Student Life

Blustering winds, unexpected rain, and dreaded midterms are getting us all down this month, as fall finally rears its head. Now that summer has ended and upbeat music no longer matches the mood and weather, it’s time for a new seasonal playlist to set the tone for autumn.

As someone who usually spends the entire fall semester dealing with a never-ending sinus cold, I’ve picked up many tricks for warding off the most unpleasant symptoms of dreaded back-to-school illness. 

Three years ago, I attended a venture capital firm’s annual meeting—an event where the company updates partners and portfolio companies on their investment and management strategies moving forward.

With classes getting back into full swing and the official first day of fall having come and gone, students are beginning to mourn the end of pier season, wearing shorts to class, and above all else, the phenomenon that is the “hot girl summer.”

While it’s clichéd to say, Mondays truly are the worst.

For as long as the Internet has existed, and probably before, there’s always been a type of “girl” that embodies the trends of the younger generations. We’ve seen the Tumblr girl, the basic bitch, and the E-girl, among others.

Chances are that if you drink boba tea (also known as bubble tea), you don’t just like it—you love it. The smooth milk tea and the squishy tapioca pearls makes for a dangerous combination out to get both your sanity and the cash in your wallet.

The climate crisis can no longer be ignored, and several cities, such as our very own Kingston, have declared states of climate emergency. As young people and students, it can feel overwhelming to live our daily lives while knowing we’re contributing to the problem.

In my first year at Queen’s, my friend gave me a plastic plant for my birthday because I couldn’t “kill this one.” I entered first year with three houseplants, and since then, my collection has grown to almost a dozen. I’ve probably killed half as many. 

When you first sign up to go on university exchange, it’s natural to fantasize about far-flung travel, mouth-watering food, and life-long friendships. For the most part, these fantasies come true, but going on exchange also comes with some unexpected road bumps.

University is a time for unleashing your creativity, and the kitchen is no exception. When your fridge is empty, but your stomach is grumbling, you may have to resort to unique methods of feeding yourself.

In honour of their updated menu, the Queen’s Pub (QP) hosted a drink tasting on August 31 so students could sample their new beers and cocktails. Having spent every Monday and Tuesday evening of the summer at QP watching 25 twenty-somethings find love on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, I knew I had to be there.

Queen’s campus is full of nooks and crannies where students can hang out, and everyone seems to have a personal favourite.

In the warm summer months, it’s practically impossible to visit Breakwater Park without spotting a game—or five—of the latest craze to hit the beach: Spikeball.

With all of its strains, concentrates and taboos, trying cannabis—the term for weed or marijuana used by the Canadian government—for the first time can be daunting.

While “work hard, play hard” is a great motto to have throughout the school year, during the summer, it’s fair to want to work less and play more.