He may look innocent, but don’t cross the mighty pen of our summer student. Seriously, don’t. (Steven Bonspiel, The Eastern Door)
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For the past two years, I’ve been enrolled in Cinema Communications at Dawson College and I have one more semester left, then I finally graduate and go to university.
Most people finish CEGEP in two years, but I took a chance and decided to spread out my courses so that I can try out field lacrosse and take a reduced course load.
While at Dawson I realized it’s a huge difference from high school. The biggest difference is the workload and freedom that you get.
I was used to wearing a suit and tie uniform and having a lunch break, but in CEGEP I could walk in with bunny slippers and a robe and no one would question it.
I remember in my 8 a.m. English class, the teacher was lecturing about Donald Trump, who was running for president at the time, and one guy came in with a robe and a coffee mug and no one batted an eye besides me. That’s one of the big differences in CEGEP, people feel free to do whatever they want.
One thing I’ve learned in my two years at Dawson, is that you are an adult and in charge of your own responsibilities. CEGEP gives you a view on what its like to be as an adult and what its like to not be spoon-fed everything. A little advice to new comers is once you’re in CEGEP, you are on your own.
As a musician it gets harder. The balancing of school, shows, and practice can become overwhelming. There are times when school is first and music is second, but at the same time, they can go both ways, if you do your work right away and plan events ahead.
After two years at Dawson, you get an idea what university and becoming an adult will be like, with the constant trips to McDonald’s to staying at school till 8 p.m., studying and getting home around 11 p.m., you ask yourself, is it worth it?
The answer is yes. After all the hard work, your grades show that you are committed to your program, and after all the nervous breakdowns, you realize it was all worth it.
A CEGEP student’s companion is caffeine. With Alexis Nihon, Tim Horton’s, Starbucks and Second Cup around the corner, you come to realize that caffeine is your best friend. This isn’t just about the 8 a.m. lectures, but about exams and studying.
Having coffee helps everyone but only a cup or two will help. If you have more you’ll be slouchy and you’ll crash.
The fall semester seems to be the calmest and most peaceful semester, regardless of the exams and mid-terms. This is probably because of new students and the new semester.
While the winter semester seems like hell, with having to walk from Dawson to the old Forum, it seems like Antarctica when the snow comes in. The winter semester also has an effect on peoples’ attitudes and with exams and lectures, it doesn’t help.
But at the end of the semester, you realize that summer will be upon you and you can be excited for concerts, water parks, jobs and comedy shows.
I am happy to be here with The Eastern Door and I’m excited to see what’s to come.
