Western Life Hacks
1. Join a Club
While this is generally something you’d see on every university list, this is honestly the biggest and most important life hack for your university experience. There is no need to stress out about not having an amazing summer internship by the end of October as long as you’re productive with your time.
If you take advantage of one of the millions of clubs on campus and, even better, apply for an executive position, jobs will be incredibly impressed by your ability to manage your time and take on extra projects on top of your busy class schedule.
It may not seem worth it to pay that $10 to join a club. But these experiences will be ones you’ll remember for a lifetime. It’s the first time you’re able to take on responsibility in a professional setting and be one of the most beneficial ways to get a job post-university.
Besides, when else will you get the chance to work alongside all your best friends?
2. Academic Resources
While it can be intimidating to ask for help, Western truly wants you to strive to be the best version of yourself. With most of these resources being free, why not take advantage of them? If you’re struggling with grades or testing skills, the Learning Services Skills center is here to help.
Counsellors focus on helping students who want to improve their academic performance or learn new study strategies to help them achieve their goals.
However, if you feel more comfortable receiving help from a student, the Peer Assisted Learning service is a great way for you to learn from other students that have already completed the class.
This is a free service where you can discuss any questions or concerns about the class with learning peers. However, If you want help from the comforts of your own home, Wize is a great online resource for you to improve your grades.
They focus on offering exam prep courses completely tailored to your Western course. From practice quizzes to online videos, this is the best choice if you want to ace your exam.
Not to mention, every course purchased helps provide one month of free education to a student in India!
3. Follow the Rec Centre’s Twitter
If you’re a gym rat like me, you’ll probably be quite disappointed by the extreme mass of people that hoard the gym at all times of the day. Lucky for you, our Western recreation center has a Twitter page dedicated to sharing how many people are using the gym at any given time.
Their Twitter account updates every 30 minutes and shares how much free space is in the weight room and cardio mez. If you’re someone who likes an empty gym this is a perfect way for you to make sure you’re going at the best times.
4. MyHR for Student Jobs
Looking for a way to make a little extra cash? Lucky for you, there are other great ways to gain leadership experience than becoming an exec of a club. Western’s campus is always looking for amazing students to help run the bookstore, one of our amazing eateries, or the gym.
However, looking for these jobs is not always easy. MyHR is an online database that allows Western students and faculty members to find jobs right on campus. Jobs range from research assistants for certain programs to student dance instructors. This is a great option for students who want to make some extra cash without having to leave campus.
5. Western RideShare Facebook Page
If you’re someone who loves travelling around the GTA but doesn’t own a car, then Facebook’s Rideshare page is a great alternative for you! The page allows for students with a car to offer up spaces on their travels around Ontario. Think of it as a Tinder but for rides. People post on the page stating where they are going and how many spaces they have.
All you do is message them on Facebook and work out the pick-up and drop-off locations with them. Some people may ask you to pay for gas or for their time but hey, it’s cheaper than paying for the Vivarail. And there’s no better way to meet people than being stuck in a car with them for 2 hours!
6. Important Skype Interview? Rent Out a Private Library Room
Whether you’ve heard back from one or 50 jobs, interviews are always nerve-wracking. Video interviews are some of the hardest to do as it is difficult to make a strong first impression without a strong handshake or if you’re worried about sound quality.
While you may be thinking that a Skype interview is the best opportunity for you to do an interview in your pyjama bottoms, there are many important aspects to it. Not to mention, if you live with roommates it can be difficult to find a quiet area in your house or room to focus.
Luckily, our Western campus libraries have a variety of different study spaces that are built for individual or collaborative learning.
Booking one of these rooms is a great option for doing video interviews because they tend to block outside noise, have great lighting, and have a whiteboard for use. This makes sure you have a professional background, a good internet connection, and you will not be bothered during your interview.
Liked these tips? Follow us on Instagram for more tips on how to best #studywize.
Living on campus? Check out our video on the tips for living in residences.
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