By Johnna WIENS (HSBC Prosperity Hall)
This month’s issue of ResLink is all about helping us find ways to nourish both our bodies and our minds.
Nourishing our minds
With all of our group projects, midterm examinations and all-night revision sessions, it is probably easy to feel like our minds are being nourished enough. But how many of us truly want to be studying every subject we are enrolled in? If you are anything like me, there are probably some courses you are taking simply because they are required for your major, not because you truly enjoy them. So, I ask, is this really nourishing you intellectually? I do not believe so. Thus, I encourage you to find other outlets for stimulating your mind. An advantage to living here at the student residence is that you do not have to travel far to find these stimulating opportunities. A great place to start is with the many roundtable discussions hosted at the residence halls each semester. A wide range of current political and humanitarian topics are covered, and they provide a great platform for sharing your views on these important issues and exposing yourself to the views of others.
If you find that you do not have time to attend a roundtable discussion, you may also enjoy reading opinion articles about topics you are interested in during your free time. If so, ResLink brings you two such options this month. First, we bring you the story of one international student’s experience with living and interacting in Chinese culture as an outsider and the challenges he has had to overcome to do so. Second, Kary shares the highlights of the recent roundtable discussion on the tensions between Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese.
Nourishing our bodies
While you are busy studying for your exams and preparing for your myriad group presentations, remember that nourishing your body is not simply a luxury for those who are not busy – it can also help you perform better academically! A great place to start is by making simple, tasty swaps in your eating routine. If you share Kelly’s feelings that the words “healthy” and “delicious” do not belong in the same sentence, check out her experience with a basic staple vegetable – the tomato – that changed her mind for good. Also important is maintaining a healthy balance between studying and relaxing. While maintaining an equal balance is ideal, there are of course times when you must devote more time to your studies than to relaxing. However, even during these busy times, there are techniques for making time to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing. If you could use some advice on how to do this, check out these tips for maximising the small amounts of free time you have this spring.
Finally, if you just cannot seem to tear yourself away from your studies, at least make your study time more enjoyable with a change of scenery. The new study facilities in Academic 2 and Run Run Shaw Creative Media Building are now available for student use.
We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of ResLink – Happy reading!