By: Mitali Chaudhary
It’s time for sweatpants, bruised-looking under-eyes, and the I-just-woke-up hair: it’s midterm season. Luckily, exactly 95.87% of the stress can be avoided this year by these helpful DON’Ts for the midterms.
There’s no use in rationalizing the hours you plan to spend on Netflix, or convincing yourself of the reason you need to watch one more episode. You know it in your bones that there’s no way you’re stopping at “one more episode”.
2. Take five-minute Facebook/Tumblr/Reddit breaks.
They’re never five minutes long – the range is more like one to two hours – and you know it. It’s no use even getting on those sites in the first place because they suck you in. No one enjoys that soul-crushing post-surfing oh-my-god-I-wasted-so-much-time-on-the-internet guilt either but we all still do it. Because this activity is so addicting, it’s better not to engage in it in the first place, since we clearly get transported into another dimension where time always breaks the speed limit.
3. Put yourself through six-hour, no-break study blitzes.
Especially the night before the midterm. Although it may seem like a good idea when it first crosses your panic-stricken brain, it’s an extremely counter-productive practice. On average, the human brain can focus on a single task for no more than a stretch of 45 minutes. Taking short, frequent breaks while studying gives the brain some time to absorb what it just learned and gets it ready for another informational onslaught.
4. Become a total hermit.
Sitting in your room all day, only coming out to forage for food, is tiresome. We’re on the edge of Cootes Paradise! Taking short walks and getting some exercise into your schedule improves concentration, gets the heart pumping, and is a good way to spend a study break. It’s also a nice change of scenery—fall is beautiful at McMaster and it’s worth venturing out for before winter comes our way.
5. Procrastinate.
Okay that sounds like the most “duh” DON’T, but avoiding it is the best way to succeed during any time of the year. Dividing your hours up into study and break time as well as time to eat and sleep (good nights of sleep are key!) will help you focus on one thing at a time and keep you on track. Honestly, the hardest part about this is making a realistic schedule—you just have to stick to it afterwards, which is pure willpower. The feeling of satisfaction that comes with completing all your tasks in a day is worth it, I promise.
And with these five tips, as well as some smart studying, you’ll be able to breeze past midterm season with ease to face the more dreaded finals. You’re welcome.
McMaster allocates $1 million to blended learning courses
David Wilkinson, Provost and Vice President (Academic) of McMaster University announced on Sept. 9 the allocation of $1 million towards creating ten new blended learning courses over the next two years.
The courses will focus on online learning, while also providing students with experiential opportunities to apply what they’ve learned online.
“We are working with the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning and working the faculties, investing quite heavily in a number of those kinds of courses,” said Wilkinson. “Five different faculties are going to be engaged in this. The Faculty of Science in particular will be leading the way.”
As well as in the Faculty of Science, blended learning courses will be offered in engineering, business, social science and humanities. The new blended learning technique will mainly be used to develop first-year courses.
A portion of the $1 million allocation will be set aside for MIIETL to develop tools to measure the effectiveness of blended and online learning strategies.
“There is evidence that providing students with different pathways to learn is effective. There is certainly lots of evidence that transfer of knowledge through lecture is a particularly ineffective approach […] to transmitting content,” said Wilkinson. “One of the areas where McMaster wants to lead through MIIETL is actually the development of evidence around [types of learning].”
In addition to the blended learning courses, McMaster has received funding from the Ontario Online Institute to develop seven online courses. These courses will be offered in both first-year and upper-level courses.
“We are going to focus more on blended learning than on purely online content, but we are developing online in a number of different ways,” said Wilkinson.
The Ontario Online Institute is a project that aims to provide online learning opportunities for students in Ontario, eventually enabling students to take online courses at different universities and apply the credit at their home school.
A video short by Video Editor Colin Haskin
No one ever tells you how to move on after Welcome Week. Maybe you met some new friends, maybe you met some old friends, or maybe you met no one at all (which is totally okay!). No matter your Welcome Week experience, adjusting to the academic grind is always a hassle. The transition is hard - it's tempting to soak in the last days of summer, and midterms are far off on the horizon - making it easy to fall behind. But fret not. Here are three quick points to help you get into university life again no matter what year you are in.
The school grind gets busy fast, so it's easy to get overwhelmed and feel that there isn't time for extracurriculars beyond what you're already involved in. Wrong! It's all about time management - trade those endless hours on Netflix and explore your interests. Be willing to get involved, and take initiative, something only you can decide. Spending time with like-minded people can help keep you grounded even if you are all a bit more introverted or shy. If you do decide to get involved, the newly released MSU Clubza service is an excellent way to catch up on any clubs you may have missed. Better yet, get involved with us here at The Silhouette.
This is easier said than done. Everyone has a story of how procrastination put them in an awkward situation, yet very few people ever take the effort to prevent it from happening again in the future. Again, your time management skills will be tested as you attempt to prioritize what is important to you. Find a balance between academics, hobbies and your inner socialite. As a general guideline, a balanced lifestyle leads to more happiness and a better state of mind. Plan for the unexpected - like the unavoidable all-nighter - but leave room for life as well.
This common phrase does well to paint a perfect picture of health. With help from the Peer Support Line, someone is always there to listen to anything you may face, and psychologists in the Student Wellness Centre can help through counselling. Mental illness is serious business, and seeking the advice of professionals can definitely help. No matter is too small, and someone will always be there in times of need.
A Pulse gym membership is not required for a sound body, but it can help. The stress of being new to the gym is one that is quickly vanished once the realization that there are a lot of new people, as well as staff members who are more than willing to listen to any question you may have. The Student Wellness Centre also has physical-based services such as weight management, screening for sexually transmitted infections, birth control options, general health counselling, and anything else you could think of related to keeping your body in good health.
By Julieta Rodriguez
Recently, I have started filling out my Master’s applications, and it made me think about how little contact I’ve had with professors in my four and a half years of university. I was asked for two references to enter graduate school, and quickly realized that my choices were very limited—after all, the people I’ve had the most contact with have been my TAs. They’re the ones who know my work and my writing style, my strengths and weaknesses, and my grades.
So I thought, how can I ask a professor for a good recommendation letter if most of them barely know who I am?
I don’t mean to say that professors are to blame for this—I mean, they do hold office hours, and most of them try to encourage students to meet with them and email them with any questions or concerns.
However, most professors hold one or two office hours per week, and when they do encourage us to meet with them, only have time to do so for about half an hour. While it’s understandable that they’re busy, I think this is the reason why most students don’t care about their educations. We all know that we have to go through the system to get a piece of paper that shows we’re qualified for whatever job we’re after, but few people actually go to school to learn.
I only decided that I actually care about doing well in school sometime in the last year. With classrooms being so huge, I always felt completely anonymous—no doubt, a feeling that almost all (if not all) students have in their first few years of university. This meant that I was too nervous to participate during lectures, and even more so to meet with my professors one-on-one. It’s easy to feel like your education doesn’t matter when you stop being ‘Julieta’ and you start being ‘0861562’ in a class of 300.
Further, it is rare for students to seek out real help with their writing or coursework. In English and Philosophy, we’re constantly expected to improve our writing, but it’s often difficult to discern exactly what it is that we must improve; no doubt this is true of other programs. The problem is the lack of attention to the needs of individual students’ strengths and weaknesses.
I think that in my first few years of university, a lot of my hesitation in visiting professors during their office hours or meeting with them about improving my writing came from the fact that somewhere in my mind I knew that if I was a number without a face or name, at least I wouldn’t feel so embarrassed if I did poorly on an essay or assignment—after all, I didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of people with PhDs.
This brings me back to the unapproachability of professors. I think a lot of us are so intimidated by the person teaching us, that we are too afraid to seek help. This was certainly true for me—and for that reason, my writing only drastically improved in the past year and a half along with my marks. Before that, I more often than not felt completely discouraged.
How can I want to continue school if my professors don’t even know my name? If they don’t really have the time to sit down with me for as long as it takes and help me refine my writing?
We all hear professors tell us not to be afraid to speak to them during office hours or to make appointments, but then again, we know that if every student in every class were to follow that advice, professors would have no time for anything else.
In a sense, then, that request always seems half-hearted because we all know that there aren’t enough hours in the day for a professor to meet with every single student, in every single one of their classes, about every single assignment, test, project, exam, etc. so they cannot possibly mean it when they urge us all to see them or email them anytime we need help.
How are we, then, to improve our skills? How can we become more invested in our own educations without the undivided attention of our instructors?
I wish I could say I’ve found the answers, but short of having professors run all tutorials, or have all first, second, and third year classes be like fourth year seminars, there doesn’t seem to be a viable solution.
By Tyler Welch
I’ve got a proposal that I believe could alleviate a great deal of pain and suffering from the lives of students and faculties alike on this campus. Let me paint a picture for you.
It’s 12:27 p.m. and you are speeding through hoards of young students on your way from MDCL to TSH for a 12:30 p.m. class. You think to yourself, “Of course, I’ll maximize my travel efficiency and cut through the Student Centre. This way I can make it to class on time!”
Now, you’ve had trouble with this before. Getting from class to class can be tough during the lunchtime rush on campus. Another tardy and your prof might make some kind of snide or sarcastic remark upon your arrival. “Once again, Tom?” “Is your watch not working today either, Beth?” Imagine it. You could never handle that kind of embarrassment - a terrible episode of public humiliation. This is your driving force as you weave in and out of nurses and engineers, duck under plates of pizza, and spin around briefcase-wielding faculty. All seems well. You are nearing the stairs, only a few students and the Arts Quad stand between you and your successful pursuit of punctuality. Suddenly, the student in front of you slows down – he/she is trying to text and walk at the same time. You must slow your pace as well. You’re trapped in a prison of low-speed walking all because this guy/girl has been unable to master a simple skill - maintaining walking speed while simultaneously drafting and sending a text message.
I know, it is a vivid and horrifying image but sadly, thousands suffer from similar circumstances every year. Something must be done.
McMaster should construct some sort of training area or practice facility. This simulation venue would be created with similar characteristics of many Mac buildings - doors, walls, chairs, garbage cans and other students. A more advanced facility could even be set up to mimic situations with a higher difficulty level like food areas and bus stops. The idea would be to produce a benchmark of text-walking standards. Upon entry to McMaster, each student would be required to take a simulation test in each of the practice facilities - nothing too rigorous, just a replica of a simple, every day scenario. A student might have one chance at the first test and be allotted two chances on the more advanced test. If this student passes each round everything they can continue on with their education with no more thought or hassle. However, not all will fare well. For some, this is a difficult undertaking. For these students, a short training program would be compulsory.
This would be an amazing step in the right direction. Furthermore, a kind of infraction system could be implemented. Anyone who is found stalling others in the hallways a certain number of times would be required to take a refresher course on texting and walking.
Not only will this be an amazing way to relieve pain and suffering from the student body, but great for the local economy. We would be creating jobs - trainers for the practice facility, overseers to enforce the infraction system. The list goes on.
I am not suggesting anything too drastic or radical, just a simple solution to a common problem. Of course, this is just a thought - an off-the-cuff comment on an important issue. There will be more brainstorming. This is only the beginning.
Summer jobs are a rapidly diminishing commodity. What's in store for Mac students?
Amy Thackeray
The Silhouette
Employment is an essential part of student’s life in either high school or in post-secondary education. In high school, students try to obtain part-time jobs in order to save money for their future university fees. Post-secondary students mostly seek full-time summer employment because they need to support themselves and be able to keep up with the upcoming demanding fees for their education.
The student employment rate has been decreasing, which poses a threat to the future of students planning to attend a post-secondly institution. Obtaining some form of employment can be an ultimatum for some students, because without that income they cannot afford to go to school.
Students every year search to find summer employments that will help them survive the payments associated with university. However, the unemployment rates have been rising for students attending post-secondary schools and high school. According to statistics Canada, the unemployment rate over the summer months for students aged 15 to 24 was 17.2%, up from 16.9% the year before. The 0.3% increase may not seem as substantial increase of unemployment, but that little increase indicates there are fewer students able to get jobs, and therefore fewer students able to afford post-secondary schools.
If unemployment rate continues to increase each year, then more and more students will not be able to attend post-secondary education each year. As a result, students may have to resort to borrowing money from banks or the government. The increase in tuition fees associated with high loans imposes a financial burden on students after graduation to repay their loans, and thus leads to lower saving rates. Therefore, the increase in unemployment has a long-lasting consequence for students.
As a student, I understand the hardship students go through in order to obtain summer jobs. Before attending post-secondary education, I went through a lot in order to obtain a summer job. I had a lot of pressure from my parents to obtain summer employment and I put a lot of energy into the job hunt, but I failed several times. Finally, I gained a job that was two hours away from my home. I worked as a house and grounds keeper at a cottage, and came home every weekend in order to see my family and friends. The only reason I received the job was because I had connections where I worked, or otherwise I would have been unemployed and forced to attend post-secondary school with no saved money. Thankfully, I am of the select few that have parents who are able to support my education fees, but most students do not have that luxury.
As students become more desperate for employment, many seem to point the blame at companies for not having student employment opportunities available, but these companies are trying to make money in this hard economy as well.
A solution is needed that will make an impact on student employment. The government has made some efforts to address student unemployment, but clearly they are not enough, because there seems to be an increase in student unemployment.
Instead of placing blame, a cohesive plan is needed that will assist student employment, and thus make attending school more feasible. Employing students is only going to help the government in the long run, so I do not see why finding a solution would be such an issue. I think that post-secondary schools should do their part to help students receive jobs and give them more opportunities to learn skills that would help their job search. Many students do not receive jobs because they do not know how to skillfully handle interviews. All in all, there are many things that can be done in order to help students that want to get an education and have better lives for themselves, and I suggest we take action now.
If this setting doesn't excite you, you may want to reconsider your choices.
Erin Chesney
Silhouette Staff
That time of the year is coming up when students are forced to come out of their safe McMaster bubbles and face that scary, unknown future. Some will have to make tough choices about what they will attempt to pursue. Whether you are debating graduate schools or considering undergrad courses, it is important to make sure that whatever you decide, you are truly and sincerely happy.
I went to a high school where the social hierarchy was a little unconventional; as opposed to ‘jocks’ and ‘cheerleaders’ ruling the school, it was the students that were smart, hardworking and committed to an abundance of the extra-curricular that were deemed ‘cool.’
Due to this set-up, I was put in a very tough position. I always pride myself off my work ethic and wanted to choose a path that reflected that. So when it came time to choose courses and decide my fate at the all-knowing age of 14, I came to what seemed to be the most logical conclusion. I was going to be a doctor.
Why a doctor? Well, in my school, all the smart kids wanted to be a doctor. Now, I am not saying that I am a follower, for I have always been very committed to being a leader in everything that I do. There were two main reasons why I chose this profession. The first being that I have much respect for doctors and have always dreamed of pursuing a profession that makes a profound, positive impact on the world. The second and perhaps more relevant reason was that I also believed that I had the ability and determination to be in the same ranks of my intellectual peers, and if that meant being a doctor, then I was prepared to commit myself to being an outstanding one.
To summarize: I believed I was smart. Smart people become doctors. Aspiring doctors take science courses all through high school and university. Therefore, logic dictated, I was to immerse myself into the wonderful world of science.
Have you caught the flaw to my thought process yet? It took me five years of struggle and frustration to figure out why I hated my academic career so much. My first misconception, partially due to the context of my high school, is that there is no shame being in a non-science program. The world would not be able to function efficiently if there were only doctors. There are so many other respectable jobs that can highlight one’s intelligence, and no one should ever feel that they have to pursue a certain occupation in order to prove their self-worth.
My second and more significant problem was that I was not trying to do what I loved. I was a horrible science student, and it was not because I did not put in the effort. In high school, I had a regular lunch date with my chemistry teacher, and in university my go-to hangout spot on campus was the biology office in BSB. I did hours of reading, and I did every practice question. I even attended academic counseling at the Health and Wellness Centre (an amazing resource if you are ever in need of academic or personal assistance).
Everyone’s mind functions differently, and it become more clear to me that my brain could not handle science. Consequently, becoming a doctor seemed to become more and more unrealistic (not to mention the fact that I faint at the sight of blood, but that’s an entirely different topic).
The breaking point for me was in the summer, when I was trying to take a physics course. Being a prerequisite for my program at that time, I thought that having all my focus on one subject would provide me the opportunity to thrive. However, after hours on end of studying, I sat down at a midterm that possessed questions that were completely foreign to me. It was at that point I asked myself, why am I putting so much effort into something that I am getting no significant return from?
From that point on, everything changed. I changed both my program and major, and for the first time in my life started taking courses that I actually enjoyed. At no point during this past semester did I feel lost or overwhelmed. Yes, I did have to still work my butt off. But this time, the results of my efforts were finally tangible.
Do not let your family, your community or, in my case, your high school, dictate what you should do. In every class, regardless of subject, there are always students who have no interest in being there. In addition, there will always be certain students who work extremely hard but just cannot do well in a given course. If you are in one of those categories, maybe it is time to rethink your academic choices.
In addition, from a broader perspective, maybe we should be reexamining the expectations that adults in our society place on children. As the world develops there are a wider variety of jobs available. We should work to eliminate the assumption that there are only certain respectable careers. Maybe then, students will finally be able to enjoy school, not dread it.
