Interested in joining the AA&CC team?

The Academic Advising & Career Centre intends to hire up to seventeen paid Coaches for the 2012 Get Started program. This program is an academic orientation for incoming first year students. Applicants must be available at least four days a week, 8:45AM to 4:00PM, between June 23rd and July 14th. Applicants should possess a thorough knowledge of University of Toronto Scarborough and have excellent communication and facilitation skills. The application deadline is February 17^th, 2012.

Additionally, the AA&CC is now accepting applications from students who are interested in volunteering as a Study Skills or Employment Peer Counsellor in the 2012-2013 academic year. These opportunities provide excellent experience for students considering careers in teaching, coaching, or counseling. The application deadline is March 23, 2012.

Check the AA&CC homepage for more information on both positions.

Hopefully everyone is adjusting well to the new semester. Midterms are beginning soon so start studying! If you need any help organizing your time, remember to book a Study Skills Appointment on the UTSC Intranet!

Cheers,

ACE

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

Hello!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and is ready to begin the Winter/Spring semester here at UTSC. Knowing that a lot of you are still in that process of shifting gears from the holiday season to back-to-school mode, here are a couple of helpful hints for getting you back into the academic spirit:


TIP OF THE DAY:
CONCENTRATION AND MOTIVATION!

Adjusting back into a new set of classes may be slightly challenging for some of us who are still reeling from the after effects of the holidays. Often we may feel discouraged or overwhelmed once those syllabuses start rolling out or when we get that chance to look over our grades from last semester. However, all is not lost and there is always a way of bouncing back and regaining that motivation you need to do well in this semester.

• SMART Goal Setting

- a good way of getting back into focus and increasing motivation as well as self-confidence is to set SMART goals for yourself. What are SMART goals? SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In a nutshell, SMART goals are goals that are within your own limits and capabilities, that are concrete and simple enough to visualize as well as being set with a specific time frame. Writing down these goals is a good way to stay on track as you go through the semester. Don't forget to reward yourself after completion of your goals and create new ones to maintain academic focus and motivation.

• PATS model of concentration

- PATS stands for: Pick the best environment for studying or doing schoolwork; Always remember to keep away from distractions; Try to eliminate noise around you and Self-talk to control internal distractions. Having a designated study space for yourself ensures that you remain in a space that is reserved especially for your academic work. Keeping away from televisions, radios and, if possible, laptops and cellphones are good ways to limit visual and auditory distractions. Occasionally reminding oneself of the task at hand or goals to accomplish is also a good way to keep focus, so agendas and/or post-it notes could come in handy.

• Time Management and Planning

- Keeping a time table, calendar or a general to-do list is another good way to keep track of the goals you have set down for yourself. Having a good grasp of time management and planning in advance not only keeps you motivated but it also reduces stress, procrastination and anxiety.


Hopefully these tips will help you out this semester. A couple more reminders for you all is that the Study Skills workshops are back and if you are interested in learning more about the tips mentioned above, I would recommend checking them out. See the UTSC Intranet or the Academic Advising website for more details about the dates and times of the Study Skills workshops. As always, I encourage you to drop by the AACC office at AC213 and meet our staff and counsellors or check out ACE's Facebook page. Have an awesome semester!

Cheers,

ACE

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH A STUDY SKILLS PEER COUNSELLOR TODAY!

Hello everyone!
Hope all is going well. We are more than halfway through the semester and with final exams drawing near, here is a good tip for all of you out there:

Book an appointment with a Study Skills Peer Counsellor!

Disappointed with your midterm marks? Feeling overwhelmed by the number of assignments and papers due by the end of the month? Need some tips in taking better notes or reading textbooks more efficently? Hope is not lost. There's still a chance to bounce back and learn about better study skill techniques. How? By meeting up with one of our Study Skills Peer Counsellors!

Our peer counsellors are senior students who not only have excellent academic records but are trained by AACC staff to help you to improve your study habits and grades. Study Skills Peer Counsellors assist students with various study skills including (but not limited to) time management, taking lecture notes, effectively reading texts, and test preparation and test-writing skills.

Want to know more about your Study Skill Peer Counsellors? See their web page here.

Here are the following steps in booking an appointment with a study skills peer counsellor:

1. Go to intranet.utsc.utoronto.ca
2. Enter your UTORid and password to login
3. Click on “Calendar”
4. Click on the drop down box in the right corner
5. Select “AACC Study Skills Counselling”
6. Select the time
7. Under Re: select “Other”
8. Select “Book now"

And there you go!
If you need any assistance, ACE is on Facebook, check out the AACC website or drop by the Academic Advising and Career Centre office at AC213. AACC staff and counsellors are always ready to help out. Best of luck to everyone!

Cheers,

ACE

Tips for writing exams!

ACE here once again. So you've studied the test material in depth and you're ready for your exams! Keep in mind though, that test writing is a skill in and of itself. Here is some useful advice!

Before your exams,

• Make sure you know where your exam is! If you've spent so much time studying, the last thing you want to do is forget your exam location. Write it down early, and make sure that you check for any last minute changes.
  
• Arrive early! Give yourself enough time to sit down, relax and collect your thoughts.
  
• Take care of your body! Eat well-balanced meals and get enough rest. Your brain will thank you. Stay away from high sugar energy drinks.
  

During your exam,

• Relax: Panicking won't help you now. Take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand.
  
• Look over the test once: First, make sure no pages are missing. Then find the easier questions and do them first. This gives you more time to focus on the challenging problems.
  
• Double-check your work. Re-do your calculations, re-read your explanations and re-examine your thought process. Make sure that you are answering the question!
  
• Concentrate! During an exam, there will be distractions. Whether it is an announcement or a shuffling invigilator, try your best to tune it out.
  

After your exam,

• Reward yourself. Relax and do something you enjoy. You deserve the break!
  
• Study for the next one! If you have another exam coming up, study hard and get ready to do it all again!

These are just some ideas of what to do before, during and after your exams. Remember if you have any questions, feel free to visit the UTSC AA&CC in Room AC213. You can also book an appointment with a Study Skills Peer Mentor through the UTSC Intranet.

That's all for now, good luck with your exams!

- ACE

Find a good study environment!

Hello once again! Midterms are underway and I’m sure you guys are all very busy! But as usual, ACE is here to provide some help.

Tip of the Day: Find a good study environment!

With midterms and assignments piling on, it’s easy to quickly feel overwhelmed!

Remember that where you learn very much influences what you learn. Pick a quiet spot with limited visual distractions. This means no Youtube, Facebook or chatty friends. In terms of noise level, absolute silence may be great for some but not others. It’s important find out what works for you.

After your designated study times, reflect on whether or not your study environment was helpful. If you didn’t accomplish your goals, perhaps a new location would work better.

Remember that the UTSC AA&CC provides many helpful workshops, including ones related to studying and test-taking. You can book these using the UTSC Intranet.

Aside from studying, come out to a few events hosted by the AA&CC. Many are related to either graduate studies and employment- something that all university students should be thinking about!

Getting Started on your Personal Statements – October 19, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm

Applying to Professional and Grad School- October 20, 2011 from 10:00 - 12:00 pm

Hi My Name is...An Intro to Networking – October 25, 2011 from 12:00-1:00pm

Volunteer Fair - October 26-27, 2011 in the Meeting Place.

Make time for these events! They’re very informative and will definitely help you in the long run. Remember, if you are applying for graduate school, funding applications are quickly ending! Make sure you are aware of all the internal deadlines.

Once again, if you need any help, visit the AACC website or come by the Academic Advising and Career Centre at AC213!

Good luck on your midterms!

ACE

SHARPEN YOUR STUDY SKILLS!

Greetings to you all! September is drawing to a close giving way to October and we all know what that means. Midterms! Essays! Deadlines! Yikes! But have no fear for ACE is here to help you out, as always.

TIP OF THE DAY:

Attend a Study Skills WORKSHOP!

Every semester, the AACC offers different seminars and workshops which are meant to help students improve on their academic study skills. The Study Skills seminars and workshops are provided for students who are interested in learning new strategies for studying more effectively, managing time and other skills that are essential for academic success. Want to know how to do better on multiple choice exams? There’s a workshop for that. Are you struggling with textbook reading or note taking? Well, there’s a seminar for that. Lacking motivation or feel like procrastination is bringing you down? Yes, we have a workshop for that too. You can find and sign up for any of the upcoming workshops and seminars on the Intranet or, for more information, visit the Study Skills page on the AACC website.

A couple of interesting workshops coming up in October:

Reading Textbooks - Monday, October 3, 2011 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Mastering Multiple Choice Tests and Exams - Monday, October 3, 2011 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm and Monday, October 17, 2011 from 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Extreme Time Management and Procrastination- Wednesday, October 5, 2011 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Midterm Test Preparation - Wednesday, October, 5, 2011 from 3:00 - 4:00 pm and Thursday, October 13, 2011 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Memory and Concentration- Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Note taking in Lectures - Wednesday, October, 12, 2011 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Hoping all of you are doing well and keeping up with all your coursework! Again, if any of you need any help or have any questions or concerns, ACE is on Facebook, also check out the AACC website or come by the Academic Advising and Career Centre office at AC213!

Cheers and happy studying to you all,

ACE

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, A NEW SEMESTER! ARE YOU READY?!

To all the new students ready to start their first year at UTSC, WELCOME! To all students returning for another year, WELCOME BACK! It’s another school year for many of us and there are a lot of things to get done, a new routine to get used to and many new faces to get to know. But worry not! ACE is here to help all of you get settled in as classes begin and course syllabuses start rolling out.

First off, the UTSC Experience Fair is back again this year. The Experience Fair is an excellent opportunity to get familiar with paid or volunteer experiences available on campus. Faculty and staff from a wide array of departments will be participating at the fair to meet up with students who may be interested in getting involved with their projects or activities. The UTSC Experience Fair will take place on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011, 12-2 PM at the SCIENCE WING MEETING PLACE. I will be there as well along with some Academic Advising and Career Centre staff, so please feel free to stop by our booth! To learn more about the UTSC Experience Fair, click here.

Well, I believe that is all for now, I sincerely hope everyone is ready and excited for this new semester. Best of luck and happy studying to each and every one of you! Stay tuned for more important events, dates, study tips and other awesome things!

If any of you have any questions or concerns, find me on Facebook, visit the AACC website or visit the Academic Advising and Career Centre office at AC213 and our staff would be more than happy to help you out.

Cheers,

ACE