Blog Posts

8 Goals to Set for Yourself This Summer

During college, summer can be whatever you make of it. You could just use it as a chance to relax — passing the days watching movies and catching up with friends. However, even though you’re likely to need some time for relaxation, dedicating your whole summer to chilling is a waste. A better idea is to use the weeks you have off productively. To do this, you should set goals. Some types of goals are particularly relevant for college students. 1. Keep Learning Ensure your mind stays active over the summer break to make returning in the fall easier. There are a variety of ways you can keep learning, including by signing up for a summer class, taking online courses, or watching tutorials. Choose a topic that will complement what you’re studying at college, a skill you’ll need for work, or just something you want to learn for fun. 2. Take the First Steps Toward Pursuing Your Dream Career Gain experience in your field with an internship. This will give you the skills you need to apply to better jobs once you graduate. If you’re lucky, you may even receive an offer from the company where you intern. In some industries, there are even remote internships with flexible hours, meaning you’ll have enough time to meet your other goals, too. You could even pick up more than one internship if you want to explore two potential career paths. 3. Give Back to the Community Use your time for good this summer by volunteering. This will look great on your resume, especially if you choose something relevant to your career goals. As well as searching for projects near you, consider volunteering abroad for a few weeks to combine doing good with traveling. 4. Finish Some Books Set a target to read a certain number of books over the summer. Add books that will give you insights into some of the topics you’ll be covering in your upcoming classes as well as books you just want to read for fun. 5. Find a New Hobby It’s important to have hobbies you can turn to when you need to destress or take a break from your studies. Choose something you’ll be able to continue when you’re back at college, such as a craft or sport. You may like to consider if your college offers a related extracurricular when picking a hobby. 6. Make Some Money Earn money to start paying off your student loans or to have extra to spend when you return to college. You could look for a temporary job over the summer, pick up gig work, freelance, or even start your own business. 7. Discover a New Podcast Listen to an episode or two of some podcasts covering topics you find interesting until you discover one you’d like to listen to regularly. It’s great to have a few podcasts in your feed that you can play whenever you need to complete a boring task (such as cleaning your apartment) or for your commute. 8. Declutter Your Physical and Digital Life Go through your belongings to see what you could get rid of — clothes you’ll never wear again, old handouts from classes, and other items that are taking up space. Next, move on to decluttering your digital presence. Delete old social posts, stop following people who are now unimportant to you, and update your personal information to reflect who you are today. A final goal for the summer should be to find better housing for when you return to college in the fall. Foundry Lofts offers Niagara College student housing that comes with all the extras you need for the ultimate student experience. Our suites are fully furnished with leather couches, flatscreen TVs, and full-size appliances and you’ll have access to common areas including a games room, indoor atrium, and coffee shop. Apply today to secure your spot.

Try These Products to Help with College Exams

For college students, exams are a dreaded aspect of classes. So much hangs on your performance in the exams and papers you need to complete. Studying for big tests is often challenging, but you can make it easier by purchasing the following useful products. 1. Pens in a Range of Colours When you’re rewriting your notes to remind yourself of the material you covered in class, it can help to organize your ideas by colour . Plus, having pens in a range of colours will enable you to colour -code your agenda quickly to see what you should be working on. 2. Meditation App Take care of your mental health before exams by downloading a meditation app to use on a daily basis. Whereas paid subscriptions typically offer a wider range of guided meditations, you can find plenty of free options if you’re looking to save money. 3. Water Bottle Although you should include regular breaks in your study schedule, it’s easy to cheat and head to the kitchen for some water before you’re supposed to take a break — and who knows what distractions you may encounter along the way. Make sure you stay hydrated without needing to disrupt your concentration by keeping a large water bottle on your desk at all times. 4. Heated Eye Masks If you struggle to fall asleep before a big exam due to anxiety, try using heated eye masks. These are great at helping you feel sleepy. 5. Scented Candle Creating a habit for every time you sit down to study can help put you in the right frame of mind. A scented candle is ideal because the flickering flame is somehow relaxing and motivating at the same time. Plus, you’ll start to associate the scent with studying, which is useful for maintaining your focus. 6. Wall Calendar Check when your assignments are due and the dates for your exams at a glance by keeping a wall calendar hanging above your desk. This will also be a huge help if you’re worried you may forget something important. 7. Plenty of Food Stock up on plenty of food to prepare filling meals. The last thing you want is to need to order a meal when you have little in your budget left for the month or run to the grocery store in the middle of a study session. Choose meals you can prepare quickly and have healthy ingredients to fuel your brain and give you energy. Equipping yourself with the above products is a good start, but you also need somewhere you can go to study for your exams in peace. A desk in your own bedroom is ideal, but you won’t have this if you’re still living on campus. A great alternative to Niagara College residence is Foundry Lofts. As well as having your own room, you’ll only need to share the kitchen and living room with up to three roommates. Plus, you can use our onsite study area — there’s free WiFi throughout the building. Apply today to se cure the type of floor plan you want.

7 Skills to Hone During College

When you graduate, employers will expect you to have some crucial skills in addition to knowledge related to your major. There are multiple ways you can learn these skills, including by volunteering, participating in campus clubs and organizations, and working a part-time job or an internship, as well as in the classroom. Here are a few to start building now. 1. Time Management You’ll begin developing better time management skills as soon as you start college because you’ll need to dedicate several hours a week to studying in your own time. You also won’t have anyone reminding you to keep making progress on projects to ensure you meet your deadlines. Being able to explain in a job interview how you created a balance between your schoolwork and your social life can help make you an appealing candidate. 2. Digital Literacy Employers will want to know you’re able to perform basic tasks using a computer without the need for any training. You may need to be familiar with specialist software, know how to use shortcuts, and be able to perform internet research. If you’re lacking any of these skills, watch tutorials, take some free online courses, or ask for help at your college. 3. Teamwork Even positions that typically require you to work independently will involve some collaboration. It’s important to be able to show that you will be a valuable team member. This involves listening to others’ ideas, contributing your own thoughts, and working with teammates to meet your goals. You may be able to demonstrate that you possess these skills if you belong to a club or sports team or if you’ve worked on group projects. 4. Communication You need to have good verbal and written communication skills to succeed in the world of work. Your classes will likely give you plenty of opportunity to improve your writing, but chances to practice verbal communication may be more limited. If you feel this is something you lack, join a study group or become more active in your community to gain experience listening to others, asking for clarification, and explaining concepts. 5. Networking More jobs and other opportunities will be open to you in the future if you hone your networking skills now. Push yourself to network with students and other people by attending events where you don’t know anyone and setting an aim to make a certain number of new contacts. 6. Leadership You may have learned to be a leader without even realizing it, such as if you played a central role in a group project. However, if you want to apply for managerial positions after you graduate, it may be worth taking leadership classes or running for student government. These options will teach you more about delegating, providing constructive feedback, and resolving conflict. 7. Global Citizenship Understanding more than just your own culture is important when working for an international company or for a business that has clients all over the globe. You can develop your global citizenship skills by taking electives that will teach you about other cultures, participating in projects with people from a variety of backgrounds, and studying or volunteering abroad. You also need to learn how to be independent — not just for your career but to be able to survive on your own after graduation. To learn this, it’s important to live in your own apartment rather than on campus. You’ll find Niagara College student housing at Foundry Lofts. In your suite, you’ll have laundry facilities, everything you need to prepare your own meals, and fibre internet to keep you connected. Book a tour to check out our student community for yourself before you sign a lease.

A Guide to Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits

Making sure you sleep enough every night and stick to a consistent sleep schedule requires discipline. There will always be other activities available that may keep you up late or prevent you from studying and mean you need to pull an all-nighter to catch up. However, adopting better sleep habits is crucial for your overall health. Rather than just setting a goal to improve your sleep, you need a strategy to ensure you get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Here’s how to start. 1. Create a Bedtime Routine Just as you have routines for other parts of the day, make a routine around your bedtime. At least on weeknights, never allow anything to interrupt this schedule. A few hours before you want to be asleep, start winding down. For instance, you may like to prepare yourself a caffeine-free tea, dim the lights, and find an activity that relaxes you. When bedtime arrives, try using an eye mask or playing some soothing sounds to fall asleep faster. 2. Turn Off Your Devices Your bedtime routine must definitely not involve any devices that emit blue light. This includes your phone, laptop, tablet, and TV. The effects of blue light last up to a couple hours before you try to sleep, keeping your brain awake and alert. This makes it harder to fall asleep and lowers the quality of your sleep. One way to stay away from screens is to schedule homework earlier in the day. You also need to find more activities that don’t involve screens, such as reading, art projects, or gentle exercise. Lastly, you should set up sleep mode on your phone to stop receiving notifications. 3. Have Fun Without Sacrificing Sleep Don’t let your sleep routine stop you from having the full college experience. If your friends want to go out on Fridays or Saturdays, decide if you can give yourself a little extra leeway. This will only be an option when you don’t have activities early the next morning, as may be the case if you’re a student athlete, you work on the weekends, or you have other commitments. 4. Separate Sleep and Studying To keep sleep and studying separate , you should never study while sitting on your bed. However, you may also like to avoid using the desk in your room at times because it may mean you’re spending many hours in the same place. It’s worth searching for other places to study, such as the campus library, your local coffee shop, or a common area in your student housing. You’ll find it much easier to stick to a healthy sleep routine if you at least have your own room. Moving into Foundry Lofts will mean you have a private bedroom in a suite you’ll share with just three or four other students. Our alternative to Niagara College residence also provides you with a full kitchen where you can prepare a delicious breakfast to incentivize yourself to get out of bed in the morning, a games room where you can socialize without screens, and study spaces to give you a change of scener y. Apply today while there are still some units available.

Top Fashion Trends for Students in 2023

How you present yourself to the world matters. It influences how people perceive you, gives you confidence, and allows you to express your personality. For these reasons, what you wear can impact everything from your social life to your academic performance. To feel comfortable and stylish, it can be helpful to know what’s in fashion for your age group. Learning about the top fashion trends for students will help you prepare your wardrobe in time for the fall semester. 1. Trending Colours The most fashionable colours in 2023 are pink and blue, as well as related tones like lavender and violet. No particular shades are trending among students — anything from shocking pink to pastel blue is in fashion at the moment . You may like to combine pink and blue in the same outfit for a bold look. 2. Crochet Ideal for achieving a boho look, crochet is appearing in all sorts of outfits. Tones range from muted to vivid. As you prepare for the weather turning cooler, pick up some crochet hats, scarves, and gloves. Plus, if you’re looking to take up a hobby, crochet could be a fashionable one to try — you’ll be able to make your own clothes and gifts your friends will love. 3. Ruffles, Lace, and Fringe After several years, ruffles, lace, and fringe are back in fashion, particularly for women’s clothing. Ruffles work especially well for smart casual outfits, such as when you pair a ruffle-neck blouse with jeans. In contrast, lace tends to be mainly for dresses, whereas fringe is appearing in all sorts of outfits, particularly in vibrant colours . 4. Asymmetry It’s possible to show off your unique side while remaining fashionable with asymmetrical clothing. Although asymmetry works with virtually any style, you’ll see it most in urban fashion. 5. 90s Style Fashion trends from the past are always returning. In 2023, some styles from the 90s that are particularly popular among students are baggy or flared jeans, overalls, bike shorts, and chokers. 6. Early 2000s Another decade currently trending is the early 2000s. Some styles to consider include tops with detached and off-the-shoulder sleeves, cargo joggers, and tank tops. Plus, metallic tones are making a comeback — and not just for nights out. 7. Vintage Just about any era from the past is in fashion if the clothing counts as vintage. In fact, vintage is a big trend among college students because many are eco-conscious and want to dress stylishly without increasing their carbon footprint. Wearing second-hand clothes is a great way to achieve this — not to mention it helps you save money and gives you more opportunity to develop your own style than is possible when purchasing from chain stores. Fashion is about much more than just clothing — you also need a stylish apartment. For Niagara College student housing, look no further than Foundry Lofts. Our apartments all come with stainless steel appliances, are spacious, and have nine-foot ceilings. We even have fully-furnished options fitted with stylish decor. Book a tour to see the apartments and other amenities for yourself.

Life on Campus: How to Make Connections & Build Friendships

At college, it’s easy to meet people. What’s more difficult is to develop connections with the people you meet and establish friendships. In addition, it’s important to ensure you form friendships with people you enjoy spending time with, who value you, and who have things in common with you. Although it may feel challenging, it’s possible to make new friends at any time, not just when you start college. Here are some tips to guide you. 1. Participate in More Extracurriculars One of the easiest ways to find people who share your interests is to join clubs, campus organizations, and intramural sports teams. Find out if there are any groups for your favourite hobby or experiment with a new activity . Although the idea of participating in an extracurricular where you don’t know anyone may be daunting, this is actually the best way to make new connections. 2. Join Study Groups Another place where you’ll have the chance to talk to people is in study groups. Find out if there are already study groups for some of your classes — if there are not, set up some yourself. Since you’ll be spending time with the people in your study groups every week, there’s a good chance you’ll develop friendships. As a bonus, you’ll also gain better grades! 3. Start a Conversation In some situations, a conversation is unlikely to arise naturally — it’s up to you to start one. Although this may feel intimidating, you’ll find most people are happy to talk to you. If you’ve seen someone in your class or just around campus who looks interesting, find an opportunity to talk. 4. Reach Out Online If you lack confidence, you may find it easier to start a conversation online instead of in person. Social media is ideal for this. Something simple like commenting on a photo or replying to a post in a group you both belong to could be the start of a new friendship. 5. Ask for an Introduction You can also use your current friends to meet more people. Ask them to introduce you to their friends — if you share the same interests, there’s a good chance you’ll get on well. Plus, you’ll all be able to hang out together. 6. Go Out with Coworkers If you have a part-time job or internship, become friends with some of your coworkers. During breaks or after your shifts finish are perfect times to chat or do something together. Some of your coworkers may not attend your college, making this tactic a great way to expand your social circle. If your job is related to the career you want to pursue after you graduate, you’ll also be building valuable connections in your field. A great place to make connections with potential friends is in your student housing. The Niagara College student housing at Foundry Lofts has plenty of places to meet people, including a games room, movie theater, fireside lounge, and fitness center. Plus, your three or four roommates could all become your new friends. Apply for a lease now while we still have spaces available.