A few years past, one’s command of the French language had to be fairly deft to survive in Quebec for very long. McGill students, for the first weeks after arriving in Montreal, would need to assiduously commit dozens of key phrases to memory in order to obtain everyday household items, from milk to light bulbs.

Though it has only been a Western commodity for the past few centuries, tea has one of the longest and most illustrious histories of any beverage. Legend cites its discovery by Emperor Shennong of China around 2700 BCE, though early written record of the drink only stretches back to 300 CE or so.

Going to University is a chance to re-invent yourself; you can finally shake off the stigmas of adolescent awkwardness and become the beautiful swan you were always meant to be. While many students adopt a new identity because they have experienced a great maturation between graduation day and the beginning of frosh, this metamorphosis is more frequently facilitated by the fact that they are now miles away from the people who knew them during their brace-faced “my little ponies” phase.

If Martha Stewart has taught me nothing else, it is to never apologize for a meal before you serve it. By all means, apologize as your guests are being carted off on stretchers by EMS, but not a moment before that lobster-lychee casserole hits the table. Thankfully, Martha Stewart’s credibility is completely shot, and thus I unabashedly forgiveness culpa, dear reader.

Canadian comedian Russell Peters performed last week at Place des Arts and caught up with the Tribune to discuss college, cheating, and being Canadian. You’re very popular with college students. What’s your favourite college experience? I never went to college.

As of late, many students have become extremely uncomfortable with the level of creepiness some online social networks, ahem, Facebook, have stooped to – going from knowing details about people you’ve never actually met in reality, to knowing the last time that person ate a meal, went to the bathroom and slept in someone else’s bed.

You gotta hear this one song, it’ll change your life, I swear, exclaims Natalie Portman’s character Sam in the 2004 indie film Garden State. While she may have been exaggerating a bit, McGill students are taking her advice rather seriously. Even with the live bands playing on the OAP stage, students everywhere are wandering around campus with little white wires dangling from their ears.

Research: Research papers are, after all, founded on research, and research implies sources. A good rule of thumb is one book for every two pages and two journal articles for every three. So for a 10-page paper, you would want at least five books and seven articles, plus as many primary sources as you can get your hands on.

1) The skinny jean – Although some of us may have boycotted the skinny jean for a while, it’s back with a vengeance this season. Every other person on campus is donning a pair. Just keep in mind that they are tight, so the darker they are, the better. 2) The slouchy sweater – An alternative to the McGill sweatshirt, this soft knit is both comfortable and fashionable.