The post Brock University: A Student’s Guide To Studying Effectively appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>Studying can often feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Studying at Brock University can be fun and rewarding. Here are a few tips that may help.
During class, we have a habit of thinking we can remember when an assignment is due or 19something we need to consider for an exam. But if you take the time and write these things down, you’ll be more likely to have an effective study time outside of the classroom. Know what you’ll be working on and make sure you have any material you may need.
As a university student, you are probably bombarded with two million things craving your attention; however, you have to learn to say no. Turn off that phone, exit out of social media, and get to work. If you have to use digital tools such as your computer for your work, be mindful of that temptation to slack off.
If you find yourself easily distracted or you don’t want to sit at your desk for two hours straight, you’re in luck. Time yourself for 20-25 minutes and work on whatever needs to get done; when that time is up, take a break for five minutes and start all over again. This is especially useful if you have a large project that takes up a huge chunk of your time.
It is extremely easy for students to get cluttered and disorganized, which is probably why they don’t get a lot done as a general rule. If you take the time before and after studying to clean up your work area, you’ll find yourself working a lot quicker. Who wants to spend ten minutes digging around in a desk drawer for a writing utensil?
If you’re looking for a home base in which to study effectively, visit us for a tour of the best off-campus living experience for students at Brock.
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]]>The post A Brock University Student’s Guide on How to Excel at Group Projects appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>There will come a time during your time at Brock University when a professor will assign a group project. Here are a few tips on how you can excel at them.
Whatever your major, there will probably come a time during your time at Brock University when a professor will assign a group project. The good news is that this is an opportunity to practice skills you’ll need for your career without any risk to your job. The bad news is that any slacker on your team gets to practice knowing that there’s no risk to their job. Consequently, group projects are more complicated than working solo, but you can excel by keeping a few points in mind.
Your first step is to decide on ground rules, and handle logistics. Collect everyone’s contact information so you’ll know how to get in touch. Take advantage of online resources like google docs and project management tools. If possible, try to get together in person as much as possible so you can practice collaborating face to face.
As far as the project itself, organize it into individual steps so each person knows their assignments and the relevant deadlines. Make sure to set interim deadlines so you can monitor progress, and avoid unpleasant surprises before it’s too late to catch up. Build a buffer at the end too so you complete the project a few days early, giving you time to fill in gaps or rehearse your presentation.
Your professor knows that you might have conflicts like thinking that another team member isn’t contributing enough or is trying to dominate the project. Try to work it out yourselves before asking for help. Be prepared to demonstrate what you’ve done to document the issue, and resolve it yourselves.
Maybe you could do it faster by yourself, but the value of a group project is learning how to work together, respect each other’s views, and appreciate each other’s strengths. It’s an important part of your university education.
We can’t promise you won’t run into slackers, but we can make group projects easier by making sure you have a pleasant place to live, and a productive place to meet. Contact us at Student Lofts, the premier off-campus living experience for students at Brock University.
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]]>The post 5 Ways For Brock University Students to Deal with Stress appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>As fun as being a university student can be at times, there are also many times students find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of work they must do. If you’re a Brock University student who finds yourself stressed out, here are 5 ways to help manage it.
It doesn’t have to be a strenuous workout – even 20 minutes of exercise can be enough to relieve some of the stress you’re feeling. Running, weight lifting, even yoga can all be excellent ways to relax your mind and refocus yourself.
Getting involved around campus is a great way to make new friends and add to your resume, but you don’t want to overload yourself. Trying to do too much can lead to loads of stress along with a feeling of being overwhelmed. Look at your schedule, prioritize, and figure out what you do and do not have time for.
Finding time to simply relax can be tough when you’re at a university, but it’s not impossible. Organize your schedule and find a bit of time during the day, even if it’s 30 minutes, when you’re not obligated to do anything besides relaxing.
When you get caught up in your school obligations sometimes it’s easy to forget to do what makes you happy. Remember your favorite hobbies and make time for them. It might be just an hour or two a week, but your passions are a great way to escape the stresses of university life.
Sleeping habits tend to spiral out of control when you’re at a university. Unlike high school, no one is around to tell you to go to bed at a reasonable time. It can be extremely tempting to stay up until 3am for no reason. However, not getting enough sleep leads to sleep deprivation, which brings with it added stress and many other negative effects on your health.
Looking for a great place to enjoy your university experience? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience for next semester.
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]]>The post How Students Can Save Money on Textbooks at Brock University appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>Students know every semester brings a fresh round of expensive books. Here are some options to save money on textbooks at Brock University.
Navigating university can be financially challenging enough without the worry of how you can afford your text round of textbooks. Brock University students know each semester can bring a round of expensive textbooks required for each class. Here are some alternative options to save your bank account next semester.
Never buy a new book. Unless it’s required by the course. Or you have some preoccupation with only owning brand new textbooks. Otherwise, find the used version. The new version may have cleaner pages and a stronger binding, but the content will be the same and you’re going to pay big bucks for it. Most used versions of books can be found at half the price of the new version. Campuses usually have independent run bookstores that sell used books. There are also online sites that specialize in used textbooks such as Amazon or Chegg. It’s important to note if you go used, be sure the edition is the correct edition required by the course.
Most university bookstores offer a rent option for a significant discount. This discount varies depending on how much it would be to rent for a semester versus buying it and simply selling it back at the end of the course. Keep in mind if you choose to rent you probably shouldn’t be highlighting or underlining or folding pages. If you study more effectively by marking up your book, then buying will be your best option. Most places will still buy back books with markups as long as they are readable.
There is a good chance that several of the friends you’ll make at Brock University will include people studying the same subject as you. In this case, there may be someone who is even taking the same class as you or who had the same class a previous semester. So ask them to borrow their book! This option is totally free, except for the feeling of owing your friend or acquaintance something for letting you borrow their book. But unless you make it up to them by taking them out for an expensive lunch then you’ll be saving some major cash.
A lot of professors will list tons of books on their syllabus only to let you know halfway through the course that some were actually optional. This isn’t meant to tell you to not buy any of the books listed on the syllabus, since most of them be required reading. It would benefit you greatly to double-check that all the texts are indeed required. Most of the time your professors will indicate which books are necessary and which are not. In this instance make sure you are reading your textbook list carefully. Unless you are super interested in your particular subject, avoid the optional books. Chances are they are only for a general education requirement that you were forced to take to satisfy a degree requirement, so just skip it.
With all the versions of electronic readers available, from Nooks to Kindles to apps on your phone, you have a new way to save money on books. See if there’s an electronic version. Some textbooks are indeed sold as e-books and these are sold at significant discounts, sometimes even costing less than the used version. As noted above, if you study best by marking up pages, this may not be your best option.
If you put in a little extra effort and research, buying textbooks doesn’t have to mean the end of your cash. There are so many options to avoid climbing textbook prices, you just have to know where to look.
Looking for a great place to read those textbooks? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience for next semester.
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]]>The post Brock University Students Benefit as Volunteers in Their Community appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>As an undergraduate at Brock University, you want to do your best. You want to learn what your professors expect and follow that guideline. There’s a need to organize and learn the best way to take notes. Study groups help prepare for exams. Then you have your friends and fun times. Add to that exercising, eating, and calling home. You have no problem keeping busy at Brock University. But never be too busy to volunteer – a day, a week, a month or longer – you have many options. And the community needs you.
There are many reasons for Brock students to volunteer in their community. The intangible benefits of being a volunteer will show in your personality. As a volunteer, you not only transform your life, you also transform the lives of others. You might read a book to someone, or hand runners in the town race bottles of water. Whatever volunteer job suits you, it’s important to know Brock University’s community is your community, too.
Aside from the intangible benefits of volunteering, Brock students can take a claim to tangible benefits. Your resume is your calling card. To show volunteering on your resume enhances your calling card. Consider volunteer work as credible as paid work. It shows you as doing good which gives you an invaluable personality trait.
When you join the two – going to school and volunteering – it can seem too much. But then you consider the benefits when helping others helps you. A community has many opportunities to volunteer and some that may surprise you – a never-thought-of-before career opportunity. You could be part of a network group that opens more possibilities about different career choices. That’s why a volunteer job is invaluable while a student at Brock University and afterward.
Looking for a great place to live while you’re making the world a better place? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience for next semester.
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]]>The post How Brock University Students Can Have an Epic Summer appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>There are tons of things for Brock University students to do if they are sticking around St. Catherines this summer. Here are a few suggestions.
Want to go see a show? You don’t have to travel to see something good. The Foster Festival is back for its third season with its trademark Humour with Heart in the heart of Niagara! They will keep you laughing all summer long. Check out their amazing 2018 summer shows.
The TD Niagara Jazz Festival’s summer festival will take place as usual the last weekend of July. (July 27th-29th, 2018) in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake. As the festival celebrates it fifth year it is expanding to TWO weekends. This year the TD Niagara Jazz Festival will launch the St. Catharines edition of the festival taking place from July 19th – 22nd, 2018 featuring a World Music stage with ‘World Music on the Beach’ at Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie.
Not a jazz fan? Check out the lineup from Warehouse, a multi-use concert and event space, located centrally in downtown St. Catharines. Their concert schedule has a little of everything, from tribute bands, punk, champion DMC DJs and more.
On August 11, travel to the edge of the Niagara River in Fort Erie to experience the sights and sounds of a fort under siege at this War of 1812 National Historic Site. Join British, First Nations, and American soldiers on a tour of the grounds and learn more about Niagara’s pivotal role in the War of 1812. Step back in time and relive history with daily tours, musket demonstrations and the annual Siege of Old Fort Erie Re-enactment.
Looking for a great place to live once the summer is over? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience for next semester.
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]]>The post How Patreon Can Be A Resource For Brock University Students appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>What does ‘patronage’ mean for 21st century Brock University students? Here’s a tool to help young and upcoming artists make a living doing what they love.
Despite the fact that the world needs art, it’s harder than ever to get people to actually pay artists to do their jobs. The most common thought pattern among online traffic seems to be, “well, if it’s on the Internet, it must be free,” and that kind of behavior is particularly difficult to make the public unlearn. Worse, it seems like more companies than ever before will either insist that artists work, “for the exposure,” or outsource the art needs overseas in order to pay pennies on the dollar.
What’s an artist to do? Well, everything old is new again, which is why so many artists are looking at patronage as a way to pay their bills, and buy their bread.
It wasn’t any easier to be an artist back in the days of yore, particularly when you consider that farmers trying to avoid the plague and stave off starvation didn’t have a whole lot of spare dosh to throw around. Art was seen as a luxury, and luxuries were only for the wealthy.
Which was why the wealthy found artists, and became their patrons.
Being a patron was kind of like adopting a pet artist. A patron essentially told the artist, “You have a gift. You shouldn’t be messing around with being a milliner, or a farmer. Don’t worry about keeping a roof over your head, or food on your table. I’ll handle that. You keep making good art.”
It was a pretty sweet deal. The artist got to hone their craft, free from the need to earn an outside living, and the patron had an artist on their payroll. Most of the time the artist would be allowed to simply practice their trade, but patrons could tap their artists and ask them to complete specific pieces. A portrait for their lady wife, a landscape to hang in their chateau, etc. When that happened the artist, hoping to keep their patron happy, would oblige.
We’ve come a long way since the Renaissance in terms of art. This is true in terms of technique, mediums, and the tools we use to make it, but it’s also true in how artists make a living. In the old days artists would have one patron, or at most a small handful. It was only big operations, like opera houses, theater companies, and famous artists, who had dozens of patrons at once.
Today, though, anyone can become a patron thanks to crowdfunding sites like Patreon.
The way it works is pretty simple. An artist creates a profile, telling the world about the art they’re creating. Maybe they’re a painter, or a webcomic artist, a sculptor, a musician, or some other type of creative. By opening a profile page, you create a place where your fans can pledge a certain amount of money every month to help you create more art.
The genius of modern-day patronage is that it spreads the burden out over a wider audience, thus allowing more people to participate in their favorite artists’ careers. It becomes more of a communal tip jar, than asking someone to foot the bill for your living expenses all on their own.
If someone can pay you several thousand dollars a month just to make art? Great! However, instead of looking for that one, wealthy patron who really loves your work, these sites allow you to ask for smaller donations from more people. So if you can find a following of 5,000 people, then asking each of them to chip in $1 a month is much more reasonable than hoping one of them is independently wealthy.
Looking for a great place to live while studying at Brock University? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience.
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]]>The post 5 Travel Tips For Brock University Students appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>Travelling this summer? Here are 5 tips for Brock University students with plans to take in some sights before September semester starts.
There is never a better time to travel than when you’re a student. With no kids, no mortgage, and no job, you have few commitments to worry about. Getting to live with new cultures and see different parts of the world is an amazing and enlightening experience.
Yet, traveling as a university student can be a challenge, so here are five tips to make traveling easier.
Traveling with a group of friends is much cheaper than traveling alone. For example, large dorm-style rooms are more affordable than smaller rooms at most hotels.
If your friends aren’t up to traveling with you, that’s okay. Student travel agencies allow you to travel in a group at affordable prices. They present students with the cheapest flight options, arrange tours, and much more.
Contiki, EF College Break, and Topdeck are specialized in youth travel and can give you an exciting travel adventure.
Packing lightly has its benefits. It saves you from paying baggage fees and waiting at the baggage carousel. It is also liberating; it lets you get around much easier.
Many people struggle to pack lightly, but don’t worry, travel experts have shared their packing secrets with Tortuga Backpacks.
Talking to locals gives you deeper insights into the culture of the country you are visiting.
Also, locals can tell you where all the good sites are and will be excited to show you. Tourists usually go to specific sites, but rarely are they able to experience the culture from a local’s view.
Volunteering is one of the many travel opportunities for students. You can experience a different culture and help improve lives around the world.
Erasmus and Youth in Action are just two of the many organizations you can volunteer for.
Traveling is a way to learn new things. You can learn different languages (or at least a few words), different ways of life, history, and new skills.
There are some things that can only be learned by scuba diving in the Caribbean and hiking in the Himalayas.
Brock University students can and should open their minds by experiencing different cultures even if they’re on a budget. It’s as Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”
Looking for a great place to live once your travels are over? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience for next semester.
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]]>The post Famous Brock University Alumni and Affiliates appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>Do you know who the most famous Brock University Alumni are? Here are a few names you may recognize. Maybe someday you’ll make the list!
Brock University has several famous female alumni and affiliates from academics, politicians, and athletes. Mariana Valverde received her B.A. from Brock University and Ph.D. in Social and Political Thought from York University. Since 1993, she has taught in the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto since 1993, and served as Director from 2007 to 2013. Additionally, she was a founder of the Sexual Diversity Studies program where she is an instructor and steering committee member.
Her current research interests include urban law and governance, Foucault, and sexuality studies. She has written six books, co-edited six collections, and numerous articles and reports. Her most recent book, published in 2017, is Michel Foucault, which “explores the theoretical contribution of Michel Foucault to the fields of criminology, law, justice and penology.”
Alumna Wrestler Tonya Verbeek, received her Masters in Education from Brock University. She is a three-time Olympian and freestyle wrestling 55kg medallist. She won a silver medal in Athens in 2004, a bronze in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London in 2012, making her “the most decorated Canadian wrestler of all-time.”
After serving as the Women’s Assistant Coach at the Brock Wrestling Club, one of Canada’s top wrestling programs, for six years, in 2013, Verbeck became a Talent Identification Coach for Wrestling Canada.
Avril Phaedra Douglas “Kim” Campbell was the first female to serve in a variety of positions in the Canadian government, including Attorney General, Minister of Veterans Affairs, and Prime Minister from June to December 1993. She received an honorary L.L.D from Brock University in 1988. Two years later, Campbell became the first female Justice Minister. During her tenure, she was involved in creating a new rape law that established that “no means no” in sexual assault cases, and introduced the rape shield law that prevented a woman’s sexual history from scrutiny during trial.
As Prime Minister, Campbell reorganised the Cabinet, eliminating, re-designing or combining ministries, creating the smallest Cabinet in twenty years. In the end, 8 ministries were redesigned and renamed, and fifteen were abolished or combined. Despite these reforms, Parliament did not meet during Campbell’s short tenure, and therefore no legislation was passed. When her term ended, making her the first Prime Minister to hold office in all three levels of government, Campbell became the first Canadian Prime Minister to serve as a diplomat after leaving office.
Looking for a great place to live while you’re preparing to be Brock University’s next great alumnus? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience.
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]]>The post Tips, Tricks and Suggestions for a New Brock University Student appeared first on Off-Campus Living Experience For Students At Brock.
]]>Looking for some basic tips and tricks to get an idea of what to expect as a Brock University student? If yes, these tips should help you excel both on campus and in class.
What time you schedule your classes at should be based on your own schedule. If you hate mornings and cannot wake up earlier than 8:00 AM, do not schedule a class for 7 AM. You will not go to that class so don’t waste your time or your teacher’s time.
If you don’t take the time to hang out with other people, you will inevitably get bored and do terribly at everything.
If you’re socializing and hanging out with friends all the time then you aren’t studying any of the time. Do everything in moderation.
They can be a pain to park and not bringing one can save you an arm and leg in gas money.
They have a vested interest in your success and want to see you do well. Your teachers are a resource – one you should make use of whenever possible.
You want to make sure that you’re doing well enough in classes before you start working in addition. Remember, your education is the priority. However much you want that extra cash for video games and your phone bill, it’s not worth it if you start flunking as a result.
For the most part the rules are there for a reason and you don’t want to be standing in the security office, having to explain why you decided the rules aren’t for you.
Looking for a great place to live while matriculating at Brock University? Contact us for more information about the ultimate off-campus living experience.
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