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Life in Rooms for Rent in Kingston Ontario: Managing a Big Workload

How to Manage a Heavy Workload in University You may be surprised when you start university at just how heavy your workload is. If you’re also trying to manage other commitments (such as a part-time job, extracurriculars, or even just an active social life), you could find that you struggle to fit everything into your schedule. However, just managing your time better can go a long way toward helping you cope. Here are some strategies to consider. 1. Skim Readings Whenever Possible Instead of reading every text in depth, skim them to find the important parts. If you own the books, you can highlight sections and return later to read them in more depth. Alternatively, you could mark pages with sticky notes or write down page numbers in your notes. 2. Develop a Shorthand for Note-Taking Taking notes is essential, but it can be time consuming, even if you write or type fast. Spend less time on note-taking by summarizing just the key information, and avoid writing in full sentences. To shorten your notes further, use abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols — just make sure you’ll understand what you meant later. To avoid confusion, consider creating a reference key. 3. Reduce Distractions Tell the people you live with not to disturb you at certain times of the day to fully focus on your studies. Turn off push notifications on your phone and fight the urge to check social media or do anything unrelated to your schoolwork. Whenever possible, you may even like to turn off the internet on your laptop. 4. Ask for More Flexibility from Your Job If you have a part-time job, talk to your employer about your difficulties balancing work and studies to see if you can come to an arrangement for a more reasonable schedule. You may be able to receive certain hours off or reduce the length of your shifts to free up more time for your studies. In addition, it may be possible to receive time off when you have a big assignment due or right before an important test, provided you tell your employer in advance. 5. Study Fewer Credits Each Semester It’s tempting to try and graduate as early as possible, but you’ll only be hurting your grades and making yourself stressed if you take on more classes than you can handle. If you try all the above and you’re still struggling to cope with the heavy workload, the solution is to take one or two less courses. There may still be time to drop a class without consequences. Otherwise, you’ll need to use this semester as a learning experience and take less next time. If you’re unsure what you can handle, talk to an academic advisor about which courses have the lightest and heaviest workloads. Together, you can determine when would be the best time to take your required classes and which electives are likely to best suit your schedule. You’ll find it much easier to manage a heavy workload if you have a place where you can study in peace. For this reason, many university students move out of dorms after their first year and into apartments. If you’re looking for rooms for rent in Kingston, Ontario, there’s Foundry Mack. You’ll gain the full university experience by living in a student community, but you’ll also have your own private bedroom. Join our waitlist to be the first to hear when a suite becomes available.

Life in Student Accommodation: Kingston Ontario Job Options

The Best Summer Jobs for College Students For many college students, summer break can be a time to relax or spend time with family. But for many others, it means looking for a job or working. That’s because college is expensive, and it makes sense to look for ways to earn money to cover your tuition and living expenses. If you don’t have experience, you may wonder what you can do to earn money while in college. Fortunately, there are plenty of summer job opportunities that fit college students without advanced education or experience. Even better, many of these summer jobs for college students are available near options for student accommodation. Kingston, Ontario has many jobs available that pay good money, for instance. This means spending less time commuting to work and saving more money. Here are some of the best summer jobs for college students. 1. Dog Walker There’s nothing more rewarding than walking a dog. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors, get some exercise, and bond with an animal. And the best part: you get to make money while having fun with a furry friend. All it takes is some experience of handling dogs and the time to walk the animal. Typically, you’ll get paid a fixed amount per walk, depending on the area and the distance walked. 2. Landscaper Few summer jobs appeal more to college students than landscaping. It’s physically demanding work and an outdoor job, both of which are enjoyable. Plus, a landscaping job is a steady, reliable way to earn money. You don’t have to have a formal education to get a landscaping job. People hire landscapers for their experience. If you don’t have landscaping experience, you can start as a “labourer” and work your way to doing actual landscaping. 3. Farmhand Farmhand is not something many people are willing to do because it involves getting your hands dirty. But if you don’t mind that, working as a farmhand is a great way to earn a decent income. You don’t have to be a farm pro to get hired as a farmhand. Most farms hire people to help with general labour, such as cleaning and maintaining stables, repairing fences, walking cattle, and so forth. 4. Lifeguard Lifeguarding is a great summer job for college students with swimming experience and CPR training. It usually pays well and involves very little actual work. You can sit on a beach or at a waterpark, wear a swimming suit, and look for swimmers who might need help. 5. Camp Counselor Many organizations offer summer camps for kids and young adults in areas like sports, music, art, and technology. This is an excellent opportunity for college students, as the organizers need camp counsellors to oversee the campers. You’ll also lead the activities at the camp, have the children participate, and get paid. 6. Paid Intern Many companies offer paid summer internship programs for college students. These usually involve working for a few weeks during the summer. Internships are great for college students who want to gain experience and earn money. 7. Receptionist Receptionist jobs are among the best summer jobs for college students because they require little experience, pay well, and can be done part-time. As a receptionist, you’ll answer phones, file papers, take messages, schedule appointments, and greet guests or customers. This means you’ll also gain admin and customer service experience that can open more employment opportunities for you down the line. 8. Retail Sales Associate Working at a retail store during the summer can be a great way to earn money and gain customer service and sales experience. In addition, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door. Depending on your performance, the store management may offer you better opportunities and more perks.

Thoughts in Student Housing: Kingston Students Reap Benefits from Performing Arts

How a Performing Arts Class Could Benefit Your College Career It’s quite likely that one of your options for an elective is a performing arts class. While it may not be immediately obvious how such a class could be beneficial, this is actually a great option — no matter your major — for several reasons. Here’s how performing arts could help you become a more well-rounded student, job candidate, and individual. 1. Learn Creativity Creativity comes in a variety of forms — one of which is how you express yourself in different situations. Taking a performing arts class will allow you to explore this creativity without judgement. You can carry over the creativity you learn to all aspects of your life, including academics, your career after college, and your personal relationships. 2. Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills Performing arts gives you a blank canvas to do as you please: options of how to tackle each assignment are almost endless. This will teach you how to approach problems you face in life and to find original solutions. 3. Practice Collaboration Working with others is something college students often struggle with more than anything. It’s much easier to be fully accountable for your work than to need to rely upon others. Plus, knowing that others are relying upon you can be just as uncomfortable. For this reason, it’s helpful to jump at any chance you have to practice collaboration and to improve this skill. Since performing arts rarely involves working independently, this class can be hugely beneficial in preparing you for collaborative work throughout your career. 4. Act on Feedback Another thing college students tend to find challenging is utilizing constructive feedback. It can be disheartening to receive a lower grade than you expected, especially when your professor makes multiple points about where you went wrong. In fact, receiving a great deal of feedback is a blessing in disguise — when you know exactly what you need to do to improve, you have a much higher chance of receiving a high grade in the future. Performing arts is unique in that you are physically expressing yourself. Plus, your teacher will often give you feedback in the moment, allowing you to adjust your performance. It will be obvious to everyone if you are trying your hardest, which should motivate you even more. If you apply this approach to your other classes and to the feedback you’ll undoubtedly receive once you start working, you can expect to be much more successful in college and in your career. 5. Gain Confidence Performing in front of others will give you confidence. You’ll often feel unsure about how the audience will react, which can be an anxiety-inducing experience. With time, though, you’ll learn to let go of expectations and accept any response. You’ll know that you did your best and expressed yourself in a way that may have resonated with some people but not with others. No matter if you’re dancing, acting, or performing in some other way, you’ll be able to apply the confidence you gain through your class to all sorts of settings. For instance, you can use this sense of self-assurance when giving a presentation, speaking at an event, or even advocating for yourself. 6. Enhance Your Focus If you struggle to stay focused for extended periods of time, you may find a performing arts class particularly helpful. After all, it’s difficult to be anything but fully engaged in the activity. This should teach you how to gain the mindset to block distractions, which you can apply in a variety of other situations. Performing arts assignments often involve group work that you need to prepare outside of class. A great place to do this is in your student housing. Kingston students at Foundry Mack receive a spacious suite and are also welcome to head over to our sister property to use amenities like the clubhouse and rooftop patio. Apply for a room now while spaces are still available.

Success in Student Rentals: Kingston, Ontario Internship Tips

How to Line Up a Great Summer Internship Some students are required to complete a summer internship before they can graduate, but internships are also beneficial to anyone who wants to gain work experience and explore their career options before they finish university. The problem is there’s a lot of competition for internships. The last thing you want is to settle for something that doesn’t match your goals, lead to useful connections, or help you discover more about what you find interesting. At the same time, though, you need to avoid being too selective — there are many internships that could be ideal for you. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you line up something great. 1. Research Your Options You can find internships advertised in all sorts of places. A good place to start is the career centre at your university. Since the companies who advertise here will have specifically chosen to work with students at your university, you may have better odds of landing a position. Plus, the staff at the career centre will know exactly what you need to do to increase your chances. Your career centre can also put you in touch with alumni. Many employers like to offer opportunities to students from their alma mater. In addition, you may be able to talk to recent graduates about the internships they completed to hear about their experiences and find out what they recommend. Outside your university, you can look for internships on job sites (particularly those that specialize in jobs within the industry you want to enter). Alternatively, if there’s a company you’d love to work for, contact the hiring manager to ask about internships. 2. Prepare Everything You’ll Need To improve your chances of success, start preparing early. Begin by updating your resume, including keywords that employers will be searching for. You’ll need to tweak your resume slightly for each internship, but it should be basically the same for every application. You’ll also need a unique cover letter for each application. You can receive support from your career centre for writing cover letters that highlight the qualities that make you perfect for the internship and express your interest in the company. Finally, check your LinkedIn profile to ensure it mentions all your relevant experience. Employers will likely Google you even before they offer you an interview. 3. Apply by the Deadline Keep track of deadlines, as each internship will be different. Make a note of when you need to send applications and when interviews take place. In addition, add reminders to your calendar to reach out to the companies if you haven’t heard back by a certain date. You’ll need to have somewhere you can live over the summer while you’re at your internship, which means you also need to start looking for student rentals. Kingston, Ontario, has the student community at Foundry Mack. You’ll have a modern apartment with fast internet and top-of-the-line appliances, including a washer and dryer. Apply for a lease now before it’s too late.

On-Campus vs. Off-Campus Student Rentals: Kingston, Ontario Differences

How Is Living Off Campus Different? If you’re feeling the downsides of living in student residence, you may be wondering how things would be different if you moved off campus. Actually, there are some major differences between the two options — and it’s important to be aware of them to come to an informed decision about what is right for you. Here’s what sets living off campus apart from staying in a dorm. 1. It’s Cheaper Off-campus housing tends to be less expensive than student residence. Whatever your budget, you should be able to find suitable housing. Plus, there’s no need to pay for a mandatory meal plan. 2. You Have More Privacy Often, living on campus means sharing a room — typically with a stranger. Furthermore, you share common areas (such as bathrooms) with a large number of other students. In an off-campus rental, you usually have your own room. Plus, you only need to share the living room and kitchen with a few other people and a bathroom with a maximum of about two roommates. 3. The Atmosphere Is Quieter Student residence is rarely peaceful. With loud roommates, other students dropping by, and neighbours making a racket, it can be difficult to stay focused for long. This can be a problem if you’re studying a challenging major. Living off campus means you’re much more in control of noise levels, and there’s never any need to find somewhere else to study. 4. Apartments Are More Spacious On-campus housing tends to be cramped and only the bedroom feels like your own space. When you search for an apartment, though, you can find a place with the amount of space and types of rooms you require. For instance, many students like to have a large living room for entertaining and enough kitchen space for preparing meals. 5. You’re Independent Living in student residence can make you feel like you’re still not an adult. There are rules to follow and you’ll be spending all your time at university. On the other hand, having your own apartment will give you a sense of independence. It’s a good opportunity to learn how to take care of yourself — which you’ll need to know after you graduate. 6. You Have More Choice Everything is decided for you when you live on campus — from what room you receive to who you share with. Living off campus allows you to decide on your priorities. You can choose the location and style of housing, how many roommates you want, and much more. 7. It’s Another Way to Live the College Experience Some students worry that living off campus won’t give them an authentic college experience. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. If you decide to share with other students — or, better yet, move into an off-campus student community — you’ll have all the same opportunities for socializing. It’s clear that the better choice is to live in student rentals. Kingston, Ontario, has Foundry Mack: a student community right near campus and downtown. Both furnished and unfurnished units are available with three or four bedrooms and you have access to great amenities through the Foundry Club. Apply now to secure the floor plan you want.

Setting Goals in Student Rentals: Kingston, Ontario Students’ Guide

A Guide to Goal Setting for a New Semester A great way to start each new semester is to set goals for how you want to do better. However, when you sit down to write out your goals, you may find your mind goes blank. If you’re stuck for ideas, choose from some goals that are relevant for almost all university students. 1. Exercise on a Regular Basis Create a workout schedule — and make sure you stick to it. University is a great time to discover more physical activities you enjoy. There’s likely a gym on campus, intramural sports teams you can join, and casual fitness classes you can attend. If you find it too tiring to do one long workout, build up your fitness level by adding more activity to your day, such as short walks, stretches, and quick exercises. 2. Use Your Phone Less Wasting time on social media will mean you have less time available for the activities that matter. Put your phone out of reach while you’re studying and set time limits for social media, games, and other addictive apps to encourage you to cut back. 3. Improve Your Class Attendance You should only skip class if you have a good reason, such as if you’re sick. The rest of the time, aim to attend all your classes — including when you’re not in the mood. You’ll benefit from being able to take your own notes and having the chance to ask your professors about any doubts. 4. Stick to a Sleep Schedule You’ll find it easier to meet many of your other goals if you sleep enough. By going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, you’ll consistently sleep enough and improve the quality of your sleep. 5. Choose Your Extracurriculars Carefully You have a huge number of opportunities to become involved in clubs, organizations, and other activities while at university. Whereas these can be fulfilling, teach you new skills, and give you the chance to expand your social circle, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Be selective when committing to extracurriculars to ensure you still have enough time for schoolwork and other responsibilities. 6. Work Toward Your Career Goals As well as setting goals to improve your life now, you need to think ahead to the future. Consider what actions you can take now to move closer to meeting your career goals. Just reminding yourself of what you want to do in the future can be useful for keeping you motivated when studying and push you to do the best on your papers and exams. 7. Find Time to Relax All your academic, social, and work commitments can mean you rarely have the chance to just relax. However, finding time for your hobbies is important for avoiding stress and staying happy. If you’re particularly busy, it may be worth marking time on your calendar for relaxing activities like reading, art projects, and journaling. If you're currently living on campus, one more goal to include on your list is to find student rentals. Kingston, Ontario, has the ideal housing for busy students at Foundry Mack. To ensure you’ll be comfortable, our suites are all fully furnished and come with top-of-the-line appliances, including a washer and dryer. Plus, you’ll be less than 10 minutes from campus and only a short walk from downtown. Apply now to secure the lowest rates of the year.