Go back

The Bright-er Side: End of semester

On the mundane passage of time and embracing the monotonous

By: Jin Song, SFU Student

I’m really not the first to comment on how fast time passes. Still, let it be known that I, for one, blinked twice and the semester was over. Between the blur of assignments, the mundanity of going to lectures every day, and the humbleness of everyday student life, this semester just happened so quickly.

And you know what? That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

A quote by Douglas Harding I think about often is, “It’s the very last thing, isn’t it: we feel grateful for having happened. You know, you needn’t have happened! But you did happen.”

Familiarity makes time speed up —  in our perceptions, at least. Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains, “The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass.”

Though we are constantly learning new things as students, it’s startlingly easy to fall into a routine. We adapt to our schedules, and sometimes it may feel like we’re stuck in the mundane routine of academia while our friends are off on new adventures.

As this semester draws to a close, some of us may already be preparing for courses in the summer, while others have different plans. Regardless, it’s a time as good as any to remember that our ordinary, monotonous lives are inherently remarkable, that our very existence is miraculous.

Was this article helpful?
0
0

Leave a Reply

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...

Read Next

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...

Block title

Burnaby apologizes for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent

By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer On November 15, community members gathered at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown as the City of Burnaby offered a formal apology for its historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent. This included policies that deprived them of employment and business opportunities. The “goals of these actions was exclusion,” Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley said.  “Today, we shine a light on the historic wrongs and systemic racism perpetuated by Burnaby’s municipal government and elected officials between 1892 and 1947, and commit to ensuring that this dark period of our city’s history is never repeated,” he stated. “I’ll say that again, because it’s important — never repeated.” The earliest recorded Chinese settlers arrived in Nuu-chah-nulth territory (known colonially as Nootka Sound) in 1788 from southern China’s...