Blog Posts

6 Staples to Keep in Your Student Wardrobe

Packing the right things is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face when heading off to university. Students almost always forget at least a few things — and, paradoxically, tend to bring far too much stuff. In particular, it’s difficult to strike a balance between bringing enough clothing and packing your entire wardrobe. To make sure you’re prepared for every occasion, there are a few staples to keep in your wardrobe at all times. 1. A Professional Outfit It’s crucial to have a professional outfit you can use if you land an interview for a job, internship, or research opportunity. Just one outfit should be sufficient, but invest in something smart. Consider the kinds of positions you’re likely to be interviewing for to choose the right level of formality. 2. Clothing for a Night Out Whereas you’ll be wearing comfortable clothes during most of the day, you’ll want to dress up when you go out. Bring several outfits that boost your confidence and help you feel like yourself. You should also have a few items that could work for themed parties. This could include a checkered shirt, a neon top, and something you can turn into a costume. 3. Formalwear You’ll need a couple of outfits that are more formal than what you wear on nights out but that are less business-like than your professional clothing. These will be ideal for formal dinners, intimate parties, and dances. Whereas you could pick up something right before an event, it will be less stressful (and likely less expensive) if you prepare in advance. Consider the types of events you’re likely to attend to pick the right kind of outfits. 4. Sportswear To stay fit at university, you need the right clothing. What exactly you should pack will depend on the kinds of activities you want to do. You’ll likely need a few tops and some sweatpants, joggers, or biker shorts — joggers are also great for creating a casual outfit. 5. Versatile Footwear You’ll need shoes to go with all the above outfits. Depending on your personal style, you may be able to use the same footwear for some of your formal events. You could also use your everyday shoes for working out. However, you should have a separate pair of shoes you don’t mind getting damaged for big parties and events. Finally, make sure you have some boots to transform casual clothing into an outfit that’s smart enough for going out with friends — boots are also great for coping with cold weather . 6. Apparel with Your School Name Students should own at least one piece of clothing that features their school’s name. Head to your campus bookstore to pick up some apparel. A problem for many students is having enough space for all their belongings. Campus dorms are particularly cramped — which is one reason why it’s much better to live in student apartments. Ottawa students can find spacious suites at 1Eleven. You’ll have a private bedroom or an entire apartment to yourself with plenty of storage. Apply today to secure your preferred layout.

How to Beat the Winter Blues

Students always look forward to winter break, as it brings holiday celebrations, time spent with family and friends, and a well-needed rest from your studies. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end . Although many students are excited about returning to university, it’s common to feel a little down, due to missing home and struggling with the cold weather . This is called the winter blues. Most of the time, this is a mild condition that goes away on its own. Nonetheless, it still makes sense to ta ke action to beat the winter blues as soon as possible and regain your motivation. 1. Stick to an Exercise Schedule Although you may feel too fatigued to exercise, moving around is just what you need. The release of endorphins will lift your mood and help you better cope with pain. To stay disciplined, it’s best if you join a class or find a group of friends to work out with. 2. Spend Time Outdoors Just being outdoors occasionally can help reduce fatigue and keep you energized. If possible, do some of your workouts outdoors. Alternatively, find other activities that allow you to enjoy the nature around you, even if that’s just taking a short stroll at some point during the day. You should discover that the fresh air refreshes you — particularly if there’s a slight breeze. 3. Sleep Enough When you’re suffering from the winter blues, you may compensate by staying up late to finish all the tasks you should have done during the day. You may also sleep until later than you should because of a lack of motivation to get up. Both these habits will only make your winter blues worse. It’s important to create a sleep schedule that means you sleep exactly the number of hours you need. This means setting a bedtime and wake-up time and sticking to them — including on weekends. 4. Try Light Therapy The fewer hours of daylight during the winter can be a major contributor to the winter blues. This is exacerbated if you’re unable to spend many of the daylight hours outdoors, such as if you have classes or other commitments. As a result, you may struggle to fall or stay asleep. The solution may be light therapy. Most people who try it say it reduces their winter blues symptoms. Light therapy involves sitting in front of a special lamp that emits white light from fluorescent bulbs for at least 30 minutes a day, usually right after you wake up. It’s most effective when you do it at the same time each day — which is another reason for sticking to a sleep schedule. A small light therapy lamp is affordable even for university students on a tight budget. Plus, it won’t take up too much space in your bedroom. 5. Make Plans to Socialize You may think you want to spend all your time alone, but you’ll feel much better if you socialize. It doesn’t matter if you host a movie night in your apartment, join a club to meet new people, or arrange a video chat with family back home — the important thing is to spend time with others. If you’re suffering from something more severe than the winter blues, you should seek professional support, such as through the counselling services on campus. However, if you just have a low mood, making some simple changes to your life could prevent you falling victim to the winter blues again next year. For instance, you can move out of your cramped dorm room and into off-campus housing. Ottawa students can find a new home at 1Eleven. You’ll have a spacious suite (either to yourself or shared with roomma tes) as well as use of the fitness centre , games room, and dedicated study spaces. Apply now to avoid living through another winter in residence.

What to Know About the Gap Year

It’s common for students to finish high school and then start university straight after summer break. However, another possibility is to take time off with a gap year. This option has become more popular in recent years for the benefits and opportunities it brings. Here’s what you should know before making a decision . What Is a Gap Year? Traditionally, a gap year lasted an entire year between high school and college. Today, though, a gap year can be just a semester or two. Plus, there’s no reason to take your gap year immediately — for example, you could take a break in the middle of your degree. Whenever they take their gap years, students often use the chance to reflect on what they want to do in life, such as if they haven’t decided on a career path or even a major yet. Alternatively, you may want to take a gap year to focus on your mental health or to pursue opportunities that could be more difficult in the future. How to Use Your Gap Year There are no limitations as to how you use your gap year. You could travel, volunteer, work, or learn new skills. You could use the opportunity to enhance your resume, earn money to fund your education, or understand yourself better. As well as backpacking without a clear plan, immersing yourself in another culture, or practicing your language skills, you could join a structured program, such as volunteering, participating in a conservation project, or learning to code. There are also activities available t hat could earn you credit or give you a taste of research in a field you may like to work in after you graduate. You could also use a gap year if the university you wanted to attend doesn’t accept you. Use the chance to gain the experience you need to strengthen your application. Does a Gap Year Affect University Admissions? Even students who want to take a gap year should start the university application process while they’re still at high school. This will mean you’re able to receive guidance from counselors and teachers. Plus, you’ll have a program lined up for when you finish your gap year. It’s worth finding out universities’ policies on gap years. Rather than mentioning that you’re considering a gap year on your application, you should contact the admissions office. Once you’ve been accepted, you can talk to an admissions officer about your intentions and defer your enrollment. It’s unlikely that a university will deny you a place because you are taking a gap year, but the admissions office will likely want more information about how you’ll be using this time. In addition, you may need to contact the university around halfway through your gap year to confirm that you will still be attending. Similarly, there is no need to divulge that you intend to take a gap year midway through your time at university — besides, you may find that your plans change. Just notify your school at the end of the semester before your gap year that you’ll be taking time off. Is a Gap Year the Right Decision for You? Determine whether a gap year is right for you, when you should take it, and how long it should last by thinking about your goals, your economic situation, and the experiences you want to have. Whereas gap years in the past were reserved for students who were able to support themselves financially for a year, there are now scholarships available for low-income students. Alternatively, you could just take a semester off — you may also like to consider doing this if you want to avoid falling behind your peers. Taking a gap year gives you the chance to make preparations for university and avoids rushing into major decisions. For instance, you can take the time to find the right housing instead of just moving into student residence. Ottawa has 1Eleven, located just steps from campus. It offers large furnished suites, a fitness center, games rooms, and dedicated study spaces. Book a tour to see where you could be living when you start university.

7 Benefits of Taking Summer Classes

Summer break is long during university. Whereas some students find they need this time to earn money or relax, you can also use the opportunity to take more classes. There’s no need to have a full schedule or take classes over the entire summer — you can make summer classes work for you. There are a variety of benefits to doing so, whatever your goals. Here are some of the most compelling advantages to consider. 1. Complete Less-Interesting Classes Quickly Since summer classes are condensed, they can be ideal for any classes you’re less excited about. For instance, you could quickly finish a core class that’s unrelated to your major but a requirement to graduate. 2. Take a Prerequisite There may be a class you’d love to take next semester but you haven’t yet completed the prerequisite. Find out if this class is an option over the summer. 3. Graduate Sooner Taking any kind of classes for credit can bring your graduation date forward. This can be a great strategy whether you want to graduate early or if you’re on track to graduate later than you originally intended because you had to decrease your course load in the past. 4. Focus on a Difficult Class If there’s a class you know will be particularly difficult — perhaps you had to drop it once already — you may like to use the summer to focus all your attention on that one class. When you have no other classes to worry about and fewer commitments in general, you may find it’s more manageable than you expected. 5. Earn Credentials Beyond Your Degree Some careers require other credentials in addition to a degree. Others have no requirement for a credential but having something extra to put on your resume could give you an edge over other candidates. Consider if summer classes could enable you to graduate with a double major or supplemental certificate. 6. Explore Graduate School Classes If you’re thinking about continuing your education at graduate school, you may like to explore your options through summer classes. These can help you find out if a particular subject interests you enough to pursue a master’s degree or see how graduate-level classes differ from the kinds of classes you’re taking at the moment. You can also use the opportunity to develop any additional skills you need for graduate school or prepare for entrance exams. 7. Enjoy Smaller Class Sizes Many students thrive in small classes, especially when there’s an emphasis on discussions or they have many questions to ask. Since fewer students attend classes over the summer, you can expect smaller class sizes. This will also give you the chance to get to know your professors better and receive more personalized support. You’ll need to find a place to stay over the summer, since campus dorms will likely be closed. Your best choice is to search for off-campus student living. Ottawa has student housing at 1Eleven. As the leases are all for 12 months, you’ll find plenty of other students here over the summer and you can continue living in your fully-furnished suite for the rest of the year. We’ll even match you with roommates who study like you — or you can have an apartment to yourself. Book a video tour to check out the spac e.

How to Stick to an Entertainment Budget at University

One of the most difficult things about being a student is the dilemma of having little spending money but a huge number of options for entertainment — and you want to take advantage of them all! To avoid running out of money before the end of the month, you need to take steps to control your spending. The best way to do this is to create a budget for entertainment (and then make sure you stick to it). 1. Track Your Spending with a Budgeting App It’s impossible to ensure you stick to a budget unless you monitor your finances. A budgeting app makes it easy to enter every expense to see where your money is going. You can then check that you’re within your budget and make decisions about where to cut costs, if necessary. 2. Head to Free Activities on Campus and in Your Area Clubs and organizations on campus are always putting on free events to help students have fun and socialize without breaking the bank. Many of these events even come with free food, which will help you stick to your food budget for the month as well. However, you shouldn’t just look on campus when you’re searching for free events — there are likely activities taking place in your wider community, too. Search for promotions for students as well as activities that are free or discounted for everyone. For instance, walking tours tend to operate on a tip basis and are ideal for when a friend from out of town comes to visit. You may also find discounts for restaurants at certain times, such as early-bird specials and two-for-one offers. Finally, you should f ind out if museums and art galleries are free on a particular day of the week. 3. Spend More Time in Your Student Apartment There’s no need to go out to have a great time with friends. Instead of going to a restaurant, you could host a potluck dinner. Rather than heading to the movies, watch something on a streaming service. Other options include playing board games or just chatting. 4. Find Free Games to Play If your friends are gamers, another option for a night in is to search for free games to play. Check the app store for your console or device on a regular basis to look for new releases and trending games in the free categories. This is also a great option if you’re looking for entertainment just for yourself whenever you’d rather not go out. To have more nights in with friends, you need to be living in a great apartment. Hanging out in a dorm room is uncomfortable; plus, you need to share the space with your roommate. What you need is off-campus housing — Ottawa students can move into 1Eleven. You’ll receive a spacious apartment that’s ideal for entertaining as well as access to common areas like the games room, where you can meet new people. Contact us now to secure a spot while there are still a few rooms left.

5 Downsides of Cramming for Exams

Many students cram for their exams because they have no choice — they fail to prepare ahead of time and are left with no option but to cram. However, other students actually prefer cramming to spreading out their test prep over a few weeks because they feel it helps them stay motivated. In fact, there are several downsides to cramming, as it can affect both your performance on the exam and your health. 1. Retain Less Information The only way to retain information is to cover it several times — you’ll retain little from reading a textbook once. To use the information, you need to practice recalling it. For instance, if the exam requires you to apply knowledge to a new problem, it will help if you have previously spent time thinking about how the material relates to various problems. If you need to write a short essay, you should have practiced putting the information into your own words. Furthermore, trying to cram information may even mean you forget things you knew before. When you come to take the test, you may struggle to recall almost anything . 2. Lower Productivity Cramming means you’re fitting all your studying into one or two sessions, but it’s impossible to stay productive when you study for hours at a time. Your mind will start to wander and you won’t pay attention to what you’re reading. To be productive, it’s much better to find time for as many short sessions as possible leading up to the exam. 3. Higher Stress Levels Cramming for exams makes you stressed. You know you have a limited amount of time to cover all the material — and you’ll be unsure if you can manage it. This will also lead to anxiety on exam day and perhaps even when you think about studying after the exam. 4. Lack of Energy It’s important to prepare yourself physically as well as mentally for an exam. This means sleeping enough the night before and fueling your body with healthy food. If you’re cramming, you may be tempted to stay up late to fit in as many hours as possible. You may also need to grab whatever you can for breakfast rather than eating a balanced meal. Both of these things will mean you lack energy during your test (plus, you may be hungry), which will make it more difficult to concentrate. 5. Poor Performance The result of all the above is lower grades than you could have achieved. It’s impossible to focus well during your exams if you’re exhausted and stressed, which often means lower test scores than you expected. You’ll find it easier to prepare for your exams without cramming if you improve your student living. Ottawa students can find a new home at 1Eleven. You can prepare for your exams in peace in your bedroom or take advantage of our dedicated study spaces for a change of scenery or to host a group study session. Plus, you’ll be just steps from campus. Book a video tour to check out all our great onsite amenities.