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I hopped off a plane at LAX… and gained new insight into life?

Danielle Leong
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Ever since I was approximately nine years old and Miley Cyrus’ song “Party in the USA” was released, I’ve really, really wanted to visit the (in)famous city of Las Vegas. I guess my dream was pushed to the vacation backburner though, until recently when I was watching season 20 of The Bachelor, which happened to be filmed partly in Vegas! Although it is reality television, they actually looked like they were having a lot of fun, and that inspired me to once again ask my parents to take a trip to Vegas this Spring break. (yes, The Bachelor is a legitimate reason) Surprisingly enough, my parents agreed!
Now the very first thing my friends said to me when I told them I was going to Vegas was something along the lines of “why are you going to Law Vegas when $270 Canadian = $200 US??”.. Well, I guess my family never really considered the less than desirable economic conditions (oops), and we didn’t want to wait any longer. Reflecting back, though, the life lessons I learned in Vegas (while having fun of course) are more valuable than any item of monetary value (although I did pick up some pretty sweet souvenirs).

No, I didn’t head into Vegas searching for life lessons, but I ended up picking up a few anyways, so no harm done!

Here’s what I took back with me from  Las Vegas!
*drumroll please* (literally)

These insanely talented drummers were located on Fremont Street.

1. Time is of the essence

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The line to take pictures with this sign was insane…

When I enthusiastically persisted on travelling to Vegas during spring break, I was definitely not aware of this “March Madness” phenomenon. It turns out that the sole month of March, not the summer months, is the busiest time to visit Vegas. And considering that Vegas pretty much runs on tourism, by busiest I mean busiest. The hotel I stayed at, the pyramid-shaped, Egyptian-themed Luxor, was also host to basketball fans visiting to watch the game, numerous teams of triathletes, and many many many other tourists. Therefore, much of my Vegas experience involved waiting in winding lineups, whether it was to gain entry to shows, check in and out, or eat. (What they say about buffets is true though- they are definitely worth the money).

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The outside of the Luxor, the hotel I stayed at.  (It’s the black pyramid)  Did you know that I actually stayed at the smallest “large” hotel at Vegas, and it has 4000 rooms!?  I thought my hotel was impressive, but every other hotel was equally as stunning.

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The inside view of the Luxor.  (Well one part of it, anyways- it was a lot larger than what I could capture with my camera)  A lot of the hotels in Vegas are connected, so you can just walk from hotel to hotel and check out the different sights.

2. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey!

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I wanted to remember everything that made up my vacation in Las Vegas, so I had to take a picture of me walking.

I may or may not have stolen this cheesy quote off of Tumblr, but it was applied consistently throughout my vacation. Funny story: (although it wasn’t funny at all at the time) My family and I stayed on the Las Vegas Strip (the main attraction in Vegas; it’s stunning), which is about a 5 hour walk to downtown Las Vegas, the other main attraction in the city. Good thing there’s a transit system that takes you between the Strip and downtown! However, this form of transportation was apparently unknown to my family, because we decided to walk all…5….hours through desert terrain and deserted parking lots. Although our end destination, Fremont Street, was stunning (the ceiling played a movie!), we actually saw way less of the “real” Las Vegas than we did as we were walking there. I had no idea that Vegas is home to possibly the greatest amount of cheesy but cute wedding chapels, all lined up neatly beside each other. Also, you will never be short of McDonalds or Subways or Starbucks.

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Above is the Golden Nugget, located on Fremont Street.  This is the oldest hotel in all of Vegas!

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Apologies for the mediocre quality and sound, but this was what the ceiling of the Main Street Buffet I went to looks like. (pretty nifty)

 

       Thinking back, that walk was very draining, but until I found out there was a transit system I didn’t really mind because in Vegas normally everyone walks everywhere. In order to check out the Strip, which is bursting with Vegas culture, you have to go on foot. I actually managed to have a pretty good time during the journey parts of Vegas (basically the copious amounts of walking), because the scenery in Vegas (not including empty parking lots) is nothing short of spectacular- lights, glitter, and vibrant colours, and beautifully decorated palm trees and outlets. If I had to describe the city of Las Vegas in one word, it would be “Alive”.

The action-packed ceiling of Fremont Street.

 

3. Life throws obstacles at you, and you have to face them.

Thinking back once again, on behalf of my family and myself, it probably wouldn’t have hurt to do some research on Vegas before walking right into it. When you picture weather in the city, you imagine sunny skies and mild weather in general. Yes, it was nice and sunny, but also extremely, extremely windy. In fact, it just so happened that the on the same day we took our 5 hour walk on, the strongest gusts took a stop. My hat flew off at least times, and I cringe thinking about how I had to run to fetch it… yes, the wind was certainly an unexpected obstacle. But I did manage to find a silver lining in the windy walk… the wind helped create very flattering photos, when it blew in the right direction! (and didn’t blow all my hair in my face) I kinda felt like a supermodel with a very powerful fan sending a very powerful breeze through my hair.

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(holding on so I won’t be blown away)

        On a more serious note, though, I learned that in life you gotta be prepared for more dangerous obstacles as well. Las Vegas is the only city, in North America at least, where drinking, smoking, and prostitution is permitted, well, everywhere. And oh boy do people take advantage of the first two. There was a lot of smoke by the way, which made my eyes sting, but I didn’t mind too much because I like the smell of smoke. (unpopular opinion here sorry) Anyways, with lots of drinking there was no shortage of drunk people, especially drunk 21-30 year old men. I was walking along a bridge with my family, when a man holding a beer approached me and asked if I would like to go home with him. Scary, I know. Now normally I would have reacted better, but my brain froze and instead I ran away as he called after me. Thankfully, my parents quickly stepped in between us and we disappeared into the crowd away from him. Please, if you ever find yourself in my situation, do not do what I did… if I found myself in that situation again, I would probably be polite and straightforward, such as saying “No, have a nice day”.

4. There are other pathways in life than academic ones… (crazy, I know)

A crazy talented street electronic violinist.

           In the city of Calgary, most people you see downtown are people dressed in snazzy suits and carrying even snazzier briefcases. I attend an academics-driven high school where most of the parents value other outlets less than those that are academic. I thought that I was exposed to culture in Calgary, but in Vegas the things you only imagined are realities. If you grew up in a more relaxed family, what you would see on the streets of Vegas might not be that out of the ordinary to you. However, for a person such as myself who grew up in a bit of a bubble, what I saw was exhilarating, and it reached out to my creative side. Every few blocks would be a different type of street artist, from actors impersonating, well, other actors… to comedians, to musicians, to mimes, to bands, to visual artists, and pretty much everything in between. What inspires me isn’t how good these people are, it’s how they find it in themselves to perform everyday on the streets, risking criticism, judgement and ridicule, but not caring at all because they are pursuing what they love.

A speed painter! (damn)

       However, although those talented performers restored my faith in humanity a lil’ bit, bumping into people handing out cards for basically glorified prostitution services left and right and seeing both men and women sell their bodies all over the streets served as a sad awakening to me about just how sexualized this society has become. I was also slightly disappointed with the people on the streets holding signs that swore at people or asked for drugs… I guess there is a good and bad end to everything.

6. Sadly, there are limits and rules to seemingly endless fun

Vegas is basically one giant party. It has a reputation for gambling, clubs, flashing lights, and fun. It’s basically what it looks like in the movies. However, like in any situation in life, there are rules which keep the city as safe as possible. For example, anyone under 18 cannot be associated in any way with gambling; I found this out as soon as I stepped into the airport and attempted to take a picture with a slot machine. Right as I was taking a photo, the nice security lady informed me that it was illegal…later on in my trip, I was resting my elbow on a daiquiri bar counter. However, it turned out I wasn’t allowed to be in contact with any part of the bar… I applaud whoever is behind the rules and security of Las Vegas, because that’s a job well done. (although I did manage to snag one of the beverage cups without the beverage)

Oh yes- before I forget, I also saw one of the 7 wonders of the world! The Grand Canyon! Of course, it was absolutely breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

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My sis and I looking out over the Grand Canyon.

 

      Writing this post, I see a common theme/overarching lesson coming through: travel smart! (do research on EVERYTHING) Wow that would have saved me a lot of trouble… but then, I can’t say that I regret anything, because the little mishaps in the vacay ultimately made it more fun, not to mention more valuable. I highly recommend that you visit Las Vegas some time in your life if you haven’t already, because it parallels a dream life.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

 

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Tips to Improve Writing Skills

Harleen Gill
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Writing skills are one of the most essential requirement for academics, and communication. We communicate at work when writing a business letter, we communicate at school, social media, and many more places. Everywhere we communicate we use writing skills. Communication can be more effective with better writing skills. We use our writing skills also in academics. We are required to have 30-1 ELA for most university and college courses. Most people say that they aren’t good at writing essays and reading.

Writing depends on many different things, meaning that if you want to improve your writing skills you need to improve a lot of other things too. Sometimes it may happen that we think we wrote a very good essay and, we think we will get at least 70% on that essay but it turns out that we actually get 55%. Why is that? There are many reasons why this might be.

The Three Main Tips to Improve Writing Skills

1. Reading. Reading and writing completely depend upon each other. How does reading relate to writing though? When we read we are introduced to styles of writing, grammar, vocabulary and, punctuation. Some people hate to read though, so what are they suppose to do? Well, the answer to that is very simple. We should read what we like watching. For example if someone likes to watch comedy movies, they should read comedy books. I know its hard to read if reading isn’t your thing. I really hated reading too. I was really bad at writing essays and other things like short stories and many more. I forced myself to read something that I liked to watch. I love watching thrillers, so I thought of starting off by reading a thriller. Once I started reading I just couldn’t stop. When I was reading the book I read words that I didn’t know about. I used some of those words for my essay as vocabulary which had raised my mark by quite a bit. We need to know that reading might be boring but it not just improves our reading skills it also improves our writing ones too.

2. Planning and editing. Planning is very important to make your writing look better. Planning means brainstorming and, writing down whatever you can think of on a piece of paper. Planning allows you to build on your idea. Planning includes writing the thesis statement, examples that you will be using in the writing, reasonings, explanations, and evidence for what you are stating. Another very important part to writing an essay is editing. When we write essays we don’t notice the mistakes in our writing. If you read your essay over, after you finish writing the essay you will notice mistakes that you might have made. These mistakes can be, punctuation mistakes, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, missing an indent at the beginning of the paragraph and many other mistakes. Trust me, to make your essay precise you should always plan and edit the essay.

3. Practise is another key point to getting better at writing essays. Practising means writing essays on topics that you are interested in. You can write about your favourite soccer player, your favourite place, your hobbies, and many more things. Writing about what we like, gives us more information to include in our essays. Practising gives us knowledge about vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar. Practising gives us knowledge about the body structure. Practising allows us to know where we go wrong in writing essays related to school, and work. Effort always pays off. If we put effort into practising it will pay off.

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Reading, planning, editing, and practising will always lead you to writing a great essay. These tips are the tips that I used to get to a great essay. If I hadn’t used these tips, I don’t think I would do well in ELA class. Writing well means better communication, profit and, good grades in school. Always remember that you can do it. You can achiever your goal no matter what. If others can do it, so can you.

 

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PLAYLIST | SPRING 2016

Paskalina
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Just recently we have passed the first official day of Spring, (March 20th). Days lengthen and people slowly crawl out of hibernation. When you ask me what season I favour, le printemps has and will always be my answer. Springtime is the right amount of warm air, friends and patio drinks, dog walking and frisbee. Springtime is travelling, bike rides, and picnics in the park. It is the hint of summer you’ll notice everywhere, written in the weather to the summer sandals you’ve pulled out once again. This playlist is my way of celebrating all of this- get ready in the morning to it, read in the park with it, or listen however way else you please.

 

SPRING

  1. Dance Dance Dance – Lykke Li
  2. Darling Divine – Wild Child
  3. Birthday Present – Mirah
  4. Fly Away for a Summer – Ben Cocks
  5. Catch & Release (Deepend Remix) – Matt Simons
  6. Class Historian – BRONCHO
  7. É Isso Aí (feat. Carlos) – Sango
  8. It’s Strange – Louis the Child (feat. K. Flay)
  9. Les Iguanes – JoieJoieJoie
  10. You Are Enough – Sleeping At Last
  11. Slow Motion – PHOX

 

 

 

 

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An Open Letter to the Graduating Class

Richard Lee-Thai
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Many amazing people applied to be the school valedictorian, but I was not selected. Thankfully, many of my good friends made it to the following rounds and I am so happy for them! That being said, this is my personal take on the graduation experience, an open letter to the graduating class. 

You are corralled into a crowded gymnasium.

If you’re lucky enough to have a last name near the top of the alphabet, you will not have to wait hours until your name echoes over the speaker. There is cheering. You walk across the stage, hoping you don’t trip over your long gown. 10 seconds pass. You see the faces of smiling administration and teachers as you approach the principal. He shakes your hand firmly and whispers a “Congratulations” in your ear. 20 seconds pass. You mouth a “Thank you”, grab your certificate and walk off the stage (careful again not to trip and potentially become the laughingstock of the school). Tick-tock, 30 seconds on the clock. Your 12 years of school have been condensed into 30 seconds.

Congratulations, you have now graduated.

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How do you feel?

Perhaps it’s like in the movies: There is a countdown of beeps as a highlight reel of your life starts rolling. The background fades to a blurry white and there is a swell of inspirational music as you see yourself as a chubby baby, babbling and bashing your toys against the ground. You see yourself crawl, then take your tentative first steps, and eventually you start running headlong into childhood. Bursts of prismatic rainbow hues color seep into your life: the golden sunlight, the verdant grass and the sapphire water. Echoes of laughter, exciting adventurous and embarrassing mishaps.

Then comes your first major obstacle.

The world becomes duller, more muted. The music darkens. Your straight path starts being littered with potholes, warping into winding twists and turns. Friends come in and out of contact, like waves on a shore. Everything becomes blurred, with brief snapshots remaining in your memory. Smiling, crying, sighing. Optimistic, lost, tired. It is a tug-of-war and you’re in the middle, being pulled in opposite directions by internal and external forces. Just when you think you’re going to sever and unravel, you keep holding on.

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The camera pans to a train, rushing along under a subway tunnel.

As you glance out the window, the darkness is punctuated by lights, like twinkling stars in the night sky. Familiar faces flash by, everyone that has provided you guidance in your life. Family and friends, adults and children. Snippets of their voice float by: words of encouragement, words of understanding and words of hope. You see all of the conscious choices and strokes of luck that it took you to get here. All these images and sounds build layer upon layer until it reaches a deafening crescendo.

Then as it reaches its climax, the light at the end of tunnel grows from a pinprick until it fills your entire vision. The train shoots out of the tunnel with a roaring whoosh, before subsiding into serene silence. You hear your own breathing, in and out.

There is peace and clarity.

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Your eyes readjust to the scene around you, no longer lost in a daydream. You hear your parents and supporters calling you over, their eyes brimming with pride. You embrace them – the action speaking what cannot be expressed through words.

The rest of the day flies by.

Filled with speeches, good times with close friends, and pictures that you’ll post later on social media afterwards. Even though graduation is once-in-a-lifetime experience, it is just a formality. Following tradition, you wear funny hats with the stringy stuff called tassels and you get to hold a fancy roll of paper. Maybe you’ll have a extravagant banquet and dance late into the night, lost in a sea of flowing dresses and sharp tuxedos, pulsing music and kaleidoscopic color. When you wake up the next morning, all the pomp and circumstance is over and it is just a normal day.

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The real graduation happens after the ceremony and the celebrations.

It hits you. It is when you are alone and you start contemplating life after high school. It is when you have to come to terms that you’ll be leaving adolescence soon and have to face the responsibilities of adulthood. A bittersweet concoction, half anxious excitement about the future, half heavy sadness about the present. You are simultaneously going too fast and too slow in your life – split between wanting to freeze this moment and wanting to keep moving forward.

One day, you won’t be scrambling to class when the bell rings. One day, you won’t be staring at the clock, waiting for class to end. One day, you won’t be chatting with friends while walking down the hallways. One day, you won’t be here anymore. It is not the physical building that you’ll miss, but the people and memories that live and breathe inside its walls.

Despite the challenges you may have experienced in the time period you were here, there is a part of you that doesn’t want to leave. Perhaps when you are forced to leave anyway, there will be a part of you that remains there – your own little mark on the school. You become someone else’s memory and they are the ones sad to see you go, not the other way around.

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Eventually, you quiet your thoughts.

The process may take days, weeks, even months. Your childhood as a caterpillar seems distant. You are no longer inching around in life, experiencing things for the first time. You wrapped yourself up in silk, acting as protection and an opportunity for reflection. In the darkness of the cocoon, you decided what you wanted to become. Little by little, you broke from the comfortable cocoon of being a teenager and emerged as a butterfly. Still delicate, but imbued with a new dignity and determination. A metamorphosis, the growth from one stage of life to the next.

Perhaps you choose to ride the flow of the wind, or maybe you set out to carve your own path in the world. Wherever you want to go is your own choice. After all, you have your own wings now. Spread them and fly.

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Congratulations, you have now graduated.

 

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March Break Playlist

Hellen Kang
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I was browsing the YAA site this March break when I stumbled upon fellow blogger Talia’s playlist post. I absolutely loved this post so I decided to do a similar one where I share the music that I’m currently listening to!

This week has expectedly been extremely relaxing, despite the angst generated from trying to make my final decision on which university I’ll be attending. This may or may not be why this week’s playlist leans more towards indie rock, as opposed to my usual pop-rock/pop-punk music.

7 Years by Lukas Graham

This song is without a doubt my favourite this week and the lyric video is so relaxing and nostalgic.

Cardiac Arrest by Bad Suns

A friend recommended this song to me and I immediately fell in love. In my opinion, this song represents the indie rock genre- I’ll definitely be listening to more of their songs in the near future!

A-Punk by Vampire Weekend

I listen to Vampire Weekend every now and then depending on my mood, and this week was definitely one of those weeks (idiosyncratic but enjoyable).

Gasoline by Halsey

I love Melanie Martinez so it’s strange that this is the only Halsey song I’m absolutely in love with. That being said, this song is pure gold and definitely worth listening to on repeat.

Miss Atomic Bomb by The Killers

An all-time favourite so technically it’d be included on every week’s playlist.

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Alternative Music Artists to Follow Now: pt. I

Hui Wen Zheng
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I know I’m not the only one who has a hard time carpooling with other people because I can’t sing along to the top 40 hits on the radio. It’s true, I admit that I am stuck in my world of alternative music, though that’s not to say I don’t blast top 40 while I’m in the shower (the soft lull of Bon Iver just doesn’t cut through the sound of the water). Albeit less relatable at dance parties and when driving with your friends, alternative music often explores interesting musical harmonies and insightful lyrics that you can’t find anywhere else. So whether you are a seasoned alternative music-ee or are just beginning to explore the immense realm of artists, these are a few of my personal favourites.

The National

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You know that magical moment when you discover an album and you like all the songs on it and can painlessly press ‘shuffle’ on your phone without having to worry about skipping tracks? That was me with The National’s 2013 album, Trouble Will Find Me. The Cincinnati-formed and Manhattan-based band is not your usual indie group. They consist of Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums), all in their late 30s or mid 40s. Nonetheless, the band has been active since 2001, touring consistently across the U.S. and internationally, and performed with other big-names in the alternative music world such as St. Vincent, Bon Iver, and the next artist on the list, Sharon Van Etten. The National has released 6 studio albums, and was nominated the Grammy for best alternative album of the year for Trouble Will Find Me. I could listen to Matt Berninger’s deep and rich vocals for days. My personal top tracks from this great band include “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, “Sea of Love”, “Graceless”, and “Fake Empire”.

Sharon Van Etten

Known for her distinctive melancholic voice and heavy use of harmonies, Sharon Van Etten’s songs have been covered by many artists, aspiring and established, among them alternative music legend Bon Iver. Active since 2009, 4 albums and one EP have already been produced, all with songs of high quality. Her music has been featured extensively in TV, appearing in episodes of Elementary and promotion for The Walking Dead. She has also toured with The National and been a headliner at many essential indie music festivals. To get a taste of her sing-song style, take a listen to “One Day” and “Every Time the Sun Comes Up”.

 

 Belle & Sebastian

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My latest musical obsession, Belle & Sebastian’s music is best represented by envisioning yourself sitting all cozied up in a cool coffee shop with a brew and oxfords (need some English influence in this scene to complete the English origin of this band) while reading J.D Salinger. Needless to say, there’s definitely a reason why their music is constantly being played at Analog Coffee. Formed in Glasgow in 1996, this band exudes a modern Beatles vibe in their music and have released 9 albums since then. Beyond their musical influence, the band has also worked its way into indie culture, being mentioned in movies such as 500 Days of Summer and High Fidelity. Led by Stuart Murdoch, who also formed God Help the Girl with several other female vocalists with Belle & Sebastian being the supporting band. In 2014, a film of the same name featuring a soundtrack made up songs by God Help the Girl and won an award at the Sundance Film Festival that same year. Top tracks by Belle & Sebastian include the classic hit, “I Want the World to Stop”, “Another Sunny Day”, “The Boy With the Arab Strap”, “Piazza, New York Catcher”, and much more.

 

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Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra: “Northern Exposure: Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor”

Emily Donville
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On Thursday, March 17th, my friend and I had the opportunity to attend the Calgary Philharmonic’s show “Rush Hour // Northern Exposure: Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor” down at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Totally spontaneous (shoutout to our band teacher, Mr. Gingrich, for the tickets!), we headed down to the concert hall for 6:30pm for an hour of entertainment, and let me tell you: it was so worth it.

The CPO’s Rush shows for anyone who doesn’t know, are hour long shows that can be a nice outing after work or school, yet not take up the whole evening. By 6:30 that evening, I was beat. Despite my love of music, I wasn’t particularly ready to hunker down for a three hour show, so the length was just right. My friend and I were seated on the ground level, about five or six rows from the stage in the very middle of the section. I was pleased to see people of all shapes, sizes and ages there. I spotted kids as young as seven and the odd elderly couples having their date night, proving that the symphony is for all ages.

The show opened with Jean Sibelius’ “Finlandia”, which was explosive and captivating. Finlandia is probably one of the most well known compositions by the Finnish Composer. Even if the name is unfamiliar, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard the song somewhere.

Conrad-Tao-1Soon after the first song was finished, Grammy and Emmy award winning conductor Roberto Minczuk invited American pianist and guest artist, Conrad Tao, to the stage. At just 21 years of age, Tao is certainly gaining a reputation in the classical music scene, and for good reason. Playing fervently, Conrad is a Conrad-Tao-2musician like no other. I’ve never seen anyone play so enthusiastically, and the emotion he expressed through his playing could be felt in the atmosphere of the concert hall. I can’t describe what it was like to a T, and simply put, to experience it you must simply go.

My friend and I are both multi-instrumentalists and we’ve had the lucky experience of being a part of William Aberhart High School’s first strings class. Both her and I have been learning cello since the start of the school year, and personally, seeing this show was quite literally awe-inspiring. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I glanced at my friend, my mouth agape in a state of reverence, wondering if she felt the same wonder as I did, to which occasionally we’d share excited glances that said something along the lines of “Did you just hear that?!”

All in all, the night was perfect. Not too short nor not too long, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra put on a great show. If you know me personally, it won’t come as a surprise when I admit I can’t stop talking about the show. It left me feeling inspired and in a good mood and I wish I could go back.

Sadly, if you want to go see Conrad Tao you’re out of luck unless you plan on travelling to North Carolina or Malaysia, in the near future. However, the CPO constantly has new featured artists joining them so if you’re interested, you can check out future events here. Whether you’re on a date or enjoying a casual outing with friends, a night at the CPO is a wise choice that definitely won’t disappoint.

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Video Of The Day: Why Does Plane Food Taste So Bad?

Talia Santarossa
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As an avid lover of all things science, as well as being a frequent traveller, one of SciShow’s latest videos caught my attention. Pretty much everyone who’s ever flown on an airplane knows that the food that is served isn’t always the most, uh, tasty. For years, I brushed it off as simply being cheap food that has to be prepared in a very limited amount of space in fairly large quantities.

SciShow’s Michael Aranda explains in the following video how airplane grub may not be as bad as we think, but that it’s actually the conditions in the airplane that make it taste a little bit less than appetizing. Forever has my view of meals served in the sky changed, and much for the better. Check it out below:

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Apply for the 2016 National Student Commonwealth Forum

Nikki Negre
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A hop, skip and a boatride into the past might bring you to June 12th 1215. On this day, a little over 800 years ago, marked the birth of the Magna Carta. Also known as The Great Charter and one of the most imporant documents in hisory as it proclaimed everyone is subject to the law, even the king. In addition, it guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial. As a foundation stone for the democracy present in a majority of societies and the Commonwealth. A “compelling force for good.”
The Commonwealth which was once the British Commonwealth of Nations, one of the oldest political association of states in the world, is recognized today as “a compelling force for good, an effective network for cooperations and for promoting development. It is a voluntary organization of 53 independent and equal sovereign states (that are all responsible for creating their own policies) that use consensus based decision-making for the “common good”.

ANYWHO I want to invite YOU to apply to become a delegate for the upcoming National Student Commonwealth Forum! During this week long conference you meet like minded youth that may just become life long friends, as well as members of parliament, senators and high commissioners. I attended the forum last year on a whim when my friend told me about how incredible the week was for her. I applied alone and sort of just jumped at the chance to travel. While it was intimidating to begin without a friend by my side, everyone was so kind and welcoming that in a minute we were all literally laughing until we cried. I got moved to learn more about international affairs and our global community and I was constantly inspired by the people who surrounded me from their passion to become movers and shakers. Corny, I know, but these people had ambition and I continue to admire them.

So if you’re in high school and interested in international affairs, the Commonwealth, consensus-based decision making or debating in the senate and listening to speakers that can make you laugh but also make you think or if you’re interested in soaking up the maple syrup and all the other things that make us Canadian in our Capital, apply for the National Student Commonwealth Forum TODAY! LITERALLY. March 15th is the deadline for applications and more important information can be found below.

NSCF 2015

– This year’s NSCF will be from May 1st to May 6th
– The program is held in Ottawa, Ontario and is open for students in grade 10, 11 or 12
– The cost of the program is 310$ for out of town delegates, however accommodations may vary (you can stay with family/friends, a host family or on a university campus for an extra cost.)
– Apply with a partner! you’ll need a partner when representing a country during the Model Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). However you can apply alone! all will be well
– The last day to apply is MARCH 15TH 2016

CLICK HERE TO FIND THEIR SITE AND MORE INFORMATION
CLICK HERE TO APPLY !!!

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At a Standstill

Dhriti Gupta
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Recently, at the end of August of last year, I moved from Edmonton to Calgary. Now this was not my first rodeo as I haven’t really lived in the same place for more than three years of my life. I was born in New Delhi, and then I moved to Houston, then to San Francisco, then Calgary, then Edmonton, and now, back to Calgary. I’ve kind of gotten to a point where it really shouldn’t be a big deal any more and to be quite honest, it isn’t. However, all of the new schools, friends I had moved on from, various houses, all of my past experiences in general, didn’t quite seem to prepare me for this most recent move, and I was quite surprised by how much of an impact it had on me. When I sat down to think about why this was, and how something I used to know like the back of my hand had suddenly become foreign to me, it all seemed to make sense.

I had moved to Edmonton at the innocent little age of 12, terribly nervous, but at the same time, excited for this new and unfamiliar concept of junior high. I was unsure of what to expect what with all the crazy new things like lockers, change rooms, and options, yet I was still optimistic for what was to become of the next three years of my life. To me, junior high seemed like a fresh start. Although most people probably already had friend groups and cliques from previous schools, junior high would still be a new experience for everyone, and the idea of not being the only one on uncharted territories seemed quite comforting to me. With all this in mind, I entered Riverbend Junior High in September 2013, and hoped for the best. Turns out, I was right, for the most part. Everything turned out just fine. In fact, better than fine. By grade 9, I had scoped out a general idea of what I was passionate about, formed an amazing and supportive group of friends, and grown so much as a person. I was the happiest I had been in years.

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Then, when my parents broke the news, I was devastated. I didn’t know how to cope or deal with my feelings. The entire summer, I tried to savour every last second of the time I got to spend with my friends, see and experience parts of the city that I hadn’t before, and continually ponder, what made this one different?

Then the time finally came, we said our goodbyes, packed up the last three years of our lives, and hit the road once more. On that drive to Calgary, I finally was able to pinpoint why I was unable to move on without a second thought, and that was simply that I had changed so much in Edmonton and experienced so many new things that it was just something that was harder to let go of, but I accepted it, and allowed myself to feel the nostalgia and bittersweet emotions that come with the end of an era in our lives.

We arrived in Calgary exactly one day before the first day of school. The beginning of high school was quite a ride. For the first two months I was completely and utterly overwhelmed. Like many others, junior high had not prepared me for the work load that high school had to offer, and it certainly didn’t help that my first semester included three core subjects. Additionally, participating in the IB program at my school required me to take a course called math candidate (aka the violent downfall of Dhriti Gupta) in order to be eligible for the program. Now, despite the many Indian stereotypes out there, I do not like math. I don’t like it, I’m not good at it, and I never have been, so as you can imagine, being thrown into an accelerated pre-IB  course was not a fun time for me. With math candidate, I began to get some marks that I really was not used to, and that hit me pretty hard.

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I was completely convinced that IB was not the place for me, and if it wasn’t for the unwavering support from my parents and teachers through all my struggles and tears, I would have dropped the course. Thankfully, I didn’t and I passed the course with a grade much, much higher than I thought I could ever achieve. However, that improvement and success didn’t come till later in the year, and my social life wasn’t faring much better. You may think that coming back to a school full of old friends from elementary must not be that bad, and now I can confidently tell you that you’re perfectly correct, it’s not so bad at all, however, at the time, it was like a living nightmare to me. I was so utterly terrified of what my past school mates might think of me now, that I didn’t even try to interact. However, it turned out that generally, no one really cares. The few people who did recognize me have been incredibly kind and not judgmental in any way.

Once I realized this, things started to look up. My grades improved, I made a couple friends, my stress levels went down, and the fear and anxiety that came with the beginning of high school began to wear off. Now here I am today, 3/4 done my first year in high school, and despite the time seeming to have flown by and all the new experiences I have been involved in the past year, I feel as though I am now at a bit of a standstill. I know it seems ridiculous, and it’s probably not quite the happy ending you were expecting from this article, but I feel like that’s just part of real life. I wouldn’t say I’m unhappy, because I’m really not. I’ve made great friends, I’ve learned how to deal with academic stress, and nothing is really wrong with my life right now. I just feel as though I have been in a bit of a slump ever since semester two started, and with only having one core a day, and for the most part, no regular extra curricular activities (outside of Youth Are Awesome, of course), I just have so much time to think and what I’ve realized is that unconsciously, I’ve kind of been comparing my life to how it used to be and often missing things I never even had. I feel like we all have these expectations and ideas of what we want our life to look like, and what we can actually achieve, and both those sides of the spectrum seem to be able to bring us down. Currently, that’s what seems to be happening to me, and I think I have just been waiting for good things to come to me without actually making a conscious effort to make them a reality.

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Now, this is not my way of turning this into some whole spiel about unwavering positivity and how you have to always fight to make your dreams come true. It’s good to be aware of your emotions, whether they be good or bad ones, and just pushing them to the side and not acknowledging their existence will not eradicate them completely. I just wanted to share my thoughts and how I’m feeling so that if there is anyone out there who perhaps feels the same way, they know they’re not alone. I think sometimes, despite the actual conditions of our lives, we all get into a bit of a rut and let our emotions get the best of us, and that’s completely okay. Times like this don’t last forever and however cheesy it may sound, things do get better, so to anyone who’s not quite sure why you’re feeling the way you do, don’t worry. You’re not alone in this boat, and I’m sure with time, you will figure it all out.

 

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The How to Become a Doctor Guide (Career Advice Part 2)

Elvin Limpin
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| Part 1 Here | Featured Image Here | Salary Data Here |

Volunteering (17-22 y/o) and internships (19-21 y/o)

Volunteering or job shadowing in a hospital would be helpful experience. If possible, volunteering for an outreach NGO would give you an excellent niche during the interview process. Internships in a health or research seeing would also be valuable to near guarantee admission.

The MCAT (20 y/o)

Your MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) score is one of the most vital factors that make or break med school acceptance. This is what is considered complete MCAT preparation:

[number of semesters] | Course
2 | Inorganic Chemistry
2 | Organic Chemistry
2 | Introductory Biology
1 | Genetics
1 | Physiology
1-2 | Biochemistry
2 | Introductory Physics
1-2 | Psychology/English

Do you have to take all of the above courses? No. You actually don’t even have to major in something biology related at all. Just a major that wouldn’t burn you out (must you have hobbies, during undergrad is your best chance to pursue them).

[Source]

Applying to medical school (22 y/o)

Prepare for the interview process by having stories in mind about your volunteering experience, undergraduate studies, your passion, etc. This is the final step to acceptance. You will have one more year to relax before med school lest you get accepted 🙂

Med school (23-26~ y/o)

For the University of Calgary:

1st year of med school, you will be tackling what doctors do in general. 2nd year will be more specific studies. Normal school days for medical students last, in the U of C, from 8:30-5:30 so be prepared for that.

3rd year will be a bit different, you will be put under clinical rotations. You will experience different responsibilities and procedures in different areas of Medicine.

Most other schools:

Most other schools take four years for the MD degree, which thus would make your degree have a more spread out course load.

The Family Doctor Path (26-27~ y/o)

If you would like become a family doctor (pay), you would have to apply to a 2 year residency program after med school. You’ll unfortunately make meagre pay (~$50k/year) during those two years. You will, however, make $139,197/year as a fully fledged family doctor.

Family doctors can either operate their own clinic or be part of a clinic with other doctors. This will mean requiring some business knowledge and networking.

[Source]

The Specialist Doctor Path (27-32~ y/o)

**I will be referring to Myers-Briggs personality types in this section.

While the biggest medical “specialty” is family Medicine, others elect to pursue other specialities. The programs for specialty doctors consists of around 5 years of study and residency minimum. Here are some options to specialize on:

Psychiatry – This specialty takes a more holistic and academic approach to health and is suited for personality types that do not really suited for other specialties (NPs in the Myers Briggs test)*. Psychiatrists prescribe treatments to psychological conditions and focuses extensively on diagnosis. This is the most popular specialty albeit one of the lower paid ($182,646).

Anesthesiology – if you’ve heard of this specialty, you probably also heard that they make a lot of money($193,906 [this is actual a low figure because you’d be making meagre pay until you become a full fledged anesthesiologist]). Anesthesiologists prepare the anesthetic cocktail during surgeries and monitor the vital signs of their patients. While the liability might be stressful, these doctors don’t often have to work full time to get past 300k. If you are considering this degree, be prepared to be finished school when you are around 35 y/o.

Surgery – this specialty is also often dominated by certain personality types (SJs). Surgeons($154,563 – general surgery | $250,252 – neurosurgery) often help out with both the planning stage of an operation and conducting the operation. Surgeons are often in demand in the forces and doctors without borders type organizations. These are often general surgeons but specializing on certain surgeries often mean more pay (orthopaedic, cardiac, etc).

Other Specialties – you’ll learn more about different specialities in medicine during medical school, and it would be near impossible for me to list all possibilities. A big guideline for choosing would be to choose the specialty that you enjoy doing the work the most rather than the learning, unless you are aiming for a professor position.

Prepare for a taste of my medicine!

[Source]
If you are really up for long, possibly excruciating roller coaster journey that medicine might afford you, then go for it. Savour the reward. I think these two articles speak for themselves on how the process can be rigorous and certainly not for everyone. My parting advice would really just be to know yourself, understand that things will never be too late, and to just listen to our heart.

5 Amazing Youth Health Science Breakthroughs

Hui Wen Zheng
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An app that allows kids to learn to draw, a safe social media site for kids, a battery that can be charged in 20 seconds, and a device that turns the CO2 emissions from cars into breathable oxygen. What do all of these innovations have in common? They were all developed by youth! Health sciences is a competitive but also increasingly popular field to enter into, promising a future of increased research and development by the youth of this generation. In fact, the biomedical innovations of young people have already positively impacted the lives of many. Not convinced? Check out the following health sciences related inventions by youth below.

1. Pancreatic Cancer Detector by 15-year-old Jack Andraka

Pancreatic cancer is the 7th most common form of cancer worldwide, and is more often than not fatal. The cancer is invasive, has a 5-year survival rate of 6%, and often goes undiagnosed until it is too late. At the age of 15, Maryland native Jack Andraka convinced a leading cancer researcher at John Hopkins University to grant him access to the University’s lab materials so he could perform more fulfilling research projects than with just the materials in his basement lab. With the guidance and materials offered by the university and researcher, Andraka was able to develop a device that would allow for the easy and early detection of pancreatic cancer by flagging an abundance of the protein mesothelin, the body’s warning sign for the cancer. Though the dipstick still needs to undergo extended testing, the future looks bright for Andraka, whose device could be applied to test for other forms of cancers. With a simple research opportunity that was granted to him, which is exactly the type of opportunity that Helix would like to provide for high school youth, Andraka won the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering fair in 2013.  

 

2. Wireless Sensor for Dementia Patients by 15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka

After witnessing the crippling effects of dementia on his own grandfather, who would often get up in the middle of the night to wander and eventually hurt himself accidentally, Kenneth Shinozuka set out to invent a device that would insert a small detector on the ankle of the patient. When the patient stands up, the pressure exerted on the detector would send an alert to the caretaker’s smartphone, allowing for immediate attention for the patient. This simple yet life-changing invention earned Sinozuka of New York the Scientific American Science in Action Award.

 

3. Elana Simon’s Groundbreaking Research on Liver Cancer

After suffering from severe stomach pains for years before being diagnosed with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, a rare liver cancer at age 12, New York teen Elana Simon decided to do something to change the amount of science available behind the illness whose only cure is surgery. While looking for summer internship opportunities, Elana began her research on the cancer with her surgeon. They began collecting tumours from other patients who had the same rare cancer (there are only 300 reported cases annually worldwide) and sequencing the DNA of all the cells and eventually came to the realization that all the samples contained a certain chimera. Though more research is needed to find the link between the chimeric mutation and the cause of the cancer, Elana’s research marked a step into uncharted territory in the medical world and in 2015, she was invited to speak at the White House with President Obama, who recognized the significance of her work.

 

4. Serena Fasano’s Connection Between Yogurt and E-Coli

Serena Fasano’s curiosity for science began with a weird start: she was eating yogurt when she was 13 when she read the ingredients list and saw the names of bacteria that she didn’t know anything about. This prompted her to conduct additional research on the microorganisms, and for her school’s science fair, she performed an experiment that mixed E.coli into yogurt, with the result being that samples with more yogurt contained less of the bacteria that causes over 37,000 deaths a year. Throughout her high school years, Serena conducted research on yogurt with a doctor from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, eventually isolating 5 different components of the bacteria lactobacillus, one of which was an undiscovered protein that seemed to be incredibly harmful to E.coli. She has since received a patent for the protein and currently has a successful career in the health science field.

 

5. Angela Zhang’s Dream of a World Without Cancer — And how she can achieve it

Having first started reading scientific journals in her first year of high school, Angela Zhang became interested in bio-engineering and requested access to a lab at Stanford to conduct her investigations. With the help of this experience, by her last year of high school she came up with a hypothesis to cure cancer: mix cancer medicine with a polymer that would bind to tumours and allow doctors to see the location of cancerous tumours on an MRI. They would then shine ultraviolet lights on the tumours and melt the polymer, releasing the medicine and killing cancerous cells while keeping healthy cells alive. When tested on mice, this hypothesis proved to be accurate, though testing on humans has yet to happen. This breakthrough in one of medical science’s biggest mysteries would not have been possible without the help of professors at Stanford who allowed Zhang to conduct preliminary research. In 2012, at the age of 17, she was invited to the White House for the annual science fair, where she presented her findings to President Obama.

 

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The comeback

~ Chu ☆ ~
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So the last couple of weeks haven’t been my best. Between loads of homework, tests, extracurriculars, and, well, life, I’ve been feeling extremely overloaded, and I just haven’t been doing the best I could.

 

Specifically, a couple weeks ago, I had a debate tournament (regionals), and a piano recital on the same day. On top of that, I had three projects to finish for school on Monday, and homework in two other subjects. Being preoccupied with all this homework (I ended up having to do homework in between debate rounds), I performed poorly in both the tournament (lost two rounds, only winning one) and the recital (my piano piece was bland, honestly, and it really just didn’t go the way I wanted it.)
And right now, it does feel really hard to pick myself up again and try again, when I feel like another try is just gonna turn out being another failure. But as I was lying in bed one night, I thought of something. Is it truly a failure? Or is it an opportunity to make a greater comeback next time?
I immediately thought back to my first time performing at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival (formerly known as Kiwanis). To give you a little background, CPAF, is an annual festival in Calgary, where you get to perform (music, speech, drama, etc) in different classes, which are generally based on age, or level and style/composer. You receive adjudication from adjudicators coming from all across Canada, and there is a “winner”, who receives a gold certificate, and a “scholarship” (in higher levels), and there’s a “second place”, who gets a red certificate.

 

 

So this is a terribly embarrassing story, but basically, a few years ago, I decided that I would try CPAF. I entered in one class for piano, and I started prepping, you know, practicing, memorizing, etc.

 

 

Fast forward a few months, and it was the day of the performance. I was definitely nervous, but I felt like I was going to be fine. (Spoiler alert, I was not.)
I got to the venue, and that’s when I started to realize how badly I screwed up, before I even started to think about playing my piece (which, by the way, also did not go well). First red flag : CPAF is a formal event, so everyone was in dresses, dress shirts, nice shoes, etc… I, unfortunately, did not get the memo. I showed up in jeans, and uggs. Purple freaking uggs (I clearly was a very confused child). I’ll let you absorb that for a moment.

 

 

Second red flag : I did not bring my music. I did not know you were supposed to bring your music (so that the adjudicator can see what you’re supposed be playing), and I assumed that since I had memorized my piece, I didn’t need it.

 

 

So I hadn’t even started playing, and already, I knew that I had failed. I got to the piano, extremely nervous, stumbled through my piece way too quickly, and tried to leave before I embarrassed myself any further.
Needless to say, that class did not go well. I believe I got a “good” marking, which is like, 75% ish, aka, not the mark I really wanted to get.
So for the few months after that, I kinda hated myself and the piano, because even as embarrassing and awkward as I am, that was definitely one of my worse moments.
Fast forward half a year-ish, and registration was open for CPAF again. And despite the horrible embarrassment I had faced the year before, I decided to go for it again. I registered for two classes, both solo piano. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Perhaps I wanted to avenge my defeat. But I went back.
This time, I was prepared. I had practiced, got all my music ready, was wearing nice clothes, and I felt completely ready to take on CPAF for the second time. And after my two classes, I came home with a red certificate, and a gold, along with a 100$ scholarship. Not bad for someone who completely failed the year before.

 

(Source)
(Source)

 

So, in retrospect, that debate tournament, and that piano recital, were not failures at all. They were all chances. A chance to improve, and amaze everyone at debate next year. A chance to practice and get better and to wow everyone at my next piano recital. All prologues to my inevitable, epic comeback.

 

"Sometimes you have to fall before you fly" (Source)
“Sometimes you have to fall before you fly” (Source)

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HTA Presents: Pippin!

Maddison Zapach
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If you immediately assumed this article to be an advertisement, or perhaps just more internet spam, you would not be entirely wrong. I admit this with some degree of shame; generally, I take great lengths to avoid being the person who is constantly popping up on your Facebook page or Twitter feed, the one you see in the hallway at and think: “I resent how much I know about you from social media”. But since my high school puts on a musical production only once every two years, I feel justified in adhering to a similar timetable for my shameless online self-promotion.

For this year, a “production year” at my school, the drama teachers decided on the musical Pippin, written by Stephen Schwartz. It’s the story of a young man searching for his purpose in life, backed by an entire troupe of circus performers that serve to make things… well… interesting. It’s the sort of musical whose rather dark undertone is at times either completely undermined or perfectly enhanced by the overly cheery songs, light humour, and energetic choreography. To quote what our production’s lead actress Alex Fisher told our local newspaper, “it’s very messed up.” We were lucky that Schwartz left many aspects of the show, such as setting and character, open to interpretation; our directors made the decision to set the musical in a dystopian, “steampunk’d” world, which for us has meant ridiculously cool costumes and an even cooler set.

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Because this is exactly how I would market the show to my Jr. high self, and several YAA readers are not quite high school-aged yet, I will briefly mention that two people kiss a few times in this play, and that one of those people is me, and that someone gets stabbed, and that somebody else (me again) has a foot fetish. So, there’s the highlight reel.

Anyone who has ever been involved in a stage production does not need to be told how much time and effort goes in behind-the-scenes in order to make it a success; since October, some 60 students, as well as several teachers and volunteers, have put countless hours into practicing, costuming, set building, and working tech to create and polish the show, which runs this week from March 17th-19th at Holy Trinity Academy. This is a show for anyone who is interested in theatre, or music, or steampunk style, or perhaps even sardonically peppy dance numbers. Our evening shows start at 7 pm, and tickets are just $10 for students and $15 for adults! Hope to see you there! 12821360_10153986461451477_5800209270019026779_n (1)

 

The How to Become a Doctor Guide (Career Advice Part 1)

Elvin Limpin
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|Featured Image Here|

I’ll be starting this article with the rather unfortunate circumstance our generation is under. Ask someone what they want to do when they grow up, and some would reply with this:

What I want to be when I grow up? I want to be a doctor, move back to my home country and provide service for free.

I’m sorry for my incredibly biased and cynical opinion, but I’ve heard those words from too many people 🙁 . This once included myself. Only so much would become doctors (150 spots per year at the u of c per year and a lot of students get “weeded out” during their studies) , and the rest would be left heartbroken.

What a cruel world.

But why is there such demand for doctors? People look up to doctors. They’re thought to be smart, caring, dedicated, wealthy, and incredibly important in society in general.

With the many reasons to become a doctor, almost everyone dreamt to be one at some point. Med school is unfortunately, not for everyone [who can afford it]. Some people would enjoy it more than others and some would find the work more natural than the others. And this all comes with personality.

Medicine

[Source]
Employment Prospects: A+ to B+ in around 10-15 years
Courseload: ??

Medicine requires commitment, perseverance, foregoing certain life aspects, and the ability to handle a big student loan. Let’s break the journey down:

High School (starts when you’re 15 years old)

The commitment really has to start from here. Courses that would provide University credits (IB and AP) would significantly help your admission to your preferred pre-med program, provided you did well. They will also significantly decreased your university course load, allowing for more time volunteering and finding internships.

Make sure to take physics, biology, chemistry, and Mathematics to the 30 level. Math 31 won’t be nearly as useful.

Choosing your pre med major (17 y/o)

[Source]
Here’s some factors to consider when selecting your major:

1) Will it prepare you for the MCAT?
2) Will it give you time for internships and volunteering?
3) Will it afford you a back up career?

Degrees fulfill these factors to different extent. Let’s check out some of them:

Biology – majority of biology majors aren’t there for biology but for premed. While it does prepare you for the MCAT (1) medical school admission guidelines sometimes use affirmative action regulation preferring other majors to encourage diversity. General biology is also often laid back enough for internships and such (2). Biology as a back up career would be iffy due to their sheer numbers coming out of university (3). I would overall recommend to check out other options before defaulting to biology.

Health/Biomedical Science – similar to biology in many ways (1,2,3). Note however, that health Science is intended for research rather than med school, making it an inferior choice to even biology.

Nursing – you’ll get much more clinical training through nursing than in health Science while getting the theory down for MCAT(1). Being so inline with Healthcare work, nursing is also a good way to access internship opportunities (2). Lastly, nursing by itself is an excellent career (more on this later) that rewards those who work hard and the pursue advanced positions with salaries similar to actual medical doctors (3). Excellent premed and degree in itself.

[Source]
Biomedical Engineering – best scoring major for the MCAT (1). You might find it, however, to find time to volunteer while Pursuing an Engineering degree (2). In terms of a back up career, they’re all only be a growing demand for Biomedical Engineers (3).

Environmental Science – this one’s a bit tricky. It does prepare for the MCAT and offers fair job opportunities (1,3). There will have to be compromises, however, for internships and volunteering. In order to secure a career in the environmental Industry, taking time to network and find internships is necessary. This would take lots of time away from MCAT preparation and health internships. However, if your goal is to choose between a medical job and one more corporate, environmental Science is worth considering. (2)

Liberal/Fine/Performing/Visual Arts – if you’re sure about becoming a doctor but would also like to pursue another passion on the side, taking a Bachelor of Arts would be an excellent idea. The low course load makes the MCAT less daunting while giving more than enough time for volunteering and internships (1, 2). Finding reliable work in these fields, however, would be difficult (3).

Economics – this degree is magic. It’s an in demand art degree that can pay more than Engineering. (1,2,3) Note that an internship would be very helpful in breaking into econ. If you find both economics and medicine interesting, this major is definitely for you.

[Source]
Part 1 focuses on preparation for university. Stay tuned for Volunteering, Internships, the MCAT, Med School, and different paths to take on Part 2. 🙂

 

 

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