The Voice Magazine recently had a chance to chat with Emily Nicholls (she/they), a Bachelor of Arts student double majoring in English and Psychology, currently living in Windsor, Ontario. She acknowledged “I reside on the ancestral territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations: comprised of the Ojibwe (oh-jib-way), the Odawa (oh-dow-wah), and the Potawatomi (pah-tah-wah-toe-mee).”
As for her future plans post-graduation? “I’d love to write a book, build a homestead, and save the world from ecological disaster, but we will see what happens when I graduate,” she stated.
She had some relatable study tips for fellow AU learners. “Pure anxiety is my main motivation. I tend to wait until it’s crunch time and churn out all my work in one big lump (again, this is a perk of being neurodivergent).” She continued, “However, since having a baby, every free moment feels like crunch time—but that’s not a study tip. Don’t have babies for motivation, kids.”
She also had some great advice for new and/or prospective students. “Relax! You don’t have to be perfect; one bad grade will not ruin your GPA. When I first started Uni, back in 2011 (I know, it’s been a wild ride), I had an ‘all or nothing’ mind set. If I got a bad grade I would drop the class or give up completely. I ended up leaving university for a spell because I really didn’t have the tools to handle failure yet. Now I know that failure is an integral part of learning and school is the place to make mistakes! Your future bosses won’t be so lenient. So, mess up and recover now, and don’t give up.”
When she is not studying, Emily keeps busy. “I’m the solo parent of a beautiful 5-month old baby, so I spend most of my time being drooled on. To be honest, it’s magical. We tend to venture outside just to look at trees and bugs and squirrels,” she let us know. “While he naps, I crochet, write, read, scroll on Instagram, and online shop (it’s a real problem),” she continued.
She credits her aunt with having had the greatest influence on her desire to learn. “She bought me the first Harry Potter book when I was 10 (back when it was just coming out) and that’s where my love for reading started. She was also successful, smart, talented, and gorgeous. She converted her sunroom into a library, it had books from the floor to the ceiling, a fireplace, leather furniture – very dark academia style. I grew up poor, so witnessing what wealth looked like really influenced my own personal goals. She passed away a few years ago, unfortunately.”
Emily mentioned another interesting book that has made an impact on her life. “The book I’m reading right now is awesome, it feels like it was written specifically for me. It’s called The Temple at the End of the Universe: A Search for Spirituality in the Anthropocene by Josiah Neufeld. I’m a big nature and spirituality nerd, so it checks out.”
As for her experience with online learning so far? She stated, “Love love love it! If I could avoid the classroom forever, I would. (I’m a visiting student, so I’ll be back in-person next year). I really like my house.”
The Voice Magazine asked Emily which famous person, past or present, she would like to have lunch with, and why, and she chose British primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. “I just love her and everything she stands for. I’d love her to give me a job in Africa at one of her chimpanzee rescues. Lunch would be vegan, obvs.,” she explained.
On a final note, we asked her to share her most valuable lesson learned in life. “This is going to sound so cliché but I’m owning it—family is everything. I really cherish time spent with my immediate and extended family, even though they’re all nuts,” she stated.
And her proudest moment? “And my proudest moment, again so cliché, is when I felt my son’s head for the first time. I had a C-section and I could only hold his head for a moment before he was taken out of the room. I still grab the back of his head sometimes just to relive that moment. It’s so funny to say that because last year I couldn’t imagine having kids…now it’s basically my entire personality.” Best of luck, Emily!
At times, in an online learning environment, it can feel like you are all alone, but across the nation and around the globe, students just like you are also pursuing their Athabasca University (AU) studies! Each week, The Voice Magazine will be bringing you some of these stories. If you would like to be featured next, do not hesitate to get in touch!
