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  • Not prepared for the Interview ?

    Not prepared for the Interview ?

    We’ve all been there. Sitting in front of that ominous symbol of discontent and emotional reckoning in the form of a man(or woman) who staring at us from across that hardwood mahogany table assaults us with a barrage of nerve wrecking questions, determined to make us give in so that victory shall his alone

    Still haven’t guessed what I’m hinting at? Well, folks I’m talking about that very memorable first part time job interview and I’m about to give you a rundown of my very first job interview as an international student here in Canada.

    Okay so where I come from, people between the ages of 15-22 don’t normally work at all .So when I heard that there was an upcoming career fair in my neighbourhood I wasn’t the most excited of people. Nevertheless I still had to give it a shot since I needed a job.

    The day started out pretty well. I had spent the night before reading up internet articles on “how to appear confident during your first interview”” “ten interviewer-interview questions for first timers” and “JerseyShore-news, video and gossip”.Don‘t judge me.

    Anyways I had just about one more piece of information that I had to go through to fully prepare myself for the interview and that was the companies background information (anyone who’s applied for a job before know that the employer expects you to know the details about where you’re applying to).Unfortunately I was running out of time (I’m a slow eater), so I just printed a copy of that and tagged it into my jacket pocket. Next I opened the door to my house, only to be welcomed by the cold hard embrace of a snowstorm! Here’s the funny part…it was supposed to be a non white-early spring in Ottawa up until today that is. I sucked it up however and stepped into the great white terrain. On the bus I realized that somewhere along the way I had dropped that important piece of paper I was supposed to review. With that in mind I decided to go with what I already knew.

    I got to the building where I was supposed to have my interview. The guy at the front desk handed me an application form and asked me to fill it up. Halfway through that I put my hand in my pants pocket in order to retrieve my cell phone so I could get an ex-employers reference number from it. Only to realize that it wasn’t there. I had lost it somewhere along the way! At that point I was pretty much just about to give up and run off. I however once again managed to not do that (since the snowstorm outside wasn’t clearly going anywhere). After finishing the application made my way towards my interviewee who happened to be nice old lady, aged 40 or so by the looks of her. I was pretty sure I would do badly since my mind was still worrying about my lost phone was. But as I sat down and started talking I couldn’t help but not think about it. Suffice to say my interview went better than I expected apart from a couple of verbal bumps here and there. I also got a good “thumbs up” from the woman who judging from her constant bursts of laughter found me pretty entertaining.

    At the end of the day I managed to turn a potential bad day into a good one. And I think I have a solid of getting a call-back..now if only I had given them my home number instead

     

     

     

     

  • Vertical Farming for the Future

    Vertical Farming for the Future

    What do you think about when you hear about farms or farming? You probably imagine huge fields planted with wheat or corn and a farmer driving a tractor, combine, or other farm machine. People have farmed the land for thousands of years, but that way of producing food might soon end due to increasing populations and limited land. Experts believe that by 2050, the world’s population could reach about nine billion people, with about 80% of them living in cities. All of those people will need up to 70% more food than the world currently produces. However, much of the world is covered by areas unsuitable for farming, such as oceans and deserts, and about 80% of the good, arable land is already in use. How will farmers ever produce enough for everyone to eat?

    One possible solution is vertical farming. Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University in New York, believes that growing food and even raising animals inside buildings could help solve the food problem in the future. On a small scale, the roofs of buildings could become gardens where a few people could grow what they need to feed their families. On a larger scale, buildings the size of apartment blocks could become farms, with each floor used to grow a different type of food. Some of the space could even be used for raising animals such as fish. Eventually, traditional farms could be a thing of the past.

    Growing food indoors is not a new idea. Many people already use greenhouses to produce food when the growing conditions outdoors are unsuitable for farming, such as in winter or in small spaces. Indoor farming could solve many of the problems farmers currently face, including bad weather, insects, and the loss of soil due to drought or overfarming. An indoor farm would be climate-controlled and mostly insect-free, making it easier to grow large crops with less waste. A sample vertical farm in Dover, England, has already been very successful; the crop yields from this space have been twenty times as large as on traditional farms. The techniques for indoor farming would be new for many people, but there are already university programs in place for teaching them.

    Vertical farming has many benefits, but it also has drawbacks. The biggest barrier is the cost. Setting up a vertical farm could cost about fifty or sixty million dollars with all of the cost of developing technology to keep the place running. Providing heat, light, and air for the plants could be a very complicated and expensive process, likely making food more expensive than it is now. Vertical farming would also decrease the types of food that are available, since some are not suitable for growing in small spaces. Cattle and pigs, for example, would likely be unsuitable for life in vertical farms. However, the quality of the food would likely be greater.

    Is vertical farming the way farmers will grow food in the future? If it helps feed the world’s growing population, it could be part of the solution for helping people everywhere.

    Bibliography:

    Climate.org. “Vertical Farming.” http://www.climate.org/climatelab/Vertical_Farming.

    Parsons, Paul. “Vertical Farming Takes Agriculture to New Heights.” http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/vertical-farming-takes-agriculture-to-new-heights

    University of Lancaster. Exploiting vertical growing strategies for sustainable crop production.”

    http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgresearch/research-degree-opportunities.php?phd_id=97.

    Vertical Farm.com. “The Vertical Farm.” http://www.verticalfarm.com/more.

    Walsh, Bryan. “Vertical Farming.” http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1865974,00.html.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Student Loans – The Basics

    Student Loans – The Basics

     

    As an Ontario resident, you have two different types of student loans you can apply for. The first is federally mandated (Canada Student Loan) and the second is from the provincial government itself (Ontario Student Assistance Program – OSAP). You can also apply for both at the same time using the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan program, which is accessed via the National Student Loans Service Centre.

    Sounds good – but where do I go to apply?

    The best way to apply is online via the OSAP website. You will need to register to use the site by providing some personal information, including your social insurance number.

     https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPSecurityWeb/public/login.xhtml?lang=en

     I’ve registered – now what?

    Gather information about your financial situation. You will be asked to provide an overview of your expenses for the school year (rent, utilities, food, etc.). The more information you can provide the better. You will be asked to print out and sign a declaration indicating that the information you have provided is true and accurate. If a parent or guardian will be helping you out financially during the school year, this information needs to be included on your application and they will need to sign their own separate declaration form.

    How much money will I get?

    The amount you get will depend on your unique financial situation. This is why it is important to provide as much information as possible during the application process. The maximum amount you can receive per week is $210 from the Canada student loan portion and $150 per week for the Ontario portion. It is important to note that you will not be given money weekly – it will be paid out to you in a lump sum at the beginning of your semester. This means budgeting is extremely important!

    When can I apply?

    If you are going to be attending school in September 2012, you can apply as early as May 2012. The latest you can apply is 90 days before the end of your study period. It is recommend to apply as soon as you are able to prevent any delays in receiving your funding.

    My application was accepted – when do I get my loan?

    Shortly before the academic year commences, you will be either sent a cheque or a funding certificate. Most students will receive a funding certificate. This certificate is a legal form that authorizes the release of a loan to the student via the National Student Loans Service Centre. This certificate must be taken to a designated Canada Post outlet to be converted into your student loan (you can find a designated outlet by visiting the following link: http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/onlinetools/canadapost/cp_clf/on.shtml)

    You will need to provide a void cheque with your funding certificate so the funds can be electronically deposited into your bank account. You can arrange to have a cheque mailed to you if you prefer.

    Your student loan will then be dispersed to you twice – the first at the beginning of your studies in September (generally, 60% of your total loan amount) and the second at the beginning of January.

    You can always get help and more information by visiting the OSAP website directly. The following link will help you get the answers to the majority of your questions:

    https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/PostsecondaryEducation/OSAP/GettingOSAP/HowtoApply/OSAP004031.html

    Good luck and happy studying!

     

     

  • Picking Courses

    Picking Courses

    When it’s time to pick your high school courses, it can be a stressful and difficult time for some students. There are so many options to choose from and it can be hard to pick the courses that are right for you. To make this process easier, you should consider multiple things before making your final decision.

    The first thing you should think about doing is to pick courses that sound like they will appeal to you or that you think will interest you. If you pick something you aren’t interested in, you will get bored and lose interest fast which can cause your mark to drop very quickly. Don’t pick something because it’s a course your friends are picking. Your friends will still be there after the class or the school day is over, and you will most likely make more new friends in a class that will make you happy to be in and that you will be more likely to enjoy attending. You will be happy you did this in the future.

    If you have an idea of what you’d like to do for a career in the future, you should consider what courses you may need to be eligible to continue on into post-secondary education with, or for the job you want. Someone with this occupation, who is proceeding to get this occupation or your guidance counselor, may be able to help you and give you the information you need.

    For some courses, there are different skill levels available. You should pick the level that you will be the most comfortable with, even if it’s a lower level. There isn’t any point in picking a higher level class if you will be failing it or a lower level if it is too easy for you. Try to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the courses you are having difficulty choosing between. Asking your teachers or guidance counselor what they recommend for you can help you with this if you aren’t sure which level would be appropriate for you to take.

    The best thing you can do when picking courses is to relax, stay calm and don’t stress over it. Take some time away from everything else and really think about it. If you feel like you need out of the course you picked, your school will most likely allow you to change it within the first few days of the new semester. Discuss the things above with your parents, teachers, guidance counselor or anybody who is there to help you to see what they think about what you have chosen, if you have any questions, or if you are having trouble deciding on anything. I hope this helped some of you a little bit, good luck and I hope you choose what’s right for you!

     

  • Co-opportunities

    Co-opportunities

    With Canada’s unemployment rate at an estimated 7.6 per cent and the youth unemployment rate almost double that at approximately 14 per cent, it is becoming evident that one of the greatest tolls of the global economic downturn in this country is not necessarily job loss, but a lack of entry-level positions. Statistics suggest that higher education is key to improving the standard of living. University degrees are often not useful in predicting a person’s career prospects, particularly in regard to the types of employment a graduate may be best suited to undertake.

    In many instances, individuals will not directly use their degrees in their future professions. There are varying reasons for this, including the fact that individuals may change their minds or circumstances, or select a field of study that does not have a corresponding profession. However, to a large extent, the reason is the same as the cause of high youth unemployment: most degrees do not offer practical experience in a particular field of employment.

    There’s a saying about employment: you can’t get hired without job experience, but you can’t get job experience without being hired. This is the bind in which many university students are caught under our current system.

    So, how can it be remedied? How can students be free to pursue their desired degrees while at the same time gaining a leg up in the job market? Well, we don’t need to look far to see how it is done. Canada’s own University of Waterloo offers the country’s largest co-operative education program. Waterloo’s co-op system offers a combination of study and work semesters in which each student has access to an administrator who helps students find placements during work terms. This has the added bonus of providing students with paid employment during the school year, which means that, in many instances, students in the co-op program can graduate with a lower level of student debt than their non-co-op counterparts.

    But it is not just Waterloo that uses a co-op system. U of T’s Scarborough campus also has a program. And recently, the country of Singapore announced that it is adopting co-op programs in all of its public universities in order to address the concerns voiced by employers about graduates having insufficient work experience to do their jobs properly. This was putting a drag on the economy as businesses had to invest in costly training programs for new hires — making them less likely to hire recent grads.

    The biggest concern regarding implementing a plan like this on a wide-scale basis, as Singapore has done, is that not every degree program has a corresponding list of potential jobs. However, co-op programs are voluntary and it should also be noted that every student has some idea of the types of jobs that might interest them — which leads to another advantage of the co-op program: instead of graduating and jumping into a career only to realize that it isn’t the right fit, students have four years in which to try out different career options.

    Say you are studying political science in university and have a desire to work in journalism. You get a co-op job at a newspaper and suddenly you find it isn’t as much like All the President’s Men as you had initially thought. If you had already graduated you would be in some serious trouble. Instead, in a co-op program you get to return to a semester of school and think about all the different placements that might mesh with your major. You could work at a polling company, a political advisory firm, or find a job in a government department. You can try each of them out and, after your time at university, you have a better understanding of what career you want to pursue, while also having an impressive resume to help you get the job you want.

    Students need jobs. If a generation is saddled with unemployment, it harms everyone, causing a lack of dignity, lower standards of living, strained public services, and employers who cannot find the necessary talent to fill positions. Instead, Ontario can respond to youth unemployment with a plan that will not only help young people, but will also ensure that the province leaves the recession in a stronger position than when it first entered it. The way forward is to adopt a co-op program to ensure that students have the option of practical work experience to complement their traditional degree program when attending university.

  • Ontario home to most of Canada’s international students

    Ontario home to most of Canada’s international students


    International students favour Ontario’s post-secondary school system over other provinces, according to Statistics Canada’s 2011 census results.

    Since 2007, there has been a 26.5 per cent increase of foreign student permits in Canada.

    Ontario has seen a 48 per cent growth in student permits since 2007. This is 15 per cent higher than British Columbia, the province with the second largest amount of foreign students.

    In recent years, provinces such as Nova Scotia and British Columbia have also intensified their international recruitment efforts.

  • Not Your “Typical” Welder: Women in the Trades

    Not Your “Typical” Welder: Women in the Trades

     

    Let’s be honest how many of us girls grew up dreaming of being a mechanic or a welder? The answer is probably not many, and if you did you probably didn’t tell anybody because of the possibility of them thinking you were weird. When I was little I first wanted to be a marine biologist, I loved animals and wanted to work with them very badly. Then my life goal changed from a stunt car driver, to a photographer, to a mechanic and finally a welder.

    One of the things I was most excited about going to high school was that I was now able to take the auto mechanics and construction classes. I took them all through high school and loved every minute of it. I learned, fixed and made things that a lot of people didn’t, how many of you can honestly say you are comfortable with changing a flat tire on your own? I can say with all honesty I am and that’s because of my awesome auto teacher. My technology teachers not only gave me the skills and knowledge about their trades but also the courage to love the trades. To not be scared of trying something totally out of my comfort zone and to not care about what people think.

    I got the smart remarks in class “Girls can’t do that” and the classic “Don’t break a nail!” Taking those courses gave me the courage to pick something not many girls pick for a college program, Welding Technician. I knew two things that I wanted for sure out of what I picked for a program, I wanted to be able to get a job and I wanted to make money. I know those are not the best driving reasons for someone to pick a program, but they were honest. I had originally wanted to be a mechanic because of how much I loved my auto class but I soon realized there were a lot of mechanics and not a lot of jobs. So I had cut up an exhaust pipe about two times in auto with an old oxy-acetylene torch and I knew welding was an in demand job, so I decided on being a welder. The only knowledge I had on welding was what I learned from those two experiences using the torch, so not a whole lot.

    I remember showing up for my first welding class and them telling me that I would need safety boots, safety glasses and a welding helmet for tomorrow. The first thing I thought to myself is, “What have I done?! I have gotten myself into something I can’t handle, I know nothing about welding this is a horrible idea”. Then it got worse after I got all my equipment and they asked me to actually weld something, I don’t think I have ever sweated that much for a school assignment and it wasn’t from the heat of my torch. But with practice, some really great teachers and perseverance I got the hang of it and now I am actually a good welder. I am able to weld in shielded metal arc welding in flat, horizontal and vertical positions. I can use gas metal arc and flux core arc welding machines and I am learning tungsten arc welding at the moment.

    For those of you out there wondering what kind of woman I am, I would say I am not your typical looking welder, but then again isn’t that what we are trying to change? The notion of what the “typical” welder looks like? So this is what the typical welder looks like, a petite 19 year old woman, who stands at five feet and 2 inches, has a boyfriend and loves to go shopping just as much as anyone. The moral of the story is look at trades when you are deciding on college programs, any trade, believe me it’s a rewarding experience, that is challenging.

    If I can do it, you can do it.

     

  • Why change my attitude?

    Why change my attitude?

    “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” – Winston Churchill

    It’s amazing how your attitude can have so much to do with how successful you are in life. It affects areas  such as  relationships,  motivation, and overall feelings of fulfillment within your personal  happiness.

    When you find yourself in  situations that cause stress, anxiety,  anger, or overall lousy(ness)   you need to take a step back and re-look at the situation and see things from a different perspective. Don’t let that negative attitude affect your  life, which can lead  to a cycle of a bad situation becoming worse.

    * Attitude is how we treat others

    * Attitude is the way we approach life

    * Attitude is contagious

    * Attitude is how we respond to challenges

    * Attitude affects our health

    * Attitude affects our relationships

    * Attitude is our personal trademark

    * Attitude determines if we fly or fall

    It’s difficult to recognize the importance of attitude without seeing the evidence of it in your own life.

    Honestly, changing your attitude is the first step in taking control of your life. Do you  like the way you feel?  Are you  good company? Are you  productive at school?  Is your negativity  bringing other people down?

    Do you want to be happy ?

    A conscious decision to change your attitude starts with making changes in how you  look and feel in different situations.  Concentrate on finding solutions to bad situations moving forward. You may even recognize , things are not such a big deal. Over the first week you will begin to see changes – first small ones, then larger ones .

    Here are some examples

    Have you been stressed because your hair is too thick or thin ? Think of those who have lost their hair to illness and wish just to have hair.

    Are you upset because you have no one to go to that party with ? Think of the person who wished they could get out of bed and go to a party.

    “Never underestimate the power of your attitude. How you view things will have a direct impact on  how happy you are, and how successful you will be. You need to make sure you are constantly checking your attitude to ensure it is on track.”

    A bad attitude will come back to you every time!

    A good attitude is for yourself ! Enjoy! 

    Don’t sweat the small stuff.

  • Prof studies math dyslexia

    Prof studies math dyslexia

    Students who dreaded their math homework may find an explanation in new research by a Western professor. It might have been math dyslexia.

    Daniel Ansari, a psychology professor, is studying the condition known as developmental dyscalculia. The neurological disorder is like dyslexia with numbers, making it difficult to process numerical values and acquire basic math skills.

    The disorder affects five per cent of the population and can hinder the development of fundamental math skills in children. According to Ansari, unattended cases of dyscalculia can drive students away from math-related subjects and potentially limit their future careers and education options.

    “A consequence of being bad at math is you develop math anxiety,” Ansari said.

    “People learn to avoid math because math leads to negative experiences – it leads to the experience of failure. You start to avoid math and you may exclude yourself from certain career paths that involve math because they feel they won’t be able to pass the math components of their degree program,” he continued.

    Since 2007, Ansari has been working with graduate student Stephanie Bugden to examine how young students perform in mathematics.

    Starting with first and second grade students, Bugden gave behavioural tests to examine their comparison and math skills. A year later, she gave the test to the same children again along with brain imaging. In the spring she’ll invite them back for another round of tests and an MRI scan to examine changes over time.

    Ansari noted his research intends to help diagnose children with dyscalculia early on, in order to properly teach them fundamental math skills.

    The development of basic math skills can have long-term effects on a child’s personal growth, according to math specialist Immaculate Namukasa from the faculty of education at Western.

    “Many students who are weak at a subject would need much encouragement and support not to shy away from it. For younger children, especially where they get messages that mathematics is difficult, and it is OK to be bad at math, they increasingly lose interest and spend less time doing mathematics,” Namukasa said.

    “There is a math poster that says, ‘Mathematics multiplies your chances.’ Unfortunately for many whose math anxiety is not altered before the end of elementary school, this multiplication might be by an amount less than one — a fraction, negative number or decimal,” she said.

    “Many students that fear mathematics usually do not take mathematics courses before Grade 10 and you can see how that means a reduction in choices at colleges and universities.”

    Ansari also pointed out that dyscalculia and math-related disorders are given far less attention than dyslexia and other reading disorders and further research in this field will significantly improve the ability for future youth to excel in math.

    “We know so much more about reading than math and the existence of a disorder called dyscalculia is unknown to many people. That’s a reflection of how little awareness there is and one of the key goals is to raise awareness, to avoid this notion that people who are bad at math aren’t very bright,” Ansari commented.

  • What’s A Degree Worth?

    What’s A Degree Worth?

    University’s enrolment rates are staggering. This year campuses are teeming with more undergraduate students than ever before. Last year,  full-time undergraduates paid more than $100 million in tuition per institution. The question is — what are students getting in return?

    Politicians and policy-makers are starting to consider how rising enrolment rates are affecting the quality of education and the value of an undergraduate degree in a workforce saturated with university-educated workers.

    “The greater number of students who have an undergrad degree, the more competitive its going to be to get an entry level job, and an entry level job with the kind of pay a student is expecting,” says Meaghan Coker, vice-president university affairs for the University Students’ Council at the University of Western Ontario.

    “We’ve come to an understanding that a bachelor’s degree isn’t enough and that you must have a second degree to complement yourself and succeed in life.”

    In 2005, the Ontario government pledged to invest $6.2 billion by 2009 to boost enrolment rates and improve the quality of post-secondary education in the province. Western increased its enrolment by over a thousand full-time students in the last five years. Now the government projects another 50,000 undergraduate spaces will be introduced to Ontario universities by 2015.

    Students, meanwhile, are stuck in the middle, vying to become competitive in the workforce while staying out of debt.

    The value of an undergraduate degree depends on what students are looking to gain from it, says Philip Oreopoulos, a professor from Harvard University specializing in the economics of education. Oreopoulous argues that while the material students learn during their undergrad might be useless to a career, the education still distinguishes a graduate from someone without a degree.

    “Post-secondary education merely differentiates between those who have it and those who don’t. If obtaining [a degree] is the only difference, it enables employers to consider degrees as equal. Even if the schooling hasn’t done anything to enrich you, it allows employers to distinguish you from those who didn’t attend university, and that is advantageous.” Oreopoulos says.

    While an undergraduate degree will differentiate a candidate from their non-degree holding counterparts, Oreopoulos questioned what skills are really being learned in today’s university classes.

    “There’s a lack of motivation and intellectual curiosity among students. University is what students make it out to be and there are plenty of opportunities that I see less and less students taking advantage of. It’s hard to say if they’re learning anything,” he says, noting if students put in minimal effort they could reap great academic rewards.

    As enrolment levels at universities continue to mushroom, the curriculum needs to be restructured, according to Coker, to better teach a growing and changing student body.

    “Although there’s been challenges in understanding what students leave [university] with, it’s clear that we need to teach students in innovative learning environments. There needs to be an investment into changing the way we teach at universities,” Coker says.

    While the value of the degree is under scrutiny, its necessity is not. According to David Molenhuis, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, a rapidly changing economy makes an undergraduate degree essential to a person’s future prosperity.

    “Post-World War II, the economy had changed where more and more individuals required high school as mandatory minimum education for participating in the economy and job market,” Molenhuis notes, adding that 70 per cent of current jobs require some form of post-secondary education.

    “We’re seeing history repeating itself. The undergraduate degree is becoming the new high school diploma,” he continues.

    In an era where post-secondary education is vital to success to most careers, it’s even more imperative for graduates to differentiate themselves and find value in their degree.

    For some, added competitiveness may come from more education after their undergrad, such as a master’s degree.

    “If everyone had a master’s it would be the same problem at a different degree,” Coker says.

    Coker suggests using extracurriculars and out-of-class experiences to differentiate yourself and add value to your bachelor’s degree.

    “Ultimately it’s beyond the classroom learning. And there is a lot of focus on classroom learning and the paper you walk away with, but students who are involved in extracurriculars know that those experiences are what really bring value to your degree,” Coker says.

    “Those experiences are invaluable towards the type of skills in leadership that you can develop, so in addition to the classroom we need to put emphasis on expanding involvement opportunities, internships, co-ops, and service learning – those types of experiences are valuable in this growing undergraduate economy.”

    While it may be difficult to judge the value of a bachelor’s degree, it is evident that an educated population has a positive effect on Canadian society and economy.

    “Individuals with a post-secondary education are in a higher tax bracket. They’re not putting as much pressure on public spending programs like public safety because they tend to commit fewer crimes. They don’t use the employment systems because their generally employable and working, and they’re generally healthier so they don’t put as much pressure on the healthcare system,” Molenhuis notes.

    That being said, perhaps the value of your bachelor’s degree lies in its ability to do greater good for society.  In terms of personal value, it seems to be what you make of it.

    “We are pushing for you to get your money’s worth at university so that you feel when you’ve walked out that door you haven’t just got a piece of paper. That you’ve walked out with something that’s changed you, something that’s engaged you and something that’s set you on a path to fulfilling what you want to do,” Coker said.