Football has a long, proud history at Laurier. The men's Varsity team has won the Vanier Cup - emblematic of Canadian university football supremacy - twice (1991 and 2005) and has hoisted the Yates Cup - awarded to Ontario's championship university squad - seven times. Many of Laurier's players have graduated to successful careers in the Canadian Football League.

Homecoming weekend - in which alumni and current students gather to paint the town purple and gold - was an enormous success as we packed Waterloo's University Stadium to watch the Golden Hawks destroy the hapless Guelph Gryphons 36-2. The crowd was rocking and rolling (Rawk the Hawk!) on that chilly October Saturday and not even the rain could dampen our spirit.

So what's it like to be part of the heart and soul of the school's storied football tradition? One of my Gang of Five roommates next year - and a current semi-permanent "guest" in our Heidelberg House setup - is Jordan McAlpine, a reserve quarterback for Laurier's varsity team. This 6-foot-5, 205-pound behemoth didn't see any playing time as a freshman but he is optimistic about the future.

Where did you play before Laurier?

I played high school football at Fenelon Falls Secondary School, and in the summer I played for the Durham Knights in Clarington.

How did you get into Laurier football?

In my Grade 12 year I was approached after a few games by scouts from Queen's, Guelph, York and St. Mary's. I went on a recruiting visit to Laurier and liked it. I met the coaches and talked to other players and it seemed like a good atmosphere. I came up a few more times and I made my decision to play here.

As a varsity athlete, how much of a commitment is required?

In the first semester before school even starts we have a week-long training camp and it gives the rookies a feel for the game and helps us prepare for the first game. Throughout the year, we're required to go to four practices a week, five if you dress (to play in the game), Monday through Thursday usually. 

We are supposed to also be in the gym twice a week. We have a bit of rest at Christmas break. About the second week back we start up again. There are early morning lifts, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. As well, later on we have a practice each Friday after noon and a mandatory yoga session on Thursdays. We keep lifting and have one practice after the season has concluded. 

Recently we stopped doing the lifts and started spring camp. Spring camps are practices everyday at 4. It goes for about a week and we have a scrimmage against UW (University of Waterloo), which I will be playing in.

Do you hope to be a starter in the future?

Absolutely. I'm working hard to get bigger, stronger, faster and learn to play at this level.

Do you one day hope to play professionally in the Canadian Football League?

Yeah. Its a nice dream to have but I'm also here for the degree and I hope to get a good job after university, and see where football might take me.

What are the benefits to being on the football team?

I got an athletic scholarship. And the football team is also another community full of friendship.

Does football interfere with school work?

Yeah, lots. Four hours a day, four days a week in a semester interferes a lot. And still, even off-season, we have a lot of stuff to do. Being in the weight room and practices accumulates to a lot of time that could have been spent studying. 

If you have a legitimate reason, it is not forbidden to bail on football for studying or important tests.

What does being on the football team do for your social life?

Socially? Uh, In the first week of school you meet 70 brand new friends and when we go out to team parties and dinners we meet even more people. You meet a ton of people through football.

Yeah, that's nice. But what about, you know, the stereotypical social aspects of being a varsity jock on campus?

Please, Josh. I'm not going to answer that ...

Due to the fact that all of my first year courses are two semesters long, stretching from September until April, I managed to escape the first round of formal examinations that took place in December. The second wave of exams has descended, however, and my luck has officially run out. Like it or not, I have four hefty exams standing between me and the promise of summer. Fortunately, I've learned very quickly that - with the right amount of foresight and planning in the form of the following ten university exam commandments - exams really aren't that intimidating at all.

1. Thou shalt check the exam schedule daily.

I don't know if this is true of other universities, but at Carleton they have this marvelous policy wherein course instructors and school administration have the power to switch around exam times right up until the day of the test. To avoid the number of nightmare scenarios that could go along with such a last-minute swap, it's never a bad idea to double-check the time and place of your exams every day or two. If nothing else, make sure you have a clear idea of where they will be and how early you have to arrive to write them.

2. Thou shalt devise a revision schedule and stick to it.

Revision schedules are definitely not the most exciting things in the world, but they help. Not only will a rough plan keep you from getting sidetracked and procrastinating, but such a schedule will also ensure you don't spend too much time reviewing one subject when you have three or four other courses to worry about.

3. Thou shalt not become a stranger to the outside world.

Believe me, I know how tempting it can be to become a complete cave person at a time like this, emerging from your dorm only for food and (hopefully) the occasional shower. It is important, though, to keep yourself at least semi-connected with the outside world. Even if that means doing something as mundane as grocery shopping or moving your study camp from your room to the library.

4. Thou shalt keep to thy regular sleeping patterns.

I finally realized this morning that after three straight days of sleeping in until noon I should probably make an effort to regulate my sleeping habits before I start exams. If you somehow lucked out and only have afternoon exams, kudos to you. Otherwise, if you're like me and have 9:00 AM exams every other day starting Monday... using an alarm clock might not be such a bad idea.

5. Thou shalt not have to catch up on readings.

This is when all of those missed readings and "I'll just do them later" supplementary articles come back to haunt you. Exams in university, unfortunately, are not just on the classwork. (That would be too easy.) Readings, assignments, videos shown in class, discussion group topics... everything is fair game. And it's up to you to know your stuff come exam day.

6. Thou shalt take regular breaks and remember to eat.

My roommate can study for six-hour chunks at a time. I don't know how she does it, but she can sit there with only a meager supply of juice boxes and Hershey's chocolate and literally not look up from her notes for what seems like an eternity. I am not so blessed. The easiest way to stay focused on studying or condensing notes or whatever else you're busying yourself with is to take regular breaks, usually every half hour or so. And don't forget to eat properly - exams are a good excuse to live off of that hidden stash of Doritos, but you need real food too. 

7. Thou shalt not use Facebook as an excuse.

Modern technology is wonderful. I have a Dropbox program to share notes with my journalism classmates, various Google Docs to post and share reading responses, and Facebook groups to post review material and library times. Unfortunately, this same technology poses the evil threat of seemingly endless procrastination opportunities. You can either curb your off-topic Internet use with a resolution of steel or, for those of us with weaker resolve, a program like Self Control (http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/), which will actually lock you out of certain Internet pages for a preset timeframe.

8. Thou shalt follow any exam review material to the letter.

Different professors have varying strategies for inspiring exam review. Some simply give vague references to chapters or lectures that are especially important, some may post an abbreviated list, and some hand out review sheets with sample questions, previous exams, and detailed notes as to what will be covered. Regardless of the level of guidance you get on the matter, pay attention as closely as humanly possible. After all, the more you know, the better a chance you stand of doing well.

9. Thou shalt be wary of group revision sessions.

I personally have nothing against group review. It works for some people and, as long as the classmates you're working with are equally as dedicated as you are, it's almost always a positive effort. For me, however, group revision has never been my preferred choice of studying. I'd much rather curl up in front of my notes with a cup of tea and a mellow iTunes playlist and go at it alone. The key to any kind of successful studying, after all, is figuring out what works for you. And once you have that, just going with it.  

10. Thou shalt not worry and ace the exam.  

The easiest way to shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to any kind of test or exam is stressing over it. I know. I'm a perpetual worrier. I've made myself physically sick just from overthinking things and, trust me, it's not worth it. Just make sure you get a decent amount of sleep the night before, bring your favourite pen, and you've done everything you possibly can to prepare... the rest is up to the Exam Gods. Good luck!