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7 Ways to Earn Extra Cash This Summer

A formal job is just one way to earn extra cash when you’re a student — another option is a side hustle. Some great benefits to side hustles include that you can play to your strengths, choose work you enjoy, and fit the gigs around your other activities over the summer. You may even learn skills and gain experience that will be useful later. Although your options for a side hustle are almost limitless, here are a few in particular to consider. 1. Flipping Products Online If you have a large amount of stuff you no longer want (either your own or things that are cluttering up the attic or garage of your family home), a great option may be to start a business selling items online. To grow your business, it’s useful if you also have a talent for finding underpriced items at thrift stores, flea markets, or garage sales that you can sell for more than you purchase them. 2. Dog Walker Spend more of the summer outdoors with the best friends you could ask for: dogs. You’ll maximize your earnings if you walk several dogs at once (although you’ll need to check with the owners that this is not likely to cause conflict). Sign up on an online platform or with a local agency or reach out to dog owners in your area directly. 3. House Sitter Another option for animal lovers is house sitting. Your duties will likely involve pet care, watering plants, and basic chores (especially if the owners are gone a long time). You may need to stay in the house or just check up on the pets a couple times a day. 4. Delivery Driver If you have your own means of transport (even if that’s just a bike), it’s worth looking into doing deliveries. With a bike, you’ll be able to do takeout deliveries, whereas a car will be large enough to do grocery deliveries. 5. Babysitter Many parents need a babysitter over the summer. You may like to find a family that requires childcare every weekday or just pick up gigs for the evenings and weekends when parents want time together without the kids. 6. Tutoring Another way to spend time with kids over the summer is by offering tutoring services. Many parents are interested in keeping their kids learning over the summer, especially those concerned about their children’s progress in certain subjects. 7. Handmade Items If you make any kind of handmade goods, there’s an opportunity for selling them online. In particular, there’s a large market for things like jewellery , custom invitations, greetings cards, and T-shirts. This is ideal for a side hustle because you can make just as much as you want — to avoid becoming burned out and losing your passion for your craft. Don’t waste all your hard-earned cash on expensive accommodation when you’re back at university. For affordable uOttawa off-campus housing, look no further than 417 Nelson. Our apartments are fully furnished and the rent is all inclusive, covering utilities and high-speed internet. Contact us to apply for the floor plan of your choice.

The Science Behind Procrastination & How to Overcome It

Procrastination is a consequence of being human. Knowing this likely does little to make you feel better about the stress procrastinating ultimately brings . However, understanding why we procrastinate is important for learning to overcome bad habits and become a better student. The Science of Procrastination When you become aware of the need to complete a task you’d rather not do, a fight begins in your brain between two distinct regions. The first region is the limbic system, which is responsible for unconscious processes and includes the pleasure centre . The other is the prefrontal cortex, which handles functions critical to planning. Only one of these areas of your brain can win the fight. Often, the limbic system wins. The result is a sense of relief that you won’t be starting on your assignment just yet — you can put it off until later. The reason it often wins is that the limbic system is, in evolutionary terms, one of the oldest parts of the brain. It comes into action automatically as a survival mechanism, telling you to avoid tasks you find unpleasant. It is concerned about making sure you avoid stress in the present; it has no concerns about the future. In contrast, the prefrontal cortex evolved much more recently. Unlike the limbic system, it doesn’t work automatically — it requires you to give it input, meaning you need to consciously decide to buckle down and make some progress on your assignment. Therefore, by engaging in a task, you stop the limbic system from taking over. Using Mindfulness to Overcome Procrastination The biological mechanisms underlying procrastination indicate what you need to do to overcome bad habits — namely, be more mindful. Practising mindfulness simply means becoming more aware of your external environment and internal thoughts, feelings, and sensations. In terms of procrastination, it means putting your thoughts about why you don’t want to complete a certain task into words. By being mindful, you’ll reap the rewards of your actions. Since learning is all about finding out which behaviours lead to rewards, practising mindfulness means it becomes easier to fight procrastination over time. Instead of feeling rewarded by putting off tasks until later, you acknowledge that procrastination leads to anxiety and see greater rewards from tackling the assignment (or whatever else you don’t feel like doing ) immediately . The other thing mindfulness does is fuel your curiosity. You’ll not just be curious about the work you’re about to undertake — curiosity also comes from being actively engaged in your emotions. The most rewarding of these is the sense of achievement you gain from completing an assignment you had been putting off. Feeling motivated to study is another major factor in helping you overcome procrastination. This means having a quiet place where you can focus away from other people and distractions. For apartments near uOttawa that offer everything you need for a great student experience, look no further than 417 Nelson. Choose between sharing an apartment (with your own bedroom and en suite bathroom) or having a studio apartment to yourself. All our suites are fully furnished with students in mind. Contact us for more information.

How to Land a Remote Internship

Remote internships are often more convenient for students. They allow you to work for a company located anywhere in the country (or world) without needing to live somewhere else for the summer. This means you can fit your internship around other commitments, such as a part-time job or summer classes. It may even be possible to travel at the same time as working. However, all these advantages mean remote internships are also more competitive. To land one yourself, here are a few things you can do. 1. Search Job Sites Searching for an internship is exactly like looking for a job. Most job websites have all kinds of employment opportunities, including internships. The advantage of using job sites is they tend to include clear information about the qualifications and skills they want from candidates along with the duties of the internship. This helps you evaluate a number of options quickly. As well as filtering for just remote (and perhaps hybrid ) options, you may like to search within particular industries or use keywords to find the ideal position. Experiment with broadening your search until you find opportunities you’d like to apply for. Once you’ve found some options, tailor your resume to a specific job, gather letters of recommendation, and provide a portfolio of your work (if relevant) to ensure you stand out from other candidates. 2. Attend Campus Career Fairs The likelihood is your university holds regular career fairs on campus. Take advantage of these as soon as you start thinking about your internship. Talk to any employers doing the kind of work you’re interested in, even if they’re not specifically at the career fair to offer remote internships — they may have opportunities you’re unaware of. Some may even be willing to create a program just for you, if you show enough interest. See the career fair as the first step toward applying for an internship. Wear a professional outfit and think about the impression you make to employers, such as through the questions you ask. 3. Look for Internships with Companies You’d Like to Work For Your last option is to reach out to companies directly. Look at the careers sections on company websites to see if they have any internships listed. Large companies , in particular, often offer remote internships. Getting the Most Out of Your Remote Internship You need to put in extra effort to see the full benefits of your remote internship. Before you begin, make sure you’re prepared with all the tools and technology you’ll need, including fast Wi-Fi and a modern laptop. It’s also worth thinking about what your daily routine during your internship will look like. Coordinate with your employer to set suitable work hours (these may be flexible) — make sure you don’t go overboard just to make a good impression. Finally, check in with your supervisor on a regular b asis to ask questions and receive feedback. If you are able to land a remote internship, you’ll be able to continue living in your student apartment over the summer. If you still haven’t found uOttawa off-campus housing that you love, look no further than 417 Nelson. You’ll be able to spend your summer in a community with other students that has everything you need on site, including high-speed internet, bike storage, parking, and laundry facilities. Contact us to learn more.

Networking in Ottawa Off-Campus Housing: 6 Simple Tips

6 Simple Tips for Networking in Your Field Gaining a degree is just one step toward landing your dream job — you also need the right connections. While you’re still at university, you should start networking with people in your field. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your success. 1. Begin Early If you know what field you want to enter after you graduate, it’s not too early to start networking. In fact, it’s beneficial to begin as early as possible, as this will mean you have more time to develop connections. Plus, you’ll be able to ask for more general advice, which is likely to be more fruitful than going straight to seeking job opportunities. 2. Apply for Relevant Positions Gaining experience in your field doesn’t just give you something to put on your resume — it will also help you gain useful contacts. In addition to applying for internships, this may include looking for research opportunities, teacher’s assistant positions, or volunteer work. 3. Take Advantage of Your Campus Career Centre The career center on campus can help you in all sorts of ways, including with networking tips and work opportunities. Plus, the staff will have connections with alumni, who are extra likely to be willing to provide students like you with support. 4. Set Up Your LinkedIn Profile The top online platform for networking is LinkedIn. Create a profile while you’re still a student to add information about your skills, list your accomplishments, and upload examples of your work. Once you’ve done all this, begin networking. You could search for groups related to your field, look for an alumni network for your school, or message people who have positions you are interested in or are at companies you would like to work for. 5. Ask for Advice as a Student People in your field may be more willing to help you while you’re still a student, as they’ll remember what it was like to be just starting out. Take advantage of this by reaching out to as many professionals as possible while you’re still at university instead of waiting until you’ve graduated. 6. Use the Connections You Already Have People you already know may have connections with professionals in your field, even if they themselves work in other industries. Since your friends and family want to see you succeed, they may be your best options for finding new opportunities. On the flip side, the people you meet professionally are more likely to have the connections you need. For this reason, it’s important to put effort into maintaining these relationships. In addition to professionals already working in your field, it’s useful to network with students who intend to follow a similar career path as you. You’ll meet many of these students in your classes, but you can also network anywhere else there are students, including in your off-campus housing. The Ottawa off-campus housing at 417 Nelson offers plenty of opportunity to network. For instance, you can connect with people in common areas like the games room, fitness center, and multiple study lounges. Apply now to get on the list.

Life in Apartments Near uOttawa: Tips for Finding Your Major

How to Align Your Major with Your Passions & Goals Picking a major is one of the most important decisions you make at university. There are many ways to approach it, but one of the best is to make sure your major aligns with your passions and goals. Here are some more tips to guide you. 1. Choose Diverse Classes University gives you the chance to study subjects you may never have encountered before. It may be difficult to know how much you’ll enjoy these subjects until you’ve taken a class. When you start university, it’s worth signing up for a wide variety of classes. This will show you how much each subject resonates with you and how challenging you’re likely to find a particular major. If you find that one of the subjects matches your interests better than the major you’ve already declared, it will still be easy to switch majors because you’ll only just have started your time at university. 2. Talk to a Career Counsellor Head to the career center on campus to talk to a counselor. There may be options you hadn’t considered that would help you reach your goals, such as majors you didn’t realize were relevant or the possibility of declaring a minor to cover all your bases. 3. Ask a Professor Another source of advice is your professors. If you’re enjoying a class but have concerns about switching majors, the professor is the perfect person to talk to about coursework and other considerations. Your professors will also be able to tell you about opportunities in the field you may be unaware of. 4. Connect with Other Students Other students can tell you firsthand about what it’s like to study a particular major. Talk to your classmates, roommates, and other people you meet to learn more. In addition, it’s worth joining clubs related to your passions. Find out what the other members are majoring in for inspiration. 5. Apply for Internships Students typically apply for internships late in their time at university. However, there’s no need to wait — in fact, taking internships earlier is a great way to explore what a particular career would be like. Once you’ve discovered what kind of work you enjoy most, choose a major that will lead you there. An alternative option is to job shadow. This is more suitable if you want to explore a few different fields but don’t want to dedicate an entire summer to an internship. Find opportunities by reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. 6. Be Open Minded Matching your major with your passions may mean choosing something you find difficult. Instead of worrying about failure, give it a shot. If you find the coursework interesting, you should be motivated enough to push through the challenging assignments. 7. Take a Career Assessment Test A career assessment test considers your passions and goals as well as your values and strengths to show you the best potential careers for you. Find out if your school gives career assessment tests on campus. You may decide it’s worthwhile to declare a difficult major because it will align with your passions and goals. This will mean you need to study extra hard to succeed. It’s crucial to have somewhere at home where you can go to focus in peace — which you won’t find living on campus. For apartments near uOttawa, there’s 417 Nelson. You’ll have a desk in a fully-furnished bedroom and high-speed internet access throughout the building, including in the multiple study lounges. Contact us to start the application process.