When I was still in high school, our school’s alumni would visit our classes and share with us their first year university experience. Their description of university usually went along the lines of: A time in life where falling asleep during lectures is normal, pushing through those dreaded long school days is painful, fighting the fatigue is torturous, and drinking coffee 24/7 is a ritual.

Reflecting back on the past few months, I must say that my university experience was definitely…interesting, for a lack of a better term. Within the first week of school, I managed to lose my binder, favourite voice recorder, and the thermos that I used for my utterly necessary daily cup of hot chocolate. I soon realized that there was no longer someone there to wake me up in the morning, nag me to wash my dirty laundry, or remind me to have a balanced diet. By the time midterm season came around, books and binders covered my desk, an Everest of dirty laundry took up my closet, and my stash of junk food had a rapidly decreasing pile of instant noodles. By now, you’re probably wondering how I even managed to survive my first semester in university. Sherry’s solution? Set 5 alarm clocks every night, make weekly “laundry nights” with floor mates, and remind myself that I am not a meatatarian and that I need to eat at least one portion of vegetables and fruits every day.

First semester exposed me to a completely new lifestyle. I was experiencing the effects of living my own for the first time, or should I say, living without my mom for the first time! It was different, but in a good way. I learned how to manage my time wisely, where the best places to eat and study on campus are, and more importantly, how much detergent to use for a load of laundry. With my exams coming to an end, I am already looking forward to second semester because I am eager to apply the life skills I have gained over the past few months.