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Category: Campus Life

  • The Difference Between a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree

    The Difference Between a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree

    Many people say that an education is the key to a good job, a high income and a good life. That might not always be true, but earning a bachelor’s or a master’s degree is a good idea for anyone who wants to work in professions like education or law. Sometimes a bachelor’s degree is enough, but sometimes a master’s degree is necessary. How can you know how much education to get? Knowing the difference between a bachelor’s and master’s degree can get you started on making a decision.

    How much education you need for your chosen profession depends very much on what level of work you want to do. A Bachelor of Education, for example, is all that most teachers need to work in the classroom. If they want to work as supervisors or school principals, however, they might need to work towards a master’s degree. In fields like English literature, psychology or sociology, a bachelor’s degree is usually only the first step towards further training and rarely leads directly to a job. In programs such as nursing, however, a bachelor’s degree is considered a high level of education. Each field has somewhat different requirements and job possibilities.

    Despite all of these differences, most bachelor’s or master’s programs have some elements in common. Bachelor’s degrees are general introductions to the field and cover a wide variety of topics. Usually, students in these programs take some classes outside their chosen field, at least in the first year or two. A science student might be required to take an English literature or history class, for example, and an English literature student might be required to take a science class.

    Bachelor’s programs might be three years or four years long. Completing these programs normally involves relatively small assignments like research papers, tests, experiments and exams. Students get the information they need mainly through lectures the professor gives during class and through reading the textbooks and other materials, with an occasional student presentation to give others a chance to teach.

    At the master’s level, things begin to change. Most master’s classes use a seminar style, with students giving longer presentations and participating in discussions on each day’s topic. Class size is usually much smaller than at the bachelor’s level, but the assignments are more difficult. One of the biggest assignments is usually the thesis, which is a long paper of anywhere from about thirty to a hundred pages on a topic that the student chooses. Sometimes students can complete another major assignment instead of a thesis, but both choices involve a lot of work.

    If you find studying and research very difficult, a master’s degree might not be right for you. If your chosen career has few job prospects, you might need to consider your options carefully. However, if you are willing to do a lot of hard work, a bachelor’s or master’s degree might be good choices for you.

  • The Importance of Being a Dreamer

    The Importance of Being a Dreamer

    Without having dreams, you may find that your life is kind of boring. Although being realistic about life is important, it’s good to have dreams as well.

    Maybe you are in school full-time and you work two part-time jobs to cover the costs for school and yourself. You are starting to feel stressed and exhausted. Knowing your overall purpose and goals in doing all of this is important. You need to finish school to get that degree so you can nab your dream career and live the lifestyle that you want. That’s your dream and, in order to make that come true, you need to do whatever it takes now to accomplish that for your future.

    Maybe you are working a 9-5 dead-end job and don’t feel fulfilled in your life. You have reached a point in your life where you feel there is no career growth in your job and you feel you are stuck because you have responsibilities and bills to pay. Who has time to dream, you may ask yourself? What can possibly come of it?

    If you don’t allow yourself to dream, you are truly doing an injustice to yourself. You may have decided at a young age exactly what you wanted to be when you grew up. But now that you are planning to go to university to achieve that goal (or perhaps you are already there), are you happy? You have to ask yourself what is it that you really want to do. What are you passionate about? Maybe you want to be a dancer or a writer. What’s stopping you from pursuing your dreams? The answer is you.

    Yes it’s important to pay those bills. But why not have that full-time job and pursue your dreams on the side? If you want to be a dancer, take some dance classes on the side to perfect your craft and connect with people in the dance industry.

    If you want to be a writer, start emailing editors of blogs, magazines and newspapers and say you are interested in contributing even if it for no pay. This way you will establish contacts in the journalism industry, you can get exposure and you can build your portfolio. These are just a few examples.

    You will be pleasantly surprised to discover that your dreams can become a reality. This is why it’s so important to continue dreaming – you never know what can come out of them.

  • Don’t Distress – De-Stress!

    Don’t Distress – De-Stress!

    Are you feeling the pressure? Whether you’re saving up for college or studying, no doubt stress can take a toll. A little bit of pressure can actually be a good thing; often, it pushes you to do the best you can and you consequently achieve even greater results. But if you constantly feel anxious and panicked about what’s going on around you, you may have a problem managing stress. You’ve probably got a lot on your plate to worry about already—a nervous breakdown is the last thing you need.

    Stress can manifest itself in many forms and, as a result, it has the potential to negatively impact all aspects of your life. Stress can have physical effects, including insomnia, nervous tics and vulnerability to illness (like catching a cold). Unfortunately, these effects make stress even harder to handle, wearing down your stamina as well as your motivation. Even more concerning is the damper stress can put on your psychological well-being: constant pressure to do well  is often detrimental to your self-esteem. If you’re plagued by stress, it may alarm you to notice that it starts to affect your enjoyment of life as a whole.

    The crucial thing is to not let it get that far. Stress is a slippery slope, but there are a couple of things you can do to make sure it doesn’t drag you down with it. Here are some ideas to kick your anxiety to the curb and embrace a positive, healthy lifestyle:

    1. Get organized. Projects can be daunting when you try to take them on all at once. Set up a schedule and section off your massive to-do list into more manageable chunks. A little work each day is much easier to handle than an all-nighter; as difficult as it is, try not to procrastinate as this can only accumulate more anxiety.

    2. Take breaks. It may be difficult for you to stop in media res (especially if you’ve got a deadline coming up), but working endlessly compromises both your efforts and your health. After each hour of work, grab a snack, chat with your family or take a quick stroll outside. You’ll be able to concentrate much more easily once you get back to work.

    3. Be realistic. Sometimes, you just can’t have it all: if the pressure’s really bugging you, reconsider your priorities. Do what’s necessary first and leave the small stuff for later. It’s not possible to do everything absolutely perfectly, so focus on the things that matter the most.

    4. Appreciate yourself. Instead of focusing on every little thing you’re doing wrong, redirect your energy to your achievements. You can set up a rewards system to recognize your hard work—for instance, if you ace that exam, celebrate by having a fun night out with your friends. It’s important to maintain a positive mindset, even when things get tough.

  • Can High School Dropouts Still Go to College or University?

    Can High School Dropouts Still Go to College or University?

    Most people receive a lot of advice over their lifetimes. Can you think of some of the things that others have told you? One bit of advice that you might have heard from your parents and teachers is that you should stay in school and continue on to graduation. That way, you will be able to go to university or college and get a good job in the future. However, not everyone manages to finish high school, whether by choice or through problems in their lives. How can they ever continue their education? The process might be difficult, but high school dropouts can still go to university or college if they want.

    Students might have many different reasons for dropping out of school, such as a crisis in their lives, a change in family circumstances or a move to a remote area of the country where high school is unavailable. Some students might have finished the work to graduate but not have a Canadian diploma because they were homeschooled or because they finished their education overseas. In most cases, the process for getting into a Canadian university or college is similar for all of these people.

    One of the most common ways to get into higher education is to write an entrance exam set by the university or college. Foreign students whose first language is not English often have to pass these exams before they can get into Canadian universities and colleges, and people who have dropped out of high school can do the same to show that they have the skills and knowledge they need. Most universities and colleges also accept people who are at least twenty-one years old as “mature students” without requiring them to meet any specific academic standards.

    Being accepted into a college or university is a good first step, but students also need to be able to do the work or they will not be able to graduate. Students in many post-secondary institutions need to be able to organize their own work, write long papers and complete complicated projects, often with very little help from their instructors. Taking courses through Continuing Education programs or through online universities can help people develop the skills they need to be able to complete their coursework. Some universities, such as Oxford University in England and Stanford University in the United States, even offer free online courses in various subjects. Students might not be able to receive degrees through these programs, but they offer a good chance to learn and to practice the skills they need for their studies.

    Have you dropped out of high school and are you thinking of going to university or college? Many people have done that, and they have been successful in achieving their goals. If you left school but still enjoy learning, you can return to your studies and maybe gain a new career or help yourself become better at your current job. It’s never too late to improve your mind and your skills with a post-secondary education.

  • Career Profile: Lawyer

    Career Profile: Lawyer

    Are you interested in the law? Lawyers are intelligent, perseverant and outspoken individuals responsible for promoting the rights and values of their clients. They do incredibly varied work, from drafting a house deed to suing corporations for damages to defending our rights in court. Studying the law is a lot of work, but it is incredibly rewarding. If you’re looking to be on the front lines of one of our most important social institutions, this career is one worth fighting for.

    Here’s an overview of the process and requirements you need to become a lawyer.
    • An undergraduate university degree (4 years). There is no requirement for what field you wish to major in — many future law students pursue a degree in social science or communications, but law schools definitely accept students from all fields.
    • The LSAT. You must score high enough on the Law School Admission Test to meet your chosen law school’s cut-offs. (As well, you must meet the GPA standing with your undergraduate degree.)
    • Law school (3 years).
    • Articling (10 months — you apply for a position between 2nd and 3rd year). Basically, this involves working under the guidance of an already qualified lawyer. You get paid, too!
    • The Bar. Finally, you must pass the Bar Admission Course including its required exams.

    If you’re looking to become a lawyer, there are a variety of fields of law to explore, including:
    • Criminal – often popularized in movies or TV; deals with criminal offenses and offenders. Positions are either defense (speaking on behalf of the accused) or Crown attorney (prosecuting on behalf of the government).
    • Corporate – deals with the relationships between corporations or businesses, including contracts, taxes, etc.
    • Public Interest – involves doing legal work for public interest groups, directly linked with human rights, education, and aid
    • Torts – deals with personal injury law; filing lawsuits on behalf of your client, who was wronged in some way by another
    • Family – deals with marriage, divorce and custody of children

    Your duties as a lawyer vary depending on the field you’re in. Most lawyers conduct research for cases, consult with clients, present cases in court and file lots of paperwork. If you’re looking for an easy ride, being a lawyer is not the job for you — it’s an incredibly demanding career, requiring a lot of skills, determination and hard work. That being said, the higher the risk, the higher the reward: lawyers are often paid quite handsomely for their efforts, especially in the private sector.

    If you’re opinionated, determined and love a good debate, a career in law is something worth investigating. Don’t let the lengthy process discourage you: you can do anything you set your mind to if you’re passionate about your work. For all you future lawyers out there — study hard and be prepared for the career of a lifetime.

  • Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours with Volunteer Centres

    Getting Your 40 Volunteer Hours with Volunteer Centres

    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.

  • You Are Your Best Cheerleader

    You Are Your Best Cheerleader

    Do you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed out by things happening at school or even at home? Everybody has bad days sometimes. Life can throw curve balls at you that you never expect. Maybe you’re not getting along with your friend or maybe you didn’t make the sports team you really wanted to make. These types of problems can make you feel down and upset. This is completely normal; not every day is going to be perfect. We all go through this, so don’t feel like you’re alone.

    What is most important about going through tough times is how you deal with them. You can choose to talk to other people about how you’re feeling. Whether it’s a teacher, a parent or a friend, these are all people who care about you and will listen to your problems. They want you to succeed as well. When you can’t turn to them you can always turn to yourself – don’t count yourself out.

    You are your best cheerleader at the end of the day. By cheerleader I don’t mean someone  holding pom-poms. By cheerleader I mean that you have the ability to motivate yourself to do difficult things and feel better about yourself. Everybody has their own way of doing this. Maybe your way of being a cheerleader is that you like to reward yourself after accomplishing your goal or you like to mentally encourage yourself.  It’s perfectly okay to give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while. In fact, it’s healthy!

    Sometimes fear can be your own worst enemy. You may be scared to try something new or don’t feel like you are capable of succeeding in a new situation. Having the confidence within yourself that you can succeed is the best way to accomplish your goals. Instead of putting yourself down, try encouraging yourself and thinking positively about a situation. Try replacing any negative feelings with positive ones. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Something as little as a change in attitude can do wonders for your self-esteem.

    You know that just because you didn’t make the sports team doesn’t mean you’re not good at that sport. Maybe you can practice more and prepare yourself for tryouts next year. You also know that just because things at home haven’t been great lately that it is not your fault; sometimes other factors play a role in hard situations. Having a positive outlook on things and cheering yourself on will improve your confidence. If you start believing that you can do anything you set your mind to, you will see results. So start thinking like your own personal cheerleader!

  • The Importance of Finding Peace Within

    The Importance of Finding Peace Within

    In a world filled with obligations and seemingly never ending stress, finding inner peace can seem like the stuff of fairytales. The reality is that the majority of us are feeling the pressure of our daily lives in a big way. Poor quality food (yes chips, I am talking about you), poor sleeping habits (five hours a day truly isn’t enough) and mismanaged time can leave a person feeling perpetually like a ping pong ball darting back and forth on the table of life.

    As busy as our lives might be, it is important to find the time to look inwards to find a sense of peace in order to have some semblance of balance. Not only does finding inner peace feel good, it is essential. Inner peace means different things to different people, but the core of the definition remains the same; feeling internal harmony with an absence of internal strife. As previously mentioned, inner peace is essential; our three states of being (physical, spiritual and mental) rely upon it. Without it, anxiety, stress, depression, fear and restlessness – all bi-products of an absence of inner peace – are given leeway to take over our lives.

    As cliché as this may sound, inner peace helps to make the world go round. Let’s take that statement and apply it to a hypothetical situation. If there was a doctor who was manic depressive and due to his depression was unable to focus for long periods of time, developed chronic memory loss or became unreliable in his or her attendance at the office, said doctor could wind up causing some serious damage to or even killing one or more of his or her patients. The wrong medication could be prescribed, a client could be misdiagnosed or a hopeful patient would have traveled to the doctor’s office in vain looking for an absent doctor. Medical and legal chaos would ensue. As extreme as this example may seem, the absence of inner peace can cause such a large amount of discord in our lives through blindsided snowball effects that it can alter it and those around us.

    In an effort to find inner peace many of us turn to spirituality or religion. As the Dalai Lama so wisely stated, “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” His words mirror the teachings of so many religions today. In some way, shape or form, every religion functions on the act of mastering internal peace and then applying it externally. This transference of peace dictates the way that we live and communicate. Aside from religion, other methods of obtaining inner peace are through meditation, listening or creating music or engaging in a relaxing activity. Regardless of what you choose to do, remember that a peaceful person is a happy person and so are the people around them.

  • Keeping a Journal

    At first, keeping a journal doesn’t sound very cool. It conjures up clichéd images of TV journalists or of diaries with scented pages. However, there are actually lots of benefits to keeping a journal, especially during the exciting time after high school when the world is open to be explored.

    Life can get stressful, especially as you take on more responsibilities and challenges as you get older. Sometimes going to school, maintaining a social life or working can clutter up the mind with worries. Keeping a journal is like a kind of private therapy; you can write down your fears, hopes, dreams, frustrations and the troubles of daily life without any fear of judgment. Many people find that writing their thoughts down in a journal helps to clear the mind, reduces overall stress and helps to maintain an ordered lifestyle.

    If you choose to go to college or university, keeping a journal can be really helpful for keeping track of assignments, classes and presentations. In addition to that, this can be the most exciting part of your life and keeping a journal is a great way to preserve your experiences as a young adult for years to come. Furthermore, keeping a regular, up-to-date journal can help keep one’s writing and English skills fresh and ready; a distinct advantage if you find yourself needing to write an essay.

    Keeping a journal can be great for creative reasons, too. If you’re a poet, writer or like to draw, a journal can be an excellent place to exercise your creative muscles and write stories, draw pictures or write poems in addition to writing down important daily events.

    Writing before bed can be very relaxing, and the importance of a good sleep schedule can’t be stressed enough – especially when entering the workforce or university and college. Doing a bit of writing before bed can help to establish a good routine, a solid sleep schedule and can help cause drowsiness for a good night’s sleep. Writing isn’t just for bedtime though; keeping a journal can be therapeutic at any time of day. It can really help you to sort out your feelings, whether they are anger, sadness, love, happiness or frustration. Seeing your thoughts put down on paper (or on a computer, it’s up to you) can help to put things in a different perspective or show things from a different angle which can really help with problem solving.

    Whatever your age, occupation, or education, writing a journal is an awesome way to keep your thoughts in order, deal with personal problems, relax and chronicle the highs and lows of your life.

  • Conquering Your Fears About Success

    Conquering Your Fears About Success

    Life is scary. There is no way around it. Life challenges you to bring what you have to the table. Life challenges you to use all of your resources and to make the best of it! You can face it or avoid it, but life is something you can fight or bow away from. Life offers opportunity and you can take it and run with it or you can turn away from it and let it squash you.

    Time is an essential component of life and it is what determines whether you are ready or not for the challenges that face you. Sometimes you are too young for the challenges you face and that is why you fail. Other times you are old enough for the challenges that face you and you succeed.

    There are various components to any challenge, and your level of expertise in each of the dimensions will help to determine your success or your failure at the task at hand. There is a social dimension, where mastery comes from being adept at fitting in or leading your social environment. There is an emotional component where your mastery would be in the form of being able to manage and use your emotions in constructive ways to help you to adapt and succeed in your environment. There is also a technical aspect to be mastered, that is the skills required to accomplish the task at hand. Whether they are scientific, logic, mathematical, artistic or creative, the skills required to accomplish a task are essential to have in order to achieve success at the goal you are pursuing.

    Life is a series of goals that you are looking to achieve. If you are to be successful, you must either be a master of one dimension or a jack of all trades. Some people are really good at one particular thing, while other people are good at a variety of things that, through balancing each of the dimensions, they see success. A person with a PhD, for example, may be exceptional at science, logic, English or something else, but they may be less adept at other areas of their life. They may, however, be exceptional at one area and equally or at least competent enough in other areas of their life. Some people are only modestly good at a variety of areas of their life.

    What you can bring to the table is essentially all you have and a lot of what you have is genetic and based on what you’ve learned in your upbringing. How you use what you have determines your success. If you are particularly adept at certain things, you can decide how you want to express yourself within those dimensions. Perhaps you want to challenge yourself and pursue something challenging that you aren’t particularly adept at but would like to practice. Perhaps you would  like to capitalize on something that you are extremely good at and know very well, so you can experience self-actualization and feel in sync with the universe and your life’s purpose.

    Conquering fears involves facing what you have to offer and making a decision as to how you want to apply it to the world. When we fight, we are facing our fears or our enemies, and we are putting them in their place. On your path toward your destiny, you are going to need to be able to be aware that some people are wrong, that some people will not be your supporters, that some people will be against you, will ridicule you, will limit you to only what they know. You can remember that you are only as good as the person you are speaking with. I could be speaking with someone who has had a totally different life experience and so they would not reflect to me what I believe. Everyone has different life experiences and different pressures on them, and we are all just trying to survive and succeed.