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  • Studying Actually Works!

    Studying Actually Works!

    It seems like a no-brainer, but when I was in high school I never took the time to actually study effectively. As I got older, I knew I had to take things a lot more seriously and I was going to have to study.

    As you prepare to enter junior high or high school, you might be wondering about tests and exams. How exactly are you supposed to plan for them, especially if you’ve heard horror stories from your older siblings about exam time?

    To be truly honest, studying really is not difficult – and it works! The first time I got back a test in high school with a 100%  grade after I took the time to study effectively, I knew that I had been overreacting about the stress of studying. All that it really takes is time management, good notes and planning.  The following are some tips for effective studying – from an ex-procrastinator:

    1. Take Notes: Though this may seem like an obvious point, a lot of students do not take effective notes. Make sure to pay attention and link back certain class discussions or topics to pages in your text for further reference. That way you can get a full picture of the subject at hand. I also write my notes as if I am trying to explain that day’s class to someone else.
    2. Read Over Your Notes: I never understood the concept of this in high school, put it really does help sink in all the information you learned. It’s good to either go over the previous day’s notes before class starts, or to go over notes right after the class ends.
    3. Ask Questions and Make Note of the Answers: Don’t be afraid to approach the teacher during or after class to get more insight on your lesson of the day.

    Don’t worry – you’ll be a pro in no time!

  • How to Nail a Scholarship Interview

    How to Nail a Scholarship Interview

    Discovering that you have been chosen from a pool of applicants for a scholarship interview is an exhilarating moment. However, many students quickly find themselves getting anxious as they start to prepare for the big interview. It’s normal to feel this way, especially when you have great sums of money on the line. The following is a list of tips and tricks that can help you get ready for the big day:

    1. You’ve probably heard this from your parents and teachers already, but it’s important that you appear relaxed and confident. If you display confidence in yourself, the interviewers are far more likely to have confidence in you, too!
    2. Keep in mind that the interviewers have to sit through several students for hours, who often respond to the same questions with the same answers. If you want to stand out, provide memorable answers that will stick in their minds for the rest of the day. However, this doesn’t mean that you should give ridiculous responses either. You need to find a healthy balance between appropriate and creative. You can also make your responses stand out by sharing something personal about yourself. It might be a brief story or it might be a personal goal that you’ve held for years.  Just make sure it’s not too random and that it fits within the context of the question being asked.
    3. You need to present yourself as a worthy investment. Interviewers don’t just want to hear why you want or need the money; they want to know how you plan to use it to better your future. Try to prepare some ideas beforehand about how this scholarship money can change your life in the long-run.
    4. Your attitude can differentiate you from the pack as well. Try your best not to be monotone and boring. Speak conversationally with your interviewers because it will make the atmosphere far more relaxed. This will be like a breath of fresh air for the people interviewing you!  Remember that they have probably been sitting stationary for a while so they could use something to wake them up.
    5. There are several “little things” that you can also do to bring yourself to the top of that list. These little things are often forgotten by most so keep them in mind: Shake hands with your interviewer.  When they ask you how your day was, return the question. Thank your interviewers for even considering you for the scholarship. Believe it or not, these simple and polite gestures will increase your chances of being remembered!
    6. At the end of the interview, most interviewers ask if you have any questions.  Use this as an opportunity to extend the conversation beyond the standard questions that they ask everyone. A cool technique is to ask a question about the organization that is offering the scholarship. This gives the interviewers a bit more time to talk about themselves, which will be a welcome change from a long day of asking questions!

    You now have a bag full of tricks to get you through your big interview. Keep your head held high and remember to show off that sparkling personality!

  • Time Management: Making the Best of What You Have

    Time Management: Making the Best of What You Have

    Do you ever feel that you have too much to do and too little time to do it? Besides going to school every day, you might have swimming or music lessons, sports team practices, chores at home, and much more. How can you get everything done without wearing yourself out? For people of any age, the best way to deal with a busy schedule is through good time management.

    As the name says, time management is about learning to organize and manage activities throughout the day. The first step is to separate the very important activities from the less important ones and the things that you can change from the things that you can’t. Going to school or work, for example, is something that people usually can’t change. They might be able to find an easier job or a school that gives less homework, but they can’t normally eliminate it entirely. Sleep is another unchangeable part of life; whether people sleep for five hours a night or ten hours, everyone needs to rest.

    What are the parts of your life that you can’t change? You might be surprised to find that the list of necessary activities is quite short. After you separate the necessary activities from the optional ones, you can find ways to manage your time better. You can try to cut down on activities like being in clubs or watching television if they make your life too full. Working better and more efficiently can also help a lot.

    The most important part of time management is to decide what level of activity you enjoy. Some people can manage to fit a lot of activities into the day, but the danger is that they might do too much. Other people need a much slower pace, and they easily become overwhelmed by any pressure. Both kinds of people can be perfectionists who think that they have to get everything exactly right. Trying to do everything well can be good, but can also put a lot of pressure on people to accomplish more than they are able to do. Often, a heavy schedule and high expectations cause mental breakdowns in very busy people.

    Knowing yourself and how you use your time can make time management easier. The best place to begin is to record everything you do on an average day, or even a week, and to see how you organize yourself and your work. You might find a lot of short periods of time, such as between school and supper, when you can quickly finish a project. Writing out a schedule can help you to find much more time than you might have realized you had. Creating lists of things that need to be done and knowing why they’re important can help you with your priorities, and learning to say “no” to people’s requests can be useful. Whether you love to be busy or not, good time management can help you get through each day.

  • Tips for Scoring a Scholarship

    Tips for Scoring a Scholarship

    Let’s get real. Post-secondary education is expensive and very few people have thousands of dollars casually lying around the house. Most of us are in search of cash — the type that you don’t have to pay back. In other words, we’re all searching for those illustrious scholarships. If you’re new at this whole “applying-for-scholarships-because-I-need-money-to-pay-for-school-which-suddenly-isn’t-free-anymore” thing, then you’ve come to the right place.

    Here are seven helpful tips that could help you score some extra cash!

    1. You do not get scholarships for simply existing. Almost every scholarship application that you come across is going to inquire about your extracurricular activities and community involvement. You need to do something, be a part of something, or participate in something. You don’t necessarily need to be the three-time reigning champion of every competition you compete in, or the newly-elected President for every fancy club that you’re a part of. You simply need to get out there and participate.

    2. One of the hardest parts of getting free money is finding free money. Luckily, there are people who dedicate themselves to doing it for you! Make sure to check out websites like Scholarship Canada. They have information on hundreds of scholarships— both large and small. Also, take a glance at your school’s website. The majority of Guidance Councillors will actually post a list of scholarships that they’ve come across. But don’t stop there. Go the extra mile and go digging through the websites of other schools. You’re guaranteed to come across a fresh new list filled with new opportunities.

    3. Keep your eye out for obscure scholarships offered by smaller organizations. This may require an advanced Google search and some serious digging but this very well might be the key to your first scholarship. Most students set their targets on big scholarships offered by well-known companies. There’s no harm in applying for those, but your chances quickly diminish when you’re facing so much competition. However, with the lesser-known scholarships that might be sitting on page 17 of a Google search, your chances of standing out in the significantly smaller crowd are far higher.

    4. Your best bet to scoring a scholarship is to apply to as many as possible. This may sound frighteningly obvious but you would be surprised by how many people lay all of their eggs in one basket. Yes, it’s time-consuming and painstakingly tedious but you need to apply, apply, and apply some more!

    5. If a scholarship application sounds too long, too boring, or too overwhelming, there’s a pretty good chance that other students are going to think the same thing and avoid it all together. This, of course, means that you should go ahead and do it! The more tedious the application is, the less competition you’re going to have. So suck it up and get writing!

    6. Never lie. Don’t lie about your qualifications, achievements, activities, awards, or anything of the sort. Just don’t! If you get caught, you’ll suffer from third-degree embarrassment and, even worse, you may sever some really important connections.

    7. Most organizations will release profiles of the previous year’s winner. Take a look at those to find out what kind of people they’re looking for. This might give you some ideas on what to include in your own application.

  • Study More Effectively with Art

    Study More Effectively with Art

    It is a daunting task to study for a multi-chapter unit test. Besides the final exam, those are the tests that every high school student dreads – no matter how good their grades are. Many students have their own tried-and-true methods of study, while many others are still searching for the right method for them. Have you ever thought about using art when you study to help you remember things?

    When I was in grade eleven, one of my teachers had us make study guides. They were to include everything we needed to remember for each unit test. We were allowed to put whatever we wanted on it, as long as it fit on one side of a piece of paper. The first one I ever made was a work of art: it was probably the most colourful non-art assignment I’ve ever turned in.

    I came to realize that with that method of study, I was remembering more than ever. Suddenly, memorizing pages of vocabulary, trying to remember the parts of a diagram, and writing out textbook definitions word for word seemed boring. Limited to the space of one page, I quickly had to learn to condense information.

    I eventually came up with a system in three parts: replacing words and phrases with symbols, using illustrations to replace paragraphs, and colour coding the parts that I did wind up writing.

    Use a set of symbols that are meaningful to you. Not only will it be less boring when you are reviewing your notes, but the extra brain power you use to remember what the symbols mean will help you to recall that information in the future. The more complicated, but definitely more fun, part is the illustrating.

    Do not let a lack of faith in your artistic abilities stop you. No matter how well you can draw, even if it is just stick figures, you can use illustrations effectively. After all, they are there for your benefit. As long as you understand the concept, you have done what you have set out to do. If a few arrows and a vaguely-drawn map of North America help you to remember where vital battles took place? Excellent. A few scribbled lines and some swirls to show how ocean currents work? Wonderful! When you draw it out yourself, you are far more likely to retain the information you have put down than if you had stared at it on the page of a textbook.

    Next comes highlighting. Since you will need some words in your notes, why not come up with a colour-coding system? In my study guide, I would put a small legend on the side containing not only the above-mentioned symbols, but also what each colour meant.

    Try using a different colour for headings and subheadings, vocabulary words and definitions, and concepts you have difficulty remembering. Everything will be a lot easier to find when you know what colour to look for.

    Try it out sometime. Use it for the next big test you have. You might discover some hidden talents, and maybe even find studying enjoyable. You may realize that merely creating the study sheet is enough and never refer to it again. Maybe that unit test won’t be so daunting after all.

  • Five Steps to a Strong Essay

    Five Steps to a Strong Essay

    Writing essays shouldn’t seem like a massive burden. Just try to follow these five simple steps.

    Step 1: Think
    Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this assignment?” The assignment is meant to assess how much you have learned in class. Keep this in mind constantly from when you begin to write to when you revise your final draft.

    Step 2: Brainstorm
    Depending on the assignment’s requirements, decide what you want to say in the essay. Make a list of what you want to write about and don’t hesitate to write down any and all ideas that enter your mind. The more, the better.

    Step 3: Plan
    Planning your essay might be the most important step. Once you have determined what it is you want to say, you will now need to map out how you’re going to say it. A typical essay format might look something like this:

    Introduction with a thesis statement that says your essay will be about topics A, B and C
    Body paragraph that describes topic A
    Body paragraph that describes topic B
    Body paragraph that describes topic C
    Conclusion that restates the introduction (but does not repeat it verbatim)

    Step 4: Write
    Choose the items on your brainstorm list that you want to use in the essay and write a full sentence for each. These sentences might become the topic sentences for your body paragraphs. It doesn’t matter (yet) exactly how you will say it, but rather that you have included everything your teacher has asked for. Don’t worry about writing formally or even completely logically. Just write. You can improve your work later. Sometimes it is helpful to say what you want to write out loud. Tell a sibling, parent or friend about what you are trying to say and then work what you have said to them into sentences in your essay.

    Step 5: Edit
    Edit your work at least three times. Every essay you write should go through several drafts. If you have done a good job of editing, your final draft will likely be significantly different from the first. (Hopefully you will have completed the first draft early enough to edit and not the night before the assignment is due!) Read your work through once from the beginning to end without stopping to make sure the sentences flow and the paragraphs are logically connected by transition sentences. Read your work through twice to make sure the thesis statement (which explains what your essay is about and which is usually the last sentence of your introduction) describes what you have written in the body paragraphs and vice versa. Read your work through a third time very slowly to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Then ask someone else to read your work through in case they spot anything you might have missed.

  • Preparing for High School

    Preparing for High School

    Starting high school can be an exciting time for many people. If you’re nearing that point in your life, you probably feel a combination of fear and anticipation. It’s the beginning of the end of childhood, a time when people can start to make their own decisions and influence their own lives. At the same time, it can also be stressful and sometimes overwhelming with all of new pressures people face. By thinking ahead and planning for the future, however, you can make the transition to high school much easier than it might otherwise be.

    For most students, the biggest change is the sudden increase in both freedom and responsibility. You can choose to go to an academic high school and take university-entrance courses or choose a vocational school and learn a trade like carpentry or plumbing. You can take courses in the sciences or in areas like history and English literature. In many cases, these kinds of choices can affect people’s lives and careers for years, and sometimes for the rest of their lives. Taking on such a big responsibility can sometimes be overwhelming for students.

    Freedom and responsibility come in many different areas as well. Depending on the school, you might or might not be required to be in class every day, and teachers are less likely to remind you to get your assignments done. Students become responsible to get their work done so that they can pass to the next grade. Most high schools work on a credit system in which each student must have a certain number of credits to graduate. It’s up to the students to take enough courses each year and to pass them in order to go on to the next grade.

    In high school, the structure and content of classes can also change a lot. Normally, students receive more homework than before and have more difficult assignments, such as writing long research essays. Classes might take on more of a lecture format than in earlier grades, and marks might become important for people going on to university. For many people, there are also the pressures of going to a new school and making friends in a strange setting.

    How can you prepare for high school? One way is by going to a high school orientation session, where teachers and school administrators take students and their parents on tours around the school. Another is by attending a transition program run by the high school or a community centre. Some of the activities a transition program might include are social events for parents and students, where new and returning students can meet each other, and mentorship programs, where younger and older students are paired together to provide information and support for the newcomers.

    If you’re getting ready to begin high school, you know that it can be an exciting and frightening time. However, if you work hard to prepare yourself beforehand, you can help to make the transition as easy as possible.

  • Managing Your Money Wisely

    Managing Your Money Wisely

    It’s not fun being broke and it’s definitely not fun living paycheque to paycheque! Learning how to manage money wisely is a skill that should be taught in school. Unfortunately, most students aren’t taught this skill in school or at home and, as a result, rack up a lot of debt by the time they enter adulthood. If you want to learn how to manage your money wisely and avoid getting into debt, here are some simple rules to keep in mind:

    1) Don’t spend more than what you have – It sounds so simple, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t follow this logic. So I’ll repeat it again – don’t spend more than what you have. Or, more accurately, only spend what you can afford. For example, if you only have $100 in your bank account, don’t go out and buy the latest iPhone for $800. If you really want to get a brand new iPhone, then save up $800 for it. It may sound painful, and it may feel like it will take you an eternity to do so, but doing this will actually save you money in the long run!

    2) Use cash – Why? Because when you use cash you can only spend what you have (see rule #1). So if you only have $100 in your bank account, you are only going to have $100. Using cash keeps you in check. It’s a good idea, too, to keep your receipts and write down what you spent your cash on so you know where the money went.

    3) Avoid credit cards – Some people cannot handle credit cards. The act of swiping or tapping a card to pay for purchases means that some people use their credit card to pay for things they can’t afford (thereby breaking rule #1). This means that when the credit card statement arrives a few weeks later, they are only able to pay the minimum payment required and end up incurring interest charges; interest charges which are ridiculously high — 19.5% and higher! Paying interest on credit cards actually costs you more in the long run. You end up paying much more than the original cost of the item you bought. For these reasons, stay away from credit cards! If, however, you do insist on having a credit card, then at least make sure you can pay off your statement in full (i.e. don’t spend more than what you have)!

    4) Put aside money into a savings account/emergency fund/rainy day fund – Life is unpredictable. You never know when you will need to have some extra money in your account for expenses you didn’t foresee. For example, let’s say your car badly needs a $200 repair job. Do you have some money saved up to pay for the repair and still pay the rent? What if you fall sick and can’t go to work for a few weeks – do you have some money in your bank account to tide you over until then? Put a little money aside from your paycheque each month into a savings account or other emergency fund. Do not use the money in this account unless you have to! The best part is that if you keep putting money into this account and don’t touch it for a while, your savings will actually grow thanks to interest! Your money can earn you money without you having to do anything. (In this same way, a credit card statement not paid in full can incur interest charges that will cost you more in the long run.)

    Following these 4 simple rules will allow you to manage your money wisely and avoid getting into debt. Good luck!

  • Study Techniques

    Study Techniques

    It’s been a long, tiring Tuesday. Finally the bell rings and you’re set “free,” only to return home to that ever-growing pile of homework that’s waiting for you on your bedroom floor. You know – that pile of assignments that are all due tomorrow, just before the big cumulative math exam. Your mind is exhausted and you don’t want to drink any more disgusting coffee that will surely give your hands the uncontrollable shakes. You wonder how you’ll ever be able to focus into the wee hours of the night.

    Perhaps you could try a study method called the Pomodoro Technique – so named for the tomato timer that helps you balance the amount of time that you spend studying with the amount of time you stop for a break.

    Though it may seem counterintuitive to allow yourself extra breaks in such a “last-minute” crunch, some people who use the technique claim that regular breaks are exactly what you need to improve productivity and concentration.

    Here’s how it works:

    1. Decide on the task to be done. Take one assignment out of your pile of homework and prepare to attack it mentally!
    2. Work on the task for 25 minutes. This is where the timer could come in handy. Proponents of the Pomodoro Technique say the ticking of the timer actually helps you to focus because it makes your desire to complete the task physically present. Similarly, the act of winding the timer up confirms your determination to complete the task.
    3. Break for 3 to 5 minutes. After 25 minutes, the timer will ring to announce a break. Stand up, stretch, do some jumping jacks, breathe deeply, take a bathroom break, have a glass of water, etc.
    4. Then rewind that timer and get back to work for another 25 minutes.
    5. Every four 25-minute phases, (which, including the breaks, will add up to about two hours) you should take a slightly longer break (15-30 minutes) before you start studying again.

    Try to practice the study technique, or your own alternative variation, before you’re buried alive in assignments!

  • Resume Writing Tips

    Resume Writing Tips

    Include a Summary
    Everyone wants to make a good first impression. Carefully read the job application summary, highlight keywords and phrases, then think of how you meet or exceed the job expectations and required skills. Tailor your summary for each job you apply for. Don’t make your resume “one size fits all.” You might think it’s more efficient and less time consuming, but employers might think you’re lazy and not ambitious enough to address each position you apply for individually. Also, employers will think you went the extra mile — it will demonstrate initiative and that you really do want this job.

    Choose a Template
    Don’t reinvent the wheel. Browse hundreds of free template options online and choose one that catches your eye. If you can’t find a free template that suits your fancy, you can also purchase several options from various websites. Choose a template that you find attractive and that suits your personality, but don’t try to be too unique or stand out from the crowd too much because — while your resume will surely get noticed — you might get the “wrong” kind of attention. The trick is to express your personality in a subtle way; it’s all about balance.

    Use the Active Voice
    Show power, confidence, and that you mean what you say. Speak like you know what you’re talking about to grab your potential employers’ attention and maintain their interest. The passive voice, while appropriate in many cases, often conveys a sense of hesitancy and is much less powerful.

    Get to the point and don’t beat around the bush. Also, don’t try to sound too smart or sophisticated by using long, complex words. Employers are more interested in your skills, experience, and what you can offer them rather than your extensive vocabulary and sophisticated understanding of the English language.

    Avoid the First Person Pronoun
    Yes, this is about you—but what it’s really about is getting you a job, so avoid using “I” and “me” in your resume. The third person conveys a sense of professionalism, while the first person is too personal and informal for resume writing.

    Less is More
    Make your words and sentences pack a punch. Also, make your resume easy-to-read for the often impatient and overworked person viewing your resume. Avoid flowery language like the plague and don’t embellish your words. Although it might be counter-intuitive, you’ll actually be more convincing if you use less dramatic and descriptive language. Your point can get lost if it’s surrounded by too many adjectives and long, ornate words.

    Look Attractive
    Don’t use fancy font. A sans serif-style font is most appropriate and attractive looking for resumes — examples include Calibri, Arial, and Lucida Sans. Lucinda Calligraphy might be calling your name with her ornate, fancy beauty, but the font will be too difficult to read.

    Add a bit of colour. Use only one colour and choose the tone carefully. Use this colour sparingly. For example, make your name your favourite shade of pink for an added punch that will get you noticed, but wont make your resume look “gaudy” or too flashy.

    Be Conscious of Length
    One to two pages will suffice. Any more than two pages and your employers probably won’t read the whole thing or they will just scan the last part.