Hi everyone! I’m Jessie Wu, one of the Co-Editors for the AEO to Ivey Blog this year, alongside Tahira. As we’ve begun to feel disconnected over the recent months, hopefully the new and diverse content we have lined up for the year will bring us a little closer. In the meantime, I want to start things off by sharing the best ways to integrate growth and exploration into your every day.
It’s All in the Mind
After quarantine started, it’s safe to say the lines between everyone’s school and work life, and personal life, became more and more blurred over time. As a computer science student, my days consisted of staring at a screen and colourful lines of code all day. However, being stuck at home physically doesn’t mean your mind can’t explore. Thus, your first step should be to set clear boundaries in your schedule. Taking a day off or dedicating time to learn a skill you’ve been wanting to learn is not “unproductive.” If you have a lot on your plate, find small pockets of time in your day to get that learning in. This could be reading for 30 minutes every night, or subscribing to and reading email newsletters on your favourite topics, such as tech strategy or health, every morning. Opportunities to grow are all around you, so make routine learning a priority and you’ll see the results and feel much more uplifted.
The Big, Bad, Bubble
Another incredible way to explore is learning from other people. While most events and interactions have moved online, that doesn’t mean clubs aren’t still making an effort to connect with you! The Western Community is filled with talented students and supportive upper-year mentors, so lean into club-organized events, case competitions, and hackathons, to get in touch with them. In addition, there are so many possibilities to develop your network professionally. If recruiting is on your mind, look into this article about the art of coffee chatting. Finally, if you’re up for a challenge and want to meet completely new people from across Canada, or even other countries, you’ll enjoy Lunchclub – an AI-powered platform that sets you up to meet others with the same interests. In all these ways, you can avoid getting too comfortable in your bubble.
Once again, I’m really excited for this upcoming year and for our team to share candid experiences and insightful tips. Feel free to reach out to me at jwu853@uwo.ca, if you have questions about computer science, the AEO experience, or content you’d like to see on this blog. Let’s make the best of this school year!