Looking for a Job? Try working on Campus!

Being a student today is expensive and unless you've got Donald Trump financing your education chances are you'll probably be working at some point during your time at university. I don't know about you, but I HATE job hunting! Having to go out and hit the pavement looking for somewhere to work is daunting and time consuming. When I started at York I figured that working retail was my only hope for financing my education then I found out about ON CAMPUS JOBS!!! Have I piqued you're interest???

What are on campus jobs?
--At York there are over 1000 jobs just for York students. That means you won't have to compete for jobs with students from Ryerson or UofT, it's just fellow Yorkies! There are 4 types of on campus jobs available for students:
1. Research At York (RAY): These are research jobs which allow students to work alongside professors and grad students working on research experiments. They're great for people that want to gain more research experience and get PAID!!
2. Work Study: Most common type of on campus jobs, these students work in various positions all over campus gaining workplace experience.
3. College Life At York (CLAY): These jobs focus on student working within the college system at York developing student community and engagement on campus.
4. York Engaged Student (YES): These jobs focus on students that are actively engaged with campus life, these positions are mostly peer mentoring, ambassador and advising position.

**For more info about these types of jobs check here!**

How many hours do you work?

9-5? Nay Nay!

--Best part of working on campus is that fact that you cannot work more than a maximum of 15hours per week! Some jobs make you work early in the morning or late at night, or work a ton of overtime. Working at York though you probably won't be working too early in the morning and if you're working in an office you won't be on campus too late. Some jobs make you miss classes or sacrifice your study time to work a shift. On campus jobs fit around your class schedule and they always let you take time off to study, since they understand that you're a student first!  

Money, Money, Monneeyyy

How much do you get paid?
--I know you might be thinking... "Only 15 hrs per week! I need to make more money than that!" well maybe the fact that all on campus jobs are paid more than minimum wage will make up for that?? Yeah!! It's true! All our jobs range from $11.50-16.00 per hour depending on the job you have. Hopefully that will make these jobs EVEN more appealing than they already were :D

What are the benefits of working on campus?

I met these great ppl at work ON CAMPUS

--Working on campus has a few great benefits! First of all it's SOO convenient. You're already on campus for school so the commute from class to work is almost non-existent! Secondly on campus jobs are a GREAT way to meet other York Students, Staff and Faculty! Networking and making new friends are a great way to become even more involved with the York Community! Finally on campus jobs make a
FANTASTIC reference! Since employers know that students are going to move on to further education or
other jobs after they're finished at York they provide students with great references! References and experience are important for your first job as well as to make your application to grad school or professional schools stand out!

I hope that this has made working on campus sound more appealing to you. If you want to find/ apply for on campus jobs be sure to check out the Career Centre website! They have an online job portal with all the on campus jobs listed, all you have to do is upload your resume and cover letter and click APPLY for the jobs that are listed!

If you have any questions about what I've talked about here, feel free to comment below!

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

Nicole 

Lecture? Tutorial? What's the difference?

Typical University Lecture

In most High Schools, a class is a class is a class. However you might notice as you're enrolling in your courses for the fall that some of your classes are not in fact classes at all. You might find that some of your
 "classes" are Lectures, some Seminars, some Tutorials while some are Labs, depending on your program you might have some PKIN classes, practicums or even performance type "classes". You might be at a loss trying to figure out these difference between these types of classes, so that's where I come in!!

Lecture vs. Tutorial vs. Labs
--A Lecture is probably the most standard, form of University instruction. You might recognize this from TV shows or movies, it is usually characterized by a large number of students, gathering in a large hall sitting and listening to a Professor or instructor discuss a particular topic for anywhere from 1-3 hours.

Typical Tutorial Room @York

--Tutorials operate in conjunction with lectures, they usually occur either before or after the lecture with smaller groups of students working with a TA. In tutorials you have the opportunity to engage with the course material more directly than you do in lecture. You have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the importance/ significance of the readings to the course objectives. Tutorials generally last anywhere from 1-2
hrs depending on the class.

--Labs are very similar to tutorials in that they also occur either before or after the lecture, and they are smaller groups of students working with a TA going over specific lab components affiliated with the course.Labs usually last anywhere from 1-2 hrs depending on the class.

Labs can be FANCY!

Both Tutorials and Labs record attendance, and they both have participation points allocated to them. This can be a less intimidating way for students to engage with material and TA's/ course directors. That being
said I would highly recommend attending both lectures and tutorials/ labs, since they are a great way to ask your questions and get more familiar and comfortable with course material.


Now for those of you that have been adding up the amount of time I have listed here might be thinking "WOAH that a LOT of class time! Ain't nobody got time for that!" Let me put your mind at ease and explain that at York you are required to have at least 3hours of taught instruction per class per week. That means that you're lecture + tutorial/ lab time must equal a total of 3 hours. So you might have a 1 hour lecture followed by a 2 hour tutorial/ lab or a 2 hour lecture followed by a 1 hour tutorial/ lab.

So be sure to step into Class!

You might also be interested to know that generally in the FIRST week of class you will not have tutorials or labs. Especially if your tutorial section occurs BEFORE your first lecture. As a general rule professors cancel the first week of tutorials so that students have a chance to get accustomed to the course and have the opportunity to purchase books, and other course materials so they are prepared for the tutorial or lab.

University is all about going to class, hopefully you feel more ready to attend your first day now that you know a little more about what you should expect from your Lectures, Tutorials and Labs. If you have any questions you you wanna chat about what lectures, tutorials or labs are really like, feel free to comment
below!

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

Nicole

Having Difficulty Getting into a Class? Not Sure What to Do?

It's the middle of June and many incoming students are beginning to enrol in classes EVERYDAY!
This can result in a few different issues arising. If you're enrolling online or in person and you're finding   that the classes you're trying to get into are full or spaces are reserved don't freak out I've got some tips that you can use to try to get into the classes that you want/ need.

Pro Tip 1: Be Flexible and Patient.

Since there are so many students that are trying to get into the same or similar classes this means that some sections of classes will fill up more quickly than others. If you want to take a class at 8:30am and it's full but there is another section open at 10:30am be flexible enough to be willing to change the section you take the class in.

Similarly if you want to take the 8:30am section and you find that it's full right now don't lose hope. Over the summer students are constantly enrolling in classes, switching classes and moving their timetables around. So if the section/ class you want to get into s full today that doesn't mean that it'll be full tomorrow or next week or next month. So be sure to keep checking throughout the summer and at the beginning of the school year.

Pro Tip 2: If you can't get into a REQUIRED course for you major, try calling your department!

If you are required to take a particular class and for whatever reason you are unable to get into that class. I would recommend calling the department offering that class. So if you HAVE to take ADMS 1000 but it's full then I'd recommend calling the School of Administrative Studies and asking them if they can put you on a waiting list, or open up a spot for you in the class so you can enrol without an error message coming up.

If you do decide to call the department to see if they can let you in, try to remember that you are one of hundreds of students that the department has to interact with. That is to say, remember to be polite and courteous when on the phone or in person. Try to remember the old adage "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." People are more willing to help those that are polite and pleasant rather than rude and obnoxious! Also try to limit the number of calls you make/ in person visits you take to the office just because they do have other equally important work, so just remember that as well.

Pro Tip 3: Add a class BEFORE you Drop a class.

If you decide to change up your class schedule and you want to drop a class in order to take another one, by sure to ADD the class you want to get into BEFORE you DROP the class you're already in. That is because if you are drop the class and are unable to add the one you want to get into then there is the strong chance that you'll be unable to get back into the class you dropped. That means you'll be left completely out of a class. That'll be most problematic if you're applying for grants or OSAP and you you need to be enrolled in a particular number of credits.

Those are my 3 PRO TIPS for dealing with issues surrounding enrolling in classes. If you're having difficulties and you wanna chat about it, please feel free to comment below!

Remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

What else can I do on campus before/ after my Enrolment Appointment?

There's LOTS you can do
while on campus this summer

Having to come all the way to Keele campus in the middle of your summer vacation in order to spend 3+ hours at an enrolment appointment means that a lot of time students want to make sure that they can
get AS MUCH DONE while on campus as possible. With that in mind I decided to create a short list of things that you might want to do while you're on campus for your enrolment appointment.

I really LOVE Top 10 lists, what can I say I'm a major David Letterman fan! So following Letterman's example here's my Top 10 List of things you can do on campus on the day of your enrolment appointment. 

**If you're doing an online appointment you can totally still do all these things if you don't mind giving up a day to head over to campus!**

My Top 10 Things to Do on Campus:

10. Visit The RED Zone
--Come by Vari Hall and visit us before OR after your enrolment appointment to learn about all the
awesome things you can do with your life here at York!

9. Pick up your YU Card
--You'll need a piece of government ID in order to get it and it only take 2mins and you get it right on
the spot! REMEMBER you can SMILE in your picture so have fun with it!

8. Take a campus tour/ residence tour
--Why not take a campus tour while you're here? They happen everyday at 10:30am from the Bennett Centre!! Also if you're thinking of living in residence/ have already applied to live in residence and you want to get a feel for what it'll be like there are residence tours everyday at 2:30pm from 108 McLaughlin (stop by the RED Zone for directions!!).  

7. Check out your college (or at least make sure you know where it is)
-- Take a walk through your college, check out your lounge, look for your council office or just make sure that you know where it is.

6. Take a tour of the gym
--Our gym is a HUGE facility and the folks at Tait McKenzie are super friendly and are more than happy to take you on a full tour of all the facilities.

5. Check out some of our campus food options
--We have so many food locations on campus why not sit down and have lunch on campus so you can get a feel for the campus and the energy of our student population!

4. Stop by the YFS office and ask them about their services
-- The YFS or York Federation of Students is the student council that represents our entire student body. They have TONS of student services and they give lots of stuff to the York population.

3. Check out our transportation office/ familiarize yourself with the bus loop
--If you're think of driving you might want to stop by our transportation office to ask any questions you might have about parking at York. We also have a Smart Commute office that can also help you figure
out what carpooling options they have for you. If you're not planning to drive then take a tour of the bus loop to familiarize yourself with where your bus picks up and drops off.

2. Visit the bookstore and pick up some York gear :P
--We're happy to welcome you into the York community and we want you to feel proud of where you go to school, so be sure to stop by the Bookstore and pick up some York Gear. They have some FANTASTIC York clothing that is major specific so pick up a $12 shirt with your program on it and represent York wherever you go!!

1. WALK from one end to the other and EXPLORE outside areas of campus while the weather is still nice!!

--Let's be honest, the weather in Toronto can be unpredictable, so while the weather is nice be sure to check out the beauty of our campus while the weather is still nice. It's really worth it to take a look around now so you can get a feel for the campus while it's a little calmer, before classes begin.

I hope that you enjoyed my list. If there's anything here that you have questions about or comments feel free to comment below!

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

Nicole

A Year in Review!

This is the LAST week of the 2012-2013 school year. Can you believe it? It seems as though this school year has just zoomed past us!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say congratulations to everyone for making it through the school year!!

To those that are in their first year... WAY TO GO!! You made it through your first year! I hope that you are proud of yourself! You might have started this year unsure of yourself, unsure of your place here at York. I hope that you were able to settle in, make new friends, new memories and I really hope that you feel like you've become part of the York Community!

For those in second and third year. You're well on your way to graduation, I hope you're proud of yourself for making it thought another year. Hopefully you got to experience new things this year, like joining a club or participating in intramurals. Or maybe you got to learn some amazing new things in your classes, either way I hope you feel a sense of accomplishment for completing another year here at York.

For my fellow graduating Yorkies...YOU MADE IT!! If you're anything like me you might be filled with excitement and maybe a little nostalgia regarding your upcoming convocation. Hopefully you've enjoyed your time here at York, hopefully you've made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. As you enter the real world don't forget about your time here at York, remember to look back so you never forget where you came from, so you always know where your heading!

Since it is the end of the year, I thought it might be the perfect opportunity to look back on my year as a RSA and share some of my highlights! I hope you enjoy!!

First Day With my RED Zone Family!

Having Fun Making Vidoes!!

Frosh Bossing for Stong College!

Then it was MY TIME!! 

And this kid Joined the Family! 

Then Our first Spirit Day!!

SCLD for the WIN!

Then there was my 

Cheap Meal Challenges!

And OF COURSE

THE SNOW DAY!!

And Last be not least that brings us to 

YORK'S BIRTHDAY!

Well that was my year in review! If you want to share some of the highlights from your 2012-2013 school year I encourage you to comment below or tweet myself or @yorksredzone we'd love to hear from you!

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

Nicole

The True Story Behind the Vari Hall Kiosk

As a REDZone Student Ambassador I work out of the Vari Hall Kiosk, you know that booth in the middle of Vari Hall. I mean come on, you know!! Seriously? You can't miss it, it's RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of Vari Hall. You know the round building at the HEART of York's Keele Campus.

Since the Booth was constructed over 2 years ago there has been A LOT of misinformation floating around about it's purpose, it's location and the alterer motives behind it's construction. Article after article has been written about the evils of the booth, protest after protest has been waged what some call a tool of the administration.

If you stop and ask upper year students what they think of the Vari Hall Kiosk, you'll hear one outlandish conspiracy theory after another. To be honest, I was one of those students who took one look at the booth after it was built and thought, "dang that's gonna make traffic through campus even worse!" But, unlike other students I took the time to go and talk to the folks working in the new booth and learned about all the valuable work they were able to do thanks to this central location.

I'd like to take this opportunity to set the record straight regarding the Vari Hall Kiosk. I am speaking now as Nicole the PERSON and NOT Nicole the RSA.

As Nicole (the person) I like to pick up the Excalibur whenever there's a new issue usually just to check out the sudoku and maybe flip through the articles. This week I noticed that the Excalibur wrote an article on the protest that The Student Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) group held against the booth on March 13th.

I was deeply disappointed to read that the Staff Writer did not take the opportunity to interview any of RSA's present at the time of the protest. One would assume that a responsible journalist would want to get both sides of the issue before printing an article. One could argue that perhaps no RSA was present or willing to talk to the reporter, I would have to disagree since I was there and I know that I personally would have enjoyed the opportunity to have the RSA perspective acknowledged.

In any event the article was written and published.

There were several simple errors that were made right off the bat that I'd like to correct at this time.

-Firstly the booth that was being protested is NOT "the Red Zone Kiosk in Vari Hall." The booth that was protested was in fact the Vari Hall Kiosk, out of which the RED Zone operates. I know it might seem like a small distinction but I assure you, it is a significant one. After all you wouldn't say that

Leslie Armstrong (Editor-in-Chief of The Excalibur) owns The Excalibur, you'd say that he works for the Excalibur, a small but important difference.

-Secondly we are not the Red Zone, that is we are not the color "red" zone. We are the RED Zone, which is an acronym that stands for The Ready. Engage. Discover Zone. We operate throughout the entire calendar year. During the summer we help incoming student get READY for their time at York, we help get them ENGAGED in student life so they can make the most of their time here, and we help them to DISCOVER all that York can offer them over the 4 years they'll be here. During the School Year we shift focus and provide services for the entire York population, that includes answering questions, giving directions, offering advice and of course interacting with students via social media.  So we're MUCH more than just the color red, not that there's anything wrong with the color red!

-Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the Vari Hall Kiosk was not designed to quell student voice (despite what you may have heard or read). The development of the kiosk is actually a very interesting story!!

Way back in early 2009 York was plagued with a series of disturbing events that resulted in series conflicts occurring on campus. As a result of these events The President decided to create "The Presidential Task Force on Student Life, Learning and Community." The purpose of this Task Force was to "review the University's polices, procedure and practices and recommend ways in which the commitment to the free exchange of ideas in an environment free of harassment, discrimination or intimidation could be strengthened." The Task Force was made up of 7 Staff Members and 7 students (selected via an application process). Other active participants in the process were: The York Federation of Students, The Muslim Students Association, the York University Black Students Alliance, Hillel at York University and Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA).

So what is York's Position on Student Protest and Freedom of Expression??

-Throughout the 2009 report York reaffirms it's position as an advocate for free speech, explaining that the most serious of conflicts occurred on campus when "rival groups attempted to 'shut down' one another. Part of the protection of freedom of expression is the prevention of its abuse. Expression used to silence others is not defensible," (p9). This demonstrates the need for York to institute stricter policies regarding permission for protests to occur. Without the TUUS policies in place to ensure everyone has the space, time and opportunity to speak without being "shut down" by people opposed their position how can any meaningful protest occur?

-York actively encourages the expression of controversial ideas and opinions explaining that "all members of the community must remain open to dissenting views and it would be inappropriate and wrong in a university to prevent those with view different from our own from expressing themselves freely and openly, our primary focus is on promoting MORE SPEECH AND EXPRESSION, rather than less. We believe there needs to be more and better opportunities for dialogue, debate and discussion on the York Campus.

How does the RED Zone fit into this debate??
-The Task Force wanted to determine how to go about creating more effective communication with and between students. One of the recommendations was "a more visible and enhanced information booth IN or near VARI HALL, IN PLACE OF THE CURRENT OPERATION in the Vari Hall/ Ross Building Link, to provide information of interest to members of the community as well as visitors," (p16). This change was implemented in the form of the RED Zone, operating out of the newly constructed Vari Hall booth. The RED Zone fulfills the mandate of providing more information to students about "matters of interest to them at York in way that were
easily accessible [by using] online media/ to communicate with students.

If you want to read up on the FACTS behind the creation of this booth I invite you to READ the report published in 2009, click on the link at the bottom of the page.

If you wanna chat about anything that you've read 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

$5 in your pocket...looking for a quick Snack?

In case you haven't noticed, February is my month of $5.00 meals. I have taken on the challenge to find meals on York's Keele Campus that are within $5 including a tax, the meal must also include a drink. Last week I covered Breakfasts and this week I'm tackling SNACKS!

Have you ever found yourself Running around campus, RAVENOUS? Looking for a quick snack that you can grab between classes?? Well I've got you covered!

Sooo....Let's Talk about where you can go to get a $5 snack on York's Keele Campus!!

Option 1: Central Square Cafeteria

Small Coffee and
Butter Croissant

--There are many snack options at the Cafeteria however trying to find an option that fits into my strict $5.00 budget that also includes a drink is not an easy task to accomplish. So remembering the rules, I came up with the following option:

---Small Coffee and Butter Croissant = $4.05
I am sad to say that the fact that the rules required a drink to be included in the budget kept sending my snack costs over $5. However this option did come with a drink and it came in under budget so this option fulfills the requirements of the rules. However when it comes to value for money this option suffers. I guess since this is a snack and not a full meal this option is alright, but I'll leave that judgement up to you.



Option 2: Falafel Hut
--Falfel Hut HAS LOTS OF OPTIONS for each meal option! Several people recommended their breakfast to me, and since I was unable to make it there for breakfast I decided to include it in my snack list. So here are your options for SNACKS:

Falafel In a Pita
and Can of Pop

---Falfel in a Pita with a Can of Pop = $4.50
***This is the SPECIAL on TUESDAY'S = $3.91.
--- Top Ten Value Menu with a Can of POP = $4.51
This menu includes: Middle East Potatoes, Rice in Pita, T.L.C in Pits, Cheese in Pita, B.L.T. in a Pita, Hummus in Pita, Tzatziri in Pita and Tuna in Pita. That's 8 different option!! Talk about Choice!!

When it comes to the rules, Falafel Hut gets a lot of points since all the options mention include food and a drink Also when it comes to value for money Falafel Hut does very well again since you actually get a fair amount of food for the price. Additionally it comes in UNDER budget. Also hidden benefit their service is very quick!!


Option 3: Berries and Blooms
--I am using Berries an Blooms as my HEALTHY OPTION for this round of the challenge. Berries and Bloom has a VERY interesting pricing structure when it comes to their menu options, so with that in mind here are your options:

Fresh Fruit
Smoothie

---Fresh Fruit Salad: You can pick and choose from a selection of fresh fruits = $??
---Salad Bar: You can make, mix and match different ingredients and prepared salads: $??
---Fresh Fruit Smoothie (with up to 3 fruits): $3.66
**Since Berries and Blooms sells the first two items by weight the price of your snack will vary from $1.00-8.00 depending on how much or how little you pick up.

So how did we do on the rules? Well if your fruit / salad bar options come in under $5 then you can get a beverage with your fruit or salad. However if your total comes to around the $5 mark then you won't be able to afford it so be sure to keep that in mind. Also if you're not really that hungry but you want a quick snack then the smoothie is a GREAT option. However since it is not actual food you might be hungry again quickly? Technically it does meet the requirement of the rules so be sure to check it out!

UNOFFICIAL Option 4: Cigar Shoppe:
--Since you cannot use your meal plan money at this location I decided to class it as an unofficial option. However it must be mentioned that this option has the GREATEST VALUE FOR MONEY!! They have MANY different "combo" options here and they are all within the $5 budget. So here are your options:

Can of Pop, Chips,
2 Granola Bars &
2 Fruit Snacks

---Can of pop and Bag of Chip: $1.75
---Various snacks (Granola Bars, Chocolate Bars, Fruit Snacks, Cookies and Protein bars) = $1.45-3.75
---Various Beverages (Pop, Water, Energy Drinks, Coffee drinks and Gatorade)= $1.00-3.75
---BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Bag of Chips, Can of Pop, 2 granola bars, 2 fruit to go snacks $4.50

Honestly this location has the BEST VALUE FOR MONEY when it comes to snacks. It has the cheapest beverages, cheapest snack foods and super friendly staff members. When I was in my first year an upper year who lived on my floor in res recommended that I check it out since it had some "student priced items" I went their in my first year and now 6 years later I tell EVERYONE I know to check them out!

If you have NO IDEA where it is let me give you some directions: If you're walking from The Student Center toward York Lanes... it's the small connivence looking shop right next to the Student Centre, before you get to York Lanes. If you're on the fence about checking them out take it from me you won't be disappointed!

Well those are the snack options that I put forward for you to try. Feel free to ADD any additional snack options that you have come across that fit within our $5.00 budget. I'd love to hear what other places on campus that you folks like to eat at. So please add any options by commenting below!

Be on the LOOK OUT for my LUNCH Blog coming NEXT Week!!

Remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

$5 Breakfast? You CAN have it at York!

So last week I announced that February would be my month of "Cheap Eats" on campus. And after I posted the blog the response I got on my twitter (if you're not following me you totes should *shameless self-promotion*) was INCREDIBLE!!

I'm happy to say that I am not alone...that is, I'm not the only one walking around Keele Campus trying to find a bite to eat that won't burst my budget!

So to everyone that tweeted me or came to visit me in the RED Zone booth with suggestions, comments and advice THANKS SO MUCH!! I hope that you have as much fun reading my "results" as I had finding them.

DISCLAIMER: I went to as many places as I could within the week, so if there are some places that you suggested that you don't see on the list, I didn't disregard your suggestions, I have stored them and will for sure try to visit them in the coming meal challenges. I tried my best to stay within the $5 budget. It was a little difficult and in some places I went over but you'll see what I mean below!

I had so much fun researching this blog and I really hope that you enjoy it!!

Sooo.... "Let's Talk" about where can you go on York's Keele Campus to get BREAKFAST for $5???

Option1: Cafeteria's

Central Square
Cafeteria
Big Breakfast

--There are several options at the York Cafeteria's that offer students breakfasts for around $5.  Here are your Options:
---Bagel with Butter and a Small Coffee and 2 Hashbrowns = $4.96
---Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich =$4.16
---Big Breakfast: 2 Eggs, 2 Hashbrowns and Bacon or Sausage = $5.20

How did we do on the RULES? Well as you can see only one of the options comes with a drink included, so the cafeteria's lose points on that count. Also when it comes to value for money the cafeteria won't be winning any major points for that either.





Option 2: Treat's Coffee Emporium
--This option is one of the HEALTHIER options on campus as well as one of the cheaper options!!
Options include:

Treat's Breakfast
Egg and Sausage
with Coffee

---Breakfast Bagel Sandwich: Egg, Cheese, Bacon or Sausage and a Medium Tea or Coffee = $5
---Breakfast Bagel Sandwiche: Egg, Cheese and Veggies with a Medium Tea or Coffee =$5

You might be thinking...how is this a healthier option? Well if you get the whole wheat bagel, with all the veggies you have gotten a serving of protein, dairy, grains and veggies. So you're hitting all your major food groups in this meal.

How did we do on the RULES? Both meals come with a drink, so points for that, both meals come in right ON BUDGET and this meal is sustaining so you get more value for money.

Option 3: Tastes
--This option is the BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!! YAY!!!

Breakfast Option1
With Tea

Options Include:
---Breakfast Option1: 2 Eggs, 2 pieces of Toast, Sausage or Bacon and a Small Tea or Coffee =$3.95
---Breakfast Omelete: 2 Eggs, w/cheese or veggies, 2 pieces of toast & a Small Tea or Coffee = $3.95

Judging based on the Rules? Tastes comes in WELL UNDER BUDGET! That's saving money for your next meal. Tastes has MANY inexpensive breakfast options that come with a drink included. They are all around the $3.50 - $4.50 mark (before taxes). I am happy to say that the quality of the food is VERY high and the value for money at Tastes can't be beat!

Unofficial Option 4: La Prep
--I attempted to visit La Prep as one of my healthier options however the cost of breakfast there broke the bank and the value for money was NOT high enough for my to include it as an official list of breakfast options.
Options include:

Parfait and Tea

---Breakfast English Muffin: Egg, Tomato and Cheese on English Muffin and a Tea = $6.16
---Breakfast Parfait: Granola, Fresh Fruit and Vanilla Yoghurt  and a Tea = $6.16

According to the Rules La Prep comes in way over budget, the food is not sustaining, that means that you'll be looking for your next meal in no time. Also value for money with their meals isn't very high if you're looking for a meal for $5. They have GREAT food if you don't mind spending $7-9 on breakfast.

Well those are the food options that I put forward for you to try next time you're on campus early looking for a cheap breakfast. I hope that you enjoy the options. Feel free to leave your comments below. If I left something out and you really want to share it with our fellow Yorkies feel free to comment!

Be on the look out for my SNACKS blog next week!

Remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Cheap Eats on Campus: Challenge Accepted!

I don't know about you guys but I am constantly finding myself on campus between classes broke and hungry. (I totally didn't mean for that to sound as pathetic as it did!) Knowing that I can't be the only one on campus that experiences this I thought I would dedicate the month of February to finding Cheap meals on campus!

I know that might sound impossible, but for you guys I'll take the challenge!

How am I going to do it?
-I will cover the following meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks and Dinner

-Budget for each meal will be $5 (or as close to $5 as I can get!)

-I'll present you with at least 3 options for each meal
--I'll try to make sure that at least 1 meal is a "Healthy Option"

-Each meal MUST include a beverage

-I'll tell you where you can go to get each option

I know you might be thinking...that doesn't sound hard! Finding places to eat won't be difficult, finding meals for $5 will be a bit more challenging. I'll give it my best shot and hope not to let you guys down.

If you know of a GREAT place that fits the parameters mentioned above let me know about it in the comments section, I'd be more than happy to check it out and add it to the list of places to eat on campus!

Look out for my Breakfast and Snack blog next week!

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

Nicole

President for a day? Think you've got what it takes to run YorkU?

So far this Month has been dedicated to self-improvement on my blog. Since it is the LAST week of January I thought I'd keep this spirit alive by mentioning the President for a Day contest. I know that it might not seem to be in the vein of self improvement BUTTT if you look at it as an opportunity to challenge yourself and try something new or even just to build your resume with colorful credentials then I think this totally works!

With a school the size of York it can be easy to make statements like "York Administration doesn't know what they're doing," or "York doesn't care about it's students," and if you really feel that way then the "President for a Day" contest might be for you.

How it works:
-You must a York Undergrad student
-You must submit a resume and 500-word written or video essay on the topic "What would be your top 3 priorities that would directly impact students if you were appointed of York University?"
-You HAVE to SUBMIT you package by 4pm EST on FEB 1st 2013 that's THIS FRIDAY!!!!

Wanna know more check out the link here.

What happens on the day:
-Swap day is Tuesday Feb 26th 2013.
-You will assume the role of York's president for the day. You get to attend all the meeting and events that President Shoukri has scheduled for that day.
-You'll get to have a catered lunch in the presidents boardroom with five of your friends.
-On Thursday Feb 27th 2013 you get to have breakfast with President Shoukri to discuss your top 3 priorities for students.
-You also get a $200.00 gift certificate to the York BookStore.

So does that sound like something you wanna get in on? I know that BookStore gift certificate sounds AMAZING!! Not to mention the free food and the chance to meet with Shoukri to discuss issues facing students. Hummm I think I might actually apply!

Think you got what it takes?
APPLY NOW!

If this has piqued your interest don't forget to get your application in by THIS FRIDAY at 4pm!! Here is the application link.

Good Luck and check out the contest on twitter by following the #YUPRES4ADAY

Remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Wanna get ACTIVE this New Year? I've got the scoop!!

This month an on going theme for my blog is self-improvement! So far I've talked about setting realistic goals and some free workshops you can use to improve yourself as a student.

Now that I've discussed how to get your mind in shape, I'm going to talk a little about how to get your body in shape in the new year!

Every New Year people seem to become really conscious about their health. Everyone seems to RUN out and buy a gym membership, use it for a few weeks but by the time March rolls around the gym trips have ended and all of a sudden health isn't on your mind.

I'm here to tell you that you CAN stick to your health goals without having to buy expensive gym memberships, and without losing motivation a few weeks later. A lot of times people lose momentum with their health related goals because they are trying to achieve these goals alone. When you have no one to be accountable to it is very easy to give up on goals.

How can we avoid this?? Well I would recommend getting involved with health related clubs and programs on campus. They provide you with a safe place to get active and community of people to keep you motivated and on track (pun TOTALLY intended!) with your goals.

So, WHAT can you do on-campus to get active?!?

1. Check out Tait McKensize Gym.
--I know what I just said about getting gym memberships, BUTTT in this case the Tait McKensize gym  is only $15 for a full calendar year! That's a GREAT deal for students!! Also at the gym you have access to all the field houses, the courts and pool. Plus there are tons of classes you can take (for an extra fee) if you have a particular interest. Check out their website for more info here.

2. Running Relief - Toronto Track and Field Centre
--I've talked about Running Relief in past blog posts like this one . So feel free to read that post for more information. The reason I bring it up here is that, this program provides runners with a community, a group of people that will support them as they attempt to achieve their health goals. Best part of this program?? IT'S COMPLETELY FREE!!! So you really have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain!!

3. Intramurals
--A lot of times people forget that playing games can be a form of exercise, in some ways games are the best form of exercise because you don't even realize that you're working out! Each college runs intramurals for their students, check out some basic info about Intramurals here. Wanna get involved? Contact the athletics rep on your college council to sign up. They are a GREAT way to meet new people, make friends and get active!

4. The Active Living Challenge
--This is a great opportunity to get started with your health goals and stay motivated. Check out the latest episode of RED Zone TV to find out more about the Active Living Challenge.

I don't know about you but I LOVE prizes and so sticking to my health goals and getting rewarded for it seems like a win-win to me!

Hopefully you'll find a way to get active in this New Year. I wish you all the very best with your goals whatever they may be. Let me know if you decide to try anything I mentioned here, by commenting in the comments section below!

Until next time, remember, 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

Feeling Stressed? Why not try Running Relief?!?

Now that we have passed through the dark days of Midterms and things are calming down a bit you might find yourself full of nervous energy. You might be looking for a way to expel that energy in a healthy and positive way. OR perhaps you might be finding that you want to get a little more activity in your life, since its getting colder outside.

With this in mind I have a suggestion for you!! Have you ever heard of Running Relief?

Running Relief is a FREE running program run by Health Education and Promotion.

How does it work? 

-Run at your OWN pace

-Run with peer coaches who help with technique and keep you motivated

-Attend a running related 30min workshop once every other week

-Run for stress relief, to quit smoking, to become more healthful, for your own personal interest or just for fun!

Where does it happen? 

-RR takes place at the Toronto Track and Field Center (TTFC) which, conveniently enough is located RIGHT ON CAMPUS!! Check out this walking tour on how to get there!!

-It is important to note that use of the TTFC is FREE for all FULL TIME York students, all you have to do is ACTIVATE your YUCard. To activate your card you will need to bring PROOF that you are in fact a current full time York student. Once you activate your card you will be able to use the TTFC for free for the rest of the school year. 

Yeah this all sound GREAT but...When is it??

WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN?!?

-Running Relief happens 3 times a week

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-7:00pm. 

Friendly Tip

--There are lockers that you can use at the TTFC all you have to do is bring your own lock and a quarter. You can store your extra clothing and personal items so they are secure while you run. 

How HAPPY do they look!?!
They are READY TO RUN are you?

Piqued your interest? 

If you have any questions about Running Relief or you want to talk some more about how it all works feel free to check out Running Relief on YU Connect, or e-mail healthed@yorku.ca or healthedprojects@gmail.com , you can always tweet @healthedyork or like them on facebook as well!

Now GET OUT THERE and Run for Relief!!

Until next time...remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the zone!

Nicole