This blog was written by Kimberly Nicolasora
After the chaos of exams and assignments, the holiday season approached as fast as it had ended. Here we are at the end of December, or rather the end of the 2022 year. The never-ending whirlwind of questions and concerns for the next semester may have already begun in your mind with a week left in the winter break. However, before getting too ahead of ourselves, here is a reminder to take care of yourself this holiday break to avoid burnout and be better prepared for whatever life throws at you in the new year.
Divya Singh, a fourth-year international student majoring in accounting, relays how she spent her holidays connecting with friends and family. She says, “I celebrated the holidays by cooking homemade food, playing games, and watching movies. However, the most special part of my celebrations is prayers. Whenever I am with my family, the tradition is to thank god by chanting mantras and praying. I love spending my holidays with my family and friends. I mainly follow the old traditions of thanking the divine while having all the fun.”
Haifa Grefalda, a third-year student majoring in Marketing and Management Information Systems, talked about the importance of giving and how she incorporated it this holiday season. She says, “Christmas is about giving and helping others. It’s more than just gift giving to friends and family, but rather thinking about what my friends and family need or what they would like throughout the year. For me, Christmas is about giving your time to loved ones. I mostly spent time with friends and family, and looking back and appreciating what I had this year. This helped lift my mood after exams.”
It’s been a crazy few weeks with deadlines hitting everyone left, right and centre. The holiday season should be a time for reflection and giving thanks. While not everyone may have the picture-perfect holiday experiences you see in Hallmark movies. It’s always good to step back and ensure you don’t regard it as such. 2022 brought many ups and downs for most students, most notably downs this past exam season. So let’s bask in the remaining time to appreciate the bright lights, colourful decorations and hot chocolates!
First Year Committee Recap
Earlier this month, the Asper’s First Year Committee hosted their first fundraising event to fund its charitable efforts in the new year. Saad Hayat, the 2022-23 First Year Committee Representative alongside Nikunj Mittal, celebrates the success of their event. He states, “We had a lot of support from fellow Asper students, and it was great getting to meet everyone who came by the booth…We have exciting things planned, so we’re excited to see you all in January!”
The new year holds plenty of new initiatives for the Asper FYC, with exciting events such as the return of the annual FYC social, a can drive, and an informative speaker series, “What I Wish I Knew”—a collaboration with the International Engagement Co-Chairs.
With the wonderful events lined up in January, you can follow the Asper FYC on Instagram @asperfyc for more information closer to the event dates.