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Category: Advice

  • What Your Marks Really Mean

    What Your Marks Really Mean

    For many students, grades can be a very stressful part of going to school. Report card time can be difficult, especially for anyone who is close to failing a course. It can also be hard for students at the higher end of the grade range, wondering if they can keep up their high scores to help them succeed in the future. With high marks, they think, they will have good opportunities and a bright future. Grades have traditionally been used to show how well students have learned their material, but how much do they actually mean? Should you be concerned about the marks you get?

    Depending on what you want to do with the rest of your life, your high school marks could be quite important. Many universities and colleges use marks to help them decide which students they should accept. For some programs an average mark is enough, but for other programs a high mark is necessary. Often, a small difference in marks could mean that one student gets into the program while another has to wait for another year or go somewhere else. This is especially true in areas like medicine and dentistry, where schools accept only a limited number of students and academic expectations are high. In fields such as education or sociology the emphasis on grades is usually much less obvious, although expectations of students are often still high.

    High marks are good for getting into university programs, but are they really useful for anything else? Probably not, except in a very general way. In your school you have probably noticed that different teachers have very different standards, with some giving high marks and others low ones. Schools all have their own ideas of what makes a good student, and there is very little consistency among them.

    One of the problems with marks is deciding how to measure achievement. Until 1967, each province required students in Grade 12 to pass a standard exam which showed that they all had the same knowledge of areas such as writing, mathematics, science, and literature. Since then, however, schools have been able to set their own standards, and the result has been very uneven levels of education.

    Another problem is known as grade inflation. Since about the middle of the 1980’s, the grades that students have received in high school and university have slowly risen, so that more people now are receiving a grade of A or B in their classes than ever before. That could mean that students are actually better than they were in previous years, but many educators are not sure. Factors that are raising the marks could be increased competition for university programs or job insecurity among teachers who want to keep parents and students happy.

    If marks are such uncertain measures of learning, what do they mean for you? If you want to go to university, you’ll still need good grades. Otherwise, you might want to think about whether marks really reflect your learning. After all, learning is what really counts.

  • Where Are You? Finding Yourself

    Where Are You? Finding Yourself

    Imagine your life as a timeline graph, from birth to present to future.

    Write down all of your major goals in your life that you feel you want to achieve. In turn, write down the events in your life that have already happened that you believe have affected you and have made you who you are today. This isn’t an exercise in wallowing but one about clarification and identification of issues that might be hampering your present potential and the blossoming of your true sense of self.

    Spend a little time writing with clarity about the past in your timeline. As much as where you’re headed is important, so is making peace with the past. A timeline is an incredibly objective method for marking down past occurrences in your life that you consider to have been major. You can look at them as formation blocks and as changing experiences along your timeline without imbuing them with too much emotion (as you would  within your personal diary) . Keep it simple, real and condensed to the major effect or lesson learned from each past incident.

    When analyzing negative past experiences, look to the positive learning message in it and don’t dwell on the mistakes or the negatives. Everyone has these blips in their timeline but pretending they are either worse than they were or non-existent, won’t do you any favors. Instead, recognize that if it had not been for those past experiences you would not be where or who you are today. If there has been an abuse situation, remember, abuse thrives when kept secret; telling someone is the antibiotic.

    Finding yourself is an enlightening experience and you become self sufficient . It  is a time of harmony because you develop that philosophy or belief system that will carry you throughout the rest of your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will savor and enjoy both life’s pain and pleasures.

  • Just Say No: Drinking and Driving

    Just Say No: Drinking and Driving

    You’ve heard it a thousand times: don’t drink and drive. You’ve seen all the ads sponsored by MADD – “Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers” – but you still get the temptation to pick up your keys after you’ve had a couple. Two reasons for drinking and driving are peer pressure and “feeling okay”. Knowing the ways that you can avoid drinking and driving will help you to be prepared next time.

    Sometimes we may feel pressured to drink and drive if we are responsible for getting a carload of people home. You may feel guilty that everyone has to spend money on a cab or to take the bus, or you may simply want to be helpful for your friends that night. Whatever your reason, you’ll want to be careful of what kinds of things your friends may throw at you. If they have been drinking, they may want to add to your existing feelings of guilt by telling you that you are a great driver, that you know what you are doing, that you always get them home safe, etc. If you have a history of drinking and driving and have decided to turn over a new leaf, you will probably be pressured even more so than others.

    Another reason you may find yourself drinking and driving is that you have convinced yourself that you are not “that drunk”. Your feelings when you are under the influence of alcohol are never an accurate appraisal of your ability to conduct coordinated behaviors like driving. We have all seen it – there is the guy at the party who thinks that he is just fine and then ten minutes later is passed out on the couch. This illustrates that how you feel and what you say are often not accurate or true. The best way to determine if you are okay to drive is to think about how much you’ve drank. Having two drinks is the limit if you have your G licence, otherwise you are not allowed to consume any alcohol and then drive. This means two 6 oz. glasses of wine, two 1.5 oz shots, or 2 bottles of beer.

    Strategies for escaping drinking and driving should include leaving your car at home if you know that you will be overly tempted to drive or getting a ride with a designated driver – someone who you know is very responsible and trustworthy. Another good approach is to take the bus or a cab. If all else fails and you have to drive, stick to non-alcoholic beverages, like pop and water.

    Having the ability to drive is a privilege and one that must not be taken lightly. Be responsible – your family and friends want to see you tomorrow!

  • Five Steps to a Strong Essay

    Five Steps to a Strong Essay

    Writing essays shouldn’t seem like a massive burden. Just try to follow these five simple steps.

    Step 1: Think
    Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this assignment?” The assignment is meant to assess how much you have learned in class. Keep this in mind constantly from when you begin to write to when you revise your final draft.

    Step 2: Brainstorm
    Depending on the assignment’s requirements, decide what you want to say in the essay. Make a list of what you want to write about and don’t hesitate to write down any and all ideas that enter your mind. The more, the better.

    Step 3: Plan
    Planning your essay might be the most important step. Once you have determined what it is you want to say, you will now need to map out how you’re going to say it. A typical essay format might look something like this:

    Introduction with a thesis statement that says your essay will be about topics A, B and C
    Body paragraph that describes topic A
    Body paragraph that describes topic B
    Body paragraph that describes topic C
    Conclusion that restates the introduction (but does not repeat it verbatim)

    Step 4: Write
    Choose the items on your brainstorm list that you want to use in the essay and write a full sentence for each. These sentences might become the topic sentences for your body paragraphs. It doesn’t matter (yet) exactly how you will say it, but rather that you have included everything your teacher has asked for. Don’t worry about writing formally or even completely logically. Just write. You can improve your work later. Sometimes it is helpful to say what you want to write out loud. Tell a sibling, parent or friend about what you are trying to say and then work what you have said to them into sentences in your essay.

    Step 5: Edit
    Edit your work at least three times. Every essay you write should go through several drafts. If you have done a good job of editing, your final draft will likely be significantly different from the first. (Hopefully you will have completed the first draft early enough to edit and not the night before the assignment is due!) Read your work through once from the beginning to end without stopping to make sure the sentences flow and the paragraphs are logically connected by transition sentences. Read your work through twice to make sure the thesis statement (which explains what your essay is about and which is usually the last sentence of your introduction) describes what you have written in the body paragraphs and vice versa. Read your work through a third time very slowly to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Then ask someone else to read your work through in case they spot anything you might have missed.

  • Why Trades? Labour Shortages in Canada

    Why Trades? Labour Shortages in Canada

    The trades are one of the fastest growing sectors in Canada and, as such, there are projected labour shortages in the coming years. This means there are more jobs than there are people to fill them. For this reason, a career in trades is a great way to ensure you will have employment when you leave school.

    Red Seal Trades:
    Based on the Canadian Occupations Projections for Red Seal trades, there are 24 Red Seal trades with projected labour shortages.

    Construction:
    The national construction labour force is estimated to rise by 100,000 workers between 2012 and 2020. The industry will need to replace 219,000 workers that are expected to retire over the next decade.

    To address expansion and replacement demand requirements, industry will need to recruit an estimated 319,000 new workers to construction.

    Growth in construction will be concentrated in the non-residential sector related mostly to resource projects. Trades required for this type of construction work include: boilermakers, carpenters, construction estimators, construction millwrights and industrial mechanics, crane operators, electricians, gasfitters, ironworkers, plumbers, sheet metal workers, steamfitters and pipefitters, and welders.

    Oil and Gas:
    By 2015, employment in the oil sands sector is projected to increase by 29 per cent over 2011 levels, or approximately 5,850 jobs.

    The pipeline sector will add about 530 jobs over the same period.

    The industry will need to do significant hiring to replace retiring workers and for turnover.

    Mining:
    The mining industry will need 112,000 new workers by 2020.

    Forty per cent of the industry are 50 years old or older. One third of the workforce will be eligible to retire by 2015.

    In Ontario, for example, employers will have significant hiring requirements– almost 16,000 workers over the coming decade will be needed just to replace retiring workers and people who leave the mining workforce in Ontario for other reasons.

    Automotive:
    In the automotive industry, cumulative shortages over the next ten years are projected to range between 43,700 to 77,150 positions.

    Overall, almost one-half (48.1%) of employers reported that the insufficient supply of qualified staff to hire was a significant or very significant issue for their organization.

    Labour shortages were seen as a major problem among employers in the motorcycle repair sector (57.1%) and auto body/collision repair sector (54.3%).

    Tourism:
    By 2030, demand for labour in the tourism sector will grow to 2.1 million jobs, an increase of 33 per cent.

    The growing gap between labour demand and the number of available workers will cause a significant number of jobs to go unfilled over the next 20 years.

    By 2030, shortages in the tourism sector could grow to 228,000 jobs, leaving 10.7 per cent of potential labour demand unfilled.

    If the expected shortages are not mitigated, the sector could forgo $31.4 billion in potential revenues by 2030.

  • Green Cleaning

    Green Cleaning

    Whether you live at home, or at campus, cleaning is an unavoidable part of the daily routine. Have you ever read the list of ingredients in store bought cleaning products? Not only are its contents difficult to pronounce, they are harmful and toxic. Green cleaning is not hard, and will save you money. Listed below are 3 simple ingredients that can be used to simply and efficiently clean your entire house.

    Vinegar or Baking Soda:  By adding warm water to either vinegar or baking soda, a natural all-purpose cleaner can be made. Vinegar and baking soda can be mixed together with water to clean as well. Do not worry about the vinegar smell; yes it is strong at first, but it will go away. The vinegar/water mixture can be used to clean both inside and outside of various machines and appliances like tea kettles, steam irons, coffee makers, and more. Vinegar or baking soda can be used to deodorize the home too (i.e. placing a slightly opened container of baking soda in the fridge). These green all-purpose cleaners can be used to clean almost anything! Everything from windows, clothing, furniture, microwaves, and even the kitchen sink can be cleaned with these simple ingredients.

    Lemon Juice:  The acid in lemon juice works great as a natural stain-remover . However, work quickly while using lemons as a stain remover since they do have “a bleaching effect, particularly when exposed to sunlight”. A lemon half can be used to scrub away at copper and steel surfaces; but be careful on marble. Or a cloth wetted with lemon juice (bottled or squeezed from a lemon) can also be used to rub away stains. Lemon juice can be combined with either salt or baking soda to form a paste, to make cleaning easier since lemon juice by itself it quite runny. Clothing, and other cloth-like material can also be freed from stains by using this lemon juice paste. After gently rubbing the mixture into the stain, be sure to wash the item of clothing after.

    Now that you know about green cleaning, your commercial cleaning products can be replaced; however, since they are toxic they must be disposed of responsibly. Toxic recycling programs are held in most communities to properly dispose of these chemicals. So even while cleaning may still be a chore, at least we can feel better that we are not harming the planet in the process.

    Check out these websites that offer more tips on green cleaning, and other ways on how to go green:

    http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

    http://www.treehugger.com/

    http://odyb.net/food-cooking/62-little-known-uses-of-vinegar/

  • Too Cool for School?

    Too Cool for School?

    “A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated.” – Horrace Mann

    It is important to remember messages such as these when the pressure of high school really sets in. Will I make friends? Will I fit in? Will my teachers be too strict? It takes a few years and a couple life lessons to really understand the insignificance of these questions. High school isn’t a popularity contest or a soap opera, it’s a learning institution that will help to mold you into the person that you one day hope to be. It’s a stepping stone on the path to a life that you can be proud of.

    Statistics Canada reports that 191,000 young people aged 20 to 24 had not completed a high school diploma and were not attending school in 2009-2010, though this is a significant drop from the 340,000 in 1990-1991, it is still a cause for concern. Too many high school students are not taking their education seriously and are putting their futures on the back burner.

    It may seem cool to work in a fast food restaurant or a trendy clothing store for now, while you are living at home with your parents or guardians, and your income is solely for partying or material things. But eventually that roof with no longer be over your head, and your free ride will be over. Suddenly, those 32 hours a week and that minimum wage job won’t seem so glamorous anymore. You’re faced with the reality of bill payments and rent cheques and that bank account is getting smaller and smaller every month. This is when it hits you – “I should have just toughed it out and stayed in school.”

    It takes a lot of hard work and motivation to succeed in this world. A cushy, high paying job won’t just be handed to you on a silver platter (unless you are one of the lucky few, but let’s face it… if you were, you wouldn’t need us) and every dollar in that bank account will have been earned with pride.

    Whether you’re bullied, burdened or just plain lazy, a high school diploma is an accomplishment that is recognized all over the world, and there is nothing that should keep you from it. Keep your eye on the prize and before you know it, you’ll be throwing your hat in the air, anxiously awaiting what comes next…

  • Defining Internships and Apprenticeships – Your Rights

    Defining Internships and Apprenticeships – Your Rights

    There are few laws in Canada defining or regulating internships directly. Each province has its own employment standards legislation, regulations and/or guidelines that may apply to interns.

    ONTARIO
    Ontario’s Employment Standards Act states that all employees must be paid at least the Ontario minimum wage ($10.25 per hour for most employees). An “employee” includes a person who receives training from an employer. A person is not considered an employee if these six conditions are met:

    – The training is similar to that which is given in a vocational school
    – The training is for the benefit of the individual
    – The person providing the training derives little, if any, benefit from the activity of the individual while he or she is being trained
    – The individual does not displace employees of the person providing the training
    – The individual is not accorded a right to become an employee of the person providing the training
    – The individual is advised that he or she will receive no remuneration for the time that he or she spends in training

    BRITISH COLUMBIA
    BC’s Employment Standards Act states all employees must be paid at least the BC minimum wage ($10.25 per hour for most employees). An “employee” is a person receiving or entitled to wages for work performed for another, who was hired and receives training from an employer. ”Work” is defined as labour or services an employee performs for an employer whether in the employee’s residence or elsewhere.

    According to the Interpretation Guidelines Manual, an “internship” may be considered “work” and therefore is subject to the minimum wage. An internship is defined as follows:

    “An “internship” is on-the-job training offered by an employer to provide a person with practical experience. Often internships are offered to persons who have completed a diploma or degree program and are seeking employment. Completing an internship does not itself result in an academic certificate or diploma. If the duties performed by interns fall within the definition of “work” contained in the Act, the intern falls within the definition of “employee”, and the agency using the services of an intern falls within the definition of “employer”, internships will be considered “work” for the purposes of the Act.”

    BC has distinguished an “internship” from a “practicum.” A practicum is “hands-on” training that is part of a formal education process and done for school credit. A practicum is not considered “work” and therefore not subject to the minimum wage.

    QUEBEC
    Under Quebec’s Labour Standards Act, most employees are entitled to the minimum wage of $9.90 per hour. An employee is deemed to be at work “during any trial period or training required by the employer.” A person is considered an “employee” if these criteria are met:

    – the person performs work that is defined by an employee
    – the person’s tasks are clearly defined
    – the person receives renumeration
    Therefore, an unpaid intern (commonly called an Stagiaire in Quebec) are generally not considered employees, but this can be evaluated on a case by case basis.

    ALBERTA
    Alberta’s Employment Standards Code provides for a minimum wage of $9.40 for most employees (Reg 14/97). An “employee” is an individual employed to do work who receives or is entitled to wages. It is unclear what “entitled to wages” means and therefore unclear whether interns in Alberta should receive a minimum wage.

    MANITOBA
    Manitoba’s Employment Standards Code states that employees must be paid the minimum wage of $10 per hour, subject to some exceptions. An “employee” is defined as “an individual who is employed by an employer to do work.” ”Work” is defined as “skilled or unskilled manual, clerical, domestic, professional or technical labour performed or services provided by an employee.” In Manitoba, it appears that any intern is entitled to the minimum wage.

    SASKATCHEWAN
    Saskatchewan’s Labour Standards Act provides for a minimum of wage of $9.50 for most employees. An “employee” is defined as someone who receives or is entitled to remuneration for labour or services performed for an employer. It is unclear what “entitled to remuneration” means and therefore unclear whether interns should receive a minimum wage.

    NEW BRUNSWICK
    New Brunswick’s Employment Standards Act provides for a minimum wage of $10,00 for most employees (Reg. 2011-54). An “employee” is defined as a person who performs work or supplies services to an employer for wages. It is unclear whether unpaid interns are entitled to the minimum wage in New Brunswick.

    NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
    Newfoundland & Labrador’s Labour Standards Act provides for a minimum wage of $10,00 for most employees. An “employee” is defined as a person who works under a contract of service for an employer. This definition of employee is sufficiently broad to include unpaid interns, meanings that all interns in Newfoundland & Labrador are entitled to minimum wage.

    NOVA SCOTIA
    Nova Scotia’s Labour Standards Code provides for a minimum wage is $10.15 for most employees. An “employee” is defined as a person employed to do work. Based on this broad definition, it appears that an unpaid intern would be entitled to minimum wage in Nova Scotia.

    PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
    PEI’s Employment Standards Act provides for a minimum wage of $10 for most employees (Reg EC139/96). An “employee” is a person who performs any work for or supplies any services for an employer for pay, and includes “a person who is being trained by an employer to form work for or supply services to the employer.” It is unclear whether unpaid interns are entitled to the minimum wage in PEI.

  • Women in the Trades

    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 but if I can do it, you can do it.

  • Preparing for High School

    Preparing for High School

    Starting high school can be an exciting time for many people. If you’re nearing that point in your life, you probably feel a combination of fear and anticipation. It’s the beginning of the end of childhood, a time when people can start to make their own decisions and influence their own lives. At the same time, it can also be stressful and sometimes overwhelming with all of new pressures people face. By thinking ahead and planning for the future, however, you can make the transition to high school much easier than it might otherwise be.

    For most students, the biggest change is the sudden increase in both freedom and responsibility. You can choose to go to an academic high school and take university-entrance courses or choose a vocational school and learn a trade like carpentry or plumbing. You can take courses in the sciences or in areas like history and English literature. In many cases, these kinds of choices can affect people’s lives and careers for years, and sometimes for the rest of their lives. Taking on such a big responsibility can sometimes be overwhelming for students.

    Freedom and responsibility come in many different areas as well. Depending on the school, you might or might not be required to be in class every day, and teachers are less likely to remind you to get your assignments done. Students become responsible to get their work done so that they can pass to the next grade. Most high schools work on a credit system in which each student must have a certain number of credits to graduate. It’s up to the students to take enough courses each year and to pass them in order to go on to the next grade.

    In high school, the structure and content of classes can also change a lot. Normally, students receive more homework than before and have more difficult assignments, such as writing long research essays. Classes might take on more of a lecture format than in earlier grades, and marks might become important for people going on to university. For many people, there are also the pressures of going to a new school and making friends in a strange setting.

    How can you prepare for high school? One way is by going to a high school orientation session, where teachers and school administrators take students and their parents on tours around the school. Another is by attending a transition program run by the high school or a community centre. Some of the activities a transition program might include are social events for parents and students, where new and returning students can meet each other, and mentorship programs, where younger and older students are paired together to provide information and support for the newcomers.

    If you’re getting ready to begin high school, you know that it can be an exciting and frightening time. However, if you work hard to prepare yourself beforehand, you can help to make the transition as easy as possible.