When I was a preteen, underachieving became cool. Well, not cool in the sense of failing out your classes (though I was labelled as a ?browner? and I never could tell whether it was supposed to be an insult). Rather, That’s when ripped jeans appeared on the in-crowd and kids sported tees emblazoned with the… Read more »
The early bird gets the worm, they say. To which I say: Let him have it. The only early thing I want is a very, very strong cup of joe. Getting up early is for the birds. Given the choice, I’d prefer to bury my head under the covers against the searing sunlight and sleep… Read more »
This article is adapted from the original, first published July 15, 2011, in issue 1926. The sky is sunny and the temperature’s warm?and your new box of course materials has just arrived. So why aren’t you feeling more motivated? Although many students continue their course work during the summer, the vibe is often more relaxed…. Read more »
The Olympics are coming to a close, and once more the drama of shocking wins and disappointing losses will fade away as we gear up for our more hectic fall and winter schedules. And yet there’s one thing that will stay with me for good, I think: the somewhat counterintuitive thought that sometimes, It’s better… Read more »
Every year, I find myself writing about quiet. Sometimes It’s a brush with nature that sets into motion a craving for silence, for a relief from the frenzied bustle of human-created activity. Sometimes It’s a sudden appreciation for the peaceful background noise that surrounds us?that so-called ?white noise? that is as much a part of… Read more »
This article is adapted from one originally published August 5, 2011, in issue 1929. ?Winners never quit, and quitters never win,? the motivational poster says, and the sentiment is echoed in many aspects of life. Rarely is there a hero who pauses, changes course, and then restarts a quest in a different direction?and succeeds. In… Read more »
You write an essay. You proofread it, twice. But when you get it back from the prof, It’s marked up with all sorts of ?careless errors? and typos that you know you should have caught. How could you have missed them? It’s a phenomenon That’s caught the attention of linguists and experts in recent years,… Read more »
Home selling is hardly a hassle-free experience. Gone are the days when one could put out a sign and hope for the best. But amid all our efforts to get things where they need to be, one thing has stood out?and It’s not the paperwork or the market analyses or even the frantic calculations far… Read more »
Does it ever seem as though the secrets of life can be narrowed down to a formula? Success is 99 per cent perspiration. Eating right plus getting exercise makes you lose weight. Do this, get that. It sounds reasonable, right? If you don’t put in the time, you can’t expect to get results. And yet… Read more »
This article was originally published May 27, 2011, in issue 1920. Sure, the end of the world may be six months away (or not), but for many students it feels like It’s already happened. With June often comes the end of the academic journey, the close of a significant segment of one’s life. And while… Read more »