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Category: Advice

  • Why Joining a Sport’s Team Is Healthy for You in Every Way!

    Why Joining a Sport’s Team Is Healthy for You in Every Way!

    I’m sure you’ve heard that exercise is a very important part of staying healthy, but what if I told you there was a way for you to keep your brain and body healthy all while having fun?  Well, there is! Playing on a sport’s team is an excellent way to stay healthy in more ways than you may have even thought possible! Let’s talk about some of those reasons, and how they benefit you.

    You stay in good physical shape.

    Did you know you should be getting at least one hour of physical activity every day? Unfortunately, many people don’t receive their daily physical activity, and their health suffers as a result. A lack in physical activity can lead to serious medical problems such as obesity, heart problems, high blood pressure and even conditions such as type-2 diabetes. Regular daily exercise will not only help prevent these health problems, it will also give you more energy, more confidence and an overall healthier body!

    Between practices and games, being on a sport’s team allows the opportunity for you to get in your recommended amount of physical activity, and keep your body healthy and in shape. But you’ll be having so much fun, it won’t even feel like exercise!

    It keeps your brain healthy and strong.

    Did you know exercise is healthy for your brain, too? Stress, anger and sadness are all issues that take up a lot of your brains energy, leaving it without enough energy to help you think as clearly or as quickly as you normally would. Regular exercise helps your brain release these bottled up emotions, allowing you to have more room for memory and sharper thinking. Best of all, when your brain gets rid of these emotions through exercise, you do, too! Regular exercise helps you relieve stress, and is often a great way to overcome feelings of anger or sadness.

    It builds social skills.

    We all love to make new friends, but sometimes it can be challenging if we don’t know what to say, or who to approach. When you join a sport’s team, you become just that; a team! You’re all there to help each other succeed together, and you know you’ve already got one thing in common, your sport! Sport’s teams allow you will build special bonds with your teammates that can turn into lifelong friendships. How does this keep you healthy? Without friendship and positive human interaction, you may begin to feel isolated or lonely. No one enjoys these feelings in the first place, and they can even lead to further serious problems such as low self-esteem, increased stress levels and even depression. Joining a sport’s team will help you develop new friendships, and keep your mental state healthy and strong.

    It teaches you important life lessons and skills.

    Through sport’s teams, you are able to learn and develop many skills that will become very important as you go through school, the workforce and even just regular every day life. Sport’s teams help us learn about proper teamwork, good sportsmanship, problem solving skills and accountability. Developing these life-long skills will help you interact better with others, and effectively handle stressful situations you may face in the future. Sport’s teams even help you develop a stronger sense of character, belonging, and leadership qualities that will stick with you for the rest of your life!

    You’ll sleep better!

    Have you ever noticed you can’t think as well, or as quickly when you’re really tired? That’s because your brain needs sleep in order to do its job properly! Sometimes it can be challenging to fall asleep or stay asleep, and a lack in physical activity can often be the culprit. Receiving your recommended amount of daily physical activity through sports may be just what you need to help you fall asleep and stay asleep, leaving you feeling well rested and ready to go the next morning!

  • Why Is It Important For Me to Become More Independent in Post-Secondary?

    Why Is It Important For Me to Become More Independent in Post-Secondary?

    Up until now, it may have been easy to rely on teachers, parents/guardians and friends to help guide and keep you on track both academically and financially. However, upon reaching post-secondary it’s important to begin to think and act in a more independent way, and take the right steps to ensure academic, financial and overall lifelong success. Of course, reaching out for help from others now and again is a perfectly acceptable part of life. However, with post-secondary comes the growth into adult hood, and the many independent responsibilities that come along with it.

    Do you find yourself relying on teachers to remind you about important test dates, or assignments you forget to hand in? Maybe you need your parents to constantly tell you when you need to study. If this sounds like you, you may want to reconsider your academic independence. As you are reaching adult hood upon entering post-secondary, professors will have the expectation you have already developed the independent skills of remembering assignment due dates and exam schedules. Often times professors will deduct marks for late or missing assignments, making it critical for you to have enough independence to complete assignments on time, without relying on professors for reminders. This independent skill is not only critical for post-secondary success, it prepares you for the importance of understanding deadlines as you enter the professional working world. Relying on co-workers or your boss for reminders of the work you are responsible for will simply not be an option as you enter into the workforce, so it’s important to leave these bad habits in high school and begin to develop a new sense of independence as you enter your first post-secondary term.

    Effective study habits are a critical part of academic success in post-secondary, and learning how to manage a full course load independently will allow you to feel prepared exams, without the stress caused by cramming the night before. Gaining independence with your own study schedule will teach you time management skills, the importance of planning and scheduling, and how to create guides to your own success, all of which are applicable to both academic and professional success.

    Beginning to learn and understand financial independence is also an important tool that should be further developed in post-secondary. Whether you are paying for post-secondary independently or through the help of student loans, understanding how to properly manage your money and pay off any outstanding debt is an essential aspect to financial success. Post-secondary (or shortly after) tends to be the time when many individuals begin to move out on their own for the first time, either to residency on campus, or to a new place all on your own. Moving out is a huge step, and it has many independent responsibilities that come along with it. Understanding how to responsibly save money for bills, rent, food, as well as any outstanding debt is essential for sustainable living. Branching away from the financial comfort and reliability of your parents and beginning to develop your own financial independence upon entering post-secondary will help develop a better understanding of money-management, and how to implement these skills once you are living away from home.

    It’s important to begin to become more independent as you enter to enter post-secondary, as the skills you will develop through independent thinking will not only help you succeed academically, but will better prepare you for both your professional and everyday life.

  • The Common Pressures of Millennials

    The Common Pressures of Millennials

    Millennials are a generation so often penned as the ‘start-up generation’ by the media. Yes this often means people think they jump from job to job looking for the next great thing, but this makes them diverse, open and socially liberal. But that is not the whole picture. Sadly there are so many issues possessed by Millennials and pressures they face:

    Not so entrepreneurial

    This is a troubling fact for the economy, with nearly half of Millennials surveyed saying that they believe the best way to advance their careers is to stay with one company for a long time. This makes the portions of people who move from company to company or prefer to create their own company much smaller. It’s possible that there is less of a sense of urgency with this generation. But it can be changed.

    Money issues

    A huge stressor for anyone, money is especially a cause of worry for Millennials as they have entered adulthood after the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. This, as you will remember, led to financial instability and job loss for many parents and friends, leaving Millennials feeling worried about the future. While many make under $3,000 a month, they are also faced with the extreme costs of post-secondary education. Student loans are a constant looming shadow, and one often leaves university with around $40,00 in debt. Lets not get started on post-graduation job security.

    Degree expectation

    For many Millennials, a college degree is an expected way of life. It is not always a tool to get what they want but rather the blind next step after high school. In truth, many people in the previous generation feel really good about their degrees because it was considered a much bigger accomplishment back than and one was more likely to get a career after. Nowadays that is not the case.

    Solution?

    Make a list of all the things you want to see in your life in ten years. What are the steps you need to take to accomplish this? Millennials often handle high levels of stress with binge drinking, smoking, drug use, overeating and obsession. The concept of quiet time is not a popular one and that can be the best choice. Instead of handling pressures this way, always stay busy and allow yourself failures. These make the success shine brighter. But don’t ever think things come easily. If you  want something bad enough, you will achieve it. Ignoring stereotypes and the social pressures of the world is the best way in forming your own path for the future that suits you- that is what matters.

  • Why You Should Love the Way You Look

    Why You Should Love the Way You Look

    Have you ever looked at a person in a movie or a magazine and thought, “I wish I looked like that,” or wanted to change something about yourself because you just don’t like the way it looks? Well, if you answered yes to either or those questions, you are not alone! It seems like everywhere we turn someone is telling us we need to “fix this”, or “change this”. Amongst all the crazy obsession over how people say we should look, it seems as though people are forgetting one very important thing…we are all unique, and we are all beautiful! Let’s think of the world like an art gallery. Inside the art gallery, there are all kinds of beautiful masterpieces, each one different from the other. Some are very tall and skinny, some are tiny and wide. Some have lots of bright colours, and some are in black and white. Each one is different from the next, and each one is spectacular! Now what if all of the paintings inside the art gallery looked exactly the same? What a boring place that would be! The unique beauty that comes from each painting is what makes the art gallery so special! Well, if the world is an art gallery that makes you a unique masterpiece! There is not a single person in this world that looks exactly like you. You were made special, unique, and most importantly of all you were made the most perfect version of yourself! So, let’s celebrate that! You should love the way you look for the simple reason that there is only one you and you are perfect just the way you are.

    Now, sometimes that can be a lot easier said than done, especially when you are going through your teen years. With your body already changing so much during this time, it can be hard not to fall into the trap of believing the way you look isn’t good enough. Magazines, social media, and Hollywood movies can sometimes make you feel like if you don’t look exactly like the people we see in media, then you must not be beautiful or handsome. But this is simply not true! Beauty comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colours. All of those different details about yourself are the brush strokes to a masterpiece, they are what make you, you!

    So, what can you do if you ever start to forget why you should love the way you look? Here are a few simple tricks to remind you in case you ever forget:

    • Remember the world is an art gallery, and you are a one of a kind masterpiece! You are supposed to look like you, not like anyone else!
    • Think of all of the different characteristics of your appearance, and know that each of those makes you special.
    • Smile! The only thing that makes you even more perfect is when your beautiful grin goes from ear to ear!

    4) Let other people know they should love the way they look, too! Although it might feel like it at times, you are not the only person who might forget to love the way you look. Telling someone else they are perfect just the way they are might completely make their day!

    While there may be plenty of influences throughout your life that might try to make you feel like you need to change your appearance, remember we are all made to be different. You are one of a kind, and you are absolutely perfect just the way you are.

  • Public Safety: Tips on How to Protect Yourself

    Public Safety: Tips on How to Protect Yourself

    When you’re walking home alone at night, it’s easy to feel scared or threatened.  A lot of young women are often catcalled or approached in broad daylight, let alone when it’s in the evening. When people stare or approach you or even harass you, it can get pretty terrifying.

    When it comes to being safe in public, there are a few tricks you can try to guard yourself. There are some wonderful apps out there for you to download onto your device. This link from PC World http://www.pcworld.com/article/2057930/5-personal-safety-apps-that-watch-your-back.html will give you a guide to five apps that offer safety for you. The main attraction to these apps is that your contacts know when you are in trouble.

    Another thing you can do to keep yourself safe is take a class in self defense. Now, when I was first approached to take a class on self defense, I’ll admit that I declined. I didn’t really think that I needed it or that it would be as beneficial as people made it sound. I didn’t think that I was strong enough to fend someone off or to hold my own. But, one thing to understand upon entering these classes is that there are a lot of people who share the same feelings and you’re all in this together. The instructors are aware of these feelings and they take the time to teach you properly. They care about your safety, which means that you don’t really get lost in the back of class if you don’t know what you’re doing. They do take the time to help you, which is essential.

    Womenonguard.com is a great website that offers personal defense weapons for safety as well. Men and women have a wide selection of items that they can purchase. Items such as lipstick pepper spray, personal alarms, and mace are available for purchase. Home protection items such as window alarms and nanny cams are available as well. The site also includes videos on their website catering to self defense and how to safely and properly use these items.

    When it comes to protecting yourself, you can never be too careful. Classes and apps will allow for you to be safer than before and give you piece of mind that someone is watching out for you.

  • What Really Matters: Skills for Life and Finding Work

    When people are young, they often look forward to growing up. However, when they get older, they often wish that they could change the decisions that they had made. What would you tell your younger self about life and school?

    In school, the grades that students get seem very important. Later on in life, however, people might wonder why they ever cared so much about their marks. School results can be important for getting into certain programs, such as medicine, or for getting scholarships to university, but they aren’t the things that always matter most in life. Instead, the skills that people learn through their courses, volunteer work, and other activities are often more important than the facts that they know, the programs that they finish, or the marks that they receive- real life experience.

    Learning skills rather than getting grades can help in finding work when jobs are scarce, for example. In the past, university or college graduates could usually depend on getting work in their field. Even though that is no longer the case, people can still learn valuable skills in post-secondary education. The ability to concentrate, to do research, to write clearly, and to give presentations is all necessary in the workplace.

    These kinds of skills are also valuable in writing resumes and hunting for jobs. Even if you lack specific skills for a job, an employer might be willing to train you if you have other good qualities, such as the ability to focus on a task. You can emphasize these qualities on your resume, in your cover letter, and in job interviews. They might get you the job, and then you can focus on learning the particular tasks that you need to do.

    While it is best not to apply for jobs too far beyond your current skills, challenging yourself is also important. If you get into an easy but boring job, you will likely become frustrated or restless. If the job is challenging, but still within your abilities, you may find it easier to manage the work and any problems that come with it.

    Finding work can be difficult, and sometimes even the most qualified people have trouble. Being rejected for jobs is hard, but it is important to remember that there will always be other opportunities. Even if a job is difficult and you work with unpleasant people, you can take the skills that you have learned to a new position. Learning to develop personal qualities such as kindness and honesty can also be very valuable. Some even say that half the battle is learning to work and get along with other people.

    Life after high school might sound exciting or scary, but you can already start to prepare for the challenges ahead. The educational system and job market change frequently, but anything that you learn now could be useful for the future.

    Bibliography:   

    Kids Health.org. “Life after High School.” http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/after-hs.html.

    Thompson, Aly. The secret to a long life? Be kind, says 107-year-old N.S. woman http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/the-secret-to-a-long-life-be-kind-says-107-year-old-n-s-woman-1.2849948.

    Wikihow. “How to Overcome Adversity.” http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Adversity.

    Vadhan, Opal. “The 3 Biggest Things I Wish I Didn’t Stress Over in High School.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/opal-vadhan/the-3-biggest-things-i-wish-i-didnt-stress-over-in-high-school_b_7621834.html.

  • Serious Talk: Online Bullying

    Serious Talk: Online Bullying

    Online bullying is a fast growing problem. It deserves just as much credit for a legitimate form of bullying as physical or emotional bullying does.

    One of the biggest things to keep in mind when dealing with cyberbullying is to fully understand what the term means. When it comes to defining the term, stopbullying.gov defines the word/act as:

     “Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.”

    The same website also provides several examples of how cyberbullying is different than other forms such as how cyberbullying can happen 24/7 and messages and images can be posted anonymously. Removing photos and messages from the internet is also an extreme pain.

    There have been several occasions of cyberbullying taking the lives of those who were pushed past their breaking point. 18-year-old Jessica Logan committed suicide upon learning that a private photo she sent to her boyfriend was spread throughout at least seven high schools in the Cincinnati area after they broke up. The abuse continued on social media platforms and eventually led for her to take her own life. Her parents sought legal action against the school. Ohio governor Kasich signed the Jessica Logan Act, which went into effect in November of 2012.

    Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old student who came out as a gay youth, was filmed kissing another man without his consent by his roommate at the time. The videos were then uploaded to Twitter and viewed by another one of his hall mates. From there, many insulted him, which led to his suicide in 2010. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei were each convicted. According to reuters.com, Wei entered a plea agreement leading to a sentence of 300 hours of community service, counselling, and classes on dealing with people with alternative lifestyles in lieu of jail time. Ravi, however, was charged on all 15 counts of his involvement and was sentenced to 30 days in prison in addition to 300 hours of community service, 3 years’ probation, and counselling on cyberbullying and alternative lifestyles. He was also charged a fine of $10,000, according to NJ.com.

    The infamous case of Amanda Todd is one many know well. Todd began using video chat in the seventh grade to meet new people. Through this platform, she met someone who convinced her to bare her breasts on camera. He then proceeded to use the photos to blackmail her into showing him more. Police later informed her that the photo was circulating on the internet, which led to her experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Though she and her family moved from home to home in an attempt to get away, her past followed her and led to her suicide in 2012. Aydin Coban was charged on accounts of child pornography and child indecent assault. However, charges were laid to multiple people believed to be involved. Her mother also began the Amanda Todd Trust at RBC to raise money for anti-bullying initiatives and programs for youths dealing with mental illnesses.

    If you find yourself the victim of cyberbullying, cybersafetysolutions.com suggests doing the following to protect yourself:

    • Tell your parents, teacher or other trusted adult
      • Save and store the emails, chat logs or SMS’s in case of police investigation
      • Block and delete the bully from all contact lists
      • Do not respond to nasty emails, chats, SMS or comments – this is what the bully wants so ignore them. (They will need your help to do this)
      • Use the ‘report abuse’ button which all websites/applications have. Tell them the problems you are having and they are obligated to investigate.
      • If the bullying continues – delete your current email and start a new account. Only give your new details to trusted friends.
      • Get a new phone number if being harassed via phone. Report the problem to your phone company and insist on a free new number.
      • If the bullying continues get your parents to report it. Each state has laws that prohibit online bullying and stalking.
  • Tips for Applying to Canadian Arts Council Grants

    Tips for Applying to Canadian Arts Council Grants

    Being an artist is often an up-hill climb. Not only does graduating with a Fine Arts degree mean a generally slow and difficult entry into the mainstream work force, but oftentimes early pay is very, very low. And what about those projects that you want to take on—knowing that they could be lucrative—but your day job and time will not allow it? Well luckily Canada has some free money floating around for creatives who mean business.

    The Canadian Arts Council has a series of yearly grants that you could be in the running for depending on your previous area of study and current artistic focus. Many professors and other professionals apply for these when they wish to work on books or projects during sabbaticals etc., and these grants can provide temporary freedom from financial concern in order to make room for a complete focus on whatever you wish to accomplish. In a quest to nourish Canada’s writers, artists and filmmakers, the Canadian Arts Council provides grants ranging $3,000 to $25,000, with deadlines typically in April and October. Depending on the thoroughness, validity and exhibited talent in your application, you could have that dream project of yours completely funded.

    What do they want in an application?

    Style of project—I.E. poetry, oil painting, short film, novel etc.

    Summary of the project—Make sure this is well thought out and detailed. The more thought they think you have put into your project the more likely you are to get the grant.

    Themes—Get scholarly with this. Incorporate psychological and societal issues. A project that is academically researched can be imperative.

    Models for the project—What spawned this project? What are your inspirations and reasons behind choosing the theme and medium?

    How you are going to approach the project—Is it is writing? Is it autobiographical? In listical format? If it is a film, what are its structures? If it is painting or collaging for instance, what materials are you using?

    Challenges—What are the obstacles you are expecting to come face to face with?

    Relevant background—Brag! What have you achieved? Publications? Art gallery shows? Awards? Zines? Don’t leave anything out. Keep in mind that the more experience you have had the more likely you are to get the grant, so prepare accordingly in the year leading up to a grant proposal.

    Budget and timeline—How long will this take you and how much do you expect to to live off of and to fund the project with? Consider materials, travel expenses for research, rent and utilities and living expenses. Grants enable you to live for a period of time without work allowing 100% focus on the project.

    Subsistence—This is a breakdown of your expenses and their reasons.

    Samples—A small portfolio. Include your best.

    Specifics differ from grant to grant, so visit www.canadacouncil.ca for the details of your particular field. Happy hunting! Polish that application and take your sweet time; it might pay off…literally.

  • Agreeing to Disagree – Handling Conflicts Like a Pro

    Agreeing to Disagree – Handling Conflicts Like a Pro

    Do you ever feel like you go a different route than your classmates when it comes to school projects? It is indeed fun to reminisce your pre-school and kindergarten days when things seemed so simple. One instruction from your teacher and you and your classmates would team up and work like clockwork to achieve a goal.

    The good news is having disagreements with your peers about school work is completely normal. The bad news is—well, it depends on your perspective, really—there are ways around these disagreements that would help you still work in harmony to reach your goals. Below are some tips to follow:

    Listen to what others have to say.

    At times, you may become easily frustrated when your peers do not agree with you right away that you end up repeating yourself just to try and make a point. Instead of you repeating yourself, be sure to give the others a chance to share their side of the story. Maybe then you can meet halfway.

     Practice empathy and understanding.

    At times, you may be self-involved and you do not realize that one of your classmates may be grieving over the death of a beloved household pet or that he or she might be undergoing some issues at home that he or she is not ready to talk about. You may be mere classmates working toward the same goal, but maybe you can try to be a friend too.

    Apply the theory of democracy whenever possible.

    Students will always have their own approach to completing schoolwork. Sometimes, certain factors come into play like personal preferences or tastes. For instance, if you were tasked to do a choral reading with a group of 10, and you want to do The Raven as you are a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe, but someone suggested that you do The Walrus and the Carpenter because everyone is familiar with that poem; you can put it to a vote.

    Be open to compromise.

    Learning how to compromise with your peers does not develop overnight- it is tough. However, if you open your mind to it, in due time, you will master the skill. Remember, collaboration skills learned at an early age will help you go far in life when you are old enough and working in the real world.

    Conflicts take place, you can’t deny that. Not everyone can say yes to what you say. The trick is to always take things in stride and remember that team effort can be powerful when trying to accomplish a common goal.

    SOURCES:

    http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/tips-disagree.html

    http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=240&np=296&id=2095

    https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/coaching-children-in-handling-everyday-conflicts/

    http://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/deal-with-arguments/

  • Challenges Finding Employment

    Challenges Finding Employment

    So you’ve graduated and have received the education needed to follow the career you’ve always wanted; now what? Finding that first job, of course – but in these tumultuous economic times, getting a job these days is no small feat. But there are always options. Not all will apply to your particular situation, but sometimes just knowing the choices available will help you gain employment at some future time. Below is some advice to consider:

    (If it at first you don’t succeed)Try, try, try again: The traditional method of finding a job means looking at job boards and visiting employment help centres periodically. You may have to stick with your boring retail job until you find something related to your chosen career, even if it’s something that you had never considered before. At the very least, it helps you gain experience and help pay off that rent and student loan. The employment centre staff is there to help you form useful connections, which is always helpful as you move into the job market. In addition, they can help perfect your resume and interview skills, so companies will take a second (or third) look at you and what you offer.

    Consider alternative routes for entering the job market: There seem to be fewer and fewer options for full-time entry-level jobs for graduates and those new to the job field. Consider travelling further than you’d like. Consider part-time or contract positions. They may not pay as well as full-time work, but they do help you gain relative experience those employers are always looking for, and workplace-relative employment contracts and references. By “relative”, I mean simply skills that are relevant to the jobs you’re looking for.  If you want to work in an office, learn Word, Excel, PowerPoint and a variety of computer software programs. There are many other options: computer programming or Web-based skills, language classes, trade-based skills such as carpentry, and volunteer activities. These can all be done on your own time or as a hobby if you find them interesting.

    Return to school: For some majors (generally Arts), there are fewer options available – and by doing your research into the most in-demand careers, you can get a ‘second’ education for something related to your major and frequently in-demand career, so it’s not a total waste of your time, money or educational knowledge. There are a lot of abilities that can be transferred within majors, depending on the school where you’d like to learn. Consider other majors as well – perhaps you’ll find something you were also interested in, but never had the time to consider it as a second major.

    Relocate: The last option, and the most expensive. Certain regional municipalities have more job options than others and can provide more opportunities of a full-time, permanent job, which is (of course) the ideal for anyone trying to pay rent and pay off loans. I’d recommend only doing this after accepting a job offer to limit the disadvantages of relocation. I know several people who have moved provinces and were able to get a full-time job as compared to being a part-time or having a contract job in this province (Ontario).

    There are challenges to finding employment – but that’s no reason to stop looking. Sometimes, you can find it in places you never thought possible- taking a more non-traditional route may lead you to your dream job.