Category: Scholarships

For most of us, our fashion and style are a way to express ourselves and make an impression on others. However, you don’t have to blow off your college fund or your entire savings to be a walking Instagram post. All the hundreds of likes and positive comments you’ll get is not worth the pain of seeing a 0 balance on your bank account or a 5-digit debt on your credit card statement. This doesn’t mean that you’ll have to let go of your fashion sense. There’s an ideal way for you to look Twitter OOTD-worthy without spending too much, and that’s through thrift store shopping.

A few people probably cringe upon hearing “thrift store” as it typically means second-hand, used, hand-me-downs, recycled, or whatever you want to call it. However, once you become more open to this option and get rid of the negative mindset on old clothes, then you can look forward to the positive experience of the big world of vintage shopping. And keep in mind that even Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton herself is a proud believer of recycling outfits over and over—especially if it works. She definitely turns heads every time she wears that now-famous fire engine red skirt suit by Luisa Spagnoli, which she has worn to high-profile public appearances thrice now.

So if the Duchess of Cambridge doesn’t have qualms about wearing her outfits repeatedly even when she has the means to buy new ones, then certainly we should have no reservations going for thrift store shops, even though someone already wore it before us (and even wore it better than us). The trick is to make the most out of it, so here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Do your research!

We’re lucky to be living in Canada which is teeming with thrift stores left and right. Before you head out on your mission of finding vintage clothes, it’s helpful to do research so you can plan ahead. Some vintage stores specialize in a line or brand of clothing, while some are more general. For example, Vancouver’s well-known F as in Frank store is famous for vintage all right, but vintage athletic wear, so definitely not the store to hop into when you’re looking for a prom dress that can rival the pink number that Jennifer Lopez wore to a recent movie premiere. There are also stores like Saskatoon’s  Better Off Duds or Winnipeg’s Vintage Glory that carry pre-loved wear that are more retro (from ’60s to the ’60s), so they’re perfect when you want to pull off a nostalgic look.

Shop off-season.

It will feel weird to be shopping for swimsuits during winter, but it’s one sure-fire way to save money. Shopping off-season means you get better deals and discounts, and it’s an effective way to shop at your own pace. Just imagine, if you find yourself in need of a winter coat because yours got a big stain that even the dry cleaners couldn’t get out smack dab in the middle of winter, you will likely be in panic mode and go for a winter coat that you like but not exactly within your budget. You need it now so there’s no need to be choosy. Shopping off-season is a good way to avoid that, and who knows, you might find something in-season that’s a treasure as well.

Go online.

If online shopping is your thing, then you’d be glad to know that vintage shopping is also quite popular online. There are several sites like the Calgary-based The Upside that carries authenticated luxury goods from over 250 designers and Montreal’s Myluxurycloset.com which offers Gucci, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel brands. Yes, even Kendall Jenner will be pleased with these shops. If you like shopping both at a physical location and online, Consign Toronto has both a brick and mortar store and an online one to fulfill your needs for high-end fashion.

Find items to donate.

Some thrift stores give you discount coupons if you hand over items for donation. However, be sure to carefully pick out these things as you wouldn’t want to give a pair of high-end shoes with one sole about to fall out or a designer skirt with the zipper missing. Be considerate to others and remember whatever you hand over should be good and ready for use. If the thrift store doesn’t have a policy of giving discount coupons for donors, don’t lose hope. Open a conversation with the staff and be friendly with them, and even if they don’t give you a discount, they might help you find really amazing pieces that can break the Internet.

So there you have it: hot tips for hot fashion that’s within your budget. Now what are you waiting for? Get your wallet ready and get started!

SOURCES:

Canadian Living. “The 10 best Canadian websites websites for shopping vintage clothing.” https://www.canadianliving.com/style/fashion/mediagallery/the-10-best-canadian-websites-for-shopping-vintage-clothing.

Flare. “The Best Thrift Shops Across Canada to Score Second-Hand Gems.” https://www.flare.com/localist/the-best-thrift-shops-in-canada/.

Leverette, Mary Marlowe. “15 Bad Cleaning Habits You Need to Break.” The Spruce. https://www.thespruce.com/thrift-store-shopping-tips-1313673.

By Erin Rebello

For many high school seniors, this time of year marks the beginning of post-secondary applications. Whether you’re headed into university, college, or a trade school, an education is a crucial part of starting your career. Unfortunately, post-secondary education can also be really expensive, causing students to incur extensive debts at a young age. One way to reduce the financial burden of attending school is with scholarships. Although scholarships may seem daunting at first, this guide for beginners is here to help you through the process!

Types of Scholarships:

Although starting your scholarship search may be overwhelming at first, the best place to start is by considering the different types of scholarships provided. Each type of scholarship has different criteria, as well as a different likelihood for you to win, so it’s definitely something to be aware of when applying.

1. Major Admission Awards are very large scholarships offered by a post-secondary institution. These scholarships are highly-coveted, and usually have an extensive application process, including essays, references, interviews, and more. Major admissions awards consider both your academic achievement and extracurricular involvement. Although these types of scholarships are highly-competitive, they provide an extreme amount of support, ranging up to $80,000 and beyond.
2. Entrance Scholarships are smaller scholarships also offered by a post-secondary institution with a similar goal as major admission awards. One key difference is that entrance awards do not have an application process, and are purely based on academics. For example, if you achieved over 90% in your top 6 courses, you might be eligible for a $2,000 scholarship. Entrance scholarship criteria and monetary amounts differ greatly between institutions, so be sure to compare this.
3. Program-Specific Scholarships are scholarships offered to applicants for a very specific program at an institution, such as business, STEM, or the arts. Program specific scholarships are used to entice students to attend a specific program at a university, even if it’s not what they initially considered. For example, you might find a program scholarship specifically for women in engineering, considering that STEM is a male-dominated field.
4. External Scholarships are scholarships offered by organizations other than the educational institution itself. Since this is such a large category, it contains many scholarships within it.
5. Work Scholarships are those offered by you or your parents’ place of work to support further education. These are often guaranteed by the employer, but do have important deadlines, so just be sure to ask your parents and speak with your manager as soon as possible!
6. Essay Scholarships are those offered by institutions for winners of essay contests. These types of scholarships don’t often look at grades, but they can be very tedious or time consuming to write, so definitely think about the pros and cons before applying.
7. External Scholarships are any other sort of other scholarship offered by an organization. These scholarships range greatly in value, from $200 to $10,000 and beyond. Although there are websites and lists of scholarships for larger external scholarships, smaller ones are usually community-based, so it’s best to speak with teachers, parents, and guidance counsellors.

What You Need to Apply:

Now that you’re hyped up to be applying for scholarships to help pay for school, it’s important to note that you’ll often need to gather a few things in order to apply.

1. Resume: Most scholarships look at a student holistically, and a resume is a great way to get a snapshot of a student’s work, achievements, and involvements. Some scholarships require a PDF of your resume, while others will have you manually fill an online form.
2. Essays: Another component of scholarships are essays, which vary greatly in size and topic. Most scholarships ask you questions about yourself, your academic habits, and why you want to pursue a post-secondary education. The length of these essays varies greatly, with some as short as 100 words, with others being 1,000 words.
3. Letters of Reference: Scholarships want to make sure that what you’re telling them is accurate, so they often ask for a letter of reference from someone who knows you well. This can include a teacher, coach, employer, or anyone not related to you who can vouch for your work.

One thing you should note is that oftentimes, these requirements (and even the questions themselves) overlap greatly with various applications. For this reason, when applying to scholarships myself, I created a Google Doc with all the answers I had previously used. This allowed me to go back when I noticed a similar prompt and adapt my older essays to fit the new prompt.

Where to Start: 

So now that you know all about the types of scholarships and have an understanding of what you need, it’s time to start your scholarship hunt… but where to begin? The best place to start is asking your guidance counsellors and teachers, as they often have information about local scholarships you can apply to. You should also speak with your parents and family members, as they might know about employee scholarships from their work. As mentioned earlier, if you yourself are working, speaking with an employer is a good idea, too.

Besides speaking with other people, another great resource is the internet. When I was creating a list of scholarships to apply to, I referenced many other lists I found online. Websites like Scholarships Canada, Grant Me, and Student Awards.ca all have extensive lists of scholarships you can browse. And while you’re already here, Jobs People Do has several other posts about scholarships, including specific scholarships you can apply to!

The final place I would recommend for researching scholarships is the schools you’re planning on applying to. Most schools have a list of major admission and entrance awards on their website to get students eager and interested in their institution.

Overall, although searching for and applying to a scholarship can be a tedious process, there are many resources out there available to help you. And in the end, scholarships are a great way to reduce the financial burden of attending school, especially if used in combination with savings, government aid, and smart spending!

Sources

Griffiths, Adam. “5 Types of Scholarships for Canadian Students.” GrantMe. https://grantme.ca/5-types-of-scholarships-for-canadian-students/.

Griffiths, Adam. “Top 10 University Scholarships in Canada.” GrantMe. https://grantme.ca/top-10-university-scholarships-in-canada/.

Taylor, Rob. “A Guide to Scholarships, Awards and Applications.” Scholarships Canada. https://www.scholarshipscanada.com/News/9/1420/A-guide-to-scholarships,-awards-and-applications.