Blog Posts

Tips for Touring Campus & Durham College Residence Options

8 Areas to Visit on a Campus Tour Taking a campus tour is crucial for helping you decide if you’d like to attend a particular college. To make the most of your tour, there are a few places you must make sure to visit. If they don’t form part of the official tour, go exploring on your own. 1. Facilities for Your Major It’s not enough to know that a college offers the major you want to study — you also need to check if the facilities are top class. Find out what kind of technology and equipment you’ll be using, check the class sizes, and see if you can imagine yourself studying there. 2. Areas for Extracurriculars When you’re not studying, you’ll often be participating in extracurriculars. In fact, social life at college is almost as important as earning your credential. Visit places on campus that hold meetings for clubs, activities, and unions. Depending on your hobbies, these could include the performing arts and sports facilities as well as the student center. 3. The Dining Area Have a meal on campus during your tour to try the food. While you’re in the dining hall, consider the atmosphere — this is a place where you’ll often be spending time with friends, whether to eat lunch or just to grab a coffee between classes. 4. The Career Center Although you won’t be thinking about your future career when you start college, it will become increasingly important as you near graduation. A career center with plenty of resources and supportive staff can make a big difference to how easily you’ll be able to connect with employers. In addition, the career center can help you find internships, practice your interview technique, and fine-tune your resume. 5. The Library The campus library is a top place to go when you’re studying and want a change of scenery. Check if it has comfortable places to sit, a wide selection of books and other resources, helpful librarians, and spots for group study sessions. 6. The Student Health Centre It’s important to know what kind of health care you’ll be able to receive on campus, including counseling services. Even if you’ve never suffered from mental health problems before, you may find you benefit from counseling at some point. College can be stressful — it’s always good to know you can turn to a professional with your worries and concerns. 7. Unique Features Every campus has something that makes it special. For instance, this could be a building with unique architecture, a statue, or a plaque. These features are great indicators of the institution’s values and culture. 8. The Surroundings You won’t want to spend your entire time at college on campus. Once you’ve finished your tour, explore the wider surroundings. See if there are interesting places to visit during the weekends and sites to show friends and family who come to visit. In addition, think about what kinds of activities you’d most enjoy. Living in a big city will give you access to museums, galleries, and restaurants, whereas a rural area will have more opportunities for outdoor pursuits like hiking, canoeing, and biking trails. You’ll likely see the dorms during your campus tour, but it’s important to remember you can also live off campus. An alternative to Durham College residence is Foundry 1805. You’ll be much more comfortable in our premier student housing than in a cramped dorm room: you’ll have a spacious suite with plenty of storage, updated appliances, and secure access. Plus, you’ll still be just steps from North Oshawa campus. Contact us to pay our student housing a visit on the same day as your campus tour.

6 Reasons to Get Out of Your OTU Residence & Enjoy the Outdoors

Why You Should Be Spending More Time Outdoors at University Most students have a fair amount of free time. Since you’re likely shut inside for many hours when in class or studying, an ideal way to use your free time is to go outdoors. The outdoors has so much to offer — from sports and hiking to a chance to connect with nature. Plus, you can enjoy activities on your own or with friends. Here are a few key reasons why you should be spending more time outdoors while you’re a student. 1. Few Responsibilities Other than your classes, extracurriculars, and perhaps a part-time job, you have relatively few responsibilities. As this is likely to change when you graduate and pursue a career, so take advantage of having minimal commitments now. 2. Long Breaks In addition to free time during the semester, you have long breaks. When you combine winter, spring, and summer breaks, you have many weeks of free time. These breaks are your opportunity to discover new activities that could become your hobbies for life. For instance, you could try skiing, kayaking, or mountain climbing. It will be more difficult to discover such passions later when you have only a few vacation days a year. 3. Take Advantage of Student Discounts Some activities are expensive when you take into account equipment rentals, admission prices, and transport. However, they can be significantly cheaper when you’re at university, thanks to student discounts. If you find an activity you love, you could even purchase the necessary equipment now at a reduced price to make it more affordable to continue after you graduate. 4. Develop Important Life Skills A major benefit of spending time outdoors is you’ll maintain or improve your fitness levels. In addition, you may be able to learn other important skills for life. For instance, by taking a survival skills course, you can learn how to build a fire, create a shelter to spend the night, and administer first aid. 5. Reduce Stress University can be stressful at times — perhaps even most of the time. It’s important to find ways to relax. Spending time outdoors, especially by being active, can be a great way to reduce stress. Going outdoors is a chance to forget about your worries and step away from things that lead to overstimulation, like screens, noise, and crowds. 6. Improve Your Physical Health Being outdoors can also have an effect on your physical health. Leaving the city will mean you’re breathing cleaner air, which can help control asthma and allergies caused by pollution. Spending time in the sun can improve your sleep, whereas exposure to the microorganisms of nature can boost your immune system. Lastly, you may find you’re more motivated to exercise when you’re outdoors than if you go to a gym. You can meet new people to go with you on outdoor adventures at the student community at Foundry 1805. Our alternative to OTU residence is not only within walking distance of campus, it’s also close to Niagara Park, Camp Samac Outdoor Pool, and other great places for nature and outdoor activities. Book a tour to check out your new home.

Life in Shared Accommodation: Oshawa Students’ Job Hunting Guide

What You Can Do Before Graduating to Ensure Career Success Earning a degree is important, but there’s much more you can do to ensure you’re successful in your search for a job after you graduate. In fact, there are several steps you can take while you’re still at university. Here are a few to get you started. 1. Have Clear Career Goals When you interview for positions, employers will ask you about what career you ultimately want to pursue. Having an answer to this question will show the interviewer that you’re the right person for the role. Spend some time now researching what you can do with your degree and possibilities you may like to pursue. 2. Gain Relevant Experience To stand out from other graduates and compete with candidates already in the workforce, you’ll need to have some experience on your resume. Furthermore, it will be helpful if this is relevant to the position. For instance, you may need additional skills you won’t learn in the classroom. You can gain such experience by working a part-time job, doing an internship, or volunteering. It may be worth contacting companies you’d like to work for to see if they have internships or volunteer positions available even if they have nothing advertised. 3. Start Networking Employment will also help you network, which could be crucial to finding a job in your desired field. You should also take advantage of other opportunities to network, such as job fairs and events with guest speakers on campus. Finally, bear in mind that other students, professors, and faculty members could all become valuable contacts after you graduate. 4. Seek Support for Crafting a Resume Take your resume to the career center on campus and ask for advice on how to improve it. When you’re creating your resume, imagine you’re applying for a particular position to tailor it to your career goals as closely as possible. Remember, you’ll need to tweak your resume each time you do apply for a position, such as by changing keywords and highlighting specific skills. 5. Improve Your Social Media Presence Employers may search for you online before they even invite you to an interview. Make sure they’ll like what they see by cleaning up your online presence. The first thing to do is delete anything that presents you in a bad light — you could even set some of your personal profiles to private. Next, update your LinkedIn profile and any social media accounts that are relevant to your industry. You may even like to make your own website, such as for an online portfolio. 6. Strategize for the Months After Graduation There’s no guarantee you’ll land a job in your field immediately after graduation. Figure out how long you’ll be able to survive without work — you may decide you need to take a part-time job or an internship while you search. In addition, come up with ideas that will help you find a job faster. This could include methodically searching job sites on a regular basis, attending job fairs and networking events, keeping a record of the positions you’ve applied to, and dedicating time every day to sending applications. Another important thing to do before you graduate is learn how to be independent. To fully develop this skill, you need to live in off-campus housing. Since renting an apartment on your own may be too expensive, a great solution is shared accommodation. Oshawa students can rent a private or semi-private bedroom in an apartment at Foundry 1805. All the units are fully furnished with updated appliances, granite countertops, and plenty of in-suite storage. Book a tour to check out the housing for yourself.

Life in a Room for Rent: Oshawa Near OTU English Major Career Ideas

8 Unexpected Jobs for English Majors If you enjoy writing and reading literature, you may have decided to major in English. Unlike some other subjects, English doesn’t lead to a few specific careers, which can cause students to worry about what they’ll do after they graduate. In fact, you have numerous options. In addition to some of the more obvious (like English teacher, journalist, or librarian), there are some unexpected choices that may resonate with you. 1. SEO Specialist An alternative to journalism that also involves plenty of writing is as an SEO specialist. The job requires adapting content to improve rankings for websites in search engines. You’ll need to add keywords in a way that sounds natural and make pieces more readable, such as by removing the passive voice, adding transition words, and reducing repetition. In addition, you’ll need to learn about the ever-changing technical side of SEO, which means being comfortable with technology. 2. Secretary A job you can pursue straight out of university before you have much work experience is as a secretary. In addition to people and organizational skills, jobs tend to involve a large amount of writing, such as for taking notes and writing emails. For this reason, employers often like to hire English majors. Ideally, you should search for secretary jobs in a sector you find interesting — for instance, a job at a publishing company could lead to work as an editor in the future. 3. Social Media Manager If you spend a lot of time on social media and are familiar with all the major platforms, you may like to pursue a career as a social media manager. Business owners will find you to be an appealing candidate because they can trust you to craft compelling posts with the correct grammar. 4. Product Namer The best product names are catchy, descriptive, and often puns. Not just anyone is able to craft such names — this is the job of a product namer. As an English major, you are most likely witty and creative, making this a perfect option for you. 5. Audiobook Narrator Many English majors would love to be able to make a living by reading. This is possible if you become an audiobook narrator. The work tends to be freelance — but the good thing about this is you can find projects reading books you enjoy. To succeed, you’ll need to have good inflection and be able to read aloud for long periods of time without making mistakes. 6. Event Planner Planning for events requires a great deal of written and verbal communication, as you need to coordinate with vendors and venues. If you’re also well-organized, creative, and a good leader, you should find you thrive as an event planner. 7. Tour Guide Use your writing skills to develop scripts you can use to give tours of a place you know well, such as your hometown or the city where you attended university. Whereas hourly wages tend to start low, the best tour guides receive plenty in tips. 8. Psychologist If you’re looking to continue your education after you’ve gained a degree, one area to consider is psychology. You’ll likely need at least a master’s, possibly a doctorate, but you’ll be well prepared if you’re empathetic and understand human behavior — things you’ve likely learned through your extensive reading. As the job market can be competitive, it helps if you graduate with a good GPA. This means studying hard throughout your time at university. However, it can be difficult to focus on complicated texts and to write elaborate papers when you’re living on campus — you need your own space where you can have peace and quiet. You can find all this in a room for rent. Oshawa, near OTU, has Foundry 1805. As well as your private or semi-private bedroom in a fully-furnished suite, you can use our study rooms whenever you want. Apply today for our lowest rates of the year.

Summer Wellness Tips for Durham College Residence Students

How to Prioritize Your Wellness This Summer Colleges often emphasize the importance of paying attention to your mental health during the semester, but it’s equally important to prioritize wellness over the summer. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do too much, whether you decide to work, find an internship, or take summer classes. Plus, even when you’re relaxing, you need to make sure you adopt healthy habits. In particular, there are a few things you should do. 1. Find Time to Relax It can be hard to make the adjustment from having a full schedule to suddenly having a huge amount of free time. You may feel compelled to fill your time with new activities, but it’s also important to relax. Besides, a full-time commitment over the summer could mean you miss out on other experiences, such as summer programs or opportunities to travel. If you need to earn money, consider if working part time would be enough. For instance, you could offer tutoring or childcare for a few hours a week. 2. Talk to a Counselor If you normally have regular sessions with a counselor on campus, you may like to seek out mental health services over the summer. In fact, this can be extra important while you’re away from the structure of your regular routine. Find someone you can talk to about any negative emotions, worries, or concerns about the future. 3. Eat a Balanced Diet Being active over the summer means you need to eat enough to compensate for all the calories you’re burning. However, it’s important to refuel with healthy foods. You may even like to use the summer to improve your cooking skills, especially if you have family members who can help. You’ll benefit from these skills when you return to campus in the fall, as you’ll be able to prepare delicious meals that make you feel good and will suffer from less stress knowing you’re not overspending on food. 4. Exercise on a Regular Basis Even though you may be away from the gym on campus, you have no excuse to end your exercise regime. You can work out for free by doing bodyweight exercises at home, going for a jog or hike, or riding your bike around town. If you don’t always have much time to spare for exercise, do some intensive cardio workouts. 5. Drink Alcohol in Moderation Although alcohol can help you feel relaxed in the moment, drinking in excess can have multiple negative effects. Find ways to have fun over the summer that don’t involve drinking. Where you live also makes a big difference to your wellness. You’re much more likely to maintain good mental health if you’re living in an apartment with great amenities than if you have a cramped dorm room on campus. An alternative to Durham College residence is Foundry 1805. Our apartments have spacious bedrooms, updated appliances, and granite countertops. Plus, all residences have access to our community amenities, which include study rooms, onsite laundry, and even a wellness center. Book a tour to see how living here will improve your time at university.

OTU Residence Life: What to Do When You Forgot an Assignment

What Should You Do If You Forget an Assignment? One of the biggest differences between university and high school is you no longer have anyone reminding you that a due date for an assignment is coming up. If you struggle with organizational skills, there’s always the risk you’ll forget until it’s too late. This is a stressful situation, but there are things you can do to rectify your mistake. 1. Tell Your Professor What Happened It may be tempting to make up an excuse, but your professor is unlikely to be sympathetic if it’s clear you haven’t even started working on the assignment this close to the deadline. It’s better to be honest and say you forgot. If possible, meet with your professor in person, such as during office hours. Otherwise, send your professor an email. 2. Approach Your Professor the Right Way No matter whether you’re writing to your professor or meeting in person, you need to be polite, keep your message brief, and show maturity. Explain your situation and make it clear the fact you forgot is no reflection of your attitude toward the class or due to laziness. Make sure you apologize, then ask if there is anything you can do to prevent a failing grade. Your professor may ask you to submit whatever you can for partial credit. If you’re lucky, though, your professor may give you an extension to submit a few days late. 3. Mention Any Valid Reasons for Forgetting Due dates are important at university because they prepare you for the real world where you’ll face deadlines all the time. However, the occasional slip-up can happen to anyone — and if it’s never happened to you before, your professor may be lenient. You may be able to further strengthen your case by mentioning any valid reasons for forgetting. For instance, you may have confused the due date with one from another class or written it down incorrectly. Alternatively, you may be overwhelmed by too many commitments, have problems in your personal life that distracted you from your studies, or have missed classes due to illness, leading you to forget about the assignment. 4. Take Steps to Prevent It Happening Again You’ll definitely encounter challenges if you constantly forget about assignments or miss deadlines for other reasons. To avoid forgetting a future assignment, you need to figure out the underlying issue. If you’re disorganized, the solution may be as simple as investing in a planner and creating a study schedule to work on assignments long before their due dates. Alternatively, you may need to take fewer classes each semester or work fewer shifts at your part-time job to make your schedule more manageable. To stay organized, focused, and committed to your academics, one thing you definitely need is your own space. Move out of OTU residence and into an apartment at Foundry 1805. You can choose between private and semi-private bedrooms and a range of floor plans to suit your budget. You’ll still be living around other students and be just steps from your classes, but you’ll be much more comfortable in your spacious suite. Book a tour to check out the apartments and amenities for yourself.