Blog Posts

A Student’s Guide to Beating the Winter Blues

Students often have mixed emotions about attending university during the wintertime. On the one hand, you have the fun of holiday parties, movie nights, and other seasonal activities, like baking treats in your apartment. On the other hand, you need to deal with homesickness when you come back to university after winter break, the stresses of classes, and the cold weather that can make it unpleasant to spend much time outdoors. This can lead to the winter blues: a condition defined as feelings of sadness du e to the days being shorter and colder. If you’re suffering from the winter blues, here are a few things you can do. 1. Stay Active It may be tempting to give up on your fitness routine over the winter because the idea of changing into your workout clothes or jumping into a pool are unappealing. In fact, it’s more important than ever to exercise during the winter. Moving releases endorphins, which improve your mood. If you’re struggling with motivation, arrange with a friend to work out together. 2. Spend More Time Outdoors If possible, you should try to exercise outdoors. If you prefer to work out at the gym or at fitness classes, though, it’s worth finding other ways to spend time outdoors every day. Not only will the fresh air energize you, if you walk briskly, you’ll regulate your breathing, which reduces stress. 3. Create a Sleep Schedule It’s crucial to sleep the right number of hours during the winter. Although it may be extra tempting to skip morning classes (especially if it’s still dark outside when you wake up), oversleeping will make it harder to beat the winter blues. Set both a bedtime and a wake-up time — and stick to them even when you have no commitments in the morning. You can also improve your sleep quality by steering clear of caffeine after the early afternoon and putting away screens at least one hour before you go to bed. 4. Find Activities You Enjoy At university, you’re surrounded by potential friends. Find like-minded people to spend time with to fit more activities you enjoy into your week. For instance, you could search for more extracurriculars to join, hang out with roommates, or make brunch plans on weekends to give yourself a reason to get up. 5. Seek Help for More Serious Conditions The winter blues is a common but mild ailment. It is characterized by a lack of motivation, fatigue, and a low mood — but it usually goes away once you’re back into a routine and enjoying life at university again. A more serious condition is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a clinical diagnosis that has a severe impact on a person’s capability to function. If you’re experiencing SAD, you may want to spend all your time alone, your academic performance may suffer, and you may have trouble sleeping. If you’re concerned that you’re suffering from something more serious than the winter blues, it’s important to seek professional help. For instance, you could talk to a counselor — there may be free or discounted services available to you on campus. 6. Use a Light Therapy Lamp Light therapy is a great investment for beating the winter blues and even coping with SAD. You simply turn on a light box that contains fluorescent bulbs as soon as you wake up in the morning, keeping it on for at least 30 minutes. Most people notice an almost immediate improvement to their symptoms. This is helpful when the days are at their shortest, especially if you’re unable to spend much time in the sunlight. You’ll find it easier to beat the winter blues if you have an apartment where you feel comfortable and at home. For premier Brock off-campus living, there’s Foundry Lofts. With amenities ranging from a movie theater and fitness center to onsite parking and an outdoor courtyard, you’ll have everything you need for the ultimate student experience. We have limited availability for move-ins this winter — contact us now.

How to Establish Your Worth as a Jobseeker

As you near the end of your time at university, it’s important to start thinking about what you can do to improve your chances of landing a job that you love after you graduate. Something crucial to do is establish your worth as a jobseeker. This will ensure you don’t settle for less. You may lack confidence, have limited experience in your field, or feel like you haven’t yet had the chance to fully develop your skills. Nonetheless, you’ve worked hard to earn your degree and have the potential to become a v aluable employee. Here are a few ways to ensure both you and the employers you meet acknowledge this. 1. Demonstrate Your Knowledge Compensate for what you lack in experience with the knowledge you’ve gained during your time at university. You have an unique advantage over more seasoned candidates because everything you learned during your degree is still fresh in your mind. In fact, you may even have more up-to-date knowledge than someone who has been in the field for several years. Make this clear in interviews by using technical terms, offering creative solutions to problems, and discussing ideas of how you could contribute to the co mpany. 2. Find a Mentor Another benefit of being fresh out of university is the contacts you’ve made, such as professors and people you met during your internship. Reach out to those who made a particular impact on you to ask if they’d be willing to be your mentor. Having a mentor will mean you have someone in your corner to provide you with advice, cheer you on, and help you overcome your biggest challenges. 3. Fight Imposter Syndrome It’s common for recent grads to suffer from imposter syndrome. If you let your lack of self-esteem show, you could ruin your chances at a successful interview. If you can’t quite believe that you do deserve to be there, at least pretend. This will help you come across as confident. Later, you’ll even begin to believe it yourself. 4. Set Your Limits To ensure your employer values you, it’s important to set some limits. A major boundary to set is the minimum you’re willing to earn. If you’re looking to enter a competitive field, you may need to start with a low salary — but it’s important to decide how low you’re willing to go. Employers sometimes take advantage of new grads who are eager to enter their field by asking them to take on a huge amount of responsibility for low pay. This could come with promises of a salary increase in the near future that never materializes. Remember, you don’t need to prove yourself: you already have by earning a degree and gaining valuable skills. Bear in mind, pay is only one way employers (or even coworkers) may take advantage of your inexperience. You also need to establish limits for things like working overtime and carrying out tasks that don’t fall under your job description. Whereas it can be intimidating to question your managers, this will ultimately help you present yourself as a professional. 5. Keep Searching for Opportunities When you land your first job after finishing university, you’ll want to celebrate — and so you should. However, your journey is far from over. Keep your options open by checking what else is available. This will enable you to continue progressing in your career. You may end up finding something you enjoy more or that has better terms. Alternatively, you may be able to use an offer from another company as a bargaining tool to increase your salary at your current position. If you still have a few semesters left before you graduate, make the most of your time at university by moving into premier student rentals. St. Catharines students can find the perfect home at Foundry Lofts. Our spacious suites have stylish interiors, in-suite laundry, and stainless steel appliances. Plus, you’ll have access to our incredible community amenities, where you can hang out with friends and meet new people. Contact us now while we still have some rooms available.

How to Come Back Strong After a Failed Exam

At some point during your time at university, chances are you’ll receive a bad grade or even fail an exam entirely. However, this doesn’t mean all is lost and you have no chance of doing well in the future. Here are a few things you can do to come back strong. 1. Work Out Where You Went Wrong When you receive a failing grade, you’ll likely feel all sorts of negative emotions, such as disappointment and frustration. It’s important to give yourself time to process your feelings, but then to move on and take a more objective approach. Try to figure out exactly where you went wrong — whether it was a lack of understanding of the material, a particular mistake you made, or even not dedicating enough time to studying before the exam. 2. Talk to Your Professor If you received feedback with your failing grade, make sure to read it carefully. All the same, it’s worth visiting your professor during office hours to discuss the exam in more detail. This is especially important if you’re unclear about exactly where you went wrong. Your professor will be able to point out your mistakes, explain why your answers were wrong, and give you ideas about how to improve going forward, such as the skills you need to practice or the concepts you need to spend more time learning. Reaching out will also show that you’re committed to doing better, which may mean your professor is more willing to provide you with extra support. 3. Maintain Perspective Although it certainly benefits your GPA to achieve all high grades, each individual grade only has a minimal impact. This means it’s always possible to recover from a failed exam. Since you can’t change the past, the best thing to do is use this as a learning experience. 4. Create an Action Plan to Do Better Next Time Come up with specific ideas for how you’ll ensure you pass your next exams. This could be as simple as ensuring you spend more time studying by creating a schedule you’ll stick to throughout the semester. You may also find it helpful to join a study group to be able to discuss concepts you find difficult with other students. Alternatively, there may be a specific mistake you made that you can avoid repeating in the future. 5. Utilize Campus Resources Support at university goes beyond your professor. Take advantage of other resources that can help you with your academics, such as the campus writing center and tutoring services. One reason you may be struggling with bad grades at university is because you’re not dedicating enough time to studying quietly on your own. This is difficult when you lack your own space at home, as sharing a room with someone may mean you face constant distractions. A solution is to move into Brock University off-campus housing. Foundry Lofts has spacious four- and five-bedroom apartments that are available fully furnished with a desk and chair. You’ll also be able to use our private and group study space s, in addition to many other great amenities. Contact us now for a lease.

How Is AI Changing Career Prospects for Gen Z?

AI is affecting all aspects of our lives, both positively and negatively. However, it’s of particularly great concern for Gen Zers who will soon be entering the workforce. Whereas AI means fun and perhaps a study aid while you’re still in college, it may have a big effect on your career prospects once you graduate. Here are a few things you should be aware of to ensure AI benefits, rather than hinders, your job search. 1. Learn How to Use AI Many people see AI as a threat, especially in regard to work. We’ve all heard the warnings about how people will soon start losing their jobs to AI en masse. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the overall capabilities of AI are still nowhere near what a human can do. The best results require a collaboration between humans and AI. It requires skill to use AI to your benefit. Spend time practicing with tools you’re already familiar with, find out what else is popular in your field, and sign up for AI courses to gain more confidence using tools. 2. Stand Out Against More Experienced Candidates You may be applying for jobs where other candidates have already been working in the field for a while and have more relevant experience than you. One way to stand out is to highlight your AI skills on your resume and in interviews. For instance, you could name the tools you know how to use and discuss novel ideas for solving problems, saving time, or being more productive. This will help show employers that you could be an asset for the company and may make you a more appealing option than even experienced workers. 3. Strike a Better Work–Life Balance AI may do more than influence your employability — it may also impact your experience while you’re working. By carrying out some of your work for you, AI can free up your time for other activities, which will lead you to achieve a better work–life balance. If you have an in-person job, you may be able to use some of this free time to advance your training (in AI or in another beneficial skill). This will turn you into a more valuable member of the team and open up new opportunities in the near future . In addition, AI can make your work more enjoyable. It may automate admin tasks, assist in scheduling, draft emails for you, or process large amounts of data. As a result, you’ll be more organized, less frustrated, and happier in your job. Another major factor that will influence your career prospects after you graduate is whether you have any work experience. For this reason, it’s worth searching for a part-time job while you’re still at college. You’ll have more possibilities if you live near many businesses — but, of course, you’ll also want to be close to your classes. You can find Niagara College student housing located just a short distance from campus in central Thorold at Foundry Lofts. Our apartments are close to places like Canada G ames Park, the Meridian Centre, and the Pen Centre Mall. Take a virtual tour to check out the housing before you sign a lease.

9 Steps for Spring Cleaning Your Student Apartment

When you think of spring, one thing always comes to mind: spring cleaning. If this is your first year living out of your parents’ house, you may be unsure where to begin with your spring clean. This guide will help you tackle everything. 1. Dust and Disinfect Wipe down all the surfaces to remove dust and dirt that contribute to your spring allergies. Use disinfectant to kill bacteria and viruses lurking on tables, countertops, and shelves. While you have the disinfectant out, wipe down items you use regularly but never think to clean, such as your laptop, your phone, and door handles. 2. Clear Your Desk To dust your desk, you’ll need to remove everything on it. This gives you the ideal opportunity to reorganize. Your desk has likely accumulated many random items that shouldn’t be there, whereas things that do belong may no longer be neatly arranged . A spring cleaning is a chance to fix that. 3. Organize Your Notes If you have piles of handwritten notes on your desk, put them in order. Throw out any you no longer need and put the rest into their own folders where you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for. You can take a similar approach to digital notes, making sure you have them organized by class. 4. Sell Textbooks Once you’ve finished a class, you may never need to look at its textbooks again. Reduce clutter while giving yourself extra spending money by selling these books to other students. 5. Check Under Your Bed If you have space under your bed, you’ve likely knocked items under there and forgotten about them. Remove everything and decide what to do with what you find. 6. Vacuum the Floors Once you’re sure nothing is hiding under your bed, vacuum all the floors in your apartment. Move furniture to access spots that are normally covered. 7. Remove Out-of-Season Clothing from Your Closet Pack up all your winter clothing to avoid it taking up space in your closet. If you ever go home for a weekend, bring your winter clothing with you. Alternatively, you can pack it into storage containers to store under your bed or in your closet. 8. Do Some Laundry In addition to your regular loads of laundry, use your spring cleaning to wash things you usually neglect. This could include your comforter, throw blankets, and the pillowcases for pillows on your couch. 9. Clean Windows and Mirrors Fingerprints and dust build up on windows and mirrors over time. Wipe these surfaces down with some cleaning solution to instantly improve their appearances . Dorm rooms tend to become messy quickly, no matter how hard you try to keep them clean. The problem is the combination of the small size and the fact you need to share with someone else (who may have quite different standards to you in terms of cleanliness). You’ll be much more comfortable if you have your own room in an apartment. For Brock off-campus living, there’s Foundry Lofts. Our four- and five-bedroom apartments feature stainless steel appliances, in-suite laundry facilities, and modern finishings. Secure your spot now.

How to Avoid FOMO This Spring Break

It’s not always possible to travel over spring break. You may need to continue working at your part-time job or you may just not have the money to take a vacation. Seeing your friends’ adventures on social media could mean you experience some FOMO. However, there are plenty of fun ways to spend spring break without going far afield. 1. Visit the Local Attractions There may be local attractions in the area that you’ve never found the time to visit before, such as zoos, aquariums, or museums. Be a tourist in your own city for a day. 2. Eat at a Fancy Restaurant Have a night out at your favourite restaurant or one you’ve never visited before but that looks fancy. Invite a few friends who are also around over spring break to join you for a special evening. 3. Go to a Concert Find out if any bands you like are playing over spring break. If you can afford it, you may be able to have a mini-vacation to a nearby city. 4. Host a Paint Night Invite other students to come over to your apartment for a paint night. Ask everyone to bring their own canvases, brushes, and paints — and let your creative juices flow. 5. Go Shopping A shopping trip can be fun even if it’s just window shopping. For instance, you could look for inspiration for how to decorate your student apartment or see what the latest fashions are. If you can afford to, now may be the ideal time to update your wardrobe. Head to an outlet to search for discounts. 6. Prepare a Multi-Course Dinner at Home Spend a few hours putting together an elaborate dinner. This is the ideal activity to enjoy with any roommates who are also around over spring break. You could collaborate to create the meal together, assign each person a different course, or prepare everything yourself to show off your cooking skills. 7. Take Photos Choose a day when the weather is pleasant to head outside to take pictures. Photograph your favourite spots around the city or bring a friend along for a photoshoot. 8. Read Some Books During the semester, you may have little time to read for pleasure. Take advantage of your free time to read books that have long been on your list. 9. Practice Some Outdoor Sports Many students use spring break to travel to destinations where they can practice adventure sports — but there’s no reason why you can’t do the same close to home. If you head north, you’ll still find cross-country skiing and ice skating opportunities. Alternatively, you could go hiking, kayaking, or mountain biking. If you’re unable to return home for breaks, you’ll have a lot more fun if you’re living in student rentals. St. Catharines has Foundry Lofts. Our vibrant student community gives you access to a range of amenities that will keep you entertained, including a games room, movie theater, fitness center, and fireside lounge. Plus, there are restaurants and shopping nearby. Contact us to secure a lease.