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How to Shop for University on a Budget

It’s no secret that university is expensive. In addition to tuition, you’ll need to pay for books, school supplies, housing, food, and all the things you use on a daily basis . To ensure you still have spending money left over when you arrive at university, here are a few things you can do to save money when shopping for school. 1. Write a Shopping List You’ll always end up buying more than you need if you go shopping without a list. Your school may have provided you with a checklist of things to purchase , but there will likely be some unnecessary items on the list. Think carefully about what you need by considering what you already own and perhaps talking to friends who are already at university. It’s also worth coordinating with roommates to ensure you bring all the essentials without doubling up. 2. Shop During Sales The thought of going off to university is exciting, and you may want to start preparing as soon as possible. However, it makes sense to wait until the back-to-school sales begin. You’ll be able to pick up many items you need for a lower price during this time, including stationery, notebooks, clothing, and even electronics. 3. Look for Student Discounts Stores and brands offering products that students need frequently offer student discounts. Always ask if any products have a special price for students to make sure you’re getting the best deal. 4. Avoid Products Aimed at Students Even though you’ll be looking for stores that offer student discounts, you should often avoid products that are specifically aimed at students, as you’ll likely be paying a premium. There’s nothing special about bedding, a desk lamp , or a throw rug marketed toward university students compared to regular products. 5. Consider Durability It can be tempting to purchase the cheapest options you can find, but if this means a product will have a shorter lifespan, you’ll ultimately end up spending more. Try to find a balance between quality and cost. 6. Make Your Own Apartment Decorations You’ll want to make your apartment feel like home, but there’s no need to buy fancy decorations. In fact, homemade alternatives could give your apartment more of a unique flair. For instance, you could make picture frames for photos, artwork for the walls, or a DIY jewelry organizer. 7. Borrow Instead of Buying Whenever possible, rent instead of buying. This is a great option for anything you may not need after you graduate, including textbooks and small appliances like a microwave. Not only will you save money, you’ll have less to transport when you move. A key way to save money is to search for more affordable rooms for rent. Oshawa students can find comfortable housing within walking distance of Durham College and Ontario Tech University at 17Hundred. The apartments are fully furnished and the rent is all inclusive, meaning there’s no need to worry about budgeting for furniture, utilities, and WiFi . Book a video tour to see our student housing for yourself.

5 Strategies for Setting Goals for a New Semester

A new semester is a great time to set goals that will lead you to study better. Your goals should be as specific as possible to allow you to check that you’re on track for meeting them, and they must be possible to achieve. With this in mind, any of the following could be a great starting point for a goal this semester. 1. Stop Procrastinating If you regularly find that you’re staying up all night to prepare for exams or you finish assignments right before their due date, the likelihood is you have a problem with procrastination. Instead of feeling like a test or paper is something to worry about far in the future, begin early. Set a goal to study consistently to avoid a rush at the last minute. 2. Keep Up with Readings It can be especially easy to put off readings until later, as you may feel like you’ll always have time to catch up. However, you’ll gain much more from your classes and be better prepared to write papers if you’re up to date with readings. This is because you’ll only retain everything you read if you pace yourself. Most importantly, never leave readings until right before a test. To do well, you need to be reviewing your notes and reminding yourself of material rather than learning anything new. 3. Regularly Review Your Notes Talking about reviewing your notes, this should be something you do on a regular basis. Mark a time on your calendar to review notes for each of your classes. Don’t consider this an optional activity — it’s crucial for helping you retain information in the long term. 4. Improve Your Class Attendance Aim to improve your class attendance by a certain amount. Ideally, you should be going to all your classes to make the most of your education; however, this may not be possible due to other commitments. Nonetheless, it’s definitely a useful goal to have if you’ve been skipping classes because you see them as optional or you don’t like waking up early. By attending more classes, you’ll find that you understand the material better, which will result in higher grades. 5. Find Some Great Study Spots Commit to finding a few great places where you can focus on your studies. Having more than one place will mean you can fit in a short study session wherever you are — whether that’s on campus, in your student housing, or around town — and it will keep things interesting by giving you a change of scenery. Of course, not all your goals need to be about studying: another could be to find better housing. An alternative to living in Ontario Tech University residence is 17Hundred. You’ll have a room in a fully-furnished suite in a building located just a few steps from campus. Plus, we have a range of onsite facilities that you need for a great university experience, including a yoga studio and fitness facilities, dedicated study spaces, and places where you can socialize, including the TV and games room. Book a video tour to see it for yourself.

How to Become Your Own Best Friend at University

Whereas you will have a support system at university (including your academic advisors, professors, friends, and even family back home), you will need to learn to be independent. It’s up to you to ensure you stick to a schedule to keep up with homework, maintain your living space, and stay healthy. To succeed with all these things, you may find it helpful to become your own best friend —  here’s how. 1. Prepare for the Move to University You’ll need to start preparing for university even before you arrive. For instance, you should begin packing to avoid forgetting anything. This means buying items you don’t own, writing a list of what you’ll need to bring, and figuring out how you’ll acquire textbooks — you can purchase them new, buy them used from other students, or use a rental service. 2. Think Carefully About the Classes You’ll Take Creating the right class schedule for you is important now and for the future. Right now, you need to ensure you have a balanced schedule — a mix of classes to keep you motivated and enough free time for your other activities. However, you need to think about the future to make sure you’re meeting the requirements for your major and taking enough classes to graduate within the timeframe you want. 3. Stay Organized A big challenge for students starting university is suddenly being responsible for every aspect of their lives. Unlike at high school, no one will remind you to complete your papers by the due date, check that you’re attending classes, and make sure you attend the extracurriculars you signed up for. If you work a part-time job, you may also need to keep a note of your shifts. All this requires staying organized. You’ll need to find a method that works for you, whether that’s a digital calendar, physical planner, or organization app. Trying to remember everything in your head, though, is a recipe for disaster. 4. Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle Before university, the likelihood is your parents made sure you stayed healthy. Now, it’s up to you to be disciplined — by eating a healthy diet, sleeping enough, and staying active. As a result of a healthy lifestyle, you’ll see improved academic performance, have more energy, and be less likely to fall ill. 5. Stick to a Routine Having a routine is also a great way to stay healthy. It can ensure you stick to a bedtime, eat at regular intervals, and make time for daily workouts. Other advantages of a routine are that you’ll stay up to date with assignments, avoid arriving late to class, and always have time for relaxation and fun — even when you have a large amount of homework. 6. Decide Where You Want to Live It’s completely up to you where you want to live. Although students often start their time at university living in a dorm, this is far from your only option . In fact, you’ll be more comfortable if you live in off-campus housing where you have your own room and much more space. It also tends to be much more affordable, especially when you factor in the lack of a meal plan. For Ontario Tech University housing, you won’t find a better option than 17Hundred. Our all-inclusive rent includes utilities and WiFi ; plus you’ll have access to some great onsite amenities, such as a yoga studio, TV and games room, and dedicated study spaces. Join the waitlist to secure your spot as soon as units become available.

8 Resolutions to Set for 2023

The start of the year is the ideal time to think about your goals and decide what you’ll do to work toward them. If you’re stuck for ideas, consider some of the top resolutions for students. 1. Be More Active in Class Increasing your participation in class will improve your understanding and lead to better grades. Seek opportunities to add your own input to discussions and ask questions whenever you’re struggling to understand something. It may be intimidating at first, but you’ll gradually increase your confidence. 2. Improve Your Study Habits To improve your grades, you also need to improve your study habits. Try various tactics to find what works for you, such as experimenting with different locations , note-taking techniques, and the amount of time you study before you take a break. You may also like to join a study group for each of your classes to discuss the material with other students. 3. Sleep Enough Whether you’re pushing to finish a paper on time or hanging out with friends, it can be tempting to stay up late. However, lacking sufficient sleep has numerous negative consequences, including low mood, difficulty retaining information, and poor overall health. Create a sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime and wake-up time to ensure you sleep enough every night. 4. Eat a Healthier Diet Another way to improve your health is to eat better. Effective tactics include cooking more of your own meals, writing a grocery list before you head to the store, and choosing nutritious options over what’s most appealing when eating out. In particular, focus on increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables while reducing highly-processed foods in your diet. 5. Exercise on a Regular Basis The last prong of good health is exercise. A great thing about university is there are numerous opportunities to be active and discover activities you enjoy. Head to the fitness center, sign up for an active elective, or workout at home — perhaps you could involve your roommates. Fitting exercise into your routine will make you feel better mentally and have a big impact on your physical health. 6. Prepare for Your Future Career Start networking and connecting with potential employers while you’re still at university. An easy way to do this is to attend career events on campus. Find out if there are any taking place in the coming months and make a note of them in your calendar. 7. Apply for Scholarships Use your time wisely by searching for more scholarships that could make your education more affordable. Many students stop searching for scholarships once they start university, but you can often apply at any time. 8. Make More Friends There are few better opportunities in life for making friends than at university. To expand your circle of friends, strike up a conversation with someone in class who you’ve never spoken to before, join new extracurriculars to meet people with similar interests, or hang out in places students go to socialize. One more resolution to set for 2023 is to search for better housing. Move out of your campus dorm or subpar apartment and into rooms for rent. Oshawa students can find a home at 17Hundred. With amenities like a yoga studio, fitness facilities, and study spaces, you’ll also be able to achieve your other resolutions when you live here. Book a video tour to see our all-inclusive housing for yourself.

A Guide to Closet Storage in Student Apartments

Students tend to have many belongings — books, study supplies, bedding, and (of course) clothing. In fact, clothes take up a large amount of space, even if you’re not particularly into fashion. You need to have outfits for all different occasions , including everyday wear for classes, clothes for going out in the evenings, outfits for special events when you want to dress up, and professional wear for interviews. All this takes up a lot of space, perhaps more than your closet can handle. With the right strat egy, though, you can maximize your closet storage to fit everything. Here are a few strategies to try. 1. Use All Your Vertical Space If you think about the actual size of your closet, you’ll see you do have a large amount of space — you’re just not fully utilizing it. Find ways to make use of this wasted space, such as by using stackable hangers, an over-the-door organizer, and storage bins. 2. Switch to Slim Hangers You can also make greater use of your horizontal space by packing more clothing along a hanging rod. This is possible when you buy the slimmest hangers you can find. In particular, avoid hangers with clips — these not only take up a great deal of space, they’re also prone to tangling. 3. Add Some Command Hooks Stick command hooks in various places around your closet to hang items that don’t fit elsewhere, such as belts, bathrobes, and bags containing small items. This will make the things you use regularly extra accessible. Plus, when you move out of the apartment, you can remove the hooks without leaving marks on the wall. 4. Pack Away Out-of-Season Clothing Keep plenty of space for the clothing you’ll be wearing over the next couple months by removing any out-of-season items. It’s much better to put these into storage bins than to keep them hanging in your closet. If you have no space left in your closet, push the storage bins out of sight under your bed. 5. Donate Old Clothing If you have clothing you know you’ll never wear again, stop holding onto it: donate it to a local thrift store or clothing swap on campus. A perfect time to check what you could part with is when you’re changing the clothing in your closet for the new season. 6. Invest in Some Extra Drawers You can create more space if you keep more of your clothing in drawers instead of trying to hang everything. Purchase a cheap organizer to fit under the clothes hanging in your closet. Dorm rooms are the worst for closet space. You’ll likely struggle to fit everything you need into your closet even when you use all the above tactics — especially if you’re unable to take clothing home with you at the end of every semester. The good news is you can find student apartments with plenty of closet space. For Ontario Tech University off-campus housing, you have 17Hundred. Our spacious suites are fully furnished with the student lifestyle in mind. Contact us to sign a lease.

7 Considerations for Planning Your Next Semester

Choosing classes for each semester is both exciting and stressful. It’s your chance to register for classes you’ve been excited about taking for a while — but it can be stressful waiting to see if you’ve been able to secure a place. Plus, you need to be smart about which classes you choose to ensure you create a balanced schedule. Spend some time planning for your schedule to ensure next semester is a success. 1. Look Beyond Next Semester There’s no need to figure out what classes you’ll take throughout your entire time at university, but you do know what classes are requirements — for your major and for general education. Plus, there may be some classes you know you want to take. Decide how you’ll divide these up to ensure you’ll be able to graduate on time. 2. Start with the Prerequisites It’s best to complete all your prerequisites as soon as possible. Check the prerequisites for all the classes you need or want to take and work backward. Some classes may have as many as three prerequisites — it’s worth registering for at least a couple of these now. 3. Strive for a Mix of Classes Your class schedule should be a mixture of difficult and less challenging classes. Avoid registering for several difficult classes in the same semester just to finish them as soon as possible — you’ll almost certainly regret such a decision. In addition, create a schedule that involves a combination of skills. Too much math, reading, or essay writing in the same semester can be overwhelming. 4. Check the Classes Fit into Your Schedule Use a scheduling tool or calendar app to check how classes would fit into your schedule. It’s usually best to avoid back-to-back classes for logistical reasons and to maintain your concentration. You also need to consider how many hours of classes you can take over a week. You may like to register for one more class than you think you can handle and then drop something if your schedule proves to be too much. If you’re nearing the end of your time at university, though, bear in mind that you have limited lee way to drop classes — the last thing you want is for your very last semester to be too heavy. 5. Create a Schedule According to Your Preferences After you’ve been at university a semester or two, you’ll have gained an understanding of what kind of schedule works for you. If you know you struggle to make morning classes on time, opt for more classes in the afternoon. Also consider how long you can stay focused throughout the day. Some students prefer to have a couple of full days of classes to gain more free time during the rest of the week, whereas other students cope better when they spread their classes over several days. 6. Discuss Any Doubts with Other Students If you’re unsure about a particular class, talk to students who have already taken it. Find out if the professor is inspiring during lectures and supportive during office hours. Learn more about grading, such as if there are opportunities for extra credit and if you’re graded on your attendance. Finally, ask about the workload outside of class, including homework, labs, and preparation for tests. 7. Have a Backup You may create the perfect schedule for the semester only to find that one or more of the classes fills up before you can register. You should have a couple backups in case this happens — whether that’s the same class on a different day or another class you were intending to take during a future semester. It will be easier to succeed no matter what your semester looks like if you have a place at home where you can study in peace. For Ontario Tech University housing where you’ll have a private bedroom, access to onsite study spaces, and blazing-fast WiFi , move into 17Hundred. Our student community is just minutes from campus. Book a video tour to check out the facilities for yourself.