What I Learned in My First Semester at George Brown College?

Before getting into this article, I want to share some context about the program I am in and its purpose. According to George Brown College, “TPE also known as Transition to Post-Secondary Education (A107) is a free, supportive, three-semester program that helps those who face mental health or addictions challenges reach their education and employment goals” (George Brown College, 2025).

As my first semester at George Brown College is coming to a close, I wanted to walk down memory lane and reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of these past few months.

There are a lot of great things about this program (which can be it’s own blog), so I’m going to highlight a few of them. First, everyone around me genuinely wants to grow and change for the better. Second, George Brown College feels like a community that looks out for one another. Third, taking a writing course helped me understand why I wasn’t getting hired before. Finally, being downtown has helped me learn how to navigate the city with far more confidence.

All of this started at the beginning of the new year. My contract at Humber College ended, and I went more than six months without landing a job. If I didn’t have support from my family and my friends here in Canada, I would’ve been in a pretty rough spot.

While I wasn’t in a rough spot in terms of housing or living conditions, my mental health was spiraling. I developed a lot of internalized anger toward myself. I hated where I was, and I kept telling myself I needed to stay disciplined and stick to one thing. That anger ended up blinding me. My confidence slipped, and what I thought I knew started to feel uncertain. It felt like a small ego death, and the mix of uncertainty, frustration, and lack of purpose settled in without me even noticing.

When I look back at my past self now, I am like wow. I was incredibly hard on myself. But if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that real growth isn’t gentle. You give things up, you trip over yourself, and you take hits you weren’t ready for. But walking through that kind of pain leaves you stronger than you were when you started, and that strength sticks with you long after the moment has passed.

If I were to summarize how this experience shaped my goals moving forward, I’d say two things: first, it gave me a clearer sense of what I want, what I need to work on, and the kind of person I’m trying to become; second, all of this happened while I was surrounded by a community that acknowledged my flaws but helped me walk alongside them toward growth.