academiclife

Careers in the Arts – Teaching: Podcast Episode Live!

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We discuss finding a career in the arts as a recent graduate with Andreia Florea, a grade 1/2 teacher, with 15 years of teaching experience.

HIGHLIGHTS

Differences between a corporate and teaching career

Transferable skills students gain from a B.A.

Rewards and challenges of being a teacher

Advice for students interested in teaching

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute consultation with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.


Both the written, visual, audio and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Health and Academic Performance: Podcast Episode Live!
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We discuss the connection between health and academic performance with Dr. Kevin Preston, a Chinese medicine doctor and holistic wellness expert.

HIGHLIGHTS

Benefits of meditation during COVID-19

Practical health advice for students

Lessons from Chinese medicine

How the school environment affects health

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute consultation with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.


Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Finding a Job During COVID-19: Podcast Episode Live!
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We discuss the challenges of finding a job during a pandemic with job search expert and content marketing specialist, Alif Huq.

HIGHLIGHTS

Job market changes during COIVD-19

How to stay motivated when job searching

Social media strategies and what not to do

The art of marketing yourself online

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute consultation with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.


Both the written, visual, audio and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Creating your Virtual Study Space: Podcast Episode Live!

PFAU 9 Pfau pfau cartoon icon 01 Creating your Virtual Study Space: Podcast Episode Live!

We discuss the difficulties students face studying from home and some possible solutions, with tech expert Robert Cairns of StunningDigitalMarketing.

Highlights

How to work around distractions

Tips for staying organized and productive

Useful apps and programs

Data storage and cybersafety

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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute consultation with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.


Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.

Let us know how we can help with your academic success during Covid-19

Please let us know what’s on your mind in terms of your education during Covid-19.

What kind of support do you need? What are you struggling with? What worries to do you have about your future? How can we help?

Over the next few weeks we’ll be rolling out a number of podcasts to attempt to reduce student stress levels and increase positive thought process. We will be also offering a number of Q&A sessions with our academic coaches to try to answer some of your questions about changes in secondary and post-secondary education academic standards and processes during this unusual period. In particular, what does Covid-19 mean for your academic and professional future?


If you have any topics that you’d like us to cover, please add in comments below.

We look forward to connecting and working to together to support you through this difficult time.

Improve your Communication Skills by Engaging with Poetry

Most people think of poetry as an abstract art form reserved for only the most accomplished literary masters, but that is not the case at all. Poetry is one of the most accessible written forms. It is around us everyday in in our thoughts, snippets of text, broken conversations, and of course, song lyrics. Whenever you put your headphones on, you are listening to poetry. Can you decipher the meaning behind the lyrics? Do you enjoy what you’re hearing? YES! Otherwise, you wouldn’t listen to it.

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Anyone can write a poem. Poetry is both an art form that has fluid flexibility and rigid structure. You can decide what kind of poet you want to be, or use a combination of different forms depending on what you prefer. The best part about poetry, unlike a research essay, is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. As someone who spends her days editing and “correcting” other people’s work, I find poetry liberating. It allows thoughts, feelings, and words to flow out of my brain through my pen onto the page. I don’t need to worry about making a mistake. I don’t need to hold back my intensity. I can just put it all on the page and let it sit there to digest.

BeCreative Improve your Communication Skills by Engaging with Poetry

Practicing poetry helps me to clear my head, release my emotions, and generate creative thoughts. When I was starting a research paper, I would sometimes make up a little rap on the topic to release some of my stress. Through that process I would no doubt also generate some ideas as to how to start my paper and have released enough tension to be able to put those thoughts down on the page. Poetry is a wonderful practice to help to improve your overall communication skills and confidence. The more you do it, the more easily you can combat writers block or being tongue tied and respond in the moment. So, rather than buy into the literary mumbo jumbo, why not give it a try?

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Join us on Saturdays from 3:00pm to 4:30pm for a poetry workshop with Christie Wong, which explores various forms, techniques, genres, and methods of tapping into your creative selves. It is a wonderfully inspiring, yet practical class that provides you with information and exercises to improve your writing practices outside of the classroom.

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Poet, artist, and teacher: Christie Wong

For more information, go to our events page. For daily tips and inspiration, follow us on social media – @pfau_academicwriting (links on headers and footers of the page). We look forward to helping you to reach your full potential on the page, and in life.

Holiday Hours

Happy Holidays ALL!!

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Happy Holidays from PFAU: Academic Writing Staff

We will be closed Tuesday, December 24th to Tuesday, January 14th. I will be checking emails intermittently while away, but will be off the grid for most of my trip.

I wish all of you a restful holiday seasons full of friends, family, and experiences that bring you joy.

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Lisa and Pfau-pfau enjoying Christmas season.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!!

Improve your Relationships: Healthy Communication Strategies with Jill Gillbert on Tuesday, February 26th at 6pm


Friendships comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors.


The third event in our Valuable Life Skills Student Speaker Series we will be discussing the impact of our relationships style and that of others on overall quality of life and academic performance. Relationships can provide support, care, encouragement, and opportunities for growth. Or, relationships can cause stress, trauma, hurt, and pain. Thus, it is important to reflect upon our communication and attachment style in relationships, and how that impacts both ourselves and others. Our guest speaker, seasoned student, and qualifying psychotherapist, Jill Gilbert will provide participants with some insights into how you might be able to improve your own relational realities.

OUR SPEAKER

%name Improve your Relationships: Healthy Communication Strategies with Jill Gillbert on Tuesday, February 26th at 6pm

Jill Gilbert, MA, PhD, RP (Qualifying)


    Jill is a therapist with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Guelph.  Jill believes that the root of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns are entrenched in our social relations. Our relationships have the power to both harm and heal us; thus, it is essential to be able to identify, cultivate, and engage in healthy transformative relationships. Jill’s own experience in Grad School deconstructing and reconstructing support systems propelled her towards the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy to train to become a psychotherapist who can help others to develop and expand their healthy relationships with themselves and others.  Jill has an affinity to students as she spent so many years within the post secondary system, and has a particular understanding of the struggles many students face on a day-to-day basis. Jill currently practices near Ossington station, in Toronto’s West End, while completing the final years of her training.

Join us at PFAU: Academic writing, editing, and coaching experts office for a light meal and enlightening discussion on Tuesday, February 26th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The address here is 300 Bloor Street West (Room 34 of Bloor Street United Church).

Please register via EventBrite!

Living on a Budget by Lisa Pfau & Boyan Lepoev
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This past week we were very fortunate to have Boyan Lepoev come in to chat with us about living on a student budget.

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Boyan Lepoev works as Investment Analyst at Bridgeport Asset Management, a boutique investment management firm in Toronto. Previously, he was Market Risk Manager at the Bank of Nova Scotia. Boyan holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, a Masters in Finance degree from Queens University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University. Most importantly, Boyan learned the hard way the importance of staying on a tight budget while paying his way through school, and is now though these lessons he is now the proud owner of a house in Toronto, as well as, enough savings to continue to travel the globe and explore culinary adventures on weekends with his girlfriend and friends.

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Boyan, after experience as an immigrant and long-time student, believes that the most important thing about living on a budget is to actually create a structure that provides guidelines for daily choices and behaviors that can minimize wasted cash, and maximize savings. Managing your money well will help you to be able to invest in supports and services that can help to enhance your student experience and career development throughout your student experience, rather than rushing to find a job penniless the day after graduation. During his talk, Boyan provided us with 7 areas where you could reduce your daily expenditures as a student.

–          Housing:

o   Living alone is an excellent way to learn independence, but it is also needlessly expensive, especially in Toronto. A more adventurous alternative is to find a rooming house or enter into a roommate arrangement. Not only it is potentially 30-50% cheaper, but living with others is also likely to positively impact one’s social life.

–          Transportation:

o   Toronto is a very large city, but has adequate transit system (just ignore the delays). For the cost of a $3 ticket, one can traverse the city for more than 2 hours or $116.75 for a student monthly pass. Add some healthy walking or cycling and most areas in the city and the GTA are open for you to explore. Compare this with a typical $20-30 uber ride or leasing a car ($200+ in lease and another $250 insurance/month)

–          Food:

o   Toronto has an amazing food scene – foods from across the whole world are available for you to buy, typically stuffed with salt, sugar and a variety of preservatives. Cooking, on the other hand, is more economical and healthy. Whereas a typical budget meal would cost $10, home cooked food averages below $4 per serving. Moreover, knowing your way around the kitchen will make you more independent and it is attractive to the opposite sex.

–          Banking:

o   Today’s society is rapidly moving away from transacting with cash. Instead, we use mobile payments and plastic cards. While more convenient, cashless payments make it really easy to overspend, so always keep an eye on your statement. A great way to do this is with tracking apps, such as MINT.

o   Moreover, the “banking” we do is not free unlike cash – the banks are here to make money from you. Utilize the 21 day “grace free” period for credit cards, but be careful to pay the full balance by the due date or face 25% interest rate. Financing a larger purchase with a line of credit is often cheaper (6-13% interest rate), but interest accrues the moment you use the money.  Even bank accounts do not come free – “all-inclusive” accounts cost as much as $30/month while a no-frills account could be free, but charge per transaction. Find what works for you and makes the bank the least amount of money!

–          Tuition:

o   It is surprising how many people do not know about available stipends and student loans. There is also hidden money on campus or in the community, so if are studying something unique or from a particular regional or ethnic group research possible grants, bursaries, and scholarships. Research OSAP – even with the government changes, they will remain interest free while in school and you can negotiate your payment schedule with them after you graduate.

–          Books / school supplies

o   It is probably safe to assume things have not changed over the last few years and universities still profit immensely from textbook sales. While certain courses necessitate a brand new book for some special software, other courses only require a recent version. Hit the second-hand stores, your school forums or your peers. A second hand book would cost a fraction of the price. A favorite of Boyan’s is www.abebooks.com.

–          Everything else – clothes, supplies, entertainment:

o   Everyone has different needs, but there are couple rules of thumb I like to follow. Do not buy things you do not need/won’t use more than few times – try and borrow them instead. Utilize second hand virtual marketplaces such as Kijiji and Facebook to find items you need on deep discount (including small electronics which get obsolete quickly).

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Boyan meets Pfau-pfau and imparts important advice.

Boyan’s keystone piece of advice is not to spend to impress someone else; instead, spend on what will make your life easier, happier or more adventurous.

Closed for the Holidays
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We will be closed from Monday, December 24th until Thursday, January 10th. We wish you all a very restful holiday season. See you in the new year!! 🙂