Winter is definitely gone and we had warm(ish) weather creep up on us; unfortunately today it’s a little cloudy. I’m very glad that at least it’s not raining.
A few weeks ago I went to the Queen’s Student Alumni Association Media Careers panel in Robert Sutherland Hall (across from Goodes Hall); my first non-Commerce workshop that I attended this year. It was a great panel, featuring Robin Brown of CBC Radio One, Matt Hartley of the Financial Post, and Sarah Crosbie of K-Rock 105.7 FM. All were candid speakers with different perspectives of the media world. It’s sobering to realize just how hard it is to break into the industry, but also encouraging to see how it can be such a rewarding career. The panel was run a little differently than the typical Commerce workshops I attend, but equally as effective and it was nice to talk to students from other faculties who were interested in social media.
The next day, I attended the information meeting for fall semester exchange students. Jam-packed with information in a looong two-hour session, but halfway through, the pizza that the Commerce staff ordered for us perked us right up! I love how the staff thinks of everything. They took us through what to expect on our exchange experience, our academic requirements, and the emergency support system in place for outgoing Queen’s students on exchange. It was reassuring to know that exchange doesn’t mean you’re shipped out to another country and left to fend for yourself; the Queen’s University International Centre does a great job of helping you prepare for life in a new country.
On the first of April, I took the Kingston public transit to the train station to catch a coach back to Toronto for a concert with some other Queen’s Commerce students. On my way there, I looked out the window as I passed Stauffer Library to see a giant inflatable gorilla hanging off the roof. Congrats to whoever managed to sneak him up there without getting caught!
Also over the past week, I, along with the rest of the Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition (The QEC) Executive, and in conjunction with Impact Innovate, organized our first workshop in the Eco-Entrepreneurship Series at Queen’s. Featuring Anthony Watanabe of Innovolve Group as our speaker, it stimulated some interesting discussions. It was a big success, with students from Commerce, Engineering, Environmental Science, and Agriculture attending. I’m going to another QEC Exec Social tonight, and still need to put my costume together since it’s a theme party.
Yesterday was an extremely busy day, as I had a last minute prep meeting with my team for our arbitration case for HR class (COMM181). I also dropped by the Goodes Hall Expansion Open House and had to stop off at IT in Goodes to get my laptop checked out. We were given cookies in HR class (unexpected cookies taste so much better!), then right after that my team had to present our arbitration in Douglas Library.
Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be helping out with the University Experience Program on campus before packing my bags and heading back to Mississauga. My Commerce classes finished up today, and I have one last Sociology of Communication and Information Technologies (SOCY284) paper due on Monday. I’m back in Kingston next Friday to help out with CBC’s Dragon’s Den as it passes through town, and then I’m off to Ottawa for the weekend. My first exam is on the 19th, so I’ll be back in Kingston to get ready for finance…as you can see, April is going to be filled with a lot of travelling.
I hope this update gives you a better idea of life as a second year Commerce student. As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions at 8tykw@queensu.ca. I really enjoy the feedback. Best of luck in your university selections!