Hey there everyone… long time no see! I tend to drop off a bit here and there, and after leaving my job at the Lakehead University Undergraduate Recruitment office (I graduated!), I stopped writing in this blog.
However, recent changes in my life – and a whole new slew of visitors to this blog – have pushed me to update you guys on what’s been going on.
I graduated from Lakehead University this June with my Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a concentration in Accounting. My last semester was probably one of the greatest I’ve ever had; great friends, amazing professors, and of course the end being near. I was blessed to have been awarded the Dean’s Scholar Award for the Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, indicating that I graduated at the top of my class. Considering all the long nights and study sessions I endured, this was an awesome accomplishment. I was so happy to stand beside all my fellow students on that stage and finally say “we did it!”. Such intelligent, friendly, bubbly, and amazing people I got to meet along this journey. Grad was an amazing experience… they even gave out yellow and blue donuts (Persians, from a previous blog post!) after the ceremony.
Wolfie was with us for all four (or in my case, five!) years.
They always say that life really changes when you step off that stage, and those are wise words. My peers are all working full time jobs now, some of them are buying houses, and a few are even having kids. It’s an exciting and changing time, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, the full time job I mentioned in my previous blog post didn’t work out… at no fault of my new employer, of course, but more because of a personal limitation of my own. I’m hoping to chat about this topic a little more in an upcoming blog post. A lot of individuals have been finding my blog when looking for mental health resources or stories, and I really want to show my experience at Lakehead University through another blog post or more. I have been very hard on myself, and mental illness has unfortunately really gotten me down.
Luckily, I have a new plan. After I switched out of nursing (if you want to hear more about my switch from nursing to business, it’s in an earlier blog post), I learned that things don’t always take the path that we intend. Five years ago I wanted to be a pediatric nurse; now I’m an accountant. Luckily because of that experience I’m a bit better at adapting at changing circumstances and most of all, reaching out for help.
In my most acute mental illness phase, I ended up going to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center and seeking out counselling. Though Lakehead University offers great counselling services right on campus (literally right beside the dorms!), my situation was a little more acute. With the help from a psychiatrist, my counselor, and my professor, things have been looking up. Words can’t even describe how lucky I feel to have graduated from, and made connections within, my University. One of my phenomenal professors suggested that I pursue the Masters of Science degree program at Lakehead. Involving 1-year of full time studies and a full research project, the prospect was both daunting and exciting. I have decided to pursue this path, and believe that it will help me to not only advance my career, but my own personal happiness. I will be concentrating in both business (accounting) with bits of education in the mix.
This is a big change in my path and my life, but I am grateful to have this amazing opportunity. Going forward, however, I know I need to give myself some advice. I spent most of my university life worrying, having panic attacks, and losing sleep over single percents on exams and even small quizzes. Here are a few tips I’m giving myself going forward, and if you’ve found that mental health has stopped you from enjoying your post-secondary life, they might be able to help you, too!
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. Marks aren’t everything. Sure, some employers will look at them when deciding who to hire, but if you’re great at an interview or even just have a great resume overall, marks probably won’t be a make it or break it. Take it from me – no grade is worth your mental health!
- Take breaks. Do something you love. I love to paint and craft. When I get overwhelmed or anxious, I revert to that.
- Don’t overstress. Trust me when I say you don’t need to re-read that paper for the tenth time. One spelling mistake that may or may not be in there isn’t worth staying up until 2am. Also, give yourself some slack in group projects; these can be stressful because you have to worry about group dynamics and getting a good grade. Try not to control the whole thing. You’ll burn yourself out.
- Have a good support system. Whether it by on-campus (Student Health and Counselling) or off-campus (hospital and outreach programs) nurses and counsellors, your own family, friends, or even your pet, have something or someone you can talk to about your troubles. I know there is a bit of a stigma out there about counselling (I even didn’t like the idea at the start), the help I have received has been phenomenal.
- Take care of yourself. Whether that makes taking a shower when you’ve been curled in your dorm room for the entire weekend, or getting a healthy (but yummy!) snack from local cafes or our own cafeteria (salad bar, anyone?!), take care of your body. It will nurse your mind.
- Money isn’t everything. We think grades = job = money = happiness. I’ve learned (the hard way) that happiness is the start of all. Flip, move, and change that equation. Start there, and you’ll never be led astray.
I am so elated to have started this new leg of my journey at Lakehead. I honestly didn’t even consider going anywhere else for my Masters degree; I have such great mentors and supports here in Thunder Bay, and the research opportunities here are unending. If you are interested in discovering more about Lakehead University’s Masters programs, click here. If you have any further questions about these programs, please contact Lakehead’s Graduate Studies department at gstudent@lakeheadu.ca!
Lakehead Saradise 