Blog Posts

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Studying for Finals

No matter how you like to prepare for your finals, there are some things you should never do. Studying the wrong way is not only ineffective — it can even result in worse grades than not studying at all. There are a few key mistakes in particular you need to make sure you avoid. 1. Beginning Too Late There’s no way around it: studying for an exam will take a certain amount of time. Waiting too long to start can have unpleasant consequences. For instance, you may need to skip your other classes, cancel social commitments, or miss extracurriculars. Spending hours cramming may also take time away from activities that keep you healthy, such as meals, exercise, relaxation, and sleep. This can easily lead to burnout. Furthermore, when you lack regular breaks, you retain less. Plus, you’ll be unable to sleep enough the night before finals, meaning it will be more difficult to recall information during your exams. 2. Neglecting Some Material A big risk of beginning preparation for your finals too late is you won’t have time to cover everything. Unless you know exactly what the exam will cover, you need to study all the material from the semester. Although none of this should be new information , it may take time to remind yourself of the fine details and memorize key facts. If there are concepts you found difficult the first time you learned them, bear in mind you may need extra time to ensure you understand. 3. Lacking a Schedule For difficult classes, it may be necessary to start preparing for finals several weeks in advance. However, even if you have the best intentions, it will be difficult to stay on track with your studies if you lack a study schedule. Rather than just marking time on your calendar to study for a particular class, be specific about what activities you’ll complete. 4. Becoming Stressed A certain amount of stress is unavoidable, but you can take action to prevent stress from becoming unmanageable. Simply giving yourself sufficient time to study, sleeping enough, and feeling as though you are prepared for your finals can be a huge help. You should also try to think positively about your results — if you’ve worked hard all semester, there’s no reason to believe you’ll do poorly. 5. Falling Prone to Distractions Your study time needs to be distraction free. Turn off the notifications on your phone, tell your roommates not to talk to you, and fight the urge to do anything but study. If you find background noise helpful, choose some relaxing music — preferably without lyrics. It’s important to have a quiet place where you can go to study in peace. You’re unlikely to find this at home if you’re living on campus. However, you can find an alternative to Ontario Tech University residence at Foundry Simcoe. You’ll have your own private bedroom (fully furnished with a desk and chair) and high-speed internet throughout your apartment. Living here will also avoid you wasting time on activities that distract you from studying — for instance, all our units come with a washer and dryer and you can request a reserved parking spot. Apply for a lease now.

How to Land Your Next Job on LinkedIn

Even before you graduate, you may want to find a job in your field. One of the best ways to find a suitable position is through LinkedIn. The platform gives you the place to detail your experience, present a portfolio of related work, and network with people who could prove to be useful connections. To land a job on LinkedIn, it’s crucial to set up your profile correctly and take advantage of all the features the platform has to offer. 1. Use a Professional Photo Choose a headshot of yourself where you look professional. If you don’t already have something you could use, ask a friend to take some photos of you and pick the one you like the best. 2. Be Creative with Your Headline At the moment, you’re a student and you may have a part-time job. However, since you can put anything you like in your headline, it’s better to express what you want to do. Make sure you use keywords that will help your profile appear when a potential employer is searching the platform for people like you. 3. Add a Detailed Bio At the most, your headline gives you space to fit a few words about your current situation and what you want to achieve. You can expand further on these points in your bio. This is your chance to show employers why they should want you on their team. When you’re talking about your experience and goals, infuse the words with your personality to help people gain a better sense of who you are. 4. Include All Your Relevant Experience If you’re looking for your first job, you may think you have no experience. In fact, you definitely have gained experience at various points during university — whether at an internship, through a student leadership role, or even when working on group projects for your classes. Include anything that shows you have important skills for the workplace. It’s even better if you can support your words with examples of your work. 5. Grow Your Network Every contact you add on LinkedIn will connect you with far more people. Add your classmates, professors, faculty members, and friends (especially from extracurriculars). Ask them to leave you recommendations to prove you have the skills you claim to have. You can also connect with users you don’t know, such as people who have your dream job or who are working at a company where you’d like to work. Send them personalized messages explaining why you’d like to connect and perhaps ask for advice for the next steps you should take. 6. Check for Jobs Regularly Employers post new jobs on LinkedIn every day. Visit the platform often to check what’s new and create job alerts for the kinds of positions you’re interested in. 7. Connect with Employers You can also reach out to employers who are not actively advertising jobs. Find out if they may have anything in the near future or just ask if you can have a quick chat over video call. Finding a job while you’re still at university will mean you can afford better student housing. Besides, it makes sense to improve your living situation if you want to work remotely or if you’ll need to take work home occasionally. At the same time as you start your job search, begin looking for apartments for rent. North Oshawa students can look no further than Foundry Simcoe. You can have your own room and en suite bathroom in a three- or five-bedroom fully-furnished suite. All the units have a washer and dryer, high-speed internet, and modern appliances. Apply now to take advantage of the lowest rates of the year.

8 Tips for Preparing to Live Off Campus

Many students start their time at college living on campus but end up deciding to move into an apartment after a few semesters. Whereas this change is nowhere as big as moving out of your family home, it’s still a major transition. There are a few things you need to do to prepare to live off campus to ensure you’ll be comfortable and happy. 1. Choose the Right Roommates When deciding who to share an apartment with, consider what it would be like to live with particular friends and acquaintances. It’s important to find responsible roommates who will contribute to cleaning, will pay their share of the bills on time, and have a similar lifestyle to you. For instance, you should have similar ideas as to how often you want to invite guests over and when you want to keep the apartment quiet for studying. 2. Search for Affordable Apartments Have a budget in mind before you start searching for apartments. After all, it’s a waste of time to visit apartments that are too expensive. When calculating how much you can afford, remember to take into account factors like utility bills and transport — you’ll spend much less on transport if you live within walking distance of campus. 3. Read the Lease in Full Unfortunately, there are landlords who try to take advantage of students’ inexperience. Before you sign a lease, read it carefully and ask someone else to take a look, such as a parent or an advisor at college. In particular, check for policies about fees, lease termination, maintenance, and parking. 4. Inspect the Apartment Before Moving In Check the apartment for damage before you move in. Keep a log with photographs to have evidence of any damage that’s already present to avoid being on the hook for extra charges when you move out. 5. Take Out Renters Insurance Renters insurance is inexpensive and could save you a huge amount. It will cover you if your apartment suffers a fire, flood, or burglary. 6. Set Some Ground Rules Setting rules with roommates can feel uncomfortable, but it’s important. For example, you’ll need to have a chore schedule, decide how you’ll share food (you may want to each buy your own or you may prefer to share some basics, like condiments), and agree on etiquette for guests. 7. Always Pay Your Rent and Bills on Time Living off campus is a great way to start building a rent history and credit score — but only if you pay on time. Make sure you never miss a payment. 8. Save Money By Preparing Your Own Meals Moving off campus means no more meal plans. This can save you a significant amount of money, but only if you start cooking for yourself rather than eating out. Make a meal plan in advance and use it to figure out what you need to buy from the grocery store. If you have limited experience cooking, start with easy recipes until you’ve gained more confidence. Key to a great living experience is finding good rooms for rent. Oshawa students can move into Foundry Simcoe. The lease covers a fully-furnished private bedroom, high-speed internet, and a washer and dryer in your unit. You’ll be sharing with either two or four other students — these can be your friends or you can ask us to match you with roommates. Apply now to take advantage of the lowest rates we’ve had all year.

How to Shop for University Affordably

Paying for tuition and housing is already expensive. On top of that, you need supplies like textbooks, stationery, and items for your student apartment. To make sure you stay within your budget, follow these tips to shop for university affordably. 1. Buy Only What You Need Before you start shopping, make a list of what you need. This will prevent you from making any impulse purchases that are a waste of money. Your university may have provided you with a list of what to buy, but it’s worth assessing each of the items in turn to determine if you do need everything. If you have siblings or friends who are already attending university, talk to them — they may tell you that some of the items on the list your school provided are unnecessary. You should also reach out to your roomm ates to prevent multiple people all bringing something you could share, such as a coffee maker or vacuum cleaner. 2. Use What You Have Another way to limit your purchases is to consider what you already have. Bringing bedding, organizers, and storage solutions from home could save you a large amount of money. Plus, you may be able to decorate your apartment with things you already have, such as by creating artwork for your walls by using photos you’ve taken. 3. Take Advantage of Student Discounts Many stores offer student discounts year round ; plus, there are back-to-school sales to take advantage of. Student discounts often make expensive items like laptops considerably more affordable. If a store doesn’t advertise a student discount, always ask — just to make sure. 4. Avoid Student-Specific Items Some stores sell products specifically for students. Be aware that these items tend to have a higher price tag, even though the product is virtually the same as the regular version. This is particularly common with decor, bedding, and furniture. 5. Purchase from One Place Once you’ve found a store selling products at a good price (ideally with a student discount), do most of your shopping there. This will make it easier to calculate exactly how much you’re spending. As an added bonus , you’ll save on gas and will feel less exhausted by the whole ordeal. 6. Look for Quality Items It can be tempting to purchase the cheapest items you find, but this could end up costing you more in the long run . Look for high-quality items that will last several semesters — ideally, they’ll last your entire time at university or even beyond. If you have younger siblings who will be attending university after you graduate, you may even be able to hand down some of your belongings to them. 7. Borrow Instead of Buying You can also benefit from hand-me-downs yourself. Borrow from people who have already finished university or use rental services to spend less on items you won’t need after you graduate. You can rent all sorts of useful things, including textbooks, small appliances, and technology. You’ll also save money during your time at university if you find an affordable student rental. Oshawa students can receive their own bedroom in a comfortable suite at Foundry Simcoe. To help you save even more money, all our apartments come fully furnished, rent includes high-speed internet, and you’ll have a washer and dryer in your unit. Apply now to take advantage of our lowest rates of the year.

6 Tips for Goal Setting Next Semester

The start of each semester is an opportunity to commit to doing better than ever before. Whereas you could set goals for any aspect of your life, it makes the most sense for your goals to relate to your studies. In particular, here are a few goals you should consider setting. 1. Figure Out Where You Can Best Focus on Your Studies Whereas many students prefer to study in a quiet place where they can be alone, others find it more motivating to be around other people and to have some background noise. You need to figure out what works best for you. Experiment with several different places this semester. 2. Find a Few Study Spots Switching up where you study can help you find inspiration and boost your memory. You may like to have one main study spot and just use the others when you need a change of scenery. For instance, you might decide to mostly study at your desk at home but sometimes move to the couch in your living room, go to the campus library, or even sit in the park. 3. Go to All Your Classes Even if your professors don’t check your attendance, it’s important to stop seeing classes as optional. Skipping class can make understanding the material much harder and there’s always a risk you may misunderstand something. Plus, you’ll lose out on the chance to ask questions, join in discussions, and interact with classmates — all things that can help you learn. 4. Complete the Assigned Readings Set a goal to stay up to date with assigned readings. This means reading fully — not just skimming — and taking notes. You’ll find you’re able to follow your classes much better if you’ve completed the readings beforehand. Plus, you’ll be able to spend the time leading up to your exams to review material you’ve already covered rather than learning new concepts. 5. Regularly Review Your Notes Taking notes in class and as you read gives you a record of the most important points. However, if you file away your notes until you come to prepare for a test, you’ll likely find you’ve forgotten a large amount. A better approach is to schedule time each day for reviewing your notes — perhaps also rewriting parts to make them clearer. This will help the information stick in your head, meaning you just need to remind yourself of the fine details before the exam. 6. Stop Procrastinating Know your priorities for your schoolwork and start with whatever is most urgent. It’s easy to convince yourself that you’re being productive as long as you’re doing something of value. In fact, this is the definition of procrastination! If you have an important paper to complete or a test to prepare for, start early. Otherwise, you’ll end up needing to cram or pulling an all-nighter — and your grade will suffer as a result. A goal you should set that’s unrelated to your studies is to improve your housing. If you want to move out of Ontario Tech University residence, you can find a new home at Foundry Simcoe. It’s still just a short walk from your classes, but you’ll have your own room in a modern apartment equipped with a washer and dryer, a smart TV, and high-speed internet. Our most popular units also have private balconies. Apply now to secure your spot.

How to Settle on the Right Major for You

When your friends know exactly what they want to study at university, it can feel extra frustrating that you’re unsure what major to choose. This is often the case when you’re passionate about more than one subject or still unclear about what career you want to pursue. Nonetheless, it is possible to narrow down your options and arrive at the right major for you. Here are some steps to guide you. 1. Consider Your Skills If you want to be confident you’ll succeed, choosing a major according to your talents is the way to go. In addition to looking at your grades and considering what subjects in high school tend to require the least amount of effort, think about your nonacademic skills and how these could relate to a particular major. 2. Think About Your Interests Another way to decide what major to choose is by what most closely matches your interests. Although skills and interests often align, this is not always the case. In fact, you may decide it’s worth working harder on something that doesn’t come naturally to you because you’re passionate about it. Bear in mind, though, that there are other ways to include your passions in your life, such as through extracurriculars at university and as a side hustle or hobby after you graduate. 3. Determine How Difficult a Major Is Likely to Be Your major will likely be easier if it’s something you’re good at and find interesting. However, certain majors are also notorious for being more difficult than others. It’s possible to objectively determine this by considering how many hours of study they require in addition to your classes. Using this metric, the most difficult majors tend to be engineering and architecture whereas the easiest are public relations, communication, and criminal justice. 4. Look at Job Opportunities What you major in will impact what careers are open to you. Write down a number of careers each major could lead to and research the job prospects. Check what kind of salary you can expect to earn and think about whether the work matches your values and is likely to be rewarding. 5. Decide What Factor Matters Most to You All the above are important, but it’s impossible to prioritize everything. Decide what matters most to you, whether that’s enjoying your major, knowing you’ll easily be able to succeed, or a high potential to find a job and earn a good salary after you graduate. 6. Talk to Your Academic Advisor If you’re still unsure what major is right for you, have a discussion with your academic advisor. Your advisor will be able to tell you more about the majors you’re interested in, give you personalized advice, and perhaps even suggest some majors you hadn’t known about that combine the characteristics of a couple you’re considering. No matter what major you end up picking, you’ll need to study hard. Since it can be difficult to focus when you’re living in a dorm, it’s best to search for off-campus housing. An alternative to Ontario Tech University residence is Foundry Simcoe. We have three-bedroom suites and five-bedroom townhouses within walking distance of campus. Rent includes pure fibre internet, an in- suite washer and dryer, all the furnishings you need, and much more. Book a tour to see where you could be living.