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Uni Life Hacks

Take part in our diverse programming to get engaged, stay informed, learn how to navigate university life, and more. This is a great chance to connect with friends, peers, faculty and staff to share, discuss and learn.

Please check back frequently as more details will be added!

Winter 2024 schedule

Date/Time Program Description Further instructions

February 7 

1 to 2 p.m.

online

Self Care & Self Compassion:
A Student's Approach to Mental Health

Empower yourself with essential self-care insights to navigate daily life and manage life's stressors effectively. This session will explore diverse self-care strategies and delve into the practice of self-compassion. Recognizing the significance of your mental well-being as a student, discover how to prioritize and nurture it effectively.

Offered by Funmilola Ogunseye, Student Mental Health Services

Click on the title to join the session

Winter 2024 in-person schedule

Date/Time Program Description Further instructions

March 20

12 to 12:30 p.m.

CHA 105

Sweat and Recover

Low impact active movements to build up a sweat, followed by some recovery stretching & guided breath work.

Register here

March 20

12:30 to 1 p.m.

Charles Hall first floor foyer

Wellness Walk Wellness Walks is a free and fun opportunity that promotes physical and mental health by getting mindful walking breaks during the busy school and workday. Come out for a walk to restore your concentration, uplift your mood, decrease your stress and be a part of your campus community. All students, staff and faculty are invited to participate. Register here.

Fall 2023 schedule

Click on the program title to either register or join the session!

Date/Time

Program Description Further instructions

Various sessions between Sept. 11 and Oct. 5

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Listening Sessions

Listening sessions and feedback opportunities to create safe spaces for our Ontario Tech community to share and to support us in shaping an inclusive culture we can all be proud of.

Offered by Ruth Nyaamine, Assistant Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. 

Only one session will be applied to the Take 5 program. 

Click on the title to register.

September 26

1 to 2 p.m.

APA in a Nutshell

This short session is for students unfamiliar with APA 7th edition, or those who would like a refresher on the basics. We will cover the general paper format and the basics of in-text citations and references. The session will be interactive with a variety of hands-on activities that will make a relatively dry topic come to life.

Offered by Dr. Laura Morrison, Faculty of Education.

 Click on the title to join.

September 27

6 to 7 p.m.

Introduction to Zotero - Reference Management Workshop

Get familiar with Zotero's interface, installation, and basic features. Learn how to set up your Zotero account and synchronize it across multiple devices for seamless research management. Learn how to use Zotero's citation generation tools to create citations in various citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) in Microsoft Word, and for journal articles, websites, etc. We'll also explore how to create bibliographies and in-text citations with just a few clicks. By the end of this workshop, you'll have the knowledge and skills to harness Zotero's full potential, making your research management more efficient for your academic writing.

Offered by Farzana Balapatel, Faculty of Education.

Participants should download and install Zotero before attending this session. 

Click on the title to join.

September 29

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

How to use Grammarly

This session is to introduce students to using GrammarlyPRO. The main topics covered will be 1) how to download it from the student software portal and sign up, 2) how to use Grammarly critically to support your writing, 3) setting up Grammarly for writing in APA, and 4) tips and tricks to get the best out of it.

Offered by Hannah Atkinson and Dr. Diane Tepylo, Faculty of Education

 

You do not need to download GrammarlyPRO before the session, but if you do, you’ll be able to follow along with some of the set up tips and tricks. 

Note that when you sign up, use your ontariotechu.net email account to access your PRO account at no additional charge (it’s included in your fees in FED and FSSH tuition).

Click on the title to join the session.

October 2

1 to 2 p.m.

Upgrade Your Rice Krispie Squares Game

Making the same Rice Krispie Squares since you were a kid?  Join Sharon Lauricella, Professor in Communication and Digital Media Studies to up your game. You’ll finish with a new recipe and your friends will think you’re the late-night kitchen hero. 

Offered by Dr. Sharon Lauricella, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.

 

Click on the title to register. 

All registrants will be sent a list of (cheap!) ingredients that can be purchased at your local discount supermarket chain, as well as the link to join the session. 

October 19

2 to 2:45 p.m.

online

Master your thesis statement: Building your argument in writing

 

Learn to craft an argument in writing with a specific focus on building a strong thesis statement. This workshop will cover types of thesis statements (e.g., open vs. closed), claims in a thesis statement, and what makes a thesis straightforward and effective.

Together with students, the Writing Specialist will examine examples of strong vs. weak thesis statements and you’ll learn to understand how to support your thesis through your writing.

Offered by the Student Learning Centre.

 Click on the title to register. 

October 26

4 to 5 p.m.

in-person

CHA 219

Master your thesis statement: Building your argument in writing

Learn to craft an argument in writing with a specific focus on building a strong thesis statement. This workshop will cover types of thesis statements (e.g., open vs. closed), claims in a thesis statement, and what makes a thesis straightforward and effective.

Together with students, the Writing Specialist will examine examples of strong vs. weak thesis statements and you’ll learn to understand how to support your thesis through your writing.

Offered by the Student Learning Centre.

 Click on the title to register. 

November 1

4 to 4:45 p.m.

online

Revise and be wise: Self-editing and proofreading strategies

 

This workshop will focus on tips, strategies and suggestions for you to become better at revising and reviewing your own work, and utilizing current technological tools. The primary focus is to encourage you to proactively revise and edit your work as part of the overall writing process.

You’ll practice with a small section of writing to revise, utilizing the strategies and tips outlined in the session.

Offered by the Student Learning Centre.

 Click on the title to register. 

November 6

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

or

November 7

12 to 1 p.m.

Exam Prep Strategies

Exams are coming up soon and, for many students, this can be a time that is filled with stress and anxiety. However, with the knowledge of a few evidence-based study strategies and stress management techniques, students can minimize stress, study effectively, and feel more confident in their abilities. In this workshop, students will learn organizational strategies and tips for managing their exams.

Offered by the Student Learning Centre

Click on the title to join the session.

 

Only one session will count towards Take 5.

November 8

11a.m. to 12 p.m.

in-person

CHA 219

Revise and be wise: Self-editing and proofreading strategies

This workshop will focus on tips, strategies and suggestions for you to become better at revising and reviewing your own work, and utilizing current technological tools. The primary focus is to encourage you to proactively revise and edit your work as part of the overall writing process.

You’ll practice with a small section of writing to revise, utilizing the strategies and tips outlined in the session.

Offered by the Student Learning Centre.

 Click on the title to register.