As a high school graduate of 2000, it’s coming around to that time of life — time for the 10 year high school reunion.  I’ve got to be careful about what I choose to write here, because I think I might inadvertently get myself de-invited. 

I while ago, I got the official (via Facebook) invitation for my 10 year high school reunion, set to go down this summer.  Good on the former students for organizing, apparently the school was ZERO help.  So with the class of 2000 set to ride again, I pose the following query for your dissection: The whole Facebook thing seems to have eliminated the need for high school reunions, hasn’t it? 

I mean, wasn’t the whole thing with the reunion to see and catch up with people you lost touch with over the last X amount of years, and catch up?  So, now with pretty well every human being on the planet having a Facebook profile, and certainly most of every grad class that ever, well, grad-ed (even those who took a little extra time)… well, haven’t we all been doing that very same catching up, and keeping IN touch with each other already, via Facebook, or email, or whatever?

For those who just wanted to see who got fat, who’s bald, who’s rich, who’s still on drugs, and/or who you think you have it better than, well, there’s an app for that all the magic of those mysteries can be solved with a few clicks on incriminating Facebook posts.  So that’s out.  Even if you just want to creep on pictures, and see every move everyone’s made over the last decade, well, that’s at your disposal too—as long as you’ve got that all important “Friend Request” approval.  You don’t even need to leave your house for that.      

And for those looking to show up and prove some point about what you made of yourself and how you’re back to extract revenge on all the people that picked on you by rubbing your accomplishments in everyone’s face, well, if you didn’t already know… YOU’RE THE REASON NO ONE WANTS TO GO TO THESE THINGS. 

Here’s a few direct quotes from people in the reunion group that I cut and paste from our reunion page; all examples of things I don’t want to deal with, nor conversations I want to become involved in, if I were to attend:

“I think this past year was my best looking year”

“I’ll be at the grad reunion and be the shocker of it all”

“I neither got fat nor skinny. I got out of my Goth period and grew my hair long.”

“I wasn’t the smartest student…and some people may have thought I wouldn’t do much in my life… well I am happy to say I’m doing pretty good.”

So basically all the things that make you point out how late it is, or pretend you’re getting a call on your phone that didn’t ring, or remind yourself of what you left on the stove, or plugged in, or what’s burning down, or whatever else you can conjure up to exit that convo A-S-A-P.

Now, of course there are good, positive reasons to go.  There definitely is no replacement for seeing people in person when compared to online social networking.  There are a few good people that I would enjoy seeing, and hanging out with again.  Rekindle some old friendships, and re-connect with those who have managed to hermit themselves from technology.  Was there anyone that became famous in our class?  Hmm, might be interesting to find that out. 

Of course, there’s going to be people who’re only going to go if ______ goes, and then there’s a stalemate, and then no one goes.  And some people live really far away, and just can’t go.  I’ve been fortunate to stay good friends with the people of that group I care to keep in touch with most; and at times, I think that’s probably all I really need.

Look, high school wasn’t that bad for me, compared to some of the tortured stories I’ve heard from others.  I had some good times, and some good friends, tried to be a good dude, and also tried not to fail classes and get stuck there.  I think I learned a few things in class here and there, but math DID turn out to be useless just like we all contended; outside of calculating tips at restaurants of course.  I definitely had my insecurities, embarrassments, and jerks and idiots that I wish I never had to have dealt with; but I got out relatively unscathed.  Some stories I’ve heard are certainly of the kind of psychologically damaging material that has people paying shrinks to keep them from climbing to the top of a bell tower and opening fire.  I don’t recall crossing anyone in that manner, so I think my odds of getting shot are fairly low.  I can think of a few people whose odds are probably not in their favour though… remind again why we all want to get together with each other again?

So if we all know that eveyone’s got their issues buried somewhere down deep, can we just all agree that this thing’s not an opportunity to get revenge, or to continue being an idiot to people, or to take that last shot at love with the girl/guy you liked but were too shy to talk to, or whatever agenda you’ve been stewing in the crockpot for waaaay too long, and can we all just hang out like civilized adults that weren’t only brought together by the social bindings of a mandatory public education system?  Can we all just pretend that despite the social awkward life period of us all once being acceptance-seeking (just me?) adolescents that were forced to congregate in the same building for 5 consecutive years, that we actually want to be in the same place with each other this time for some reason?

 Or maybe should we all just go buckwild; have one side of the room for people who want to start fights, gloat, and get embarrassed by asking out the person you always wanted to date that still doesn’t want to date you roll the dice on a crack at romance, and the other side for all the people who are over themselves and their issues, and just wanna hang out and have a good time?      

Again, I hope I haven’t just lost my invitation.  I know I sound cynical, but surely I’m not the only one with these thoughts running through their heads. 

My invitation status is currently set as “Maybe Attending”.  Do you think I should go?  Why or why not?  Did you/are you going to yours?  Why or why not?  What’s your best high school reunion story?

read more of Dave at Serenity Now… The SDC Blogs http://davecunning.wordpress.com

In the past couple of weeks I have heard sooo many people complaining about how much they HATE their summer jobs. Suck it up buttercups. A lot of people don’t have summer jobs!

Actually the point of this blog isn’t to critize, it’s to emphasize the IMPORTANCE of those “sucky” summer jobs.

I can already feel your eye’s drooping and your interest fading… WAKE UP this is important! Those crappy summer jobs are going to help you in the long run. I can already hear you saying “no way, not possible, you have NEVER had to work the conditions I have had to so what could you possibly know”. You’re right, I haven’t had to work a lot of different positions, but, from being a ski instructor to young children, to a day camp counsellor, to working in a toy store for three summers, I know and understand the difficulties of working somewhere you don’t want to.

But, ladies and gentlemen, there are benefits so here they are:

1. You will now know how to deal with difficult and adverse situations (if not difficult bosses and coworkers)! You are a better person for it, you can deal with it well, which could potentially earn you brownie points at your next job. Knowing how to deal with a difficult boss or coworker, or tense situation effects all areas of your life.

2. You will have different experience. Often times people hate their first summer jobs, or just summer jobs, and it’s normally not what they want to do. But this way you will learn something new that (if you can believe it or not) be applied to life outside of that particular field of work.

3. Working all summer without vacation seems like a downer but it’s not. I have done it for 4 years now and I gotta tell you, working all year as a student is hard, working all summer as a summer temp is hard … but when you do get downtime (even if it is only one weekend off in the entire summer) you will appreciate it all the more. Real life is like this so think of it as preparation.

4. If you are one of those people looking for a job and desperately trying to find one, don’t be picky! Life is hard enough as it is! Now that you know a job that you may not like could be beneficial to the future you, go get it. The point is that you will be able to support yourself in the future, and that is also super important.

5. For those of you who still rely on your parents, having a crappy summer job teaches you the work ethic you need for school, work, life, reality, arduous people who get on your nerves and just don’t know when to stop….

6. Going along with number 5, it helps you become more financially independant from your parents and starts to teach you the value of money.

7. Last, and finally (I am sorry to all of you who have heard this before but it’s important) these crappy jobs BUILD CHARACTER, they shape and mold you into who you will become. They help you appreciate the better jobs when they come along, and (are you listening first time workers) they will for sure come along!

Summer jobs suck, especially first time summer jobs. But they are good for us in the long run and in the end, it’s only four months of your life, live a little.

If you are considering enrolling in the Laurier MBA Co-op program, this article is for you. As a Laurier MBA alumni I thought id share some insight with you in order to help you make the right decision. Reading the MBA program brochure there is quite a bit of hype and while it is understandable that MBA programs maximize their promotional efforts, such organizations must also be prudent in managing expectations so that students know exactly what to expect before they make such an important decision in their lives. From a financial standpoint the Laurier MBA program is by far the cheapest one around but what you may find out is that in this case the old adage rings true – you really do get what you pay for.

I’ve laid out this review into 3 main areas the program is lacking in and if you find these aspects important you may want to reconsider your options.

Lack of International Options

The Laurier brochure states that ‘Increased globalization means business leaders must think and act in an international context’ and while this may be increasingly true, the program does not currently provide much of an international experience. This is quite misleading to say the least and when I approached the MBA office to inquire about semesters abroad I was notified that there are currently no partnerships in place. This came as a surprise as the majority of Canadian MBA programs have been providing international study opportunities for awhile. In fact check out the international exchange opportunities offered by U of T’s Rotman School of Management: http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/mba/international_study.htm. I actually used Rotman’s list to pre qualify and contact schools I wished to enroll in for an exchange semester I had to plan on my own.

Lack of Job Support

While the school boasts a professional career development centre, job support is weak. After completing an undergraduate coop degree at the University of Guelph where the administration is genuinely concerned with your job situation, Laurier pales in comparison. In fact, after completing my self-organized semester abroad and returning to Toronto to find work I found myself barred from access to desperately needed job postings. After approaching the career centre to inquire, I was told there was nothing they can do for me. Only registered students and graduates could view job postings and since I did not neatly fall into one if these categories I was out of luck. After asking the administration if an exception could be made in my case so that I would have access to postings, the answer was – no. Quite ironic given the fact that I enrolled in the program to gain access to better jobs. This is definitely one area that Laurier is lacking in and a considerable effort on the part of the student is needed to explore new job opportunities. In fact, I was given the advice to seek out and conduct ‘informational interviews’ but needless to say this is not exactly what you’re looking for when enrolling in a professional MBA program. The school simply does not have enough relationships in place to provide students with  easier access to better job opportunities.

Lack of Organization

The administration at Laurier was constantly unorganized and this directly translates into substandard customer service for you as a student. After initially appealing a late fee charge that was levied on my account for the semester abroad, I only received a response a few weeks later. After attempting to appeal this decision, the appeal email was actually bounced around for 3 months  (full circle at one point), while my account accrued interest,  before I finally received a shoddy denial letter which actually had the word ‘draft’ in the title. To add icing to the cake, I was contacted by a collections agency regarding this amount, while I waited 3 months for the 1 paragraph letter. As I mentioned before, I attended the University of Guelph as an undergraduate and organization was not an issue there, so I am led to believe that it is only Laurier who functions in this manner (or should I say doesn’t function.)

If you are thinking of enrolling in the Laurier MBA program and the above considerations relate to you – I would strongly advise you to reconsider. As someone who has completed the program I can tell you from personal experience that there are plenty of better opportunities out there. Most people fall into the trap of relying solely on school ratings and financial cost as their primary concerns in making a decision. Although this may be important, it should not serve as your primary reasoning for ultimately choosing a school.  Remember to consider the less tangible benefits of an MBA education such as international opportunities, career support and the overall university experience.

Remember when you were little, and you kept saying that you didn’t want a nap and that you were totally wide awake? Then you would fall asleep anyway on the couch? And if you didn’t get your nap in people would excuse your crankiness because little you hadn’t had their nap that day? Don’t you just miss it?

Flash forward to real (although some would argue this), university, life. You are in your two thirty class, your eyes begin to droop, you stifle a yawn, you try and think why you didn’t eat breakfast. Instead of the teacher’s words in your head there is a little cartoon of you, asleep, with a textbook attached to your face while you drool. … Well not gonna lie, that’s what happens to me. And the worst part? NO ONE excuses your crankiness just because you didn’t have a nap!

This is not a guide about how to nap properly, or when, or what you should do.

This is about why napping is a good thing, how it makes you feel better, and above and beyond anything it is about how some people can make the nap an artform! (I am very jealous of those people).

I would like to point out that most studies seem to be of the opinion that a 20 minute cat nap is good for you. From my experience it may be a refresher for about an hour, but in the long run it just doesn’t keep you awake.

In order to make napping an artform I feel I should give you some advice about how NOT to nap.

- Don’t get into your pjs and into bed, turn off the lights and put your ear plugs in. Your body will most likely be getting sleep signals and instead of that 45 minute “rest” period you will sleep for three hours, wake up disoriented and cranky, and the worst part, you wont be able to sleep until really late that night.

- At the same time, let your body get its rest!!! If you need an hour, take an hour!

- Don’t worry about falling asleep while reading. Don’t try and wake yourself up when you are just falling asleep over a book. If you are getting sleepy allow yourself that rest. You will probably be reading with the lights on and so your body will know it is not time for sleep and you will get a relaxing amount of sleep but not too much.

- Don’t complain about how tired you are to everyone around you! (Ok I know this has virtually nothing to do with napping but c’mon people! We are university students, it’s like our job to be tired)! Take a nap or go to bed earlier.

- Don’t plan your naps. I mean, if you want to fine, but I have found that if I set aside that time every day for a planned nap I can no longer sleep.

- Don’t nap too late in the day. This should be an obvious one but if you go to bed at 10 don’t start napping at 6.

- MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL to the Art of Napping: do not feel bad for napping. Our bodies go through a lot in the day. I don’t know where this stigma came from about napping during the day (maybe our internal big kids are like, “hey we are old, we don’t need to nap). Personally, the happiest people I know are people who take a nap at least twice or more times a week!

So ladies and gentlemen. I know this isn’t a guide to napping. But it should help to make your napping a perfect artform! … Actually I kind of feel like a nap right now…

Last summer Toronto based poverty advocacy group The Stop Community Food Centre initiated an informative campaign called Do The Math. The project informed Ontarians of the dismal state of social assistance in the province, with the main argument that Ontarians receiving welfare and other social assistance are unable to provide themselves, and often their families, a healthy diet. Many of these people are forced to rely on food banks and soup kitchens for daily meals, where basic essential nutrition is hard to find, The Stop officials insist.

The response to the Do The Math campaign was good. Over 4,000 Ontarians sent postcards to Premier Dalton McGuinty, asking for positive action regarding the nutrition dilemma. But The Stop is still agitated that little has been done to help with low-income Ontarians to achieve a more-equal status in comparison to their neighbours off social assistance.

Usher in The Stop’s latest poverty awareness campaign, the Do The Math Challenge. Beginning on April 6, ten of Toronto’s prominent activists, government officials and celebrities picked up a food hamper from The Stop. The mission is to live off the hamper’s bounty, which usually lasts a person 3 to 4 days, and the city’s food banks for as long as possible, but at least a week. Participants include journalist/author/activist Naomi Klein, singer for Polaris Prize winning punk band Fucked Up Damian Abraham, musicians Rosina Kazi and Nic Murray of Toronto band LAL, and Toronto Ward 21 councillor Joe Muhavic and family, among others.

The purpose of the Do The Math Challenge is to create social awareness about the plights of poverty in Toronto, which are not exclusive to nutrition concerns. The Stop advocates for better treatment of impoverished, marginalised citizens in all sectors of contemporary city-life. It uses the dismal issue of under-nourishment among social assistance users as a vantage point on Toronto, and Ontario’s, many poverty triggered problems.

Follow all the participants with updates of how the challenge is affecting them here. Take action in the fight for equality in Canada.

I’ve been a fan of the “Resident Evil” video game series ever since I played the first incarnation, oh so long ago, on the Nintendo Gamecube.  It’s such an incredibly well made series; games that absolutely terrify me, but somehow coax me into seeing them through to conclusion.  This leash has previously tugged me through renting RE: Zero, 1, 2, 3, owning 4, and watching the three theatrical releases. 

As a Nintendo loyalist, I’ve owned every and only Nintendo consoles (NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, DS, and Wii) I was naturally quite rattled/relieved that I wouldn’t get to play RE: 5; due to its exclusive release on Sony PS3 and XBOX 360.  Though I would not get to dabble in Capcom’s 5^th RE terror walk, us Nintendo folk have been given the chance to try to survive 2 other RE offerings that are exclusive to Wii: RE: “The Umbrella Chronicles” (2007), and “The Darkside Chronicles” (2009).  Recently, my brother and I decided to delve in head first, and we rented them simultaneously.

Both games are “on-rail shooters”, which basically means that the game controls your movement through the game, while you contribute the offence/carnage.  It plays very arcade-like (a game called “Lucky & Wild” comes to mind),  and is stocked with soild graphics and a cool underlying story line that permits you further knowledge of the missing pieces in the ongoing Resident Evil saga. 

Both titles are feature quite simplified controller interaction compared to previous releases on various platforms; of which’s controller button functions have grown to absurd levels in recent years.  Both games are compatible with the Wii zapper to simulate the gun use, offer optional use of the Wii nunchuk to increase the field of view (only on UC) and switch weapons, a “B” trigger to shoot, “A” button to pick up items, and the control pad to toggle between your guns.  Both games make use of the Wii sensor bar; allowing you to swing the Wii-remote to swipe at enemies with your knife.  Co-operative play with another player is another new addition not previously offered, and something I found to be great fun. 

In response to why the gameplay had been made simpler, the games’ producer, Masachika Kawata, observed that “Wii users like easiness” and that the older gameplay style would be difficult for Wii’s larger and broader target audience, rather than for its series’ niche enthusiasts.  He also admittedly lowered the level of difficulty to appeal to the mass Wii users (entire families), rather than the slim teenage/young-adult male demographic that has been playing/buying/funding the whole series and its success thus far.  A good idea for Wii, but definitely a frustration point for hardcore RE fans.

Wii/Capcom’s decision to cater to mass rather than niche is curious, considering that they storylines you uncover in both games could only be understood by those aforementioned harcore fans of the series.  “Umbrella Chronicles” focuses on the ongoings of Albert Wesker, a main antagonist of the series.  Without offering any spoilers, basically as you play through the game, you discover what he had been doing while absent from view in the past games, and gain further insight into his Umbrella Corp. involvement, and continuing meddling with S.T.A.R.S. agents.  You also get to revisit some incidents of RE:0, 1, and 3 with familiar characters Rebecca Chambers, Billy Coen, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong,  HUNK, and new addition, Carlos Oliveira; transporting you back to the train, the Mansion, and Raccoon City in certain scenarios.

                                      ************************

“Darkside Chronicles” takes you through RE:2, Code Veronica, and offers some new material.  This game allows you to play as Leon S. Kennedy and Jack Krauser  (mortal enemies in RE:4, so this gives insight into their prior relationship) Claire Redfield (as she searches for her lost brother, Chris), Sherry Birkin, and another appearance from Ada Wong.  As Leon and Krauser interact while on a mission to exterminate a South American drug lord/Umbrella affiliate, Leon recounts his experiences in Raccoon City before RE:4, which allow for the gameplay of the other characters in other scenarios.

Though we completed both games in a week, they were fun to play.  There’s plenty of fresh storyline and throwback  for the veteran Resident Evil player, and easy gameplay for the newbie to jump into and enjoy.  Flesh-hungry zombies still come out of the woodwork in mind-boggling quantities and time, and still have the ability to freak you out.  There’s also plenty of difficulty adjustments and unlockable content to keep you playing for a long time.  Some levels have to be unlocked by accomplishing certain tasks, and the game cannot be completed unless you do.   Though I would suggest renting these games rather than buying them, there’s plenty of fright, fun, and intrigue to keep you tuned in until they are complete; and seed interest in the next Resident Evil release. 

Judgement: Rentals

read more of Dave at Serenity Now… The SDC Blogs http://davecunning.wordpress.com

We all do it. I am talking about procrastinating for those G.D. exams! You’re probably thinking, productive procrastinating? Well we all get stressed out, so if we’re going to procrastinate then it might as well be something that helps you “de-stress”.
So I thought I would come up with some ways to procrastinate that will — in the long run– help you with your studying!

1. Blog - Obviously. Blogging is a good way to get your thoughts out. Plus you can set a limit for yourself. “After I write this I will go back to studying.” If you are stressed out about exams, write about them!

2. Make a healthy snack - According to the University of Kansas Medical Centre eating a healthy snack that includes protein – such as cheese or nuts – will help energizer you! Then you will be more energetic and ready to get back to studying.

3. Stretch – for a “mini office workout” click here, which we’ll call a mini study break workout!

4. Watch Ellen – She always makes me laugh! She’ll make you laugh too. Or watch a show that you love. Limit it to one show and not a move, nothing longer than an hour. If you watch an entire movie you may get lazy and not want to get back to work. Laughing is a good stress reliever; you can study on the commercials if you’re a keener! Once the show is over you can get back to studying.

5. Clean – Sounds like a drag I know. But if you clean up your study space and have everything organized you’ll be able to study better! You’ll know where all your notes are, and not have to waste time searching your entire room for them!

6. Rearrange your room – Feng Shui your room! There are many types of Feng Shui for exam studying the best thing to do would be to feng shui for knowledge and wisdom! Here are some easy tips. Add blue to your room to increase your brain vibes. Have symbols of mentors or wise people. Like a picture of Gandhi, or someone you admire their wisdom in your study area. As for things to remove from your study space: drugs and alcohol, clutter (give yourself space), unclear stuff (windex your window, clean off your computer monitor).

7. Talk to a friend – Call up your best friend, or head over to his/her house. Take a break with them. Talk about what you’re stressed out about so s/he can offer you solutions to your exam stress problems!

8. Stick notes around your room – Run to the dollar store, or campus bookstore and buy some sticky notes. Write key facts, phrases or stuff you need to remember on them and stick them around your room. On your closet door, beside your reading light etc. You’ll look at them a lot and start remembering them for your exams!

9. Exercise – Go for a brisk walk, or head to the gym for a power hour workout! Yoga is a great relaxation technique so if you’re feeling really stressed head to a yoga class, or find an instructional video online.

10. Get fresh air – Make sure you get a little fresh air daily! A ten minute walk in the park or to the library will help.

Exam time can be so stressful, and I know everyone procrastinates, so why not do some good procrastinating?

Sleeping, while studying. If that's possible...

Good luck on your exams!

For those of you from Nova Scotia, you may not realize that the Dollar Store or Dollarama or a Buck or Two is not available in every province. This luxury of a store where we can get stuff — from baskets to Halloween decorations — for under $2, is not available all over the nation.

I used to take the Dollar Store for granted, and just see it as a place where I could get candy, or a plain frame. But, now that I am a student, it has a whole new outlook.

As some of you may know I am helping a friend of mine decorate her apartment. Much of what we purchased for her bathroom (http://campusintel.com/2010/03/14/decorating-1000-how-to-decorate-the-bathroom/) was from the Dollarama. And as we go on with the decorating process I find myself wandering back to that same store.

The Dollarama

As I look around my room, I see many of the great purchases I have made at the Dollarama here in Lower Sackville. Recently a new Dollarama has opened in Bedford, just on the edge of Lower Sackville. I believe this is the best Dollarama I’ve shopped at, to date. It is HUGE. Isles with kitchenware, cleaning products, fake flowers, almost an entire row of different mugs and cups, plus so much more.

I am still living with my parents, but I have begun to realize when I do eventually move out I am going to have a shopping spree at the Dollarama. And I cannot wait for that day to come.

I often think, if for some reason I become poor in this lifetime, this is a store where I could actually afford to buy some of the necessities for my home. And since many students are very close to poor, remember this place if you need a new dishpan to wash your dishes, or if you need more utensils. It’s affordable and the quality, it’s not that bad.

The Dollarama has actually provoked many of my decorating ideas and has helped me in many times of need. For those of you who have access to the Dollar Store, do not take it for granted. Some of our fellow Canadians are without this great store. And must pay $3 for a plain frame.

You know you do it. Everyone does. You log onto Facebook and after checking your newsfeed for info, you wander onto a friend’s profile and see that someone from high school has posted on their wall. You never talked to them, but you click on their name regardless and OMG! They have three kids already! All of a sudden you find yourself immersed in their profile, looking at all of their photos from graduation to now.

Yup, you’re a Facebook creep.

Social media has become such a huge part of our lives and I don’t see it going anywhere soon. But, if you’re going to use it, there are some important things to keep in mind:

Watch who you creep – after breaking up with my ex boyfriend, I blocked and deleted him from Facebook. I don’t want him creeping me, and I don’t want to know what he’s up to either. If you and an ex are not on speaking/friendly terms, then you might want to do the same. And resist the urge to creep them… you might find out something you don’t want to know (seriously, if you know something about him, I don’t want to know!).

Watch who you friend – not everyone on your Facebook list is actually your friend. People get added for various reasons, and sometimes you hardly know them. Once in awhile I like to go through my friends list and delete people who I never was friends with or don’t talk to on a regular basis, or just don’t care what they’re up to. Or if I am sick of their Farmville things showing up in my newsfeed. Remember, it’s called a friends list, not an “everyone I’ve ever met” list.

Watch what you put on Facebook – all of those photos from your nineteenth birthday where you’re falling on the floor and in compromising positions? You might want to delete them. Or at least make them only visible to you. It’s well known that a lot of employers look people up on Facebook before hiring them or even interviewing them. If you’re looking for a professional career, you need to monitor what information about you is out in cyberspace. Whether you like it or not, you’re being judged all of the time. Once you get the job, watch what you post to Facebook or twitter or any other type of social media you use. Even if you hate your job, theres no need to update your status about how your day F$^#ing sucks because you have a horrible job. As the above video shows, it can get you fired from a job for various reasons, and employers have every right to do this if you are badmouthing their organization. You don’t have to fill in your employer information either – people who need to know where you work already know.

Don’t add your mom – inevitably, something will show up on Facebook that your mom will not be proud of. Save yourself the lecture and just don’t add her. The same goes for other family members that you can’t trust to keep their mouths shut. If you don’t want something to get back to your mom, think twice before you post it or before you add someone.

I know it’s hard to do these things sometimes but you have to remember that almost anyone can access this information, even if you have your profile set to private. Before the internet existed, people only had to worry about word-of-mouth gossip. That was bad enough, so why would you want to put all of your own gossip out there for everyone to see?

Think about it.

It’s that dreaded time, the end of March, which basically means one thing – its paper time!  On that first day of class, when the professor handed you the syllabus, you laughed at the sound of the word, ‘syllabi’, and thought nothing of the fact that you would have a final Term Paper due near the last day of class.  At the time, it was three months away, way too far to even start thinking about it.

But…..Now you’re here, wishing that you still had three months to write it, because, admit it, you haven’t even picked a topic yet! 

However, do not worry; I’ve been in the same predicament for the last five years. It is for this reason that I present to you…
April’s 5 Steps to Writing Your Term Paper:

1. Stop Worrying: Take a deep breath and realize – You WILL get it done.

• So you’re now thinking, ‘I don’t even know where to begin,’ which may be valid, but adding more stress to yourself is not going to help. Instead, just think of the big picture, in a matter of a few weeks, (or even a few days), you will be thrilled to know you have handed your term paper in and there is nothing left to worry about.

1. Deactivate your account temporarily from Facebook

• Yes, I know that one hurt, but it’s almost like ripping off a Band-Aid, so do it fast and soon the pain will go away. I have presently spoken to many of my classmates, asking them how their papers are going. Most have replied, “I haven’t had time to start.” I understand that some professors do not understand the workload that is placed upon students; however, most have also admitted to spending way too much time writing on people’s Facebook walls, or commenting on their status’. The shocking fact about this is many of the comments are written to people whom they have not spoken to in years, or better yet, are people that should also be writing term papers themselves.
• As a side note, for those of you that are not Facebook-users, I know there is something out there that you use to procrastinate. For this reason I recommend that you ‘deactivate’ this from your life temporarily in hopes to avoid any unnecessarily distraction. Keep in mind, that I am not saying not to spend any time relaxing and de-stressing, as that is very important, but what I am saying is to limit how much time is spent on Facebook, Twitter, checking your email, and other methods of procrastination.

1. 3.      Brainstorm, Brainstorm and… Brainstorm 

• For years, I, like you, never saw the importance of taking a pen and paper and writing all the ideas down that I had about my research topic. I merely sat in front of my computer, hoping that if I had sat there long enough the paper would magically appear.  After four years of staring at a blank screen I have finally learned the value of brainstorming and even getting an outline done! (I know, it shocked me too!).  Trust me, to have these ideas will greatly help you once you get started writing the paper.

1. 4.      Don’t Focus Too Much on the Introduction 

• I know the scenario; you spent numerous seconds, minutes and hours planning out that very impressive outline. Then you sat back in front of the computer screen, and alas, you had no idea where to start. Then, you spent too much time perfecting that opening sentence and now can’t figure out what to write next.  Here’s what I would recommend doing – write that opening paragraph quickly, just state what you want to get out of the paper. Then, once you finish the paper, you will notice that you completed almost everything that was in your original goal…. if not more. With the paper written, you can then clearly see what you want the paper to do and therefore, will be able to re-write that perfect opening paragraph and surely impress your professor.

1. 5.      Don’t try to Start and Finish it in one Sitting 

• As wonderful as it would be to just start the paper and finish it in a matter of minutes, this is not always the best approach.  That being said, if you are working on the paper the night before it is due, you are basically left with no choice. I also know what you were thinking, that you have left it to the last possible second because this is the ideal situation for you, because, you believe, “you work best under pressure.”  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve used that excuse 87,614 times (alright, maybe I am exaggerating a little), but in all honesty, your best approach is to finish the paper a few days before it is due while also spreading your time working on the paper over a matter of at least a few nights. Set yourself a goal each night of how much you want to get done, then by the time you accomplish that final objective, your paper will be finished!

If you do these five steps accurately, before you know it, you will have a fantastic paper in front of you and all of your anxiety will be gone. Not only that, but for the remaining days left until the paper is due, you will be stress-free while your classmates may still be still stuck writing the opening lines. Who knows, with the time you gain, you might even have time to go on Facebook for a few minutes!

Good luck everyone, and happy writing!