Getting ready for the winter semester

 I sit here waiting for my son’s work shift to end so I can drive him home. I don’t mind at all. I think that it is important for students in high school to work. I would say even vital. 

The new semester starts January 6. That is, classes start January 6. This means I am in the office January 2 finalizing details for the winter semester. So what advice do I give to students heading back to classes in the new year?

The first is that you should celebrate your victories so far. That is, assuming you were in college for the fall semester. College is not easy. And it is not just the in class material that one needs to worry about. There are the finances, peer relationships, commuting, getting sick, feeling home sick, finances, the doubt about what will happen once school is over.

The second is to reflect on the lessons learned. The information covered in class. The development and refining of life management skills. I often ask my students to reflect on how much they have learned just after their first semester. After all, if it was easy everyone would do it. Or maybe not? 

The last is to reflect on what could have gone better. Maybe attendance was not what it should have been? Perhaps too much time was spent on a personal device? Should you have asked about how you could perform better on the next assignment? And think of all the resources available at the school. A lot of student fees pay for those, and they are always, always under utilized.

In short the new semester will present new opportunities and new challenges. And it will be over too quick. Don’t waste the opportunities that will be presented to you. 

So you want to get your family into mountain biking?

 Life is going fairly well, and then BAM! COVID 19 hits.

    Gyms get shut down.

        Team sports are a no go.

            Canada's Wonderland? More like Canada's No Man's Land!

And then my wife says to me "Everything is probably going to be shut down this summer. What if we get our family into mountain biking?"

The heavens opened, and the angels sang.

Now, you need to understand a few things. 

1. I do not live in Whistler or the Appalachian Mountains. However, I do live in central Simcoe Muskoka county in Ontario Canada, so we have at least a few good trails here. 
2. I have four kids (yes, four) ranging in ages from 3-11 (4-12 by the end of the summer).
3. I have gone mountain biking before, but growing up in suburbia a lot of it consisted of jumping curbs and avoiding city buses.

So where do we begin? First off, you need to familiarize yourself with some online resources. You probably know about Youtube, Kijiji, and Facebook Marketplace. But there are two other key sites:

1. Pinkbike: Register yourself. Very useful for what it posts, and as a springboard to other sites.
2. Trailforks: Again, register yourself so that you have access to what trails are around your area.

So here are some steps. Keep in mind that they are not necessarily sequential, and would overlap in timing.

The first obvious step is to outfit yourself and your family. Being very pragmatic, we obtained bikes for our kids which were thrifty but not useless. I scoured Kijiji, Facebook, and local bike shops until we found bikes that were the right size for each kid and would last the summer. I figured if the kids like it we would upgrade next year. If they did not like it, well, I guess I will be selling some bikes. I purchased for myself a good enough hardtail, and we found a deal on a dual suspension bike for my wife which was pretty decent (I was only a bit jealous). And, of course, do not forget the helmets!

The second step is to talk to people. Lots of people! Make friends with your local bike shops. We have two bike shops here in town and they are great. They can inform you of local bike trails and guide you on purchasing bikes for your family. Talk to friends. Talk to other riders on the trails. Talk to your local mountain biking association.

The third step is to do some recon on where to ride. Fortunately I have a bunch of friends who have been mountain biking locally for years. They would let me join them on local rides and point out family friendly routes. It was also great to network with this crowd to see where they were at in terms of getting their families into the activity. From here we found two great local kids' loops which were literally across the road from each other. These loops connected with longer trails to add variety.

Finally, figure out what your family rides will look like. For my wife and I, one of us would take the two older kids (12 and 8) and one of us would take the 2 younger kids (6 and 4). We would alternate and share experiences with each other in order to optimize the riding experience for our kids. For our 4 year old, we found a used trailer bike online which worked great.

    Speed is not the goal here. 

            Hitting that rideable while performing a 360 is not the goal here. 

                Family involvement is.

I have the benefit of having a social group who let me ride with them, and a wife who encourages it. In those rides I would work on speed, skill, and fitness. With my family rides I focus on my daughter riding down the trail in a pink tutu and singing to the forest. I focus on encouraging my 12 year old to ride over a bolder. I focus on taking joy in my 8 year old being able to trudge along for a 90 minute ride and not complain.

The last item I would add would be to add in some rides for yourself and your spouse. We are fortunate to have a responsible enough 12 year old that we could trust to leave in charge of their siblings. This would give us the opportunity to go for local rides and connect with each other.

Starting the semester well

As a student, you are in the initial part of a new semester. You may be experiencing a variety of feelings - excitement, apprehension, wonder, and possibly ambivalence. The question that should be asked, however, are what actions can you perform to increase your chances of being successful in your area of academic studies.

What follows are behaviours commonly associated with academic success. This does not guarantee that you will be on the honour roll, but it will increase the possibility that you will perform well.

1. 1:1 Ratio: For every hour you have in class each week, you need to devote at least one hour of study outside of class room time. This includes performing assigned readings prior to going to class (to be covered next), reviewing notes, preparing assignments, and studying for evaluations.
2. Go. To. Class. Learning takes repeated exposure to course content. There is a good amount of research that indicates that attending class is correlated to academic success. Also, if you are in a smaller sized course, let's say under 100, it is a good opportunity to know the instructor and ask for clarification on material that you may not understand well.
3. Write out notes: As the instructor presents course material, take notes in a format that you understand. Most colleges and universities will have centres or workshops that can help you develop a note taking system.
4. Work on your time management: Buy two reusable wall calendars, one weekly and one four-month calendar.
1. Weekly: Fill in your classes. Then fill in any regular commitments such as work, laundry, grocery shopping, and so forth. Finally, fill in one hour of academic work for every hour of class time. This will help you determine whether you can go out this evening with your friends to the campus pub or whether tonight is the night to work on that assignment.
2. Four month: Write out every due date on this calendar. Step back. Freak out because you have four exams and two assignments in week seven of the assignment. And then you notice that you have nothing in week six, so you now know to finish the assignments early so you can concentrate on the exams during week seven.
5. Ask for help when needed: Don't understand course material? Is there a family emergency that you need to attend to? Go immediately to your course instructor or administrator and ask for guidance. After every single semester, I deal with at least one student and am required to respond "If you had come to me earlier I could have assisted you, but now it is too late".

Again, these steps do not guarantee success but they will increase your chance of succeeding. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

The relationship between college and university

Picking an option after high school can be tricky.

Go to University, don't limit yourself!

        Go to College, you will never get a job without work experience!

To quote a great philosopher:

          "What to do what to do what to do indeed."
                                         Winnie T. Pooh

More and more, we are seeing students go to both University and College. Let's look at two examples.

Every intake of one program I work in has students participate in an off-campus field trip. With this trip, the hosting company has employees engage our students in activities to build leadership and promote team building. On the last excursion I was talking to one of the employees who stated that she could not imagine working in her chosen field without having attended a one year certificate at an Ontario College after completing her University degree.

Flip that over to a conversation that I have had several times with industry partners interested in teaching at an Ontario College. "Yes, you do have a two year diploma and extensive industry experience. However, without a University degree the probability of being hired on a contract to teach a course decrease." Also, a number of college programs will not hire a full time faculty member who does not have a Masters degree.

So this is what can happen.

1. A student attends a University degree program but does not gain much, if any, work experience in their field of choice. So they attend a one year post-graduate certificate program at an Ontario College which offers a field placement option. They are also invited to attend networking events and field trips where they can personally meet industry partners and distribute their resume.
2. A student attends a two year Ontario College diploma program. They enjoy the field but yearn for more, so they take advantage of a formal articulation agreement with a University. That is, they receive a pre-determined amount of credit for courses always completed and shorten the time required to complete the degree. Since they have already completed an Ontario College diploma program, they possess work experience in their field of choice.

More and more Universities and Colleges are realizing the advantages of this relationship. And this will continue to work as long as one does not try to become the other. Research can be and is conducted at Colleges, but should not be the primary mandate - providing practical field experience with the necessary theory should be. Universities can have field placement options, but their strength is in holding a higher academic standard. That is, a greater depth of information expected to be learned.

If you are absolutely certain of the field that you wish to enter and have the academic capabilities, then enter a University Program. If you are looking to learn through experience in the field with the necessary theoretical knowledge to support you, enter into a College program.

At the end of the day, consider carefully because either option can be a pricey mistake if you make the incorrect choice!

College or University? What's the diff?

Let's be frank - I am a university graduate. I never attended a college, although I have worked at four colleges (3 Ontario, 1 Alberta) in various capacities. I also know a number of colleagues at other colleges and universities. So although I have never attended a full college program as a student I do feel that I am familiar with both systems to offer a commentary.

Which brings us to a common question: should I attend college or university? Keep in mind that the word "college" can have different meanings depending on where you live. Most of my comments will be in reference to the Ontario (Canada) College system, although I believe that parallels can be drawn to colleges in other parts of the country and world.

And where do the differences lie? Here are some points to help break it down. Keep in mind that these are generalizations and that each program and institution will have its own details to consider.

1. Research vs. industry experience: Most, if not all universities, hold research as their primary mandate. The old adage "publish or perish" for university professors is familiar to most people. Whereas research is the primary mandate of universities, industry experience is the primary mandate of colleges. In all of the college programs that I have been involved with, it is the rare exception where a program has an option for students to graduate without some type of formal industry experience, paid or unpaid (another topic for later). 
2. Cost: Overall, tuition at universities is higher per semester. This can also fluctuate depending on ancillary fees, lab fees, and student fees. An important question to answer is what additional fees there are included in tuition, and if there are any additional fees that can be expected such as field trips or workshops.
3. Academic Acceptance: Generally, here is how it works (very simplistically!). University applicants with the highest grades get accepted. The college students who meet the minimum requirements and pay their deposit get accepted (first come, first serve). Have you applied to a university or college and been rejected? Contact them to find out why. If a university, contact them later to see if they have not received as many confirmations as they predicted. 
4. Class Size: In general, class sizes in university are larger and class sizes in colleges are smaller.
5. Program Length and next steps: The vast majority of college diploma programs are two years in length. Most university degree programs are four years in length. With a degree, you can (typically) obtain a higher job category, especially with government related jobs. However, since a diploma is shorter in duration you can enter the job market earlier and, due to field experience in program, already possess work related experience. More and more college diploma programs also offer formal pathways to degree programs should you be interested in pursuing additional education.

At the end of the day, perform the following steps. First, consider how long you wish to remain in school. Next, think about what potential options (academic and career focused) you wish to take upon graduation. Finally, visit the institutions you are considering. You will be there for two to four years, so you want to ensure that the corporate environment is a good fit for who you are. Finally, find out what differentiates one institution and program from another. In what regard are the professors at a university held in the world of research? What industry connections does a college program have? What do they offer that is different from other similiar programs?

Finally, talk to people who know you. Blind spots are just that - blind spots. Friends and family who know you well can offer insight into where you may be more likely to succeed.

What to do after high school

Come August 22, 2019 I will have taught in post-secondary education for 14 years. If you include the time that I was a teaching assistant, it will be 23 years this fall. When deciding on what next steps to take after high school, I coach parents and students that it is never too early to consider your options.

The three most common routes for you after high school to consider are the following:

1. University degree,
2. College diploma,
3. Skilled trade.

But the question that is always presented is which option should I choose? And of the three options, which stream? I recall a podcast by Timothy Keller which addressed three factors that should be considered when confronting this decision:

1. Aptitude - what do you enjoy doing?
2. Ability - what are you good at doing?
3. Opportunities - what opportunities do you have access to?

The first step is to find out what your talents are. Are you analytical? Can you work well with your hands? Do you have perseverance to work at detail oriented tasks? Too many times I see students enrolled in a program that is not a good fit for them because of a misconception.

"I was watching the Food Network and really thought that becoming a chef would be a great career."

"When I was 16 I injured my knee and a physiotherapist helped me to get better. That is what I want to become a physiotherapist."

"Lawyers can make a lot of money. Who doesn't want that?"

Except that chefs have physically demanding tasks and might have to work all holidays and weekends.

And most patients of physiotherapists do not perform their homework, which slows down their healing.

And real estate and estate planning lawyers can find their work tediously repetitive.

So aside from looking into a your talents, what other factors are there to consider?

1. Are you academically oriented? Notice that academically oriented does not mean intelligent. There are different types of intelligence. I know some people who never attended college, but can solve really tough mechanical problems in machinery that would stump a mechanical engineer. If you are academically oriented, then you are more likely to be able to persevere in university or college.
2. Who have you talked to? A number of times, I tell students to talk to people who are in careers that they are interested in. What do they like about their field? What do they find challenging? How did they get to where they are in their vocation?
3. Are you ready for college or university? There seems to be this pressure to attend college or university immediately after high school, either from others or self imposed. However, taking a year off is not a bad idea. Now by year off, I do not mean doing nothing but sleeping in and playing video games or posting on social media. By a year off, I mean not attending school, working (at least) 40 hours per week, and talking to people who are in careers that the student is interested in. This gives you time to save money, mature, and consider more options. Also, if you do attend college or university and you are in that tough period of assignments and exams, you will have a better sense of why you are there.

In the end, do what you are called to do. Although there is a relationship between financial stability and level of education obtained this is not a guarantee. Talent, grit, and work ethic will typically get you further in life than going to the wrong institution and enrolling in the wrong program for the wrong reasons.

Essential tool for college students

That time of year has come once again. Students are psyching up for their classes this fall and winding down summer jobs. From my experience of working in the college system, there is one essential that every student needs in order to ensure their success.

Time management.

Proper time management can make the difference between succeeding in a program or being withdrawn. But what are the actual steps that students can take to use proper time management? Here you go, one solution provided below.

1. Select a portable day timer such as the calendar on a smart phone, and purchase a wall mounted 4 month calendar.
2. Mark out your school classes on the portable system and repeat them for every week of the semester. 
3. Mark out scheduled tests and assignment deadlines on the wall calendar. 
4. Relax. You will look at the wall mounted calendar and freak out with all of your deadlines. By the way, in college and university deadlines are set unless you are hit by a bus and struck by lightening (at the same time), and can obtain official documentation for it.
5. Write out your academic work time in your personal calendar. This would be for reviewing notes from class, reading, studying, and prepping assignments. For every hour in class, you will need at least one hour of work outside of class to study and complete assignments.
6. Mark in reminders of your tests and assignment deadlines. For example, if you have a test in week 5 of the semester, mark a reminder in week 4 to complete your studying.

When I tell parents and students about this, they sometimes find it hard to believe that this is as powerful a tool as it is. However, I have seen students who had 24 hours of class per week, 40 hours of work per week, and still pull off a grade point average of 80% or more - largely in part because of great time management.

If you need more resources, contact an academic advisor at your college. They can provide you with additional tips and strategies.