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How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work While Away at School

Many students start university already in a committed relationship. It can be tough to make the relationship work if you’re attending schools far away from each other — but it’s certainly not impossible . With the right strategy, you can make a long-distance relationship work and succeed at university. Here are a few tips to consider. 1. Put Your Education First Although you may want to do everything possible to ensure your relationship works out, it’s important to remember that your priority is your education. Your classes, homework, and labs always need to come first if you’re going to graduate on time and with a good GPA. By prioritizing your studies from the start, you’ll be able to keep your goals in mind through any ups and downs . 2. Set Ground Rules Before you head off to university, discuss what you can expect from your relationship and your partner. This will help you confirm you’re both on the same page and will give you the chance to work out any details while you still have the chance to talk in person. 3. Communicate How You’re Feeling Situations may occur that you hadn’t considered when you were setting ground rules. If you’re ever feeling upset or unhappy about something, make sure you communicate this. Never expect your partner to know how you’re feeling — this is extra important when you’re far away from each other, as it’s more difficult to read someone’s emotions when you’re not talking in person. By communicating, you’ll be able to overcome issues and prevent them from becoming major problems. 4. Be Honest Although there’s no need to tell your partner about every detail of your life, it is important not to hide anything. Lies even about small things can erode the trust between you. 5. Live the Full University Experience Make sure you complete university with no regrets. It’s important to live your own life by making friends and finding activities you enjoy. Not only is it definitely possible to do this while maintaining a long-distance relationship, it’s crucial for feeling happy at university. You’re more likely than your peers to feel lonely — but having plenty of friends and making good use of your time will help keep negative emotions in check. You should encourage your partner to do the same. 6. Schedule Time to Chat In addition to sending each other messages throughout the day — such as to share pictures and brief greetings — schedule regular times to chat. This will ensure there’s always a time when both of you will be available, meaning you won’t need to turn down a chance to talk because you have a class, an extracurricular, or something planned with friends. 7. Arrange to See Each Other Depending on how far away you are from each other, you may be able to meet up frequently at the weekends, occasionally during the semester, or only during your breaks. Whatever the case, it’s worth always having something on your calendar to look forward to. It will be easier to arrange visits from your partner if you’re living off campus. You can find Queen’s University student housing at Foundry Princess. When your partner comes to visit, you’ll be able to hang out in places like the rooftop patio, outdoor swimming pool, and clubhouse as well as your spacious apartment. Book a tour to see where you could be living.

A Guide to Finding & Applying for Scholarships

You have several ways of paying for university, including student loans and paying upfront using the money you earn from a part-time job. The best option, though, has to be using scholarships because you never need to pay back the funds nor earn the money. Scholarships are based on all sorts of criteria, including academic achievements, athletics, involvement in extracurriculars, and personal circumstances or characteristics. The huge number available means you need a strategy to find those relevant to you. After this, you’ll need to submit a compelling application to ensure you stand out from other candidates. Here are some simple steps for finding and applying for scholarships. 1. Check What Scholarships Your University Offers Many colleges and universities have their own scholarships. In the case of automatic entrance awards, you don’t even need to apply for the scholarship — your university will give you a discount on your tuition if your final grades are high enough. For merit-based scholarships, however, you will need to submit an application. Depending on the school, there may be scholarships for volunteer experience, athletics, or artistic achievements. 2. Talk to Your High School Counsellor Some high schools also offer scholarships for students moving on to post-secondary education. Since not all schools widely advertise these opportunities, it’s worth asking your counselor if any exist that you’re eligible for. 3. Find Out About Community and Affiliate Scholarships Your local district or the community organizations you belong to may have scholarships. Ask the people you know and those affiliated with clubs or volunteer organizations. You may have opportunities through your employer, if a family member is a veteran, or if you are a particular ethnicity, religion, or gender. 4. Use Scholarship Databases Look more broadly for scholarships using a national database. The difficulty with this strategy is that you’ll find thousands of options, many of which have high competition. However, it can be useful if the above tactics yielded few options or if you simply want to maximize your chances. 5. Confirm the Eligibility Requirements Before starting the application process, always double-check the eligibility requirements. If you’re using a database and have found many scholarships you could apply for, use eligibility requirements to create a shortlist of scholarships that have the lowest competition. 6. Apply Early Never leave applying for a scholarship until close to the deadline. You may need to provide documentation to support your application that could take a while to acquire . In addition, you’ll need to spend time crafting a unique letter of intent for each scholarship. Giving yourself enough time will strengthen your application and improve your chances. In addition to gaining more funds to pay for your education, you can make university more affordable by cutting your expenses. One way to do this is to search for an inexpensive room for rent. Kingston students can find affordable accommodation that still provides them with an incredible experience at Foundry Princess. We have two- to five-bedroom apartments, all fully furnished and equipped with modern conveniences. You’ll also have access to an endless list of amenities to make your time at university ext ra special, including a 24-hour market, rooftop patio, and outdoor swimming pool. Apply now — there are only limited spaces remaining .

6 Simple Student Apartment Hacks

Since your student apartment is the place you’ll be spending the most time at university, it’s important to make it somewhere you can call home. The good news is there’s no need to invest much nor risk your security deposit. These simple hacks can transform your space to make it more comfortable, convenient, and attractive. 1. Hang Shoe Organizers on Doors Gain more storage space in places like your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen by hanging shoe organizers on the backs of doors. You can use the organizers for much more than just shoes — they’re ideal for holding cleaning products, toiletries, snacks, and anything else that needs a home. Choose between fabric shoe organizers to keep items hidden and clear plastic ones to make finding what you’ve stored in each section easier. 2. Warm Your Space with Throw Rugs Instantly bring warmth to your apartment by adding some throw rugs. They’re ideal for next to your bed and near the couch in the living room. Remember to add some non-slip rug pads if you’re putting the rug on top of hardwood flooring. 3. Decorate Your Walls with Decals The walls in your apartment may not be your favourite colour — and, unfortunately, you’re not allowed to paint them. Add a fun design that shows off your personality with decals. These stick to surfaces like walls and windows without the need for adhesive. Some are even reusable, meaning you can rotate between a few different designs to suit your mood or the season. 4. Use Command Hooks and Strips You may be prohibited from using nails and thumbtacks in your apartment, as these damage the walls. In fact, even if your lease doesn’t specify that they’re not allowed, you should avoid anything that pierces the wall to ensure you’ll keep your security deposit. However, you’ll still want to hang things like photos, posters, and fairy lights. The solution is to use Command hooks and strips. These are strong enough to hold virtually anything you could want to hang on the wall and you can remove them without damaging the paint. 5. Keep Your Drawers Neat with Silverware Organizers It’s impossible to keep your drawers organized if you fill them with small items that become jumbled together. An easy solution is to purchase silverware organizers. These are ideal for holding stationery, spare change, keys, makeup, and more. 6. Secure Cables with Binder Clips When your cables are not plugged into any devices, they may drop to the floor and form a tangled mess under your desk. Keep them within reach by attaching some binder clips to the side of your desk and threading the cables through. You’ll never need to search around for the type of cable you need and you’ll reduce damage to cables that mean they need replacing sooner. Of course, it helps to live in an apartment that is already stylish and comfortable when you move in. You’ll find just such apartments at Foundry Princess. Our Queen’s University housing offers fully-furnished suites in multiple layouts. All the floor plans are spacious and attractive, with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Units with en suite washrooms and deep soakers are also available on request. Apply now to secure your spot while there are still spaces available.

Student Discounts 101: Where to Find the Best Deals

Being a student is expensive. In addition to costly tuition and textbooks, you have all sorts of living expenses — and no time for more than a part-time job, if that. To make university more affordable without needing to take out additional loans or keep to a strict budget, you need to look for deals. The good news is there are many great deals for every facet of student life. 1. Transportation You may need your own car while you’re at university. Save money on auto insurance by searching for a carrier that offers discounts to students with good grades or to young drivers who have had no accidents or traffic tickets in recent years. If you’re leaving your car behind, you’ll need to rely on other means of transportation, especially when returning home or traveling over breaks. Some intercity bus services offer student discounts, as do some travel programs for cheap flights and other services. 2. Grocery Discounts Find out if your local grocery store offers discounted rates for students. In addition to reduced prices for membership, many stores offer free or discounted delivery, which is especially convenient if you don’t have your own mode of transportation. 3. Streaming Services Some streaming services are making it difficult to share a subscription with people outside your household, meaning you’ll need to purchase your own subscriptions when you leave home. In addition to limiting yourself to just a couple platforms , you can save money by checking if services have any discounts for students. This goes for music streaming as well as TV and movies. 4. Clothing Several clothing brands offer student discounts, including athletic and everyday fashion clothing. You’ll also need to make sure you have a business casual outfit for interviews, job fairs, and networking events. Since this may be a big expense, make sure you search for discounts before you hit the stores. 5. Software Many software brands (including Microsoft, Apple, and Adobe) offer reduced rates for students. Some of these are lower monthly or annual prices, whereas others allow you to make a one-time purchase rather than needing a subscription — something you should definitely consider taking advantage of. Find out what you’ll need for your classes before you make any investments. 6. Electronics In addition to a laptop or tablet, you may want a monitor, an external hard drive, a portable charger, and decent headphones. Many electronics companies offer discounts for students, but the offers may only be available at certain times of the year. 7. Cell Service Many cell carriers have special plans for students. Before purchasing a plan, consider how much data you’re likely to need, as there may be fast WiFi around campus and in your student housing, meaning you can opt for less data. It is also important to save on big expenses, like student housing. Kingston has affordable apartments at Foundry Princess. To help you save even more, rent includes gas, heat, water, and internet, all the units are fully furnished, and you’ll have access to the range of exclusive amenities on site, including the bright study spaces, a fitness center, and our outdoor swimming pool. Contact us to apply for a lease.

4 Tips for Navigating Career Fairs

Universities have all sorts of resources to help you thrive after graduation. One such resource is regular career fairs on campus. These are great opportunities for learning more about what kinds of jobs are available, networking, and even receiving offers for jobs and internships. To make the most of career fairs, there are a few things you need to do. 1. Start Attending Early During Your Time at University You may think career fairs are just for students who are actively looking for internships or about to graduate. In fact, they’re for everyone. By attending from early during your time at university, you’ll gain a better picture of the job market and start thinking about what you may like to do after you graduate. This could influence the classes you take or even your major, especially if you’re undecided. Plus, you may stumble across an internship opportunity for the summer, which will help you start gainin g experience early and perhaps earn some money. 2. Practice Talking with Hiring Managers Job fairs give you the chance to talk with hiring managers in a lower-stakes scenario than in an interview. This is especially true when you’re just attending the job fair for the experience, rather than actively looking for a job. Use the opportunity to practice your elevator pitch and ask insightful questions about the companies, including about the type of work they do and positions that they have open. With practice, you’ll refine what you say and improve your confidence. 3. Gain Contacts It’s never too early to start building contacts. Job fairs are an excellent opportunity to network with people at companies you may like to work for in the future. Remember, the employers at job fairs are there because they want to connect with students and help them become part of the future workforce — take advantage of this. By staying in touch with the professionals you talk to, you may be able to find out about opportunities in the future, receive useful advice, or even gain a mentor. In addition, talking to hiring managers at job fairs will reveal more about what it would be like to work at the company. This may lead you to consider some organizations you were unaware of before or dismiss some companies you had on your shortlist of potential future employers. 4. Adapt Your Resume Use what you learn at job fairs to decide how to present your skills, experience, and qualifications on your resume. Find out what employers are looking for, and make sure you highlight these qualities. To gain this information, you’ll need to ask plenty of questions, such as about what it’s like to work at the company, the duties of an intern or entry-level worker, and the company culture. Another way to prepare for life after graduation is to start living independently. The Kingston student housing rentals at Foundry Princess are perfect for easing you into adult life. You’ll have your own room in a fully-furnished apartment where you can entertain, do laundry, and prepare your own meals. Plus, you’ll be living just minutes from campus. Apply now to secure your spot.

8 Quick Meals to Microwave in Your Student Apartment

Lacking cooking skills is no excuse not to eat a balanced diet at university: there are plenty of meals you can prepare at home with nothing more than a microwave. The added benefit of cooking like this is you’ll have minimal dishes to wash once you’re done! Here are a few quick and easy recipes to try. 1. French Toast You can have a delicious breakfast in minutes by preparing French toast in your microwave. Soak two pieces of bread in a mixture made from one egg, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Microwave the bread for about a minute and a half. Top your French toast with fruit, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. 2. Wrap A fast lunch you can heat in the microwave is a tortilla wrap. Use different ingredients every time to keep things interesting. A combination of deli meat, cheese, and vegetables like spinach and red pepper is ideal. 3. Pasta The next time you go to the grocery store, look for microwaveable pasta. You can create many dishes with this, although one of the easiest options is to use a sauce made from just hummus and salsa. Cook your pasta in the microwave first and then heat it briefly with the sauce. 4. Elote You may be surprised that Mexican street corn is easy to prepare at home with nothing more than a microwave. Simply heat the corn with butter and then add lime juice, chili powder, and cotija cheese. 5. Eggs You can even cook eggs in the microwave. Simply whisk up a couple eggs in a mug with some seasoning and put them in the microwave for around a minute and a half. Once they’re cooked, add salsa and cheese to the top. 6. Grain Bowl A nutritious and filling meal to prepare is a grain bowl. You’ll need to find microwaveable rice (whole grain is best) and follow the instructions on the package to prepare it. Mix the rice in a bowl with your favourite veggies — spinach, canned chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and slivered almonds are all great choices. For extra flavour , top with the sauce of your choice. You could even make your own sauce by blending parsley, garlic, avocado, coconut milk, and cayenne pepper. 7. Pizza Ordering pizza tends to be expensive, but you can make it yourself at home for much less. Knead some biscuit dough to form a crust and add some pizza sauce, cheese, and your choice of toppings before cooking everything in the microwave. 8. Baked Potato Baking a potato in the microwave is much faster than cooking it in the oven — it will be ready in just five minutes. You can make the meal different every time by switching up the toppings, although nothing beats butter, cheese, scallions, and hot sauce . You’ll be able to prepare much more than just microwaveable meals if you have a full kitchen. You’ll typically have access to a kitchen if you live in a room for rent. Kingston students can gain much more than just a kitchen by moving into the student community at Foundry Princess. In addition to stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, you’ll have in-suite laundry facilities and community amenities including outdoor BBQ areas, a rooftop patio, and a swimming pool. Apply now to secure your spot.