How many times have you found yourself taking the short way out, using the excuse of “Hey, this is just way more convenient for me right now!.” The art of conveniences has taken on an entirely new role in the lives of university students, becoming their new bad habit.
Students are finding themselves taking the route of convenience more often. But what truly is “convenience”. According to Laurier students, Elaheh Sajadi and Monica Azevedo, a convenience is “trouble free”, “quick” and all in all “not wasting time”. The true definition of convenience is “the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty”
What are conveniences? It’s waking up in the morning and choosing to run to Tim Hortons and grab a bagel and coffee instead of making it at home yourself. Choosing to take the bus for a five-minute ride instead of walking for fifteen minutes. Running to the convenience store to pick up a pack of Mr. Noodles, instead of making a healthy dinner. These are all examples of conveniences and how they have become such easy, bad habits that are embedded into our daily lives. Although a cup of coffee and bagels aren’t bad for you, constant indulgences can eventually create poor dieting and spending habits. In the long run it is better for student to choose the healthier way.
Current first year students have already found themselves spending ridiculous amounts of money on unnecessary meals. A first year Law and society Student was surprised to find “that within her first month she had accumulated a large sum of money, spent solely on food, approximately spending two hundred and fifty dollars.
Moreover, simple bad habits can become not-so-simple bad habits. One night you find yourself pinched for an essay or in class taking a test and can easily see the paper of one of your fellow classmates. At first it may seem very convenient and risk free to just peak over, however the consequences can become severe. Cheating maybe convenient to you at first, but you’re not learning anything and there are tons of risks attached. We are all paying excessive amounts of money to learn and educate ourselves, and it is just not worth it to be put in a situation where your academic integrity is being questioned.
How do you turn it all around? Start with a simple budgeting system where you can plan out all your finances and create a limit of what you can spend per month. Further, give yourself an exact time to wake up and make a healthy nutritious breakfast.
We can all use Gabriella Muzslai as an example, a first year student who has taken full advantage of the scheduling services offered her at Laurier, “staying on task of readings has never been so easy.”
By scheduling and budgeting yourself for your monthly activities you allow yourself to get the best out of your day. Wilfred Laurier offers many programs that can set you on your way to getting rid of your vices. Student Services is equipped with many talented individuals willing to help you create a schedule that will map out everything you need academically for the rest of the semester. With their schedules there are no more last minute studying or stress over tomorrows exam’s or papers. You have the ability to build a personal schedule with a one on one mentor. Furthermore, your able to participate in facilitated study groups and advance your knowledge with a community of like-minded individuals.
Having a convenient way of doing things is helpful and a good thing, but there if you have too much of a good thing, it becomes a problem.
