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Category: Campus Life

  • Laugh your way THIN ( part 1 )

    Laugh your way THIN ( part 1 )

    If you follow the steps below you will laugh more frequently. Laughter is an excellent form of aerobic exercise: a hearty, belly laugh produces the same physical response as thirty minutes on the Stairmaster. When you laugh it gives your heart and lungs a good work out so….you are burning additional calories just by having fun.
    Step One: Go the extra smile
    Smiling is a premeditated and controllable behavior that almost always calms inner anxiety and attracts external fun. Smiling unleashes the natural medicine of humor anytime and anywhere because it has a profound physical and emotional impact. Your internal physiology is fooled by your smile. Whether impulsive or unnatural, your body thinks you’re having fun when you smile, whether you are or not, because smiling activates the pleasure centers of your brain. By smiling you literally become more physically relaxed and enjoy a greater sense of fulfillment and enjoyment.
    The amazing benefit of the Diet tactic is that the reduction of your internal anxiety decreases your cravings to eat when you’re not really hungry. And, as a bonus, your smile attracts more social attention. –leaving you less time to stuff yourself because people are mysteriously attracted to you without quite knowing why. By Going the Extra Smile your well on your way to weight loss by filling your emotional void with fun rather than food. !

    Next week : Part 2
    By Dr. Nance Macleod.

  • Bringing Bedtime Back

    Bringing Bedtime Back

    In adapting to a fast-paced lifestyle, students have forgotten a basic necessity: sleep! With demanding class schedules, study cramming, and endless party opportunities, the level of sleep deprived Canadian college students is measured at 20 percent and climbing, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But is this a passing trend or organic inevitability? There are some biological reasons that sleep deprivation and college lifestyles exist hand in hand, but it’s still very possible to keep sleep under control. Building healthy sleeping habits even before hitting post-secondary schedules can help decrease your chances of falling into that insomniac bracket, and increase your chances of academic success.
    High school senior Andy Scarfone feels defeated in his efforts to conquer his body clock. “It’s awful trying to get up for school in the morning,” he claims. “My body just refuses to function that early! I’m definitely no stranger to falling asleep in class.”

    Andy doesn’t face this problem alone, and his personal activities may not be to blame. The National Sleep Foundation claims that teen circadian rhythms are naturally different from those of younger children or adults, thus having school hours initially set by adult workers means it’s often difficult for teen bodies to match the schedules laid out for them. No earlier than 11 p. m., adolescent bodies begin producing the hormone melatonin, a powerful sleep-inducer. By 8 a. m., melatonin still hasn’t stopped pumping through their systems. When student sleep patterns are forced to adjust to suit class schedules that vary day-to-day, midnight study sessions, and the occasional party marathon, the instability causes narcoleptic symptoms to arise, hijacking alertness and contributing to failure and dropout rates.

    Sleep-deprived students typically have poorer grades and higher frequencies of health problems than their cozy counterparts. Researchers discovered that activity occurs in the same area of the brain during sleep as it does during learning information; sleep being a crucial step in organizing and strengthening memories. Without these hours of unconscious convalescence, sleep deprived students are prone to falling behind. Sleep deprivation contributes to skin problems like acne, and instigates aggression and depression. Stressed and tired teens reach for fried and sugary foods to boost energy, garnering higher chances of unhealthy weight gain (often the dreaded “freshman fifteen” can be attributed to such behaviour). Lack of sleep also deepens the effects of alcohol, dangerous for college students whose bodies are at an age where consumption is barely legal in the first place.

    So how can we melatonin over-producing, unstable schedule-fighting students find sleep peace? It’s all about making conscious efforts towards being unconscious on a consistent basis. Teens need an average of eight to nine hours of sleep every night! A National Sleep Foundation survey found that college/university-aged students get an average of only 6.8 hours. Freshman students faced the highest amounts of sleep loss due to the stressful transition period between high school and post-secondary lifestyles. Keep that ideal average (eight to nine hours) in mind when watching late-night TV or browsing Facebook for hours on end.

    It is also important to relax your mind when preparing for a full night’s sleep, reducing stress and loosening up after demanding academics and extra-curriculars. That means no 24, Flashpoint, or Call of Duty before bed. Take it easy and read a book or a magazine – this helps your mind unwind and lets you get to sleep more quickly.

    Another way to keep a steady circadian rhythm is resisting the urge to nap. Sleeping for more than 30 minutes during the day can throw off your sleep schedule and do more harm than good, so save up those tired feelings to ensure a full night’s sleep instead.

    As for all-nighters, it is best to avoid them. That exam will be kinder to you if you have a good night’s sleep under your belt than if you stay up all night cramming information into your tired head. Your test will be less stressful and less drool-stained. Once a healthy sleep pattern is achieved, you may be able to absorb the information better in class in the first place.

    When it comes to sleep, every minute counts. By taking small steps, acknowledging your need for sleep, and making the conscious decision to maintain healthy and consistent sleep schedules, you will always be waking up ready to fulfill your potential.

  • Just Say No

    Just Say No

    Yes we can! Or can we?

    Saying yes to too many commitments can lead to overexertion and an inability to complete tasks to the best of your ability. The Obama administration learned the hard way that yes-saying can cause trouble.

    According to Politifact.com, 29% of Obama’s political promises are stalled or in the works. His presidency is promising, but the over-approximation of short-term capabilities has led to a slower than expected change for the United States.

    Let us use this as an opportunity to evaluate how we project goals for ourselves, and how yay-saying attitudes should be swapped for healthier, more realistic ones.

    The truth is that we are capable of achieving our goals, whether they be curing the economic crisis or earning higher academic grades. Yes we can join that club, pass that test, get that acceptance letter, do that favour, or make that deadline. But perhaps not all at the same time, and perhaps some goals aren’t worth the time anyhow.

    Saying yes to every request and opportunity that comes along is dangerous and unwise. You will be able to better focus your efforts and garner more overachievements than shortcomings if you kill your inner “yes-man”.

    The simple plan of attack: be prioritized, be organized, and be selfish.

    In prioritizing, you must decide what is most important or most valuable, and cater to that. Priority number one should always be your own health and safety. This means that if you are asked to do something and you have already taken on so much that your sleep is being deprived, don’t say yes. If you can’t find time to eat because you have too much on your plate, don’t say yes. If your responsibilities are already taking a toll on your mental health and well-being, don’t say yes. Usually following your health on the chain of priorities is your education, then extra curricular commitments and social matters, but each person will have their own list of priorities and you must decide what is most important to you. Try to keep both long and short-term goals in mind when making these decisions.

    Your “yes-man” can also be overcome through organization. Sometimes yes is the answer, when you can thoroughly understand your personal capabilities and organize yourself accordingly. If you have that knowledge, you can give honest responses when asked to do something because you know of the amount of time and resources you are prepared to give. The answer can be yes with stipulations that suit your schedule, or yes because your have the time management and organization skills to take on more responsibility.

    Lastly, be selfish in choosing to say no. Your life is yours alone, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.  With a solid list of priorities and the organizational skills to carry them out, you are fully equipped to make decisions that you feel are best. Your opinion matters most, but public opinion of you will probably rise too, when you over-achieve in a few choice aspects instead of coming short in many. Like that yay-saying presidential campaign advertised, it’s time for a change. This can happen by giving your life the focus and control that comes with saying no.

  • Not Your “Typical” Welder: Women in the Trades

    Not Your “Typical” Welder: 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.

  • Trick of the Trade

    Trick of the Trade

    With so much attention brought to the business and management industries during Canadaʼs rekindling economic climate, many core fields of work are being overlooked by the students; one of these being the trades.

    The skilled trades are a growing field of work that is in constant need of well-trained workers.

    What exactly is a skilled trade? It can be defined as an expertness of a specific skill, usually attained through years of training and commonly related to construction and repair. The skills that are considered “trades skills” range broadly from carpenter, electrician, automotive technician, plumber, pipe fitter, welder and much more.

    There is a common misconception that the trades are considered “blue collar” jobs done through informal training. In reality there are a plentitude of academic institutions that provide education and preparation in the trades.

    Although it is common to get into the trades through practical training, it doesnʼt mean you will be making less money than someone who attended university. Tradespeople are some of the highest paid employees in Canada.  Not only is a customer paying for your knowledge about a trade, but they are also paying for expert performance.

    If you enjoy learning new lessons everyday and arenʼt afraid to be challenged, a career in the trades might suit you. Trades jobs are considered demanding and will put your mind and body to the test daily. If you enjoy a hands-on work environment, and are interested in how things work, this field may be what you want to look at.

    There is an increasing shortage in the skilled trades. According to careersintrades.ca, 67% of young adults choose university over a college education in the trades because it was encouraged more by friends and family. There were also instances in which a lack of information about the trades swayed students away from the sector.

    So, what exactly are the steps to take to become a tradespeople? The most efficient and reputable manner to becoming certified in the trades is an apprenticeship. This way, you are getting one-on-one experience with a master in the trade who can help you further your knowledge and skills. Many college programs that deal with the trades have their own apprenticeship training programs. So go and check out your local college to see what they offer, or look on Jobs People Do to see what colleges offer certain apprenticeships.

    The best thing to do in your early years of education is to look at high schools that provide introductory training of a trades skill you are interested in. Julian Finbow Westlane graduate, claims that:

    “Taking the refrigeration course at such a young age was extremely beneficial for the jobs I am interested in.”

    Julian is looking to develop his trade skills in refrigeration, and is planning on either taking a apprenticeship or going to college.

    Become involved and research trade skills you think will peak your interest. It may be beneficial to shaping your career path! So put on that thinking cap (or hardhat for this situation) and immerse yourself in the trades.

  • Ontario’s new mobile OSAP app

    Ontario’s new mobile OSAP app

    Checking the status of an OSAP application is as easy as posting on Facebook or Twitter.

    Ontario’s new mobile OSAP app is the first interactive app of its kind for the government. It will allow busy students to get up-to-date information and check their application status on their smart phone. Students applying for OSAP will now know when and how much they can expect to receive from OSAP — anywhere, anytime.

    Going mobile is just one of the recent OSAP improvements that is making life easier for Ontario students. This year, applications will be made available months earlier and students have access to a brand-new OSAP website. The changes will help students understand what financial aid is available sooner so they can plan better and focus more on their studies.

    With more financial aid options than ever before, the province is making college and university easier to access for students. This is an important part of the McGuinty government’s Open Ontario to help every student succeed and build a knowledge based economy for the future.

    http://news.ontario.ca/tcu/en/2011/01/new-osap-app-gives-students-information-on-the-go.html

  • Study As You Play

    Study As You Play

    Well here we are again, getting back into the school routine. Early nights, early mornings, lots of studying, and a whole different mindset. Some of us like the busy schedules filled with endless studying, but others like myself would rather be doing many other things then studying for hours a day. If you’re into sports, video games, or your favorite TV shows and movies and would much rather be spending your time with them, let me help you study as you play.

    I’m a sucker for video games-I’m addicted. Studying was nonexistent in my middle school and early high school years, just video games. I would come home from school, grab some food and sit down for hours mashing through games. It’s what I loved to do, and at that point studying never crossed my mind. However, as the years went on and my marks started to fall, I realized I needed to change. The conventional way of sitting at a desk with my head stuck in a book wasn’t going to work for me.  I couldn’t focus, or remember important dates and names that way. So I gave up and went back to my games, and that’s where it hit me.

    I was playing a game called Rockband (an interactive music game) and found myself saying important history dates to the rhythm of the songs I was playing. Usually I count the notes in my head, but this time I used dates, places and names. This may sound crazy, but it worked. What I started doing was looking over a section of my notes, and replayed it over and over in my head as I played games. I wasn’t able to focus on the work by just sitting there and reading it, but I was able to focus on the material while doing something else.

    This doesn’t just work for video games, this works for TV and movies as well. In English we always had to read books and know all about each characters personality traits. Lets be honest, some of the books we’ve had to read were just terrible. So what I did, was connected the book characters to TV show or movie characters. This will help you remember who each character is, what they do, and their personality.

    These are just my examples, what helped me through the long and important studying process. The main point of this is to tell you that studying doesn’t have to be dreadful. Try to connect or combine it with things you love to do. If you do that, you’re going to be more positive about studying. Make studying apart of your daily schedule, but do it your own way. Every bit of studying will help you, and I can guarantee you’ll see a difference in your school performance. What you have to study, and how much you have to study will only increase, so start making up a routine now-one that works for you. Lets take this into our own hands, and study as we play.

  • Teenage Makeup 101

    Teenage Makeup 101

    It wasn’t until I was 14 that my father would even allow the sight of lip gloss on me, and only on special occasions. As I started to flirt with makeup throughout high school, I learned just how tricky these magic wands of beauty could be. Raccoon eyes to smudged lips, I could have saved myself a lot of embarrassment learning these tricks sooner;

    Softer is better – Your best intentions for recreating that bold and glittery Kesha look-a-like can leave a smudged, clumpy mess that even lunch period isn’t look enough fix. Trying too hard with your makeup is a lot like trying too hard with a guy. A disastrous mess that everyone can see. Instead, try for a softer, natural look. Think Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. Freshen yourself with a little eye shadow, a shade of colour to your lips and maybe some mascara to highlight the look.

    Tailor to your features, not your cloths– You might think sparkly blue eye shadow would be the perfect thing to accent that new blue sweater, but going too matchy matchy will only age you- all the way back to the 90s. Instead try warm browns for blue eyes, mellow greens or gold for brown eyes and topes or lavender for green eyes. Lipsticks and stains should only be one or two shades darker than your natural lip colour. Otherwise things can get a bit…. dramatic. Case and point, that great-aunt of yours.

    Keep it Clean– Nothing, not even that 1200 word essay in history can spoil the week faster than full pimple break out. You may think caking foundation on will make those unsightly pimples disappear, in reality they will be setting up shop. Invest in a good facial soap, baby wipes too if you have little siblings, and clean off your makeup every day after school. And never, ever, EVER go to bed wearing makeup; a stained pillow will be the least of your worries.

    It’s ok to ask for help – Learning all this at once is a long and bumpy road, why not cash in on others’ experiences? Older sisters, friends and even class mates may have a gold mine of experience to spark up your look. Don’t be afraid to ask around. Once you get your artistic flare rocking, they might be asking for tips from you!

     

  • Tutee Seeking Tutor..Where are you?

    Tutee Seeking Tutor..Where are you?

    If you find yourself struggling with a course in university, don’t fret – get a tutor! A tutor may not be for everyone, but they may be one of best learning aids out there and relatively easy to find.

    Many students will experience difficulties with academic subjects at some point during their academic career, but all universities provide some type of resources to help during those times.

    Professors are probably the best people to ask when you need some clarification about something, but they usually have limited office hours. In that case, your school’s resource centre is your best bet to finding more accessible help. Hiring a tutor through your school also means a higher likelihood that the person is a reputable tutor and could even be offered at a subsidized cost to you.

    You can find a tutor outside of your school, but consider taking the extra time to ensure the person you hire is in fact knowledgeable in the field and understands the tutee/tutor relationship in order to be worth the money you are paying.

    “I think it depends on how much help one needs as a tutee. If one is lagging behind in a class and wanting to catch up, then tutoring will be helpful as it re-teaches the material; but if one needs tutoring for a specialized personal need or wants to excel in an area, then tutoring is only useful if the tutor is competent and one-on-one, and most tutors are not competent enough for that”, said Virginia Zhao, 4th year UBC student.

    “To that effect, I don’t find tutoring helpful in most situations. When I need help, instead of asking for a tutor, I ask for ‘higher authorities’ such as teachers [and] professors…they are more helpful and efficient than peers” continued Zhao.

    For more specialized purposes, such as wanting to start building a foundation for a particular career while still in school, you might consider working with a mentor. Mentors – whether you work with them in your job or at school – have proven to expand knowledge, help narrow down focus and improve decision-making in their mentees.

    Colleges and universities might have mentorship programs in place where students are carefully matched to their mentors to ensure both parties will gain value from the experience. If a student is even more certain about what they want to do when they finish post-secondary they should consider becoming members of the related associations and join programs where mentorship is available.

    “My mentor was easy to get along with and was very helpful in refining my technical skills” Marko Martic, IT Diploma graduate from BCIT, said. “I Kept in touch with my mentor even after I was done my program and he introduced me to a network of people in my field that eventually helped me find my job”.

    “Maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity to be a mentor and help someone like my mentor helped me – there are always mentees looking for mentors and more people will see the benefits once they get into it” Martic said.

  • A BA Education: Personal Interests vs. Practicality

    “What can you do with that degree?”  This is one of the most common (and sometimes irritating) questions that virtually all liberal arts university students get asked during their undergraduate career. Sometimes this is asked by family members concerned for your future job prospects. Other times, however, it is asked by smug friends or acquaintances that are in the sciences or in business-related disciplines. To them, their career path may seem a lot more obvious: you study engineering to become an engineer; you study accounting to become an accountant, etc.

    But what about students in the liberal arts? There are just too few jobs out there that require specific knowledge in history, political science, philosophy, etc. for every undergraduate student to consider going into fields related to their academic discipline. So the question now is: do you study liberal arts out of interest, or practicality? I think the answer is both.

    At the end of the day, you should really go into a field that you love regardless of how “practical” others perceive it to be. While in university, faculties and departments may be heavily segregated; what you study determines what other students think about your intellectual abilities. In the real world, however, it is a whole other story. Think of the real world like one big melting pot of academic knowledge. What I mean by this is that unless you have gone into a very technical and specialized field (such as engineering or finance for example) then everyone is pretty much the same in terms of job prospects. Imagine working hard to get a degree in human resources, getting a job in your related field, and working alongside someone with a degree in music who has never taken a single business course. In this case, it is possible to get a music degree and get a standard entry level job at most companies, or alternatively get a human resource degree and get a standard entry level job at most companies but suck at music.

    You can get hired for a job and work alongside people with degrees in a huge variety of subjects. For example, I have a degree in international relations and work at a science education materials company. I work alongside someone with a communications degree, my immediate supervisor has a biology degree, my boss has a sociology degree, and the director of operations has a degree in English literature. In fact, there are perhaps only one or two people in the office with either an education degree or a relevant science degree. So if you are going to end up on the same footing as everyone else, it seems logical to go into something you would enjoy doing, right?

    The purpose of a liberal arts education is to acquire a breadth of knowledge and skills that can be applied to whatever you do. While your future employer may not care about Fukuyama’s ideas about the evolution of democracy, or about the institutionalization of political succession in China, they probably care about the skills you have developed while studying these sorts of things. By the time you graduate with a liberal arts degree, you will have an entire toolbox of skills that can be used in just about anything you do. Due to the large amount of essays you will write, you will probably be a very competent writer and be able to analyze and incorporate multiple standpoints on any issue. Because of all the reading you have to do, you will probably be able to sift quickly and effectively through volumes of information to find what you need and be able to understand it completely. These are highly valuable skills that science or business students may not have acquired.

    Ultimately, it comes down to doing what you like. Don’t let people scare you into studying something that you have no interest in for the sake of practicality. It takes courage to study whatever you want in the face of criticism about your choice. University is about exploring yourself and finding out who you are. You don’t go to university to study what others want you to study. Remember, the college experience is yours and yours alone, so make the most of it. Good Luck!