Blog Posts

Journal Prompts for a New Year

Starting a journal is a great choice for a new year’s resolution. It will help you organize your thoughts, allow you to reflect on what’s most important to you, and serve as an outlet for anything you need to get off your chest. Most importantly, though, it can act as a tool to help you reach all your other goals. However, you may find that when you sit down to write in your journal, you have no idea where to begin. Using journal prompts can be the solution: you’ll never have writer’s block and can use your journaling time productively. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 1. Look at the Big Picture Start by thinking about your biggest dreams. These can be things that you’re unsure are even possible to achieve but that you want to do more than anything. Some journal prompts to help you with this include: What would be your ideal career after you graduate? What do you most want to accomplish in life? If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you do? 2. Think About Your Goals After journaling about your dreams without a specific timeline in mind, you can begin thinking about the nearer term. Consider what you could start doing now to put yourself on the right track to make these things possible. This should show you that even dreams that seem far fetched could be within your reach. To explore your ideas, use journal prompts like: What do you want to have achieved by this time next year? What do you need to move closer to your goals? How can you bring more happiness into your life? 3. Create an Action Plan The last thing to do is turn all your ideas into actions. This can be particularly difficult for huge goals. In fact, many people feel so overwhelmed at the idea that they end up waiting for some external force to push them onto the right track — which may never happen. If you’re serious about seeing your dreams come true, there’s no better time than the present to take action . Journaling can help you decide what to do next when you answer questions like: How can you split large goals into achievable tasks? What small actions can you take on a daily basis ? How can you make more time for what’s important? Journaling Tips To gain the best results from your journaling, there are a few more things you need to do. The key is to let your writing flow. Take whatever inspiration you can from the prompts — as you’re not writing a paper for a class, you don’t need to worry about sticking to the question exactly. Secondly, go into as much depth as you can. This may mean writing long paragraphs or it could involve mind maps and diagrams. Lastly, always be honest. No one ever needs to read your journal except you, meaning this is a jud gment-free space. Just as important as coming up with ideas is having somewhere you can write in your journal in peace. Foundry Princess provides you with the Queens off-campus housing you deserve. Choose from a number of spacious floor plans with between two and five private bedrooms. Plus, our great onsite amenities will also help you meet your goals — for instance, you’ll have access to a fitness center, community clubhouse, and study areas. Book a tour to see our premier student housing for yourself.

How to Stay in Touch with Friends While Studying Abroad

If you have the chance to study abroad while you’re at university, you should take it. Studying abroad will teach you about the world in ways you can’t learn from books — it will open your eyes to new cultures, help you improve your language skills, and give you the chance to have exciting experiences. Many students worry about how they’ll stay in touch with friends while they’re away, particularly if they need to juggle different time zones. However, in the digital age, this is far from impossible. Here ar e some tips to try. 1. Create Fun Traditions It can be more difficult to keep a conversation flowing when your daily life has little in common with that of your friends. This can happen when you stop taking the same classes, start spending time with different people, and are involved in different campus gossip. One way to make sure you stay in contact is to create reasons to reach out to friends. For instance, you could send a selfie every time you do a particular activity. 2. Post on Social Media Make a habit of posting to social media regularly or create a group chat where everyone can share their latest photos and news. It can be easier to stay in touch with friends when you don’t feel obligated to message each person individually. Plus, this helps you keep friends you’re less close to in the loop about what you’re doing. 3. Schedule Video Chats It’s easier to have a conversation over a video call than texting back and forth. Find a time when you and your friends are all available to chat, such as during a weekend when none of you have plans. This is also a great way to beat any homesickness you may experience when you start your study abroad experience. 4. Send Postcards from Tourist Destinations While interacting online is a simple way to stay connected, receiving snail mail can be fun and unexpected. It’s always exciting to receive a postcard in the mail. When you visit tourist spots during your time abroad, send your closest friends postcards. This will give them something to decorate the walls of their student apartments with. 5. Collaborate on a Playlist Whenever you discover a new song you love ( perhaps it’s trending where you’re studying but not back home), add it to a playlist. Invite friends to do the same to build a playlist together that’s representative of all your tastes. You’ll feel closer to your friends when you’re all listening to the same songs. 6. Decide What You’ll Do When You’re Reunited You may feel like you’ll be away from your friends forever; in actual fact, your time studying abroad will be over all too soon. Come up with ideas for things you want to do with your friends when you return. These plans can be as elaborate as a road trip or as simple as going to brunch at a favourite restaurant. One of the best places to study abroad is Canada. To make your time here memorable, search for housing in a student community. You can find Kingston student housing rentals at Foundry Princess. We have the largest amenity package in the area — it includes a rooftop patio, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, and fully-furnished suites. Contact us to ask about our leases.

6 Ways to Enjoy Spring Break Without Travelling

It can feel disappointing to stay home during spring break when many of your friends are leaving for exotic destinations. However, not everyone can afford to travel or they may have commitments that keep them from traveling. Whatever your reason for staying behind, there are still plenty of ways for you to enjoy spring break. 1. Play Some Group Games Ask around to find who else is staying in town during spring break and invite these students to some group games. You could use the chance to add some cardio to your day by playing sports like baseball or kickball. If you’d prefer something with a slower pace, you could play cards or board games. 2. Host a Movie Marathon Another way to enjoy spring break with a group of students is to host a movie marathon. Make your place as comfortable as possible and ask everyone to bring snacks. To keep the entertainment flowing, watch movies that have plenty of sequels and prequels or pick a theme. 3. Explore Your Surroundings It’s likely there are many spots nearby you’ve never visited. Plan a few day trips to explore places in your town and its surroundings, such as hiking trails, museums, or even new coffee shops you can frequent when university starts up again. Ask a friend to come along, too — you’ll come up with even more ideas for destinations to visit when there’s two of you. 4. Pretend You’re on Vacation Stay a couple nights somewhere else in your town — this could be at a friend’s house if you can’t afford to pay for anything. Create alternate identities for yourself and anyone who joins you to make it feel like you’re on an actual vacation. 5. Learn to Cook It may not sound thrilling but cooking can be fun when you’ve mastered the basics — especially if you’re listening to music and dancing around the kitchen as you do it. Plus, cooking is a great way to spend spring break because it will teach you crucial skills. Pick some easy recipes you’ll be able to recreate throughout the semester or learn how to make your favorite dishes. Perhaps you could invite friends over for a meal or potluck to share your creations. 6. Read Ahead for Next Semester Preparing for upcoming classes is another activity that may not seem fun on the surface — but it will be a relief next semester to feel ahead. Ultimately, you’ll have more time for socializing, clubs, or just relaxing. It’s lonely to stay on campus during spring break — you’ll have much more fun if you’re living in student rentals. Kingston students can live life to the max at Foundry Princess. Our great onsite amenities mean you won’t feel like you’re missing out by not traveling. For instance, you can relax on the rooftop patio, meet new people in the community clubhouse, or cool off in our outdoor swimming pool. Book a tour to see how you could turn your spring break around.

10 Habits to Be a More Successful Student

What success means at university may be different for everyone. However, most people will agree it means gaining good grades, graduating on time, and enjoying the experience. You can be a successful student by developing the following key habits. 1. Set Goals To stay motivated, it’s important to have several short- and long-term goals. These will give you a reason to keep studying, even when times are tough. Short-term goals can be things like studying every day for a week for a test or receiving a good grade on a paper, whereas a long-term goal could be to pass a challenging class or land a great internship. 2. Take Full Advantage of Your Professors Your professors can help you succeed — you just need to ask for help. Reach out whenever you have doubts, either via email or by dropping in during office hours. This will help you produce better papers and achieve higher scores on tests. Plus, you’ll strengthen relationships with professors, which may be useful after you graduate. 3. Become Involved on Campus You’ll feel a greater connection to your school if you belong to some clubs or intramural sports teams. This will also enrich your time at university. 4. Create a Schedule The best way to make sure you stay on track is to create a study schedule. To do this, put all your commitments into a calendar and block out the time that remains for studying for your classes. Bear in mind that some of your classes may require more hours than others, depending on their difficulty and the amount of homework you receive. 5. Use a Variety of Study Techniques Try different study techniques and use a variety of tools until you’ve figured out what works for you. Most importantly, strive to improve your note-taking skills to capture all the critical information while still being concise. 6. Choose a Balance of Classes Think carefully before you choose your classes at the start of each semester. Learn from experience how many you can handle and avoid too having many challenging classes at the same time. 7. Join a Study Group Study groups are your chance to consolidate what you’ve learned in class, discuss aspects you’re finding difficult, and explain concepts to others — this is one of the best ways to ensure you’ve understood something. It’s worth joining study groups for all your most important classes. 8. Go to Class It’s impossible to be successful with your academics if you skip class. You’ll learn much more by hearing the material first hand and taking your own notes. Plus, you’ll have the chance to ask questions and participate . 9. Sleep Enough It’s impossible to live up to your full potential unless you sleep enough each night. Stick to a consistent bedtime whenever possible. 10. Utilize Campus Resources Your school has many resources available to help you succeed with your academics and in other areas of your life. Visit the library, writing center, academic advisors, and financial aid office whenever you need support. Where you live can also make a big difference to your success during university. This means finding the right room for rent. Kingston students can find the ultimate housing at Foundry Princess. We offer spacious floor plans with in-suite laundry, lightning-fast fiber internet, multiple study areas, a rooftop patio, a community clubhouse, and much more. Book a tour to check out your new space before you sign a lease.

What to Think About Before Taking a Semester Off

Taking a semester off can be appealing if you need a break for health reasons, you have another opportunity to pursue, or you’re unsure that you’re on the right path and need to clear your mind. Whereas time off can be a great decision for some students, it is a big decision — and not one you should take lightly. Here are several things you should consider before deciding if it’s the right move for you. 1. What Your Academic Advisor Says The academic advisors at your school will have helped many students navigate taking a semester off. They can explain the process and its implications. In addition, they may be able to offer you other options that you hadn’t considered. You may also like to seek advice from other school officials — especially people who already know you. Consider what these people tell you when coming to a decision. 2. How It Will Affect Your Financial Aid It’s crucial to know how taking a semester off would impact any loans, scholarships, or grants you have. For instance, there may be requirements that you take a certain number of credits each semester or graduate by a particular date. If you’re unsure, talk to someone in the financial aid office on campus. 3. What You’ll Do in the Meantime Using your semester off as a chance to earn money could solve any problems with financial aid. Plus, it may give you the experience you need to boost your resume after you graduate or allow you to explore a field you’d like to work in. If you feel you need time to rest, you can always search for part-time, rather than full-time, work. Of course, a job is far from your only option — it may even be the opposite of what you need. Other options for a semester off include studying abroad, an internship, volunteer work, or developing other skills. 4. Whether You’d Prefer to Transfer An alternative to returning to your current school after returning from a semester off could be to transfer to another university. You could do this immediately or after a break. This may be the right solution for you if you’ve never felt completely comfortable at university or you’ve decided to pursue a different career to what you originally intended. 5. How You’ll Return The biggest risk to taking a semester off is losing momentum — but you can avoid this by preparing for your return. This will involve things like deciding where you’ll live, picking your classes, and choosing which extracurriculars you’ll take. Whatever you ultimately decide to do, it’s important to make changes to prevent burnout and stay motivated until graduation. Key to this is searching for a better apartment. You can find Queens University student housing at Foundry Princess. We offer everything you need to help you study, socialize, and relax, including study areas, an outdoor BBQ area, a 24-hour convenience market, and the option for a deep soaker tub in your apartment. Apply for a lease in time for your return to university.

3 Savvy Money Management Tips for Students

Many of the things you learn at university have nothing to do with your classes. In particular, you’ll learn to be independent, which includes managing money. There are two ways to acquire these skills: the hard way by making mistakes and the easy way by using savvy money management strategies from the start. Here are some money-saving tips to guide you. 1. Create a Budget It’s crucial to make a budget for all your expenses. This will ensure you never overspend and it will show you where your money is going. To create a budget, you first need to know how much you have available to spend each month. Add together all your sources of income, such as from your part-time job and financial aid. Next, calculate fixed expenses like rent, subscriptions, and car payments. The amount that remains is for your variable expenses, which likely includes food, textbooks and other school supplies, personal care items, and entertainment. Decide how you’ll divide your money between these activities — always give yourself more than you think you’ll need for essentials. To stick to your budget, it’s important to track expenditures. You can use a budgeting app or just a spreadsheet. This is especially useful when you start out budgeting because it allows you to adapt the amounts you assign to each category. 2. Be Smart with Credit Cards Having a credit card can be a great way to build credit for after you graduate — but only if you use the card appropriately. Using a credit card to buy things you want now but can’t afford will hurt your credit score and potentially put you into debt. The best way to use credit cards is to only purchase what you could pay for in cash. Then, you’ll be able to pay your bill in full every month and avoid interest. It’s also a good idea to set a reminder to pay your bill to avoid late fees. The last thing to bear in mind is you should use no more than about 30% of your credit. This may feel restrictive, but it will have a big impact on your credit score. By continuing to use your card appropriately, you’ll soon be able to apply for one with a bigger credit limit. 3. Keep Applying for Scholarships Many students are under the impression they can only apply for scholarships right before they start university. In fact, many scholarships are available at any time. You can search for them yourself in databases or ask your financial aid office for suggestions. It’s worth keeping some free time in your schedule to apply for scholarships because some applications can be time consuming — particularly if you need to make a video or ask other people for letters of recommendation. One last tip is to stop wasting money on expensive housing. Living on campus is particularly expensive, especially when you consider that all you’re receiving is a cramped room you need to share with another student. You can find Queens University off-campus housing at Foundry Princess. For an affordable price, you’ll receive everything you need and more: a spacious suite with a full kitchen and laundry facilities, underground parking, an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and places where you can stu dy alone or in a group. Our floor plans range from two to five bedrooms and some rooms have en suite bathrooms. Apply now for the unit you want.