Blog Posts

Should You Have a Pet at University?

Perhaps you’ve always had pets at home and you know you’ll miss being around animals while you’re away at university. Alternatively, it could be that your parents never allowed you to have a pet and you feel like now’s your chance. Before you make the big decision to have a pet, though, there are a few things to consider. You’ll Have a Companion A top reason students choose to have a pet is they want a companion. Whatever happens throughout the day, you’ll have someone to come home to who will give you unconditional love. This is great for stress relief and for helping you feel less alone. It Will Be Expensive A pet will add to your expenses considerably . When you’re budgeting for a pet, you need to include more than the regular costs for things like food, grooming equipment, and cleaning supplies in your calculations. For instance, you’ll need to pay for regular checkups and vaccinations, buy toys and other items to provide your animal with stimulation, and be prepared for the occasional emergency vet bill. Making Friends Will Be Easier If you’re worried about making friends, a pet will definitely help. Talking about your animal will be a great conversation starter, and people will want to come over to meet your companion. Friends who are unable to have their own pets will love visiting you — and your pet will benefit from all the attention. Landlords May Not Allow Pets It’s harder to find housing if you have a pet. You’ll likely be unable to live on campus whatever pet you have, and some off-campus housing may have restrictions about what kinds of animals are allowed. For instance, you may be able to have a fish, reptile, or rodent, but not a cat or dog. Having a Dog Is Great Exercise If you are able to find housing that allows you to have a dog, you’ll have a reason to exercise every day. Most dogs have high energy levels, meaning you’ll need to go out a couple times a day. As well as going for walks, you can use your dog as a running partner or just enjoy playing outside together. You’ll Lose Some Independence A highlight of becoming a university student is the independence you gain. You’ll lose some of this if you have the responsibility of a pet. You can avoid the training phase (which comes with constant cleaning) by adopting an adult dog or cat or another type of animal entirely. However, you’ll still need to make sure you’re home at the right time to feed your pet, which may mean missing out on social opportunities. Plus, all animals need plenty of attention — you’ll need to find time for your pet every day in your busy schedule. If you want a pet because you’re worried about feeling lonely at university, a better option could be to move into housing where you’ll spend plenty of time with other people your own age, such as in student rentals. Oshawa has 17Hundred, located just a short walk from both Durham College and Ontario Tech. As well as hanging out with your roommates, you’ll be able to meet people at the fitness centre and games room. Apply now to secure your room today!.

How to Make University More Affordable

University can ultimately be a great investment — it may even be a necessary investment if your dream career requires a degree. However, at the time of enrollment, university can seem like a huge expense that you’ll never be able to pay off. The good news is there are ways to make university more affordable, whatever your situation. 1. Apply for Student Aid Start applying for student aid as soon as possible to maximize what you receive. This will ensure you don’t miss any deadlines — which is particularly important when the paperwork is complicated. As well as loans and grants, you may be able to find scholarships or aid as a reservist, protected person, Indigenous person, or athlete. 2. Earn Credit in Advance If your school accepts credit from other places, you may be able to reduce the number of classes you need to take. Most online courses for credit have a cost, since you need to complete a proctored exam at the end. However, they’re still more affordable than classes at university. For skills you already possess , you may be able to just take an exam without needing to study anything. 3. Enroll in an Undergraduate Diploma Program Depending on your goals, you may not need a full degree. An undergraduate diploma can prepare you for the job you want after graduation without requiring the time and monetary investment of a full degree. Plus, if you decide you want to pursue a degree later (such as when you’re in a better situation financially), you can top up the diploma you’ve already earned. 4. Buy Used Textbooks One of the biggest expenses for students after tuition is textbooks. Often, there’s no need to purchase new books, as students who have just finished the class will be selling theirs. If your campus bookstore sells out before you can snap up the textbooks you need, check online — just make sure you choose the right editions. An even cheaper option can be to simply borrow books. You may be unable to find the right edition in the library, but you can usually rent textbooks from a provider for a small fee. The disadvantage of this, of course, is you’ll have nothing to sell after you’ve completed your class. 5. Graduate as Soon as Possible It’s easy to unintentionally add a couple semesters to your time at university. You may decide to switch majors, enroll in more electives than necessary just for interest, or take time off to pursue another opportunity. Whereas all these can improve or enrich your university experience, they will end up costing you. Besides the extra expense of classes, starting your career later will mean more time when you’re not earning money and paying back your student debt. For this reason, you should think carefully about any big decisions you make and evaluate if they’re worth the eventual cost. 6. Work Part Time Finding a part-time job can help you pay off some of your student loans while you’re studying and can compensate for any additional time you spend at university. Plus, you’ll have something to put on your resume when you graduate. Just make sure you can fit a job into your schedule, especially if you’re taking as many classes as possible to graduate early. The last thing you want is for your grades to suffer because you’re trying to save money. Another big expense at university is housing. A more affordable option is Ontario Tech University off-campus housing from 17Hundred. Our student rentals have everything you need for a great college experience, including high-speed internet, fully-furnished bedrooms, and fantastic amenities. Book a video tour to see why you’d love living here.

8 Tips for Saving on Food Costs at University

Saving money doesn’t mean you need to eat cheap, low-quality food. There are plenty of ways to eat a healthy diet and still have plenty left over in your budget for other things. 1. Cook More Often Buying takeout is much more expensive than cooking your own meals. If you don’t know how to cook or you only have a limited repertoire, now’s the time to expand your skills. If you struggle to follow recipes, watch videos to see exactly how to prepare meals. Just make sure you start simple and search for ideas that use inexpensive foods. For instance, dishes consisting of pasta or rice with vegetables tend to be affordable and easy to prepare. 2. Make a Shopping List Always head to the grocery store with an idea of what you want to buy. If you grab whatever catches your attention, you’ll spend much more. Plus, you may end up buying food that you’re unable to use in a meal — and throwing out food is the biggest waste of money of all. You should only deviate from your shopping list when you find great deals on things you know how to use. It can help to go grocery shopping alone, as your friends may (often inadvertently) encourage you to pick up things you don’t need. Plus, you should make the trip soon after you’ve eaten, as everything looks tempting to an empty stomach. 3. Create a Meal Calendar To make sure you have everything you need but nothing more, plan out your meals for the week. Of course, it’s always difficult to use up everything, which makes leftovers inevitable. Prepare for this by coming up with ideas about how to combine the bits and pieces you’ll have left into a tasty meal. 4. Freeze Food It can be less expensive to buy in bulk, but this may mean you end up with more than you can eat or you’ll need to repeat the same few meals throughout the week. A solution is to freeze some of your food. You can either freeze ingredients or make several portions of a meal and freeze what you don’t need. This will help you save time as well as money. 5. Avoid Brand Names Many generic products are just as high quality as the products from big brands, but they cost considerably less . Be willing to try before you dismiss any generics — you may be pleasantly surprised. Plus, remember to check unit prices rather than product prices to make accurate comparisons between products. 6. Take Advantage of Discounts Find out if your local grocery store has a reward program for members. You may be able to save even more by registering as a student, by picking up coupons regularly, or by finding additional deals on the app for the store. 7. Drink More Water Water is not only better for you than virtually any other beverage, it’s also free. You’ll save a huge amount if you switch from soda, juice, or sports drinks to water. If you’re craving some flavour , a cheap way to jazz up your water is to add a couple slices of lemon or orange or to brew some tea and drink it cold. 8. Eat for Free Reduce how often you need to make your own meals by finding ways to eat for free. Events on campus tend to have at least snacks, whereas clubs frequently give their members pizza and sandwiches. These double up as great opportunities to socialize and meet new people. It’s much easier to save on food costs if you’re able to cook in your student housing. Oshawa students who live at 17Hundred receive a room in a fully-furnished apartment, complete with a kitchen and dining area where you can prepare and eat meals. You’ll also be able to pick up the food you want at the onsite 24/7 self-checkout grocery market. Apply now for the unit that best matches your needs.

Do You Have These Signs of Sleep Deprivation?

With so much happening in the evenings at university (and often continuing into the night), it’s easy to end up going to bed too late. When you have classes and other commitments in the morning, this can result in you gaining only a few hours’ sleep. Worse, if you need to pull the occasional all-nighter to meet the due dates for your assignments, you may find that you become sleep deprived. If you’re experiencing the following signs, you need to make lifestyle changes before you become burned out and your a cademic performance suffers. 1. Falling Asleep During the Day You may find that you fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as in class, on public transport, while riding in a friend’s car, or watching a movie. Furthermore, if you can barely finish your nighttime routine before you crawl into bed, you clearly haven’t been sleeping enough. 2. Difficulty Concentrating Being tired makes it harder to focus in class, on your studies, and during other activities. You may also find it takes you longer to complete tasks or you may struggle to understand complex concepts. This is one of the major reasons why studying late into the night tends to backfire over the long term. 3. Feelings of Anxiety Many people find college stressful at times. Add insufficient sleep and you may find that you’re more prone to anxiety and other mental health issues. This often turns into a vicious circle, as anxiety can make it more difficult to fall asleep at the right time. It’s important to at least give your body the chance to gain enough sleep by setting a bedtime you’ll stick to and engaging in relaxing activities before bed. 4. Increased Thirst A lack of sleep can impact your capability to stay hydrated, which you’ll notice by an increased sense of thirst. This is likely because you produce the hormone vasopressin during sleep, and levels will be too low if you don’t sleep enough. 5. Skin Issues One of the best things you can do for your skin is to get enough sleep. This is more effective than using expensive products, since it’s during sleep that your skin is able to recover from the day and produce collagen. In particular, sleep deprivation leads to dark circles and puffy, red skin around your eyes. 6. Physiological Signs Finally, you may experience some additional physiological signs due to insufficient rest. These include weight gain, increased appetite, aches in your body, and a longer recovery time from illnesses. It’s easier to avoid sleep deprivation when you have a private bedroom, separated from distractions. This is possible when you move into student rentals. Oshawa students can find comfortable housing at 17Hundred. You’ll still be around other students, but you’ll have your own space. Plus, since it’s just a short walk to both Durham College and Ontario Tech University, you’ll never be late to classes. Book a video tour to check out the amenities before you apply.

How to Strengthen Your Resume at University

Earning a degree will be a big boost to your career, but it’s not everything you need. An incomplete resume could make it difficult for you to compete with other candidates for jobs after you graduate. The good news is you can strengthen your resume while you’re still at university — here’s how. 1. Choose a Relevant Major Your choice of major will have a major influence on what jobs are available to you after you graduate. It’s crucial to avoid picking something just because it seems interesting or easy. Whereas your major should definitely be appealing, you need to think about what kind of career it could lead to. Furthermore, if you want to continue your education after earning your degree, it’s important to choose a major that covers all the core classes you’ll need before grad school. Your careers advisor can help you ma ke the right decision. 2. Consider a Minor You can also strengthen your resume by studying a minor. Your minor doesn’t need to be related to your major — something completely different could show that you’re an interesting candidate. Use your minor and electives to explore your interests and develop useful skills. 3. Learn Tech Skills One thing you’ll need whatever your career goals is tech skills. At a minimum, you should be able to use key software, such as for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as any tools that are common in your field. It’s even better if you know how to create a website, can use social media for marketing purposes, and have basic coding skills. If you’re unable to learn these at university, use online tutorials and add your knowledge under the skills section of your resume. 4. Work an Internship It can be difficult to find a part-time job in the field you want to enter, but internships often allow you to work for top companies in a role related to your career goals. Take full advantage of the chance to work an internship by applying for positions at your dream companies and doing your best once you start working. In particular, focus on building relationships with people at the company — later, they may be the ones who can write you references, introduce you to other contacts, or even offer you a j ob. 5. Run for a Leadership Position As soon as you start university, find out what clubs you could join — and be open-minded when signing up. You’ll be learning the ropes for the first year or two, but later you should feel confident running for a leadership position. This is great for showing that others trust you to manage a team, although it’s even better if you can show that you accomplished the promises you made when running for election. There’s no need to live on campus to be an active student. In fact, you’ll be much more comfortable (and able to achieve better grades) if you find an off-campus apartment. For Ontario Tech University housing, there’s 17Hundred. Our suites are fully furnished and come with spacious private bedrooms. You’ll have the chance to meet many students who could open up even more opportunities. Book a video tour to see the housing for yourself.

How Can Student Loans Affect Credit?

For many people, student loans are a necessity to be able to pay for university. Unfortunately, they mean you’ll be in debt after you graduate. Students often wonder how this will affect their credit scores. Will your student loan debt pose a problem when you want to make an expensive purchase (such as to buy a car or house) or if you need to take out loans to start your own business? Here’s what you should know. Student Loans Are Just Like Any Other Type of Credit In terms of your credit score, there is no difference between a student loan and any other type of loan. It can both help or hurt your credit score, depending on how you manage your finances. In other words, if you make payments in full and on time every month, your credit score will improve. On the flip side , if you often pay late or miss payments entirely, you’ll see a negative impact on your credit score. This will mean you receive terms with higher interest rates or may lose your eligibility entirely for loans and credit cards. Private vs Government Student Loans There are two main types of student loans: private and government. Which you choose to take out can have an indirect impact on your credit score. Student loans offered by the federal or provincial government can cover your tuition, textbooks, and living expenses. However, they may not be sufficient to cover all your costs at university because they are needs based. This means they are determined by factors like your income, whether you’re a full- or part-time student, the type of educational institution you are attending, and your savings. A major benefit of these loans is they don’t accumulate interest while you’re in school and they have a six-mont h grace period after you graduate. Typically, students should only turn to private student loans if they need more than they can receive in government student loans. You can take out a student line of credit, personal loan, or bank loan. Since you’ll need to make the payments straight away, you’ll need to have a source of income while you’re studying. For this reason, it’s risky to take out private student loans, since there’s a greater chance you’ll miss a payment. Understand the Implications It’s also important to understand the terms of your loan, especially if you have a private student loan, as the terms are often predatory. Defaulting on the loan will have a long-term impact on your credit score. If you’re struggling to make payments, you should also think twice before consolidating your government student loans with a private lender because this could mean you lose out on certain benefits. If you have any concerns, talk to someone in the financial aid office at your school rather than a lender who won’t have your best interests in mind. To limit the impact student loans have on your credit score, it’s important to keep the amount you borrow to a minimum. This means finding ways to either earn or save money while you’re at university. An important way to do this is to search for affordable rooms for rent. Oshawa students can find a home at 17Hundred. The all-inclusive rent covers all your utilities and WiFi to make budgeting easier. You’ll also have access to the yoga studio and fitness facilities to save on gym membership. Apply for a floor plan that meets your budge t and needs.