One Step of the Journey

Written by Jumphost on December 10, 2014. Posted in My AMS, News.

Are you spending more time sitting at a desk than snuggling up to your duvet? Living off any caffeine you can find, rather than savouring your favourite warm drink? Has your Netflix routine been replaced with online databases or textbooks? Well if this is the case, then you’ve found yourself in the good ol’ thick of exam season! In lieu of short lived motivation and sustained work ethic falling as victims to this dark time, this post is your knight in shining armour–here to boost the morale from your academic successes passed! It can be hard to keep conscious of the bigger picture in this desperate period of concentrated school work, so here are some things to keep in mind as you trek through your exams.

Don’t lose sight of the vast network of hard working, determined students you’re connected to!

Events like Sci Formal have been showing since 1903 what the manifestation of students’ combined hard work and effort can turn into! With on-campus staples like the Queen’s Centre and Common Ground being the result of goals set and sought after by fellow students, it’s not hard to find the connection in a student body built off of drive, determination and hard work! Queen’s is full of examples throughout history of students banding together and overcoming adversity, showing strong survival instincts. Even during the Great Depression Queen’s wasn’t hit with shattering force, as they were able to complete renovations on Gordon Hall and Ontario Hall, heightening student experience in times of economic despair. Then in 1942, with a shortage of men to harvest the wheat crop in Western Canada because of the war, Queen’s students responded to an appeal from the Federal Minister of Labour, asking Universities to grant leave to their students with 200 Arts and Commerce students who signed up for the tough, poorly compensated work! In general, roughly 3 000 Queen’s students interrupted their studies during WWII to go as troops overseas, providing strength to the allies in need. There is proven a history of hard work and determination at the very roots of this institution!

You’re among the GREATS!

Feel great about the vast alumni network you are a part of that is glittered with people who are making an impact in the world! Elon Musk for example is the CEO and Chief Product Architect of Tesla Motors, while also has founded PayPal. John Stackhouse, former Editor-in-Chief of the Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper with a weekly readership of just under 1 million is just another example of what kind of students Queen’s produces! Rob Baker, guitarist of the Tragically Hip; Neil Pasricha, speaker and author of ” 1000 Awesome Things”; Mike Shad, the first Canadian university athlete to be drafted to the National Football League (NFL) in the first round, getting picked 4th in the overall draft; Rob Nicholson, the current Minister of National Defence for Canada…the list goes on of successful Queen’s alumni in a ton of different fields! Though just in case you’re not convinced, take a look at some of the high profile honourary degree’s the University has distributed to deserving individuals of Queen’s calibre: Franklin Roosevelt, Alexander Graham Bell, Margaret Atwood, Prince Charles, Pierre Trudeau, Stephen Leacock, Northrup Frye, Oscar Peterson, Lorne Green and John Kenneth Galbraith. You will be among this inspiring lot of alumni, plus many more, in no time!

Queen’s students prevail with success!

Queen’s students and alumni have proven to not give up in the face of adversity so you shouldn’t either! The first two women in Ontario to receive university degrees were Annie Fowler and Eliza Fitzgerald, Queen’s graduates in 1884. There is a history of accomplishing at this University. For example, in 1886 Queen’s held a leading role in the history of Canada’s beloved game. The organization of a hockey game setting Queen’s vs. RMC on the Kingston Harbour marked the first ever hockey game played in Ontario. This is now an annual tradition! Queen’s also had a threepeat in the 1920s winning the Grey Cup in 1922, 1923 and 1924. The establishment of the Queen’s School of Business in 1919 marked the first commerce program in Canada and only the second in the entire Commonwealth. Another first came in 1988 when the AMS Walkhome service was one of the first safe walk home programs at Canadian universities. Heck the first Prime Minister was even a Queen’s graduate! So you’re on track for a bright future!

“Cha Gheill” is translated as: “no surrender”

In keeping with Queen’s traditions, don’t surrender to the stress and tiresome nature of exam season…you can do it! There is still SO much to be researched, explored, innovated, discovered, pursued…and YOU will be a part of that. Your experience on campus is for such a short time but you will always bleed the tricolour and carry the traditions of excellence Queen’s has built over the years. Writing exams is just a part of the fabric being woven into your Queen’s experience, influencing where your path will take you when you graduate. SO: keep your head up! If you’re stressed there are tons of academic and mental health resources at your disposal so don’t be shy to explore the services students just like you have created and worked hard to sustain!

YOU GOT THIS!