I am very excited to announce that I will be spending my last semester of my undergraduate degree studying at the National University of Singapore! I'll be completing 5 modules here: Freshwater Biology, Biomolecules, Animal Physiology, Cancer Pharmacology, and Global Change. Stay tuned for more blog posts about my latest adventure.
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Whether we want to admit it or not everyone feels really really shitty about themselves some days. Whether it's failing a midterm, not getting that perfect internship, getting let go from a job, or dropping a class, everyone has pity party days. I compiled a list of things I do when I need to peel myself off the bathroom floor, brush myself off, and get back to being a badass. I hope this helps.
1. Unplug from Social Media “A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.” - Zen Shin. Comparing yourself to others is extremely counterproductive and only feeds into your personal pity party. One of the major outlets we use to compare ourselves to others is through social media. The especially dangerous thing about comparing oneself to what's seen on social media is that we're comparing ourselves to an extremely filtered reality. Nobody posts pictures of the mental breakdown they had on Tuesday night, or a full mirror self in their calvin klein panties after eating a cheese pizza but yet both situations happen in real life and everyone experiences them. It is crucial to unplug from social media during times of self pity because it'll just fuel your disappointment. For the rest of the evening unplug from facebook, twitter, instagram, and snapchat and just let yourself be. 2. Take a Mental Health Night When I was younger, ever so often my mom would keep my brother and I home from school just do to something fun. We would spend the day going to the zoo, doing crafts, or playing outside. The next day we would go to school feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the week. My recommendation is to put your school work away for an evening (even cover your books with a blanket if you have to), and have a self care night. On nights like this I run myself a bubblebath, crack open a recreational book, put on a facemask, and listen to my calming playlist, I usually end the night watching a movie. I promise you'll make up feeling much better. 3. Have a Go-To Pump Up Playlist & Dance It Out Sometimes all you need is a pump up playlist to push you through the rest of the school day and to remind yourself that you are a badass and you can conquer the world. Then make like Meredith Grey & Dance It Out. Some songs on my playlist include: Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift Rise Up - Andrea Day Where Did the Good Go? - Tegan & Sara Bad Reputation - Joan Jett Rise - Katy Perry Snap Out of It - Arctic Monkeys Flawless - The Neighbourhood Zero - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 4. Clean Your Space This could be deleting old photos off your mac, getting rid of songs you don't listen too, or cleaning your room, I find that cleaning your space really clears your mind. This helps you see things more clearly and calms you down. It took me a long time to realize that cleaning your space is actually an act of self love. 5. Get Some Damn Sleep One of my pet peeves is listening to student brag about how little sleep they got the night before like it's a badge of honour. It's not. Get at least 7 hours of sleep, I'm really not going to linger on this topic for too long as I assume that everyone knows why sleep is important. 6. Ignore those asshole who make you feel like you're anything less than a total badass When someone tears you down it rarely has anything to do with you and a lot to with them and what's going on in their life. Don't do yourself a disservice by allowing their negativity to bring you down. I hope these tips pull you out of your funk. Please try and remember that everyone has days like this and don't be one of those assholes you turns your crappy day into someone else's as well. This past summer (2017), I worked as a Fire & Vegetation Resource Conservation Student for Parks Canada. This position was for science students and was based out of Banff National Park. Students were required to complete vegetation surveys, use GIS and ArcGIS, do Non-native vegetation removal, complete a end of season report, and go on various backcountry and front country trips. While working as a fire & veg student many people would ask me what is was like to work for Parks Canada, to answer this question I compiled a list about what I liked about working for Parks. DISCLAIMER: all opinions are my own and are based solely on my experiences.
1. You get to work in some of the most beautiful areas in the world! Living in Banff was truly such an amazing experience, one of these reasons is that the landscape is absolutely breathtaking! Complete with rocky mountains, crystal blue lakes, and tons of unique wildlife, Banff National Park truly is a sight for sore eyes. There are also many other gorgeous places to work with Parks Canada such as Kluane National Park in the Yukon, Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, and Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island, BC. 2. There is room for growth While working for Parks Canada I was constantly hearing stories up people starting off by working in Resource Conservation or even campgrounds (which isn't related to science) and working their way up the ladder to leadership jobs at the Banff Field Unit. Obviously this happened over many seasons, but it is very possible to do. So basically, its good to get in with Parks Canada. 3. Parks Canada Backcountry Cabins Parks Canada allows employees with cabin training to stay in their backcountry warden cabins, during their days off, if the cabins are not being used. Unfortunately during my time at Parks Canada I did not receive cabin training, but I did stay there for a backcountry trip and they are gorgeous. 4. Girl Boss(es) My all time favourite thing about Parks Canada was the number of female bosses I had while working their. As a woman entering the field of conservation science I found this extremely encouraging, as it pushed me to speak my mind and actually made me perform a lot better because I felt more supported. Many people underestimate the power of female bosses has on young women, and we definitely need more female leaders, so this was excellent to see. 5. $$$$ Anyone who has ever worked for a university knows that money is pretty (very) tight when doing research. Field Technicians, research assistants, undergraduate researchers, and grad students often use a lot of their own money to fund research and rely on volunteers. However, working for Parks Canada everything was paid for. First off, I got paid, which can be pretty rare when starting off in science. Secondly, I received a uniform complete with 2 shirts, 2 pants, a rainjacket, and a hat that I was not responsible for paying for. Third, when going on backcountry trips Parks Canada also supplied the food and housing. Students also receive a significant amount of free training which is awesome. 6. (Usually) Set Hours Anyone who does field work for a university knows that hours in the field run from 1 hour to up to 14 or even 16. However, what I loved about Parks Canada was that I had set hours of 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday with every other Friday off. This made it super easy to make plans and figure out trips. |
AuthorThroughout my degree I found that people tend to sugar coat things in order to paint themselves in a better light. I started this blog to have an open space to write about my personal struggles, achievements, and everything in between. ArchivesCategories |