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Category: Featured Articles

  • How to Pick a School that Works for You

    How to Pick a School that Works for You

    Deciding which post-secondary institution to attend is easily one of the most difficult decisions you may face in your lifetime. If you find yourself scattered and unsure of where to begin, just think of PED: Program, Environment, and Distance. This is a useful technique that can help you organize your thoughts and carefully lay out the important factors.

    Program: The very first thing you should do when picking a school is question whether they have the program that is right for you. A common mistake that students tend to make is to pick a school based on its overall reputation as opposed to the reputation of its programs. A school could be ranked at the top of all the major lists but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the best for whatever program you intend on enrolling in. If you’re the type of person who refers to ranking lists, make sure these lists are program specific. If you can find a way to do so, talk to students who are actually enrolled in the programs you’re considering and discuss any concerns you may have. They’re likely to be very honest with you and you can get some insider-info that you won’t find in the fancy brochures.

    Environment: Believe it or not, your surroundings can have a major impact on how well you do in university or college. I’m the type of person who needs a refreshing walk when I get stressed so it was important for me to choose a school that had a beautiful campus. For some, old-style traditional buildings and scenic walkways will do the trick. For others, modern buildings and high-tech facilities are a must. Keep in mind that many schools have a good balance of both! Also take a look at the environment outside of the school’s campus and ask yourself if you’d prefer to be located in a big city or something with more of a suburban feel. If you plan on living off campus in upper years, this could be a bit of a deal-breaker for you.

    Distance: One of the most difficult things about going away for school is being away from your family and friends. If you’ve got tight-knit relationships, going too far away from your support system may be too much to handle. And that’s ok. You might not even have to leave home if you’d prefer to commute. However, if you’re determined to leave the nest you should always pause to consider how often you intend to visit home (if at all). If you’re making many trips, things can become quite costly if you live hours away from home. The important thing here is to speak to your parents or guardians and figure out a system that works best for everyone. Before you do this, though, have an honest think-session with yourself and decide what’s most important for you. If independence is key, be prepared to negotiate and do quite a bit of reassuring.

    Each school you consider is bound to have its pros and cons. The best you can do is weigh all of your options and choose a school that you’re most comfortable with. Others may input their opinions but the choice is ultimately yours to make!

  • Internships with Startup Companies

    Internships with Startup Companies

    Even during the height of the winter season, many students are beginning to set their sights on summer internships. If you’re one of the keener students looking to get a head start in the game, you’ve probably already begun searching for a position.  Ambition may have led you to some of the most well-known firms across the country. However, it’s important to understand that for these larger companies, hundreds of inquiries arrive at their doorsteps every year. Even with a wicked resume, it’ll be quite the challenge for you to stand out amongst such a large crowd. Your chances would significantly improve if you were to aim for a company that hasn’t made that big of a splash in the community yet. Startup companies are those that are slowly (and sometimes quickly) making their way onto the main stage. They may be in the process of developing a new product or they may be working to bring a creative new service to life. These companies are always eager for new talent to help raise their entrepreneurial ventures off the ground. In fact, most of these companies are so busy with day-to-day operations that they haven’t even thought about hiring interns. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your initiative by reaching out to them first. If there’s one thing that entrepreneurs love, it’s a self-starter!

    There are several benefits to working with a startup. For one, these companies tend to be more willing to give you a significant role within their ranks. Of course this isn’t true for all startups, but it’s definitely a noticeable trend. With limited human resources on deck, these companies often have employees conducting tasks that would usually be shared among several other people. If you have the appropriate skillset, it’s likely that you’ll get some of these responsibilities placed on you, which would be the perfect opportunity to gain some real-world experience! In the long-term, your role may prove to be so substantial that you’ll be deemed a necessary fixture within the company. Of course, this would require a great deal of work on your part but it’s definitely a realistic possibility for interns working with startups.

    If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, interning with a startup would also be a great way to spend your summers. You would get the unique opportunity to see the various challenges that startups face on a regular basis and see how they maneuver around them.  This would definitely give you a leg up when starting your own company in the future.  Even if entrepreneurship doesn’t seem like a likely option for yourself, you can benefit from the educational experience of working within a newly-formed business.

    It’s also important to make note of some of the potential downfalls of working with a startup. For one, it’s likely that the internship will be unpaid since startups often operate on tight budgets. Moreover, if you have long-term aspirations, it’s possible that the company many not exist in the future if their operations are unsuccessful. Beyond this, entrepreneurs often work long, irregular hours and it’s possible that they may have similar expectations for you. At the end of the day, it will be your responsibility to decide if working for a startup is right for you.

  • What is a PhD?

    What is a PhD?

    When you meet people who are called “doctor,” you expect them to be able to help cure illnesses and fix broken bones. Sometimes, however, doctors can be researchers, fundraisers or consultants. These people are not medical doctors but instead have doctorates (PhDs) in a field such as literature, philosophy, chemistry or business.

    In many cases, a PhD or doctorate is the highest level of education that people can get. Students start by studying for three or four years to get a Bachelor’s degree. If they want to go on to further education, they take another year or two to get a Master’s degree. Usually, this degree involves writing a long paper called a thesis. Many people stop their studies at this point, but sometimes they continue on to get a doctorate or PhD.

    Basically, the two degrees are the same. Both of them require the student to take classes and to do research on a subject that they choose. When they finish their research they write a long essay called a dissertation. Usually, dissertations for PhD degrees tend to focus on theory but dissertations for doctorates tend to be more practical. A PhD dissertation, for example, might be about the theory of how languages are related to each other. A doctoral dissertation might be about how the theories of language relate to teaching English to speakers of other languages.

    When do people need to get a PhD or doctorate? It depends on where they are working and what they want to do with their careers. Because of the theoretical focus of most PhD programs, the connection with specific jobs is not always clear. However, many PhD graduates can find work in research or teaching. In many universities, professors are required to have PhDs or doctorates in order to get a job. A PhD is also very useful for researchers since it helps them develop the skills they need to do their work and to record and write about the results.

    Before you decide to get a PhD or a doctorate, you need to decide if the degree is right for you. Are you ready for years of studying after high school? For many people, getting Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD degrees takes ten years or more. University courses can be expensive, and all of those years of study can leave people in debt. Job opportunities can also be limited, especially in university teaching positions. However, options are also open in many other fields. Graduates of PhD and doctoral programs work in government departments, business, finance, community development, education and technology.

     

  • Discovering Your Skills and Talents

    Discovering Your Skills and Talents

    Everyone has skills and talents. You may not have figured out what your particular set of skills and talents are (yet), but you definitely have them.

    But let’s back-track for a second. What is a skill or talent? A skill or talent is something that you are good at. For instance, you could be skilled at cooking up a gourmet meal or fixing cars. Sometimes a skill could be a particular quality or set of qualities you possess, such as talking, listening, negotiating, planning, organizing, typing or analyzing.

    For some people, figuring out their skills is simple. They seem to have been born with it.  For instance, I have a friend who is talented at playing the piano. She has always been talented at the piano since the time she was a child. Other people acquire their skills over the years. I have another friend who is skilled at making beautiful cakes. She wasn’t born with this ability, but learned it after years and years of practice.

    It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a skill or have developed it over time, what matters is that you figure out what your skills are and use them. Figuring out your skills might seem hard at first, especially if there are no obvious signs to point you in the right direction. Pay attention, then, to what others notice about you. Often times, your friends, family and colleagues may recognize a particular skill or talent you have before you do. In fact, it might help to ask those around you what your skills are. A few years ago, I e-mailed my family and friends and asked them, “Are there any skills or interests that you see in me, that perhaps I am not aware of?” The answers I received were eye-opening. I never knew I possessed certain skills and talents until those around me told me I did!

    Interestingly enough, I discovered that many of my skills and talents were in areas I was interested in.  For instance, I am skilled at writing and research – and I also happen to enjoy doing both! It’s no coincidence that this happens. You tend to spend more time doing things that interest you, and when you spend more time doing something, you inevitably get better at it. (Practice makes perfect, right?)

    So do yourself a favour. Figure out your skills and talents (either by observing your own behaviour or by asking others) and then use these skills and talents. You will be a much happier person for doing so. The majority of the time, what you are good at also happens to be what you are passionate about!

  • Note Taking: Not as Scary as You Might Think!

    Note Taking: Not as Scary as You Might Think!

    Taking notes is a formidable task for students in high school and college. There is a lot of information to take in daily from each class, and that amounts to a lot of writing. But fear not, young student! With the following tips, you will soon have bountifully overflowing notebooks filled with all sorts of useful knowledge. First things first, however: why take notes at all when there are textbooks available?

    There is a huge difference between writing a sentence and reading it. For instance, you finished reading that sentence in likely a quarter to a third of the time it took for me to write it. If I had written it by hand, the gap would be even larger. When you write out your notes as opposed to just reading them in a textbook, it is like eating with chopsticks instead of a fork. This is because you are eating more slowly and giving yourself time to digest every bite. When you pay attention to the things you’re writing and think about them more, you’ll have achieved what every student strives for: retention of information. Retention is when you keep something in your memory. Instead of just passing through your mind in that moment, you will remember it later. But taking notes is boring, right? You might think so, but it does not have to be.

    Depending on how you prefer to learn, you can make your notes as detailed as you want. However, they should be understandable to you. Styles range from writing down keywords under main points to drawing and labelling pictures. When you are in class, try out a few different methods. Do you like your pages neat and organized with headings for every point? Perhaps you like to have your sub-points all aligned neatly down the page for easy reading. Or maybe you prefer a mind map, with the central idea in the middle with each concept in an offshoot of its own. As long as it is understandable and gets the important points of what you are learning across, then those notes work for you.

    The next logical step, then, is using the notes you have created. They have already been of benefit to you with regard to recalling information, as already discussed. However, you will likely take a lot of notes between tests and there is no way you will remember everything simply because you wrote it down. If your notes meet the above criteria of being understandable and containing the knowledge you will need to do well on your exam, they will be easier to study because you created them yourself. Because of this, you are much more likely to succeed when you take and use notes in class.

    So don’t be afraid of taking notes. With a little organization and practice, they will be of great used to you. Try it out for yourself to see just how easy it can be.

  • Cells Phones and Driving Don’t Mix

    Cells Phones and Driving Don’t Mix

    Cellular phones – they went from being foot long-antenna esoteric devices to the necessity of the 21st century; after all, children as young as nine carry them. We depend on their everyday functions and applications. They’re organizers, alarm clocks and music players all in one; they’re almost as valuable as our wallets.

    Besides all of their positive uses, they can be quite a distraction and leave us absent-minded while driving. Cell phones cause up to 30% of highway collisions in Ontario. It isn’t only talking on a cell phone that is a distraction, either – texting while driving can often prove fatal.

    Talking and texting on cell phones has been categorized into what Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “distracted driving”. This means anyone who physically takes their hands off of the steering wheel or directs their attention elsewhere, such as to their cell phone, is a distracted driver. Consider this: over 196 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. with up to half of them being sent while driving. Unfortunately, this probably attributed to the 3,331 people who were killed in collisions that involved distracted drivers.

    Although there are alternatives to talking on the cell phone while driving, such as a Bluetooth headset, it is still equally distracting. As of 2009, Ontario implemented a cell phone law that carried a fine of $155 for anyone seen talking on a cell phone while driving. Other provinces have similar laws that carry fines up to $400 and demerit point as well.

    So it’s probably best if we keep our hands off of the phone and on the steering wheel. Not only will it keeps our roads safer, but it will keep money in your pocket. In case of an emergency, pull over to the side of the road to use your phone. Otherwise, keep it out of your hands until you’ve safely reached your destination.

    Stay safe and smart on the roads!

  • Mastering the Art of Communication

    Mastering the Art of Communication

    Your mission: Learn to communicate – and do it well!

    Communication is an important part of being successful and something that everyone must do. Whether you’re talking to one person or a room full of people, sharing a personal story or presenting a project, it’s important to learn to communicate in the most effective way.

    Have you ever played the game Telephone? If you have, you know how easy it is for one set of words to get turned into something else as each person tries to understand what the person next to them has said. You want your messages to be clear when you communicate so that a telephone-effect does not happen to what you say.

    If you want a room full of people to know that global warming is an issue you feel strongly about and think they should, too, you want them to leave the room with an understanding of why. So how do you say what you mean? And how do you say it in a way where people will want to listen?

    1) Think before you speak: It sounds so simple yet many times not thinking ahead will cause us to say something differently, incorrectly, or even sometimes completely silly-sounding. By thinking through what you want to say, you are more likely to say exactly what you mean.

    2) Pay attention: Listen to what your audience is saying and judge how they are reacting to what you’re saying. This will help you to identify strong points and areas for improvement in the future.

    3) Know it all: Understand what you’re talking about and take time to become an expert in the subject. Fully understanding a subject is important not only in formal situations or while presenting, but also when having a conversation. Know all the details and don’t assume or gossip to fill in the blanks. Understanding your subject will give you confidence that your audience will notice.

    4) Add personality: You’ve got personality and it would be a shame not to use it! Perhaps you’re a caring, soft-spoken individual or perhaps the joker of your group of friends. Regardless of your personality, find a way to use it to add uniqueness to the way you communicate.

    5) Know how to close: Not every story ends saying, “the end.” How do you want your audience to feel after you’ve finished communicating? What was the purpose of your communicating? To inspire thought or action? To inform? Ensure that your conclusion brings all of your thoughts together and re-states your purpose.

    Whether you’re just starting to build your communication skills or you’re already quite the expert, there is always room for improvement. Keep practising and experimenting with new ways to communicate. Challenge yourself and find new methods that work well for you.

    With all of these tips in mind and with a willingness to grow as a communicator – your mission will be accomplished!

     

  • Becoming a Pharmacist

    Becoming a Pharmacist

    Contrary to popular belief, there is more to pharmacy than just prescribing medication and administrating drugs. Pharmacists have a variety of responsibilities that range from providing dietary advice to patients and helping insurance companies develop pharmacy benefit packages. Pharmacists also need to provide information on the safe use of the drug as well as any side effects related to it. They are responsible for keeping detailed records of patients’ drug use and purchases. With this information, they can inform patients on any risks related to using multiple drugs at once. Beyond this, a pharmacist has the duty of closely monitoring their patients’ responses to certain drugs to see if the prescriptions are effective. Their background in chemical and biological science gives them excellent product knowledge and allows them to see if drugs are having their desired effects.

    One of the most crucial tasks performed by pharmacists is filling prescriptions. They are responsible for crushing, mixing, measuring, and bottling drugs for customer use. This process is called compounding and is unique for different types of drugs. This part of the job requires great accuracy and precision. Small mistakes can have a big effect on unsuspecting patients.

    Working Conditions
    Pharmacists are generally found working for retail stores, grocery stores, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and nursing homes. It is not as common but they may also work for government agencies and militaries. Research institutions also hire pharmacists for developing and testing potential drugs.

    Pharmacists generally work regular shifts due to the fact that they tend to work in places that have established hours of operation. These pharmacists work an average of 40 hours a week. However, those who work in hospitals may experience irregular, long hours and may be called in for nights, weekends, and holidays.

    Personal Characteristics Required
    Pharmacists require certain personal characteristics in order to be successful in their work. It is absolutely essential that they are accurate and precise. Minimal mistakes can have large impacts on patients and the reputation of the pharmacy. It is also very important that prospective pharmacists have excellent communicational skills. They must be able to clearly convey information on the recommended dosage of drugs as well as their side effects and risk factors. They must possess good teamwork skills due to the fact that they seldom work alone. Lastly, all pharmacists need to be incredibly organized to prevent a mix up in prescriptions or ingredients for certain drugs.

    Future Growth Prospects
    Within a pharmacy, there is plenty of room to move up to superior positions and to get promoted. The pharmacists who work in retail and grocery stores tend to start at staff level but can potentially become store managers and supervisors. After multiple years of experience within the same company, a pharmacist could even obtain an executive position at their company’s headquarters.

    Salary
    The salary of a pharmacist ultimately depends in their place of work and experience. The average salary for pharmacists is between $70,000 and $100,000. However, many pharmacists who have worked in the field for a while find themselves making more than $100,000 a year. People involved in private practice have a greater chance of surpassing $100,000 than those who work for retail and grocery stores.

  • Put Down Your Cell Phone and Drive Safe

    Put Down Your Cell Phone and Drive Safe

    You’ve finally convinced your parents to lend you their car and as you cruise down the highway on your way to your friend’s place, your favourite song comes on the radio. You sink back into the driver’s seat and think to yourself, “Life is good!” Then you hear your cell phone whistle like a little bird, perched on the passenger seat beside you. You check the road ahead and decide it’s safe to grab your phone with your right hand – just so see who sent the message. It’s your friend and she’s asking when you’re going to arrive at her place. Just a quick message back to her will be easy to send, especially since you’ve sent texts while driving plenty of times before.

    In the blink of an eye, you realize you’ve lost control. But it’s too late. Somehow between grabbing the phone and reading the text, your car drifted to the right just as another vehicle was fast approaching in the lane next to you. Your car slams into the driver’s side of the oncoming vehicle and you both screech down the highway into the meridian. Overcome by shock and then relief that you’re still alive, you fail to immediately notice that the car you just hit has two young children in the back seats.

    Distracted driving has become a national issue in Canada. That is why in every province, it is illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone and offenders can expect to pay more than $150 for breaking the law. Sadly, though, the consequences of distracted driving are far more serious than a steep fine.

    Car crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers – who make up the largest proportion of distracted drivers. According to some statistics, texting while driving kills 11 teens every single day. And when young drivers have passengers with them in the car, the chances of a fatal accident increases up to five times.

    Driving is an enormous responsibility that requires careful attention even after a driver has gained years of experience. Even if you really are a skilled driver, there are many others with whom you share the road that you need to be aware of. Always remember that you are not invincible and distracting yourself while driving puts everyone around you at risk. Turn the volume on your phone off when you get into vehicle to drive so that you’re not tempted to use it, and always be an example to your friends. Being safe is actually pretty cool because it shows people that you value your life – and theirs.

  • Career Profile: Family Lawyer

    Career Profile: Family Lawyer

    When you think “lawyer,” you might think of high-profile cases against notorious lawbreakers. It seems glamorous and exciting. But, just as there are many aspects of the law itself, so there are many types of lawyers to practice different kinds of law.

    Each type of law practice comes with its own job description. Family lawyers, for instance, represent clients in divorce cases, child custody disputes, and ensuring that other family members fulfill their legal obligations. They also handle matters such as wills and estates, setting up trust funds, and working with adoptions, among other matters. Family lawyers prefer to work efficiently. Court battles are time-consuming and costly. Family lawyers strive to settle disputes out of court by mediation, arbitration, or other forms of problem-solving. They will meet frequently with clients to discuss their options, advising them on the best course of action. But that is not all- attorneys have responsibilities within their own firm as well. Often, a newly-graduated lawyer will supervise office staff. These include paralegals, legal secretaries, office assistants, and interns. But getting into a law firm in the first place takes a lot of schooling.

    Before you even attend law school, you must complete two to four years of schooling in other areas. Some law schools prefer that you have an undergraduate degree before they accept you. Once this prerequisite schooling is complete, the aspiring law student will study for and pass their LSATs- Law School Admission Tests. Then, at law school, they acquire their Bachelor of Laws. This qualifies them for their first year of training, called articling. While many students take their articling year in a law firm, some choose to work as a clerk for a judge.

    Once this term of articling is complete, the next step is to take a bar admission course and the accompanying exams. This qualifies you for practicing law in the province where the exams were taken. If you want to practice law in other provinces, you may have to meet other requirements.

    Once all of these requirements have been met, you are eligible to practice any type of law you desire. Family lawyers often specialize even further: some do only estates and wills, caring for the property of a large variety of clients. Others may do pro bono work, offering their services for free to those in desperate need of representation but who cannot hope to afford it. Some may choose only to work custody cases, support arrangements, and adoptions.

    Client confidentiality is of utmost importance to all lawyers, but especially to family lawyers. Because of the often turbulent nature of cases involving family disputes, sometimes it is required that each party have a separate lawyer to avoid a conflict of interest. This means that often, a husband and wife seeking divorce would not have the same lawyer, nor would the mother and father each seeking custody of their children. This means that if a case is to be settled quickly, family lawyers must have a good working relationship with lawyers in other firms.

    Working as a family lawyer takes a lot of preparation. Schooling alone takes a commitment of six to eight years, but making a difference in other people’s lives makes all that hard work worth it.