ULC - PAL Peer Mentor Blog

This past May, after 16 years of education, I decided to try something new; I went to summer school. Like most school children, I was never enthusiastic about that sibilant pair of words. Summer school sounded like a slithering snake trying to stalk my synapses. I much preferred smooth sunshine, sweet smells, and free time. In many ways I still do, but I felt that taking an extra class was the right decision, so I got cozy in the classroom with William Shakespeare and a curriculum far more condensed than I was used to.
At first I thought I wouldn’t face many challenges. I love literature, I’ve done well in my English classes, and I work at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, so I figured doing well in the class would come naturally. What I didn’t expect was the difficulty I had adapting to the summer schedule. I’m a bit of a nighthawk, so I generally don’t register for early morning classes. However, there was only one Shakespeare class to register for, and it was at 8:30 in the morning, lasting until 10:50. Now, I could handle the long class because I had taken night classes before, but I wasn’t used to taking the same two and a half hour class every day. Every morning I met with Shakespeare’s slippery syntax and elaborate density. Even with a prof who was interested, smart, and kind, I was having trouble engaging with the material.
At first, it was an issue of sleep deprivation. My internal clock disagreed with the early hour, and without a coffee at break, I would periodically nod off. The plays were interesting and the language was rich, but my eyelids were heavy and my attention short. I needed a way to focus myself and do the work I knew I was capable of.
My initial inclination was to work harder to take good notes. That’s what all good students do, right? Well, after the second class, I had one double sided sheet of notes. By the end of the seven-week course, I’d added just one more side of notes to my collection. Clearly that strategy didn’t work for me. After trying my best to write diligently for one class, I didn’t see much improvement in my focus, and my notes felt like fragmented snapshots of ideas that were more complete in my head. Something else was needed.
So what finally worked? Something that some people might consider a classroom sin: doodling. I knew that I learned better through listening to lectures than rushing to write them down, but at first I thought writing would help the depleted attention that I was trying to listen with. When I gave up on note taking, I started to doodle. At first, I thought it might be a sign that I was giving up, accepting that I couldn’t adjust to the unfamiliar schedule. Yet, the more I doodled, the more attentive I became. As I drew abstract shapes and cartoony animals, I began to get a deeper sense of how fascinating Hamlet’s conflicted masculinity is or how tragically King Richard the Third is portrayed in comparison to the noble characterization of King Henry the Fifth, how the real substance of King Lear is so ironically nihilistic. An activity that is supposed to be a distraction was helping me focus.
I’m not a visual artist, and I’m generally not a visual learner. I love the sound of language and learn best by listening. Yet, through doodling I was able to generate creative energy that helped me to interpret and retain what I heard in lectures while forming new ideas. The success that I had expected and desired to achieve began to come around.
Knowing that I had been listening closely, I decided to put all my faith in that attention. My three sides of notes were hardly apt for study material when it came time to write the final, so I needed to trust that my reading, listening, and interpretation skills would carry me. Leading up to the final, I was quite ill. I’m typically a person that tries to be extra health-conscious near exams, but on the morning that I wrote that final, I was nauseous even though I wasn’t nervous. Still, the focus I had stumbled upon throughout the course got me through the exam comfortably. In fact, I enjoyed writing essays that I had previously thought about while adding new ideas that hadn’t struck me until I actually started writing.
I did well in the class, but more importantly I felt fluent in the material. Shakespeare became much less of an enigma, and I could express ideas about his work without having to recall those ideas from a particular source of study material.
I know that not everybody can learn this way, and not everybody should. We all learn uniquely, and we need to work to understand how our learning styles are unique in order to make them effective. However, that understanding is ongoing, and it can only expand when we try new things. If I hadn’t tried taking a summer class, I may never have discovered how doodling can be a useful practice for me. If I hadn’t tried doodling, I may not have made as strong of a connection to the material in my summer class. Even when we struggle, we always benefit from new experiences and creative problem solving. When that creativity softens our struggles, we begin to see new potentials, and our anxiety digresses.

-Isaac Bond

I have been told about goals. They are S.M.A.R.T, they keep you motivated and focused, and they are a source of pride for every accomplished step along the way. Yet, goals meant nothing to me until I realized: I have the ultimate power over my goals; my personal goals are a tool to create my vision of my future. That means I get to set goals to accomplish the things that I want to do. With this power I create statements that reflect personal values. These statements strengthen my short term motivations to achieve a long term vision. I now have goals to work towards which are meaningful and serve the purpose of bettering who I am as a whole.

My goals are personal: I will transform the way that stress affects my performance in everyday tasks.

My goals can serve a dual purpose: I will focus and get my daily to do list done with enough time to relax before I go to bed.

My goals are for myself and others: I will take all the wonderful information I have learned in PAL training and use it to facilitate my education as well as others.

My goals can be for the whole world: I will think and make intelligent choices when it comes to consumerism and reducing waste.

It is in this way that I can use my goals to shape who I am in the present and for the future.
That is something that inspires me.

This week I earned $400.00 for participating in a research study on campus. Sure, I had to do grueling workouts on a treadmill, eat strange lentil porridge, and give a few vials of blood, but I’m pretty sure that it was worth it. Plus, the grad student carrying out the research was able to collect some (hopefully) valuable data.

Different research groups on campus are often trying to recruit students as test subjects in their studies. The time commitment varies widely: the study I was in required approximately 20 hours, whereas many other studies only require half an hour. In order to thank participants for their time, an honorarium is often offered. So students get a chance to make a few bucks, and the wheels of research keep on rolling—sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it?

Watch for ads on bulletin boards across campus and special announcements made on PAWS. Departments like Kinesiology, Psychology, and Computer Science often need human participants if you are at all interested in contributing a bit of time to research. Besides making some extra money, the experience can give you new insight to how actual research is carried out in the various fields.

Christina C.

I’m a fourth-year honours sociology student. After the last academic year I had no idea what I was going to do in the future. I did, however, see a poster advertising peer mentoring and thought why not.
So, I applied for the program and was accepted. I did a lot of cool things like playing Life with international students and learning to make a podcast.
After the first term of this academic year I heard about a job at the students’ union opening up. I decided to go for it and apply. I ended up getting the job.
A major reason why I got my job is the varied experience that peer mentoring has given me. I’ve interacted with students, planned activities, and self-taught myself a technological skill solely through peer mentoring.
Volunteering as a peer mentor opened up new possibilities in the job market for me. Even though I have no idea where I’ll end up in the job market I’ve landed somewhere really good for the moment because of my peer mentoring experience.

PAL Brett

When I first came to university, the adjustment to my life style, the increased work load, and other added stresses just made extra-curricular involvement seem like it would be the straw that would break the camel’s back. Of course, we all get preached constantly about the importance of getting involved, so despite my fears, I joined a campus recreation football team. Next I joined a hockey team, and then started going to the gym regularly with someone who at first I barely knew, and then in the spring I started playing soccer. One thing led to the next, but before long, I had made many new friends and had found a fun and healthy way to relieve the stress of university and stay fit and active.

Being in accounting, I knew that if I wanted to get a job in one of the international firms, extra-curricular involvement would not only be encouraged, but essentially required by recruiters. I decided to join a non profit operating within the College of Commerce called ace:saskatchewan. Joining this organization was not only a great way to have fun and make new friends, but now I also had something to add to my resume.

Things don’t always go as planned. The following spring I applied to be a part of the accounting club executive. Unfortunately, I was not selected for the position I applied for. Looking back to when I applied my biggest fear was being denied what I wanted, but when the actual denial occurred, I realized it wasn’t so bad. It was better to apply, make some new friends on the executive, and not get the position, than to not apply at all.

The next opportunity to come my way occurred at the end of my second year, when the University Learning Centre was recruiting for structured study session coaches for the commerce math class. Originally I was hesitant, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how great of an opportunity it was. I applied, and got the position and here I am today as a PAL posting to this blog. In addition to gaining great skills in speaking and math preparation, I had the opportunity to meet hundreds of first year commerce students in my work with the math class. I also made many great new friends at the University Learning Centre, and have become really good friends with a fellow accountant, who was essentially my partner in the structured study session program.

In the fall, I got the job I wanted. They flat out told me they were impressed by my extra curricular work. I’ve been given the opportunity to represent the Edwards School of Business in an accounting case competition next week in Vancouver. Our ace:saskatchewan team just got back from a competition in Calgary and I’ll have the opportunity to apply to go to Toronto to compete in a national competition. In addition I recently applied again to be a part of the Accounting Club executive. On top of it all, my involvement has led to several job opportunities.

The point I am trying to get at is that my experience with extra-curricular involvement has been amazing. To me, university is fun simply because I’ve had the opportunity to do so much. It’s to the point now where I don’t even want to graduate, which is a dramatic change from when I first started with the intention of getting my degree as quickly as possible. It also seems that opportunity stems off opportunity. The more someone does, the more doors will open for them. So during the next few weeks, when many university organizations are recruiting for the next year (including the University Learning Centre!) I would encourage everyone to get involved in whatever way they can. I promise it will be worth it.

I attended a banquet last night (another extra-curricular involvement opportunity). The key note speaker was a co-founder with Murray Edwards (Edwards School of Business) of FirstEnergy Capital, an investment banking boutique in Calgary. During his presentation he gave a list of 10 codes of ethics from a book he deeply believed in. The number one item on that list is to “live each day with courage”. He said this does not mean living without fear, but rather accepting that fear without letting it stop you.

Being a relatively shy person, and a person that values getting high marks and devoting a lot of time to academics, I can understand fairly easily why some people are reluctant to get involved. Again however, I encourage everyone to take a step forward and try something. The university offers tons of opportunities. Whether you are interested in campus clubs, academic involvement, student politics, or campus recreation, there is something out there for everyone if you take a look around. If you already are involved, why not encourage someone who isn’t!

From the mind of a PAL,

Paul

Student life can be pretty stressful. I’ve been one for long enough to know how tough it can get sometimes. As important as grades are, it’s also really important to take time to care for oneself. Ignoring health issues will only make getting good grades more difficult so here are some things that you can do to take care of yourself:
· Go to the PAC. You can work out on the equipment or sign up for a free drop-in class, like yoga.
· Go for a walk somewhere.
· Check out an art gallery on campus or the Mendel.
· Take a nap.
· Spend some time with friends or family.
· Laugh.
· Talk to someone about things in your life, good or bad.
· Make a good, healthy meal for yourself.
· Read a book for fun (probably not a textbook, but I can’t judge you if you find it fun).

Good grades are something that every student should strive for, but not at the expense of one’s physical and mental health. Take care of yourself.

PAL Brett

Mortimer: So how was class today?

Fink: You know what I’m sick of? That one person, who just happens to be in pretty much every class, who puts up their hand every opportunity they get trying to impress the prof with their “insightful” comments.

Mortimer: Whoa, rough day Fink or what? True, I suppose some people get a little annoying, but do you not consider participation a pretty big asset to a good class?

Fink: Whaddya mean? I have no problem with everyone sitting there quietly while the prof runs his spiel. I mean, how else are you going to learn? I’m not paying to hear some fool in the front row try to marvel the crowd with rhetorical jabber.

Mortimer: And I didn’t say you were. But it would be a shame to think every dollar you pay as going directly to the professor. You’re paying for your education my friend, and other, more active, methods of learning outside of simply being lectured to are certainly on the rise; and for good reason I should think.

Fink: So what, bring in the coloured blocks and let’s all play “Learn how to Share,” is that what you’re getting at?

Mortimer: Ah yes, facetious sarcasm; nothing gets a point across better (to use a little sarcasm of my own). My dear Finky, I feel you are being dramatically misled by your preconceived misconceptions of educational learning. Educational facilities, such as this here UofS, are starting to understand that there are many different styles of learning, a major one being active engagement. Participation sparks such activity, and can be seen as improving the quality of a lecture for everyone involved. You also give me a very good example to prove my point with. When teaching young children the concept of sharing and the benefits of it, do you think it would suffice to bring in an expert on the topic and have that person run through the definition of sharing, its history, and how it is most successfully practiced?

Fink: Or have the children actually experience it for themselves?

Mortimer: Precisely.

Fink: Well that makes sense. But still, not all input is as constructive as you claim.

Mortimer: Yes, that’s true. And classroom participation is a difficult subject. Should professors mark based on it, making it mandatory, for what about students who feel incredibly uncomfortable speaking out in class? Learning is becoming an increasingly social activity, more so than before, and discussion is often an integral part to a class; but as evidenced here it’s rather clear that your style of learning does not quite coincide with that shift.
Fink: Well I don’t hate all discussion. I also don’t like the profs thinking they know everything. Well, wait a minute. Could this then be like saying that the power is shifting from the profs to the students, and we can learn however we want to?

Mortimer: Um…well I’m unsure of this power you so speak of, but yes, if that’s how you need to think about it. Though I certainly believe the “power” has been in the students’ hands all along.

Fink: Awesome. Well I gotta head to my next class and abuse this newfound power of mine.

Mortimer: Well hopefully it works out for you.

Fink: Wait, one thing I missed: so there isn’t a way to get that student in the front row to shut up?

Hello again and welcome to another installment of the delicious and insightful PAL Peer Mentor blog. In this week's installment, I want to encourage you to spend a little more of your time around these hallowed grounds of learning and self-improvement and squeeze a little bit more value out of your loans and summer employment. Tuition is often a touchy subject with university students, and like many of you, I feel we pay far too much for the 'opportunity' to subject ourselves to unhealthy levels of stress and excessive amounts of work.

For my first few years of university life, this one-way relationship—we seem to pay the bills and do the work—left me with a very bitter taste, and this feeling only worsened with exposure to a few professors more interested in their own research than the students who pay for it. However, as I am currently in the process of discovering, there are plenty of opportunities for us, as students, to reap the benefits of the funds and labour we donate to the institution – it just takes a little bit of effort on our part to seek out these benefits to which we are entitled.

First, and most obviously, we have a number of facilities available on campus available for our fitness. The PAC features a well-equipped gym that (excluding the first-month rush of each term) is almost always ready to accommodate you. A climbing wall and gymnasium are also 'free' for our use if you want to mix it up a little and get away from the weights and waits. The campus also houses two swimming pools, and a number of squash courts, in the Education building and PAC if you feel like something different. The use of the courts, pools, and even clean towels has already been paid for by your tuition, so take advantage!

Various colleges within the university frequently offer public lectures, 'free' for students to attend, featuring speakers of prestige within their subjects. In addition to complementing your studies and giving you a leg-up on your fellow students, these lectures often offer 'free' food and drinks – something we can all use from time to time. Not only do you increase your knowledge of a subject and get outside your routine studies, but you get fed at the same time! How can you refuse? Just keep an eye out for posters and show up!

Finally, when summer draws near, and it's time to replenish your funds for another round of university life, why not take advantage of the Student Employment and Career Centre - a great group of university employees dedicated to helping you get a job. They can help you draft up a killer resumé, and their website houses a database full of promising summer jobs for students broken down by discipline.

As it would a daunting task to compile a list of all the 'free' goods and services on campus, the goal of this post is just to get you into the mindset that nothing at this university is completely free; you have already paid for it, all of it, whether you take advantage or not. And you will continue to pay every time you submit tuition to this institution.

Since this list is so impoverished, I invite you to take advantage of the wonderful interactivity of the world-wide web. Below you will see a link titled “Comments”; if you have taken the time to read this far, I only ask for you to give it one click and share you favourite 'free' thing with your fellow students. We're all in this together, and this lifestyle costs us all far too much.

Cheers! Your PAL,
Joel

I have quite recently rediscovered my love for learning, in the most basic sense of the word- simply discovering something I was unaware of before, making the unknown known. This can be in the form of actual “fact,” something written in history, or the ever fluctuating opinions and arguments of other individuals. I originally thought I had merely regained my love for reading, but upon further examination (foreshadowing pun intended) I have realized that it goes much deeper than that, for it is a detrimental mistake to even consider reading as the only worthwhile method of learning.

“Of course,” beams the ever obedient student, “the lecture portion of any class is just as important as the text.”

Ah yes, but that cheery response has nothing to do with the 10% Participation Mark does it? The loss of grade due to failing presence perhaps? The overall nonverbal-chastisement received for missing class? No…of course not.

Don’t get my cynical tone wrong; I’m not attempting to undermine academic procedures. Rather, I see importance in understanding why we learn. Fear not, I will stray as far away as possible from the idea of Man’s Insatiable Thirst for Knowledge (deliberate anachronism). However, many current incentives for learning somewhat depress me. University is the often-accepted next step to life after high school, and that in itself has its positives and negatives. Any argument claiming the attendance of university as more negative than positive would, I believe, fall through in seconds. We, as constantly progressing humans, need to take part in some form of active learning, study, and skill forming in order to combat a very devastating ignorance which can lead to societal stagnancy, or something even more harmful. On the other hand, how beneficial is an education indirectly “forced” on an individual, leaving one with more uncertainties than a clear direction? To cop out on my own question, I’ll just say it’s certainly a difficult issue.

To backtrack a tad, the “burden” of learning I speak of directly correlates to the constant stress (the most overwhelming during final exams), of a University student, all of you, the need for intoxicants as an escape (why do you think pub-crawls are so successful?), 3 months and ~$500 holding its value in one number, and the harrowing presence of an ubiquitous sense of guilt. Boy, do I ever pick out University’s best traits.

Worry not, I’m not intending to discourage you and other students, for I am right along there with you.

The point I’m cumbersomely trying to make is that there can be no loss in learning. Although not always tangibly beneficial, everything BUT the grade coming out of a class is what holds the true value. I understand everyone has their own reasons for everything, therefore a remunerative scholarship or promising career may be the goals to strive for. I can’t deny that success feels good. But understanding success’s many forms is important, especially in a University setting.
And I guess here’s where I plug the University Learning Centre. Every student at the U of S has made a conscious decision to be here, and that itself is at the foundation of what allows the ULC to exist. We understand that university is more difficult than anyone ever hopes and that it extends well beyond the lecture hall. We are willing and wanting to help any student that is willing to help her/himself, trying to help everyone find success in their own way. We try to lessen that overpowering burden learning seems to pile on us.

So whether it’s Harlequin’s latest romance, Paramount’s latest film, your last attended class, or a tiring debate with a good friend, your life is forever being enriched; try to enjoy it. Of course, it could be argued that such is not the case upon reading this poorly structured opinion of mine. But I do thank you for your time and patience, and keep tuning in to our wonderful blog.

PAL Jonathan

Being a student who spends a lot of time on campus makes it hard sometimes to pack a lunch. Even if one does bring a lunch it’s difficult for a lot of students to store leftovers from the night before. At times I can be stuck wandering around hungry, wondering what I can eat. However, it’s not like I can go to Louis’ everyday and get a 14 ounce steak. We have the unfortunate reality of paying thousands of dollars in tuition, which doesn’t leave a lot in bank accounts. So, there we are, left hungry and not wanting to spend a lot of money.

In the past I had no idea as to where I could turn for a good cheap lunch. There are options on campus, but I always found that they were lacking, either in taste or value. That was until a friend took me across frosty Campus Drive in front of Place Riel to Choices on Campus, the St. Thomas More cafeteria.

I can’t really explain it, but I think that if soup were a person, I’d marry him or her. Soup is my soul mate and anyone who comes into my life will be striving for, at best, second place in my heart. A good soup just speaks to me
Anyways, the soups at Choices were an absolute revelation for me. There are three choices everyday, one of which is always a vegan soup. They are all homemade, often quite interesting (I had vegan ginger squash today), and delicious. The best part of it is that if you bring your own container for the soup (a washed large yogurt container works great) it only costs $3.25 with a freshly baked cheddar biscuit. The biscuits are also mind-blowing.

So, friends, I heartily recommend that you join me at 11:15 for biscuits straight out of the oven and some off the hook soup. Make sure you get there before classes get out because it gets really packed. It’s a brilliant way to spend your lunch.

Choices soup and a biscuit: 7 thumbs up

PAL Brett (holla)

As the second term greets us along with the new year, and many of you prepare for the next phase of your first year here, I want to take a moment and share a valuable secret that took me far too many terms to learn. You see, in my high school it was generally a negative sign if your teacher learned your name on the first day of class – you soon would find yourself in the dreaded “corner desk.” This is a lesson that I took to heart, and appropriately I spent the first two years of my university career running in and out of class with my head down, grabbing the nearest seat, and generally avoiding the terrifyingly brilliant speaker at the front of the room.

This all changed a couple of years ago at the suggestion of a room mate: “Just introduce yourself; get them to know your name.” And it works. I haven't asked a professor yet, but I'm willing to bet that when they sit down with your assignment, after hours of pouring over similar ones, having a face to attach to the name on the front can't help but raise their spirits. At the worst, most professors aren't quite so scary once you've had a conversation with them, and they'll probably be more likely to acknowledge you in the hall one day – always a nice feeling, and a great way to impress your peers with your academic 'integrity.'

So, ask a question in class or, if you find that a bit too much, ask a question after class, and introduce yourself. Make something up if you need to; it isn't too hard. If you have an idea for a paper, just walk up and throw it out there. You might even get some feedback that will help make the final product that much better. If worse comes to worse, and you can think of nothing else, just introduce yourself and ask what additional reading/research you can do to prepare for the class – whether you do it or not is up to you, but at least the ice will be broken.

Don't fear your prof; get to know them. Keep your eyes open for 'meet your profs' nights offered by your college, and get out there! Remember, they're there to help you not hurt you.

Your PAL, Joel.

Welcome to the shiny new Peer Mentor Blog – presented to you by the University Learning Centre! My name is Joel, and I'll be your host on this introductory tour.

Peer Mentors are the product of 100 years of evolution in student services at the University of Saskatchewan, distilled, condensed, dropped, and quickly put back on the plate to be served up to you. We are students, just like you, who work within the Learning Centre to help you make the most of your academic experience. You can think of us as the cool aunts and uncles of the university community... yeah, we've grown a little bit responsible, but we still know how to have fun.

In the coming weeks and months, this blog will serve both as entertainment and as a resource for that little cricket that lives on your shoulder – you know, that quiet little voice that reminds you from time to time that working towards a University education isn't just an extension of high school, rather it is a choice that you have made, something that you have personally undertaken, for your own reasons; that little part of you that views your grade not as a form of punishment but as a challenge, and exams and assignments not as a form of torture but as an opportunity to better your academic self.

I invite you to check back after the holidays when we will begin to feed that cricket the information you need to thrive in a university environment. From the availability of workshops to help you build your scholarly skills, to the cheapest way to eat on campus at night without getting scurvy, the Peer Mentors have you covered.

Happy Holidays, and I'll see you in the new year,
Joel, Peer Mentor – University Learning Centre