Being in U of T makes it really, REALLY hard for me to pick up the controller and start playing games. As the homework and readings stack up higher than the CN Tower, I find myself aching for the joy of shooting aliens in the face but never get the chance to do so as much anymore.

So what can a gamer like myself do to alleviate the itch for playing? Change genres.

Thanks to the wonders of Internet, many games are available for the incredibly cheap price of zilch. On top of that, they provide a fun challenge for about 30 minutes or so. Despite the seemingly tiny number, these 30 minutes are usually some of the most amazing 30 minutes you’ll ever spend with your life. Like, ever. The indie PC market is brimming with amazing ideas and innovations that we barely see in our bloated shoot-every-alien-you-see-as-a-cool-space-marine-with-a-gruff-voice market.

Here’s a nice, chunky list for you to chew on: (more…)

University can take quite a large toll on your energy and stamina.

After only two weeks of traversing a fraction of the university, and walking/TTC-ing/GO-ing to return to my home, I have to say that there are some days when you really need to just lie down and rest before doing all the homework, assignments, and doing all the reading.

If anything, university teaches you one very, VERY important thing – PRIORITIZE. This ain’t high school where the teachers will go easy on you, or give you a make-up test if you are suddenly sick for one day without any reason. You have to take responsibility! I learned that the hard way when I came late for an ensemble practice earlier this week, and got the short end of the stick from my classmates and prof. I did have a legit reason, but I still felt terrible for not being there for my fellow students. Oh yeah, for the non-music majors, an ensemble practice is basically when you and a handful of other musicians meet together to practice your set list.

You also have to be really organized with your time, or you’ll end up having clashes with your schedule, much like what I had. It’s not very pleasant..

Other than that, university life is tiring. But it’s the good tired! It’s the tiredness that makes you go home and sit down in front of your computer while thinking to yourself, “Wow, I did a lot of amazing things today.” There are days when I’d step outside of the classroom from choir practice, and really just stand there in awe. There was no way I was in that choir group, contributing my boring voice to the angels in there. But there I was.

Anyways, some advice to my fellow undergrads to top this all off: Get plenty of sleep, and use that free agenda. It’ll help a lot.

Whew! First week over, and 11 more weeks to go.

The number itself seems small, but it’s a LOT. I’m amazed at how many things a professor can cram into one or two hour sessions.

Overall though, I’m getting quite a good feel for the classes – profs are cool, classmates are great, and the lessons themselves are quick, short, and to the point. But I have to always remain at the top of my game – I can’t lose focus or I might veer off to something that’s totally out of the point.

Classwork is…an interesting point when it comes to university. Never do any of the professors claim that they’re going to bug you to do something – if you don’t, then you don’t get the mark. This brings me to a strange feeling that I’ve been experiencing for the past week. I always feel that I am forgetting to do something, even though I’ve already done all the readings, note taking, and homework. It’ll pass hopefully, but in the mean time, I’ll have to keep up with my studies.

The major side effect of this, however, is ending up home being really, really tired. So I apologize in advance if my post is quite boring.

…Wait, why am I apologizing when I’m almost done?

..Ehh.

I’ll roll with it.

I like it.

The three words that pretty much sum up my feelings today, being an undergrad student here at U of T.

As with any brand-new student, there’ll always be that time of transition and change. Nothing can change that – it’s a part of life. However, I have to say that it’s not as scary as I thought.

Then again, I’m taking the Music program. Which everybody dislikes. For some odd reason.

Wait, wait, wait, don’t click the Back button – I know that reading a rant about an undergrad at Music might seem extremely boring, but please hear me out.

Let me introduce myself first (more…)