With the 2021-22 academic year coming to an end, current Humber students and faculty are sharing their experiences and advice for future first years.
By sharing information current students hope to make the transition to post-secondary a little bit easier.
Arooj Nicholas a Workplace Health and Wellness 2nd year student said the transition from high school to college can be overwhelming but said that if a student is on top of things it can be easier.
“There are more assignments and classes than in high school so time management is a must. You must realize that if you have an assignment that you haven’t started, and know is almost due, put away any distractions and work as hard as you can to get it done by the deadline,” she said.
Irene Contiveis is in her final year in the Early Childhood Education program. She shared what she does to make sure she is on top of assignments.
“I always pre-plan out everything I must do. Because when you’re organized from the beginning, it’s going to be simple to complete everything afterward. So, either Friday night or Saturday, you should plan what you must do for the week ahead, like assignments, tests, quizzes, groups projects,” she said.
Doing this will organize your priorities, she said, so you are not rushing to meet deadlines and are too busy to give time for yourself.
It also gives time to meet with a friend and socialize during the week, she said.
And socializing in college is a must, Contiveis.
“Try to interact with your teacher, and your peers.They’re there to support you and to help you out and like to be there for you with, assignments.”
And interacting doesn’t have to be just for assignments, she said — it cab be if you just need a friend.”
International student Yashika Gandhi, a first year in the Fitness and Health Promotion program, mentioned the transition from her hometown to studies at Humber.
“I would say the study pattern back home in Mumbai, India, and here is different. Here (in Canada) it’s more of assignments and I feel like it’s not too much pressure,” she said.
When she felt pressure from school, Gandhi often found herself cooking, which is why she recommends to always take a mental health break.
Do anything that will distract you from the stress of tasks, and find out what makes you happy and do it when you can, she said.
Alyson Fortowsky, a professor in the Pro Writing Skills class in Journalism, said she notices that students coming out of high school are nervous approaching their professors.
“If you find yourself falling behind, it is good to talk to your professors in order to maybe make an academic plan or something like that,” she said.
“Overcome your fear of talking to us, because we can help to tailor your educational learning experience,” she said.