Blog Posts

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.

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.