There is something tangibly exciting about walking through a university campus en route to class. The sidewalks are packed with young, energetic students, and before long I begin to absorb their excitement. I can almost imagine transforming into that younger me at St. FX: the one studying the program I would never utilize in my career, the one with the over-processed hair and oversized “Xavier” sweatshirt that I never took off, the one who cared so much about doing well but couldn’t quite get it together until my last year. I wonder how many of the students passing me on the University of Toronto campus feel much the same way – willing and unable to focus enough to get the job done. There are so many distractions at that age: money, relationships, social lives, roommates, career, that really hot developmental biology professor… the list goes on and on. Back to 2011. These days I arrive to class early and my distractions are more of the life management variety. I complain to my classmate about how my son keeps me up at night. I drink coffee during class and unselfconsciously join in group discussions.
