Stressed?

Being stressed is what every student has to go through.

With midterms over, there's now final exams to worry about. Not to mention this is when many class assignments, projects, papers.... are due.

Also I am sure many of you have jobs, clubs, sports and other extracurricular activities.

However, no matter how stressed you are---please try to SLEEP, EAT and TAKE BREAKS. The last thing you want right now is to burn out.

SLEEP!
Try and get sleep everyday. At least 6 hours!

You don't have to burn the midnight oil. If you are finding you don't have enough hours a day, have a look at our Time Management TipSheet, it might be helpful.

Consider your priorities! If you have too much to do, consider what is more important...and write yourself a schedule--- INCLUDE SLEEP, and BREAKS/REST TIME into your plan.

EAT WELL!
I can't stress this enough! Avoid junk and fast food. Get some fruits or vegetable into your diet.

Don't rely on coffee or energy drinks as your liquid. Drink water, tea and/or milk. I find a hot cup of tea with some honey to be very soothing during times of stress.

TAKE BREAKS!
Go to the gym, get some exercise if you can.

Take breaks, some time to relax---lie on your bed/couch, listening to music and empty your mind for a while. You will find yourself more productive once you have some rest.

it's that time of the year again

Leaves are falling, wind is blowing, scarves and gloves are out again....and if that isn't exciting enough exams are fast approaching.

Yes, final exams are just around the corner, lurking and daring you to procrastinate. BUT I am here prevent you from procrastinating and get you started!

I have experienced not knowing how to study, and panicking as the exam dates neared. But not to worry because I can help. View the Study Skills Tipsheets from the Academic and Career Centre. These tipsheets will teach you the best way to study and give you confidence when you are studying. Remember study smarter not harder. It worked for me.

The Academic and Career centre also offers seminars to help you prepare for your exams. Come to the Exam Preparation and Exam Writing: How to Ace Your Finals seminar. The seminar addresses exam preparation timelines and strategies for the day of the exam. It also discusses “exam stress,” general test anxiety, and writing MCQ and essay style exams.

The Exam prep seminars will be held:

Tue, 24 November, 12:00 – 1:30 (B360)
Wed, 25 November, 5:00 – 6:30 (AA160)

Hit the books, get cracking, get a move on, ...basically get started studying! Good luck =)

Belly Wopper

For those of you who have had time to take your face away from your laptops, notes and books have experienced the cold breeze and tumbled leaves. That just means one thing winter’s right around the corner and so comes the Belly Wopper. You probably are wandering, now what is a belly wopper? Simply put, it’s the bulge U of T student’s tummies forms over the winter. This is due to our fear of the cold, and our desires for warm fatty comfort foods. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will not only make you look good as you ring in the holidays but will definitely make you feel good on a mental level as well. It is proven that those who exercise on a regular basis perform better in school. Remember that you have already paid for your UTSC gym membership as soon as you enrolled for courses, so make use of it. Instead of waiting on our super speed state of the art elevators opt for walking the stairs and if you are a keener skip stairs for extra muscle strength. As soon as the first snow flake falls your mouth demands a hot chocolate but resist temptation. No one’s judging you for indulging once in while but try something lighter, a herbal tea perhaps? Living a healthy lifestyle will not only help us be confident individuals but allows us to perform better in our day to day tasks whatever it may be. So skip the junk and kick it out of your trunk.  

Resolutions For You

   If you’ve had late nights, in sweat pants and have waited hours in line to buy your coffee from Timmy’s, chances are you’ve just survived the first half of the fall 2009 session at UTSC. Now that you’re done, you want to wind down and simply ‘chill’. Don’t get too comfortable yet, because finals are just around the corner. Re-evaluate your good and bad study habits, how could you have made your life easier? With stress comes heavy repercussions, so remember to exercise, eat healthy and allocate your time for readings and assignments. It will take you only ten minutes to create a goal sheet and schedule to better manage your time this semester. If you follow through, you will be sleeping like a baby during finals. Take my advice and I promise you’ll ace your test. Remember that time is something that you can never get back so make good use of it.



Check out my goal’s for this semester.

1) Wake up @ 7am

2) Eat a balanced breakfast (This will help you concentrate for your 9am classes)

3) 30 minutes of Cardio / 3 days a week

4) Yoga class/1 a week

5) Stay on top of homework and Prepare notes for finals along the way

6) Make appointments with the writing centre/ TA 2 weeks in advance



Best of Luck,

Ace ;)  

Kicking Procrastination to the Curb!

Hey Everyone!

I had some trouble focusing on school work this weekend so I went by the Academic Advising and Career Center to pick up a tip sheet on procrastination. It really helped me put things in perspective so I thought I would share it with you:

Student’s are especially vulnerable to procrastination because:
-they don’t have a supervisor overseeing their productivity
-rewards for effort are further in the future
-you have to apply yourself for four years before receiving the reward of a degree


Common Reasons for Procrastination:
Fear of Failure
-Students may set low goals to protect themselves from really trying and being disappointed if they should fail, but by procrastinating there is an increased likelihood of failure

Fear of success
-Once you have established a high standard for yourself you may feel a continued pressure to maintain that standard. This can be an overwhelming feeling

Disorganization/ Not Enough Information
-You may procrastinate if you don’t know where to begin
-A task may need to be broken down into component parts and goal sets
-Remember: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

Lack of Interest
-Students can lose interest in school for many reasons
-The course content may not capture your attention or personal issues may be interfering with your concentration

An Established Pattern
-The pattern of last minute projects may become a part of your study approach
-there is a tendency for such a pattern to become a problem
-if academic success is to be obtained it may be time to break the pattern


Solving the Problem
-You must first understand the reason behind your procrastination.
-the underlying reason may vary from course to course and a student may exhibit different symptoms at different times


Steps to begin solving the problem:
1. Identify the roadblocks posed by your time wasters, examine your rationale for procrastinating, and explore accompanying feelings

2. Pay Attention to self-talk : subconscious messages like “I have lots of time” or “I’ll do it later” lead many students into the Manana Trap. “Manana” means tomorrow in Spanish. Ask yourself why “later” is a better time to work on a specific task versus right now. Unless you have a rational reason for delaying: get started immediately!

3. Try the 5-Minute Plan: many students agree that the hardest aspect of completing a project is getting started. Next time you find yourself procrastinating, commit to working on the task for 5 minutes. Most of the resistance associated with that activity will decrease after working on it for 5 minute and at the end of that time you may feel yourself motivated to keep working.


The Importance of Rewards
Your old procrastination patterns can resurface from time to time. You may become discouraged and have a sense that change is impossible. You can help to foster change by incorporating rewards into your action plan. Take some time to explore both small and large rewards as part of your action plan to become a better time manager, and plan to implement these self motivators.


If you need to talk to someone about your personal study skills you can always drop by the Academic Advising and Career Center.

All the Best,
ACE

RICH BEFORE 30!! (Can your dreams still come true?)

Hey everyone!

Have the recession blues got you feeling down? Here's some inspiration!
I found a really cool article from the "Job Postings" magazine from the Academic Advising and Career Center. It discusses some really useful tips to help you on your road to success. I found it extremely helpful and I really think you should drop by the AA&CC and read it if you get the chance. Here's a quick summary of the 10 steps:

1. FOCUS: Do what makes you happy - Don't over-commit yourself. Figure out which activities will help you achieve your primary goals and learn to say 'no'.

2. PRIORITIZE: don't waste time on things that don't make you happy

3. WORK HARD: and maintain your enthusiasm!

4. RESEARCH: Identify role models in your industry and research what they did.

5. MENTOR: Get a role model to mentor you.

6. TEAM BUILD: Work with people you admire.

7. DO FAVOURS: Go out of your way to lend a hand

8. VOLUNTEERS: Get next to the bigwigs by helping out with special projects

9. TAKE RISKS: create and take opportunities to learn new things.

10. FOCUS AGAIN: Don't let money get in the way of doing what makes you happy.


BEST WISHES!
ACE

What is 'Get Started'?

Get Started is a one day academic orientation event created for incoming students. The program is designed to introduce you to, and help you use all of the tools necessary to have a successful first year at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Why you should go:
--> you will get the opportunity to meet staff and faculty members
--> get the chance to interact with other first year students
--> you will also get the chance to choose which first year courses
--> get tips & advice from a Coach - a senior student.
--> you will get to explore the campus
--> get your new UofT Student Card

Find out more and register here:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~getstarted

International Opportunities Fair

Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Place: Science Wing Meeting Place

Have you ever thought about going overseas? Or are you just curious about the things you can do internationally?

Come to the fair to gather information and speak directly with representatives from a variety of organizations with interests around the world.

Be sure to bring copies of your updated resume. Many organizations will be collecting resumes at the Fair. Get your resume critiques prior to the Fair at the Academic Advising & Career Centre, room AC213. Preparation is key to success at a Job Fair.

Summer Job Fair!

Had enough of the snow? Wondering about your plans for the summer? Well you are in luck! The Summer Job Fair is around the corner.

Date: January 29,2009
Time: 11:00am-2:00pm
Location: Science Wing Meeting Place

This is the perfect opportunity to get information on summer positions. Many organizations complete their hiring for Summer by the end of February. This fair offers you the chance to speak with representatives from a large number of organizations from many different sectors. All students are welcome to attend!

Preparation is key to success at a job fair! Visit Summer Job Fair site for tips on how to prepare for the fair!

I will also be attending the event! Look for me or any staff member from the Academic Advising and Career Centre if you have questions.

All the best at the event!!

ACE

Goals, got any?

Welcome back everyone! I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable break. New year, new semester, and I know for many including myself, that means new goals. Let's be honest here, I have not been the greatest at achieving my goals so I'm taking a new approach this year. I'm going to make my goals SMART.

SMART Goal is:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

And my SMART goal for this year is:

I am going to complete my e-portfolio by the end of this term so I have something to present to potential employers by attending all six of the weekly E-Portfolio workshops starting on January 20th.

Specific? Who? me. What? Start my e-portfolio. When? Starting on January 20th for 6 weeks and for 2 hours each week. Why? So I'll have my very own e-portfolio to show future potential employers.

Measurable? Yes, I have to attend 6 out of the 6 sessions available.

Attainable? Definitely, 2 hours for 6 weeks. I can do this!

Realistic? For sure, this is something I really want to do. I am very able and willing to do it!

Timely? Giving myself plenty of time to complete my e-portfolio by the end of this term.

If you're interesting in learning more about SMART goals, read this great website.

If you're interesting in joining me and completing your e-portfolio this term, sign up on the Intranet.

Best of luck in this new term.

ACE