Getting to Know Our Students: Carla Correa

My name is Carla Correa and I am currently a third year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science double major in Exceptionality in Human Learning and Teaching and Learning French as a Second Language. Until my first year at UTM, I lived in Caledon, Ontario, for my entire life and I attended Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School.

I chose the University of Toronto Mississauga because not only does it have an incredible Concurrent Teacher Education Program (CTEP), but it is also a world-renowned University. UTM has a beautiful campus, an infectious positive vibe and a strong sense of community. All of that was just a short distance from home!

I have to admit, things have been busy from the start of the semester. There is no time to waste because there is so much to see and do on campus. This includes buying and reading books, studying for tests, completing assignments, and of course partaking in all the different on campus events, as well as joining clubs.

My personal goal is to try to participate in something new every year.  Last year, I was a Residence Don for first-years students, a member of the Japanese Society for Erindale students (JSES), and I became a Student Ambassador for the Admissions and Recruitment Team in the Office of Registrar. This year, I decided to join the Tri-campus Women’s Soccer team and become a volunteer with Community on Campus to assist individuals in the Mississauga community with an intellectual disability.

As a UTM student, sport teams are fantastic because you are given the option of joining Intramurals, Division 1, Tri-campus or Varsity teams. These options grant you the opportunity to pick the level of competition you are comfortable with and commitment you are willing to make. Furthermore, coaches are extremely flexible because they understand the busy life of a student and have the mentality that training comes second to academics.

As a Community on Campus volunteer, you can provide support to individuals with a disability for as little as an hour per week.  For those who have a passion for this field of work or those who are determined to contribute to our greater community in Mississauga, this is one of the many examples of the amazing opportunities to take advantage of on campus. Getting involved with UTM simultaneously assists in the development of the skills and experience you need for your resume and future career while building relationships that will last a lifetime.

Signing up for extracurricular activities has enriched my overall university experience. It is thanks to the distinguished and approachable faculty, the dedicated staff members, and my own peers that I feel a connection with my school that runs deep.  The community feeling I fell in love with has yet to fade away, and it is for that reason that I know that pursuing higher education here at UTM was by far the best decision I ever made.

Best of luck to all of you writing your second last set of high school exams :)
Keep working hard and don’t forget those profiles due Feb. 15th my CTEP friends!

Carla Correa

Carla Correa is from Caledon, Ontario and is a a third year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program. She's pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Exceptionality in Human Learning and French Language Teaching and Learning and a minor in Biology. She's part of the Residence Life Staff as a Residence Don. She loves zip-lining and playing volleyball, basketball and soccer.

Welcome to 2013!

Eleven days into the New Year and the winter semester has begun! At this point of the year, students have begun the collection of their syllabi. Yes, the syllabus, the dogma of the university student’s existence. Here lie the scores of dates, assignments, midterms, and final exam.

Welcome everyone to the year 2013 – a new year and a new semester!

My name is Maria and I’m a fourth year student here at the University of Toronto Mississauga. I’m studying an English Major, French and History Minor. The end of this semester will mark the end of my academic career. Yes, graduation! Oh the feeling of almost being done is nerve-wracking and exciting! After university, I’m planning on attending teacher’s college and eventually become an elementary school teacher.  When I’m not doing homework and essays, I’m volunteering at Big Brothers and Big Sisters, reading books other than my assigned readings, and attempting to sketch.  You will always find me at home, because I’m a “home body’ and proud of it! I love spending time with family and friends, partaking in random excursions from cross border shopping to anything, really!

It’s my last semester, but graduation is not on my mind –I’m making sure that I stay focused on my classes and finish them with a bang! This term I’m continuing my year course, ENG322: Fiction up to 1832, and starting fresh with HIS306: The Cold War, FRE382: Advanced Language Practice III: Written, and ENG352: Canadian Drama. As you can tell, these classes do not have anything to do with each other, but nevertheless, I’m excited and prepared to be in them! These classes are the last of my program requirements, and yet, I’m still uneasy. This semester you’ll find me with my laptop always checking my student account to make sure that I’m taking all the right classes for my final year. Fortunately, the Office of the Registrar gives students two weeks to decide their fates each semester. If we make a mistake in choosing a course or if we want to take it the next year, we can always drop a course and get a full refund.  It gives us the opportunity to make sure that we made the right decision in taking that class, and I’m glad that we always have that option at the beginning of a new semester!

While it may be my last semester, it only seems like yesterday that I was applying to university. I was nervous and just as my obsession with checking my student account for graduation, I continuously checked my OUAC to see if there were any responses. Don’t worry if no one has responded yet, it’s normal for schools to respond around March or May. Just double check that you applied to the schools that you want to attend, because the deadline to apply is January 16^th! Finalize your decisions and just work hard to maintain your marks.  You’re almost done!

In preparation for your upcoming exams, my best studying tip for you would be to pretend to be teaching the class, explaining every bit of detail that your brain can handle. Not only will this help you for your exams, the information will stay in your head. Understanding the concepts is a key part for those dreaded exams!  Also, just make sure you make room for study breaks, because they will help you to better absorb the information that you’re studying. Maybe go on a little walk, have a snack, watch an episode or two of your favorite television show, or meditate. Trust me— it always works like a charm!

Wishing you all good luck on your exams and final assignments! Just stay organized and focused, and you’ll get through this and soon be on to bigger and better things!

Maria is a fourth-year English Major, French and History Minor student here at UTM. She grew up in Oakville, Ontario and went to St. Ignatius of Loyola. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, painting, drawing and volunteering. Why UofT? I chose this school because education has always been an important aspect of my life, and why not go to a school that's world renowned for their research and their exceptional education, right?

The end is near

Hey everyone!

The last week of class is finally over which means exams are slowly getting closer. Luckily we have a study break before the exam period to catch up and review everything! It is extremely tempting to close the books for now and not worry about them until the day before the exam, however to prepare yourself for success and prevent a mass amount of stress, it is in a UTM student’s best interest to start organizing and reviewing now.  For example, the way I like to use my study period is to set aside a few hours a day and take lots of breaks so I avoid cramming.  UTM also has numerous facilitated study sessions and groups which allow students to meet with other students in the same class and ask questions.  Also, making a schedule of the week will help you make time for friends, organizations you may be a part of, and breaks of course!

Something else to bear in mind is to be productive when you take breaks from studying. What I mean by that is, when you are not studying, be sure to finish everything that is not academic-related (i.e laundry, checking emails, calling your parents, etc.) during that time so you avoid procrastination. This is a skill I learned when I realized that the root cause of my procrastination was due to the fact that I could not focus on my academics because I was thinking about everything else I had to do.  I have three exams for this session, with my most challenging on the last day of the exam period, so I am fortunate enough to have an entire month to study.

At this time, there are other things to be thinking about besides studying.  This is the time to be applying for summer jobs and internships. A great resource that advertises all the available positions on campus and more is the Career Centre Website.

Additionally, many students are in the process of making the decision to live on campus or off-campus.  It is challenging when it comes to selecting who you would like to live with and where for next year. However, UTM Student Housing and Residence website can help with your decision-making with the 360 Rez Tour and the Places4Students link!

In summation, study and when you’re taking a break, why not search the web for summer jobs and a place to live? Seems like a smart idea to me! :)

Catch ya later,

Carla

Carla Correa is from Caledon, Ontario and is a a second year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program. She's pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Exceptionality in Human Learning and French Language Teaching and Learning and a minor in Biology. She's part of the Residence Life Staff as a Residence Don. She loves zip-lining and playing volleyball, basketball and soccer.

How to procrastinate at U of T Mississauga

Salutations Reader,

My name is Jason and I am currently a third year student studying both psychology and biology. I’m here to discuss my student life, but before I go on I find it impossible to not bring up how nice your hair looks today. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way it’s time to get back to what’s really important: myself. So how has my student life been? What a great question to ask, as I’m sure it has been on the mind of many of you.  Truly it has been a busy time of year. There are tests to take, assignments to write, and soufflés to bake. So with all these academic-based things that I must complete by the end of the year, I naturally have spent most of my time this week procrastinating. Because of this, I have decided to dedicate this blog to show a prospective student how to procrastinate at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

The first step to procrastinating at UTM is finding the internet, which should be really easy since wireless internet is available all over campus. Once you have located yourself online you can now spend your hours watching hilarious videos of cats. Don’t enjoy cats? What about dogs? Really any animal doing cute things should keep you busy for a while. They even have a website dedicated to baby zoo animals called “zoo borns”, who could resist such a website?

Once you have grown tired of searching cute animals it is time to find a new activity to procrastinate with. I would suggest the campus student center. Here you can pick from a variety of activities - maybe going to the pub for a bite to eat, performing some break dancing (I’m really good at break dancing), or indulging in a sweet jam session (the UTM music club holds weekly electric/ acoustic jam sessions in the student center). These are all really cool ways to spend your time distracting your mind from that upcoming test that is happening this coming Friday.

Ok let’s recap our day of procrastination so far; first we surfed the campus wireless internet, then went for a bite to eat and finally we displayed our amazing guitar skills to the UTM music club. Now unfortunately it is that time of day where I realize that I really need to get work done. Procrastination is great, but it can only get you so far. So it is time to head to your favourite study spot on campus and get some work done. For me that place is the picnic tables located beside the Credit River - I know, very fancy and romantic. So now that you’re situated in the nice spring air with your laptop it’s time to get work done!

Jason Summers is a third year student working toward an Honours Bachelor of Science with a Double Major in Biology and Psychology. He lives and works on residence as a Don and happens to be pretty good with a guitar.

Happy March Break!

Happy March Break Everyone!

I hope you are all taking some time to relax, catch up on sleep (or homework), or travel somewhere warm with your family (if that’s the case, I’m jealous!)

We just finished our Reading Week, which means we are officially half way done our second semester!  That also typically marks the end of major midterms, which means the beginning of PAPERS! I have realized that students usually fall into two categories – they either enjoy taking tests or they enjoy writing papers. I do not really enjoy taking tests, but for the most part I find writing papers much more enjoyable! At first, writing papers may seem a little bit intimidating, because they are quite different from papers in high school. In reality however, you will get used to writing them in no time and you may even start to enjoy it! If you do struggle however, not to worry, there are many services available through the library that can help you through the process.

Besides papers and outstanding assignments, March is usually the busiest month of the year with everything wrapping up before the final exam period. Besides school, there's also clubs, teams and student organizations coming to a close which means lots of events are happening all around. It is probably my most and least favourite month of the school year!

But enough about us here, back to you guys! I know my March Break in Grade 12 was spent touring the Universities that I had applied to with my Mom. I loved getting to see the different campuses and discovering what it was that I was looking for in a University environment. I found what I was looking for when I came to visit UTM. I got a chance to meet and talk to one of the first year Psychology professors, who was really easy to talk to (despite the fact that I was really nervous) and he gave me some great advice about where my degree in Psychology could lead me in the future. I loved how green the campus was and was happy to find that it was easy to navigate. I remember being so amazed when I saw the deer roaming around on the paths, and now I am so used to it! The student life fair allowed me to see all of the unique ways that I could get involved outside of the classroom. I also got the opportunity to take a tour of Residence and was really impressed with the single bedrooms, the friendly student staff of Dons and PALs (who reminded me a bit of my past camp days, which I loved) and the easily accessible food options. Looking back now, I am definitely pleased that I chose to come to UTM!

Have a great March break and hope to see you here at some point!

Madison Peters is a fourth year student working toward an Honours Bachelor of Science with a Double Major in Psychology and Criminology and a Minor in Sociology. She lives and works on residence as a Programming Assistant for one of the Community Development Coordinators. 

A jumble of thoughts

We’re nearing the end of the school year and all I can smell are days of summer!  Unfortunately April examinations stand between the students and freedom.  The examination period is one that is reoccurring, for ‘we have to fight [this] battle more than once to win it’.¹ You’re probably wondering why I cited a quote… well that’s because at the University of Toronto Mississauga you have to cite all work that you reference!  Haha! Seriously.  Plus I thought I’d brush up on my referencing skills, for essay due dates are approaching.

As deadlines become pressing and the end of the term and semester nears, I have hunkered down and am slowly progressing into hermit mode.  By Hermit mode I mean sit in the library and study!  Library hours during the exam period are 24/5, so it’ll be good knowing I can stay as late as I want to finish up my work.  With the added stress I have also tried to increase my visits to the RAWC gym here at UTM from 2 times a week to 3 times a week!  It can be stressful balancing your academic life and personal life but remember that university is a learning process. 

In my first year I found it extremely tough to see my friends and family, work, and do well in school –  all while balancing full course load.  However, after 3 years of practice I am happy to say I have an idea of how to do that now.  Joke!  It is important to set a schedule for yourself and try and abide by it, but most important is to know that your schedule can be turned upside down at any time.  Personal schedules should be flexible and realistic. Prioritize what is important to you and you’ll see that the hard work everyone is always talking about pays off when you put it toward your own interests.

I am currently focused most on school, family, friends, and health and juggling them can get tough.  Many students at university don’t take much care of themselves health wise – mentally or physically – but it is very important to do so because we put our bodies through so much stress. The reason I choose to stay physically active is because I love to eat junk and when I’m studying all I do is eat!  However, that balance must be maintained and so I play hockey and go to the gym and try and keep it routine. 

To end my jumble of thoughts, just remember to stay organized, prioritize, keep focused, and stay safe!  And remember to have your pets spayed or neutered.

Arvind Singh is a fourth year student working toward an Honours Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biology and a Double Minor in Chemistry and Mathematics. He plays rugby and boxes. These days, you are most likely to find Arvind in the library.







Margaret Thatcher. BrainyQuote.com, Xplore Inc, 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretth127095.html, accessed March 2, 2012.

University Student Survival Kit

When students transition from high school or college into university, they often ask, “what’s the difference?” There’s a lot of change, but the biggest adjustment is always balancing the freedom with the responsibilities. The last thing you want is to show up to a class and everyone else is ready to write a test, and all you can think is, “what test?!” Keeping yourself on track with readings, assignments, tests, and appointments can be difficult, so I have devised a University Student Survival Kit! These are the things that I have found that I am lost without…

1. Student Agenda
   Luckily, you will not have to purchase one, as all Student Unions across the University of Toronto will supply you with one at the beginning of the school year.
   
   Students will organize their own in a multitude of ways, but I have found that if I write down my tests, assignments, and their % weight the moment I get my Syllabus on that first class of the semester then I don’t have to remind myself later on. It’s a good idea to colour-code as well, so my tests are always in red, gym classes in orange, work in green, etc. It’s a great idea to jot down the readings for your classes over the weekend to prepare yourself for the week ahead.
    
2. Writing Tools
   At the bare minimum, bring a pen to class. A back-up pen would be nice, especially on test days. There’s no reason to bring a giant pencil case, but one or two pens, pencils and highlighters should be more than enough.
   
   There will always be people in class who think you are a school supply store and that you will always have pen, pencil, extra piece of paper, etc. for them. If you bring just the one or two, then you don’t have any extras to give away and potentially lose!
   
   A clipboard with lined paper has been my choice for 5 years because it’s easier (and lighter) than carrying around multiple binders. Then, all you have to do is put the notes in your binders when you get home!
   
   FOR EXAMS: BRING 3 PENS, 3 PENCILS and a functioning eraser. It is AMAZING how many people forget to bring pencils to a multiple-choice exam and rush to the bookstore right before their exam. Rookie mistake…
    
3. To Laptop Or NOT To Laptop
   Laptops wind up being a huge distraction (what with Facebook, Pinterest, EBay, online games, etc.), so as a senior student, I would strongly suggest leaving your laptop at home, or at least in your bag during class. It is great practice to type up your hand-written notes after class as review. If you don’t feel like lugging a computer around all day, the library is stocked with many laptops you can borrow, and there are lots of desktop computers available.
    
4. USB Key
   If you don’t like the idea of carrying around a computer, this little technological piece of genius will save your tush! It’s a great idea to keep documents that you access frequently (like course syllabi, your resume and cover letter, assignments-in-progess, presentations, etc.) close at hand. It’s just another way to always be prepared and avoid disasters!
    
5. T-Card and Bus Pass
   Your T-Card is your Golden Ticket on campus. You’ll need it to get into the gym, take out or request books at the library, pay for printing, even purchase food on campus (if you load it up with a Meal Plan). Your T-Card is MANDATORY at exams as it acts as your identification, so don’t forget it!
   
   One of the great advantages of UTM is that the Bus Pass is hugely subsidized, so your busing fees are less than $100 for the academic year, and included in your Additional Fees. It’s so easy to hop on one of the many buses that come into campus.
   
   Let’s not forget our handy-dandy shuttle buses! The two shuttle buses bring you to Hart House on St. George campus or to Sheridan College, all with a simple scan of your T-card if you are a UTM student. Otherwise, shuttle bus tickets are $6 at the Student Centre.
    
6. Reusable Water Bottle
   UTM recently installed filtered water fountains all around campus, so you can grab some fresh, cold H20 on your way to class or gym! Having water in class is way more refreshing than coffee, and that way you don’t need to worry about coffee breath as you share some seriously insightful thoughts in class. The bookstore often sells reusable water bottles for really cheap during their “secret sales” as well, so pick one up, rep UofT, and get your 8 glasses a day!

Happy Reading Week, everyone!

  

Emily Johnston is a fifth year student in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program. She is working toward both a Bachelor of Education and an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Double Major in Teaching and Learning French as a Second Language and English. She has loved her time at UTM for the small campus life and opportunities to get involved.