A CAPER’S VIEW
Heading soon for a new adventure
Getting ready for one of life’s major transitions.
Summer vacation is fast approaching its end and I’m gearing up to go to university. I’ll be moving to Fredericton to attend St. Thomas University in a few days and I’m so excited.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve attended the Hot August Nights car show fundraiser on George Street and I attended a neighbourhood corn boil.
Hot August Nights is a Cape Breton car show that happened August 10 and 11 in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation. A barbecue and 50/50 tickets contributed to the money raised for the fundraiser.
According to Cathy Sutherland in the Hot August Nights Sydney group on Facebook, over 320 cars parked on George street for the event with even more driving around.
It makes for a great social for car lovers and Cape Breton tourists. I went with my dad who brought his car along for the show.
Attending events in Cape Breton like these make me sad to be leaving this island. I know I’m well prepared, but leaving my family, friends and community is quite frightening to think about.
Haley Edgett, 18, was able to ease my mind about making this big step. Edgett is a second-year student, originally from Moncton, New Brunswick and she is studying psychology at St. Thomas University. Edgett is the Welcome Week residence co-ordinater for Vanier Hall, my residence for this coming year.
“I chose St. Thomas because of the small class sizes and friendly community. Also because of the fact that you get to know your professor, and you are not just a number,” Edgett said.
This was also one of my main reasons for choosing this university. A lot of CBU students seem to express this same idea; that you are not just a number due to small class sizes.
Something that a lot of students, including myself, worry about, is eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle while living alone. I’ll be eating mostly at the dining hall during first year. Edgett did the same last year.
“I found that the dining hall had a variety of healthy and unhealthy options. Some days it was hard to choose a healthy option, because your friends may have chose the unhealthy option over the healthier option or the fact that the unhealthier one looked better. But overall, you could get a full balanced diet in with meal hall, you just have to make the right decisions with the food that you choose,” Edgett explained.
Edgett also had some advice for freshman like me who are worried about living a healthy lifestyle at school.
“I recommend that you make a schedule that you follow every week and schedule in your classes, meals, and exercise time so it is easier to stay on top of it as it is very important to exercise during university,” Edgett recommended.
However, nerves aside, I’m definitely more excited for university life than nervous.
“My advice for freshman would be to have fun and enjoy first year of university, as it goes by so quickly. Also, get involved in different clubs or sports teams that your university offers, this is what you are going to remember in university the most,” Edgett advised.
After talking to someone who was in a very similar position as myself last year, I feel a lot more confident about this year to come.
Leaving Cape Breton in a few days is going to be sad. I’ve lived here my entire life and made so many memories here. Beginning with a fun filled welcome week, I’m excited to kick off college life with new memories.
“You have so much to look forward to going to university whether it’s in your hometown or in a different province. You get to meet so many amazing people from all over the world that you may have not met if you didn’t go to university,” Edgett said.
“You get to experience and try new things in university and find out what you are really passionate about.”