Blog Posts

What to Do If You & Your Roommate Don’t Get Along

Whether your roommate is a friend or someone you’ve never met before, making the adjustment to living in close quarters can be difficult. The situation is worse if you and your roommate don’t get along. Since you’ll need to put up with each other for at least the rest of the semester, it’s important to take steps to resolve any problems you have before they become overblown. 1. Think About What You Could Do Differently It’s easy to blame your roommate for everything wrong with your living situation, but you need to consider how you’re contributing. Just like your roommate has annoying habits, you most likely do things that bother your roommate without you even realizing it. In fact, you could be adding to the tension. If you’re living with a complete stranger , another factor could be that you simply don’t know your roommate yet. You could be interpreting behaviour as hostile or unfriendly, when actually your roommate is just shy or feeling homesick. Give your roommate the benefit of the doubt and put in the effort to get to know one another. There’s no need to become friends, but life will be easier for both of you if you learn to get along. 2. Take Steps to Prevent Conflict You’re going to have to deal with conflict no matter who you live with. You undoubtedly had conflicts with your parents and siblings when you lived in your family home. The conflicts you have with your roommate may be quite different, but that’s just because you come from different backgrounds . Always consider your role in any conflicts and what you could do to prevent problems in the future. 3. Spend Less Time in Your Apartment You may find you’re getting on each other’s nerves simply because you’re around each other too much. Perhaps your roommate likes to lounge around in the living room for hours or spends a long time cooking every evening, making it difficult for you to use the kitchen. Instead of becoming frustrated, find ways to stay out of the house more. Perhaps you could visit friends, sign up for more activities at college, or find an opportunity to volunteer. 4. Have Conversations About What’s Bothering You Resolving problems requires action from both of you — which means you need to communicate. It’s no good to expect your roommate to just know what to do. Worse still is leaving passive aggressive notes, such as to point out that something needs cleaning or to complain about your roommate’s guests. Instead, you need to have sit-down conversations. Start the conversation by pointing out that you want to get along and you need to know if you are doing anything that annoys your roommate. Give your roommate time to talk and make sure to listen carefully. Only then should you explain what’s bothering you. Together, you should figure out ways to resolve the issues. It’s common to find that this first conversation goes much better than you may have expected. The fact is most college students want to have a pleasant living experience and are willing to work with their roommates to make it happen. 5. Vent to Someone There may be some small things that bother you that you just need to put up with, especially if it would seem petty to ask your roommate to change. Alternatively, you may be stressed in general, which could mean the things your roommate does bother you irrationally. Venting to a friend can sometimes help, but an even better solution is to talk to a counsellor. A professional may have ideas you can use in your specific situation to make your life more comfortable. You’re much less likely to have conflict with your roommate if you don’t share a bedroom. A great alternative to on-campus Niagara College residence is Foundry Lofts. You’ll have a private bedroom in a suite with a maximum of four other students and you’ll only need to share a bathroom with two other people at the most. Secure the floor plan you want by applying today.

How to Avoid Cramming for Tests

Cramming for tests is always a bad idea. For one thing, it’s much harder to retain information this way. Worse, if you pull an all-nighter, you may even fall asleep while cramming, sleep through your alarm, and miss the test entirely. No matter if you’re prone to procrastination or you’re not sure how to prepare for tests other than cramming, there are ways you can improve. 1. Study Every Day As soon as you know that you’ll be having the test and what it will cover, start preparing. It’s enough to dedicate just half an hour a day to studying — you’ll soon find the information starts to stick and you’ll stop struggling to remember the fine details . Just bear in mind that you’ll need to schedule time each day to ensure you actually do study. 2. Condense Your Notes An effective way to solidify your knowledge is to rewrite your notes by condensing them down to just the main points. You can even rewrite each set of notes more than once, making them more condensed each time. If you have typed notes, make sure you write them out fresh each time rather than just making a copy of the document and deleting the extra information. 3. Pay Attention in Class Your notes are no good if you failed to pay attention in class. If you have gaps, you’ll need to go and look up the missing information instead of preparing for your test. This will add to your workload and increase the risk you’ll need to cram the night before. If you’re finding it hard to focus in class, remove any distractions. Instead of sitting at the back of the room next to a friend or looking at your phone every few minutes, move to the front of the room to be right in front of your professor. 4. Form a Study Group The best study group is formed of people who want to do well on a test and will help each other understand the material. The worst people to have in a study group are often your best friends, as the study session can easily become another socializing event. An alternative to forming a study group is to ask a TA or tutor to help you. The important thing is to study with someone who will push you and make sure you understand the material fully. 5. Experiment with Different Study Methods It’s difficult to know which study methods work for you until you’ve tried them. Many students find it useful to prepare flashcards to test themselves on key concepts and facts. You could also draw a mind map, flow chart, or another type of diagram to summarize what you’ve learned or how key points are linked. Having a comfortable place to study throughout the semester can make a world of difference. Dorm rooms are notoriously terrible for studying — it’s much better to live in Brock University off-campus housing. At Foundry Lofts, you’ll be able to study in your private bedroom or in our 3,600-square-foot WiFi -equipped lounge. Apply now to secure your suite.

5 Ways to Reconnect with Hometown Friends Over Winter Break

One of the best times of year to catch up with hometown friends is winter break. You’re all back home for an extended period, likely with plenty of free time in your schedules and no need to think about schoolwork again until next year. Plus, unlike spring break, the end of the school year is still a long way off and unlike summer, most of your friends won’t be going on vacation or be preoccupied looking for an internship. To properly reconnect, there are a few different activities you should consider organizing. If you have plenty of time, you may even like to do them all. At the very least, they’ll keep you from feeling bored and strengthen the bonds you have with old friends. 1. Quick Coffee with the Group Meet up with your entire group of friends over a morning coffee. This will allow those who have other commitments to leave early — and the rest of you can stick around for longer. Your friends should be able to fit a quick coffee into their schedule, even if some of them are busy with a job, gift shopping, or preparing for next semester. 2. Brunch and a Movie Spend the whole day together — without pushing anyone to get up early — by arranging to meet for brunch. This will give you plenty of time to chat about university, jobs, roommate drama, and everything else. Complete the day by heading to a movie theatre to see a latest release that you’ve been unable to see yet due to being busy with finals. 3. Hit the Bars If your friends have more time in the evenings, heading to a local bar or even organizing a proper night out could be ideal. Your friends need to let off steam just as much as you do — this could be the perfect choice to help you relax. 4. Go for Dinner Organize a special end-of-year dinner at a fancy restaurant with all your closest friends from your hometown. Choose a restaurant that you’ve always loved or try out one you’ve never been to before. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to dress up and feel more like part of each other’s new, adult lives. 5. Have a Slumber Party If you want to do the opposite and feel like kids again, hold a slumber party. It’s sure to make you think of the old times and how much fun you used to have at high school. Incorporate some of your favourite activities, whether that means having a movie night, baking and decorating cookies, or playing video games. What you choose to do doesn’t matter nearly so much as the fact that you’ll all be together again. You’ll likely stay in touch with friends over the school year through social media and texting, but nothing compares to meeting in person. Instead of waiting for another break, why not invite friends over for the weekend while you’re at college? You’ll find apartments near Brock University with plenty of space to host guests at Foundry Lofts. Apply now to join our waitlist to hear when new spots open up .

Ways to Destress as a Student

Going off to university is an exciting time, but as with any other major life change, it certainly comes with its share of stressors. Most significantly, you’ll be living independently, which brings much more freedom and choice than you’re used to. You’re particularly likely to feel stressed when your energy levels drop and you face more demands than you can handle. Whenever you feel like you’re in this situation, here are a few things you can do to destress . 1. Sleep Enough Each Night There are often times when you may feel tempted to stay up late, whether to squeeze in a few more hours of studying, hang out with friends, or even relax with social media or video games. However, if you need to wake up early for class or another commitment, this is never a good idea . Sleep deprivation will make you more stressed and put you at risk for serious health conditions. Instead, try to stick to a bedtime — don’t sleep until the early afternoon to make up for a late night. It’s helpful for your body to have a schedule, and it’s best if this is aligned with the hours of daylight. 2. Exercise Regularly Staying physically active is a great way to relax — plus, it will help you fall asleep faster. College is a great time to experiment with new activities you may enjoy, such as by joining sports teams, going to the gym, or taking advantage of free fitness classes. When you find a form of exercise you enjoy, you’ll look forward to working out. 3. Eat a Healthy Diet You’ll also feel better physically and mentally if you’re eating well. Healthy foods will keep your energy levels steady throughout the day and prevent a sugar high that will only make you feel worse later. Besides, university is a great time to explore new flavours and to learn cooking skills that will benefit you for life. 4. Limit Your Caffeine Intake One thing that should be in your diet only in moderation is caffeine. A coffee in the morning and perhaps another after lunch is reasonable. However, relying on caffeine to keep you alert into the night to meet the due date for a paper will make you much more susceptible to stress. For the same reason, you should avoid prescription medication to boost your energy. 5. Create a Reasonable Schedule It’s easy to take on too much when you start university. You may want to work, join many clubs, and sign up for the maximum number of classes. While it’s fine to experiment with your limits, you also need to know when to drop something to prevent burnout. For instance, you may need to drop a class, volunteer less often with your extracurriculars, or search for a job with a more manageable schedule. 6. Make Time for Leisure What you shouldn’t do is give up all your fun activities to make time for studies and work. It’s important to spend a few hours a week on your hobbies, whether on your own or as part of a group. A great thing about university is that you should find plenty of opportunities to explore new passions. 7. Learn Breathing Exercises Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, stop and breathe. There are various types of breathing exercises you can try, the most simple of which involves breathing slowly and deeply for at least a few seconds. You’ll feel much less stressed if you’re living in a place you love to call home. Since living on campus means losing privacy and sharing your living spaces with a large number of other people, many students prefer to search for rooms for rent. St. Catharines students can find high-quality student housing at Foundry Lofts. You’ll have your own room in a suite that you’ll share with just three or four other people. Plus, you’ll have access to a range of great onsite amenities, including fitness facilities, a games room, and a study zone. Receive an in-person or virtual tour to see it for yourself.

How to Save Money on Holiday Gifts as a Student

However much you love the holidays, there’s one thing you definitely don’t look forward to: exceeding your budget on gifts. Avoid stress this year by following some basic money-saving tips. 1. Decide How Much You Can Afford Look at your monthly budget and decide how much of it you can afford to allocate to gifts. It’s important to do this before you start buying anything — otherwise, you may end up spending almost your entire budget on a couple people and have nothing left for everyone else. Also determine who you want to give gifts to. If you want to purchase more expensive presents for some people than others, come up with a rough amount of how much you’ll spend on each individual . 2. Spread Out Your Holiday Shopping Start buying gifts as early as possible. This will enable you to use a portion of a couple months’ budget rather than needing to find the whole amount you need at once. If you won’t be seeing some family members or friends until the beginning of next year, you can even wait to buy gifts until after the holidays. 3. Organize a Gift Exchange with Friends An easy way to save money on buying gifts for friends is to arrange some kind of gift exchange. You could do a Secret Santa, where each person in the group is anonymously assigned someone else to buy a gift for, or a White Elephant, where you all bring one gift and everyone chooses one to take at random. Either way, you’ll have the freedom to spend a decent amount on one gift instead of needing to buy a large number of small gifts. If most of your friends are college students as well, the likelihood is they are also strapped for cash and will appreciate this idea. 4. Make Your Gifts You’ll spend even less if you make your gifts. Plus, an added benefit is that your presents will have more meaning to the recipients. If you know how to knit or crochet, you can make great gifts like scarves, hats, or socks. Alternatively, you could collect some photos from over the years to create a memory book or make cosmetics — bath bombs can be particularly impressive, but they’re cheap and easy to make. 5. Save Money on Holiday Activities Gift giving is just one expense you face over the holidays; another major one is holiday activities with friends and family. However, there are plenty of things you can do that cost little or nothing. For instance, you could have a movie night at home, go for a drive around your WiFi -equipped study lounge. Apply now to join the waitlist for next year.

9 Career Options for Music Lovers

The music industry has undergone some extreme changes over the last couple of decades. Consumers no longer purchase music at nearly the same levels as they once did, but that doesn’t mean demand for music has in any way decreased. In fact, changes in the industry have created a range of new careers. Studying a music-related major like audio engineering, music production, or music business could open up these opportunities for you. 1. Sound Engineer Some of the best-paying jobs in the music industry go to sound engineers. Various jobs fall into this category, including for mapping sound effects for video games, composing scores for movies, and recording sound for TV productions. 2. Music Agent A career that often comes to mind when talking about the music business is a music agent. You’ll need a good understanding of marketing, project management, and public relations, such as for managing social media, organizing interviews and events, and writing press releases for your clients. You can represent musicians and bands by finding a job at a music marketing firm or by setting up your own agency. 3. Conductor Becoming a musician is not the only way to work in performance: you could also conduct an orchestra or choir. You’ll be responsible for choosing the music and creating arrangements suitable for your musicians or singers. You’ll then need to rehearse with your group and attend performances. You may like to start out leading a school band, youth orchestra, or choir. With experience, options may open up in TV and radio or with a performance company. 4. DJ Successful DJs are outgoing entertainers who know how to create a beat. This path tends to lead to a career as a freelancer, but it’s not difficult to receive referrals if people love your music. You may even be able to land regular work at the same bars or clubs. 5. Recording Engineer If you’d prefer to work behind the scenes, a career as a recording engineer could be for you. This involves recording songs and then mixing and mastering the tracks. As well as jobs with composers, arrangers, and producers, you may work with a film sound editor or concert production company. 6. Music Journalist A great way to attend a performance without being in the spotlight yourself is to become a music journalist. You may need to start out as a freelancer until you are able to land a position with a music magazine or another publication. As well as attending and covering concerts, you’ll likely write about new releases, artist profiles, and news items related to the music industry. 7. Songwriter Behind every great song is a songwriter. If you pursue this career, you’ll be responsible for writing some musical elements as well as lyrics. This is one of the more difficult areas of the music industry to get into. It helps to have some interesting stories to tell along with a knack for writing lyrics that resonate with your audience. 8. Musical Therapist Music can be healing, especially for patients with mental health conditions but also for those with physical pain. After learning how to use music for therapy, you’ll be able to provide support for people at hospitals, clinics, rehab centres , and assisted living facilities. 9. Music Teacher As a music teacher, you can be self-employed or work at a school or academy. You can teach one or several instruments or musical skills in general. Whatever you choose, this is sure to be a rewarding career. Since jobs in the music industry can be competitive, you’ll need to study hard to gain an edge over other graduates. This means searching for suitable student rentals. St. Catharines music students can find a home at Foundry Lofts. As well as being able to study at your desk in a fully-furnished suite, you can head to our onsite quiet study zone whenever you like. Plus, you’ll be able to meet students attending other colleges in places like the fire-side lounge, fitness centre , and game room. Apply now to s ecure your spot.