Why you should dump your high school sweetheart

Novembr 12 2009. Launch Magazine.

The hardest thing about being in a long-distance relationship continued from high school into college or university is that feelings can change, and they often do.

Why you should dump your high school sweetheart

Being in a relationship can really hinder your ability to meet new people. This is especially important in first and second year, as the friends you make there can help you get through your classes, give you something to do when not in class or studying, get you involved in extra-curricular activities, and likely be people you will keep in touch with for the rest of your life. Each year you should aim to meet new people – you never know what you could gain from a friendship.

So, how do you dump your high school sweetheart without looking like a complete jerk?

I have been dumped cruelly in the past. The worst one happened while we were at a bar. He was drunk, I had no cash and a bunch of my belongings were at his friends’ house. Best. Night. Ever.

Unfortunately, there a lot of jerks out there (I seem to have dated quite a few) and there are ways people get dumped which are frankly pretty mean.

If you ever want to end a relationship, don’t do it this way – ever

• Through Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites
• While at a bar
• Via text message
• At a sports game allowing the ordeal to be caught on the JumboTron
• Using a friend to deliver the news
• By leaving a note on the car windshield
• On their birthday
• In public in the middle of a date together
• Right after sex
• Via instant message (like GChat, MSN, Facebook, etc.)
• Leaving a Post-It note

For the (rather unfortunate) dumpee

You’re probably not feeling too great about yourself at the moment. I’ve been dumped in some pretty cruel ways myself, so I know how you feel: sometimes you just don’t see these things coming.

What to do now? Move on. What it takes can really vary from person-to-person, but usually you mourn your relationship for a little while, accept that it wasn’t a good match, and then get back to normal. Regardless of how soon you are ready to date again, spend time outside of class, homework, and sleep, around other people.

Think about all of the awesome things you do and why others like to be around you. Keep doing the things that make you the amazing individual you are (or maybe try some new things), and you will meet a whole group of people you never could have met if you were still pining over your ex. This is the best time of your life to meet new people so get out and do it! There are multiple ways you can do it in university or college, such as joining clubs, student government, intramurals, volunteering, or working part-time.

Why being single is actually great

• You’re not accountable to anyone
• You can flirt and not get in any trouble
• You can watch whatever you want on TV
• You can be happy with who you are, not who your significant other wants you to be
• You don’t need to discuss going to certain social engagements
• You can spend as much time with your friends as you want
• You don’t need to give a lame excuse for not spending enough time on yourself
• You can wear what you choose to bed and no one steals your blankets
• You don’t need to tolerate moodiness
• You don’t need to worry about if they will call
• You can buy whatever food you want
• You can appreciate your independence

Beans give you the healthiest bang for your buck

November 4 2009. Launch Magazine.

There are many reasons why one may choose to adopt the vegetarian lifestyle, but vegetarians primarily focus on religious beliefs, ethical grounds and/or dietary reasons when they opt to go veg.

As for myself, I am a semi-vegetarian because eating some kinds of meat now literally makes me ill due to an intestinal infection I had several years ago.

The meat I consume now is poultry or some kind of fish, in addition to substitutes made from soy. I am a little bit of a weenie though – I don’t prepare uncooked meat because the thought of it grosses me out.

Quite often, however, people don’t recognize going vegetarian once a week (or more!) can save them quite a bit of cash. The best way to do this? Eating beans and other legumes to get the protein you need.

If you think about it from an economic standpoint, “growing” meat costs money. The animals need to be housed, fed, transported and inoculated. Depending on what those animals eat , all these processes could contribute to meat’s higher cost.

Of course, vegetable crops also need to be fed, harvested and transported, but the costs involved are much smaller than those for meat. The difference is ultimately reflected in the prices they sell for in the store or supermarket.

Looking at my local grocery store’s flyer for this week (utilizing flyers is another way to shop frugally), I found the sale price for one pound of boneless stewing beef is $3.99, one pound of boneless chicken breast is $4.99, and a pound of pork loin chops with bones is $1.49.

In comparison, a 540 gram can of beans at the regular price costs around a dollar. There are approximately 454 grams in a pound, so if you were to compare costs relatively, a pound of beans costs you 84 cents. If you buy dried beans in larger quantities (1-5 lb bags), they cost even less than beans in the can ($2-3), but they do take longer to cook.

Beans are one of the best foods you can consume in terms of nutritional value. They are low in calories, high in fibre and protein, and full of all kinds of other nutrients and vitamins. Beans are also believed to regulate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and prevent cancer as well as heart disease. Due to the fact that they are inexpensive and so nutritionally sound, they are a staple food item all over the world.

Of course, not everyone likes the taste of beans, but there are some easy ways to add them into your diet in smaller amounts until you get used to the flavour. Even substituting half or a quarter of the meat you eat with beans can save you quite a bit of money over the course of the year.

If you’re not sure where to start in terms of recipes with beans, there are tons for you to peruse on the internet, and for free. There are even recipes for brownies with beans in them (I haven’t had time to test those yet though)!

And to make beans even more fun to eat, there is that little rhyme we’ve all known since childhood…