How to get the most out of university?

How to get the most out of university? is a collection of resources aimed to help students make the most out of their university journey through tips and tricks on all aspects of being a student.

Extracurriculars
'''“Hart House Student Guide.” PDF file. August 2014. Accessed November 26, 2016. http://harthouse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hh_student_guide_2014_2015.pdf.''' What does a chess club have in common with a camera club? They are both one of the many clubs offered by the Hart House! Hart House is a student life centre for University of Toronto students across all three campuses. It offers students the option to explore, socialize, and learn beyond the classroom. Hart House has over 17 clubs for students to join, ranging from debate clubs to drop-in fitness classes, and everything in between.

I really like this student guide because it gives an in-depth view of Hart House and the resources it offers. The guide lists all the extracurricular clubs it offers and mentions some of the events they host. I personally use the Fitness Centre offered by Hart House, but did not know about the other clubs offered. In addition, students also have the option to get involved in these clubs in leadership roles.

Budgeting
'''Frank, Thomas. “The Ultimate Guide to Budgeting in College.” January 20, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2016. https://collegeinfogeek.com/budgeting-for-college-students/.'''

Budgeting is something everyone talks about and yet very few students go through the proper steps to plan and stick to a budget. College Info Geeks goes very detailed into the subject and gives students a holistic view of finance from a student perspective, everything from early stage goal-setting to debunking credit card myths.

The author is a recent university graduate, so the information on the article is particularly relevant, as it comes from someone who has been through the same situation. Furthermore, the language of the article is tailored to the demographic very well as it is easy to understand. It does not use any of the fancy jargon associated with the finance world.The author also draws on analogies (sometimes visual analogies) to explain more complex finance concepts.

Academics
'''Frank, Thomas. “Stay Organized and Motivated All Semester with Weekly Productivity Reviews.” September 12, 2016. Accessed November 26, 2016. https://collegeinfogeek.com/weekly-productivity-review/.'''

The first step to effective studying is to plan for it. However, amidst the chaotic schedule and the strong urge to procrastinate, most students do not fully carry out their plans. The article exposes students to the concept of entropy — the reason why perhaps their plans did not work out. The author introduces a technique that aims to minimize entropy. The author recommends a weekly review of work habits, consisting of three practices — Assessment, Change, and Reset.

The author explains the rationale behind why a weekly review is beneficial to an effective study habit. In conjunction with each of the three practices, the author provides his recommendation of tips or tool to help illustrate his point. This article is an interesting read as it highlights a flaw every student can relate to -- being unorganized and unproductive.

Final.

Frank Zhang