Pro Tips for Adjusting to University Life!

So you just graduated from High School, you had a summer to get yourself ready for starting university in the fall. You've had your enrollment appointment, enrolled in classes, visited the RED Zone, bought your Frosh Kit and you're feeling pretty set on the IDEA of starting here at York. Then you realize...hey the summer is PRACTICALLY OVER and "Going to University in the Fall" is actually LESS THAN a month away! You might be feeling a little less self-assured, heck you might be FREAKING OUT! I know that when I was starting at University I played it cool for most of the summer, but by the time August rolled around I was not handling it well at all.

When classes started I had a really difficult time adjusting just because it was NOT what I was expecting!! I don't know I was expecting? Maybe I was expecting everyone to be really mean or condescending, or for the work to be way to difficult for me to handle. What I found was the my first month of University was pretty light, I had more free time than I expected and so I settled into BAD HABITS! I started slacking since I didn't have "homework" that was due everyday I put off doing my readings and preparing for my lectures. I WOULD NOT ADVISE THAT ANYONE DO THIS! When midterms rolled around I got a RUDE AWAKENING!! Since I hadn't kept up with the readings all of a sudden instead of reviewing my chapters I had to read like 10 chapters for the first time and try to learn it all in a couple of days. You can imagine what happened I'm sure, I did not do as well as I could have if I had just been a bit more organized right away.

So to help you learn from my first year mistakes I've compiled a short list of the things I think you might want to do to help you adjust to your first year here at York!

Pro Tip 1: Go to Class!
-It can be really easy to skip classes since no one is really taking attendance, but this would be a mistake. You're paying so much for these classes and the reason your at University is to learn so make the effort to go to class. Sometimes professors will give hints as to what will be on exams while in lecture so get a leg up by attending every class!! 

Go to Class & Do your reading!

Pro Tip 2: Stay on top of your Readings and Assignments
-Since no one is keeping track of what readings you're doing and which one's you're not it can be really easy to slack off and not do them at all. If you don't keep up with them week by week, when midterm season rolls around you'll find that you have A LOT to read. This can be REALLY overwhelming and it might make you super stressed out! I can tell you that it might not be fun to give up some of your weekend to do readings, but it'll make all the difference when it comes time for your midterms! So get organized and stay on top of it all!

Breaks are IMPORTANT!

Pro Tip 3: Always find time a break
-I don't want to leave you thinking that all you'll be doing here is working, working, working. I promise you'll have time for breaks and I'd encourage you to try to find as many opportunities as you can to take breaks. Break time is important for your mental health since it allows you to rest and give you brain a break. Be sure to plan your time in such a way that you'll be able to take as many breaks as possible!

If you need help ASK!

Pro Tip 4: If you're feeling overwhelmed REACH OUT
- It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when you start doing new things, in a new place with people that you don't know. School is demanding, challenging and can be a little much at times for everyone! BUTTTT no one can help you if you don't let them know you need help! If you find yourself struggling be sure to ask for help, there's no shortage of people here that can and WANT to help you out! So just ask!

Help yourself by USING THE SERVICES!

Pro Tip 5:  Use the FREE services on campus
- There are so many services on campus that you can use FOR FREE that will make your university experience a little easier and more bearable. For more detailed information about the FREE SERVICES here at York check here!

Hope my PRO-TIPS helped you out and maybe eased your stress levels about starting at York in the Fall!!

As always remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Saftey on Campus?? There's an App for that!!

Unless you've been living under a rock you've probably heard the phrase "There's an App for that!" If you've got a smart phone you might find that the majority of the time you spend on your phone isn't actually for calling or texting. You might be a little obsessed with Candy Crush, Temple Run or if you're old school then Tetris or Snake might be more your speed. If you're looking for a new App to add to your collection and you're starting at York in the fall or returning to Campus you might be interested in adding the York Safety App!

Where can you find the app??

The York U Safety App is available in the Apple Store, Android App on Google Play and BlackBerry App World (Black Berry 10 App version coming soon!!).

What does it look like/ How does it work??
The App is pretty self-explanatory, if you've used App's before you should be able to figure out how it works. But here's the run down of the basic info you'll need to get started using the App right away!

1. Open your App Store and Search York University. I have an iPhone so the example here is the Apple App Store. Check out the description and other information if you want to know a little more about the App before you download. Also bonus the App is completely FREE so you don't have to worry about buying it!

This is what it looks like in the App Store!

2. After you've downloaded the app browse around you'll notice some cool stuff are included in the app. Here are a few of the services that I find especially interesting and useful. The first is the Emergency Alarm. When you click "Start Alarm" you phone starts to sound an alarm, so that those around you will hear the alarm and come to help you if you need it. Also you can call York Security of 911 directly from within the App! It's more convenient than trying to look up the number online and then calling it, especially if you're in an emergency situation and need help right away.

Sound the Alarm or Call for Help!

3. Some other features of the App that I really like would be the Flashlight option that on the camera flash on your phone so you can have some light when it's dark. The interactive campus map that you can use from within the app when you're lost, the goSAFE shuttle schedule and safety tips and other security info you might want to know about.

I use the flashlight all the time!

4.Lastly the app also has links to some helpful info for Counseling and Support of those that feel they need them, all these services are FREE so please feel free to use them if you need them. If you have a phone with a QR Code reader feel free to stop by the RED Zone to pick one of the pamphlets with the code on it to download the app directly! We also have lots of other handouts to help you "Play Your Part in Campus Safety!" 

If you need help York's here to give it to you!

Soo there's the LEST you need to know to use the app. If you're still wondering if I have the app on my phone or not...check out the pic below! Not only do I have the app but I have it on my main page, so I see it everyday!!

Yup that's my phone!

If you want to know EVEN more about the app feel free to check out this video!! Or this link!

If you've got questions feel free to comment below and I'd be happy to get back to you!!



As always remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!
Nicole

Anxious about University? Tips to adjust from a York Veteran!

The next chapter of your life
is waiting for you!

High School is over and you survived, now you're embarking on a new chapter of your life. On the
surface you might be calm and ready but underneath you might be freaking out just a little bit. Don't worry, you're not alone pretty much every other first year is nervous about their first year. I'm here to offer you some tips for adjusting to University Life!

As a self-proclaimed York Veteran I've compiled a list of things that you might want to know to help ease your anxiety about starting at University.



1. Keep an OPEN MIND
--Coming into York you might have some preconceptions concerning your university experience. From movies and TV you might expect your career at York to be some kind of montage of parties, all-nighters and missed classes. Alternatively you might expect your university career to be filled with long
research assignments with impossible expectations, professors that live to torture their students and classmates that are out to sabotage your success. Let me be the first to tell you to PUT THESE THOUGHTS OUT OF YOUR MIND!!

Yes University will be different from High School. You will be a small fish in a big pond at first, it will be more work and you might find it difficult to adjust at first but it is not beyond your skill set. You will have to work while you're here, you will have to attend classes, you will have professors that challenge you but it won't be more than you can handle. Be open and willing to try new things while you're here. The four years you're at university are an opportunity for you to learn more about yourself as a person so don't rob yourself of the chance to experience university life.

2. Be Brave!
--Yes York is a big school, Yes you will be one in 60,000 students, but that doesn't mean that you have to be afraid. You have support at every turn so if you need help all you have to do is be brave enough
to ask. If you have a question, there is a VERY strong chance that other people in your class also have the same question. So don't be afraid to put up your hand in lecture and ask. If you don't want to ask in lecture you can also meet with you professor after class or in office hours!

3. Get involved and Cast a WIDE NET
--While at York I would highly recommend that you get involved with campus life in some way. You might not know where your interests lie so why not try a lot of clubs or organizations and see what you like best! We have over close to 500 student clubs, organizations, charities, student governments and YU Connect or this blog for some cool clubs you might be interested in! Be willing to try several different things on till you find what you like.

4. If you need help all you have to do is ask for it!
--If you find yourself at a lost, struggling or just needing a little support all you have to do is reach out to get the help you need. York is dedicated to ensuring that students succeed at University, that being said the university can help you if you don't say you need help. This goes back to being brave, if you need help feel free to ask for it. If you're not sure where to go for help you can stop by the RED Zone and we can help you find the best people that can help you. There are tons of free workshops, seminars, counsellors and peer mentor support systems that are available for ALL York students that there's no shortage of services you can access. Here's some info on the many services that York has available to support students!

5. Try to get ahead and stay organized
--The first few weeks of the fall semester are a little lighter when it comes to work load, so I'd recommend trying to get yourself organized and prepared for when your schedule begins to pick up. There are some quick and easy ways to get organized, using your computer, phone or tablet's calendar blog for some other tips you can use to get organized.
to plot your due dates and other assignments. I'd also recommend using an agenda since you can get a FREE agenda from the York Federation of Students at the beginning of the semester. So pick up you're free agenda and use it to write everything down. Check out this

Well those are my top 5 tips for adjusting to University life. I hope that it helps to calm your anxiety. If you have any questions about the things I've mentioned here please feel free to comment below!

As always, remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Change is hard BUT FREE workshops help!!

This month an on going theme for my blog is self-improvement! Last week I talked about setting realistic goals, this week I'm going to talk about a few tools that you can use to improve yourself as a student.

I know that change can be hard, you might think that you've come too far as a student and it'll be too difficult to learn new ways to study...but I'm here to tell you that as students we can never learn enough about how to be a good student!

You're NOT an old dog...you CAN learn new tricks and York is here to help with TONS of workshops designed to help you become a better student! Best part...they're all FREE!!

The Basics:

-There are 3 places on campus that students can go to year round to get help...and you've probably seen me mention them before on this blog!
1. Counselling and Disability Services
2. The Writing Centre
3. The Career Centre



What you need to know:

CDS: Offers 8 yes count 'em 8 FREE workshops that you can attend coving topics like:
--Academic Anxiety, Academic Writing, Critical Thinking, Exam Prep for University Tests and Exams and Reading and Note-taking at University. Check out these and other workshops here.

The Writing Centre: Offers a number of group style workshops that you can attend that cover topics such as:
-- How to read academic writing, How to develop a thesis statement, and Effective editing. In total The Writing Centre offers 9 different workshops to help you feel more comfortable and confident with writing for university. See what The Writing Centre offers here.

The Career Centre: While the CC doesn't offer workshops specifically designed to help with writing they do offer a numer of workshops that can help you with your future planning, whether that be your future career plans, further study or just finding your next summer job. Check out their workshops on topics like:
-- Cover Letter and Resume Writing, Interview skills workshop, Selecting a graduate degree and How to find a summer job. The Career Centre has an online calendar with the full list of all their workshops that you can check out here.

As a proud York Veteran I'm happy to say that I've attended several of the workshops that I listed here, and honestly I've found them to be very helpful and would recommend them to you all. If you have a chance to check out any of the workshops, let me know how you found them in the comments section below!

As always... remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Midterm grade NOT what you expected? Wondering what to do now?

Coming out of high school you might be accustomed to getting straight A's. Despite everyone telling you that university is not the same as high school, you still thought that you'd be able to keep up those high marks. However, now that you've started getting your midterm grades back you might be finding that the marks you're getting aren't quite what you had expected.

You might be thinking..."NOW WHAT? SHOULD I DROP THE CLASS? MY PARENTS WILL BE DISAPPOINTED! MY LIFE IS FALLING APART!!

Let me be the first person to tell you to CALM down!! It's going to be ok! You don't have to the class, your parents just want the best for you and your life is not over. Take a DEEP BREATHE!! Everything will be ok!!

So you didn't get what you thought you would...don't be discouraged. It isn't the end of the world...although it may feel like it right now. Here are some tips for dealing with less than ideal Midterm marks.

1. The BEST part about Midterms (if there is anything good about them at all) is that they are only ONE part of your grade! You still have time to improve you mark!! Midterms are NOT the END of your course. You still have other assignments, tutorial or lab work or a final that you can use to boost your grade.

2. Take the time to look over your grade. Look at how much of your grade the midterm is actually worth. Take the time out to go and talk to your professor or TA to figure out how to improve your grade, (If you're worried about talking your prof see my post ). Really look at your midterm and determine where you went wrong and how you can improve.

3. Try to put your grade in perspective. Of course we all want to do well, but how does this midterm mark impact your life. If you care a lot about your marks then a not so great mark might stress you out. I'm here to remind you that grades are one component of your whole university experience, and your time at university is only one part of your entire life. Although it might seem like a MAJOR ISSUE now, remember this too shall pass. Try not to stress yourself out too much over your midterms.

4. Try to STAY POSITIVE! If you didn't do as well as you hoped, don't be too hard on yourself. Negativity only makes you feel worse and doesn't actually motivate you try to improve. Get proactive, take the suggestions or improvements you get from your TA's or Profs and learn from them.

**Remember: If you find yourself really stressed out about your grades you can always check out CDS.**

- When I was in my first year, I had a really hard time adjusting to University life. It was the first time I'd ever lived away from home, I was in a new country where I knew no one, and I had just gotten back a midterm that I didn't do as well on as I had hoped. I was REALLY hard on myself and I didn't think that university was for me, I was really having a hard time. My Don suggested that I go and talk to CDS. Honestly I wasn't sure that CDS was for me...but I went and found that the people there were really nice; more importantly they were helpful. I know that sometimes it can be hard to ask for help but sometimes that's exactly what you need most. I highly recommend checking out CDS since they do offer FREE personal counselling!

I promise Midterm season will end! Lets get through it together. If you have any other tips for dealing with midterm add them in the comments section below! See you after Midterms!!

Take it one day at a time and catch me in the zone,
Nicole