Hey Have you Heard about Health Ed?

There are TONS of student clubs and organizations that are registered and recognized here at York,

Check out all our clubs HERE!

over 500 to be exact!! Among all these clubs and organization there is one that holds a special place in my heart, that organization is Health Education and Promotion.

You might be wondering, why I care so much about this one club. Could it be because I was a member of the club for 4 years? Could it be because it taught me countless skills that I use on a daily basis? Or could it be because their uniforms are totally awesome?? I would say that it is ALL of these reasons and so much more. I cannot even begin to discuss all the amazing experiences, friends and memories that I made over my four years with this organization.

Now that the mushy stuff is over with let's get down to the real question that's on your mind... WHAT does Health Ed do??

Well Health Education and Promotion is a student run organization that advocates for student health on

Check em Out on Facebook

campus. Health Ed consists of 2 professional health promoters who plan programs on and around campus focusing on health topics relevant to university students. Health Ed hosts events to raise awareness about health issues, health solutions and resources and organization where students can seek out support.

Health Ed hosts weekly events on both the Keele and Glendon campuses where students can find information on health topics that interest them. Wellness Wednesday would have to be one of my favourite events since no matter what topic is being discussed there are always really AWESOME prizes being given away!! Best part, all you have to do to get a prize is play a quick fun game, and who doesn't LOVE games?!?!

Health Ed is made up of 10 different topic teams:
1. Leave The Pack Behind (Smoking Cessation)
2. Health Eating and Nutrition
3. Active Living
4. Stress Management and Mental Health
5. Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships
6. Alcohol and Other Drug Awareness
7. Peer Sexual Health Outreach Program
8. Glendon Team
9. Health Education In Residence
10. Running Relief

To find out a little bit more about each of these team check the Health Ed Website HERE !!

These are some of the AWESOME folks I met at Health Ed!

During the course of my career at Health Ed I worked on the Stress Management, Alcohol and Other Drug and Peer S.H.O.P teams and I LOVED every second of my time there. How much did I love it you ask?? Well check out this video I made all about Health Ed!!

If you've got questions about Health Ed or you want to check out any of their events feel free to follow them on twitter @healthedyork and like them on Facebook!

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

Nicole

Developing a Career Path

Which way to go?

Coming into first year you might have a lot of ideas about what you THINK you'll do when you graduate. As you move from one year to the next you might find that your vision of future career may shift a little. In my case my career path shifted A LOT and by the time I reached my final year I was in a completely different place than when I started.


People always say that university is the best time of your life, that this is the time that you learn about yourself and who you are, and when you develop into the person you'll be for the rest of your life.Coming out of high school you might be wondering... "How do I turn my interests into a job?" Today I'm going to talk a little bit about how you can use your time at university to help you develop a career path for yourself.

1. Get Involved

Develop your Career
Path!

 --It can be easy for students to fall into the commuter trap, that is only attending classes and then going straight home. Falling into this trap can make it difficult for you to find out where your interests lie and connecting with your fellow students. Join a club, student organization or college council can be a great way to connect with the York community and learn about where your strengths and interests lie. Being a part of clubs helped me to learn that I am really passionate about education, and health promotion.
This has translated into me learning that I want a career that allows me to help others and be an advocate for equal access to education and health services.

2. Use the Services

They're FREE
so USE THEM!

--Developing a Career Path can be daunting even for the most self confident among us. That's why I can't recommend the Career Centre strongly enough! For me personally I think they're one of the best
most under used service on campus!  The Career Centre can help you career counseling, resume building, interview skills and so much more...all FOR FREE!! I don't know about you but if something is free I'm that much more interested in using it, and when it's a service that helps me get ready for the 'real world'  I'm even more interested in using it. I'm not going to lie to you, it can be difficult trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, but you're not alone there are people that are here to help you!



3. Put yourself out there!

Go out on a limb and
see what happens!

-- This might be the most important tip I have to give you!! It's easy to keep to yourself, it's easy to stick to a routine you're comfortable with and it is easy to never challenge yourself, but if you want to get the most you possibly can out of your life then you have to put yourself out there and try new things. I'm not saying that you have go sky diving or run with the bulls, what I'm saying is be willing to try things that you have never done before. Try going to Frosh week, try joining a club, try taking up a new sport,
try something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. You might find that you learn about about yourself, develop some new skills and make some amazing friends and life long memories! Who knows you might do something that leds you to a job, or a new path for your life!

Figuring out what you want to do with your life is not an easy decision, it requires a lot of thought, soul searching and in some cases a little help from your friends. I hope that this will inspire you to try a lot of different things during your time here at York so you can begin to figure out what you want to do with your life after university!

Good Luck and 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

This is MY time!

York isn't asking students the "Redefine the Posible" anymore. Now they're challenging students to take charge of their time here at York and say proudly that "This is my time."

New York Branding!
This IS my time!

Here in the RED Zone we're fully on board with the new direction York is heading in. I think it's cuz we're all full of York Pride.

You could have a shirt of your very own!

In an effort to inspire the same pride in the rest of the York community, the administration is running a new contest called "Share Your Vision." If you log onto yorku.ca/mytime  and share your vision for York you'll be entered into win a YEAR OF FREE TUITION! I know it's pretty excited!

Free Wha?? Heck YEAH!

In the RED Zone we'll also be giving away free "This is my time" shirts and braclets. Look out for our twitter competitions to win the free shirts or stop by our booth to pick up your VERY OWN "This is my time" bracelet!

Stop by and get yours TODAY!

So get out there and SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT PROUD, "THIS IS MY TIME!!!"

-Nicole

What makes a "successful" student?? It might NOT be what you think!

These days everyone looks at letter grades or a g.p.a. as the only way to measure the "success" of a student. Of course both of these are really important, after all everyone wants to do well, but grades are only one small part of what makes a student succeed at university and at life.

I LOVE this meme!
 He looks so satisfied!

I know what you're thinking...how else can you measure the success of a student if you don't use letter grades or a g.p.a?

Grades aren't EVERYTHING!

I would challenge you to think outside the box a little bit.

Here are a few things that I think make a successful student:

1. I think that a successful student is able to find balance in their life.

Universal symbol for BALANCE!
Yin and Yang

Balance is everything! Knowing your limitations and understanding that you're not superman will help reduce your stress. Accepting that there are only 168 hours in a week will help you learn to prioritize your time. Learning how to effectively balance work, school, family and friends, will make your university experience richer.








2. A successful student should be able to look back on their university experience with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

Key to Success?
Why YES thank-you!

This can be achieved by getting involved on campus. I know you've heard me say this before...but that's because it's GOOD ADVICE! Get involved in campus life!

Becoming a member of the York community made my university experience so much richer. I was able to avoid the commuter trap (going to school and then straight home), I was able to give back to other students and I was able to make friends! Accomplishing something as a result of your involvement on campus really makes you feel like you've succeeded at university life.

3. Finally I think that a successful student is someone that is open minded and willing to try NEW things.

University is your opportunity to try new things, and have new experiences. Successful students are those that open themselves up to new people, cultures, beliefs and practices. York is FULL of diversity, there are students from over 155 countries worldwide. There are so many different people with interesting and unique experiences sitting next to you in class, it would be a shame not to get to know them. Being open to meeting new people and trying new things will help to prepare you for the real world, which, thanks to globalization is becoming increasingly interconnected, so don't miss out!

These are just a few things that I think make a successful a student. If you can think of anything else feel free to make suggestions in the comments section!

Hey York University!! Meet the RED Zone on YU Connect!!

People are always complaining that there is nothing to do at York University, they complain that campus life is boring and people are not friendly. To those folks I say... "Have you ever seen YU Connect?"

YU Connect is the social media hub for all the clubs and student organizations at York. There are over 300 different organizations that students can join, if you can't find anything that interests you from the wide array of clubs that we do have...you can always create your own. It's at this point that their eyes bug out... "WHAT 300 clubs?? Seriously?!?" Yes OVER 300 clubs in fact...all you have to do LOOK!

You have to take the initiative to get involved. The York community is so large that it might be difficult to find a club that you're interested without making some kind of effort. YU Connect makes finding clubs easy and FUN!

I highly encourage you to check out the YU Connect site to find something that you're interested. Getting involved really makes your university experience so much better!! I can't tell you how much my life improved simply by taking the time to get involved.

Here's a link to the YU Connect site: http://yuconnect.yorku.ca/

You can also scroll down to the bottom of my blog to check out the events listing on the cork board courtesy of YU Connect!

When you get on YU Connect you should check out the RED Zone page and see what we're up to! We have news articles and events linked to our page. We also have out facebook and twitter linked there as well. There are lots of pictures that you can look through if you have time. We also welcome you to stop by and chat with us in Vari Hall!!

RED Zone on YU Connect
Profile pg TOP

RED Zone on YU Conect
Profile pg BOTTOM

Moral of the story??? Get on YU Connect and Get Involved, Get Connected and Get Recognized!