More reasons to work on campus

I agree with Jeff. You can't beat a job on campus for the sheer convenience factor, but what I really love about my job on campus is the way it has shaped my perception of the University of Manitoba.

Prior to working on campus my view of university life was pretty narrow. It was limited to the series of classes and activities I took part in. Other degree programs, student organizations and several thousand administrative and campus support workers only existed in the realm of abstraction. Working at the Learning Assistance Centre, I meet and deal with countless students from all over the world, and together we engage directly with their course work.

Ultimately, I love my job on campus because it allows me glimpses into spheres of learning that would otherwise not involve me. By employing my skills on campus, I get to lend my support to the processes of learning here at the UofM.

Kevin

Strapped for Cash and Studying

If you are a University of Manitoba student, or any university student for that matter, there is a very good chance that you are strapped for cash during the school months. There are a variety of ways to deal with this lack of cash that won’t put you further into debt, such as getting a job, playing the stock market, betting your best friend $10 that you can beat her to that streetlamp, selling your quilt collection, winning an arm wrestling tournament, betting your best friend $20 that you can beat her from that streetlamp to the trash can, finding money in an old jacket pocket and so on and so on.

Obviously, the most feasible option here is getting a part-time job. The problem with this option is the amount of time that you actually have to spare on such a thing, as well as the fact that you may not want to work weekends when you spend all week with your nose cemented to the books.

Don’t worry, all is not lost: a great option for students to make some cash can be found in the form of a job here on campus at the University of Manitoba. A job on campus is great for picking up some cash during the school year because you don’t have to drive anywhere to get to work. Also, the jobs that are found on campus are designed for students and as a result, are much more flexible when it comes to working into your schedule. There are a variety of jobs that a student can get on campus such as the one that I am working right now as a write this at the Learning Assistance Centre.

To learn more about these positions please check out the University of Manitoba Career and Employment Services webpage at http://umanitoba.ca/student/employment.

Good luck on your exams!

Jeff

I didn’t get into Grad School!

So, you drafted up your statement of purpose. You filled out countless forms. You had your profs write glowing letters of recommendation. And now you’re waiting for those programs to call back. But… what if you don’t get in? It’s not a situation most students have a plan for. Websites dedicated to program applications have pages and pages devoted to how to apply, but not much on what to do if you don’t get in.

REMEMBER-- It’s not the end of the world! I myself am a survivor of the failed application year, and just got into a great program after applying again one year later. The situation IS workable! I have some of the steps that I know helped me, and might help you too.

1. Take a look at your graduation plan. Consult with your faculty and a prof or two. In some cases, your best plan might be to delay your graduation for one year. Or, you can remain a student in your program. Spend that year taking extra high-level coursework. If you already have an advisor in your faculty, you might be able to spend the year doing some research work—a HUGE plus on applications.

2. If you are going to graduate this year, why not consider enrolling as a Special Student? See if your faculty allows this—it’ll enable you to take some extra courses to demonstrate your dedication to the area. For info on becoming a Special Student at the U of M, go to http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/admissions/requirements/special.shtml

3. A year off to work, provided you work in the field in which you want to continue to study, is not at all a detriment. In fact, it can be a huge bonus! For example, a year spent in a lab can be a big asset in a biochem application. Going into social work? Work at a crisis centre over the year!
What about applying for other, similar programs? Some are easier to get into than others. For example, if you want to go into psych but are really interested in volunteerism or health, why not consider some Rec. Studies programs?

4. Consider a one-year certificate course in a related field. You might be able to get an applied counseling certificate before our psych grad school program, or a medical technician certificate before med school, or a personal trainer certificate before a physiotherapy program.
Try to identify weak points in your application an fix them. You could take the time this year to re-write the GRE or MCAT, without having 27 credit hours on top of studying for the big test! Look at where you might have been lacking (work/research experience, volunteerism, etc.) and do it this year!

5. Devote more time to researching programs. Remember that you’re deciding how to spend the next several years of your life. Costs and funding differ by institution and program. Look at restrictions or bonuses offered to non-local applicants. If you’re prepared to move, look at out-of-province or U.S. programs.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t make it in the first time you apply. Advanced degree programs are very competitive. Use this year to build up you profile and make those applications for next year even more stunning than they were this year!

Mike

Online Dictionaries

I have discovered that one of the most helpful resources for my writing has been an online dictionary. When I am in the midst of writing, it is helpful to have access to a dictionary to look up the meaning of a word, find a new word, or use a new word in a different way. There are several good online dictionaries from which to choose.

Choice Dictionaries
The dictionary of choice amongst editors is the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, which can be found at the website: http://www.m-w.com/. This website is helpful because it provides the meaning of the word in question in its verb, adjective, or noun form. It also has a list of the contexts in which the word is found along with its meaning. Finally an etymology or history of the word is provided to the researcher. This dictionary also has a Spanish-English dictionary.

The Oxford English Dictionary can be accessed from the e-library link from the umanitoba.ca website. By searching the databases by name under the “O,” you can access the OED. The OED offers many unique features like new words just recently added from colloquial usage, quarterly updates of new words added to the dictionary, and featured additions of words now a part of the English language as slang. Another feature of the OED is a learning resource for university level students to use with a tutorial to follow highlighting how to use the OED online.

Onelook.com also offers a display of all the contexts in which a word is used such as slang, business, general, art, computing, medicine, miscellaneous, religion, science, sports, technology, and phrases. The word is listed in its category along with the name of the dictionary where the meaning is found.

Dictionary.com also displays the results of several different dictionaries’ definitions. This website also has some other unique features such as a translator, where text can be entered and instantly translated either to another language from English or from another language to English. It also has a crossword puzzle dictionary and a “word of the day” in both English and Spanish. This site includes reference.com and thesaurus.com.

Many Meanings
A great example of the importance of a dictionary to determine the many meanings associated with a word is the word mean” As a noun, mean may signify intentions or purposes, or a mathematical calculation of the average. As an adjective describing a noun however, mean means offensive. If you add an “s” to the word mean, its meaning changes to several possibilities, depending on the context in which it is used. Means may be understood as a method to attain an end, an indication, or it can represent wealth.

Have you become annoyed by my use of the word mean so often? Well, as previously mentioned, dictionary.com also has a great feature: the thesaurus.com. Reading the same word repeatedly may cause you to lose interest in a paper (sometimes your own paper). If you type in the overused (repeated) word, a comprehensive list of alternative choices with a similar meaning will be displayed. Just be careful when choosing a replacement word: words have nuances that will affect how a reader understands them.

Online dictionaries may not be the cure for writers’ block, but they are a great resource.
Happy writing.

Cindy Isaak-Ploegman

Procrastinus - A Procrastination Site

I know I've been yammering on lately about time management and lists - it's just that time of the year for me, February and procrastination seem to go hand-in-hand - but, I'm still going to link to one more time-related site. Procrastination Central includes online assessments (I'm apparently a moderate procrastinator), research on procrastination and links to a number of interesting sites (both serious and fun). I know that any success I've had with conquering procrastination is because I've found out as much as I could about it and learned techniques that I can use to avoid it (no pun intended).

Miriam

Google Super Searching Workshop

Have you ever used an internet search engine and walked away thinking, “I am sure there is more on this topic out there, but I just can’t seem to find it!” or, “I am not sure if this is from a website that is considered authoritative;” or even, “Why oh why did I end up with this recipe for fantastic chicken corn chowder when I am researching the Cuban missile crisis?” Don’t worry you are definitely not alone at this university. Using internet search engines effectively is a great skill to learn so that next time you sit down in front of your computer you can get the results you need. The Dafoe library is offering a number of workshops called “Google Super Searching,” which are aimed at teaching you about search concepts and tricks, as well as how to find what you want on the internet. The details are as follows:

Location: Room 11, Elizabeth Dafoe Library

Dates: Monday, February 19, 4:00 - 5:00
Wednesday, February 28, 1:15 – 2:15
Friday, March 9, 3:00 – 4:00
Monday, March 12, 4:00 – 5:00
Wednesday, March 21, 1:15 – 2:15
Friday, March 30, 3:00 – 4:00

Email dafref@ms.umanitoba.ca to register.

Have fun searching the net,

Jeff

Mnemonics

In most cases, understanding and becoming familiar with a subject area is the best way to learn; however, sometimes we just need to memorize (i.e., what are the 6 types of veins?). Mnemonics are strategies that you can use to memorize difficult to remember lists, systems, and facts. Some examples of mnemonics are acronyms (HOME = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie; MADD = Mother's Against Drunk Driving), first letter mnemonics (PIRATES = Pulmonary disease, Ischemia, Rheumatic heart disease, Anemia, Thyrotoxicosis, Ethanol, and Sepsis), or verses (Thirty days hath September,April, June, and November: All the rest have thirty-one, Except for February). You can make up your own mnemonics (you just have to make sure you remember what they mean!) or use mnemonics others have already created (like the examples above).

The wikipedia entry linked above (just click on "mnemonic") lists a number of different mnemonic techniques. I've also listed a number of other sites below that you might find useful.

Amanda's Mnemonic Page
University of Victoria's Mnemonics Page
Mnemonic Techniques provided by Inteligen
Mnemonics

Miriam

Two useful sites

I love to-do lists; they keep easily distracted me on task. They also allow me to get rid of "brain clutter" and put all those little items that tend to cause me anxiety down on paper where I can see them - tasks just seem so much more manageable when they are put down in on a piece of paper. However, those little pieces of paper often get lost in the larger clutter of my desk. If you are a student, even the luxury of a desk space to lose to-do lists on is rare; most of the time you're going from cafeteria, to hallway, to library, to class (and so on) and those lists are easier to lose (or forget). Ta-da an on-line list program is a possible solution to this problem. You need to subscribe (so it will remember your lists), but it's free and really, really easy to use. I've set ta-da as my home page, so that I can see my lists as soon I pull up Firefox. And, best of all, you can't lose the lists!

Another on-line service that upper level students, particularly graduate students, might find useful is the newly launched on-line Chicago Manual of Style. There is a cost associated with this subscription ($30 per year), but if you use this style manual regularly and are tired of hauling it around (for those of you who aren't familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style - it's big!) the cost of an annual subscription might be worth it.

Miriam

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Podcast

I've been wandering the net looking for interesting sites that I can add to our page o' links on the LAC webpage and came across a series of "Quick and Dirty" podcasts. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is, not surprisingly, the one I was most interested in (although better manners and more money wouldn't hurt!). Her podcasts cover everything from style guides, to commas to the use of hung vs. hang. The information is accurate, clear and fun. Check it out! Those of you with iPods can be a true geeks, download the podcasts, and listen to them while you're walking from class to class, on the bus, or waiting to pick up you next double double.

I love making lists

I love making lists. Even if I know I won’t get it all done in one day, I like at least to put it all out there. It not only serves as a reminder, but as soon as an item gets on my list, it has entered my thinking in-basket. This in-basket means that even if you can’t see that I’m working on an assignment, my mind has begun processing. This processing may take the form of thinking about the steps of the task, or accessing my background knowledge, or I could even play with jumping to conclusions in an essay.

The brilliant part is that I may not even look at the list again (though not usually the case), but I am so much more likely to get those items done if I have written them on a to-do list. The process of writing itself helps me break down tasks into doable parts. I also invariably put those little things that need doing but are super easy to cross off the list, like phone my grandma and mail two letters. These “easy button” tasks help me feel like I am getting things done and on top of the world. I like that.

Happy Listing

Natalie

Topic and Transitions Sentences

As a reader of quite a few essays and term papers, I notice that writers often struggle with organization. What I have usually found is that their organization is pretty good; each paragraph has a main idea and the paragraphs follow logically, but two key elements are missing. These elements are topic and transition sentences and can even be added to essays after they are written. Using topic and transition sentences is an easy way to infuse both organization and cohesion (aka flow) into essays.

Topic sentences belong at the beginning of each body paragraph and highlight the main idea of the paragraph and how that idea relates to the thesis of the essay. I think it’s important to be really explicit in this sentence so the reader is not left to question the logical flow of ideas. However, it’s also vital to be creative and interesting so the reader is eager to keep reading.

Transition sentences are the last sentence of every paragraph and serve to sum up the paragraph and hook or connect into the ideas coming in the next paragraph. If in an article review, the first paragraph is illustrating a strength in the article, the transition sentence could show the reader that this is not the only strength of the article, more are coming.

Writers may feel like they’re being repetitive in doing this, but readers don’t know the topic as well as the writer, so the restatement or clarification really is helpful for the reader. And a happy and unconfused reader is usually a happy marker! (wink wink ;))

Here's a short sample essay that has colour coded the thesis and topic sentences so readers can easily see how these sentences look and function in an essay.

Natalie

WC Online

Attention students! You no longer have to stop by our office or phone us to book an appointment to see a writing tutor at our office. If you want to book an appointment, simply log onto www.rich15.com/manitoba, ‘Click here to Register’, fill in all the required information then log onto the site and book the appointment over the internet! You can book appointments at 4:00am and from anywhere in the world if you like. If you require instructions, please visit our office website at www.umanitoba.ca/u1/lac and click on ‘Booking Appointments’ or stop by our office and ask for more information.

Greg

Google Scholar

Research papers typically require students to venture out into the world of academic literature in order to gain insight into a topic. Typically only reputable, peer-reviewed sources should be used to support your arguments. If you’re scared of the intimidating Elizabeth Dafoe Library (which you shouldn’t be), my guess is that you’ll probably venture on to Google to see what you can find on the topic you’re researching. Using a basic search engine, you’re going to find a whole lot of material that may be interesting, but not particularly useful. Sites like Wikipedia or Joe Blow’s Blog may be informative, but they don’t quite have the same clout as the publications of experts in the field you’re studying.

This isn’t to say that the Internet is useless when it comes to research. Not at all. However, when you’re on the lookout for reputable scholarly literature, try Google Scholar. This search engine will provide you with legitimate, peer-reviewed publications from the best and brightest.

Greg

Structured Procrastination

In case you blinked, October is in full swing. Where did all of September go? I doubt anyone has a reasonable answer for that. What is apparent is the fact that the number of days of stress-free university life students have managed to soak up these past few weeks are rapidly drying up. Perhaps you have been keeping on top of things, reading over notes from every class, starting all your assignments early, and going to see your profs with all you questions. Or maybe you had every intention of doing these things but somewhere along the way they lost priority to all other things in your life like soccer practice, the season premiere of Grey’s, and hanging out with friends, etc. Now faint recollections of meaning to review class notes are coming back and due dates that seemed so distant and manageable at the beginning of term are but a week or so away. October can be a hard in terms of getting yourself back into the swing of things and the only way to get the ball rolling…is to get the ball rolling. However if you feel your excellent procrastination abilities are impeding your ball rolling consider something called Structured Procrastination at www.structuredprocrastination.com. This is a neat skill that helps you to turn your procrastination into completed by using your procrastination skills in a valuable way. Does this sound too good to be true? Well it’s not as easy as sitting around doing no work but at least this one with help you get your assignments and studying done on time.

Conclusions – Will there be a sequel?

One of the biggest challenges student writers face is toward the end of the process. You’ve written everything except the dreaded conclusion. But what do you write? An all too common approach to conclusions is to summarize your entire paper. The trouble with a summary is that your instructor will be reading the same things they just read in the body of your paper. Especially for short papers written at the undergraduate level, reading a summary may be perceived as time well wasted.

I’ve struggled with conclusions for many years and have found the best way to tackle a paper’s conclusion is to think like some horror movie producers do:
leave room for a sequel! A great writer effectively answers question she’s asked herself but in the end, poses another with the hope that she or another researcher may be able to answer. Just as the monster comes back to life in the frightening final moments of a horror flick, prompting audience anticipation for a sequel, academic writers also might leave their endings open.

Greg

Blog note: Here's some more online information on conclusions.

Time management web workshop

I apologize for the sporadic nature of our posts. The weeks are just flying by.

When it gets busy we all struggle with time, the lack of it and the seemingly vast number of tasks that seem to pile up. Figuring out a game plan to deal with those tasks is always a good idea. The University of Guelph has a fabulous, interactive web workshop on time management. There are several points of entry: by topic (i.e. "time management and creativity") by persistent or recurring problems (i.e., procrastination) or by topics that are geared towards specific student populations (i.e., adult students or first-year students). Check it out.

Next Week's Workshops

The first full week back to school is almost complete and if you are starting to feel a little panicky about your ability to tackle assignments and organize your studying fret not!! The LAC will be offering a variety of workshops in the next two months that will set you well on your way and keep you on track to meet your goals this semester.

The LAC is offering two workshops next week. Note! If you have one of the LAC Brochures some of the rooms have changed! They are correct here.

Organizing Your Time Effectively
Tues. Sept 19, 1:30-2:30, Helen Glass 348
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2:30-3:30, Helen Glass 344
This workshop will help with that constant pressure of getting everything done and getting it done on time.

Research and the Internet
Thursday September 21, 1:00-2:00, Helen Glass 370
This workshop offers information about using research logs and how to search the internet effectively. This involves sorting through all the junk and finding something valuable as well as making use of the databases available through the UM Libraries.

You can register by calling 480-1481 or online through the Virtual Learning Commons.

The Writing Tutor Program is back!!!!!

That's right! Starting Tuesday, September 19th, the writing tutors return to the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Reference Room! Feel free to drop by for help with your essays. For updated information about hours of operation, please visit us online.



Greg

Welcome First Year Students and The Virtual Learning Commons

It's the first day of orientation! Welcome all first year students. When you have a chance come by and say hello and grab a candy out of our candy jar.

The University of Manitoba has a new and existing online initiative called The Virtual Learning Commons. This site provides academic information, and is extremely interactive with an assignment manager, a very cool scheduling feature, the ability to add your own "to-do" list (which can be added to your scheduler) access to an online writing tutor and the opportunity to chat online with other UM students.

Check it out!

LAC Fall Workshops

The times, dates, and location of our fall workshops are now online. Our first one is on September 12 at 1:30 (Taking Useful Class Notes). The same workshop is repeated on September 13th in 344 Helen Glass at 2:30.

If you want to register please call 474-1481.