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Category: Campus Life

  • Good Foods to Fight Depression

    Good Foods to Fight Depression

    There is far more to our diet than just calories and carbohydrate counting. In fact, there are many people who would say diet can help solve a lot of personal problems we struggle with. Depression is one of the main medical problems that our diet can help with.

    What is depression? Some medical professionals say it is caused by an imbalance of a neurotransmitter inside the brain called serotonin. The idea behind this theory is that if you have enough serotonin to flood your brain all will be well.

    The main problem with this is that there is not enough science to back it up. Doctors may push drug therapy, but essentially they are pushing a theory only. There have been studies which have shown dramatically increasing the serotonin levels in the brain actually failed to relieve depression! The very opposite of what the professionals claim. There is certainly a discrepancy between the science and the prescription of choice. Perhaps the money behind the drugs is a powerful motivator.

    Taking more of a radical (or perhaps traditional) approach to our health, specifically depression, often works better than modern medicine. If we were to pay attention to the vitamin and mineral deficiencies that plague most North American diets and then remedy them with the appropriate food, the rampant symptoms of depression would likely decline. How many of us are guilty of consuming empty carbs, excessive caffeine and far too much sugar?

    What kinds of food actually help beat down depression? For starters, most whole grains – such as brown rice, pasta and breads. The white variety just doesn’t cut it. The reason is that there are B6 & B1 vitamins and folic acid in whole grains and oats. Quinoa and spelt are two other grain varieties that offer brain-boosting nutrients. Cabbage is an excellent choice to help fight stress and infection – and even heart disease. There are lots of ways to get cabbage into your diet if you get creative. Other foods that boost serotonin and help fight depression are sweet potatoes, dark chocolate, flax seeds and turkey.

    It is not a matter of giving up the foods we love that are not good for us. That likely is not a real possibility. It’s all about making small changes, adding bits here and there and ultimately being intentional about our health.

  • Protect Your Ears

    Protect Your Ears

    People are loud. iPods are loud. Cafes are loud. Subways are loud. Our ears just aren’t designed for all that noise! Since no one wants to be middle-aged and shouting at the grocery store, it’s important to know the dangers your ears face and how to avoid them.

    According to the Hearing Foundation of Canada, hearing loss “is the fastest growing, and one of the most prevalent, chronic conditions facing Canadians today”. Hearing loss in younger people is also getting worse. This can make it hard to hear speech when there is background noise or give you trouble telling apart low and high sounds. It essentially kills your ability to hear music properly!

    Have you ever been in a really loud place, like a concert, and when you leave your ears are ringing? Well, if that happens a lot, you can develop a condition called tinnitus where the ringing won’t stop.

    This isn’t just something old people have to worry about. I got tinnitus when I was 20. I was a drummer and went to a lot of concerts. After a while, that ringing sound became permanent. I haven’t had a minute of silence since. Many tinnitus sufferers need to keep a noise-making machine in the room to drown out the ringing and help them sleep.

    The artist Vincent Van Gogh suffered from tinnitus. A lot of people have heard the story about how he cut off his ear. A common belief now is that he cut it off because of a bad tinnitus attack.

    There are a few things you can do so you don’t end up as that old dad who has his cell phone volume turned up way too high or a crazy artist cutting off his ears. First, just be aware of the noise around you. It’s not just the volume you should be paying attention to, but also how long you’re exposed to it. You can be in a noisy restaurant for about 8 hours a day before your ears have had enough. On the other hand, if you listen to your iPod at top volume (so loud that everyone around you can hear it, too) you can cause permanent damage in less than 30 seconds (according to the Canadian Academy of Audiology).

    If you listen to an iPod, get good headphones. The best type of headphones you can buy are the ones that cover your ears and cut out sound from outside. That way you don’t have to keep turning up the volume to compete with the world.

    If you’re at a concert or in a place with loud music playing, go outside for a minute to give your ears a rest.

    If you’re a musician or someone who likes live music, you have to be extra careful. There’s something you should know about called “Musician’s earplugs”. These earplugs are molded to your inner ear and can drop sound levels without warping the sound and lots of professional musicians use them.

    Hearing loss and tinnitus aren’t only brought on by loud noises. There are other causes, like genetics and aging. Still, in this world filled with loud music, cell phones and other noise, we have to do what we can to keep on hearing well into our old age.

  • Teaching English Abroad

    Teaching English Abroad

    Do you love adventure? Do you love teaching? Do you long to strike out on your own and see the world? And do you want to be paid while doing it? If so, teaching English abroad may be for you!

    What will I need?
    At the very least you will need a four year Bachelors Degree (BA). Your degree can be in anything from art history to zoology, but obviously a degree in English, education, or linguistics will provide you an edge.

    With just a BA you will have a handful of options available to you including, but not limited to, teaching in Japan, South Korea, China, and parts of Eastern Europe and South America. With additional courses and training, more options in more countries with better income, perks and stability become available. What is better is that many of these courses offer help finding positions, with some even guaranteeing to help you find one – or your money back!

    Aside from that you will need citizenship from an English-speaking country, a passport valid for at least one year, a clean bill of health, and no criminal background.

    Is teaching overseas for me?
    Teaching isn’t for everyone and teaching English in a foreign country is doubly so. Unless you have a Master of Arts in English Language Teaching, chances are you will not be prepared for what awaits you. However, you shouldn’t despair as no employer will be expecting an amazing performance from day one.

    The three most important qualities a teacher can possess are: strong communication skills, adaptability and patience. Communication skills may seem like a given, but you must keep in mind that your students, co-workers and boss will not speak English as their first language (and some not at all). This means that you can’t always depend on others simply understanding your words; sometimes it will be necessary to simplify your expressions or approach what you are trying to communicate from another direction. Sometimes it may require the use of body language or even drawing abilities!

    Adaptability is also crucial as you must adjust everything about what you expect. In most cases the people you will encounter overseas will not only speak a different language then yourself, they will also have a different culture, set of ethics, and expectations for you. You must be able to “go with the flow” and learn to understand and appreciate their differences, not judge them as being wrong or worse than what you might be used to.

    Finally, patience is important because, as mentioned above, you will be working with individuals who may speak little to no English. This means a lot of repeating yourself and a lot of asking them to repeat themselves, too. Remember that they are learningEnglish, meaning they will need to first translate what you say into their language, then translate what they need to say back into English. Take your time and never take out your frustration on your students; remember – they are there to learn and you are there to teach!

    Final Words
    It goes without saying that an aptitude for teaching is crucial! You can volunteer at any elementary school to see if teaching is for you and, if it is, the experience will look very good to prospective employers. Good luck and bon voyage!

  • Getting Organized

    Getting Organized

    As we face another semester, the importance of getting organized is hugely evident. Whether you’re in Grade 9 or Grade 12, you are going to want to be sure that you know at least 4 pieces of information going in to this semester:

    1. What classes are you taking this semester? This question is really important for being able to prepare mentally for what is coming. If you know that you have five intensive classes, you are going to want to be sure to organize your social and extracurricular activities so that you have enough time to do homework. If you are also going to be working, you will want to be sure that you have organized your schedule to accommodate the extra stress of the difficult classes. This works the opposite way as well – if you have a lighter school schedule, you can pack more extracurricular and volunteer activities in to your schedule.

    2. Do you have all of the school supplies that you will need for the level of classes that you will be taking?
    Depending on what your semester has in store for you, you will need to make sure that you have at least the basics when it comes to school supplies, and you can wait until the first week of school to pick up any specialty supplies that you may need for an art or math class.

    3. Do you have a study spot that will be useful to you once the semester starts?
    Clearing off the holiday clutter from your desk will help you to start getting into “school mode”. You want to be somewhat mentally prepared for going back to school after the holiday break so that when your first assignment is due, you are ready to succeed. Feng Shui is the Japanese art of meditation and stress relief that says that having a calm environment helps to create calm in one’s mind. This is a useful tip to employ for your study area; try to keep it clean and organized so that your mind is less distracted when you need to focus.

    4. What are your rewards and landmarks along the way that will help you to keep going?
    School days can be tiring, especially if you are loaded down with courses that are heavy or difficult. You are still going to need to take some time off and make sure you allow time to have fun. Maybe your family is planning a vacation for spring break, or maybe you’ll go on a weekend shopping trip with friends. Whatever it is that you are looking forward to, be sure that you have those dates firmly implanted in your mind.When you are starting to feel stressed out, you will be able to persist because you know that you have something good to look forward to. If you don’t have anything planned, then plan something now!

  • Confidence Boosting Tips

    Confidence Boosting Tips

    Imagine for a second a world where you truly believe you can do anything; where the words “I can’t” no longer exist as part of your vocabulary. A place where you are as great as you always dreamed you could be. Now imagine that as your reality. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

    As great as it sounds, many of us have a hard time when it comes to self-confidence and self-esteem. Maybe it’s because from an early age we are taught not to “toot our own horn” too much or we will seem arrogant or egotistical. Doctor Bobbe Sommers, a world-renowned psychologist, said, “Having a low opinion of yourself is not ‘modesty’. It’s self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not ‘egotism’. It’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success.”

    But what does that mean and how do we hold our uniqueness in high regard?

    I have compiled a list of confidence boosting tips that may help you gain the happiness and success you want from life.

    –Discover yourself: Get to know you. Listen to what you are thinking and feeling. Know what you want and why you want it. If it helps, keep a journal to help you understand yourself better.

    –Make a list every day: On the list write at least three things you really like about yourself. For instance, “I like how I can make people laugh even in uncomfortable situations” or “I like my eye colour.” It can be absolutely anything you like about yourself. This will help remind you why it’s great being you.

    –“Dress for the job you want, not the one you have”: This may be an old cliché, but it’s stuck around for a reason. One of the best ways to feel good about yourself and to boost your self-confidence is to look good. Have a shower, do your hair, brush your teeth, wear nice clean clothes and comfy shoes and head out in the world with your head held high. This will surely get you noticed and get people to take you seriously.

    –Remove the word can’t: Stop saying “I can’t do that” before you even try. Fear of failure is common and sadly it prevents most of us from doing things we’ve always wanted to do. To overcome this, think positively – don’t think of the worst possible scenario. Picture yourself succeeding. Some of the greatest experiences you will have in this life will come from overcoming things you thought you couldn’t do.

    –Treat others the way you want to be treated: It’s karma, baby; the idea you get back what you send out into the world. So send out the good, and always remember to treat others fairly and kindly.

    –Be prepared: One of the best ways to improve your self-confidence is by being prepared. Whether it’s a test you need to study for, a university application you need to complete or a big basketball game coming up, make sure you are ready. Stop putting stuff off and get to it already. You will feel more confident if you are ready to face what’s ahead.

    –Be grateful: Don’t dwell on what you don’t have. Be thankful for all you do have.

    –Exercise: It’s a great way to immediately boost your mood. It also helps in the long term to boost self-confidence. You will be healthier, happier and more sure of yourself.

    –Listen to your favorite song: Nothing gives me an instant boost of confidence and energy, especially in the morning, as my favorite song. It really helps me have the right attitude to face the day with.

    The most important thing to remember is to think positively. If you believe you are good enough, the world will see you that way.

  • It’s Only Hard Until It’s Not

    It’s Only Hard Until It’s Not

    Walking, tying your shoes, reading, riding a bike, solving equations…they all seem hard to do at first. But suddenly, one day – it’s not.

    We generally enjoy doing things we are good at because they are easiest. But when it comes to post-secondary education, this would be the wrong mentality to have. College is not easy and requires a lot of dedication. Be sure to pick a course you’re passionate about, but don’t be discouraged if it gets hard. You’re definitely not the only one feeling that way! There IS help. Find out what services your school offers and use them. Most schools have tutors, counselors and other friendly staff who are there to help you succeed.

    Do not let the difficulty of a particular course effect you personally. Accept that it will be hard and devote yourself to getting through it. Remember – no program is made to be impossible. The best part of learning is surprising yourself about how much you can do. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Giving up is easy, but generally the easy choice is never the right one.

    Never say you can’t do anything. The ones who quit so easily without giving it their all are the ones who never really intended to stay. If you are someone with low self-confidence, try saying or writing down some daily affirmations. It may seem silly, but there’s magic in it. Say, “I am strong enough, I am smart enough, I can do it,” over and over again. Looking into the mirror is the best way to do your affirmations because you are confronting yourself. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins said, “People who fail focus on what they will have to go through; people who succeed focus on what it will feel like at the end.” This is what you should focus on, not the obstacles. Think back at other goals you have never accomplished; goals you had set for yourself a year of more ago but gave up on. Now think about what you could have accomplished had you not given up on that goal. Before you submit your application to the program of your choice, go see a counselor and talk to them about it. They know what the courses consist of and can help you make the right decision for you.

    It’s your life, it’s your time, it’s your future!

  • Professional Associations: Editors and More

    Professional Associations: Editors and More

    What kind of job do you want after you finish your education? Do you want to work in a profession like teaching, law or editing? If so, you can already start to find out more about how you can prepare for your future job. One way of doing that is by joining a professional association. Through the association you might be able to find good contacts, learn what you need to know to work in your field, and gain many good insights into your chosen profession.

    Most jobs have some kind of group that helps to connect people with each other and to give them the information on improving their work. In some professions, membership in these associations is required before people can begin their careers. These associations help to make sure their members work at a high standard and often offer training courses to help keep each member’s knowledge is as up-to-date as possible. Doctors’ and nurses’ associations are some examples. In other professions, membership is voluntary.

    Whether membership in a professional association is voluntary or required, it can be worth the time and effort to join as soon as possible. Meeting with others and having the chance to discuss professional questions can be a very valuable experience. Editors, for example, frequently work alone and often need people in a professional association for support and information.

    Many professional associations provide courses and short workshops on topics related to the work for people to maintain their skills and to learn new techniques. The Editors’ Association of Canada and the Manitoba Editors’ Association, for example, offer a variety of seminars and workshops on writing, editing, and computer skills. Many associations also give members a chance to discuss specific questions they have regarding their work.
    Through a professional association, you can learn a lot about what it takes to work in that field. Do you think you might want to be a lawyer or an engineer someday? Before you commit to a long and expensive university program, it might be a good idea to learn as much as you can about the work. A professional association is also a good place to start to make contacts with people who might be able to help you find work in the future. In some cases, what you learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the profession might even help you decide between two different careers.

    How soon can you join a professional association? It depends on the group, but you’ll probably need to finish high school and maybe even a few years of university before you can become a member. However, you can probably still attend some of the association’s events, such as the annual general meeting, before becoming a member. Another thing to consider is the association’s membership fees. Most associations require payment for membership, but these are usually lower for students than for other members.

    Being part of a professional association might seem expensive, but the experience can be very rewarding!

  • Following (and Loving!) Your Path

    Following (and Loving!) Your Path

    Education, much like a career, means different things to different people. In school we each have unique study habits, subject preferences and academic goals while maintaining different ideals regarding our own career paths.

    Some prefer the humanities while others lean toward the sciences. Some are interested in the computer sciences while others advocate the visual arts. Everyone has his or her own interests and that is important. As a student, it is your responsibility to pursue and practice something that you are passionate about or follow an academic path that will allow you to best achieve the career objectives you have set out for yourself.

    This can, however, be difficult. Many of us do not have a clear idea of what we want to pursue or do with our lives, let alone what classes we want to take. As such, our education becomes something of a trial and error until we manage to find a particular subject, skill or topic that we can be confident in pursuing.

    Joining clubs, choosing classes or attending lectures based on what you are passionate about or feel naturally drawn to will prove to be your means to this end. You can’t go wrong by pursuing your interests! University and college is a place for self-discovery, personal development and academic growth. It helps you to figure out who you want to be and what you want to study.

    Try not to stress too much. The decisions you make are important, but if you follow your passions and try to keep your options open you won’t stray too far. Over the course of your degree you’ll be spending countless hours in the library, lab and lectures so you might as well enjoy what you study.
    Always choose your classes carefully, but if you navigate your options successfully you will end up do what you love. Keep your options open, listen to your heart and you will soon be on YOUR path to the perfect career for you!

  • Gossip Is Bad For You

    Gossip Is Bad For You

    Gossip is something that is very prevalent in high school, generally due to all of the changes that people are going through. With any luck, gossiping will diminish as you grow up and move on with your life. It is a type of conversation that is not very productive in terms of creating positive change in communities, and in fact is often the source of a lot of unnecessary harm and pain.

    An interesting quote I read recently said: “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds gossip about people. Life is much too short to be lived talking about people, gossiping, and stirring up trouble that has no substance. If you don’t understand someone, ask questions. If you don’t agree with them, tell them. But don’t judge them behind their back to everyone else” –Entrepreneur Secrets 2012.

    This quote draws attention to the fact that there are often conversations that you would rather avoid, because they are nothing but mean-spirited and a waste of time. I disagree with the quote because I think that there is a time and a place for gossip. Often talking about other people is a way of understanding the social world that we live in, which is just as important as understanding anything else. Sometimes not talking about other people is a mistake because you don’t have an opportunity to digest what another person is about. People are interesting, and talking about them is not always a waste of time. The linchpin is the intention that you have when talking about other people. If you are attacking someone out of mean-spiritedness and to gain power over that individual, you must be bored or looking to “stir trouble” like the quote above says.

    I agree with the above mentioned quote in how they draw attention to the fact that not understanding someone should bring you to asking more questions. This is really true, because most of the time other people are misunderstood simply for lack of information. This is not something to capitalize on with gossip, but rather an opportunity to learn more about something that you don’t understand. A popular old adage states “don’t hate what you don’t understand”.

    In school and work situations, there will always be times when people will say or do things that you don’t agree with. It is during these situations that it is healthy to vent about the outcome of a certain conversation or event. The distinction to be made, however, is between attacking someone’s character and attacking their words or behaviours. There are relevant points and there are irrelevant points when talking about other people. If you are trying to capture them as an individual with pros and cons, this is usually a better approach than trying to twist them into a character with only cons. Most people are not evil, so spreading rumors and creating a monster out of someone else is simply mean and counter-productive.

    So resolve to stop the bad gossip in 2013!

  • Try Courses That Seem Interesting To You

    Try Courses That Seem Interesting To You

    With a new semester almost upon us, it may be time for you to choose specific classes that can help you get where you want to go. Choosing a major is one of the hardest parts of applying to university. Whatever you decide to study, try some courses that seem interesting to you whether they’re in your major or not. If you’re drawn towards philosophy and you don’t know why, try out a class anyway. See what it is and whether you see a place for yourself in it.

    Remember – university is basically the start of your career, even though it can be difficult to decide so early in life what you want to do. That’s why it’s designed to let you experiment with electives. It could be that you’ve always wanted to take a sculpture class, or it could be that, while registering for your classes, film history to 1940 somehow just jumps out at you. Try it. Find out why. You might find a new passion!

    Plenty of people end up switching their majors part of the way through university. Someone might start in biology only to realize, after taking a photography class, that they have a great passion for cameras.

    Lots of people also like to try out a minor. Just because you’re a biology major, it doesn’t mean you have to take all science courses. You can have a minor in theatre if that’s what interests you. Who knows – maybe some day your interests will intersect in a spectacular theatrical production explaining the process of digestion!

    The work involved in doing well at university is more than a full-time job. When it comes time to read 50 pages from the textbook every week or write that final essay, it will be painful to do if you’re not interested in the material. You’ll learn plenty of fascinating stuff in pretty much any class, but if the subject interests you, you can have a lot of fun while you’re at it.

    University is also the time when most people start taking charge of their own lives. Many people move out for the first time and start paying rent or working at part-time jobs. In the end, you’re the only one responsible for whether you succeed or fail. Keep in mind that taking responsibility for yourself means more than meeting deadlines and paying rent. You have to start putting your life in motion, which means learning about what interests you, what you’re good at and where you can go with it.

    A career isn’t the only thing that defines you. The famous author Vladimir Nabokov studied butterflies and made up chess problems in his spare time. A successful salesman may be part of an amateur radio club or a hockey team. It’s good to know what you want out of life and to have a career plan, but don’t forget about all those things that make you who you are.

    In the end, following your interests is the practical thing to do. Even for a doctor, there are so many specializations that you are able to go in any direction you want. What area you choose to focus on is going to be the thing that helps you to stand out and helps to define your life. In the meantime, it will make your education a lot more fun.