: hip hop and classic rock. Don’t be ashamed.

· Don’t go to the cottage after work in December. It’s snowing and slippery out on those country roads. You (and Dad’s car) will thank me later.

· Just because it’s 80s night at Cafe Campus doesn’t mean you have to get dressed up like you’re straight out of a Pat Benatar video. It’s embarrassing.

· Going to Cheers Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays… each week… to dance to Sean Paul… is not cool. Actually, scratch that. Keep up the good work. Semi-gossa-den.

· Leave the petty high school/CEGEP drama behind you. Those ex-friends you think you hate? They are some of the best ones you’ll ever have. The ones you think will always be there? They won’t.

· Speaking of friends, stop being so shy. The people in your classes are just as new to this whole university thing as you are. Talk to them. Suggest grabbing a beer after class. They won’t hurt you.

· Breathe. Be yourself. And have fun. After all, this is only the latest part of a book you are continually writing. There are many more chapters to come.