As a first year student it is easy to focus on grades and the current courses you are taking. Planning for your future when you still have 3 and a half years to go seems uncalled-for. However, knowing what to aim for is important so you don't miss the mark. I've always considered going to law school. Being an undergrad, it seems like now is the best time to learn to manage your time and to look into the opportunities UofT offers to continue university studies as a law student.
Looking Ahead to Graduate School
JD Admissions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2016, from http://www.law.utoronto.ca/admissions/jd-admissions
The “JD Admissions” webpage, created by the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, provides information on the admission process and information on the program. Being an official University of Toronto website, the information is credible and accurate. The most important information undergrads can take from this website, is what is required to be accepted into the JD program in UofT. The admission team holistically looks at your LSAT score, your undergrad GPA, and your personal essays. The website also provides the median GPA of previously accepted students. This is useful for undergrads so they know what grades to aim for.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Orientation, Transition & Engagement. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2016, from http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/ote/blueprint
The Student Life website’s page on the Blueprint Program gives detailed information on what the program is, how to become a part of it, and how it can help you. This is also a University of Toronto website and is therefore credible. The Blueprint Program allows any UofT student to sign up and attend workshops aimed to help them learn more about the opportunities UofT offers. The program offers academic workshops designed to help students plan out their career path and find activities within UofT to participate in. The workshops the Blueprint Program offers provide a more interactive way to learn about ways to get involved at UofT. You do not have to attend all of the workshops in order to complete the program, you get to choose 8 that interest you. The categories for the workshops are,"Academic Skills", "Leadership and Civic Engagement", "Career Development",and "Health and Well-being".The webpage also outlines the 7 steps for participating in the program and provides a link to register.
Time Management
Warrell, M. (2013, March 25). Why You Procrastinate, and How to Stop It. Now. Retrieved November 26, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/03/25/why-you-procrastinate-and-how-to-stop-it-now/#6ef6b7ff4e7b
One of the hardest parts of time management is dealing with procrastination; this Forbes article provides some advice. While there are no proven steps that work for everyone, a general outline on how to stop procrastinating is a useful starting point. Although the article is not authoritative, it is written as a blog post, the advice it gives is relevant to students struggling with completing work on time. There is no evidence to support their recommended steps to stop procrastinating, but they are logical and why they work for people is explained. The most important point they make is to write down your goal and to break it up into smaller ones so it is less overwhelming to complete.