Introducing the McGill Freshman Blog

My first blog entry starts with a confession: I was supposed to write this entry four months ago. I started reading Her Campus in my last year of high school, and in an ideal world, I would have gotten involved with it the minute I set foot at McGill. But, as my favourite high school English teacher reminded me, this is not an ideal world. Life took over.
 
To avoid getting ahead of myself, I’m going to introduce myself. I’m Naomi, a first-year management student at McGill, and I’m from, you guessed it, the suburbs of Toronto.
 
As a student with IB transfer credits, navigating the whole U1 thing was scary. I still don’t know if I should graduate in three years, add an extra semester or “be normal” and go for the full four. Then there’s my faculty. Never in a million years did I think I would study management, but all it took was a last-minute change of heart and here I am. When I see friends from high school or extended family members, I still get “I can’t believe you’re in business school” comments, but so far, academics have been going pretty well.
 
Then there are extracurricular activities. I know that being involved is important, but more than that, I want to be involved. Despite this, the thought of skipping valuable study or social time to commit to something non-essential irks me. I am still secretly suspicious that everyone undertakes extracurricular commitments for the sole purpose of their scholarships, resumes and grad school applications. Conspiracy theories aside, I’m pushing myself to get out there and more often than not, I enjoy it.
 
Writing, however, is my exception. I love writing, am a lifelong diarist (although a shameful one who tends to journal only once or twice a month) and a dabbling blogger. So, it was time to get back on the horse, bite the bullet and write this blog entry. I really don’t know if my first year experiences are blog-worthy (at least the ones I’m willing to share on a blog), but if one overly-anxious, agonizing high school student enjoys my blog, my mission has been accomplished, right?
 
Then there’s partying. Never discount the importance of partying. I didn’t move to Montreal to study in my room all day (sorry mom!). Trying to go out (or stay in) and have fun while managing my schoolwork is new for me. In high school, I literally walked home from school, had a quick snack, and studied until my early bedtime. Showering and dinner were my breaks. This year, I’m aiming for balance. Where’s the balance between wanting to be a stellar student, visit every Montreal club and sip every mixed-drink combination? I’m slowly finding it and am pretty surprised by my natural ability to prioritize and self-regulate.
 
Yesterday, I moved back into my dorm on McGill’s campus. Although being home for the holidays was nice, I can’t possibly be more excited to start my second semester here. Let the McGill Freshman Blog begin…better late than never!