Final Sign-off

Well guys, we are at the end of our road.

Today is my last post and the feeling is bittersweet.

I glad school is almost over and our real lives will begin, but I am going to miss the people I have spent the last 8 months with.

I know everyone will go onto bigger and better things. I look forward the next part of the journey we call life.

Thanks for this opportunity. Good Luck!

Celebrating in Style

As my last post, I would like to encourage all of you business students to celebrate your achievements in a BIG way. No matter what your end marks are, you spent a lot of time and effort getting there. Some serious celebration is in order!

If it means a two-week vacation this summer (that breaks your entire savings account), then go for it. If it means an entire weekend of liquor and embarassment, then bring company with you. And if it means unproductivity for a full week, then bask in the laziness while it lasts.

Personally, I am counting down the hours and minutes until my celebrating begins. All of you should do the same because you deserve it!

Handling the Heat

It’s +26 out, and unfortunately, you’ve got exams to study for. Your apartment is smoldering hot, and you can feel the sweat dripping down every oraface of your body. You’re starting to drift off from the unbearable heat, and soon enough, you’ve lost three hours of studying to an unplanned nap.

Yup – that was me two days ago. Quite honestly, old Edmonton apartments are not designed for summer weather. As a result, they make terrible spots for studying. So, my suggestion to all of you? Either a) take your books and study notes outside (if you can’t beat the heat, then join it!) or b) become better acquainted with your wealthy friends who have air-conditioned apartments.

And of course, there’s always the option of studying at the room temerature library at MacEwan. The problem is, most of us students will find every excuse to leave the college. After all, we do spend A LOT of time there.

Despite your studies, try to enjoy even one hour of the awesome pre-summer weather at the moment!

What Sleep?

I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve had more than 5 hours of sleep – at least not since last summer. There’s only two more days left of the school madness, but I have to wonder: should I have sacrificed many late hours of “studying” for sleep? Would those extra hours of rest have made a difference in my test writing success?

Often times, I stay up way too late studying for exams in hopes that I will retain some information from the heaps I am expected to know. The problem is, my brain is most likely useless after a certain point. I am probably better off putting the books aside well before midnight instead of trying to glue information in my mind that has no chance of sticking.

I found a very interesting research study on the science blog that identifies the best hours for sleep when you know your sleep is limited. Check out the study, and let me know your thoughts!

Presentation Anxiety

Tight throat, slightly blurred vision, an instant need to use the washroom – sound familiar? These are just some of the symptoms of presentation anxiety. As the school year comes to a close, many students are capping off their classes with major presentations.

Today for instance, I somehow pulled through one of the most nerve-wracking presentations of my life. While I was up on the podium, I felt as though a hundred awkward pauses and even more non-sensical sentences were getting in the way of my thoughts. Were my perceptions correct, or was I just suffering from the all too familiar anxieties of public speaking?

I came across a website that offered some excellent tips on how to deal with this condition. The top three points that stood out to me were the following:

1) Know your room

2) Know your audience

3) Know your material

In other words, BE PREPARED! While it’s hard to control the inevitable symptoms that come with presentation anxiety, it’s much easier to ensure that you are well prepared for a presentation. If you become comfortable with your audience, your material and your space, you will be feel confident while presenting in front of a group.

Those are my tips for the day. Good luck, students, on your remaining presentations and exams!

What do you mean I have to apply?

One of the things that many students don’t realize is that they have to apply to graduate. It seems so counterintuitive. You’ve finished and (probably) want nothing more to do with the place, but you have to ask if you’re allowed to leave. I wonder if anyone in higher education has ever thought about how applying to graduate makes university just the tiniest bit like jail.

You’d think that something this necessary would be easy to find. When I looked for application to graduate, it kept giving me info on grad school. I can’t guess how easy it is to find on other university websites, but it took me a couple of searches to get to the right form on the Grant MacEwan website.

I wonder if profs think the same thing as corrections officers: “You’ll be back.”

Useful websites for students

This blogging experience has lead me to discover many websites that are helpful to Canadian University students.

The Canadian Federation of Students is both informative and depressing. If you can look at the student debt ticker without feeling a knot in your stomach, you handle stress far better than I do, and that bodes well for your future.

Not that Microsoft needs any help with self promotion, but their website article “Top 14 web sites for students” actually mentions some useful resources.

I’ve found the Alberta Learning Information Service invaluable. It’s so well written and easy to navigate that I hardly believe it’s a government website.

Education related blogs

In my role as your student finance bud, I’ve come across a few blogs that made for interesting reading. Unfortunately, there aren’t nearly as many as I would have hoped from Canadians, but here are a couple that will entertain and enlighten you.

Jeannine Mitchell’s blog is well written and informative. It includes a lot of interesting posts, so check it out if you need to take a break from studying for finals.

I find the Maclean’s oncampus blog really easy to navigate and, of course, well written. Todd Pettigrew‘s posts are particularly fun to read and full of practical advice for students.

Student lines of Credit

I hate to give props to that school on the wrong side of the North Saskatchewan river, but the University of Alberta Student Union has an informative FAQ about student lines of credit.

They’re a better deal and smarter than using credit cards to pay your bills. Most banks have student lines of credit, but RBC, TD Canada Trust, BMO, CIBC, and ATB all have different rules. Generally speaking, it’s easier to open a student line of credit wherever you already bank. That being said, banks are willing to help students willing to start a new relationship with them. It’s in their best interest, and, with a little luck, yours too.

RESP

I have a few friends who were lucky enough to have RESPs started for them when they were young. They’re drawing on their RESPs to pay their way through school and maybe the occasional keg party.

You have to be careful about drawing on RESPs, because the tax rules can be a little tricky. Oddly, the student poverty really helps with that. Between the low income and the tax deductions, drawing on RESPs is to your advantage.

If you’ve had to deal with student loans, then RESPs are something to start thinking about when you start thinking about having your own little people.