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Art grant given to Calgary

sheliza
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The best part about living in Calgary is how many activities and opportunities there are for youth. However, a common problem is that there are a lot of us who don’t receive funding for our organizations or initiatives. Well… guess what? On Dec. 2, Calgary Arts Development Authority collected $825,000 to create arts programs in the downtown core.  This is a great opportunity for youth to get involved in their communities and share their hidden talents.

The arts provide youth the ability to share their culture, their feelings and their personality. Another reason why this grant is life-changing for youth is because there are so many people living on the streets. Now, people living in poverty can share their opinion at these free programs offered through the City of Calgary. Everyone has a voice, an opinion and the ability to make a difference. Now, Calgary gives us youth the chance to express our feelings through images, colours and patterns. This our chance to take a stand.

For more information visit: http://www.avenuecalgary.com/blogs/calgary-arts-development-announces-825000-for-%E2%80%9Cremarkable%E2%80%9D-downtown-experiences

How to stay up all night and still get work done

Juliet
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Now this is rather counterproductive, don't you think?

Well, it’s that time of the year again. And no, I’m not talking about Christmas.

December is the month when some teachers realize that they have spent too much time telling personal stories during
 class time instead of teaching. Or that they just haven’t been teaching anyone anything at all. To compensate for their actions, these teachers will plan conspiracies with the other teachers to smother the students in as much work as possible within a limited time range. They do this so that no single one of them will come across as the Grinch of the holidays. Unfortunately, being at the bottom of the ladder in the high school system, we, the students, are the ones that suffer.

If you are student that may not have been planning your time quite wisely these past few weeks and that paper/test/quiz is tomorrow and you haven’t even looked at the material since two weeks ago when the teacher first assigned it to you, the all-nighter may be your last lifeline. Now, before I go into the details on how to pull a successful all-nighter without being completely knocked out the next day, I would like to clarify that I am definitely NOT a proponent of this method as a way to get homework done. Despite this, it is important to acknowledge that there is a certain science to pulling an all-nighter. If you don’t know what you’re doing, chances are that you won’t get any work done and would have been better off sleeping anyway. With all this in mind, here are some of the key tips to getting through that sleepless night:

A definite no-no.

1. Try your best to avoid caffeine and sugar.

No, I’m not joking. While both of these substances will give you a temporary high, it will be extremely difficult to get through the crash stage. Instead, eat protein-rich foods such as cheese, smoothies, and sandwiches and drink a glass of cold water every 30 minutes. The coldness of the liquid will keep you awake as well as cause you to feel the need to urinate every so often, thus reducing your chances of nodding off at the table. However, if you feel like you must consume caffeine, take a small sip from an energy drink or coffee every 30 minutes or so to prevent yourself from crashing.

2. Don’t stare at the computer/book for hours on end.

When your brain is tired, focusing on any given thing for more than an hour or so at a time will prove to be extremely difficult and you will get sidetracked. So, plan an hourly schedule – for example, studying for 50 minutes, and then resting for 10. Then, during your 10 minutes of rest, do something active – dance around the room, stretch, do push-ups – anything to get your blood flowing again and possibly induce an adrenaline rush. Additionally, tone down the brightness of your computer screen to reduce eye-strain.

3. Don’t underestimate the powers of the cold.

This shouldn’t be too hard if you live in Calgary. If you’re feeling sleepy, open the door or window and let cold blast of air jolt you awake. It is also fairly difficult to fall asleep if you’re cold. Or, take advantage of that automatic ice cube maker in your refrigerator and rub your face with a piece of ice. You can even take a cold shower if you’re really feeling out of it. Either way, stay away from being in a warm, cozy environment at all costs because your eyelids will start to droop and you’ll find yourself waking up with the alarm signalling for you to get to your exam.

4. Study in a suitable environment.

If you’re easily scared, try watching a horror movie to keep you on your toes. Play some hardcore metal music in the background. Turn on the news channel if it helps you keep your interest level up, but turn it off if you find that you’re too distracted.

5. Nap with caution.

If you really don’t think that you can go any longer, it’s alright to take a nap. However, do not nap for longer than 20 minutes. If you go over this mark, you’ll most likely enter a stage of “deep sleep” and will wake up feeling even more groggy and tired.

6. Have a backup system.

As you’re nearing those wee hours of morning and there’s just one more chapter that you need to go through, set your alarm clock to go off every 20 minutes or so. This way, just in case you nod off, you’ll be jolted awake by the lovely sound of your alarm.

And this is how you should pull an all-nighter. Though I will reinstate my previous point – only resort to this method if there are no other options available. At all. And please, do not make a habit out of this unless you want to become a living zombie. Until then, I pray that we all make it alive through the next three weeks of school.


Six things you’ll need to survive college

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Graduating the final year of high school can be tough and the transition to college can be worse! To help you move on, presented is a list of six things which are guaranteed to make your life easier…

1) A Lunch Tray~ Although it sounds lame in the sense that no one wants to go and steel one from the abundant stock, it can be rather utilized as a multi-purpose tool! Need a lap desk? sled? easel to paint on? Laptop desk? well the answer is – go and grab a lunch tray from the cafeteria!

2) Febreze~ One can only imagine the smell of four teens squished into a two-room apartment and once people start to slack with the laundry, it all goes downhill!

3) White board calendar and cork board organizer~ If you are a visual learner like myself, in order to get anything done I literally have to be able to see what I need to do before I can convince myself to get started. For this reason, I highly recommend a white board since I’ve had one for three years now and I love every bit of it! With times when I like to offer myself a slack weekend, I make sure I have something like “Go and waste some time” written on it.

4) Disinfectant wipes~ Both the disinfectant hand wipes and the heavy duty Clorox wipes are a good idea to pack. With times when you have some time leftover from parties and studying, you can use it to clean your room. Once the febreze stops working, this can also serve as the last alternative =]

5) Toilet Paper~ Except for only using them for toilet related applications, these guys are multipurpose and can really help you out with cleaning up spills and disinfecting study areas. It is always advisable to carry a set matter where you go. I choose to always bring them along with me for any day trips or even long hikes.

6) And Finally, conversation initiating ideas~ We have all been at places when it seems impossible to start a talk or keep it going. With initial months deciding your outlook for the rest of your university years, it’s always recommended to plan ahead and have those one liners ready… You never know when you’ll have to use them!

For more things to bring to university that you’ll soon realize you need, check out Ali’s post here.

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is “Possessed” with Liszt and Paganini

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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Artist: Arnold Böcklin

“Possessed.” Devilishly dressed personas with masked makeup roamed the Jack Singer’s concert hall lobby, staring patrons into the depths of their eyes, a window to the soul. These fiends were inspired by the awesome demons from Faust, whom famously exchanged his soul for infinite knolwedge.

Paganini’s ability to create such heart-stopping and incredible music was believed to be attributed to one thing: he sold his soul to the devil. His tall and thin appearance accompained with long, dark hair helped fuel these amazing rumours. Of course, Paganini – the smart marketing man that he was – never publicly denied these attention-enhancing stories.

Hysteria for Lizst and his music performances was characterized “Lizstomania,” as it was reported that his playing elevated the audience into a mood of esctasy and joy. Fantical admirers of Lizst would tear apart handkerchiefs and gloves to gain just a little piece of this gifted musician. One women stored a cigarette butt thrown out by Lizst and  bestowed it for her heirs to cherish as well. Lizst worked himself into a frenzy of amazing musical training – six hours each day went to techincal practice, with no pieces, and then his “real practice” would begin afterwards. His performances dazzled and delighted.

Included in the Festival of Virtuosity, this peformance showcased these wonderful musicians of the evening to “possess” or perhaps, to be “possessed” of great talent to play these fiendish pieces.

Following a light and cheery rendition of the “Flight of the Bumblebee” by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra was Paganini’s intensely techincal and powerful piece, Violin Concerto No.1 in D Major. This popular piece must be enjoyed if you haven’t already, having fallen in love with the violin after hearing the Calgary Philharmonic and Ning Feng perform together.

Played by the marveollusly talented Ning Feng, this piece instanly captured the audience in rapture. Witty and commanding, Ning Feng’s sensitive playing of the tender elements of the piece completely drew me in. With the spectular and loud clashes of the percussion and the majestic overture of all the sections of the orchestra, the audience could not help but give a standing ovation to the skilful musican, Ning Feng, after the first movement. In the second movement, the violin “sings” in a full operatic aria style, filling up all the whole expanse of the Jack Singer Concert Hall. The piece ends with a witty rondo and immediately sets the mood for Ning Feng’s encore of a variation on God Save the King. Pure heartfelt and delighted laughter poured from the audience.

Following this grand performance was Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.2 in A Major played by Calgarian Jan Lisiecki. Poetically interpreting the contrasting tempos of this symphonic poem, the piece infuses the forms of literature and artwork to create one,  continous virtuoso movement. The highlight of this piece was the piano and the solo cello playing off one another, an ear pleasing combination of strong rapid tempos and graceful notes that imitated a light harp. Cheerful and delighted laughter returned when an encore of a witty Mozart’s Turkish March was performed.

A selection of Prokofiev’s imaginative music encompassed unrestricted energy from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in the finale of the Scythian Suite.

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is a delightful treat to the ears and I guarantee with any performance you attend, you’ll be impressed by their magnificent and awe-inspiring virtuosity. Thanks so much to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for providing me the opportunity to experience world-class music up close and LIVE! Come one, come all, young or old, because I know that you’ll never experience virtuosity quite like the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

*Featured image courtesy Calgary Herald

Volunteer this holiday season

sheliza
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Are you tired of sitting at home in this winter season? Do you want to get out and start making a difference? Volunteer Calgary and Youth Central have found plenty of opportunities for people like YOU to go volunteer. You can volunteer at a homeless shelter, wrap presents for fundraising, volunteer for holiday events or even SHOP for other people. Yes. These everyday activities that you do for yourself can be done to help the lives of others. 🙂 For more information check out: http://volunteercalgary.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-holiday-season-a-time-to-give-time/

Video Of the Day: Cello Wars

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[youtube BgAlQuqzl8o]

Even more Youth Week prizes – from McDonald’s!

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While there’s still lots of time to receive prize donations, Youth Week Calgary 2012 is already on a roll! Another one of our first prizes of the year comes from McDonald’s in the form of 200 coupons for free products, including Big Macs and McFlurries (yum!). These coupons are already being put to use; the Youth Week Calgary 2012 Facebook page reached 250 likes yesterday, so we’re giving 25 of those coupons to a lucky (random) fan!

McDonald’s best known charity work is its Ronald McDonald House Charities, which improve the health and well-being of children through support programs, but clearly the company is involved in the community in other ways as well – such as helping out a great event like Youth Week. Thanks, McDonald’s!

All of the prizes that are donated to Youth Week will be distributed at various events, from sporting competitions to movie nights. Even though Youth Week is a pretty exciting thing on its own (Calgary’s youth coming together to be a bigger part of the community is a pretty big deal), the prizes do add a little extra incentive to get involved. 😉

Stay tuned to youthareawesome.com for more Youth Week prizes, as well as extras leading up to Youth Week, like the Facebook coupon giveaway. Also, check out Youth Week events (and other events around the city) on our blog’s Events page.

Christmas in a Shoebox

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Most of you have probably heard of the Samaritan’s Purse: Operation Christmas Child project. Essentially, you fill a shoe box with necessities like school supplies, hygiene items, and toys for children around the world who may not have the opportunity to afford or experience Christmas. Although the National Collection week (November 21-27) is over, you can still donate online or pack a shoebox online.

Image from 'lifeassupermom' blog

Recently I discovered another  organization, which is local, called Joi to the World. When I first heard of the it, I initially thought it was another organization like Operation Christmas Child. Although they are similar in the fact that they donate shoeboxes to people who can’t otherwise celebrate Christmas, Joi to the World allows you to donate shoeboxes to any age group. Some of the organizations that they give shoeboxes to are Inn from the Cold and the Mustard Seed. I think this is a great opportunity to give more to people who need it more than your closet (I think 50 shirts is enough for a person)!

In addition to giving gifts, the Calgary Drop-In Centre has a wish list of the homeless who participate in the program. If you want to personally fulfill someone’s wishes during Christmas, you can visit the website right now!

So if you have a huge Christmas bonus coming up and you don’t know what to do with all that extra cash laying around, maybe spend some time searching for gifts and spending a little bit for someone else. That’s what the season of giving means, right?

Life: The ultimate mystery

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Life is full of unexpected twists and turns as people find their place in the world, grow, and have new experiences. Everything and everyone is there for a moment and then is gone, as though every moment is hanging on a single thread as everything else dwindles away around it.

It’s hard to hear the differences between some worlds and others. There are vast differences between cultures, and differences between the wealthy elite and people living on the streets. Our whole society nowadays is based on wealth. It sways which universities we will go to, and what we will take, but along with that it also motivates people to do better. Though money is great, there are so many people in the world that don’t have that opportunity. They don’t have the chance to go to school, which eliminates their opportunity to change their lives. This is why poverty remains to be in a continuous cycle which people in it can rarely break out of.

UNICEF statistics state that about 22,000 children die each day due to poverty, whether its caused by the deadly cold winters of Canada or a drought in Africa. Everyone deserves to have a chance. The hard part to accept is the idea that there are children and teens, parents, and elderly all around the world that have been brought up in poverty, and have not known anything different other than the tinted windows of the limos that drive down the streets.

The world is full of unexpected events. We think that we have control of our lives, but do we really? There are moments in life that we wish could last a lifetime, and moments that we want to stay in forever, but they are always taken away, although they will be the ones that we cherish the most, even when they are gone. If everyone just gives a little this Christmas to those in need, as we can make a moment in their lives that they may be able to take with them for a lifetime, and may change the course of the rest of their life.

Books vs. movies

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If you have ever read a popular novel or books series, there is probably a movie that is based off of it. The reason popular novels often become movies is because they already have a fan base, the storyline is already developed and it is extremely easy to market the movie. Sometimes, these attempts to recreate the storyline of the book are major successes, and other times they are huge failures.  One thing I do not enjoy about movie portrayals of books are that they can change the way you imagine the book’s characters, because while books leave much to the imagination, movies do not.  (Warning: there may be spoilers in the book-movie comparisons).

Twilight: The novels became popular quickly due to the epic love story and supernatural world whose main character is made out to be a ordinary girl put into extraordinary circumstances. Though the storyline may be appealing, I found that Stephenie Meyer’s writing skills to be lacking. In my opinion, it definitely became a big seller because of the storyline, not the skills and technique used to present the story. However, I still found the books enjoyable, that was, until the movies came out. Even though the shirtless werewolves may be nice to look at, it still doesn’t cover up the awkwardness of the interactions and romance between Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Kristen Stewart (Bella). Scenes that were supposed to be serious were sometimes made very humorous because of this awkwardness – even though Pattinson and Stewart are a real-life couple! For example, when Bella discovers she’s pregnant in the fourth movie, her reaction was found extremely funny by the theatre audience. The movies destroyed whatever I found enjoyable in the book and I recommend that if you have not seen the movies yet, don’t bother to see them; stick with the books.

Princess Bride:  The book was written and the movie was produced quite a few years ago (book 1973, movie 1987),  but I loved both. I liked the fact that the movie and book were so similar that it seemed almost as if the book was used as the script for the movie. What I did not like about the book was the author liked to go on tangents where he would go on for pages and pages describing things like a character’s wardrobe and other pointless details. For this reason and because I had watched the movie many times before reading the book, I like the movie slightly better. I also think the sense of humor of the characters work better viewed in a movie than written in a book. As many people have noticed, the visual effects used in the movie are not that great and it is criticized because of this, but the plot, humor, action, characters and romance are done so well I overlook the poor visual effects.

Lord of the Rings:  The books and movies were both AMAZING. The books were extremely well written and no other author has been able to create such a realistic universe. Tolkien’s writing style provided so much detail of the universe in such a way it just flowed with the action and the story. I find many authors unable to do that without sounding dry. The movies changed and left out many things of the books because of the constraint of having to fit each novel into only a few hours, but they did this extremely well. They didn’t stray too far from the books and the choices of actors to portray the characters were very well chosen. I was really happy to find that much of the dialogue and quotes from the book are used in the movie and incorporated into it quite well.  One big difference I noticed was how Lord of the Rings ended; while the movies moved straight on from destroying the ring to the land living happily ever after, the books were a lot more realistic where they described the damage inflicted on the land by the war and the measures taken to repair it. The movie producers did well in taking this out of the movies because though it may be interesting in books, on screen it wouldn’t have been. I liked the book better than the movie because of the detail that the book provided that the movie could not, but this is one of the best books to movies adaptations I have seen.

Stardust:  In the case of Stardust, I liked the movie much more. The book is very serious, dark and the main characters are harder to connect with. The witch is much more pathetic. There is a lot more action in the movie; the main characters are more lovable and the movie takes a lighter and more humorous spin on the novel. Mainly, I liked the movie better because of the way it ended, which was significantly different than the book. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but let’s just say I like happy endings.

Harry Potter: I definitely liked the books better than the movies but I still found the movies pretty good. There was more action and more description of school life between the action scenes in the book than the movies (especially in the seventh book) and also there are parts in the movies that are confusing unless you have read the books. The only movie I found disappointing was the seventh (part 1 and 2). I didn’t enjoy the first part as much as I thought I would, and I was expecting the big finale of the second part to be more exciting. The movies are very worthwhile to see, unlike the Twilight saga, and they don’t ruin the way I imagine the characters in the books.

Eragon:  I loved the book but I hated the movie. I liked the book so much due to the fact that it reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings and The Dragon riders of Pern, which was probably where the author found a lot of his inspiration. The movie did horrible job of interpreting the book and thus the reason why no second movie was made.  The movie might have been okay if I hadn’t read the book but I still wouldn’t have considered it a “good” movie.  It was a very poor movie for such a great book.

 

 

Video of the Day – Top Pop Songs of 2011 Mashup

ali
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Top songs of 2011 mashup! Some profanity in the video, but derived only from the songs and their respective music videos:

Taio Cruz – Hangover
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Adele – Rolling in the deep
David Guetta feat. Usher – Without you
David Guetta feat. Sia – Titanium
Snoop Dog – Sweat
Bruno Mars – Grenade
Avicii – Levels
Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris – We found Love
Jennifer Lopez – On the floor
Swedish House Mafia – Miami 2 Ibiza
Martin Solveig feat. Dragonette – Hello
Aura Dione – Geronimo
Sak Noel – Loca People
DJ Antoine – Welcome to St. Tropez
Britney Spears – Till the world ends
LMFAO – Sexy and I know it
Maroon 5 – Moves like Jagger
David Guetta feat. Flo Rida – Where dem Girls at
Jason Derulo – Don’t wanna go home
Enrique Iglesias – Tonight
Pitbull feat. Neyo – Give me everything (tonight)
Alexandra Stan – Mr. Saxobeat
Mono & Nikitaman – Dezibel
Black Eyed Peas – Just can’t get enough
Rihanna – S&M
Foster the People – Pumped up kicks
Coldplay – Paradise
Lady Gaga – Judas

Top 10 Youth Central volunteers: November 2011

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Making pottery for Youth Central's Empty Bowls event

Here are the top 10 volunteers who served the highest number of volunteer hours with Youth Central in the month of November. We love your dedication to the community!

Ferdinand Servito: 29.75 hours
Kevin Yoo: 25.25 hours
David Hall: 22 hours
Eileen Kim: 19.5 hours
Paula Galan: 18.5 hours
Belal Uddin: 18 hours
Richard Chen: 17 hours
Curtis Chat: 16 hours
Jennifer Wong: 14.5 hours
Elaine McRae: 14 hours

A list of stuff to bring to university that you will soon realize you need!

ali
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Dorm Room

1. Extension cords! The outlets are never where you need them to be, especially if you are a LAN party man like I am. See also: Octopus outlets

2. A fan! It helps drown out the background noise and occasional party or dying/drunk person. Plus if you’re out east it can get hot. Conversely, electric blankets are also godsend during winter. See also: Humidifier

3. Socks… many socks. Throw out all your socks, go to your nearest discount clothing place and buy 30 pairs of the same sock. Boom, no more mismatched morning sleepy sock frenzy.

Slight Overkill

4. Tools and tape! You don’t realize how much you use a screwdriver and duct tape until you don’t have any. If it moves and it shouldn’t: duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should: WD-40. Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they’ll at least find you handy. See also: Soldering iron, hammer, nails, screws, super glue, **needle nose pliers**, wire cutters, **pocket knife**

5. Water pitcher/tea kettle. If you haven’t gorged yourself on instant noodles, coffee or tea yet, just wait.

6. Rugs, if your dorm room has a tile or wood floor or some variant of this, it will be freezing in winter! Do yourself a favor and get a rug. See also: socks/fuzzy slippers

Proper Audiphile Headphones

7. Earplugs, for when your roommate is on Facebook typing away until 3:30 in the morning. It’s usually me anyway… A good pair of headphones will also go a long way, check out the Senheisser 555s.

8. Dark curtains, not blinds, if you are a light sleeper.

9. A backup blanket, I mentioned electric blankets but sometimes that doesn’t cut it. Plus it’s always nice to have a spare blanket to lend to guests if they need it. Plus if you spill coffee on your blanket at 2:30 in the morning and have to get to sleep you’re out of luck.

10. Extra pair of glasses! Don’t wait until you get hit in the face with a football/bus! Ask your ophthalmologist for a prescription and grab a cheap backup pair online.

11. Bigger trash can. Small one might not cut it, you’ll see. Pro-tip: Don’t throw away food, it’ll start to smell and chances are you’re like me and you’ll be too lazy to change it.

12. Shoe mat – snow melting on floor = mess

13. Comfy chair. Sometimes dorm chairs are uncomfortable. Balancing seven courses is so much easier when you can work on a soft chair.

14. Napkins and plastic cutlery for quick meals and quick cleanup

Compact Kit

15. First Aid Kit – For you know… those gigantic paper cuts. See also: Imodium, Benadryl, Day-Quil, Ny-Quil (Nye quill? BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!)

16. A lighter, never know when it can come in handy, for you or someone else

17. Rice/Pressure Cooker, you can make almost anything in a pressure cooker

Legit art

18. Art for your walls! You don’t want your dorm to look like a prison cell

19. A vacuum! Stuff happens

20. A sense of humor, have fun!

Stay tuned, in a few days I’ll post some must have recipes for university!

X ALL THE THINGS - pack all the things

 

Cheers

Top 10 ways to deal with stress

MJ
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At least at some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced stress. We feel stressed when there’s a number of things we need to get done: unit exams, projects, presentations, labs, quizzes, assignments, etc. And if you’re in Grade 12, there’s all the more stress that comes with applying for university and deciding what you want to do in the next few years to come. On top of that, if you’re in Grade 12 and in IB… well, you most definitely need to continue reading. Unless of course, you’re that perfect ideal child who manages time efficiently and have time to spare… well, I salute you and your unique capability to do so.

A lot of times, when we find ourselves stressing, we aren’t sure how to deal with it. It interferes with our concentration, we feel unstable, and we waste time worrying. So I’ve asked a number of students (both IB and non-IB!) how they manage stress and the following are the top 10 most popular answers.

1) Sleep or lie down

There are people who can apparently “sleep” on a question and wake up with an answer. I don’t know if that’s really true, but sleeping does help clear and refresh the mind. Sometimes there are too many things going on in our heads, we need to give our brains a break. Yes, we want to get things done quickly, if not on time, but it’s important that you’re in a calm state of mind when doing work. It’s also not good trying to finish your homework when you’ve only had 5-7 hours of sleep and your brain is ready to shut down any second.

2) Organize and prep

School-related stress is often a result of feeling unprepared. And there’s nothing comparable to the feeling you get when walking into a test you feel totally ready for. Try organizing yourself; make up a study schedule, tidy up your binders, use colour coding, and prioritize. It’ll help you feel like you can manage your work so you won’t end up panicking.

3) Eat

Eating does help us deal with emotional instability (hence the pig-outs girls have after a heartbreak). It takes our mind off things that make us stressed in the first place, even if it’s temporary. It provides a sort of comfort in times of vulnerability. But don’t completely stuff your face with junk food – it does have negative consequences. Consuming too much sugar and fats can reduce physical endurance, reduce your ability to think critically and make you feel tired.

4) Listen to or play music

Whether you play it or listen to it, music acts as a sort of escape for us. It helps us take our mind off troubles and soothes us. If you play an instrument, play it! And if you have a favorite band or artist, listen to them! Maybe you’ll want to break out and dance to it, which will help you relieve some of the stress.

5) Accept it

There were quiet some variance in the answers for this category but in general, there are three ways to approach this method:  convince yourself you’re not stressed, tell yourself that whatever is causing you stress will be over soon or accept that you’ve done all that you could. Convincing yourself that you’re not stressed isn’t easy. But try to think of your work as something you do out of interest, not something you do because you have to- it should help minimize the burden you feel.

6) Surf the web or watch TV

Browse the Internet or watch Ringer, How I Met Your Mother, House or whatever it is you watch. It’ll give you some laughs and relieve some stress. But I don’t personally recommend you do this because if you mysteriously find yourself on Facebook or on any social networking site… you’re in trouble. Or if you start watching something you know you can get easily addicted to, I don’t recommend you do this first when you’re stressed.

7) Chat or hang out with friends

Remember that you are not alone! Most people get  stressed because of school, so why not help each other out? Talk to friends, relieve the stress, share the burden and let out your anger that way. It’s kind of nice to know that you aren’t the only one feeling sluggish.

8 ) Bake

Or play soccer or do some push-ups or paint- whatever you like to do in your free time. If it’s a hobby of yours, the better. When we do something we enjoy, one of the reasons for that being is because we feel like we’re good at it, right? This helps with reducing the feeling of incompetency, and it also takes your mind off work for a little while.

9) Read

Similar to music, reading a book can help you escape your current situation. Maybe read a fantasy and place yourself in medieval times or maybe read a cheesy romance- whatever floats your boat. For me, I tend to get addicted and usually don’t even put the book down until I’m done up to a certain point. But if reading helps you with temporarily distracting yourself from pressure, go for it.

10) Play games

How good it is to relieve your stress, anger and frustration by playing bloody gruesome games and pretend you’re shooting Physics, or English. Counter- strike, LoL, Assassin’s Creed, Skyrim, Battlefield, or whatever you play, just make sure you aren’t playing for hours on end.

For “Keep Calm And…” photos, click here.

Happy studying!

How to donate without spending a penny – part 1

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Image courtesy: financereliefzone.blogspot.com

Come holiday season, giving is on many people’s minds. As an unemployed student, it’s hard enough to shop for family and friends. Giving to people you may never meet might just seem beyond you (and your wallet)…
But they need you!

No money? No worries! (And no excuses.)

Here’s a (wish)list of things you can give without really giving – while getting satisfaction and happiness 😀 :

  1. Hair
    For girls (or guys!) with long hair: fight cancer by giving your ponytail to those in need of hair prosthetics! A Google search will give you many resources, but here’s a few websites I’ve found:
    Locks of Love
    Pantane Beautiful Lengths
    Angel Hair for Kids, supported by The Fringe Hair Company of Calgary
    Canadian Cancer Society‘s guide on hair donations
    For those with shorter hair: Locks of Love wants your hair, too! Or, you can join or start your own campaign or fundraiser and shave for awareness. (bald is the new black..?) 

    A scene from Disney's Tangled

     

  2. Blood
    I’m not the expert here, having never donated blood myself.
    An eligible blood donor is between 17 to 61 years old and weighs at least 50 kg (110 lb). A few other specific medical requirements can be found on the above website.
    According to Canadian Blood Services, “Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. That someone could be a loved one, a friend, a co-worker – or even you.” 

    Who needs blood? Image courtesy: Canadian Blood Services website

     

  3. Recyclables
    This is especially great for you lazy tree-huggers. Just call up your local Scout Group, or leave a bag labelled Scouts on your curb on a bottle drive date. (I find dates for my neighbourhood in the monthly community newsletter. You can also go here and type in your postal code.)
    Vecova also collects your empties to help and empower persons with disabilities (just call 403-267-1240). You can also drop ’em off at 20 Research Place NW or here.
    Instead of whole aluminum cans, the Ronald McDonald House collects pop tabs. The money received from recycling centres is then used to provide a place to stay for families that have traveled far from home so their child can received medical treatment. (Here‘s a list of locations. The first one is in Calgary. You can also find house-shaped cardboard collection containers in schools, community centres, and etc.) 

    Image courtesy: http://peopleandideas.gr/
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