Blog Posts

How to Give Back to Your Community This Summer-image

If you’re looking for ways to fill up your summer days before heading back to school, consider volunteering to worthy causes within your community. Here’s a list of activities that you can do to make a difference.     Donate to a charity organization.     Gather old and unused clothing in your closet. Ask your fellow friends and family members if they have clothes to donate, too.     You can even organize a clothing drive in your student living. Ottawa has many organizations that accept clothing donations, such as the Salvation Army.     Volunteer at an animal shelter.     If you’re an animal lover, spend some of your free time this summer at an Ottawa animal shelter.     You can help build storage structures and play equipment for the animals, or create animal profiles on social media to encourage people to adopt and not shop.      You can also help raise funds and plan events for the shelter. Aside from shelters, you can also work with service animals or help out at a veterinarian’s office.         Tutor younger children.     Teaching and passing on the knowledge you’ve learned to younger kids are worthwhile ways to spend the summer.      You can volunteer your time to literacy programs, or get to know the after-school programs in the elementary and high schools nearby.     Mentoring young children will also look great in your resume because it shows off your leadership skills and willingness to help others.     Get involved in an election campaign.     If you believe in the values of a politician, you can get involved in their election campaign and help them get elected.     You may be tasked with helping to raise funds, distributing election paraphernalia, or simply encouraging people to go out and vote.       You can even be part of the policy-making and get involved in conversations with your candidate to help persuade them in taking a stand on the issues that matter to you.     Offer advice on how to get in.     Gather your friends, classmates, and roommates to offer a free college application workshop to high school students. You can help them with their essays and coach them on their applications.     Use your skills to help others in need.     If you’re majoring in a language, you can teach English to non-native students and help them get better acquainted with their new surroundings.      If you’re a college athlete, you can provide a free sports clinic to children in low-income areas.     And if you’re into yoga, you can offer relaxation workshops and breathing techniques in exchange for a couple of dollars, which you can donate to those in need .         Help the elderly.      If you have an outgoing personality and enjoy keeping seniors company, consider volunteering at an assisted living facility.     Some elderly people are lonely and just want someone to talk and listen to. You can read books, play games, organize bingo games, help sort through photo collections, and accompany them on walks.     Send cards.     Life can get lonely for the healthcare workers, active-duty military, and veterans. A sincere and thoughtful card is a great token of appreciation for the things they have done for the community.  

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Your List of Back-to-University Apartment Essentials-image

Moving from your parents’ house or tiny dorm room to a more spacious student apartment is a huge step to make. Not only do you have to prepare a bedroom; you also get to organize your very own living room, kitchen, and bathroom areas.     Here’s a quick checklist of the things you’ll need to prepare for the move. Note that you no longer have to buy furniture if you’re staying in one of the fully furnished apartments Ottawa has to offer, such as 1Eleven.      Desk Essentials     Arm your desk with notebooks, pens, and highlighters. A good desk lamp will also help you survive an all-nighter, and a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can tune out any noise and distractions.      Get extension cords and power strips in case an outlet is far away from your desk, as well as a flash drive or external hard drive for additional storage.     Also, place an alarm clock on your desk so you’ll be forced to get out of bed in the morning just to shut it off. A picture frame that holds pictures of your family will also help to keep you grounded when times get tough .       Bedroom Essentials     Pack at least two sets of beddings : a mattress topper, bedsheets , pillows, pillowcases, and blankets. Having a spare set means you won’t have to do the laundry right away once you change bedding .      Add a floor or desk lamp for some late-night reading, and install blackout curtains so you can sleep in after a couple of late nights spent studying.        Personalize your room with posters and wall prints. Buy storage containers that you can easily stow under the bed or above the closet to store off-season clothing or extra linens. Also include hangers and a hamper on your list for simple clothes organization.     Living Room Essentials     Gather some accent pillows and throw blankets in your couch for a personal touch, and add indoor plants for a greener living space.      Install a darker area rug in the living area; it’s more forgiving when it comes to spilled drinks during your house parties.     Add shelves and bookcases if you need more storage space, and bring your game console so you can take a break from all the studying.      Kitchen Essentials     Cooking is easier if you have a complete set of tools and equipment in your arsenal. See if you can borrow a skillet, stock pot, and saucepan from your parents’ house.      Have a mixing bowl, measuring cup, can opener, vegetable peeler, and bottle opener on hand so that prepping will be a breeze. A chef’s knife, paring knife, bread knife, and cutting board will complete all the items you need for meal prep.     Buy plenty of storage food containers and use them to stock up on pantry essentials: pasta, rice, canned food, instant ramen, oatmeal, cereal, milk, bread, nut butters, and spices. These will help you create uncomplicated meals that can be prepared in a jiffy .      Bathroom Essentials     Buy a shower caddy, soap dish, and toothbrush holder to store your toiletries, and some hooks to hang your towels and bathrobe. Shop for a bath mat , waste bin, and cleaning supplies to keep your bathroom clean and tidy.  

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Why Sleep Is More Important at University than You Think-image

Most students consider pulling an all-nighter for studying or partying to be a regular aspect of the university experience. Yet, nights without sleep shouldn't become a habit, as sleep deprivation can negatively impact your academic performance. Not getting enough sleep could also affect your health, potentially leading to diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and depression .               Research shows that getting a full night’s sleep sharpens learning skills and improves memory. Your body stays alert and fresh, and is able to absorb new information in class. While you sleep, your brain goes through the things you’ve learned during the day so that you’ll have an easier time recalling and retaining information the following day.     Getting enough sleep is therefore vital to your academic success. This is important not just on the days leading up to midterms or finals week, but for all the days of the semester. Most students need around eight hours of sleep to perform well in school. If you’re having difficulty meeting this number, here are some habits to develop.     Establish a nightly ritual.      Having an established routine prepares your brain and body for sleep. For instance, you take a bath, play soothing music, practice mediation , or write in your journal before you tuck into bed.      Follow a regular sleeping pattern.     Make sure to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid staying up late or sleeping in if you don’t have an early class. Maintain the same waking hours during Saturdays and Sundays.      Irregular sleeping patterns will disrupt your circadian rhythm and could cause you to lose concentration and focus in class .         Create an environment conducive to sleep.     Divide your bedroom into different zones: one for studying and one for sleeping. Once you lie down in bed, your body knows it’s time to sleep.     Clean bedding can also keep you comfortable and help you fall asleep faster, so change your sheets, pillowcase, and blanket often. You don’t need to have the highest thread count for your sheets, but you can buy lightweight fabrics to keep you comfortable .         Exposure to light can disrupt your sleep, so keep your room dark by hanging blackout curtains in your windows. You can also close your bedroom door to prevent light from coming in from the other areas of your off-campus housing. Ottawa college parties can also get rowdy and disrupt your sleep, so if  your housemate frequently hosts them, invest in sound-canceling earplugs or a white noise machine.      Avoid caffeine.     Caffeine is a staple in college because it provides you with a quick burst of energy and keeps you awake while you finish studying. However, this stimulant can stay in your body long after you drink it, causing you to lose sleep. A good compromise would be to avoid drinking coffee, tea, and energy drinks during the late afternoon and evening.     Stop the scrolling .     Shut off all gadgets and TV at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light from your phone, tablet, laptop, or TV may be interpreted by your brain as daylight, resulting in decreased melatonin, which is the sleep hormone that helps your body relax .    

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8 Ways to Make New Friends at University-image

If it’s your first time living on your own away from family, you might find university a bit daunting. Meeting new people and making friends can be difficult, especially if you’re not outgoing by nature. Here are some things you can do to start breaking out of your shell.     Hang around the campus.     Many students have long periods of free time in between classes. Use this time to stick around the hallways and classrooms and talk to your classmates. In this informal and relaxed setting, you can invite people for casual get-togethers, like a shared cup of coffee, to get to know them better.      Put yourself out there.     Make a commitment to talk to at least one or two new people each day. If things aren’t busy, you can study in a coffee shop or student union, and engage a fellow student in conversation. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation , even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Get out of your comfort zone by saying yes to invitations .         Join a study group.     In the midst of making new friends, don’t forget the real reason why you’re here: to earn that precious degree. Your grades should always come first, and friendships should not get in the way of achieving that.     You’ll be achieving two goals at once when you join a study group: You get to study and at the same time establish a support system that could lead to long-lasting friendships.      Be a member of a club.       One guaranteed way to make friends is to meet people who have the same interests as you. Finding a common ground through shared hobbies will make the small talk easy-flowing . Or, you can do the opposite and join a club to try something new for the first time and meet people that have totally different hobbies.      Most universities have a club for everything: academic clubs, theatre clubs, and recreational clubs. You can join a sports club if you have an active lifestyle, or a reading club if you’re a bookworm.     Attend campus events.     College could be your best opportunity to meet people from a wide spectrum of educational and cultural backgrounds, so be sure to get out of your student residence. Ottawa universities like the University of Ottawa and Carleton University sponsor a lot of campus events, which are great ways to meet new people. You can attend football games, lectures, and art shows, among other gatherings .       Volunteer your time.     To give back while making friends, volunteer your time to the student newspaper or campus radio, or maybe even join an organization or charity that supports a good cause . In doing so, you’ll get to meet people that have the same values as you.      Go off-campus.       Explore Ottawa on foot. You can visit a coffee shop, the public library, or the local mall. You’ll broaden your horizons by getting to know people outside of the campus bubble.      Set reasonable expectations.     Like any other social relationships, friendships don’t happen overnight. It’s something that we develop with other people over time. So, make an effort to build and nurture these budding relationships by showing up and spending quality time together.    

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How to Handle the Distribution of Chores with Roommates-image

Keeping your student apartment clean is an absolute necessity if you want to maintain a livable space where you can study and sleep comfortably.      But what if you prefer tidiness and your roommates don’t consider it as much of a priority? You don’t have to choose between keeping the peace and keeping the place clean. Simply follow these steps to achieve a clean Ottawa student housing without conflict .         Make a list. Start by coming up with a comprehensive list of chores that need to be done. Break up the list into daily, weekly, and monthly chores.     Don’t forget to include a deadline in your list. Not including a due date can lead to lack of accountability. If it’s a daily chore, it needs to be done before you all turn in for the night. If it’s a weekly or monthly task, you can pencil in a specific day so the chores are finished in a timely manner .           Create a system that works for everyone. The division of labor is important so that a roommate doesn’t end up doing more work than the others. First, play to your roommates’ strengths and ask if they’d be more comfortable with certain chores. For instance, if they don’t mind washing dishes after shared meals, you might ask to make that their designated chore, while you take on one of their less-preferred tasks, such as emptying garbages .      Secondly, rotate the time-consuming and less-fun tasks every two weeks or every month. This way, everybody gets the chance to experience the drudgiest chores that nobody wants to do, such as scrubbing down the toilet or cleaning the stovetop.     Lastly, establish a standard definition of cleanliness. What may be clean for you will be dirty for others, so have an honest discussion on what everyone considers “clean.” You might like things spotless, while your roommates might consider a space clean as long as there’s no laundry on the floor. Try to find a happy medium to keep the peace among everyone .           Keep communication lines open.     Once the chores have been assigned for quite some time, check with your roommates if they’re still okay with the assigned task, or if it needs to be done more or less often . When you see a chore being neglected, you should address it with your roommate instead of keeping your anger bottled up inside or doling out passive-aggressive comments.      Also consider your schedules, especially if it’s the week leading up to midterms or finals. There will always be special circumstances when you’ll need to be flexible with the chores. Plan ahead for any days when you and your roommates are too busy to commit to cleaning.     Keep each other accountable.      Create a chores chart and put them in a place that’s visible to everyone. If a person conveniently forgets to take out the trash or vacuum the floors, you can give them a quick nudge or a gentle reminder through text .          But remember that there’s also a thin line between accountability and micromanagement. Check yourself and see if your frequent reminders have become annoying.     If the reminders are becoming too frequent, you might consider having everyone chip in for a cleaning service so you can take the load off your hands and concentrate on studying.    

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6 Self-Care Tips for University Students-image

University life is a time of self-discovery. And, while your academics are really important , don't forget to take the time to work on your well-being. It's equally important to find a balance in both areas.     Here are some self-care tips you should incorporate into your routine:   1. Sleep   The science of sleep: It's not just for sloths. You've probably heard a million times that sleep is important. But what exactly is sleep?     It's the natural, biological process of resting and recovering. It's a time when the brain is left to sort out the day's events and recharge. Sleep heals your body by allowing your muscles to rest and your brain to stop working actively.      The first thing you need to do is find out how much sleep you need. Most people need between 7.5 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Experiment with different sleep windows to see what makes you feel most rested. Once you know how much sleep you need, you'll need to figure out when you should go to sleep.     If you are having trouble sleeping, try different habits to induce better sleep. For example, you could put your phone away half an hour before hitting the sack . Turning off the lights, TV, and sounds and using comfortable bedding also will also promote restful slumber.    2. A Balanced Diet   Eating healthy is perhaps one of the best ways to practice self-care. A well-balanced diet will provide your body with all the essential nutrients and vitamins that it needs to thrive. It’s a good idea to eat more fruits, veggies, and protein.      Also, be sure to minimize sugar, caffeine, trans fat, and processed food consumption and make a conscious effort to eat more lean meats and high fiber foods. If needed, consider adding dietary supplements (and if approved by a medical professional) and drink lots of water daily to ensure that your body is well hydrated.    3. Exercise   It’s no secret that the university experience is becoming more and more sedentary. We spend our days sitting at a desk, listening to lectures, and then we go home and plop in front of the TV or scroll through the internet for a few hours. But this is not the way we are supposed to live.      Students must make time for physical activity like going to the gym, running, doing cardio, or walking. Or you could do lunges, pushups, and squats at home or in your off-campus residence. Many simple bodyweight exercises can be done right from a 1-bedroom apartment in Ottawa.     There are thousands of free exercise resources available online. It’s also a good idea to monitor your day-to-day exercises with the help of tracking apps so you can stay motivated by your progress.    4. Take Breaks Frequently   Breaks are critical because constant work can be very stressful both physically and mentally. Instead of trying to complete all of your assignments in one night, figure out a schedule and space your tasks to avoid cramming.       Be sure to take small breaks between tasks and get enough sleep to re-energize yourself. This idea that students should take a break after completing a task is based on the fact that breaks liberate the brain from the strain of concentrating.       Of course, you could also take an entire day off to unwind and work on your mental health.   5. Journal   Journaling is important for two reasons: one, it allows us to record our thoughts in a written form so that we can look back on them later and reflect; and two, it’s a way to release emotions that we may not want to show in person.     Writing your thoughts on paper always helps organize your thoughts and feelings. It enables you to become more aware of your emotions and allows you to vent. So, take out ten minutes from your day to write down your thoughts and feelings with honesty . Consider this practice as a meeting or conversation with your inner self.    6. Meditate   Meditation helps relax the mind and body and gives you time to pause and clear your thoughts. The purpose of meditation is to take you away from worldly distractions to calm your mind, body, and soul.      Consider breathing exercises, yoga, reading, religious rituals, and more. If nothing, just listen to some soothing music. Look up YouTube meditation guides, and use them any time you’re feeling stressed.     Self-care is not as hard as it sounds. In the end, it all comes down to prioritizing yourself so that you have the mental and physical energy to excel in your endeavors.   

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