Ryan Jacques

On pursuing athletics in university: “It is a very big commitment (...) but it is all worth it.”

Extracurricular commitments in University can seem to be a difficult thing to juggle. At a time of significant academic workload, balancing the time commitment of other co-curricular groups, teams or clubs may appear impossible.

However, Ryan Jacques sure seems to have figured it out. Balancing his first year studies in Computer Science with a variety of other passions, including varsity curling, regular volunteering, teaching piano lessons and more. See his top tips for time management, and his reflections on the University experience below.

What was most difficult about the transition from high school?

The structure of high school makes it relatively easy for students to stay on top of their schoolwork, but in post secondary one must take more responsibility over your education. The professors will not hound you over deadlines and completing your work - it is entirely up to you to ensure you put in the required work to succeed in your classes. If it ever feels like you have nothing more to do in a class, there is definitely something you can and probably should be doing.

What's a typical day like?

The beautiful thing about university is your schedule will be much less condensed than in high school (unless you are an engineering student). For me, I have an 8 a.m. class every weekday, and I end at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 2 p.m. on Thursday, and 4 p.m. on Monday. The day is already shorter than in high school and in addition to this, I have at least an hour-long break every day to utilize for studying or hanging out with friends. Since I typically can’t get a well-focused study session in the breaks between classes, I like to fill my time with volunteering, most often as an office volunteer at the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation or as a promoter of the UASU Get out the Vote campaign. The freedom of post secondary makes it feel easier and less demanding, despite the fact that the material itself is challenging.

After class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, I have training for varsity curling at the Saville Sports Centre, with some world-renowned coaching staff. Curling is one of my favourite pastimes so practicing after a long day of school genuinely feels like a time to relax and get away from all of my courses for a while, even though I must bring all of my attention, energy, and focus to the curling at hand.

Outside of my time on the university campus and curling, I will work to get my weekly course assignments done, and occasionally read over lecture notes or review older material in preparation for the midterms and final exams.

Would you recommend pursuing varsity athletics to those interested?

Umm, YES! It is a very big commitment, when you take into consideration your training schedule, competitions, and perhaps even opportunities to travel abroad to play your chosen sport, but it is all worth it. You will invariably maintain an active lifestyle, form close bonds and friendships with your teammates, and have experiences that many other students only dream of. There are so many life skills that sport teaches that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom environment, such as determination, grit, resilience, the value of hard work, and focus.

What did you least expect about post secondary?

Not as soul-crushingly difficult as I expected it to be. It is a step-up from high school for sure, but the transition is relatively smooth as long as you commit yourself to having a solid work ethic.

What can be some pitfalls to effective time management?

As tempting as it is, the number one thing to avoid to optimize time management is cell phone use. This is a massive problem for some, but it also poses a major problem for students who are not constantly on their cell phone but check it when they receive a notification. Do not distract yourself with technology that, almost all of the time, should not be a priority over your education and other extracurricular involvement. Count how many times per day you check your phone, especially on a weekend, where you have seemingly endless time to spend being productive – the results may surprise you.

Is there any “conventional wisdom” surrounding post secondary that you have found to be false?

Switching degrees is perfectly acceptable! It is better to change degrees early than be stuck doing a career you whole-heartedly despise for many decades to come. Unfortunately, some people get in a mindset where they have an unfaltering goal in mind and taking a perfectly straight path, as fast as humanly possible, to get there. Life is not a race, there is no need at all to rush.