Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Ace is everywhere Part one (photo blog)

This week's photoblog, I will take you on a tour to some interesting spots on campus!

Do you need to photocopy, print or fax files??? Do you need to print items that's not on the standard letter paper? Then CopyKats awaits your visit! Located in the Science Wing right next to the meeting place (the giant square area of the Science Wing). I am a frequent visitor of CopyKats as you can see in the photo :)








Science Wing Meeting Place, where most of the Acedemic Advising and Career Centre Fairs are held. As well as many special events.











Study study study! There are many study spaces around campus, you can find them in the Science Wing, H wing, Arc and library. If you need it to be absolutely silent, there are Ultra Quiet study spaces upstairs of the Library. My favourite spot is in the Science Wing, as you can see in the photo.










Checking out the latest news on campus. You can find these TV all over campus with the latest campus news as well as the weather report.








If you forgot to bring your cell phone and need to call someoneyou can do what I do... use pay phones on campus. You can find these pay phones in the AA building first floor across from the "Welcome Hall".










Need to do a research paperor essay? In need of a quiet place to study? And you don't mind being surrounded by books? Then the library is the perfect place for you! Located in the Arc building...you can't miss it!









In a hurry and don't have a chance to wash your hands, you can find these Hand sanitizer Stands all over the campus.










If you live far from UTSC and need a place to stay while studying at UTSC there are on campus residences! Town houses and Foley Hall located in the South Rez and Town Houses located in North Rez, all set aside so students can stay on campus.











Stay tuned for more interesting places on campus in the Ace is Everywhere Part Two photoblog where I will be showing the resources on campus!

Ace is hungry (Photo Blog)

I was studying earlier and felt hungry. So I went on a little tour around school to the many places to eat on campus...in my attempt to decide what I wanted to eat.


My stop took me to the vending machine in the Science Wing
. Great place to go for food when everything else is closed!














Next, I passed Tim Horton's, or as I like to call Timmys.
With two entrances and a lot of seating, Timmy's is one of my favourite place to hang out. After I grabbed
some timbits, I am off to the next location on campus!















Not far from Timmy's is the Market Place.
Located in the H Wing of the school. The Market Place offers a large variety of food from burgers to pasta. There's also two floors of seating connected to the Market Place, great place to have meals with friends.














In the Student Centre, you can find Subway, A&W, Treats as well as Asian Gourmet. My favourite is Treats, where you can find me buying myself bubble tea and sandwiches!
I bought myself a cookie here and set off to the next location.















Next, my tour around campus takes me to where I spent most of my time watching the FIFA World Cup and other sporting events: Rex's Den!
There's not games on TV today, so I moved on to the next location.Downstairs of the Student Centre is Rex's Den where large screen TV and restaurant combine for the perfect sports-watching environment.















Campus Xpress, housed also in the Student Centre is, what I like to call the on campus convenience store. If you are craving chocolate bars, chips, drinks, candy, coffee, ice cream, yogurt, assorted gummy candy and just about any other snacks...then I would recommend you visit the Campus Xpress. (Also, this is where you can buy TTC tokens, hoodies, stationaries and other non-food items...more on that in later blog entries.) I am feeling thirsty, so I bought (an infamous) Arizona tea here.











I finally found what I wanted to eat at UTSC's own hot dog stand. Located outside of the Student Centre near the student drop off area is the Hot Dog stand. Chicken, beef, vegetarian hot dogs...all can be found here! I bought myself one and now I am ready to study once again.













Stay tuned! More photo blogs to come!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Internships

Why do an internship? To gain skills and experience for a competitive edge in the workplace, confirm if a career is the right fit for you, to gain valuable contacts in your field, be offered more long‐term positions, and gain understanding into workplace issues and ethics.

Step 1: Assessing Your Goals
Prior to selecting an internship, you will need to have a clear understanding of what you are hoping to gain from the
experience. Do you want experience in Canada or abroad? Are you looking for a large or small organization? Are
there financial issues you need to address? What experience and skills do you need to develop? The “Choosing Your
Career” workshop can assist you. Sign up on the intranet.

Step 2: Finding an Internship
As internships can take on a variety of forms, there is often confusion as to what an internship really is, which can
make it tricky to locate the internship of your dreams. Internships can be listed in a variety of places (or not listed at
all!), so you need to have a multi‐pronged approach to find yours. Be sure to attend our Volunteer & Internship Fair
offered each year. Start with some of the resources listed on this tipsheet to help you identify potential opportunities.
Most of these resources are on‐line as there are less and less internship directories being printed. The print
directories, although older, can still be useful for generating some leads as they typically list organizations that are
larger and more stable. It would be beneficial to look at specific company websites to see if they offer internships. If
you would like to intern with a specific company or organization, but they do not advertise internships, contact them,
explain your interest in the company and your background and ask if they would sponsor an internship for you. Many
students have found internships by taking this initiative. If you need help identifying employers in your field, consult
the employer directories available in the Career Resource Library.

Step 3: Researching the Organization
You can never know too much about a potential placement. The Career Resource Library and the Internet are good
places to start. You will want to find out about the current trends, challenges facing the organization, innovations,
recent successes, and workplace philosophy.

Step 4: Applying and interviewing
Applying to an internship typically involves writing an effective résumé/application that clearly outlines your skills,
education, experience, volunteer work, accomplishments and interests. If you are writing a résumé, be sure to include
a targeted cover letter. For help, attend a “Winning Résumés and Cover Letters” seminar. Also, have these documents
critiqued with the Résumé Critique Service, to ensure you are marketing yourself effectively. If an interview is
required, prepare for it as seriously as you would for any other job interview. The Academic Advising & Career Centre
offers the “Interview Techniques to Land That Job” seminar as well as one‐on‐one Practice Interview sessions. In
addition to these services, the Career Resource Library (AC213) offers a number of resources on résumés, cover
letters, and interviews.

Step 5: Making the most of your internship
This is your chance to get some of that much needed work experience! For a successful internship be sure to be
punctual and professional; show initiative, energy and commitment; learn from those who have more experience than
you; participate in team projects; ask questions; understand how the company operates; learn about the
organization’s recruitment strategy; ask for a letter of recommendation when you leave and keep in touch with the
company; send a thank you letter upon completion of the internship.

For list of internship websites visit the Internship Tipsheet brought to you by the Academic and Career Centre

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Choosing your program

Unsure of what program to go into? Today's tip is directed to those who are indecisive and unsure about the program they to major/minor in.

As you know University of Toronto Scarborough students may only register in Scarborough programs. If you are a degree student and you have at least 4.0 credits, you must register in a program or programs.


Today's tip(s):

Choosing Your Program(s)

There are many factors to consider when choosing your program(s). There is not one universal ‘right’ choice; each person must look at his/her own situation and decide upon the right program options for him/her. Ask yourself these questions:

What are you interested in?
Studying subjects that are interesting to you means you will enjoy your time at university more, you will be more
focused in your learning and probably achieve higher marks.

Where do your strengths lie?
This means looking at where your skills lie; are you a good writer, researcher, problem solver, organizer? Are you
good with numbers, creative expression, or intricate details? Assessing your strengths and understanding those
required by different programs may give you some ideas as to which programs are best for you.

• What courses have you done well in?
It is important to assess this now, as you complete your first courses at university. You may have been good at a
number of subjects in high school; usually, the field is narrowed down by the intensity of study at the university
level. Assess what you are better at in the university setting.

• Have you checked to see if enrolment in the program is limited or unlimited?
Enrolment in some programs is limited, so you have to meet standards to gain admittance. If you do not have the required standard, you will need to choose another program of study. Please refer to the UTSC Calendar to determine if the program has prerequisites or grade requirements.

• What career opportunities are available with this program?
For many programs there are a number of career opportunities available. The answer lies not so much with the program, but with each person. What skills, interests, personal qualities and values does this person have? These
factors, gathered through all your life experiences, will help you choose the career option that is right for you.

If you would like to discuss your career options, phone the Academic Advising and Career Centre at 416‐287‐7561
and book an appointment with a Career Counsellor.

Why do you want this program?
Examine why you are making this choice; look at the above factors, and ensure that your program is interesting to
you, that you can succeed at it and that it offers courses and career options that are right for you.

• How Do I Register in a Program?
You should begin by reading your Calendar. Read the regulations regarding Programs of Study to be aware

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Need further assistance? Use the Career Centre Resources and Services

• Use the Career Centre library located in Room AC213 for descriptions of different careers, their educational
requirements, and potential employment opportunities.
• Talk to people in your field of interest; find them by using our Networking binder.
• Explore the field through job shadowing with the Extern program.
• Peruse the Volunteer listings and Part‐time and Summer jobs to find opportunities to build relevant skills.
• You can find out more by visiting the Choose Program Tipsheet