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Tag: 2015

  • Academic Resolutions for the New Year (French version available)

    Academic Resolutions for the New Year (French version available)

    Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of 2025. Whether you’ve already got a list of goals you’d like to accomplish next year or are still thinking about what to do tomorrow, don’t leave your academic career out of the picture. When it comes to things like study skills, research abilities, or time management, you can never stop improving—and it’s certainly never too late to start. Consider some of these academic resolutions when you’re setting goals for the New Year.

    Stay on top of things. Don’t let upcoming projects get the best of you this year. Make it your mission to stay organized so you know exactly what’s due when, what’s expected of you, and what’s coming up next. This includes keeping track of assignments and test dates (invest in a day planner—or a handy smartphone app), and doing a little bit each day so the workload doesn’t get too overwhelming. You’ll thank yourself when the deadline rolls around.

    Get involved. There’s more to school than tests and papers: committing to a club or team is a fun way to meet new people, develop your skills, and make yourself known among your teachers. If you have something to look forward to (aside from your next homework assignment), it’s a positive source of motivation, and your academic focus will improve, too. You’ll be surprised at what a positive effect getting involved outside the classroom can have on your grades.

    Challenge yourself. Go beyond what’s expected of you. If something in a class sparks your interest, do some more reading or ask your teachers for extra information (or extra credit). Don’t be afraid to set higher goals for yourself: for instance, if you were hoping and praying for a B paper last year (and you got it!), why not try for an A this time around? It may seem difficult to change your mindset at first, but by motivating yourself, you’re more likely to improve—and your instructors will recognize the extra effort you’re putting in.

    Learn from last year. Is there a class you were hoping to do better in or an assignment you kind of dropped the ball on? Based on your past academic experiences, think of ways to improve yourself this year. Whether it’s revising your study strategy or just working harder, confronting your past slip-ups is crucial to ensure they don’t happen again. Not to mention that teachers and professors love to see their students taking constructive criticism: prove you’ve learned something from the class, and there’s nowhere to go but up.

    Happy New Year and good luck in your academic endeavours!

  • I Didn’t Get a Scholarship… Now What?

    I Didn’t Get a Scholarship… Now What?

    Money should not, under any circumstances, serve as a barrier to education, yet the reality for many students can be quite different. Faced with consistently increasing tuition, student fees, and costs of living, many students find it difficult to imagine how they will be able to afford post-secondary. Scholarships are great ways to fund your education, but they certainly aren’t the only option.

    If you applied for a scholarship but unfortunately did not receive one, don’t give up on your education yet. There are a variety of other options available that you may not have thought about. Finding money to go to school may be difficult, but do not let your apparent lack of funds stop you from pursuing your degree.

    Here are some of the things you can do if you need help financing your education.

    Speak to your parents/guardians. In fact, this is something you should do even if you have received a scholarship! Make your financial situation clear from the start, and see whether your family is able or willing to support you, and in what capacity. See what funds you have available before starting to panic.

    Work. Start searching for opportunities to make the money yourself, including part-time jobs, summer employment, or work-study positions. You may not be able to earn the full cost of your tuition, but you can certainly make a dent in it. Keep in mind that most students, even those who receive financial assistance or compensation, take on a job anyway in order to cover excess costs.

    Find out about grants and bursaries. Post-secondary institutions typically offer different types of financial assistance. Aside from scholarships, there are probably also grants and bursaries available for students who demonstrate financial need. To qualify for this option, you will likely have to complete a financial assessment according to your institution’s guidelines.

    Take on a student loan. It might seem scary to spend money you don’t have, but loans are a reality not only for students, but for individuals later in life (cars, property mortgages, etc.). Student loans are typically offered alongside special benefits, such as reduced interest rates and increased flexibility when paying back the money. In Canada, each province handles student loans differently, so research your situation thoroughly before going to the bank.

    If at first you don’t succeed… There should be plenty more opportunities for you to obtain a scholarship once you enter post-secondary. Do your research early, and see what options you have available in later years. If you work hard, there’s no reason why the scholarship board won’t reconsider you for sponsorship in the future.

  • Fun Activities for Summer!

    Fun Activities for Summer!

    You’ve been waiting patiently all year for June… for school to finally be over.

    Sure, for the first week or so it is was nice to relax; unwind; sleep in; lie around; enjoy not having anything you “had” to do. But after a few days, the novelty of doing “nothing” tends to wear off, and you get BORED!

    Really bored. You start whinny to your parents, care givers, friends and relatives…

    “There’s nothing to do!”

    “I’m so bored!”

    “No one’s around!”

    “There’s nothing fun going on!”

    Before these words slip out of your mouth this summer, stop and think of all the great things you can do, now that you have the time to do them.

    Here is a list of fun ideas to get you started:

    • Set up a mini golf course in your backyard.
    • Raise money for charity by having a car wash, BBQ or yard sale.
    • Go camping, even if it’s in your backyard. You can roast marshmallows, sing camp songs and tell ghost stories.
    • If you go on a family vacation be sure to take lots of pics. When you get back you can make a cool memory album for each member of your family.
    • Check out your local thrift store and adopt a new look to rock when you go back to school this Fall (don’t forget to donate your old clothes to charity).
    • Get a summer job, or do odd jobs like yard work, painting, babysitting or dog walking. You can gain job experience and save up some cash to buy something you really wanted.
    • Have a movie marathon sleep over with your friends, or binge watch your favorite TV show on DVD.
    • Organize a fun tournament for you and your friends. You could play volleyball, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, or washer toss.
    • Learn to cook. Or if you already know how to cook try out some new recipes. You could even invent a new kind of pizza.
    • Make playlists for different activates like parties, cleaning, exercising, relaxing etc.
    • Start a book club with your friends.
    • Have an old school board game night. Don’t forget to make a trophy to compete for.

    There are a ton of things to do no matter where you live- sometimes your imagination will be your best tool to discovering new and exciting activities.

    A famous comedian named Louis C.K. once said:

    “I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say. I mean you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? “

  • Nature Watch: Exploring Our Solar System – Events To Watch In 2015

    Nature Watch: Exploring Our Solar System – Events To Watch In 2015

    Our solar system is our neighbourhood, with many questions remaining about our planets, moons, comets, and asteroids. If you are interested in space and planetary exploration, the search for water on other planets, and uncovering the secrets of our solar system, these are three events to keep an eye on this summer.

    Rosetta Mission – Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

    (European Space Agency)

    The Milestone: Rosetta is performing the first long-term close observation of a comet, and the Philae lander is the first scientific lander on a surface other than a planet or moon.

    The Mission: Launched in March 2004, Rosetta’s main objective was to catch up to and orbit comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and deploy the Philae lander to the surface. Both events succeeded in November 2014. In 2015, Rosetta continues to observe 67P as it nears its closest approach to the Sun, examining gas and dust interactions that create a comet’s characteristic “tail”. Both Rosetta and Philae have sent back stunning photographs of the comet from orbit.

     Events This Summer: 67P’s perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) will occur around August 13, 2015. The data gathered will show what happens to comets as they pass close to the Sun.

    More Information: http://sci.esa.int/rosetta

    http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta

     

     

    Dawn Mission – Protoplanet Vesta and Dwarf Planet Ceres

    (NASA and JPL)

    The Milestone: Using a specially designed ion propulsion system, Dawn achieved a remarkable feat: visiting two separate planetary bodies in the asteroid belt, and performing orbital observations around both. This also marks the first visit to a dwarf planet by any spacecraft.

    The Mission: Launched in September 2006, Dawn travelled through the solar system to encounter and orbit the proto-planet Vesta from July 2011-September 2012. After mapping and science observations, Dawn broke orbit from Vesta and travelled another two years to rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres in March 2015. By studying these planetary bodies, we hope to learn about the early formation of the solar system.

    Events This Summer: August 2015 and December 2015 will see Dawn perform the two lowest mapping orbits, providing detailed surface photographs and scientific measurements, and hopefully solving the mystery of the “bright spots” on Ceres’ surface.

    More Information: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov

     

     

    New Horizons Mission – Pluto System Flyby

    (NASA)

    The Milestone: The first ever flyby of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moon system, the most distant and still unexamined member of our solar system.

    The Mission: New Horizons launched in 2006, and will perform a flyby observation of the Pluto system, then continue on an extended mission into the distant Kuiper Belt to visit the small, icy bodies orbiting the outer edges of our solar system. This mission will provide detailed photographs, surface maps, and valuable scientific data about Pluto, and help us learn about the outskirts and formation of our solar system.

    Events This Summer: New Horizons closest approach to Pluto is scheduled for July 14, 2015. Currently in approach phase, new pictures with increasing detail are regularly transmitted back to Earth and made available to the public.

    More Information: http://nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons

     

  • Happy New Year from JobsPeopleDo.com!

    Happy New Year from JobsPeopleDo.com!

    Welcome to a brand new year!

    If you’re like many people, you’re probably thinking about what sort of resolutions you would like to make for 2015. Maybe you want to get higher grades, save more money or get organized. Whatever you resolve to do, set small, achievable goals for yourself. As you cross each one off of your list, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment and you will find that it will motivate you to keep going.

    This month, we have some tips for you on how to get higher grades this year, how to deal when you DON’T get the grade you want and, of course, scholarships and bursaries to help you reach your educational dreams.

    If you haven’t yet, check out our brand new Community Living page. It’s full of great information and resources for students with disabilities who are ready to make the transition from high school to university, or who are looking to enter the workforce for the first time.

    This year, we’ll be adding more videos and job profiles than ever before. We’re excited to help you as you get ready to conquer your exams and find the career path of your dreams!

    Happy 2015!

    Jasmin Bollman
    Content Editor