Top 10 Study Tips

Exam season can be a very stressful time for students. It can be difficult to manage study priorities like what to study, how long to study, or even how to study so with that in mind and the summer exam season about to begin here are some important tips for successful studying that may help ease that exam stress.

1) Ask your professor about the format of the exam. Knowing the type of questions that will be on the exam will help you know what and how to study.

2) Find a comfortable and distraction free space to set up your study centre. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies: pencils, pens, paper, notes, textbooks,  calculator, water and snacks.

3) Read only the parts of the textbook that cover what you need to know. If your professor tells you to focus solely on the material taught in class use the textbook as a reference for things that you don't understand.

4) Make summary notes of your class notes and important textbook chapters. Summary notes help to highlight the most important concepts that could or will appear on an exam.

5) Study in a group. Group studying can help with retention of important concepts. Take turns quizzing one another and explaining important course concepts. Having someone else explain something to you in a different way may help you better understand information that may be confusing

6) Practice the types of questions that will be on the exam. By practicing exam type questions you will be better prepared for what you will see when you open the exam booklet. If your professor has provided you with review exercises, complete those, they will give you a clue as to what questions you can expect.

7) Make a schedule so that you can maximize your study time. Often, students have more than one or two exams to study for during exam week so time management is very important. By making a study schedule you can give each course the focus that it deserves and ensure that you are ready for all of your exams.

8) Get some sleep. Pulling an all nighter does not lead to exam success. Get lots of sleep the night before each exam. This gives your brain time to rest and helps with recall of important concepts once you get into the exam.

9) Eat well. Make sure that you are eating well during your studying. Snacking during studying can help you stay focused and awake. Choose foods that are healthy such as carrots, apples and nuts.

10) Do not start studying the night before. One night of studying is not enough to learn all the information that you have be taught over an entire semester. Use your time wisely and ensure that you are preparing in advance so you feel comfortable when you walk into the exam.

-Rachel 

Networking using your "network"

Networking has always been an important aspect of the job search, whether it be searching for that first job opportunity or looking for a change in career. With new job opportunities, competition and changes in the workforce traditional networking has also changed.


Students, executives, human resources managers understand the importance of networking and there are numerous tips available to help job seekers get in touch with and stay in touch with potential employers. Some of these tips include:

• Connect with your school's alumni association 

• Have a clear idea of what you want and what you are looking for 

• Know who you are

• Use business cards

• Use business networks

Perhaps the most important of these tips when hunting for that first career and looking for helpful and meaningful connections is use business networks. Job seekers and students should "think of Facebook as a virtual cafe where people easily talk between tables and think of LinkedIn as a conference that is always in session." (http://www.randstad.ca/finding_jobs/ctVideo/successful-networking.aspx)


While communication and connections have become much easier with the rise of business networks, it is important to remember that these networks, especially Facebook should be kept private and be monitored for inappropriate content. Despite these privacy concerns Facebook remains the most popular social networking site for Canadians. Recently however, LinkedIn has begun to grow in popularity amongst professionals and students who are seeking to connect. In fact, "one in six Canadians are now members of LinkedIn,"(http://business.financialpost.com/2012/01/19/linkedin-tops-five-million-users-in-canada/) and that number continues to grow with a 66% increase since 2011.


So with such a steady increase in membership and a continually growing community of professionals waiting to network how can young professionals maximize the potential that LinkedIn has to offer?


1) Sign up for discussion groups- these groups will connect you with people in your field and allow you to remain current on what is happening within your industry.


2) Invite and accept connections from people that you know or have worked with in the past- they may be able to recommend you for a position or provide you with career advice.


3) If you feel that you may share a common interest with someone you are not connected with contact them privately to ask for a connection.


With it's growing network of professionals and openness to connecting with important industry individuals LinkedIn is helping students worldwide enter the world of networking with full support and assistance from major companies and corporations actively seeking bright and tech savvy graduates.

-Rachel

Canadians roar at Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions began in 1954, as the International Advertising Film Festival. Since it's inaugural year the festival, which was inspired by the internationally known Cannes Film Festival has grown from a festival with two categories to a festival with 18 categories and counting.

Today, in it's 59th year the festival has a new name, The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and boasts more than 28,000 entries. "The festival is the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals."(http://www.canneslions.com/about/) With over 9000 delegates from 90 countries it is "the world's biggest celebration of creativity in communications."(http://www.canneslions.com/about/)

This year the festival was held from June 17-23 and was once again a showcase for international and specifically, Canadian talent in the advertising and communication industry. Some of the major Canadian firms who were honored at Cannes Lions in 2012 include:

JAM3
Tuxedo
Blast Radius
Grey Group
Cossette
JWT
LG2
Taxi
BBDO
Leo Burnett
Cundari
Lowe Roche
DraftFCB
DDB

Each of these firms was awarded either "Gold, Silver or Bronze in a variety of categories- including two golds in the new mobile award segment."(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/five-canadian-cannes-advertising-winners-you-should-see/article4368322/#gallery_4048=1)

Both gold lion statues were awarded to Toronto based firm Cundari for their mobile pain app, Pain Squad, for Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. The app was created to allow young patients to record exactly how they were feeling on a daily basis. Each patient was given an iPhone with the app installed and was reminded via an alert to record their pain twice daily. To help motivate the children further, Cundari integrated a series of motivational videos as well as a reward system featuring prominent Canadian celebrities from the television shows Flashpoint and Rookie Blue. The app has been so successful for Sick Kids Hospital that it will soon "roll-out into four other Canadian hospitals and will soon be made available everywhere."(http://www.canneslions.com/work/2012/mobile/entry.cfm?entryid=8544&award=2)

See the video below or click on the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsl9NjyVpHY to discover the reason behind the app and exactly how it works! It is an amazing way to help kids deal with painful cancer treatments!

-Rachel