How To Pass Tough University Courses (The First Time!)

Every program in every school has them. Those super intimidating courses that past students always warn you about. You hear horror stories of people pulling back to back (to back!) allnighters and you begin to panic and question why you even applied to university in the first place!

I had one of those...

The course was called Software Systems Development and Integration. It is notorious in my program for almost everyone failing it at least once. Last year, 75% of the class dropped or failed the course. One person took it six times!!

But I passed on the first try. It was tough and extremely stressful and I learned a lot from it. So today I am going to share with you the secret to passing these type of courses on the first try. Hopefully these tips can help you out when you come across these tough classes.

Start Assignments Early

Part of what made my course have such a high drop and fail rate was that people left the first assignment until the day before it was due. Now with normal classes, this might not be a problem, but the projects for these classes can take well over 40 hours! It is really important to start these assignments as soon as you can. My one professor once said, "It's better to do a little a lot, then a lot a little".

Get Extra Help When You Need It

I know this sounds obvious, but ask for help as soon as you need it. If your professor or teaching assistant could probably solve your problem quickly, then it is better to ask for help then waste a bunch of time searching for the answer. That being said, it is important to try to fix the problem yourself. But it's also important not to waste precious time when the solution to your problem might be something your prof can explain to you in five minutes.

Don't Get Discouraged

You can get through this course, believing that you can pass is really important to actually passing the course. Try to stay as positive as possible. And if you do fail, it's not the end of the world! Life will still go on and you can take the course again some other time.

Take Breaks When You Can

During reading week I did absolutely no school work. I spent all my time doing crafts, because I could afford to procrastinate a bit. So if you can, take a break! You should never be too busy for a nice cup of tea/coffee, a walk or a shower. Taking care of yourself is important too!

There you go! Hopefully these tips can help you in your challenging courses! Leave a comment if you have any other tips for passing difficult classes!

5 Reasons Why I Hate Working In The Computer Lab

This semester is different from any other semester I've had so far. I have a lot of breaks in between classes. This means I have to find a place where I can go study... or blog. I tried the library. It's so crowded and it is often difficult to find a seat. And one time it took me 15 minutes until I found somewhere to sit down. Not ideal. That's valuable time that I could be studying... or reading blogs... I tried studying in one of the cafeterias on campus, but there is so much going on that I couldn't focus on my school work. Also people walking by with tasty looking hamburgers is distracting. I tried just sitting in the hall in between classes but the floor isn't the most comfortable place to sit. And people walking by distracted me.I finally decided to go to the computer science lab.

It was great, it wasn't too loud, the people around me are in the same courses so we can talk about the problems we are having with the assignments, people don't walk by too often so I can focus on my work. I thought I had hit the study space jackpot.

Then I started to notice some problems. Which leads me to the topic of todays blog post. Here are 5 reasons why I hate working in the computer lab.

1) The Temperature

The computer lab has two extremes. So hot you would think it was summer and so cold that you need to keep your coat on inside! It changes depending on how many people are in the room. The more people in the room, the higher the temperature.

2) The Odour

The more people in the lab, the more it starts to smell like a gym. Just think about it. A program mainly full of guys, working in the lab for extended periods of time with no windows to open. It gets extremely smelly. The worst part of it is that you don't really notice until you leave the room and come back. Then you think to yourself, "Have I really been sitting in this smell for three hours?!" At least thats what I think.

3) The Slow Computers

Normally I bring my laptop to school. But if I ever forget to and I have to use the computers in the lab I re-discover how much of a pain it is. They freeze, the refuse to save your work, If too many people are working on the computers at once they have a tendency to crash. It's crazy that the computing department may have the worst computers in the school.

4) The Lack of Females

There is hardly ever more that 5 girls in the lab, and there are usually around 30 people in the lab. They guys in my program are great but sometimes I get tired of the "manly talk" about sports and video games.

5) The Lack of Fresh Air

This point kind of ties in to number 1 and 2. There aren't any windows that open. The room gets pretty stuffy pretty quick. It's actually pretty gross.

There you have it! 5 of the reasons why I hate working in the computer lab. It's not all that bad, but these are some of the things that I wish would improve. Maybe someday...

Things I would rather do than study

I only have one exam left. And I'm not wanting to study (Don't worry, I'm actually studying, I just am not super excited about it). So I've decided to make a list of things I would rather be doing. Here it goes!

• Make Paper Flowers
• Blog
• Make toast
• Solve rubik's cubes
• Play Minecraft
• Play Xbox
• Go for a walk
• Go Christmas Shopping
• Watch Youtube videos
• Plan wedding things
• Clean my room
• Do laundry
• Sew something
• Clean my car
• Read the fourth Harry Potter book
• Watch a movie
• Decorate my room for Christmas
• Write Christmas cards
• Bake Cookies

What would you rather be doing right now?

Stress

This week is finals week for me. And I am quite stressed. I have four exams, and they all happen at night (7-9pm) and occur today, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm so looking forward for this week to be over. As I was looking over my geography notes for tonights exam I found myself getting more and more stressed. I knew it was time to take a break. I made some tea, had some lunch, went for a walk, watched this Monday's Blimeycow video (which was amazing, I might add) and now I'm blogging. I think it's good to take breaks. It keeps you sane and helps you focus. For me this is a constant struggle. Lately I'm finding that I get extremely stressed over the littlest things. I'm trying to figure out a solution and what is causing the problem in the first place, but for now I've decided to make a conscious decision to take breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep. I think it's a good choice.

What do you do to de-stress? 

Back To School

This week has been busy, I started classes last Friday, had Andrew's family reunion on Saturday, My church's picnic on Sunday and then classes again.

Surprising, I haven't gotten too stressed out. I am feeling a little stress, but I think I'm doing really well at getting things done early. I'm pretty proud of myself.

This semester I have Coop class, Human Impact on the Environment, Structure and Application of Microcomputers, Software Design 3 and Object Oriented Programming. So far, I'm really liking most of my classes. However, I am a little upset with the University. They took away my study space. So now I need to go find a new area that will be quiet, not crowded and have desks. This is surprisingly difficult. The library seems to always be full and the other places on campus are too loud.

I'm in a pickle. But not actually, Being inside a pickle would probably be pretty messy. And Sticky...

Anyways, I just thought I would let you guys know whats going on with me lately.

Do you have any suggestions for a study space?

Advice On: Picking a University

Hey Everyone! As most of you know I go to the University of Guelph. I love my school and I am 100 percent certain that I chose the right school for me. I thought I would share with you how I came to this choice.

When I was applying to different schools I knew a few things. 1) I wanted to live close to home and if possible, at home. 2) I wanted to go for computer science/software engineering. I then had a few options. University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfred Laurier University are all close to where I live. McMaster University and Redeemer University College were about an hour or so away from home so I also considered those. All of these schools had computer science and software engineering programs so then I had to make some choices. Redeemer is a private Christian University and the cost of applying was free at the time. So I applied there. I only got to choose three universities to apply to out of the four remaining schools. I talked with my guidance counselor at my highschool and she told me that she recommends McMaster over Laurier because they have a coop program. So with that I sent out my applications for Waterloo, Guelph and McMaster.

I then awaited my acceptance and rejection letters. But before I got all of my replies, I knew I wanted to go to Guelph. Here is what brought me to Guelph, and not the other schools I considered

Waterloo was my first choice then, but as the year went on, I realized more and more that Waterloo was not a good fit for me. It is a big university that seems to be spread out all over the city. I come from a small town and this big city feel scared me. I went with my Earth and Space Sciences class in grade 12 and sat in some of the lectures there, I felt like I did not fit in. I could not see myself in the classrooms, walking around the campus or eating at the cafeteria. I just didn't feel like I belonged.

My mom (who I love very much) is currently studying at McMaster. So she took me to visit the school on one of the days she had class. Her class was really interesting. I believe it was something about the history of Christianity. The people in her class were awesome. However, as we were walking around campus I saw black coats everywhere. I mean everywhere. I was wearing a bright green coat. McMaster seemed far to serious for me. Again, I could not see myself walking to the library to study, living in the residences or sitting outside under a tree. I didn't feel right.

I didn't end up getting accepted into Waterloo or McMaster. Getting those rejection letters was tough. Even though by then I had already gotten my schedule for Guelph and was planning for the upcoming year. I wasn't fun reading that I wasn't good enough for them. But it all worked out.

I got accepted into Redeemer a week after I applied. It was my first acceptance letter and I was so excited that they wanted me! They even offered me a scholarship! I looked around their website, researched all the costs and everything. As I was looking up all this information I came to a conclusion. This school is just too expensive. I couldn't afford the tuition and living expenses. I probably would have really loved Redeemer. Being surrounded by Christians would have been an amazing experience. But without a coop program and with all the costs I just couldn't do it. I declined their offer.

In March I got my acceptance letter into the University of Guelph. I was so excited! It felt good to be accepted into another school. I was pretty sure I wanted to go to Guelph. Even though I was wanting to just accept the offer, my dad recommended that we go on a campus tour. So we made the 45 minute trip out to Guelph and signed up for a campus tour. The tour guide was really enthusiastic and took us through all the different places at the university. I loved it. I could see myself sitting in the lecture halls taking notes, eating at the food court and studying in the library. I loved the outdoorsiness of the campus and I felt like I belonged there. At the end of the day my dad and I went to the bookstore and I bought an official University of Guelph sweater. My decision was made.

I posted this picture on Facebook after I made my decision. So pumped!

That's how I ended up at the University of Guelph. It was a tough process, I did come out with a few tips/suggestions for those of you who are applying to schools. Here are my tips for applying to university.

Do your Research.

Figure out what schools have the programs you are interested in. Do you want to be in coop? Will you be living in residence? How many years is the program? How much will it cost. Write it all down! I put all my information into a spreadsheet so I could compare the different universities.

Seek guidance from others.

Talk to you parents, friends, guidance counselors at school. They may have some good advice to offer you.

Pray about it.

This is a big decision. Pray and ask God for wisdom in choosing the right school.

Go on campus tours.

Visiting the campus is the best way to know if you like the school or not. I highly recommend that you go on as many tours as possible.

There you have it, my advice on applying to university. Feel free to leave a comment if you have other suggestions!

Advice On: Online Classes

Hey you guys! As you may or may not know I am currently taking a class online over the summer. So I thought it would be appropriate to give you my tips on managing online courses.

Keep on top of your work

It's so easy to push things off with online classes. Don't do this! It just makes you have to cram a whole bunch of learning in a short amount of time. Not fun, I repeat, NOT FUN!

Turn off the interwebs

While you working on your course work, I find it helpful to close off all other internet things. They are so distracting, and it makes me take so much longer to get something done.

Keep track of assignments and labs

These tend to sneak up on my when I have online courses. I'm not very good at keeping track of things. I still get stuff done but I kinda figure it out a week before (OH DEAR! Thats this week! Better get working on it) that's what happens most of the time. 

Find someone who knows something about the class

In this case, this is my dad. He's super smart, and he knows a lot about the stuff I'm learning about. But this could be a TA or the professor during office hours. I find it helpful to have someone actually explain it to me in real time.

Hope these tips help. Do you have any tips for online courses? Leave a comment!

Advice on: Handwritten Note-Taking

Hey guys! This week's advice is on handwritten note-taking. Three weeks ago I wrote a post about electronic note-taking, so you can think of this as part 2. I take handwritten notes in classes that involve lots of math formulas or diagrams. Some of my classes even put up the slides on their course website. In the case of those classes I print off the notes ahead of time and make notes in the margins. I don't mind taking handwritten notes but they can get really sloppy if I'm trying to write fast. Here are my pros and cons of handwritten notes:

Pros of Handwritten Notes:

-No internet distractions
-Easier to focus
-Easy to draw diagrams

Cons of Handwritten Notes:

-Not very legible if you're writing quickly
-Can miss things if you're a slow writer

Hopefully my pros and cons lists help, here are a few tips I have for taking handwritten notes:

Use different colours

I like using different colours for lines, charts and different terms.

Date and Label things

I put the date on all my pages. Make it a habit. You will be grateful if your binder ever drops on the floor and pops open.

Try to write neatly

I know its tough to keep up with the prof. But try to write neatly, it makes it so much easier when you are studying. If your professor puts the notes up online, write down what he is saying and print off the notes later. You can always go back to the slides and fill in the spots you missed.

Well there you go! hopefully this advice helps! If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment!

Advice On: Electronic Note-Taking

As I was sitting down to write this blog post about note taking I quickly realized that there are two types of note taking to cover, Electronic Note taking and Handwritten Note taking. I don't think that one is better than the other, each has a time when it should be used and it really depends on the class. There are pros and cons to both. I have decided to divide the two types into different posts. This week I will be writing about electronic notes.

I often use electronic notes in university. I love the convenience of using my laptop and my notes are always legible.

Here are my pros for electronic notes:

-Readable

-Easily Organized

-Quick (I'm a fairly fast typer)

However, there are several cons to typing up notes.

Here are my cons of electronic notes:

-Expensive (to print off, ink and paper cost a lot of money)

-The internet is distracting (having such easy access to the internet can be so distracting from the lectures)

-Danger of losing notes if something happens to your computer or tablet

-Formatting notes can be difficult

Now that I've covered the pros and cons of typing up notes, here are my tips on electronic note taking.

Use Multi-Level Bullet Lists

I discovered these early on in my first year, they are easy to use and I found that they really help organize the points of the lecture. Here is the Microsoft website which shows how to create a multilevel list.

Turn off the Internet

Temporarily disconnect your laptop from the internet. It will help you focus so much.

Set Up Folders For Storing Things

Folders can help you quickly find your notes and documents. I find it so frustrating when I lose my notes somewhere in my computer. This will help prevent that. Another thing that helps is saving all your files with similar names. For example, I save my files starting with the course code, then the lecture number (GEOG1200-Lecture 5.docx).

Print off notes

Keep up with printing off your notes. Otherwise you'll end up spending an hour printing everything at the end of the semester. Printing off your notes once a week can help with this.

I hope these tips help you out! Let me know if you have any additional advice or any questions.

Happy Thursday!

Advice On: Scheduling Classes

Hey there internet! Happy Thursday! This week I am going to talk about how I schedule my class schedule. This can be an overwhelming task, but if you break it down you can get through it with minimal stress.

The first thing I do when signing up for classes is look at my program requirements. There are certain classes that I need to take in certain semesters. I write down those course codes.

Next I print off a blank schedule. I use this to sketch out what my schedule will look like as I go. This also helps me see if I have conflicting courses. Then I log into my course selecting website.

The first thing I do is schedule in my required courses, but just the lectures, not labs. I draw these out on my blank schedule. I then schedule in my labs for my required courses. I then look for electives. I schedule those in around my required courses. Once I have my schedule all sorted out, I sign up for the courses.

I try to do this a weekish in advance of my course selection window opening. Then when it's time for me to pick I just punch in the course codes and section numbers.

Some things to think about when picking courses:

1) Do you have enough time to get from class to class?

2) Will you have a lunch break? If no, are you okay with that?

3) Will you be able to wake up early for morning classes?

4) Will you be able to focus in night classes?

Hope these help. How do you pick courses?

Advice On: Organizing Course Work

Hey Everyone! This week's university advice is on organizing all of your coursework. This includes notes, assignments, and anything else that you have for your classes.

Of course there are many ways to do this; this is just the way that works best for me.

I organize my work in binders. One binder per class. I put a label on each binder with the course code, the class name and the semester in which the class takes place. These binders have dividers in them to organize notes, assignments, readings, tests and any other categories. I keep these binders on my shelf.

I don't usually take any of these binders to class with me; instead I take this binder which temporarily stores my work. 

This binder has extra paper for taking notes along with dividers for each class so I don't get notes mixed up. I sort out the notes once this binder gets full. This works really nicely for me because I don't have to drag around a super heavy backpack with all my binders, textbooks, and laptop. Instead I just take the one binder, the minimum number of textbooks (I try to pick light ones to take with me) and my laptop. I realized quickly that bringing all of my textbooks with me was really heavy and I never ended up getting that much done anyways.

I type some of my notes; it really depends on the class. If I do type my notes I organize them in folders.

For example:

In my documents folder on my computer I have a folder called University of Guelph. Inside that folder I have a folder called First Year. Inside that folder I have a folder for each of my classes. And inside those folders I have folders for notes, assignments, and anything else needed for the course. This is where I save my documents. 

I know it's confusing, but I find it super helpful to separate things into folders. It saves me so much time when I'm trying to find something.

If you are typing your notes make sure you back them up on to another computer. You don't want to lose those notes that you so carefully took!

Anyways, that’s how I organize my course work. I hope it helps you out.

How do you organize your course work?

Leave A Comment!

Advice On: Studying For Exams

Hey Everyone, Happy Thursday!

On Monday I finished my last exam of the semester (WOOT!) And I thought that it would be appropriate for me to share with you my tips on studying for exams. Exams can be a super stressful time, but if you stay organized (that seems to be a theme :P) you can make it though.

Here are the tips:

1) Re-read your notes.

And write down all of the things you don't know! I find writing things down helps me out so much. I like to read through my notes and textbook and write down all of the things that I have forgotten. Using different colours can also be super helpful!

2) Get organized before you start studying.

Get a snack, some water, all your books together. Put yourself in a quiet room and turn off everything that distracts you! (this can be super difficult) If you get yourself organized before hand, you'll already have everything you need in order to study, so you can't make excuses.

3) Make cue cards

I found this was super helpful, plus it allowed me to be a little bit creative. I got to use different colours and make them look pretty, and by writing the cue cards I was studying. And then by re reading the cue cards I was studying more!!

4) Give your brain breaks!

If you don't and you're like me your brain will get overwhelmed and your studying won't be effective. Take some small breaks every once in a while. (but not too many)

5) Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is really important. You don't want to be falling asleep during your exam! Go to bed at a decent time.

How do you study? What are your favourite ways of studying?

Good luck studying if you still have final exams!

Advice On: Buying Textbooks

So when I began university I knew it was going to be expensive. But what I didn't know was how you can save so much money on textbooks! I thought I would share what I figured out with you.

1) Buy Used!

You can get perfectly good textbooks used. If you don't mind a little highlighting and not looking absolutely brand new. I did this first semester, it’s a really good deal usually.

2) Compare bookstores

My University has two bookstores, the University bookstore and the coop bookstore. I found it really helpful to compare prices between the two before I bought my books. I did this online.

3) School classifieds

The University of Guelph has an online kijiji like website where students can sell and buy textbooks. I haven't used this one, but I know friends who have. Check and see if your school has one.

4) Amazon

This is the one I use. If you plan ahead, look up the textbook ISBN numbers online from your university bookstore and order them with plenty of time to spare, you can save HUNDREDS of dollars. I'm serious.

I hope this helps you. Obviously every person and school is different, so you have to figure out something that works for you. My advice is to shop around, compare websites and decide where the best option for you is. These are what work for me.

Hope it helps!

Happy Thursday!

Ps. I have a facebook page! Check it out maybe?

https://www.facebook.com/CampGirlInTheRealWorld

Reflections on First Year

Wow, Today is my last day of class in first year! This semester has been such a learning experience. I can't believe how much I have learned about myself. I knew when I went to University I would learn a lot, but I honestly did not think that the majority of what I learned would be about me. I learned how I need to study, how to organize my time and how to manage myself. I have learned a lot of lessons and I thought I would share with you my tips for first year students.  

1) Learn how to study.

I learned that keeping up with course work is so important. For me, having a quiet place to study was vital to me getting work done. Having any distractions makes it so hard to complete things quickly. Now, everyone is different of course, some people thrive in noisy environments, and that’s totally fine! You need to find something that works for you. This was probably the easiest lesson to figure out.

2) Develop a routine.

I had a bit of trouble with this at first. I would put off doing laundry and readings and then all of the sudden I had no clean clothes and tons of reading to do! I found it really beneficial to develop a routine for those week to week things (example, I do laundry on Tuesdays and Saturdays and I do one reading every week day). It can be hard to get into a routine, but once you do it is so helpful.

3) Take care of yourself!

This may seem obvious, but it was really tough for me. This was by far the hardest thing to learn, and I still haven't quite figured it out. I got caught up in school work so much sometimes I wasn't getting outside enough, eating healthy enough, drinking enough water. It actually made me more stressed. My advice is to make sure you are taking care of yourself. You are more important than your grades. Get outside, Read that book you've wanted to read, relax, take a bath, watch your favourite show, get away from your school work for a bit. (obviously don't procrastinate too much, but it is okay to take a break if you are too stressed out) Also make sure you're getting enough time with friends. I know it gets busy, but having friends to help you through it is SO wonderful.

4) Get Organized

Find a way to keep track of your assignments. Anyway that works for you. It could be a planner, to-do lists, calendar, whiteboard, anything! I find that writing things down into manageable chunks can be so helpful. Organize your notes, again, any way that works for you is a good way.

5) Don't leave things to the very last minute

This can be so stressful. I like to finish my assignments at least the weekend before they are due. I've left some to the last minute and it is NOT fun. My advice, just don't do it!

There you go! There are the lessons I learned from first year. First year can be such a challenge, I know, it's tough. But you can do it!

Are you going into University or College? What are you most nervous about? If you are past first year, what was the toughest lesson you learned?

Happy Friday!!

Commuting to Campus

I'm the type of person that researches things and organizes when they get stressed. When I was getting ready for first year university, I searched for advice about living off campus. I found tons of things about living in residence, but almost nothing about commuting to campus. Here is what I've learned this year.

When I accepted my offer to the University of Guelph I knew that I did not want to live in residence unless I absolutely had to. I don't drink and I did not want to deal with all the party stories that I had heard about. That left me with two options:

1) Get an apartment in Guelph and take the bus in to the university

2) Live at home, get a car and commute to campus

I went with option 2.

I chose to get a car because it allowed me a little more freedom. I can go wherever I wish without having to worry about bus schedules. Living at home is great; I get food, love and support from my family. However, it does come with its challenges.  As my first year of university comes to an end I would like to share with you some of my tips about commuting to university.

1) Develop a routine.

I've found that I really have to get into a weekly routine. I do laundry on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I do my weekly readings on the same day every week, for example. I try my best to leave for university at around the same time most days. Develop a routine, it helps you stay organized.

2) Find a place to go during breaks between classes

I go to the computer science lab. There is almost always a spot to sit, unlike in the library. Having a place to go between classes prevents me from wandering around the library and allows me to use my time wisely during the break.

3) Find something you like to listen to while you drive

I listen to talk radio. I find it really interesting. It takes my mind off the 45 minute commute. I also listen to the radio. Sometimes my commutes turn into a karaoke party for 1. Having something, a favourite CD, talk radio, music radio, audio book or whatever you feel is fitting.

4) Keep your vehicle (relatively) clean

It drives me crazy when my car has a lot of garbage in it. I have a small garbage bag which I made, that holds small things and I try to empty out my car when I get home.

This is my garbage bin I made, pretty small but it keeps my car from getting cluttered. Plus it's cute.

5) Find a group and try to get involved

I know it's really difficult to live off campus. It can be extremely lonely. I went to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) during my first few weeks of university and that made all the difference. I made two amazing friends who I can eat lunch with now. With my schedule I haven't been able to go to bible study, but it is so helpful to have a support group and to know that you're not alone. I know it's difficult, but try to find some friends. It makes all the difference.

6) Leave enough time!

Try your best to leave plenty of time to get to campus. My commute is 45 minutes, and since I'm from out in the country, I get stuck behind tractors a lot. I leave double the time just in case. You may think that’s too early, but I find I can get a reading done in the morning if I get to class early. The stress of worrying if you are going to be late to class is NOT worth sleeping in for.

Living off campus is not easy. It takes a lot of organization, but it definitely has its upsides. I love being able to see my family and the ability to go wherever I please. I love having my own room and getting to see my boyfriend on weekends. All of this would not be possible if I lived in residence.

I hope this helps you out!