Photos and written by Amy Bridges This post is not only my goodbye to the 2021-2022 year but my goodbye to the blog and Trent University. The winter semester was my last semester of my B.A. which also means it was my last semester at Trent University. My experience at Trent University has been... Continue Reading →
Find joy in the small things
Photos and written by Amy Bridges If the pandemic has taught me anything its that you need to find joy in the small things. These last couple of years have been hard and unforgiving and it has been hard to find joy amongst the mess. I have had to teach myself to find joy... Continue Reading →
Managing working and going to university at the same time
Written by Amy Bridges While in a perfect world you would be able to go to school and do just that, go to school, but it doesn’t always work out that way. It definitely hasn’t for me. I have had to work and go to school at the same time since high school. It is... Continue Reading →
Amy’s 8 Tips on how to write an Essay
As I finish writing the essay that was worth 25% of my grade, I realized I haven’t written a tip guide on essay writing so here it is. My suggestion is you start with my Research Tips first and then we move on from there. While essay writing is not my greatest strength, I have figured out some tricks to make it a lot less painful.
Dealing with a set back
Photos and Written By Amy Bridges On Tuesday morning at 7am after the rain had frozen and the snow blanketed the ground, I left my house and started my walk to the bus stop. Little did I know I was going to fall and hit the pavement three times before even making it to... Continue Reading →
An Ode to Post-its
Photos and written by Amy Bridges Last semester I wrote an Ode to Tacos …. This semester it is my Ode to Post-its. I use them for EVERYTHING. They are even in every single bag I own and sometimes even my coat pockets. While Post-its for some may be a luxury item when it comes... Continue Reading →
Why I am a notetaker
Photos and written by Amy Bridges I deal with A.D.D. and migraines which means some days can be not so nice. On days like those where I have one or both things active to a high degree notes are necessary. If I have a migraine I will concentrate as much as I can on... Continue Reading →
Dealing with Covid and University at the same time and what I learned
Photos and written by Amy Bridges We are in wave … 52… of the pandemic and unfortunately, my number was up. On December 19, 2021, I woke up feeling like death. I finally was able to get my hands on a test on December 30, 2021, and on January 3, 2022, it was confirmed.... Continue Reading →
My relationship with food and how it has changed
Written by Amy Bridges “You would be so pretty if you just lost weight,” was a sentence I heard a lot, as early as 6. My relationship with food has always been complicated, food was my comfort and how I showed or thought of love and my enemy all at the same time. I always... Continue Reading →
Guest Writer: Avery’s journey with Eating Disorders
Guest Writer: Avery Comeau, 4th year Trent Social Work Student I want to just give a preliminary trigger warning on this story, there will be purging methods described and other health issues from disordered eating. My relationship with food, body image, self-esteem and disordered eating has been tumultuous for as long as I can... Continue Reading →
Guest Writers: Eating Disorders and how it has effected some University Students
sorders and different experiences some Trent students have had with eating disorders. We are going to start the week with some information and throughout the week we will be adding some personal stories.
Controlling the chaos – Organizing for the new semester
It’s a new year and a new semester and that means setting up my bullet journal and organizing my assignments in ready for the start of classes. 2022 like 2021 and the year we shall not speak of looks different but there are many similarities within the semesters too. There are still due dates and assignments and class time and that I know how to organize.
Good bye 2021 you were not gentle but hopefully 2022 is a bit kinder
Photos by and written by Amy Bridges While the last 2 years have not been the kindest to us. I have hope that slowly they will get better so hopefully in 2022 which is only 15 days away as I write this we get some form of kindness. This year has been gentler and... Continue Reading →
Stress and taking a ride on the hot mess express to the holidays
With exams and final assignments coming up stress is ramping up and this is where we need to make sure we are doing everything we can to control it as much as possible. While I am fully aware that you can’t just magically be not stressed anymore there are some things that you can do to quiet your mind for at least a couple minutes. Sometimes those couple of minutes are just what you need to get through the rest of the day or week
Why you should take classes for fun and not just for your major
While we are all at university to get a degree in the end, there is one thing you should make sure you do before you graduate, and that is take some classes for fun. That’s right you read that right – For FUN!
An ode to tacos
There is one thing in my house that unfortunately during the school year gets neglected and that is the making of tacos. Tacos do no get the credit they deserve! So, this is my ode to one of the greatest foods – the humble taco.
You are never alone – 5 tips to help curb Mental Health
Mental health has always been something that I have struggled with and I know I am not alone. In one of my classes the discussion post suggestion for the week before reading week was to write about mental health.
Movies to watch during the Spoopy/Spooky season
We have hit my favourite season, its spoopy season!! Even though spoopy season normally doesn’t end in my house since there is a 6-foot Frankenstein standing on my staircase, it doesn’t mean I don’t get excited when it is actual spoopy season. I thought I would give my list of must watch movies for the season if you aren’t like my household and will watch them in the middle of July just cause.
Amy’s 6 Top Tips for Researching
With big projects and essay due dates rolling in I thought I would give some of my research tips. After going to Durham College for Journalism and being an Anthropology major, I have done a lot of research so I thought I would share what I have learned.
So, you want to go to Grad School …. Well now what? Tips for applying to Grad School.
There is one aspect of university that I don’t think gets talked about enough and that’s applying to grad school. I am currently in the process of getting my application ready and I am glad that I started early.
Things to do in Oshawa
Photos and Written By Amy Bridges So now that things have opened a little more what is there to do in Oshawa? A great feature of the Trent Durham campus is where it is. There are so many different bus routes around the campus which makes getting anywhere in Durham very easily. Or you could... Continue Reading →
A Day in the life of a mature student at Trent University
Photos and written by Amy Bridges Welcome to a day in my life. You are going to follow me to one of my 2 jobs and my first in-person class in over a year and a half. Monday started out at 6am and eventually I did get out of bed finally at 6:16. It was... Continue Reading →
Classes are in … now what? How to deal with a hybrid semester
Photos by and Written by Amy Bridges Today was my second day back on campus and it still feels a bit odd to be back here. It is anxiety filled and yet it feels comforting and familiar at the same time. It is an odd realization. Since most of us are going to have to... Continue Reading →
3 tips to help you read faster without sacrificing comprehension
As kids, a lot of us were taught not to read with our fingers following the words, but it actually helps people read better, and maybe, faster. When we read, our eyes jump across the page to go from word-to-word. During that process, we can get distracted and our eyes can find their way to the line above or below the sentence we’re reading. Have you ever accidentally read the same sentence twice? More likely than not, that's the reason why.
Making friends and connections while taking online courses
Photo By Nicholos Nauth Written by Amy Bridges University is where you are supposed to be making connections and new friends but in an online environment it looks a little different. It feels like connecting with other students or even your professors is harder online then it is when classes are in person. While this... Continue Reading →
5 tips to control your procrastination monster giving you bad advice
Written by Amy Bridges With the end of the semester looming so are the bigger assignments. As stress gets higher and the dates get closer a lot of university and college students get hit with the procrastination monster. I have been able to control my procrastination monster for the most part but there are still... Continue Reading →
The best apps to use for studying and productivity
I’m all for the old-school methods of note taking, but I also love using technology to help me with my schoolwork. I’ve compiled a list of apps/programs that are extremely useful in taking notes, studying, being productive, and keeping organized.
5 Tips and Tricks to taking notes and understanding them later
Even though this year looks a little different the most of the other ones there is one thing that has stayed the same – taking notes. Over my years of taking notes, I have perfected a system.
The Truth about Internships
The Winter semester has begun, and with the blink of an eye it will be over...what next? A great way to give yourself an edge up in your career is to do an internship! Just think about it, Summer is coming up and what better way to spend it than gaining practical hands on experience in the field that you intend to be in after graduation.
The best Oshawa restaurants close to campus
We might not all be on campus right now, but we do share one thing in common: the need to eat. Whether you’re living in residence or studying and working from home, I’ve put together a list of some of the best and closest restaurants to our Durham GTA campus. Included are some small-business restaurants, as well as notable chain restaurants and their distances from the school.
The Trent Experience: A Mature Student’s Perspective
Written and Photos By: Amy Bridges My journey getting to Trent has been a long one. I went to a private college straight out of high school for makeup and a car accident changed that plan. A couple of years later I went to Durham College for Journalism and just like makeup, health issues got... Continue Reading →
Why I chose Trent University Durham
"You pretty much have your pick of any school”. This is what my guidance counsellor told me in the fall semester of my senior year. I don’t mean to come off as cocky or prideful, but I was a great student in high school and was accepted to every university that I applied to. I graduated from grade 12 with a 91% average and was eligible for a scholarship at each respective university. As my guidance counsellor had said, I could have gone anywhere that I wanted. So why did I choose Trent University, and why the Durham campus?
Guest Writer: My disordered eating story
Writer Jane Doe, Trent Student I never really thought my weight was a problem until the 2nd grade. In kindergarten, when my mom enrolled me in ballet, I knew I was a little chubbier than the other kids, but nobody treated me any different. As I started getting older, I became a target for bullying... Continue Reading →