For days after I first saw Grease (the movie with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John), I had that “Beauty School Dropout” song stuck in my head, specifically the part where Teen Angel sings, “Go back to high school.” Honestly, at this moment it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. 

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying high school is better than uni, not by a long shot. However, the adjustment has been… Well, I’ll give you an analogy so it’s easier to understand: You’re walking down the stairs and you miss the last step, except you never regain your balance, and you’re in a never ending loop. I’m sure a lot of us are feeling this way. If you’re not, then it must be great to be you! But, for those missing the last step and freediving into Tartarus, don’t worry if you feel like you know absolutely nothing; your personal Dalai Lama is here to help you feel better about yourself. 

Coming into uni, one of the biggest things I was worried about was making friends and meeting new people, which, of course, was the most valid concern. It’s not like uni is about schoolwork or anything (cue the Pinocchio nose extension). However, for someone very introverted, with the social skills of an intoxicated hamster, it very much was a big deal. The people around you always seem to have the best intentions. For example, “Just say hi and introduce yourself,” or your mom sending you an article about making friends as an adult (I wish I was joking with that one). None of that makes it any easier.

Classes are a revolving door of people. Everyday, you sit down and talk to the person beside you, and 80% of the time, you never see them again. I have some advice but take it with a grain of salt! Talk to people like you are never going to see them again, because most likely, you really won’t (especially in those big classes at Convocation Hall — if you know, you know). Just remember that there really is nothing you could say that is more embarrassing than being a Team Jacob over a Team Edward fan. So, go for it, babes! 

Let’s play a word association game now. People. Friends. Class. Readings. Words. Chants. Woodsworth going “oi, oi, oi,” oops back to readings.

The assigned readings, as a humanities student, are atrocious. The time, the focus, the three chapters for one week in one class are definitely a lot. But, the tactic I’ve adopted is to do readings everywhere but at home. Trust me when I say that doing your readings for class in Robarts is next level. Everyone around you just exudes this smart, focused energy that I’m pretty sure my body feeds off of, and the readings go by faster. There are also no distractions, unless you want to count the triangles on the ceiling (I highly recommend the third floor reading room for that pursuit). 

If you are tired of Robarts, switch it up and go to E.J. Pratt (which has the best couches in the downstairs level) or the UC Library—I haven’t made it there yet, but it has been described* as Christmas at Hogwarts, and nothing sounds better than that (*It was described that way by me, based on pictures I found online). 

Anywho, school will probably not get easier, but it will get more enjoyable. Talk to the Edward stans. Maybe sign up for one of the zillion clubs. Go to one of the libraries on campus. Or, just sit on a bench in Queen’s Park and try not to get attacked by the squirrels. Everything is honestly going to work out. I mean, it had better, since I’ve embarrassed myself about 30 times in this article!

Stay strong, Innis-ians or Innis-iators or Innis-onians!