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Category: College Bound

  • Serious Talk: Online Bullying

    Serious Talk: Online Bullying

    Online bullying is a fast growing problem. It deserves just as much credit for a legitimate form of bullying as physical or emotional bullying does.

    One of the biggest things to keep in mind when dealing with cyberbullying is to fully understand what the term means. When it comes to defining the term, stopbullying.gov defines the word/act as:

     “Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.”

    The same website also provides several examples of how cyberbullying is different than other forms such as how cyberbullying can happen 24/7 and messages and images can be posted anonymously. Removing photos and messages from the internet is also an extreme pain.

    There have been several occasions of cyberbullying taking the lives of those who were pushed past their breaking point. 18-year-old Jessica Logan committed suicide upon learning that a private photo she sent to her boyfriend was spread throughout at least seven high schools in the Cincinnati area after they broke up. The abuse continued on social media platforms and eventually led for her to take her own life. Her parents sought legal action against the school. Ohio governor Kasich signed the Jessica Logan Act, which went into effect in November of 2012.

    Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old student who came out as a gay youth, was filmed kissing another man without his consent by his roommate at the time. The videos were then uploaded to Twitter and viewed by another one of his hall mates. From there, many insulted him, which led to his suicide in 2010. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei were each convicted. According to reuters.com, Wei entered a plea agreement leading to a sentence of 300 hours of community service, counselling, and classes on dealing with people with alternative lifestyles in lieu of jail time. Ravi, however, was charged on all 15 counts of his involvement and was sentenced to 30 days in prison in addition to 300 hours of community service, 3 years’ probation, and counselling on cyberbullying and alternative lifestyles. He was also charged a fine of $10,000, according to NJ.com.

    The infamous case of Amanda Todd is one many know well. Todd began using video chat in the seventh grade to meet new people. Through this platform, she met someone who convinced her to bare her breasts on camera. He then proceeded to use the photos to blackmail her into showing him more. Police later informed her that the photo was circulating on the internet, which led to her experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Though she and her family moved from home to home in an attempt to get away, her past followed her and led to her suicide in 2012. Aydin Coban was charged on accounts of child pornography and child indecent assault. However, charges were laid to multiple people believed to be involved. Her mother also began the Amanda Todd Trust at RBC to raise money for anti-bullying initiatives and programs for youths dealing with mental illnesses.

    If you find yourself the victim of cyberbullying, cybersafetysolutions.com suggests doing the following to protect yourself:

    • Tell your parents, teacher or other trusted adult
      • Save and store the emails, chat logs or SMS’s in case of police investigation
      • Block and delete the bully from all contact lists
      • Do not respond to nasty emails, chats, SMS or comments – this is what the bully wants so ignore them. (They will need your help to do this)
      • Use the ‘report abuse’ button which all websites/applications have. Tell them the problems you are having and they are obligated to investigate.
      • If the bullying continues – delete your current email and start a new account. Only give your new details to trusted friends.
      • Get a new phone number if being harassed via phone. Report the problem to your phone company and insist on a free new number.
      • If the bullying continues get your parents to report it. Each state has laws that prohibit online bullying and stalking.

  • The Advantages of Working at your University or College

    It is no secret that post-secondary education is highly demanding. From course loads, to balancing extra curricular activities, to maintaining a functional bank account, things can get pretty overwhelming and fast. Transit time can take a huge chunk out of your day and pile on added stress that you most definitely do not need. Luckily, colleges and universities both big and small provide numerous job opportunities for students. This way you can localize your work situation; by narrowing your day to one location you can compartmentalize things that need to be done and organize your life and mind accordingly.

    What does your educational institution have to offer?

    There are two kinds of jobs offered at universities: ones that are related to your educational field of choice or interests in some way, and ones that are run of the mill service or retail etc. When I was in university I worked on the university paper. As a Creative Writing and English major and a general written word enthusiast, this was perfect for me. It threw me into the field in a way, provided me with a bi-weekly pay-cheque and put me in close proximity to every one of my classes. Alternatively, jobs like pub server and bookstore clerk can provide an academic escape and break of sorts. Here is a breakdown of jobs available at most universities and colleges:

    • Student government positions
    • Student newspaper positions
    • Book store clerk
    • Faculty secretarial or task positions
    • Teacher’s assistant positions
    • Library assistant
    • Equipment check-out attendee
    • Work study programs and research positions
    • Pub positions
    • Baristas and sales associate positions
    • Campus media assistants
    • Cafeteria and dish-washing positions

    Long-term Affects

    Having university-based jobs on your resume shows that you committed in some way to your schooling at a proactive level. Those who work on-campus have more time to study and are less likely to be late for classes and meetings than if they worked off campus. Being at your university for work can also help build strong mentoring relationships with professors and build bonds with your peers. This is not to say that it is good to constantly be at your university. Everyone needs a break, but with the strain of post-education sometimes a little world building can help to organize the strains of school and money. You may be able to take on more projects with less transit time and also include a lot more downtime in your day.

  • Ways to Relieve Stress During Exam Time

    Ways to Relieve Stress During Exam Time

    Ah, exam time – what a stressful period. It’s never fun for anyone, and everybody looks like they’ve been run through the wringer, looking even more sleep-deprived than usual. This is a well-known and documented problem, with articles and reports surfacing every year just before exam season, particularly targeted at university and college students.  However, this also applies for high school students; maybe more so, since college and University admission is often conditional on your final grades.

    So, what can you do about the stress? There are lots of different approaches, but no real correct method. That’s why I recommend that you find something that works for you specifically, and use it as an occasional diversion from studying.  Even a small break or a change in activity can be a nice reward.

    Crafts vary in type, from woodworking and macramé to making jewellery or gardening; they all use skill sets that will give your brain something different to think about. This works to your advantage as well; you can develop a hobby that you’ve always wanted to learn, leading itself to personal satisfaction- which is always a great stress reliever.

    Knitting or its counterpart, crocheting, is technically two crafts that complement each other. You can make great clothing pieces such as scarves and mittens, alongside the tiny figures of pop media. There are lots of tutorials due to the complexities of some patterns, but this is a great stress reliever that works on different skill sets, lending itself a growing knowledge of patience, skill, and items that you can show off.

    Playing video games can be a great stress reliever. Whatever your game of choice, you can vent steam this way rather than against yourself or others – obviously, with the headset on mute so that no one else’s studying is disturbed. I would advise some caution here, as with ‘live’ games, frayed tempers can result very easily, particularly with enthusiastic players. Board games and personal games are fun as well – it’s one of the reasons why there are so many phone application games – it’s much more satisfying to have completed a level that’s been difficult to beat for a week.

    Colouring books are gaining in popularity for a reason – with several different strategies, for those who want it as stress relief, or those who are looking for something to do.  They’re not just for kids anymore. They help relieve stress because they help focus your attention on anything but school work (or actual work). They help you focus on the simple things: breathing, picking colours, and focusing on a task that helps time go by.  As the time passes, you’ll find yourself becoming calmer.

    Activities on campus are always available, particularly during exam season. Many schools now have dogs or cats visiting campus during exam season.  That’s always a great comfort, particularly if you’re missing your own pet from home.  Sitting with a purring cat has always lowered my own stress levels.

    The main idea is to learn to relax, even if it means taking some time away from work.  When you feel your stress levels sink back to normal, you can re-focus your mind on getting that A.

  • If I Knew Then…

    If I Knew Then…

    Advice on careers, finance, and life from Harvard Business School’s Class of 1963

    Each month, JobsPeopleDo will be featuring a special quote from a graduate of the Harvard Business School Class of 1963. The following quotes are insightful and can be used to inspire and encourage the right career path for you…

    “Work is not always fulfilling. That is why we call it work. But if, at the end of a year or five years, you can identify concrete examples of changes you have made that have improved your company or the careers of your employees, I think that is fulfilling.

    In the middle 1950s, when I graduated from high school, the United States was producing 50 percent of the world’s GNP. It was the world’s factory for sophisticated goods — autos, trucks, farm machinery, appliances, railroad equipment, machine tools, and industrial equipment of all kinds. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler were world giants. Most of the factories were in the “industrial heartland” of the country, including my home state of Ohio. I went to the Harvard Business School thinking I wanted to be an executive in a manufacturing company.

    After 10 years of slogging, I left manufacturing for an agribusiness and natural resources company. Being repotted was a success. I enjoyed being the CEO and building the new company.

    In hindsight, I realize the lack of real opportunity in my early career was not due to any mistakes I made or to company politics. It was because the opportunities in a declining industry are so constrained, especially compared to an industry that is growing rapidly. With declining growth, companies and their executives become defensive. They do not take risks, and they focus on preserving the status quo.”

    ~Scott Spangler~

    http://hbs1963.com/wisdom/careers/

    http://hbs1963.com/

  • If I Knew Then…

    If I Knew Then…

    Advice on careers, finance, and life from Harvard Business School’s Class of 1963
    Each month, JobsPeopleDo will be featuring a special quote from a graduate of the Harvard Business School Class of 1963. The following quotes are insightful and can be used to inspire and encourage the right career path for you…

     

    Stay away from the “family business” and follow your own instincts.
    If you don’t truly enjoy what you are doing, seek change.

    ~Mathew Frauwirth~

    I cannot do better than repeat Joseph Campbell’s admonition: “Follow your bliss.”
    Seek work that you love and do it.

    ~Eugene C. Bell~

    To greatly enhance the odds of enjoying a career which is both fulfilling and successful, one must find an endeavor, a subject, métier, process, environment for which one has a passion. This could be aviation, geology, medical science, investing, writing fiction, etc.
    In my case, it was a love of markets and investing that my father inculcated in me very early on. This passion has led me to often declare, “I have never worked a day in my life.”

    ~Charles Hale~

  • Ace That Test: Skills to Hit the Mark on Your Exams

    Ace That Test: Skills to Hit the Mark on Your Exams

    We’ve all been there. We’ve pulled in an all-nighter for our exams – or as the old folks would say, “Burnt the candle at both ends”; this does not always work well. If this is a recurring issue for you, here are some pointers that will help you ace that test and, more importantly, without sacrificing a good night’s sleep.

    Take baby steps one day at a time.

    If you expect that you will magically know what you need to know in one sitting, then you will have better luck relying on pixie dust to get a high score. Just as your parents have always reminded you, don’t take more food than you can handle when you’re at a party, and it is the same for your studies. Rather than trying to cram in all the information in one sitting, review your notes in chunks day by day. You will find that you can absorb more information this way.

    Write it down.

    Your ever-reliable notepad or memo on your mobile devices might have done a good job of saving your grocery list or your favourite aunt’s new address; it won’t be enough to help you remember information for your exams. Write notes down the good old’ fashioned way on clean sheets of paper. Now is the time to put your penmanship skills to the test!

    Read aloud.

    Most people think that reading quietly will do the trick to help them retain information. While your neighbourhood librarians will definitely approve of this, it pays much better to read the information aloud. Recording it and listening to it while you are on the go can also help.

    Eat well.

    It’s not an urban legend. There are certain foods that will make you remember things better. Good examples are foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as certain fish, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and olive oil. Research even said that eating a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids before the big exam can help reduce anxiety.

    Study with a group.

    No man is an island, and that is true as well when you are preparing for an exam. Studying with your peers will keep you on your toes as you bounce off ideas from one another. You can also take turns in asking each other questions to test your knowledge. How to make this even more fun? The one who answers all questions asked of him or her should get a treat like free coffee for a whole week.

    Studying for those all-important quizzes should not be something that causes you anxiety as if you are getting a root canal. There are ways to pace yourself and hit the mark in return.

    Sources:

    http://learningfundamentals.com.au/blog/top-10-tips-for-taking-exams/

    https://www.examtime.com/blog/study-hacks/

    https://frontpage.gcsu.edu/event/monday-morning-mentor-what-concepts-improve-student-learning-and-memory

    http://al.nd.edu/news/63684-psychology-graduate-student-research-improving- memory/

    http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/diet/four-foods-that-will-improve-your-memory-and-brain-health/news-story/96d905dcafc4242513fc38b343d3471b

  • The Health Benefits of Yoga in School

    The Health Benefits of Yoga in School

    School breeds stress, and stress can be the cause of a whole array of health issues. While finding time to exercise can seem impossible it is important—but so is taking care of your mind. Luckily, yoga has many benefits. This practice has swept North America at a stunningly fast rate as more and more people realize it not only helps fitness and personal health, but also fights depression and provides learning and coping attributes. First, let us go through the main long-term benefits of regular yoga practice and how it applies to YOUR health while in university of college.

    Taking on life in a calm and relaxing manner while applying yoga techniques to learning

    Yoga practice promotes relaxed feelings while expanding meditative skills and easing the body. In most forms of yoga patience, concentration and repetition are necessary and a main focus for the instructor and students. The skills you learn here will seep into how you handle the stress of school, balance work and studies, and how you memorize and approach work and study time lines. As a calm mind lends itself well to focus, yoga uses this to help pave the way to improved memory, IQ scores, reaction times and coordination. You’ll find that the patience and breathing skills learned in yoga will help immensely with problem solving.

    Sleeping Better

    That relaxation we talked about above…that will not only impact your yoga sessions and school life but also your sleeping time. Yoga loosens you up and positively affects your health—a tense body and troubled mind disrupts sleep. The more you progress with yoga, the deeper you will sleep. This will leave you rested and ready for school and all the troubles that come with it.

    Fewer colds and illnesses, relieves depression

    According to YogaJournal.com, regular yoga practice drains your lymphs—through the stretching of muscles and moving around of organs, it progressively boosts immunity. This helps your lymphatic system kill cancerous cells, battle infection, and rid the body of the toxic waste produced by cellular functioning. Regular yoga practice ups your heart rate, and this is instrumental in relieving depression. Not only does it promote a healthy mind, but it is also common for those involved with yoga to develop healthier eating lifestyles. This dietary change and the constant movement of yoga prevent digestive problems. If all of these problems sound familiar to you personally, it is because university is a particular breeding ground for all of it. Let yoga help you.

    Improving flexibility and intake of oxygen

    All the movement and bending you do in yoga goes a long way to improve your quality of life. The unavoidable improvement of flexibility will help with posture, and this actually helps you to feel good and more focused in school and when studying. Regular patterns of breathing help with focus and relaxation, both of which will make learning a lot less stressful.

    Different types of yoga and their focuses:

    • Restorative Yoga—Focuses primarily on relaxation. Let yourself drop out of your troubles.
    • Anusara Yoga—Heart-opening poses.
    • Iyengar Yoga—A strong focus on alignment and prop use including blocks, harnesses, straps and cushions.
    • Ashtanga Yoga—Push your body with this extreme power yoga.
    • Kundalini Yoga—A core workout that focuses on the area around your lower spine.
    • Vinyasa Yoga—A flow yoga that can be called the most popular type—begin with a sun salutation.
    • Hatha Yoga—A wind down. Slow and gentle movements.
    • Bikrram Yoga—Hot yoga! 26 poses that often focus on alignment in 105-degree heat and 40% humidity.

    Source: www.yogajournal.com

  • HOW to search for scholarships- where to begin?

    HOW to search for scholarships- where to begin?

    In this day and age it can be hard to escape debt, especially if one has strong academic ambitions and little family aid. So scholarships are obviously of high importance, and with all the different kinds available in Canada narrowing down your search can seem overwhelming at first. There are many and it will take a great deal of time. Before you buckle down and hit the search hard, keep these few things in mind:

    • BRAG. When applying for scholarships DO NOT shy away from this. Now is the time to let people know how good you are at what you do and the kind of potential you have. Get ready to talk about yourself a lot.
    • Ask for advice and help from teachers, parents, school councilors and advisors…use every resource at your disposal. There is a lot of free money out there and you have to work hard to get it.
    • Apply for as many scholarships as possible. Just keep doing it. Modify your letters of intent when needed and make searching for scholarships a number one priority; a job.

    Here are some tools for your financial quest:

    Canadian scholarship websites and information on scholarships and financial aid:

    • www.scholarshipscanada.com
    • www.universitystudy.ca
    • www.studentawards.com
    • www.schoolfinder.com
    • jobspeopledo.com (of course!)

    Narrow down your school of choice

    Typically students start searching for scholarships after they find out where they are going. Some scholarships require this, and knowing what province you will be in will help with the hunt. Many sites have drop-down school lists and will provide you with a complete list of scholarships and awards available to students of the school. If you would like a specific recommendation for what to apply for, meet up with one of your new university’s academic advisors. Their job is to make your transition more relaxed, so pick their brain!

    Keywords and Advanced Searches

    What are your major/minor interests? Are any members of your family a part of any union, club or company that hands out scholarships? Does your job have a scholarship fund? Do you have a learning or physical disability? What are your extra curricular credits and strengths? Are you of aboriginal decent? What province were you born in or where will you graduate from? All these points and more generate hits on Canada’s best scholarship websites. Sift through the ones that apply to you. Don’t forget to search by grade point average, particularly if yours is high.

    After you are done the searches you wish, sort the result lists by deadlines (do you have enough time to gather references and write the necessary application criteria etc.?), award names and the amount offered. Some scholarships can be as small as $500, and some can be as large as $10,000 and beyond.

  • Cooking and Grocery Tips for Post-Secondary Living

    Cooking and Grocery Tips for Post-Secondary Living

    At times, student life can be so stressful that you often skimp on the things you should do to take care of yourself. Unfortunately, when juggling multiple responsibilities, maintaining a healthy diet often takes a hit. Moreover, by ordering Chinese food one too many nights a week, you’re hurting your wallet as well as your body. It’s important to prioritize your health as well as your finances by developing healthy routines, and making wise decisions about your groceries and meals is one place to start.

    Here are some cooking and grocery tips for student living. The following ideas will help you stay healthy and on track.

    Groceries

    Make it a routine. Set a reminder to grocery shop on a weekly basis. You should schedule a time when it’s most convenient for you to go shopping, when produce is the freshest, or when the grocery store has discounts for students. Even if it seems like you don’t need much at the time, this will prevent you from putting groceries on the back burner, and winding up with an empty fridge.

    Necessities first.     When compiling your grocery lists, start with the bare bones. Include fruit, vegetables, and the basic components of future meals before you go crazy with the cookies and candy. Plus, if you organize your groceries in this way and you’re short on cash, you can start at the top of your list when you’re shopping and leave the more indulgent items for a later date.

    Sharing is caring. If you have roommates, consider collaborating with them and buying groceries together. You’ll save money and waste less when you avoid buying duplicate items. If you live alone, consider working out a similar arrangement with a friend who lives nearby—for example, if you live near a bakery and they live near a fruit market, you can divide and conquer and take care of one another’s shopping in those specific areas.

    Cooking

    Keep recipes on file.     Take an hour out of your weekend and look up easy, quick, and healthy lunches or dinners that you can whip up whenever you’re out of culinary inspiration. Print the recipes out or keep the files on your hard drive for later perusal—you’ll be thanking yourself when you’re hungry and studying for midterms.

    Consult nutrition guides. Ensure you’re cooking healthy meals by looking up nutritional information about the ingredients beforehand. It’s definitely okay to treat yourself every once in a while, but you probably shouldn’t be eating ramen for dinner every night. When in doubt, make a side salad.

    Be practical. If you know you aren’t the greatest chef, you don’t need to go to great lengths to make elaborate meals. Sometimes, the simplest meals are also the most nutritious. Furthermore, consult your fridge before you start cooking: if you have ingredients you need to use up (or leftovers you should probably get rid of), let that guide your process before you get cracking.

  • Internship: Is It For You?

    Internship: Is It For You?

    Unpaid internships are particularly controversial these days. Even though the government is planning on a reviewing intern practices, most believe that interns should already be getting paid at least minimum wage. The argument is generally on the left wing of politics, focusing on social justice – and a hot topic among students and young adults just entering the workforce. It is also a hot topic among corporations, organizations and governments- the people that would be doing the hiring.

    Experience is so important today that employers often hire students only if they have relevant experience, despite having graduated from school and applying for an entry-level position. (It’s one of the biggest reasons why I encourage you to take a co-op position, even if it may not be relevant towards your future career – it shows initiative and relevant recent experience if you haven’t been working for some time.)

    Unpaid internships are highly restricted. As an example, law students would serve an internship (called ‘articling’) before becoming full-fledged lawyers. The articling students are often heavily overworked and unpaid, or paid just a small stipend; this system is expanding into business, marketing, and other careers.

    This is the part where it gets confusing – because it all depends on the language your workplace is using. It never hurts to seek legal advice on labour laws, rules and regulations. However, there are guidelines on when to seek help. There are guidelines to figure out if you are actually in an unpaid internship that should be paid – or if the workplace is violating your legal rights. The best information for this topic begins with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, which focuses on employee and workplace standards.

    However, this is not as big an issue if you’re working on a co-op placement through your school. Colleges and universities are granted a legal exception as it ‘assists’ your education and helps with future training for your chosen career. But when it comes to programs similar to these, sometimes the best intentions are manipulated by organizations just to save money, particularly large corporations, which tend to be the biggest offenders.
    At the time I write this, internships are so hotly debated and so relevant today that changes are imminent – but what changes will occur remains to be seen. The new government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intends to review the practise of internship to determine if it is fair in its current form (I don’t think it is) and to make changes in the law to make it work for everyone.

    Therefore, the status of the internship is yet to be determined – but one thing is clear: those internships, and how large corporations use them, needs to change in order to accommodate those who have won cases proving misuse of workers. Since the goal is for younger workers to earn steady wages in an already precarious economy, wouldn’t it be worth the consideration to ensure that the young workers themselves get the wages they deserve?