Connecting4Success
November 2015 Newsletter
Message from the Program Coordinator
Thank you for welcoming me into your amazing program, and allowing me to enjoy every minute of my experience so far as your program coordinator. These past few months have been great, and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of you at events, through mentor drop-in hours, and through email!
Also, don't forget to pick up your free t-shirt and tote bag from my office during office hours if you haven't already. My office hours are 8am to 3pm, Monday to Thursday.
Best of luck with the rest of the semester - may the odds be ever in your favour! :)
Sydney Murray
Connecting4Success Program Coordinator
Message from the Program Assistant
Thank you to everyone who has been so involved these last few months and has made being the Program Assistant for C4S so amazing! I love hearing you and your mentee's progress these last few months and getting to know each and every one of you!
I know finals are coming up, and I am already stressing out about getting prepared! If you are anything like me, here are some of my personal study tips that work for me during this crazy season:
- Plan, Plan, Plan! I love my agenda, and I do not go anywhere without it. Make sure to write everything down! Write down when an assignment is due, what you need to print, time slots to study, but also schedule some time to have fun and de-stress!
- Balance. Make sure to take small study breaks in between your cram sessions. Every hour, just get up and walk around your house or the library, or grab a snack. For me, I like to finish a few chapters (say my goal was: 5 chapters of Law, and 3 chapters of Labour Relations) then take a study break and watch a quick TV episode (Friends is about 24 minutes!) and then continue with a few more chapters.
- Make sure to get enough sleep! When I study at night, if I start to doze off, feel exhausted and just want to sleep, I do! I know that I will not get any work done when I am trying to fight off sleep, and I will be more productive in the morning!
I hope these helped, and there are also some great study tips below that can benefit you this upcoming finals season!
Thank you guys so much, I can't wait to see everyone at our first event in the new year!
Miranda Dupuis
Connecting4Success Program Assistant
Upcoming Events
High Ropes Leadership Retreat
Saturday, Nov 28, 2015, 09:30 AM
GessTwood Retreat & Camp Centre, Essex, ON, Canada
Mentee and Mentor of the Month
Kate Hatfield
For all her hard work, Kate received a $25 Devonshire Mall Gift Card. Way to go, Kate!
Devon Gale
For all her enthusiasm, Devon has received a $25 Devonshire Mall Gift Card! Way to go, Devon!
BIRTHDAYS!
Happy Birthday!
- November 1st - Nicole Davis
- November 3rd - Erin Comiskey
- November 6th - Taylor Emerson, Cassie Hillman, and Bilal Khan
- November 7th - Reese Martell-Davis
- November 8th - Joshua Kennedy
- November 9th - Kathleen Gorospe
- November 10th - Brandon Dobson
- November 13th - Malik Nembhard and Odeya Avigad
- November 15th - Jacqueline Chevalier
- November 17th - Madison Mills, Grace Howes, and Cassandra Gawne
- November 20th - Mackenzie Demars and Paula Lanoue
- November 22nd - Jackie Durocher
- November 24th - Rawan Hussein
- November 25th - Laura Pereira
- November 26th - Diana Lu
- November 28th - Cassie Vojvodin
- November 30th - Ibukunoluwa Akinpelu
Happy birthday to everyone, from us at C4S, we hope you all had a wonderful birthday!
Study tips to get you through finals
- Keep your Energy Levels High. Although it is important to leave a reasonable amount of time to study, I believe it is more important to have the energy necessary for optimizing your studies. You will do better on the tests if you sleep 7-9 hours a day.
- 50-10 Rule. I learned this tactic two years ago and it has worked very well for me. The basis of it is to study 50 minutes of every hour, and keep the last 10 minutes to clear your mind. The idea is that you should focus 100% during those 50 minutes and use the remaining to relax yourself.
- Organize a Calendar. In this calendar you should add not only the time period of each exam, but also try to separate the hours that you wish to dedicate to each subject.
- Create Study Guides One Week Before the Final. Many times, creating study guides are the most time-consuming part of studying. One thing I would recommend is to create these outlines or guides one week prior to the tests so you can just read the organized material and be able to answer the questions quickly and effectively.
- Study in Groups Only if it Benefits You. Certainly there are many cases where studying in groups can be beneficial, since many minds working together can help explain concepts better that you perhaps did not understand.
- Take Your Time. It is important to spend an adequate amount of time and energy to study. Recall that final exams usually last from an hour and a half to three hours and it can be difficult (if we are not prepared) to handle the concentration level for such a long period of time. Be prepared; practice.
- Finish Your Practice Problems. Whenever you find yourself practicing your math problems or something of this sort, don’t give up on them. Finish the problem completely so you can understand them better for the exam and leave no place for doubt.
- Relax. Keep your stress levels low. It’s good that you worry about your finals, but don’t let stress and anxiety take over you. Complete all your work and try and finish it all up early. The better you distribute your tasks during the weeks before final exams, the better you will understand the material.
- Do a practice quiz. Ask your parents or your brothers and sisters to quiz you about the material you are studying. Create a “home-made” quiz with all relevant information you need to know and review it two hours after you create it (or just after studying).
- Exercise and eat healthy. Exercise and good nutrition cannot only help control your stress levels, but it can also maintain your emotions stable. Exercise helps keep your blood pressure low and it can help raise your energy levels so you can continue to study more effectively.