Meet Rebeca!
Rebeca is a 2nd year student doing a double major in Philosophy and Ethics, Society & Law. She’s outgoing and hardworking, loves reading fiction/nonfiction novels, watching movies, and greatly enjoys making vine references. Watching vine compilations is Rebeca’s way of distressing.
Rebeca has a “what will be will be” mindset”– she justifies her bad days by rationalizing that something good will happen to her. On the flip side, if she has a good day she believes that something bad will happen to her. She realizes that that flip side is not a healthy way of thinking and is trying her best to overcome it.
Moving On From…
Rebeca is an international student from Mexico, who is grateful for the opportunities that being at U of T has afforded her. However, the tuition fees that she has to pay as an international student puts a lot of familial pressure on her to succeed, as she wants to prove to her parents that their money is being put to good use. As a result, the pressure of being a perfect student is a thought that’s constantly at the back of her mind, which has led to her life revolving around school. She isn’t able to properly enjoy things as she constantly thinks about school assignments, which has affected her mental health.
Assimilating to Canadian culture has proved to be challenging for Rebeca, and she has found that she has had to navigate her way using trial and error. Her first Canadian winter was rough to say the least, and she has since invested in a better winter coat. Not being able to have familial support whenever she needs it is something that Rebeca misses a lot, and she has been feeling the distance between her and her friends from back home which makes her sad. In spite of all of this, the one phrase that Rebeca’s parents say that always calms her down is “No it’s fine. Just try your best.”
Rebeca’s Take Home Message
“Be more relaxed about school work. Take things in stride and try to not be so intense. Most importantly, don’t try to be the best at things” – to her 1st year self
“Always put effort into anything you do, because at the end of the day, even if it’s not in the way you expected, you will receive results. Even though you shouldn’t expect immediate results, still keep pushing through” – to the people reading this