2nd Prize!

News in today that I've won 2nd prize for this blog for the contest. Congrats to whomever got 1st prize... I know you're out there somewhere (probably blogging away!).

Tip #41: Take a Power Nap

They say that university is just like kindergarten: you miss your mommy, kraft dinner is your favourite food, and you need your nap time.

Let's face it - although we'd all love to schedule ourselves a perfect 8-hour work day, that's not always going to be possible with night classes, social activities and room-mates. So, my advice is to learn how to power nap.

In my first year at university, my schedule had morning classes almost every day and more classes and other commitments like band practice and work in the evening. I don't know about you, but I most certainly cannot make it through 16-plus hour day without a little time to re-charge. So, I got into the habit of taking a power nap in the afternoon. Not only would I make it through my day without falling asleep during my evening class, but I would be more productive during my study time.

Some quick suggestions:

• Set an alarm - do not let yourself sleep away your afternoon. You won't get anything done, and you'll be up all night.
• It's OK if you don't actually sleep-sleep while you're taking your power nap. Sometimes all you need is a half hour of rest just lying down doing nothing.
• The best time for napping is right after lunch. Your body needs time to digest anyway!
• If you find you can't get to a nap because you're thinking too much about what has to be done, then write a list. You can get back to it after your nap.

Even my doggy enjoys a nap here and there...

Tip #40: Things to do in North Bay

Looking for a new way to see North Bay, besides the interior of its bars? I've complied a list of 10 things to do in North Bay. If you haven't checked some of these things out, you're certainly missing out!

1) The Heritage Carousal and Mini-Train: North Bay has two hand-crafted carousals, most of which were painted or carved right here in North Bay. Relive your childhood on this merry-go-round, or take a train ride complete with a mi nature road crossing and bridge! It's run by volunteers, and a ride costs $1 each.

2) Duschesnay Falls: Ever wonder where those trails in the back of the school lead? One leads to Duschesnay Falls, where you can walk along the waterfall. A photographer's heaven!

3) Grecco's Pizza and Pasta: Go for a meal at Grecco's Pizza and Pasta, located on Algonquin across from the Pro-Cathedral and on Lakeshore Drive. Their pizza is wonderful and doesn't skimp on the toppings. Students even receive a 10% discount at the Algonquin location with their student savers card.*

4) Discovery North Bay: Formerly the North Bay Area Museum, come and check out North Bay and Northern Ontario's history. There are also special exhibits. Most of the museum is interactive, which is fun for the old and young!

5) Capitol Centre: North Bay's downtown theatre hosts numerous shows throughout the year. If you're cash strapped, check out their Sunday Reel Big Shows featuring films that are out of theatre, but not yet released on DVD. Admission is only $5!

6) Burger World Breakfast: Another North Bay Classic, Burger World is a great place to get a cheap and hearty meal. Students also get a 10% discount with a Student Saver Card. Located on Algonquin and near the Northgate Mall.

7) Window Shop Downtown: North Bay's downtown core can be very cute, featuring stores such as "Noveltea," "Pearls," and "London Underground." Lots of these stores offer student discounts. Even if you don't plan to buy anything, it's fun to window shop. Near the end of November, downtown even hosts and old-fashioned Christmas Walk!

8) Picnic at the Waterfront: There's nothing better than a picnic at North Bay's waterfront, where you can walk the boardwalk, play in the sand, and watch a gorgeous sunset.

9) Take a ride on the Kate Pace Way: Did you know that there's a series of bike/roller blade trails in North Bay? Named after hometown hero and Olympian Kate Pace, paths zig zag across town!

10) Champlain Beach: My favourite spot to swim is by far Champlain beach. The bus does go there, but it's much easier to drive. It's located at the end of Premier Road and features a massive beach and great sand!

*You can pick up a Student Savers Discount Card at the NUSU office for free!

I originally wrote this article for the Student Spotlight, the Nipissing/Canadore Magazine!

Tip #39: Save Everything

This tip is courtesy of my friend and classmate Matt.

Save Everything - old lecture notes, journal articles, research notes etc.

You never know when it may come in handy. I've found that the same journal articles can sometimes be useful for more than one paper, especially as you advance through the year. I've even had cases where we'll read the same article in another class, so I've been able to just pull out my copy of the journal article with my highlights and notes already in the margins!

Just one note, however, is not to self-plagiarize. You can reuse articles or research, but obviously don't copy and paste into your new paper. That's still plagiarism at this level.

Tip #39.2 - Organize said notes... so they don't look like this...

.. or this...

Tip #38: Use the Reference/Help Desk at the Library

I'd like to introduce you to some people who will make your life sooooo much easier: They are our library's help desk staff. The list of things they can help you with is unending:

• ordering interlibrary loans
• searching for journal articles (in print and online)
• finding and using microfilms
• finding newspapers, journals and other non-book resources
• can't find a book in the stacks (they help me with this ALL the time!
• etc. etc. etc.

I am also told that you can book a one-on-one research appointment. If you don't know where to start, then this is certainly the place to go for answers.

If you can't go see them in person (say you're home on reading week or something), I would recommend the Library's website (www.eclibrary.ca), or this fantastic hand-out on Library Tips: http://www.nipissingu.ca/library/remository/LibraryTips.pdf

Tip #37: Save on Entertainment

Studying sucks - so take a night off and have some fun!

But Holly (you may exclaim), entertainment is expensive, and we are but students of humble means.

Here are some ways to save on entertainment while at university

Love watching movies? No need to spend money at Blockbuster or the local Cineplex. The Nipissing and North Bay Public Library rent out movies for free! There are all the old classics, but also top new releases (especially at the Public Library - you should seriously check out what they have!). As a Nipissing student, you can present your student card to get a library card for the Public Library. If the big screen is more your thing, then check out the notice boards for updates on movies nights. Most clubs have them, and often even serve free snacks. Plus, Nipissing's lecture halls (especially in the H-Wing) can be just like movie theaters with their big projectors. Cinema Politica here at Nipissing also shows independent documentaries (check outhttp://www.cinemapolitica.org/nipissing).

(North Bay Public Library)

Love TV? (but hate the cost of cable)? You can watch most new programs online these days, both in the legal way (ex. CTV and CBC have video players) and the not-as-legal way (ex. sites like megavideo). One tip, however, is that if you're going the not-so-legal route, NEVER download a program from a random site. It will just get viruses on your computer. Instead, go the streaming route.

Love to do fun and wacky activities? Clubs or department student associations always have fun and wacky activities planned for students, usually for free or for a very small cost. I know business and math students go curling at least once a year, history puts on pub nights and poli sci does free lunches all the time. I even know someone who loved playing "NERF" so much that he started a nerf club, and the student union gave him funds to organize activities. Over my time at Nipissing I've been president of quite a few clubs, and I know for a fact that they all want participants for their events - so it's a win-win situation for you and the club when you take part.

(Historical Halloween Pub Night)

Love live music? There are all sorts of bands playing at all sorts of bars and restaurants in the city. For the price of a drink, you can often listen to live music (ex. at the Bull and Quench downtown). If classical is more your style, check out student tickets to the symphony (only $10), go to a concert of the22 Wing Band at a local high school, or check out our own Near North Voices. Often these concerts will be absolutely free!

Tip #36: Reference as you go

It's paper season over here at Nipissing. All our final papers are coming due, and although it would make sense not to procrastinate and get things done early, it never happens.

However, I do have one tip that will make your life soooooo much easier - Reference as you go.

Nothing is worse then getting to the end of that massive paper and then realize that I haven't been writing out your footnotes. This means you have to go back through all your sources and find the citations, which may take just as long as it took you to write the paper.

So, my advice is to write out the citation immediately. Even if you aren't going to format it perfectly, write out where you got the information, especially the author and page number, so you don't have to go back looking for it.

The worst experience I've had with this is realizing that I didn't reference something, and had already returned the book to the library. Bad news! By now, I've learned better (it only took four years...)