I’ll get this out of the way right now: I absolutely detest the very idea of examinations. Not because I don’t agree with the idea of a standardized system for evaluating students, nor because I have a vendetta against higher education, but rather; I hate exams because professors are bad at writing them. Yes, I know, I’m sure this isn’t a new critique of the University of Toronto. But this is my blog, and I feel the need to write this down somewhere, so I guess it’s going on here.

Regardless, I consider exam season to be one of the most productive times of the year. The looming pressure of hard and fast deadlines is one of the few things that will motivate me to actively do anything, and exams are no exception. I also tend to find a lot more time for myself when exams kick up, since there are no classes–despite this, I still don’t really ingest more food or get more sleep. Workin’ on that.

This past exam season has been a bit of a roller coaster for me, and I think some of my fellow peers haven’t had the greatest time either. For starters, second and third year (I’m in third) are comparatively far more challenging than first year. While I have fewer courses this year–and thank heavens for that–I actually need to keep myself organized and actively make time for assignments now! What a concept. Additionally, I just have more stuff to do for some reason–I’m guessing it’s because I’ve earned a reputation as “the sound guy” on campus–and I haven’t been doing my readings as a result.

I also haven’t really been keeping up with my repertoire, which is definitely an issue when one studies piano. I was the FOH engineer for VCDS’ The Drowsy Chaperone and the mic wrangler for UC Follies’ Spring Awakening, and both shows ate up a massive amount of time I otherwise would have spent practicing. While I don’t regret signing onto and working on both shows, I reckon I won’t be doing two shows at once for a while. Fortunately, I’ll have some time to catch up on my more challenging pieces over the break, as I’m flying out to BC for the holidays!

Concluding on a similarly bright note (ha), I’m incredibly thankful for all of my amazing friends–I definitely couldn’t have made it through the year without open ears to rant at and pals to grab coffee with. Shoutouts to Victoria, whom I’ve somehow watched five seasons of The Office with despite an inordinate amount of essays and exams; and Abby, the most wonderful roommate and best friend a person could wish for <3 Wouldn’t have made it through this year without you two.