Campus Life & Future Careers

Technology is incredibly convenient in many different ways. It provides an efficient method of long-distance communication, it allows for widespread access to information, and it’s a cool place to share our selfies. But as amazing as technology is, it also can be extremely distracting. Maybe not everyone feels this way, but I know firsthand that technology can be an impediment to productivity. I don’t think I could ever accurately claim that I’ve found a solution to that, but over the last few years I’ve learned some ways to manage technology-related distractions. (more…)

Whether you’re working on personal projects, applying for scholarships, or preparing for applications in the fall, getting things accomplished in the summer can be a difficult task. With the sun finally coming out and festivals left and right, distractions often act as roadblocks between you and your work goal. Here’s how I try to keep on top of things, despite sometimes giving in to the summer temptations (more…)

When I was on the Varsity Badminton Team, it was difficult to recruiting new talent because students believed that it is a huge time commitment. Personally, I felt being on the team did not take my time away, but rather it saved my time. Unfortunately, I only joined in my third year due to injuries. But my first semester on the team, I achieved my best GPA. And despite no longer playing for the team, currently I continue to train in a private badminton club. Here are the three main reasons why I believe having a regular extracurricular activity makes me more efficient and effective with my time:

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We’re back in the thick of it now. The school semester is as follows (monthly); Septry-anything-out-and-apply-for-everything, Octotally-in-over-your-head-with-work, Novacate-life-and-camp-in-the-library, Decearnestly-study-for-exams-and-wait-for-Chrsitmas.

It can seem like all too much at once. You want to get better grades this year and find an internship and be an executive while also penning your early memoir and inventing the time machine.

Sometimes it’s best to take a second and slow down. Here’s some info and advice for those of us (myself included) that need a pre-break to pre-manage our prospects.

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Sometimes it’s easy to keep up with deadlines. Other times harder than scaling Mount Everest. It’s easy to push things for later and end up procrastinating. I find the hardest step to be getting started.

Stress season is about to hit again, so I would like to share some tips that I use to boost myself out of a low.

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So tomorrow I’m doing a retreat for Service Point, the administrative office at McGill. They invited me to come and give suggestions about what could be improved in their office. Service Point is the face of McGill. It’s where students go to first when they arrive here. And, even though it has nothing to do with student affairs and personal problems, most people end up going there because it’s the only place that they can think of reaching out to. Therefore, this blog post is me outlining a little bit of what I wish I had known when I entered McGill.

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Struggling with time management now that a flurry of activities and assignments seem to be on the way? It’s difficult, in school, to coordinate all your class work and create time for your own interests. These are my tried and true tips and tricks for keeping balanced and organized lifestyle.

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Returning is always work. Settling in, doing laundry, restocking the fridge and figuring out which courses will help you get closer to the finish line. The reality is that you may end up going to more classes than ever right now and I encourage it. It’s time to hustle and utilize the Add/Drop.

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Entering the Fall 2015 semester, I was part of two planning committees, had two part-time on campus jobs, and was taking a full course load with five classes. I had everything planned out! My weekdays were perfectly structured. Most of my classes were scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which gave me ample time to work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It all seemed to fit perfectly! I mean, yes, I was out of the house everyday by 9am and returned around 8pm; and I barely had time to eat, sleep or hang out with my friends, but hey! I was gaining so much work experience and taking advantage of all the opportunities I was being offered at McGill! Yes, I knew it was going to be tough, but it will all work out in the end and be worth it, right?!

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As I was lounging around and enjoying my break during the summer, I was suddenly struck by the realization that I should apply for some sort of TA, RA or grading position. I immediately started e-mailing all of the professors whose classes I particularly enjoyed and whose research work I found especially interesting. After a couple of weeks of radio silence, I slowly started receiving responses. To my dismay, none were positive. The bulk of the e-mails informed me that the department was responsible for assigning TA positions and applications had already passed. But one reply, from a professor I had briefly served as a research assistant in the past, explained that while she would not be teaching the course this semester, she would contact me in the winter to discuss a grading position. Thankfully, she forwarded my information to the professor instructing this semester and as it turns out, he was in need of an extra grader, which is how I ended up with the job.

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