Staying Motivated in University

I've been gone from the blog for a little while thanks to school work, so I thought the topic of motivation would be fitting for this blog post!

University is an experience like no other.  In high school, although the work load can be daunting at times, it's not overly difficult to complete.  University has taught me so much in such a short amount of time.  One of the hardest things I've experienced so far, is the work load; being in engineering, I think this is very true.  Endless assignments, midterms and trying to have a social life on top of it all.  So how do you stay motivated??

What Drives You

You can't think about it too much, but enough to understand what drives you.  For me it's a number of things: working with my friends in the right environment, my marks, goals for life after my undergrad and fundamentally, to make myself happy.  It's often hard to step back and see the big picture, but you're doing this for a reason.  If it's to go to graduate school, get a job, buy a house, start your own business, or just to say you could, it's always important to keep reminding yourself why.  Surround yourself with uplifting reminders such as quotes, post-it notes, pictures.  Always remember you can do anything you set your mind to.

Break It Down
I've begun to post a list of small goals for the day on my lock screen of my iPod.  Whenever I don't know what I should be doing, I take a look and pick whichever I feel appropriate.  These can range from simple chores, to assignments, to small steps of a big project.

These steps should all be part of a bigger picture.  Make sure your goals are attainable as well - push yourself but not to the extent that it becomes unrealistic.  It will take practice, but don't beat yourself up about something you weren't able to complete in a day.

Your Environment
It also helps me to work with the right people.  Engineering is all about working in teams, and it's important to find your own team.  Gravitate towards the people who you know have a strong work ethic and it will become addicting - trust me!  This drives me to do more: seeing other people work hard makes me want to do the same.  Sure, maybe you love talking to your good friends instead, but hanging out won't satisfy you as much as finishing your work.  If they really are your good friends, they'll understand how important your school work is.  Priorities are important when it comes to having a happy and successful university career.

Lifestyle
The first two years of university for me consisted of minimal exercise and pure focus to my studies.  After training and completing my first 5km race this fall, I realized how exercise can really help you focus.  It's a great stress reliever and allows you to think while building endurance.  Complimenting exercise means the right nutrition.  While a university students' life may be on-the-go, it's always important to remember that what you put into your body is personal fuel.  Planning meals ahead of time and seeking out healthier options on campus will be a guaranteed way to make the most out of your food.

For me this is one of the most important parts of my lifestyle. Sleep.  Plain and simple, but oh-so effective.  Although this year I've been averaging 6 - 7 hours a night during the week days, I know how important sleep is to the way I function.  Lack-there-of can mean a twitchy eyelid, migraine, or your lack of focus at school.  Set yourself up for a productive day with a good nights sleep.


Not everyone is perfect and it is completely normal to sway from your goals and plans!  I often criticize myself for this, but instead learn from it; make yourself a better person because of it.  Life is a learning experience and you should enjoy it as much as you can! :)

5k Race Accomplished

Well ladies and gents, it's official. I ran my first 5km race today!  I ran the entire race (keeping a steady pace) and was surrounded by my family and friends.  I was also able to raise $167 for the organization who developed the race!

I picked up the race kit (it happened to be at the same high school the race started at) the day before, anticipating a long line-up only to find no other runners.  I got my bib, a T-shirt and many other small things.  It didn't really hit me that I would be running a full 5km until the morning of.

I woke up early to eat breakfast in order to be in running condition for 10am.  I worked on homework and then changed into my running gear: leggings, long sleeve cotton shirt, racing T-shirt, baseball cap (for the rain) and my running shoes.  I decided to wear my heart-rate monitor just for fun.  The weather called for rain all day and a high of 16C.  It turned out to be around 7C and misting.  I brought my rain jacket but decided to run without it, which was a smart choice!  Although it was misting, the moisture kept me cool but not drenched.

I showed up a bit later than expected, but made my way to the 5k starting line which was about 50m in front of the 10k starting line.  The 10k runners started at 10am and we started at 10:10am.  I was near the back of the crowd and remained here as I kept my pace steady.  I was with a few other runners for the first kilometer and then met some other runners - those who walked and ran.  We ran up three hills in total and down one.  I expected to run the course in the reverse order that we actually did, however I had some sense of direction.

I'm not sure if it was because I was running with so many other people, or because I didn't know exactly where I was going, but the course seemed unusually difficult and perhaps a bit short!  I wasn't nearly as tired or out of breath as I normally am after I run 5km at home.  Needless to say, I enjoyed every minute of the race and finished in 36 minutes!  My goal was to run the whole thing and finish under 40 mins.  Both of which, were accomplished :)

I will definitely be signing up for more races in the future with people I know!  Lots of people ran in groups or with a friend which looked like a lot of fun :)

I Love Quinoa!

Quinoa is a fantastic staple food in the kitchen.  Not only does it taste great, but it is also a complete protein by itself.  It is gluten free (since it is a seed, not a grain) and provides a good amount of fiber.


You can prepare it the conventional way by boiling water, stock/broth, or milk and then simmering for 15 minutes.  Or you can microwave it for about 6-8 minutes with two 1 minute breaks in between to stir and ensure the quinoa is absorbing all the liquid

After experimenting with a stuffed pepper recipe, I developed my own Quinoa Curry Salad recipe.  The nuttiness of the quinoa mixed with the spices tastes fantastic!

Rosie's Quinoa Curry Salad

1 cup pre-rinsed uncooked quinoa

2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 red or white onion diced

1 pepper diced

2 cups chopped spinach

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup corn

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup diced or crumbled feta

Combine all of the spices, broth and quinoa in a pot and bring to boil.  Simmer on low heat once boiled and cook for 15 minutes.

In a large pan or skillet, add the minced garlic, pepper, onion and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Heat on medium high until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add the spinach and cook until wilted (this won't take too long!) and remove from heat once the onions are translucent.

Cook the peas and corn in the microwave (combine in bowl and add a dash of water - cook for 1-2 minutes) or directly add to the finished hot quinoa.

*I have found that adding frozen peas and corn straight into the quinoa works just fine.

Combine all ingredients (and remaining ingredients) into one large bowl and mix.
May serve hot or cold!
Store in the fridge.

My Perm

I don't remember exactly what lead me to believe that getting a perm would benefit me, but somehow it happened.  I had talked to a few people about perms and their experiences with them and it seemed like a great idea - low maintenance curls/waves that would blend with my natural hair.  I know I had contemplated the idea quite a bit before actually making any final decisions.  I suggest doing this in general before making any decision however, some things are better experienced. 

Let me remind you that my mother has been the only one to cut my hair since I can remember and I had never had my hair treated, coloured or cut by a hair stylist previous to this perm.  The picture below is my natural hair before the perm.

It was December 23, 2010 if I recall correctly, and the time had finally come.  I called a couple of salons in my local area (one of which refused to perm hair because it was so damaging) a week or two before and decided with one that had received good reviews. 

I walked into the salon with my hair blow dried (maybe not the best choice in hindsight) and sat down to talk with the hair stylist.  She walked me through all the steps, and before you knew it I had a head full of curlers.  The curlers she chose were quite small but it took over an hour to curl my whole head.  I remember her saying "Now don't tell me you don't want the perm after I've spent all this time putting all the curlers in!" in a joking tone.  I briefly second guessed myself and then remembered I would never know unless I tried.

She coated my hair with a chemical that stripped it of it's natural form and followed that with a second chemical that would set the perm.  She ended up having to use two bottles of the second chemical since I had so much hair.  I learnt later that this was much more expensive.  It burned a little around my hairline where the chemicals touched my skin but the smell was the worst part.  I believe they left my hair saturated like this for a good 20 - 25 minutes before rinsing.

When I saw it wet, it looked nice and curled - a lot more than my regular texture but still nice.  When she dried it the volume seemed to grow exponentially.  I couldn't decide if I liked it or not in the salon. 

This is a picture taken the day after.  I look back now and laugh about how crazy it looked but the days following the perm were a little emotional including regret and frustration.  Regardless, I knew how expensive it was and I made every effort to make the most of it. 

I quickly realized how much damage had been done when my hair failed to become naturally oily.  In a way this was nice, but it was still unsettling.  Although the texture was curly, my hair felt too dry - almost fried.  A deep conditioning treatment would have been a good idea... And now I understand why the other salon refused to do perms... HA.

Almost two years later now, I have about 3/4" left of the perm.  It was so nice to see my roots grow in and see the perm relax.  I think if I were to change anything about the perm, I would have asked for bigger curlers and to set it for only 10-15 minutes instead of 20-25.  My natural hair curls VERY well on it's own, and I know the hair stylist didn't know much about my hair type or how well it would take.  

The moral of the story I suppose, is if you asked me today if I would like another perm, the first words you'd hear out of my mouth would definitely be "NO thank you!".