The (Uni)verse
A podcast for university students made by students, The (Uni)verse explores and discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of university life for students everywhere. University is a unique time in one’s life, and we all go through it both laughing and crying! Why not laugh and cry about it all together!
Universities, more than ever, need to develop partnerships with their students to create learning environments that better serve increasingly diverse needs and career goals, but students are often the silent partners. Let this be our voice (and the tag along prof's).
Your co-hosts are Janet Smyth, Laura Wang, Joela and Elaine Beaulieu, from the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Episodes
26 episodes
Reflecting on 2 years of podcasting
We started this podcast 2 years ago! It's been an incredible experience, and for our last episode of the school year (perhaps ever!?), we look back and reflect on this journey. We do not know what the future holds at this time, but as a favoure...
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17:00
April fools foolery
Well who doesn't need to unwind and laugh a bit at the moment! We won't be tricking anyone, but sharing funny stories on life at university, in and outside of class! Join us for a bit of cheer!
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22:58
How do you prefer to study?
You just can't avoid it! But you can control (sometimes) how you do it! Some prefer studying in a group, some individually. Nobody likes cramming but what do you do when you have to? This week we discuss our preferred studying habits and our be...
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15:53
How good are you with interviews?
Being good at interviews doesn't just happen naturally for most of us. It is a learned skill that will have an impact in your professional and personal lives (even meeting the in-laws! ;-)) Listen to Janet, Laura and Joela, who impressed me so ...
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19:42
Finding love in what you do
Happy Valentine's Day!! ❤️ Whatever a person's work or hobbies or studies, sometimes something can happen that makes us fall out of love with what we do. What keeps us in love what we do? Where to find the joy and passion in our professional li...
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15:32
Test anxiety (encore episode)
This episode ran in April 2024 and is one of our most listened to episode. We think revisiting it could help new listeners as midterm season has already started or help second time listeners reflect on their progress handling test anxiety. It s...
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46:29
Office hours
The majority of professors have office hours, whether they are virtual, in person, informal, formal, etc... What do you expect from office hours? Is there something profs could do to make them better, perhaps less stressful or intimidating for ...
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17:31
Summer work
Happy New Year! New year, new opportunities! Planning ahead can pay off when you are a student seeking work, catching up or getting ahead with courses, or simply to travel during the summer. How do you plan to spend your summer?
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18:28
Gift list suggestions for academicky people.
'Tis the season! Time to rack our brain for that special gift! Although we have established in previous episodes that socks are an underrated gift, here are a few more suggestions for the academically inclined people in your life. We wish you a...
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18:23
What do you do to relax?
Throughout our lives, as students and professionals, we are constantly under the pressure to perform and deliver (as it should be, within reason). So it is good when you can find something to unwind and relax, perhaps doing something with littl...
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15:30
Using generative AI
Generative AI like ChatGPT have been around for a year or two now and made quite an impression in education and other professional spheres! Most students use generative AI in one way or another, and generative AI tools are definitely not going ...
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14:39
What is your exam taking style?
As midterm season is well under way, we take a cheeky look at student behaviour when taking exams. Some students speed through exams, some very carefully dissect each question, some stare into space, some shake their legs so much the whole room...
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21:48
The difference between 2nd and 3rd year.
Welcome to the (Uni)verse! Last year we asked 1st year students what they were looking forward to starting university, and what they worried most about. We then had 4th year students talk about their experience and answer back to some of the wo...
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13:16
Saving pennies.
Welcome back! The cost of living has increased quite a bit in the last couple of years. Many students are living on a tight budget and all the tricks in the basket should be applied to save a bit of money. We discuss a few tricks and suggestion...
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17:41
Test anxiety
Final exam season is officially on! Exams always bring a certain amount of stress. For the most part, stress is great and useful. It keeps you alert and focus and can be turned into excitement rather than anxiety. But for many students, t...
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46:29
Connecting
Going to university is a social experience for many students. You meet so many new people and make new connections, whether these are professional or personal. It is a time of change, when new friendships may arise and old friendships peter out...
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34:46
Feeling a little burned out?
Midterm season is well under way and perhaps you are feeling a little burned out? You are not alone and without any resources! During this reading, listen to yourself if you need to take a break. You can also listen to our podcast for a bit of ...
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26:56
Adulting part 2
After pondering the meaning of being an adult, we wonder if students are and want to be treated as adults at university. No one here is an expert, defining what it means to be treated as an adult is work in progress, but we do have a few commen...
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23:46
Do university students feel like adults?
This is a question that sneaked itself into our conversation as we listened to comments made by 4th year student way back in September 2023. As you will hear, our thoughts about being an adult and whether we considered ourselves adults were pre...
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20:34
Do you use your smartphone in class?
There has been much talk about whether Smartphones are good or bad for learning. All students use their Smartphone in class either for non-academic related purposes or for their learning during class, using polling apps, looking up vocabulary, ...
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25:02
Staying motivated
During a semester, especially at the end, it is sometimes difficult to stay motivated. Establishing routines and good work habits can help. Janet, Joela and Laura share their working habits, what works well or works less for them. We hope...
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24:06
The 4th year students answer back!
Following the comments that 1st year students had shared with us, about their fears and aspirations starting university, we asked 4th year students what they would answer back to the 1st year students. There are clearly some general themes comi...
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23:47
1st year experience at university
I think most who went to university will remember their first semester, the expectation, the excitement, the angst! We asked a few incoming students about their expectations, their hopes and their fears and empathize and sometimes wonder about ...
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20:10