Blog Posts

7 Compelling Benefits of Summer Internships

If an internship is not a requirement for you to graduate, you may be wondering if taking one is worthwhile. In fact, there are several compelling reasons why dedicating at least one of your summers to an internship is beneficial — here are a few to consider. 1. Find Out What a Particular Career Is Like If you’re unsure about what kind of work you want to pursue after you graduate, an internship may be ideal for exploring your options. You’ll find out if a particular position is right for you or if you would prefer something different. What you discover at your internship could lead you to change your major or set your mind at ease that you’re on the right path. 2. Gain Skills and Experience There’s only so much you can learn in a classroom. An internship allows you to put your knowledge into practice and to further develop your skills. It also gives you experience in a real-world setting, which is impossible to find anywhere outside of working in your industry. Even if you end up going in a different direction after you graduate, you’ll learn skills that will be useful for other positions, such as teamwork, communication, and time management. 3. Improve Your Career Prospects Hiring managers prefer candidates with experience over recent grads who only have the right credentials. For this reason, not only are you more likely to land a position after you graduate if you’ve had an internship, you may also receive a higher starting salary. 4. Line Up a Job After Graduation An internship may even mean you avoid needing to search for jobs after you graduate — if the company is impressed with your performance, you may receive a job offer at the end of your internship. It’s common for companies to use internships as a way to try out potential candidates before making a job offer. 5. Develop Valuable Connections If you don’t receive a job offer or you decide you’d prefer to work at a different company, an internship will still improve your chances of finding a job by introducing you to professionals in the field. These people may let you know about opportunities in the future or become your mentors. 6. Boost Your Confidence When you’re hired as an intern, the company is aware that you’re still learning. You’ll receive plenty of guidance, have the chance to ask questions, and be able to make mistakes without facing severe consequences — in fact, your employer will expect you to make some mistakes. The experience you’ll gain will boost your confidence when you start a permanent position. 7. Earn Money Over the Summer Paid internships are a great alternative to a job over the summer. Even if you earn slightly less than you could at an unskilled seasonal job, it may be worth choosing an internship due to all the other benefits. Bear in mind that you’ll need somewhere to live during your summer internship. Since the dorms on campus will be closed, you’ll need to look for alternative student housing. St. Catharines has Foundry Lofts. As well as being close to campus, you’ll have easy access to public transportation. After a long day at your internship, you can hang out with friends in the games room, enjoy some entertainment in the movie theater, or head to one of the nearby local restaurants. Apply now for your lease.

Building a Sunday Routine for a Successful Week

Sundays tend to be the laziest day of the week. You likely don’t have classes, extracurriculars, or other commitments and you may not feel like doing much, especially if you had an active Saturday. However, you should avoid wasting the day entirely — using it productively is crucial for having a successful week. Change how you see Sundays by creating a routine for yourself. 1. Wake Up Late Use Sundays as a chance to recover from the previous week by sleeping for as long as you need. Allow yourself to hit the snooze button — or even turn off your alarm entirely. 2. Plan for the Upcoming Week Make Mondays that much less stressful by starting the week having already figured out what you need to do each day. Check your planner to remind yourself of any appointments and due dates coming up and modify your weekly schedule to reflect your priorities. 3. Clean Your Apartment A great way to feel prepared for the upcoming week is to improve your surroundings. For this reason, Sunday is the perfect day to clean your apartment. Vacuum the floors, dust the surfaces, and do a load of laundry to ensure you have clothing for next week as well as cleaning bedding. 4. Organize Your Desk When you’re cleaning, pay particular attention to your desk. Remove the clutter, organize your papers, and generally tidy everything up. This will help you feel much more motivated when you come to sit down at your desk for your next study session. 5. Make Time for Exercise It’s best to find time to exercise every day of the week, but sometimes you may be too busy. On Sundays, though, the likelihood is you will be able to fit a workout into your schedule. If you need something to hold you accountable, arrange to meet a friend at the gym or book a weekly fitness class. 6. Choose Some Fun Activities Give yourself the rest of the day to have fun. Pick a few activities to do on your own or with friends. Depending on how you feel on a particular Sunday, you may like to spend time in your apartment reading or practicing self-care, such as through journaling, treating yourself to a face mask, or listening to music. If you’re feeling energized, you may like to take a walk or prepare meals for the week, whereas on days you’re exhausted you may want to do nothing more than watch your favourite shows. Lastly, Sundays are ideal for scheduling calls with family members and friends in other cities. You’ll feel more motivated to take advantage of Sundays if there are fun things to do around you. This is more often the case when you live off campus. A great alternative to Niagara College residence is Foundry Lofts. You’ll be able to sleep in as long as you like on Sundays in your private room. Then, you can hang out with friends or roommates in your suite or in the community areas, such as the games room, fireside lounge, or movie theater. Contact us to apply for a lease.

11 Gifts for Graduating Friends

Seeing your friends graduate college is exciting. As well as being thrilled for them, you’ll be able to imagine yourself in their position in just a few more semesters. To celebrate this huge milestone, you may like to give each of your friends a small gift. If you’re stuck for ideas, consider the following. 1. Neon Sign Help your friends bring some glamour to their new homes with a neon sign. Choosing a customizable sign will mean you can choose the colour and message. Pick something significant to you and the recipient, such as an inside joke or catchphrase. 2. Succulent A classic housewarming gift that’s ideal for any friends moving straight into a new apartment is a houseplant. A succulent is a top choice because it requires minimal care to keep alive. 3. Travel Jewellery Case If you have friends who will be doing some traveling after they graduate or who will be working in a position that requires them to take regular trips, consider gifting them a travel jewellery case. This will enable your friends to bring a few accessories along with them to look smart for conferences and evenings out. 4. Ice Globes Gift your friends some ice globes to help them practise at-home cryotherapy. These are ideal for relaxing and for removing puffiness from under the eyes, such as before a job interview. 5. Face Masks Another way to encourage friends to practise self-care is to gift them some face masks. If you have several friends graduating at the same time, giving each person a face mask or two is a great way to ensure everyone receives a gift without breaking the bank. 6. Cupcakes If you’re a good baker, consider preparing a batch of cupcakes for all your graduating friends. Decorate each cupcake individually to reflect your friends’ different personalities. 7. A Cookbook Graduating means becoming completely independent. For instance, your friends will no longer have the cafeteria on campus to rely on for their meals. Help them learn to prepare food at home with a cookbook. Choose a book aimed at your friends’ current abilities or that will help them prepare their favourite types of food. 8. Notebook An attractive notebook is an inexpensive but thoughtful present. Your friends can use their notebooks to write to-do lists to stay organized, to jot down ideas when they’re feeling inspired, or for journaling. 9. Mug A budget present that may mean a lot to your friends is a mug. Find some for new graduates or in designs you know your friends will love or order customized mugs with your own designs. 10. Sleep Mask Help your friends get a good night’s sleep before important meetings with a sleep mask. Weighted sleep masks are best, as they apply gentle pressure to relieve stress. 11. Candle A candle is a long-lasting gift that will remind your friends of you every time they light it. This is also the ideal present for any friends who lived in dorms throughout college and were never allowed to have candles. Your friends’ graduations are a reminder that college eventually comes to an end. Enjoy your remaining time to the fullest by moving into a better apartment. For Niagara College student housing, there’s Foundry Lofts. You can request to live with up to four friends or ask us to match you with roommates. You’ll also have the chance to hang out with friends and meet new people in places like the games room, movie theatre, and fireside lounge. Contact us now, while we still have leases available for September.

6 Advantages of Taking Summer Classes

There are numerous ways you can use your summer break. One of them is to not take a break from your academics at all but to continue your studies with summer classes. Since summer classes don’t last the entire break, you’ll still have the chance to rest, recover, and do other things. However, you’ll also be able to take advantage of several benefits that summer classes provide, including the following. 1. Fulfill a Prerequisite Requirement You may discover that some of the classes you would like to take in the fall have a prerequisite you haven’t fulfilled. The summer is the perfect time to take these classes. 2. Graduate Sooner Taking summer classes may push your graduation date forward. This is particularly useful if you’ve fallen behind due to having made a mistake in your class scheduling or if you needed to drop a class because your workload was too heavy. You may even be able to use this strategy to lighten your workload for future semesters while avoiding the need to push your graduation date back. 3. Gain Another Credential The classes you take over the summer may allow you to gain an additional credential when you graduate. For instance, you may be able to use the credit to declare a double major or a minor or you may earn a supplemental undergraduate certificate. Whatever you are able to achieve will look great on your resume and make you a more appealing candidate for employment or graduate school. 4. Enjoy Smaller Class Sizes Fewer students take summer classes than enroll during the rest of the year, which results in smaller class sizes. There are several benefits to this, including more chances to participate in debates and ask questions as well as getting to know both your professor and the other students better. 5. Tackle a Difficult Class Smaller class sizes are particularly useful for difficult courses. In addition, you’ll have few (if any) other classes at the same time, meaning you can give the challenging class your full attention. 6. Try Graduate-Level Classes If you’re unsure whether you want to continue to graduate school, you may like to use the summer to try out some graduate-level classes. This will also give you a better idea of what you may like to study and help you develop the specific skills you need at this higher level of education, such as writing for various purposes, reading in a foreign language, or conducting research. Depending on the options available at your school, it may be possible to earn a graduate certificate or similar credential for yo ur efforts. If you do decide to take summer classes, you’ll need to find somewhere to live, as the dorms on campus will be closed. You can find Brock University off-campus housing at Foundry Lofts. Our student community provides you with a spacious suite equipped with everything you need, including laundry facilities, fibre internet, and stainless steel appliances. Plus, you’ll be in a great location : within walking distance of campus in a neighbourhood with plenty of restaurants and stores. Apply for your spot now whi le there are still spaces available.

10 On-Campus Resources to Be Aware Of

Your classes are just one educational resource you’ll receive at university. To improve your understanding of material, enhance your academic skills, and prepare for your graduation, there are a number of other resources on campus that you should be taking advantage of. 1. Tutoring Never feel that you must struggle with a difficult class alone. If you need extra support to understand the material or apply the skills you’re learning, a tutor could be just what you need. Ask about tutoring services on campus to find the most cost-effective options. You may even be able to choose between one-on-one tutoring and group sessions. 2. Careers Support It’s worth thinking about what you want to do after you finish university a while before your graduation date approaches. Head to the careers centre on campus to discuss your options. You can also use the services to search for openings, fine tune your resume, and ace interviews — for jobs or internships now and after you graduate. 3. Writing Centre Most universities offer academic services to help students with their writing skills. You can find support for writing all kinds of papers, starting with creating an outline and ending with proofreading your work before you submit it. Students who are nearing the end of their degrees tend to find the writing centre particularly useful for preparing their thesis or research project, as it can be difficult to know where to begin, how to structure the different sections, and how to fit everything together. 4. Academic Advisors Whenever you have a question about your education, turn to the academic advisory team. Advisors can help you with things like creating an appropriate class schedule, dropping a class, switching majors, and meeting your academic goals. 5. Office Hours with Professors Your professors are another top source for academic advice. They can help you with doubts and questions related to a specific class — all you need to do is pay them a visit during office hours. Plus, office hours are a great way to connect to your professors on a deeper level, which could be useful if you’re looking to pursue research in a similar field or you just want to start building your professional network. 6. Financial Aid Office It’s possible that your financial situation will change during your time at university. Besides, it’s always worth seeing if you qualify for new scholarships and grants to save money. Visit the financial aid office if you ever want information about what support you qualify for or to manage your current loans. 7. Library Even though you can gain a vast amount of information online, your campus library can be important during your time at university. It’s somewhere you can focus on your studies in peace, collaborate on a group project, or ask librarians to help you locate the information you need to complete a paper. 8. Sport Facilities If you’re not an athlete yourself, you may have neglected the sports facilities on campus. This means you could be missing out on the opportunity to use the gym or attend fitness classes to get in shape, stay healthy, and reduce stress. 9. Mental Health Services Many universities offer counselling services at low prices to help students manage their mental health, cope with negative emotions, and deal with anxieties. You’ll likely also have access to hotlines you can call if you want confidential support or need to talk to someone during a crisis. 10. IT Department If you’re unsure about how to perform a particular IT task or your computer suffers a crash, reach out to the IT department. Someone will likely be able to help you over the phone to resolve the issue. Another way to receive great resources that enhance the student experience is to live in student housing. For Brock University off-campus housing, there’s no better option than Foundry Lofts. In addition to your private bedroom in a suite, you’ll have access to onsite amenities like a study zone and fitness centre . Join the waitlist to be the first to hear when a space opens up .

How to Handle Homesickness When You Go to College

Heading off to college is a time of mixed emotions. You’re likely to be excited about starting this next chapter of your life, but you’ll also miss the family and friends you’re leaving behind. This often leads to homesickness — and it can hit you unexpectedly. Luckily, there are several things you can do to cope. 1. Recognize That You’re Feeling Homesick The first step is to recognize that what you’re experiencing is homesickness. It may manifest itself as grief or feelings of loss — after all, you’ve lost your sense of belonging, familiar places and people, and the comfort that comes from having a regular routine. Although you may not realize it, you’ll be craving stability, predictability, and consistency. For this reason, homesickness may strike particularly hard at certain times of the day, such as when you’re usually engaged in a particular activity. The good news is that homesickness is not a clinical diagnosis. It tends to be short lived — and it’s within your power to overcome it. 2. Start New Rituals To regain a sense of security and regularity, it helps to begin establishing new routines. You can do these routines alone or with friends, but they should start almost as soon as you wake up and end right before you go to bed. If there are certain times of the year when you find that homesickness returns (such as around a particular holiday), create new traditions or share ones from home with your roommates. 3. Prepare Your Favourite Meals It’s comforting to eat meals like those you often have with your family. Ask your parents for recipes and learn to prepare these dishes yourself. Cooking will be a useful skill to have all your life, as you’ll be able to whip up your favourite foods whenever you’re feeling low. 4. Explore Your Surroundings Making your new home familiar will also help reduce homesickness. Learn where to find various places on campus and search for interesting spots around your college town, such as parks, coffee shops, and hiking trails. 5. Chat with Friends and Family Arrange to have regular calls with friends from your hometown and family members. Friends who are attending other universities will also be feeling homesick, meaning they’ll benefit from a chat just as much as you. 6. Make New Friends Try to resist the urge to rely heavily on people back home, though — it’s also important to start making new friends. Attend events, join clubs, and volunteer to expand your social circle and meet people with similar interests. 7. Talk About Your Feelings Since your friends are likely going through the same, don’t be afraid to talk about your homesickness. You may also have siblings who have already been through the experience who can give you advice about what worked for them. 8. Reach Out for Support If homesickness causes your anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues to worsen, reach out for support from a professional. Your college likely has counselling services available to students. You’ll suffer less from homesickness if you find an apartment that you love. Most people find it uncomfortable living on campus due to the limited privacy and cramped space, but having your own room in student housing can lead to a great college experience. An alternative to Niagara College residence is Foundry Lofts. You’ll be able to meet and hang out with other students in places like the games room, movie theatre, and fireside lounge or you can relax on your own in your spacious bedroom and living room. Contact us to join the waitlist.