1210212.us16.myftpupload.com Managed WordPress Site

Category: Campus Life

  • Career Profile: Economist

    Career Profile: Economist

    You might sometimes wonder why you have to study mathematics at school. What’s the use of all of those percentages and averages that you have to calculate? These concepts might not be useful in many jobs, but they are essential for economists. Every day, economists use complex mathematical skills to help governments and businesses plan for the future.

    In 2011, Canada had about 15,000 economists working in a variety of places, including government offices, businesses, and other organizations. In some ways, economists do the same kinds of work as accountants often do. They work with budgets, prices, and how to make money. However, economists tend to work on bigger issues than these.

    For economists, the issue that people face is not just how much money to charge for a product or service but also how that fee might affect other aspects of the economy. For example, an economist might analyze how an increase in fuel prices can affect the cost of transporting food from farms to the cities and how that might affect food bank usage and other parts of society.

    Economists work with the trends that influence how people spend money and what affects factors such as prices and resource use. They use statistics to analyze trends in society and to predict what might happen in the future. They also have to know how laws might change various aspects of the economy. Economists might study public transit usage before and after a price increase or analyze how salaries in certain jobs affect house purchases. Economists need to understand numbers, but they also have to be able to see the larger trends.

    Becoming an economist involves knowing a lot about mathematics but also about how people and the economy work together. Most economists have at least a bachelor’s degree in their field, but most have a master’s or Ph.D. Even after they graduate, economists have to keep on learning. They read magazines and other publications related to their work and they find out what other economist think. Reading statistics on how Canadians live is an important part of their work, since that gives them the information they need to make accurate predictions about the future. This can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the information is difficult to find or is unavailable.

    Many economists work for the government, but they also work for large businesses to help the owners plan for the future. The average salary for an economist in Canada is $80,000 to $100,000, but most jobs start at a lower level and some can rise to a higher level. Experience is very important in this field, since it can be very important to learn about how different factors work together. Job prospects in this profession are limited, but there will likely be some openings in the next few years.

    If you love numbers but you also enjoy seeing how everything works together, you might want to consider becoming an economist. Your work might affect Canadians for years to come.

  • Job Profile: Book Publisher

    Job Profile: Book Publisher

    Books are amazing things. You can pick one up and travel to a world of elves, fairies, and exciting adventures. Or you can pick up another one to find out about the history of ancient Rome or about how beavers live and what part they play in the natural world. You can read a long novel or a short magazine article. Most of the time, the stories and information you read have gone through a publisher before they came to you.

    What actually happens when an author wants to get a book published? Sometimes they publish the books themselves, but often they want the skills and knowledge of a publisher to help them with the process. Most publishing companies have different people who each focus on one part of the process. In smaller companies, one or two people might do all of the different steps.

    The first step is usually deciding which books to publish. Sometimes, this means that an acquisitions editor will spend a lot of time reading books that people have sent in to the publisher.  The next step is editing for any problems with the book. These problems could be about the book’s contents, such as incorrect information or a confusing story line. The problems could also be much simpler issues of proofreading, such as writing “pan” instead of “pane” in a story.

    Once the editing is done, the book will go to the design department where people will decide what picture to have on the cover, the size of the type font, and anything else that affects the appearance or design of the book. Even electronic (online) books need this kind of work before they are ready for sale.

    Publishers are good at taking care of the many small jobs that are part of getting books ready for sale. One of these jobs is getting the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and the Cataloguing in Publication information, which helps librarians to organize the books they buy. Another task is deciding what the price should be.

    After all of these small jobs are done, the book is ready to be printed and marketed.  Marketing is what happens when a publisher lets people know about a new book or magazine. They might put up posters, pay for advertisements, or go on tours to talk about what they have to sell. They might set up tables at special events and have some of the books and magazines for sale.

    How do people become publishers? Sometimes all it takes is knowledge of how to sell books and the money to set up a small company. At other times, it might mean getting a low-level job at a publishing company and then learning enough to get a higher-level job. Sometimes an education in business or literature is helpful. People can work in small, local companies or in big, international ones. If you love books and you also love to organize events and keep schedules, work as a publisher might be the right thing for you.

  • Workspace “Feng-Shui”

    Workspace “Feng-Shui”

    Ever wonder why you can’t get any work done? It’s possible that your environment is contributing to your lack of productivity. Everyone has different preferences for their ideal study space. If you’ve got a big test or paper coming up, it’s best if you adjust your surroundings to help your brain function at its optimal level.

    Here are some things to consider if you’re looking to “feng-shui” your workspace.

    Space yourself.

    A lot of projects require a large amount of space. Plus, sometimes it helps to have your work laid out all around you (like when you’re doing research). To prepare for this, make sure to keep your desk clear and clutter-free. If you constantly find yourself buried in piles of books and random papers—all of which have nothing to do with your work—you’re going to find it harder to focus. If you live in a small area or can’t spare the space, relocate to the library or a café with large tables when you need to spread out.

    Sound (or silence) it out.

    Some people need absolute silence to focus, while others thrive in the midst of noise. You can save appropriate soundscapes on your computer or phone to help you focus. Create a study playlist of “working songs” (depending on the person, that could feature hard rock, dubstep, classical piano sonatas, etc.). If music isn’t your thing, check out ambient or white noise generators, which create background noise to fit your preferences (like rainfall or “coffeeshop” sounds). And if you really like your silence… A pair of earplugs is your best friend!

    Eliminate distractions.

    Next time you’re finding it hard to concentrate, try and figure out what exactly is stopping you from getting your work done—and get rid of it. If Facebook updates or texts are constantly distracting you, disable those features on your devices (or put them away altogether). If you’re in a spot where people won’t stop talking, pack up your things and grab an individual study room. If you’re working near a window and can’t stop people-watching, close the curtains. It’s for your own good!

    Make it your own.

    The image of a cramped gray cubicle in a dimly lit office strikes panic in many of our hearts. Your workspace doesn’t have to be synonymous with a jail cell. You can actually form positive associations with your work if you personalize your environment a little. This can take on many forms: an inspiring desktop background, a mug of your favourite tea, a scented candle, a cat on your lap, etc. When work gets stressful, having familiar and comforting objects around can help you calm down.

  • Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    Many volunteer centres are independent non-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions:

    – Promote volunteering

    – Build the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers

    – Facilitate connections between people with volunteer opportunities

    – Provide leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizen engagement

    If you want to volunteer, your local volunteer centre is there to connect you to opportunities in your community. It may have a database of volunteer opportunities or can connect you directly to opportunities within its member organizations.

  • How to Take Good Notes

    How to Take Good Notes

    Whether you’re in high school, college or university, note-taking is a valuable skill. As a student, it’s your responsibility to record and understand what the instructor is saying, especially in a lecture setting, where handouts or PowerPoint slides may not be provided at all. Good note-taking can make the difference between simply memorizing material and truly understanding what you’re learning, which is why it’s likely your grades will get a boost out of it, too.

    When you’re trying to keep up with a lecture, only jot down key points. You can typically tell which parts of the class are important for you to remember and which parts are just side notes or bonus material. Don’t get hung up on writing down every single point the instructor makes. Not only is doing so not that valuable, but you’ll never be able to get it all! Pay attention to key names, dates and concepts, and focus on summarizing the important information you learn in class.

    If you’re still having trouble getting the information down, use shortcuts. As long as you can understand what you’re writing, there’s no need to capitalize everything or use proper punctuation. Using short forms of words (e.g. instead of for example, bc instead of because, etc.) is a great strategy. If you miss something, keep going, but mark that section so you know to refer back to it and fill in the blanks later. (Some instructors also allow students to record their lectures as a bonus aid—but ask first.)

    When you’re in class, it’s useful to make references between the lesson and the relevant textbook passages or provided material. You’ll be able to form a more cohesive link between what the instructor is saying and your homework or readings, and therefore you’ll understand the material better. Jotting down things like “see page A” or “refer to diagram on slide B” will help you make sense of what you wrote down when you’re studying later.

    That being said, don’t copy. If a lecturer provides a handout, constantly references the textbook or publishes PowerPoint slides online, there’s no use in jotting down that information word for word: you already have the source to refer to later. If you focus only on registering what’s already in your books, you might miss points that are not provided for you, but that the instructor still expects you to know.

    Finally, review and summarize—at the end of the week (or, if you can bear it, after each class), go back over your notes. Highlight key ideas and look up things you didn’t understand the first time around. As well, consider making a summary of each note (3-5 sentences at most) to help you grasp the main points of that particular class. You can refer to those summaries when you’re studying for tests or exams.

  • Study Help: The Best Websites for English Literature

    Study Help: The Best Websites for English Literature

    Studying English literature might seem like a very easy thing, with nothing complicated about it. You just pick up a book and read it, right? Reading is a large part of the work, but it can often be more complicated than it seems. Students often need help with understanding what the texts really mean and sometimes even with just finding the texts. A library is always a good source of information in this area, but sometimes students want the convenience of looking online. But how do you find the best and most helpful websites?

    When you study English literature, the first thing to do is to read the texts. You might read modern books by authors like Margaret Atwood or you might read ancient texts by authors like the Greek writer Sophocles. Most of the modern books are easy to find in bookstores and libraries, but the older ones might be a bit more difficult to find. You also might not want to spend a lot of money on buying books that you expect to read only for your classes. In many cases, you can solve this problem by finding the books online. If the book was written over seventy-five years ago, you can likely find the full text on websites like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/), the Literature Network (http://www.literature.org/) or Adelaide e-books (http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/meta/titles/A.html).

    Why are only older books available on websites like these ones? It’s because as long as the authors are alive, they or their relatives own the copyright to the work. No one is allowed to reprint it without the author’s or publisher’s permission for at least fifty or seventy-five years after the author’s death. After that, however, the literary works are normally in the public domain, which means that they can be freely republished anywhere, including on the Internet.

    Finding places to read literature is the first step, but students sometimes need a bit more help. The Literature Network (http://www.online-literature.com) gives the full texts of many books and poems, but it also includes biographical and historical information. Do you need to know what Renaissance or Victorian literature was like? You can find out about these eras on the Literature Network. The site also includes quotations and many different kinds of information that can help people understand how literature reflects the history and culture of each time period.

    Understanding the background to literature is essential to understanding what it is about, but sometimes readers need an even more basic level of help. Writers from previous centuries often used a vocabulary and writing style that modern readers might find difficult to understand. Sometimes, the meanings of words change from one century to another. At other times, writers from different eras wrote very complicated works with advanced vocabulary. However, there is help for people reading difficult texts. The Visual Thesaurus VocabGrabber (http://www.visualthesaurus.com/vocabgrabber) can help translate sections of text into something more manageable for modern readers.

    If studying English literature is difficult for you, you might want to check some of these websites for information that can help you.

  • Everything in Moderation: The Balanced Approach to Healthy Eating

    Everything in Moderation: The Balanced Approach to Healthy Eating

    Healthy eating is important for reasons I’m sure you already know about: to keep your energy levels high and to allow your body to function at its peak. But eating well is just as important psychologically as it is physically and, from a mental health standpoint, it’s important to practice a balanced rather than an all-or-nothing approach.

    To me, “eating well” means focusing on whole foods, minimizing processed foods and consuming lots of fruit and vegetables. “Eating well” means choosing whole grains instead of white starch, and brown rather than white rice and pastas. It means eating a healthy and balanced breakfast, eating every 4 hours or so and staying well hydrated.

    What “eating well” does not mean is dieting, or staying away from anything containing sugar. “Eating well” doesn’t mean never eating dessert, and it definitely doesn’t mean not enjoying what you eat and using food as punishment. Thinking that you need to eat a perfectly clean diet with no treats whatsoever is dangerous, and can lead to disordered eating.

    Enjoying and indulging in treats once in awhile will not make a dent in an otherwise healthy diet. Rather, it will keep you balanced psychologically, and it will result in a healthier attitude toward food. Denying yourself the piece of cake you really want does not always mean that you’re disciplined; instead, it means that you’ll probably binge on it later and “start again tomorrow.” This can result in a vicious cycle; rather, be friends with desserts. If you really want to be healthy, have a little; if you’re still thinking about it and want to have some more, have some. Don’t get trapped into believing that having dessert means you aren’t eating well.

    You can also make healthy, unprocessed treats and desserts for yourself using natural sweeteners like honey and agave nectar. There are lots of websites with ideas for delicious and chemical-free desserts that will fuel your mind and body with clean energy. Just remember that, as important as it is to provide your body with the fuel it needs to work well, it’s equally important to enjoy the food you eat in order to keep your mind calm and balanced.

  • Career Profile: Addictions Counselor

    Career Profile: Addictions Counselor

    Addictions counselors are specialists trained to help counsel or talk through people’s problems with addiction. This includes drug and alcohol addiction, substance abuse problems, gambling addiction and more. Each case that an addictions counselor receives will be different. Your job is basically to help support people with problems and try to help them learn to understand and cope with their addictions, as well as finding out and addressing the root cause of the addictive behaviour and developing a plan to help the client to overcome it.

    Addictions counselors may be hired to work in a number of different facilities, but the job remains to help people deal with their addiction problems. Some places where addictions counselors are commonly hired include: hospitals (especially in mental health wards), drug/alcohol and gambling rehabilitation centres (both private and public), as well as harm reduction centres and homeless shelters, such as those operated by the Salvation Army.

    It is not easy to become qualified as an addictions counselor, but you’ll find that the job is rewarding and well worth the work if it is something that you are truly passionate about. Most counselor positions will require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in the fields of either human resources, social sciences or psychology. You will also most likely be required to get a certificate in counseling as well. This can be obtained at most colleges after a one year course on counseling.

    Dedication is perhaps the most important quality for an addictions counselor to possess. Many of the cases will be difficult and the hours are often odd and long, but the reward comes in the satisfaction of knowing that you’re helping out fellow people with their problems. This job will require you to have very good problem solving skills, patience, excellent communication skills and, above all, a strong sense of empathy.

    When you’re in college and university, it’s best to focus on courses that will help you towards achieving your eventual goal of an addictions counseling job. Some classes that will help you on your way include: anything to do with sociology or psychology, law, education, administration, anthropology, and philosophy and ethics. Many centres vary in the qualities they are looking for in their counseling staff, so you may find that you’re more comfortable working in a shelter or rehab centre than in a more formal hospital setting.

    Much like the employment requirements, the rate of pay for counselors can vary widely from centre to centre, so do a bit of research to find out which sort of place you’d like to work and check out the centres in your area to get an idea of what sort of salary to expect. Seniority is often based on which counselor is the most experienced, so counselors that have been doing the job for years will often be paid more than staff who have just been hired.

    Addiction counseling is a tough field to get into and the work is not easy. Expect long hours and irregular shifts when you start out. You’ll need to be able to converse with and help people of all walks of life, so good people skills are a must. A thick skin is also required; Much like paramedics, addictions counselors may have to face moral dilemmas and hear tragic stories. However, if you do pursue addictions counseling, it is one of the fastest growing career fields out there. It will leave you with a sense of satisfaction from having helped people.

  • What is a Technical Writer?

    What is a Technical Writer?

    When you read the instruction manual for your favorite software or gadget, do you ever ask yourself, “Who writes this stuff?” In case you’re curious, that person is a technical writer.

    A technical writer is a professional writer who simplifies complex technical and business documentation for a product or service to maximize reader comprehension. Technical writers produce relevant, accurate and complete information that helps the target audience find what they need, understand what they find and use that understanding to accomplish a goal. The goal can be complying with a policy, learning a software application or following work safety practices. Technical writers can have various job titles, including content developer, information developer, technical communicator or technical documentation specialist.

    Job opportunities exist for technical writers across many industries like banking, healthcare, transportation, oil and gas, government, military, manufacturing, information technology, insurance, architecture and engineering. Companies employ technical writers to produce technical documentation like software user manuals and engineering specifications or business documentation like company policies and reports. Technical writers can also be called upon to produce website content, warning labels, how-to videos, online help, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), test plans and more.

    If you’re still in high school, the best subjects to take to prepare for a technical writing career are English, journalism and computer-related courses. Try to learn some Microsoft Office programs, especially Word and PowerPoint.

    Although technical writing is not a regulated field, it will serve you well to take post-secondary training. Several schools offer a one-year certificate or a two-year diploma program in technical writing. Depending on the school, you may need a Bachelor’s degree before entering. These programs prepare you for a career in technical writing through a combination of course work and on-site placement. You’ll learn about research, audience analysis, technical writing, editing, information design, indexing, documentation project management and more. In addition, you’ll be introduced to the tools of the trade like Visio (a flowchart tool), FrameMaker (a publishing tool) and RoboHelp (an online help tool).

    To succeed as a technical writer, you’ll need strong research and communication skills to gather complex information from various sources then translate it into plain language. You must be a people person because you’ll work with not only writers and editors, but also with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) like engineers, testers and computer programmers. You may also work with people in high positions like your manager, director, or even the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). If you’re the only writer in the company, you’ll have to work independently and solve documentation problems on your own since you won’t have the support of another writer.

    Technical writing can be very demanding, but it pays well. The average annual salary ranges from $37,000 to $82,000; and the average hourly rate ranges from $16.00 to $51.00. You can make more money if you have a technical background in engineering, computer science or network security.

    If you can grasp complex concepts quickly and have a flair for writing, technical writing may be the career for you.

  • Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours

    As you know, all high school students need to have 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Use this information to discover where your 40 hours can best be used.

    Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. With more than 200 in Canada, each volunteer centre’s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community.

    To find a volunteer centre in your area, click here.

    Many volunteer centres are independent non-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions:

    – Promote volunteering

    – Build the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers

    – Facilitate connections between people with volunteer opportunities

    – Provide leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizen engagement

    If you want to volunteer, your local volunteer centre is there to connect you to opportunities in your community. It may have a database of volunteer opportunities or can connect you directly to opportunities within its member organizations.