My September Has Been A Bundle of Mistake Making, Learn How I Got Through!

I knew I felt at home here when I woke up the day after move-in day. Rather than opening my eyes to the tired purple wall of my bedroom back home, I saw a serene, tree-lined path outside my window from the top of my loft bed. I remember thinking in that blissful and refreshing moment, “This is gonna be worth it…”

 

…This was a bit different than what I thought to myself the night before the first day of school. Those thoughts were much more along the lines of, ridiculous-worries-you-never-had-when-you-convinced-yourself-you-were-fine-but-suddenly-are-panicking-now-at-all-times-– thinking-unblissful-unrefreshing-thoughts-like: 

• “Why didn’t I take the time to explore the levels of the buildings where my smaller classes are? (And why don’t they have a clear numbering system? *coughDavisfirstfloorcough*)
• How am I gonna take notes this week, and how do I do it right?
• Will I even make a friend in class or will I struggle alone?

It’s natural to worry when you’re going into a new environment; as I mentioned in my first blog, as much as I love a routine, I hate starting new ones and the unknowns that come with them.

Wanna know what my saving grace was by the middle of the week? Commence drum-roll…

TRIAL AND ERROR!

You said it, Bob Ross.

Yes! Believe it or not, slightly embarrassing myself at times and being here-there-and-everywhere helped! Here’s my 3 embarrassing September stories countdown:

• 3. I almost went into a 3^rd-year Political Science lecture. But it was a good thing I went out of my comfort zone and asked a stranger waiting in the crowd by the door.  It was an even bigger relief to find out they weren’t there to get their français on. Sacré bleu.
  • To add, people are nice here! Students seem to share a level of sympathy with each other and thus, most people are understanding and happy to lend a hand once they realize someone is actually talking to them.
• 2. I bought the wrong books for one of my classes, then eventually returned them. It wasn’t entirely my fault, I suppose. The prof ordered the answer books instead of the actual workbooks. (They look the same apart from the tiny letters that say ‘answers’ in French beneath the large title. Again, human mistake! Nobody’s safe!) Moral: check the ISBNs if provided in your syllabi, folks.
  • And a good time to note, email your profs! We’re all in this together.
    

    Alice = me; Maze = Davis 1st floor

• 1. Finally, I won’t bother to count the number of times I lapped around the room I needed to go to before I eventually found it, and usually asked someone else who I might’ve lapped while they waited in the hall for their class, since at that point they were likely wondering what I was doing (hint: trying to play it cool).

 

 

As cheesy as it is, without making these mistakes, I wouldn’t have learned things practically. Often we are so afraid to make mistakes with the repercussions of embarrassment or shame that we forget the good that comes with it– and that, my friends, is the definition of solid experience.

No matter where you go, blunders are inevitable when you’re navigating a new place and familiarizing yourself. The best thing to do is leave any inhibitions behind and go all-in. I’ll say it again: take your mistakes as learning experiences; ask and learn further. We’re only human (you’re lucky I’m not linking that one song), so never take any new opportunities for granted!

What are some learning experiences that were pivotal for you, whether it happened at UTM or another point in your life?

Keep on keeping on,

Dev 🙂