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The Second I Leave I Miss My Country

The Second I Leave I Miss My Country

I would like to start by telling you the story of the first official hour of my university experience. I got into my dorm, signed my lease, sorted my room and mommy left so I could begin to meet new people. I heard talking in the hallway and quietly stuck my head out my door to see what was happening. Little did I realize, the door closed behind me as I stepped into the hallway. I managed to lock myself out of my room within the first 5 minutes. I was in my socks, with no shoes on, didn’t know anyone, and had no roommate yet to let me back in. I was forced to ride the elevator from the 11th floor, with everyone looking at me like I was a little crazy for being barefooted. It wasn’t exactly the first impression I had hoped for. Now, I can laugh about it, but at the time, it felt like my world was ending. What a day and what a year.

I still get flashbacks of the way the cold burned my face walking to class in the middle of February, when it was minus 20 degrees outside and I had on what felt like 30 layers of clothing. And how it was still snowing on April 19th while I was walking to my Calculus 2 final. It was times like these that I missed the Bahamas the most. However, I also smile when I think about the day my friends and I went for an impromptu walk at 10 pm during Spring break just to find something to do, and ended up riding a Ferris wheel in the snow, eating frozen maple candy.

This past year was a life changing one. From the snow and ice, to the food, to the languages and cultures, everything was eye-opening. Sometimes it was terrifying and other times enlightening. I left the Bahamas, waiting to board a plane to Montreal with my face on the front page of The Tribune as the All Bahamas Merit Scholar. I then landed in a city with millions of people from all over the world, nobody knowing or caring who this little Bahamian girl was. I went from being a big fish, in a pond, that I never considered as tiny, to an ocean filled with possibilities. Because this year for me, was full of possibilities, things to learn, do, experience, the chance to grow as a person.

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5 Tips to a Healthy Student Life

 

STUDENT LIFE

By Darren Butler
January 22, 2019

I’m writing this article because I’ve realized the importance of balancing the time put into schoolwork and extracurricular activities with self-care. Trust me, you don’t want to put so much time and energy into getting a 4.0 or extracurricular activities that you burn out. Simultaneously, you don’t want to be so complacent that you don’t achieve greatness like the superstar you are. I’ll share a brief story.

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Darren Butler 2018 NATIONAL MERIT RECIPIENT 

Darren Butler 2018 NATIONAL MERIT RECIPIENT 

And So It Begins –

Let me make this clear – I’ve come to college with a mission. My mission is to conquer, to maintain an excellent GPA, to become a leader on campus, to study abroad, to participate in research, and to get internships. Therefore, during my first week of college, I was everywhere, doing everything (that wouldn’t make me lose my scholarship of course).

I hit the ground running at orientation. The week was called, “Mustangs Roundup” and after getting all of the formalities like getting books and registering for classes out of the way, I let my competitive spirit run wild. In the midst of all the workshops and giveaways, which I so gladly took advantage of, there was a week-long, campus-wide scavenger hunt with a list of over 100 items to take pictures with. So, yes – my phone was filled with many selfies. Yes – I learned every corner of the campus. Yes – my feet were tired. Nonetheless, I must inform you that I won… absolutely nothing – from the scavenger hunt at least. I won an Amazon Fire Stick in a raffle to use on a television I don’t have. Still, it was a great orientation, but I had to go to class at some point. Read More…


Angel Culmer 2018 National Merit Recipient 

Angel Culmer 2018 National Merit Recipient 

Angel Culmer 2018 National Merit Recipient 
The University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Major: Animal Biology

My experiences at The University of Guelph so far, have been unlike any others that I have encountered. Beginning with the first week of school, my days usually consisted of attending general meetings about adjusting to the university lifestyle and trying to locate all of my classes before I had them. As the weeks progressed however, my classes finally commenced and each course load, despite not being heavy, was difficult to keep up with. I refused to let this feeling progress however, so the following days after the commencement of my classes consisted of me attending Student-Led Study groups, to review material that may have baffled me during lectures. This decision has played a pivotal role in my adjustment process, and is one that I can never regret as it has established in me a better understanding of all of my courses.   Read More…


Did You Know?

Did you know that the Scholarship and Educational Loan Division was established in 2003.