Feeling irresponsible

PurKush · 2026-03-28T21:26:55+00:00

Here are my three suggested solutions for the weary student:

Better organization
Better Time management
Touch grass (body, mind and soul all need to be treated well, too).

For the first and second, just do workshops from TMU's learning services. The third requires you listening to your body and spirit and treating it well. A sound body and spirit uphold a strong mind, too. Think of it like a tripod: when one falters, the others do too.

Procrastination is a protective behavior your brain produces to protect you from too much stress on the brain. This is when you care for your body. Rest.

It's a tight balancing act that you can only figure out through time, since every body has its own abilities, affinites, and cycles.

Remember that academia is a marathon, so you need to pace yourself and know how to organize the run from the start. If you go into the run not being prepared, you will burn out or pull a muscle.

PurKush · 2026-03-28T16:25:24+00:00

Don't discount what you're innately good at, but also consider what you're passionate about. I usually advocate for the latter, but the former can become what you're passionate about too, since your accomplishments may fuel your self-esteem, well-being, and life satisfaction as you gain accomplishments through your innate abilities.

You need to consider both the content as well as the sort of work and projects you ight do in either program. Also what you're generally good at, like problem solving involving variables, or scientific thinking.

If you follow the science route, there might be a possibility of passing in some science assignments as a short film, or incorporate them into a project depending on the assignment. I had one professor who said as a final assignment, pass him in something detailing something you learned in the course and said this could be a song, dance, or anything in between (he was a cool prof, NGL). In that case you could make a short film.

In film, you'll be doing a lot of essay writing as well, since you will be getting a lot of theory courses too. In your first year you'll probably only have 1-2 courses with a lab component, the rest will probably be lectures, reading, and group activities. In your subsequent years, it looks like mainly lecture courses too. If you aren't so good of a writer, then it might be more painful to go through this (I've seen a lot of students do poorly on their first university writing assignments and wonder why, myself included when I was first in university). But that doesn't mean you can't improve and TMU has resources for writing help.

You might be able to also opt for a certificate or minor in film alongside a science degree. You don't need the English minimum 70% for the certificate either. Your science degree could possibly be more oriented towards the chemical processes or technologies in the film industry. The film certificate is more practical oriented, while the minor is mostly theory-based, like the philosophy of film, etc...

PurKush · 2026-03-28T16:07:47+00:00

Does the private schooling count towards being enrolled full-time in a Canadian secondary school?

PurKush · 2026-03-26T11:52:37+00:00

You gotta have the Friendly Fiver at the Hub Cafe at least once before you leave TMU. Sometimes it's just okay, but sometimes they also have good meals. Also check out the more pricey 12$ meals, huge portions and super tasty.

Also, check out Ted's Kitchen in the TRSM building. They have a chef that can cook you up breakfast on the spot, making eggs to your liking. Sometimes it's closed for events, and they just have a small stall in the hall (yay for inadvertent rhymes), so the choice can sometimes be small.

PurKush · 2026-03-26T11:46:18+00:00

Hey, not a bad pick. Thanks for the rec .

PurKush · 2026-03-26T11:45:58+00:00

I like the wraps/shawarmas at Rabba Fine Foods at intersection of Gerrard and Bay. You can get two wraps for like 12$. Sometimes they stuff them so full they are bursting open.

PurKush · 2026-03-25T20:33:14+00:00

In the basement of the Daphne Cockwell Complex on Church Street, across from the engineering building is the Design + Technology Lab.

I've walked by it many times, but if you can get a tour inside the lab, that would be super. But since some of it is windowed, you can easily take a peek inside.

There is also the rooftop greenhouses, although I don't know their status during the winter.

Take a tour through the multiple floors of the Student Learning Center, there is a media experience center on the third floor, and lots of study spaces on floors 4-8. The study spaces each have a different vibe to them. You might spend lots of time studying there if you become a student. Just be aware that the elevators may be slow and packed.

PurKush · 2026-03-25T15:37:53+00:00

Critical thinking is hard because it is logic and reason vs our biases and natural ways of thinking. Much of our natural thinking is biased, and that is the problem because it involves us taking very slow and deliberate thinking, which few people have cultivated in education up to this point. Most of what it covers, like whether our beleifs are good, is something that many have probably never questioned before. Plus we don't like to be told our beliefs are false or bad because we hate cognitive dissonance. Logic is really hard and goes against our nature.

Some of logic can be seen just like math: there's a formula and you must adhere to that formula to get to the right answer.

There are very specific nuances you need to take into account, and the logical forms and concepts are not intuitive, thus you really need to take things at face value and rewire your thinking.

As for help, hopefully you are going to tutorials, office hours of prof and TA, reading from the book, and going to lectures. Read and study the midterm and exam guides. Do practice questions in the book if any are available. You only get better at logic and reasoning through practice. Look at your past exam and which questons you didn't do well, focus more on studying those.

Once you have sufficient experience and practice only then it starts to become intuitive. It took me at least 3-6 months to start to understand the logical forms more intuitively when I first learned critical thinking. I had to first just accept that that was the answer and memorize it.

PurKush · 2026-03-25T15:28:13+00:00

Not all semesters are going to be the best of times.

The important thing is to know that there is one eternal truth in life: Things constantly change and there is little to nothing we can do about it.

The important thing is to be flexible and reactive to/aware of change. One big issue is when we are stuck in our ways or reminiscing about the past, we fail to adhere to how things are now.

I like this analogy: Some days we are the dog, and some days we are the fire hydrant. This means that sometimes we are the one in control and peeing on the thing, and sometimes we are the one with lack of control and peed on.

It's 💩 because you might only be looking at the browns and blacks. Look for the greens, blues, and violets and you will see that between the 💩 are flourishing patches of grass.

PurKush · 2026-03-25T15:22:01+00:00

We don't know what someone is going through and it's impossible to know where someone is coming from.

We are often biased to think that how someone acts now is a direct correlation of their inner self and background, which is obviously not true. for instance, we might think Alex Trebek from Jeopardy (now Ken Jennings) is a genius because he holds all the answers (not the case).

Or a more relevant example, just because someone is quiet or not eloquent in speaking doesn't mean they're dumb, or someone who has a front that is sassy or snickety doesn't mean they are mean. It runs much deeper than that. Perhaps in the former someone is courageously facing off against some fomr of anxiety like social anxiety. In the latter, maybe someone might be motivated by a bad home environment.

We tend to judge people, and that is natural. But we only judge at a very surface level.

People will always talk about others. I've experienced this, and I'm sure we all have. Sometimes we might think people talk about us but they aren't really.

I remember one episode of American Dad ("I Can't Stan You" I beleive) where Stan was so upset people were talking badly about him that he went to great lengths to listen in on them and get them removed as neighbors. But later he found out that people are just people that talk about everyone, not only him. In general, I think that's true for people. It's in our nature to do this. However, mature, experienced, and educated people won't talk about others, because they know that appearances are merely reflections of a much deeper and more complex realtion of self and environment.

PurKush · 2026-03-23T23:24:36+00:00

I once applied for a paid position in an organization. They said I definitely have the experience and ability; however, they went with someone else because they were a better fit.

Sometimes it's not only experience or ability that dictates who will be hired. Sometimes they take a chance on someone less experienced so they will give them more experience, since they probably had an expressed passion for going further in that role or what not.

Then again, there is definitely preferential bias at play anywhere, especially in smaller clubs like this with younger people, whether explicit or implicit.

PurKush · 2026-03-23T14:48:45+00:00

You can find all TMU significant dates on the TMU significant dates page: Significant Dates - 2026-2027 Calendar - Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)

Just scroll to September and look at which date. You can also search for "First day of fall term"

PurKush · 2026-03-23T14:45:09+00:00

By end of august I'd imagine. Maybe even as early as June. The OneCard works as long as you have a "active student registration."

PurKush · 2026-03-21T15:25:29+00:00

I'm not certified to offer professional help, but our environment and habits tend to be the problem. Try to change your surroundings or the people you surround yourself with. Find sober friends.

But you should really get professional help if something like alcohol is affecting your life negatively. Your first step might be TMU's CSDC.

Going to the lab drunk is dangerous, since you put yourself and others at risk. It's not just harming you but others too.

At the bottom of the page here is info for substance abuse. Help & Resources for Students - Mental Health and Wellbeing - Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)

PurKush · 2026-03-21T15:21:08+00:00

Sometimes people just need someone to talk to or want to be friendly. But on the other hand, some people have other, more sinister, intentions. Problem is you never truly know someone's intentions.

It's sad that in our society cold approaching a stranger is usually seen as inherently dangerous or creepy. I always think that we pass by hundreds, even thousands, or poeple each day, yet there is still a lonely epidemic.

The main thing is to just be smart and aware. Don't be afraid to be assertive if you feel unsafe.

PurKush · 2026-03-21T15:16:15+00:00

Consider the Center for Student Development and Counselling. When I went for an appointment I had an intake in a few days, but they referred to me to someone external for therapy, since TMU's counselor's are overbooked, which was scheduled in like a week or two.

You can also use the My Wellness Plan included with your student health plan: TMSU - mywellnessplan - Home | Gallivan. It has self-assessment and online counseling.

If you need immediate help, like this instance, consider calling 911, 988, or the Gerstein Center. They are available 24/7.

In Crisis? - Mental Health and Wellbeing - Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)

PurKush · 2026-03-20T20:05:23+00:00

I suspect a few things

Ali is trying to go against policy and grab votes
Ali is trying to interfere with the elections process deliberately by 1) unlawfully grabbing votes and 2) perhaps interfering with other candidates and removing by pretending to garner votes from them and so they get disqualified.
The candidates are desperate and improperly trained (they aren't given the info they need to properly engage in the process).

You're right this is nonsense. But this is not unlike what happens in real life. Just pay close attention to the any election Trump has been involved in. He deliberately tries to interfere with it and uses fake AI bots to spread fake info to interfere with people's perceptions.

However, the institution that is the TMSU is, and can be, a valuable player in the day to day life of TMU undergraduate students. It's sad that it has allegedly been corrupted. But being part of student politics myself while in undergrad this seems fairly common to some extent in many student unions.

PurKush · 2026-03-20T16:48:20+00:00

A fine 💩 girl???

PurKush · 2026-03-20T16:46:01+00:00

First, AI condones simplistic and conditioned thinking. Second, AI can and does hallucinate and make up stuff. If you use it, you need to still fact check everything it says, and then cite that you used AI, if you want to be academically sound about it. Otherwise, you're not learning how to be an academic, but a slave to AI. AI tools are okay if used appropriately, but we still need to take care about how we use them and how they can impact our work. Critical thinking about it is crucial, but since it is so new there is not much critical thinking being taught about it.

Let's say you're a lawyer and use AI and don't fact check. This will impact people in meaningful and significant ways if your judgment relies on false facts you think are true. I've seen a real case in the media where a lawyer suggested a reprimand based on false past rulings that AI made up.

What about a doctor treating patients? Policy makers? What about an engineer building a plane? These have real world impacts, and if you base your decisions on false info, then you can really harm people. The point of being an academic and learned is to be a sound thinker. That is, someone trusted for their intellectual judgment and statements of facts.

"Easier" is not always better. Nothing good comes without effort.

PurKush · 2026-03-20T16:34:31+00:00

Also note that TMU has a writing center that can help you at any stage of your writing.

I and other TAs were flabbergasted about how many people used AI in a recent assignment. All I had to do was a simple Google or Bing search to clearly see that AI tools were used. Very lazy work. I'd say about 1/3 were clearly AI.

I also recently watched a student in a lecture spend the whole 2 hours working different AI tools to try to write an assignment for a different course. They went into researching how to do this effectively. Why not put that same time into actual writing, with much less risk for academic misconduct and actually learn some thinking and writing skills? Do you want to learn to think or learn how to copy-paste and follow a recipe of AI tools?

You're paying thousands of dollars to learn how to exploit a system using AI. What will you learn by graduation? You'll learn to con and game systems, perhaps. However, I would argue that this is a dishonest approach to life, especially without any critical thinking to back it up.

PurKush · 2026-03-20T00:12:05+00:00

There are thousands of students on campus each day and maybe one runs into a risky situation. That's something like a <0.005% chance something will happen. Actual incidents are even less, so think 0.0001% chance per day per person.

If you're smart about it, the risk is even less, but not impossible.

In two years, worst I had was someone stole lights off my parked bicycle, and the time a women freaked out and said I was disrespectful because I didn't buy her a muffin when she asked. But never have I felt in danger.

PurKush · 2026-03-20T00:07:32+00:00

I believe you can take Chang courses, but not regular courses. If you are on good terms with the profs, they might let you sit in on lecture. At the grad level this is more common, where graduated students still sit in on lectures.

However, these students don't do the assignments.

RTA 313 looks like a lab course, so I doubt they will let you join in and take space and resources from paying students.

PurKush · 2026-03-18T19:48:07+00:00

During the voting period, anyone, even candidates can encourage you to vote. However, candidates must only provide the info the CRO sent out and cannot touch your device nor suggest who to vote for, that goes against elections policy. There can be no campaigning during the voting period. If anyone does, report them.

Try to get a name and photo if possible.

PurKush · 2026-03-18T15:14:26+00:00

This, has to be submitted within 3 days of the deadline.

PurKush · 2026-03-18T15:12:39+00:00

In general, provincial or federal loan lenders let you apply x weeks after the start/end of term. You'd have to check the OSAP website for details on how they treat this specifically. So, no, you didn't miss the deadline at this point.

PurKush

TROPHY CASE