Summer = BBQs + lectures.

 Hi! I hope everyone is staying cool today as it gets more humid and hot outside. Summer is here and that means more outdoor activities with family and friends.  However, these BBQs and getaways may prevent you from having time to attend your lectures.

 It is important to keep in mind that attending and listening in your class has many benefits that can eventually help you achieve your academic success. Through hearing the professor and seeing the information, you are able to understand the material more efficiently and accurately. You are also more likely to remember a chunk of information from attending your lectures regularly. From this, you will be able to retain them on an exam easily. In short, having verbal and visual memory for a piece of information makes it easier for you to recall them on an exam.

Attending your lectures also helps you “space out” your review or study time more effectively. Through reading before and after your lectures, you give yourself the chance to study the materials prior to an exam in a very effective manner.

 Note taking and active listening are as important as attending your lectures. Before I go any further, active listening is when you focus on and attend to what is being said to you, as opposed to passive listening or exerting little effort in participating and being involved in class. Through this, you are engaging yourself in the learning process. You can improve your attention span from this as well. It is helpful to realize that the more you are involved in your class, the more interesting your class will be to you. Therefore, you will exceptionally do well in that class.

Because learning is an active process, you will eventually learn how to develop your study skills as your time in university progresses. You become more flexible and adaptable when it comes to attaining the proper skills you need to achieve your academic goals and eventually, success.


For further reading on how to take proper notes and listen in lectures.
Please refer to AACC tipsheet: 

http://joomla.utsc.utoronto.ca/aaccweb/images/stories/AcademicTipsheet/notetakinglistening.pdf

and as well as a tipsheet for helpful learning styles in university:
 http://joomla.utsc.utoronto.ca/aaccweb/images/stories/AcademicTipsheet/LearningStyles.pdf

Enjoy the start of your summer with a proper balance of school and outdoor leisure,

Katrina

Organizing Patio Season

Hello everyone! Like Farihah, I'm also here for the summer to share with you some of the academic problems and tips I think that can help you get through this summer semester.

To start off, I’m Katrina and I am ecstatic to be finishing my Hon. Bachelors of Science degree this year, double majoring in Mental Health and Health Studies. I take pleasure in cozying up in my bed and enjoying a good book or watching an episode of the show ‘Criminal Minds’ or just playing with my dog.

During the summer semester, the main problem I think that students face is staying on point in doing the assigned readings. It seems it is so easy to put everything last minute… maybe even just couple days before the midterm and final exam. It does sound so much more appealing to enjoy a plate of nachos and drinks with friends on a patio after class than spend hours studying in a library... So, having weekly goals definitely helped me get through enormous volumes of assigned journal articles and book chapters, while still having enough time for a fun social life in/off the campus.

I think it is important for students to have an organizer of some sort, to keep track of the academic goals they plan to have. Having a good sense of time management and planning in advance may take the pressure off finishing that huge amount of school work. I find that reduced stress and anxiety can help me concentrate better and finish a task more efficiently and accurately. Having planned ahead also helped me avoid missed deadlines on assignments.

It is also important to keep in mind that planning your schedule should be flexible. I have seen tasks that may seem short and easy at first glance but more tedious as I go through with it. Having good time management skills also allows you to expect some unexpected circumstances (portal being down, books not available, etc).

Lastly, which may be the most important one in this context, planning and completing your goals give you that free time you can enjoy with your peers, without feeling guilty about not completing your school work.

AACC has a lot of tipsheets that can further help you hone your time management strategies and as well as Academic Advisors for further guidance. Here is the list of the tipsheets on the AACC website: http://joomla.utsc.utoronto.ca/aaccweb/index.php/career-planning/career-tip-sheets

Hopefully everyone is enjoying this awesome weather for the weekend~

Katrina 

The Virtues of Volunteering

Hello world! I’m Farihah, and I’ll be one of the student bloggers here. Allow me to tell you a bit about myself: I am a second-year UTSC student Specializing in Strategic Management. I love baking, reading, and getting involved everywhere I can!

Throughout the summer, I’ll be sharing some issues I’ve experienced while job-hunting, and some of the resources and strategies I’ve used to get myself out of the jobless slump.

Now, before I go any further, I want to make sure you know one thing – not having a job isn’t the worst thing in the world. The free time will allow you to explore different opportunities such as extra-curricular activities, focusing on your academics, and volunteering (which is a great opportunity to expand your network)!

Wait, wait, wait…volunteering? Networking? How are they even in the same sentence?

Allow me to back up a bit; business networking is when you meet individuals who may be able to further your career opportunities, and grant you access to new ones. These people can be CEOs, your professor, or even the bank teller at your local branch. Everyone you befriend could potentially be your key to the perfect job.

If you find yourself unable to find work for the summer months, try to see what volunteer opportunities are available in your area. Refer to the “Volunteering” Tipsheet posted on the AACC webpage: http://joomla.utsc.utoronto.ca/aaccweb/images/stories/CareerTipsheet/Volunteering.pdf

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, and will allow you to gain skills that you can transfer to other jobs. If you’re particularly passionate about a cause, volunteering at a related charity may end up being your path to a career there. Work hard, network, and show people that you’re passionate, and you will be guaranteed a bright future.

-Farihah

Interested in joining the AA&CC team?

The Academic Advising & Career Centre intends to hire up to seventeen paid Coaches for the 2012 Get Started program. This program is an academic orientation for incoming first year students. Applicants must be available at least four days a week, 8:45AM to 4:00PM, between June 23rd and July 14th. Applicants should possess a thorough knowledge of University of Toronto Scarborough and have excellent communication and facilitation skills. The application deadline is February 17^th, 2012.

Additionally, the AA&CC is now accepting applications from students who are interested in volunteering as a Study Skills or Employment Peer Counsellor in the 2012-2013 academic year. These opportunities provide excellent experience for students considering careers in teaching, coaching, or counseling. The application deadline is March 23, 2012.

Check the AA&CC homepage for more information on both positions.

Hopefully everyone is adjusting well to the new semester. Midterms are beginning soon so start studying! If you need any help organizing your time, remember to book a Study Skills Appointment on the UTSC Intranet!

Cheers,

ACE

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

Hello!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and is ready to begin the Winter/Spring semester here at UTSC. Knowing that a lot of you are still in that process of shifting gears from the holiday season to back-to-school mode, here are a couple of helpful hints for getting you back into the academic spirit:

TIP OF THE DAY:
CONCENTRATION AND MOTIVATION!
Adjusting back into a new set of classes may be slightly challenging for some of us who are still reeling from the after effects of the holidays. Often we may feel discouraged or overwhelmed once those syllabuses start rolling out or when we get that chance to look over our grades from last semester. However, all is not lost and there is always a way of bouncing back and regaining that motivation you need to do well in this semester.

• SMART Goal Setting

- a good way of getting back into focus and increasing motivation as well as self-confidence is to set SMART goals for yourself. What are SMART goals? SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In a nutshell, SMART goals are goals that are within your own limits and capabilities, that are concrete and simple enough to visualize as well as being set with a specific time frame. Writing down these goals is a good way to stay on track as you go through the semester. Don't forget to reward yourself after completion of your goals and create new ones to maintain academic focus and motivation.

• PATS model of concentration

- PATS stands for: Pick the best environment for studying or doing schoolwork; Always remember to keep away from distractions; Try to eliminate noise around you and Self-talk to control internal distractions. Having a designated study space for yourself ensures that you remain in a space that is reserved especially for your academic work. Keeping away from televisions, radios and, if possible, laptops and cellphones are good ways to limit visual and auditory distractions. Occasionally reminding oneself of the task at hand or goals to accomplish is also a good way to keep focus, so agendas and/or post-it notes could come in handy.

• Time Management and Planning

- Keeping a time table, calendar or a general to-do list is another good way to keep track of the goals you have set down for yourself. Having a good grasp of time management and planning in advance not only keeps you motivated but it also reduces stress, procrastination and anxiety.


Hopefully these tips will help you out this semester. A couple more reminders for you all is that the Study Skills workshops are back and if you are interested in learning more about the tips mentioned above, I would recommend checking them out. See the UTSC Intranet or the Academic Advising website for more details about the dates and times of the Study Skills workshops. As always, I encourage you to drop by the AACC office at AC213 and meet our staff and counsellors or check out ACE's Facebook page. Have an awesome semester!

Cheers,

ACE