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  • If At First You Don’t Succeed… Try Something New

    If At First You Don’t Succeed… Try Something New

    We are always most comfortable doing what we know. It’s easier to invest time into something you’re already familiar with and it’s safer to avoid taking the risk that comes with learning new things. For these reasons, we generally like to abide by our normal routines. We walk through familiar neighbourhoods, we talk to people within our regular circles and, of course, we don’t learn anything new.

    While there is nothing wrong with sticking by a certain routine, it’s also unwise to be inflexible: by staying in your shell, you could be missing out on a world of opportunities. Think about the last time you really stepped out of your comfort zone to try something new. Whether you picked up a book you didn’t think you’d like, unexpectedly signed up for an audition or decided to wear different-coloured socks, no matter how insignificant or trivial that distinction may seem, even the tiniest bit of change is refreshing. It’s good.

    Trying new things is especially important in light of the back-to-school season. Perhaps you’re all set for another year of the regular stuff, but why not try and incorporate something you aren’t as ready for into your schedule? Most high school, college or university programs have electives you can select alongside your regular courses. Maybe you’re required to take calculus, chemistry, biology, and physics—but if you have a couple of spots free, sign up for classical literature or a foreign language. These elective courses may surprise you… and it may surprise you how well you do in them. Exposure to new material opens up even greater possibilities for your own research. You might even find yourself a new hobby.

    Of course, there are other ways to try your hand at something new. Clubs and extra-curriculars are not only fun and productive, but they can help you connect with people who share your interests (or people like you, looking for something new to do!). New courses, new pastimes, and new peers – that sounds like a sweet deal. All you have to do is put yourself out there.

    Yet most people are afraid to take even the slightest risk, worried that they won’t be good at what they do or that they’ll be made fun of for their efforts. In anything you do, there’s the possibility of failure, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try anything. Avoiding life is a waste of your time and talents, and believe it or not, people can be surprisingly supportive and understanding. So what if you mess up a little? If you want to commit to something, like any one of your current interests, it’s going to take a little work before you get comfortable with it.

    Maybe you won’t be good at what you try (at least not right off the bat). Maybe you won’t even like it. But at the very least, you can say you tried. Then it’s up to you to decide whether you want to stick by it or not.

     

  • Club Counselling: How Extracurriculars Can Help You Succeed

    Club Counselling: How Extracurriculars Can Help You Succeed

    I’ve always been someone who is eager to get involved. Academics are extremely important to me, but upon entering high school I started to realize the value in expanding my learning beyond the classroom. Over the years I’ve tried my hand at concert band, orchestra, choir, yearbook, newspaper, model UN, peer tutoring and more. Through this process, I found the things that really worked for me. There are so many ways you can participate in your school community. From my personal experience, taking part in these extra-curricular endeavours will be one of the most rewarding parts of your educational career.

    Extracurriculars are a fun way to connect with people who share your interests. Whether you’re running laps around the quad or bonding over molecular compounds, not only are you learning, expressing yourself and having fun—you’re doing it with like-minded and motivated peers. You might find that it’s quite easy to make friends when you have so much in common with the people around you. Oftentimes you click so well with these people that your friendships continue long after the club comes to a close.

    It is always important to focus on academics, but if you’re looking to get a balanced and entertaining experience out of your education, it is a must to make room for extracurriculars in your schedule. An academic club is a great way to expand your knowledge and learn from the people around you. And even if it’s not directly related to what you’re studying in school, any club serves as an excellent outlet for relieving stress—not to mention it can teach you other invaluable skills, like how to think creatively or be a team player.

    Aside from the skills you acquire along the way, clubs also give you the chance to put yourself out there for the people in charge, whether they are teachers or upper-year students. This is why it’s crucial to get involved in extracurriculars right off the bat: if you stick around long enough, you’ll start to make your way up the ranks. Leadership positions are hard to earn, but totally worth it. If you work at it, the payoff could be more rewarding than you ever imagined, including a wonderful sense of responsibility, the respect of your fellow peers and often an impressive title on your resume. As you can see, a mere dabble in the extra-curricular of your choice could turn into a real-world asset.

    I’m off to university next year, where I definitely plan to make extracurriculars one of my priorities. I know for a fact that the skills I’ve obtained through my involvement will come in handy in the future and working my way up to leadership positions in these fields has given me the confidence I need to succeed. Take initiative: check out what’s going on in your school community and put yourself out there. Get involved in what you’re interested in and I guarantee it will be worth it.

     

  • Joining Extracurricular Activities

    Joining Extracurricular Activities

    Whether you’re in middle school, high school, university, or college, getting involved with extracurricular activities is a great way to engage yourself outside of the classroom. It also serves as a great way to network, makes some new friends, and explore any interests you may have. On top of all of this, extracurriculars often make for some great resume and application material. If you’re overwhelmed with all of the choices offered at your school, check out some of the tips listed below:

    •If you’re unsure about where to start, why not try an interest-based club? This could be something fun, religious, artistic, or perhaps something you’ve always been curious about exploring. These types of clubs and organizations serve as great stress-relievers when work starts to pile-up.

    •Career-based extracurricular are those that relate to whatever field of work you intend to purse in the future. It could be anything from the Pre-Medicine Students’ Society to the Model UN. Joining these types of clubs is a great way to network with like-minded students and access helpful resources that the club-coordinators may have. There are often many upper year students involved in these career-based clubs and they’re usually willing to offer up advice on how to succeed in your classes, which courses to take, and those that should be avoided at all costs. These extracurriculars definitely have their academic merits but they can also help you rediscover your passion for the career path that you’ve chosen.

    •Joining clubs that have humanitarian agendas is a great way to make use of your spare time. These clubs may be part of a larger, global organization or they may be focused on community outreach. Simple choose an issue that you`re passionate about out (i.e. poverty, homophobia, human trafficking) and find a club that works closely with that issue. If it just so happens that you`re passionate about various issues, don’t be afraid to join more than one!

    There are likely to be dozens of clubs operating at your school so be sure to have a look at all of them. However, it’s important to pay attention to how much time you’re devoting to these extracurriculars. Before you officially join anything, be sure to ask about the time commitment. Find out how long meeting usually run and how often you meet. Depending on the nature of the club, you may also want to ask if you’ll be required to do anything that will add to your work load. This is especially crucial if you intend to join several clubs.

    Keep in mind that you’re not limited to the clubs offered at your school. There are dozens of youth organizations within your city that may serve your interests. Stepping outside of your school is an excellent way to get involved with your community and perhaps gain some leadership experience in the process. If you still can’t find anything that suits your interest, don’t be afraid to start your own club! The process might be tedious but it’ll definitely be worth it when you’re doing what you love with people that share your passion.

  • Exploring Careers in Your Field of Interest

    Exploring Careers in Your Field of Interest

    You may already know what you love to do. Great! So what’s the next step? The next step would be figuring out what kinds of jobs are available within your field of interest. Did you know that there are many career paths you can take for any one thing you love to do and are interested in? For example:

    • If you love to write, you could consider a job that involves writing. There are many jobs that would be a perfect fit for a person who loves to write. For instance, you could be a newspaper or magazine columnist, you could work as a copywriter for an advertising agency or you could even be an author!
    • If you love to dance, you could be a dancer. But you could also be a dance teacher or even choreographer!
    • If you love to work with animals, you may be interested in being a veterinarian, animal trainer, zoo keeper or even biologist.
    • If you love to work with your hands, then you may want to consider carpentry, auto mechanics, engineering, dentistry or even massage therapy.
    • If you are an outdoorsy person, then sitting at a desk job is definitely not your thing. Instead, consider jobs in which people primarily work outdoors, such as construction workers, landscapers, forest rangers or even adventure travel guides.
    • If you love to work with children, professions such as teacher, pediatrician, child psychologist or early childhood education assistant would be right up your alley!

    As the above examples show, there are many different career paths available within a certain area of interest. Do a little bit of research to discover what career opportunities align with your interests. Try to determine which of these various careers you would be interested in pursuing and why. Read profiles of various jobs to get a sense of what they involve. And finally, if possible, talk to people who work in these jobs. After all, the best way to find out what a job is all about is to talk to someone who is already doing it!

  • Recognize Your Skills and Talents – and Use Them!

    Recognize Your Skills and Talents – and Use Them!

    Do you know yet what you want to do with the rest of your life? If you have a talent for singing or playing an instrument, you might want to be a professional musician. Maybe you love to work with your hands and want to become a mechanic or a carpenter. Whatever you want to do, it’s never too early to start working on your skills and talents. You can enjoy what you’re doing now and also prepare for the future.

    Everyone has some kind of talent, but it needs to be developed to be useful. If you have a talent for working with your hands, you’ll still need to learn building and repair skills. Even if you have a talent in music or art, you’ll need to develop it. You’ll have to learn skills like teamwork, leadership, and commitment so that you can work well with others. Your skills can help you turn the things you love to do into a job that can support your lifestyle.

    Skills fall into two main categories: hard or soft skills. Soft skills can usually be transferred from one type of job to another, and they include personal skills like the ability to listen to others or to get along with people at work or school. Communication skills, a strong commitment to the job, and self-confidence are other important soft skills that can help you work well.

    Hard skills are more likely than soft skills to lead directly to a job. Knowing how to design a bridge that doesn’t fall down will help you get a job as an engineer and knowing how to use machinery will help with finding work in construction or mining. For some jobs, having these hard skills is the best way to find work.

    Almost every job is a combination of hard and soft skills. Even if you get a job as a welder, you’ll need interpersonal and problem-solving skills to be able to work with other people and to deal with equipment failures or sudden increases in the workload. If you get work at a television station, you might need to have many different hard and soft skills to use the equipment and maybe edit the stories.

    Career-related training programs are often the best places to learn hard skills, but you can work on your soft skills anywhere. Developing your ability to work with others or to complete assignments on time, for example, will always be useful no matter what career you choose.

    How you learn these skills depends on your talents and interests. You could develop your artistic and leadership skills by volunteering to lead art sessions at a summer camp. You could develop your ability to work with others by being part of a sports team or develop your ability to listen by volunteering at a seniors’ home. You can also improve your management skills by organizing a sports event, art show, or concert, even if only your family attends the event.

    Whatever you decide to do in the future, you can already start developing your skills and talents now.

  • Follow Your Instincts

    Follow Your Instincts

    There is pressure to know what career you ought to settle on for the rest of your life, even well before you are finished high school. Students are guided toward a career at a young age and are expected to follow the direct path counselors and parents present to them. Decisions about the future can be made for a variety of reasons including salary, job availability and aptitude, but there is no better reason than natural inclination and passion to help you determine your future employment.

    When it comes to how to choose what to do for the rest of your life, it is most important to take your time and really consider what it is that you enjoy. Is there something you love to do and learn about? Why not consider investing in education to make it your profession? If you follow your passion and interests you will find yourself working in a field that allows you to build continuing joy in your life. Take a closer look at your hobbies and investigate whether or not you could see yourself making a living in a relatable field. Work does not need to be mere labour; it has the potential to be a labour of love.

    The next step is confirmation. Can you turn your interests into a profession? Investigate, research and do your homework. What kinds of jobs are available in your area of interest? Is it really feasible or should you continue to search other avenues?

    Now that you have found something you think you would love to do, take the next step and offer your time as a volunteer. Be bold and assertive. Talk yourself into a place of business that you can learn from and experience the tangible reality of your choice. If you do this and discover you are not suited to the trade or craft, do not be afraid to change paths. Perhaps a pivot rather than a jump is in order. You may not need to change directions completely but simply tweak the dream a little to suit your needs.

    It is important to lean on your intuition when it comes to your future. Do not decide on a career solely based on numbers. To do that is a potential set up for burn out and early disenchantment. Take the time to understand what you really enjoy and trust that you have the skill set to see your dreams realized. It takes more than hard work to be successful – there is a necessary component of happiness and contentment that not only sets the course, but helps define just what success means to you.

    When you follow your instincts and choose a career path based on something you enjoy, life becomes an exploration of your interests and the anticipation of each new day lingers well into the future.

  • Try Courses That Seem Interesting To You

    Try Courses That Seem Interesting To You

    With a new semester almost upon us, it may be time for you to choose specific classes that can help you get where you want to go. Choosing a major is one of the hardest parts of applying to university. Whatever you decide to study, try some courses that seem interesting to you whether they’re in your major or not. If you’re drawn towards philosophy and you don’t know why, try out a class anyway. See what it is and whether you see a place for yourself in it.

    Remember – university is basically the start of your career, even though it can be difficult to decide so early in life what you want to do. That’s why it’s designed to let you experiment with electives. It could be that you’ve always wanted to take a sculpture class, or it could be that, while registering for your classes, film history to 1940 somehow just jumps out at you. Try it. Find out why. You might find a new passion!

    Plenty of people end up switching their majors part of the way through university. Someone might start in biology only to realize, after taking a photography class, that they have a great passion for cameras.

    Lots of people also like to try out a minor. Just because you’re a biology major, it doesn’t mean you have to take all science courses. You can have a minor in theatre if that’s what interests you. Who knows – maybe some day your interests will intersect in a spectacular theatrical production explaining the process of digestion!

    The work involved in doing well at university is more than a full-time job. When it comes time to read 50 pages from the textbook every week or write that final essay, it will be painful to do if you’re not interested in the material. You’ll learn plenty of fascinating stuff in pretty much any class, but if the subject interests you, you can have a lot of fun while you’re at it.

    University is also the time when most people start taking charge of their own lives. Many people move out for the first time and start paying rent or working at part-time jobs. In the end, you’re the only one responsible for whether you succeed or fail. Keep in mind that taking responsibility for yourself means more than meeting deadlines and paying rent. You have to start putting your life in motion, which means learning about what interests you, what you’re good at and where you can go with it.

    A career isn’t the only thing that defines you. The famous author Vladimir Nabokov studied butterflies and made up chess problems in his spare time. A successful salesman may be part of an amateur radio club or a hockey team. It’s good to know what you want out of life and to have a career plan, but don’t forget about all those things that make you who you are.

    In the end, following your interests is the practical thing to do. Even for a doctor, there are so many specializations that you are able to go in any direction you want. What area you choose to focus on is going to be the thing that helps you to stand out and helps to define your life. In the meantime, it will make your education a lot more fun.

  • The Importance of Hobbies

    The Importance of Hobbies

    Between lectures, labs, essays and exams, the importance of constructive hobbies will quickly become evident within a post-secondary environment. Some turn to the arts, some to athletics, some look to develop skills that compliment their degrees and others choose hobbies that are as far from their individual programs as possible.

    Regardless of your hobby of choice, the need and importance of such activities will become clear. Soon you’ll be working hard at your degree, trying to balance your social life with work while trying to maintain some semblance of the evasive “you time”.

    Hobbies facilitate this. By dedicating yourself to a specific pastime you are making a promise to yourself to step back and breathe from the various pressures present in post-secondary education while, hopefully, allowing yourself to grow as an individual. Whether spending an hour on the treadmill, playing a video game, learning an instrument or sitting down to read a book, every hobby encourages the development of a new set of skills, allows you to meet a new network of individuals and, perhaps, allows a welcome escape from the stress of real life.

    A hobby is a good reflection of the ideals, characteristics and interests of an individual and, if you spend enough time on it, it will do so positively. Eventually you may be known as the guitarist of the group, the writer or maybe the athlete. Though such labels can be daunting, they can be positive as well. Soon people will be reaching out to you for music suggestions, writing tips or for advice on their new workout schedule.

    Such questions will only increase your standing within your community while allowing you to develop the skills and interests that will make you stand out as an individual. All the while giving you a welcome, constructive break from the strains of student life.

    The university atmosphere is also a perfect opportunity for the development of such hobbies. As with the academic quality unique to the post-secondary environment, you will find yourself surrounded by a new community of like-minded individuals, all of whom are eager and interested in developing their skills, meeting others with similar interests and sharing their expertise with one another.

    So go learn an instrument! Go join a sports team! Constructive pastimes are extremely beneficial to a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle and will allow you to grow as an individual, meet new people and develop new hidden talents.