A comprehensive guide on how to come out of those exams with an easy A!
Midterm season is once again upon us, bringing along with it a slew of sleepless nights and a dent in your wallet from all those Venti Starbucks cappuccinos you find yourself relying on to pull through. As a student with rusty study habits and a limited timeline to fix it, you may be wondering; where do I start? Maybe you’re a first year (like myself), who found yourself struggling through fall term exams after being mentally set back two years and are ready for a fresh beginning. Or maybe you’re an upper year student with a couple semesters under your belt, but have no idea what you’re doing when it comes to the dreaded exam season. Point blank: studying can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Use our comprehensive guide of tips and tricks to help you study SMARTER, not HARDER, and get that A!
Some essential tips:
Although these tips are tried, they are still true. Before you hit the books, take a moment to reflect on your self-care habits. Do you get enough sleep? Are you getting the proper nutrition you need to move through your day like a functioning, alert human being? If you find yourself feeling like you just stepped out of The Walking Dead, consider implementing some of these basic steps into your daily life to help make your overall study experience more beneficial for you. Self-care is especially important for students, as it can help you manage your stressors more effectively and maximize your full potential, helping you retain the content you learn.
Study techniques to try (If you haven’t already!):
Pomodoro Technique (Our personal favourite)
If you haven’t already heard of this popular time management technique, the Pomodoro technique encourages you to work efficiently with the time you have – not against it. Using this method, you break up your work into smaller chunks: 25 minute productive periods, with 5 minute breaks. This method works great for students who find themselves struggling to focus on their tasks for long periods of time, but also can’t reward themselves with long breaks. Pomodoro helps you power through distractions, hyper-focus on what you need to do, while also taking frequent breaks to catch your breath and chill. Bonus challenge: you can slowly train yourself to work in longer productive periods!
Spaced Repetition
This method may be familiar to you if you’ve ever found yourself on Study-Tok. Spaced repetition enables you to retain large amounts of information, without the stress of cramming days before your exam.The technique includes taking all of the information you need to retain and understand, and spreading out your studying over planned intervals of time. Information that you can recall easily is studied at larger intervals, information that you struggle to retain is studied at shorter intervals. Spaced repetition schedules can differ person to person, and subject to subject, so it is important to find what works best for you individually.
For example, maybe your schedule follows a format similar to this:
First Review: 1 Day after learning
Second Review: 7 Days after learning
Third Review: 16 Days after learning
Fourth Review: 35 Days after learning
Tip: There are many apps on the app store that can help plan and track a personal schedule that best fits your needs. Little effort on your part!
Active Recall
Active recall involves retrieving information from your memory by testing yourself through every stage of the recall process. When using this technique, remember the 3Rs: Read, Recite, Review.
One simple, but effective tool to use during active recall is flashcards! However, in order for this method to work, you must make your own flashcards, and keep it short and sweet. Too many students make the mistake of using someone else’s flashcards, which has been proven to be less effective than creating and using your own.
Key Takeaways
Studying doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult or stressful. Effective studying first starts with learning how to take care of yourself – both inside and out. Make sure that you’re getting enough rest, relaxation and nutrients, before focusing on making a solid plan for yourself. Figure out the environments you prefer to work in, the level of distraction you can handle, and the study method that helps you retain information the best. The three methods proposed above have been personally tested and reviewed by us, but there are many more that are not included that you are free to try. It’s all about finding what works best for you. Once you accomplish that, you will be able to fully apply yourself to anything you do, and ace any and all exams you will write in the future!
]]>Written by: Kamryn Fitzgerald
Neetu Godara, the co-founder of SociaLITE Vodka, one of Canada's fastest-growing ready-to-drink beverage brands, tells all about her path to success; and it started right here, at Laurier.
In 2014, SociaLITE Vodka was launched out of a small kitchen in Whitby, Ontario. Neetu Godara and her two friends, Dan Beach and Kevin Folk, had freshly quit their day jobs and looked for something more challenging. This challenge was found in the form of SociaLITE Vodka, an independently owned Canadian brand that promotes a healthier lifestyle through their zero sugar, zero carbs, and 80-calorie recipe. It's the perfectly crafted, fun and fresh cocktail for when you want to have fun with friends on a Saturday night but still make it to your early shift on time the next morning. However, entrepreneurship was not the first step in Godara's path to success, and neither was marketing for a major global company. Her success story started when Godara decided to attend Laurier.
Years before the concept of SociaLITE Vodka was conjured into existence, Neetu Godara completed her Bachelor's of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University. She graduated in 2004 and is now an alumni of the school, a fact that she is loud and proud about. Post-graduation, Godara worked in marketing at PepsiCo. Beverages, where she truly learned what it meant to apply your degree. For ten years, she worked alongside some of the biggest global brands, strategizing and growing the PepsiCo company, before deciding that she needed a change of scenery. She needed to challenge herself, which was something she wasn't getting out of her current role. This prompted the creation of SocialLITE Vodka, the first pre-mixed drink to be brewed in Canada. As an established entrepreneur, Godara has learned what it takes to make it in a cutthroat industry. Although meeting new people and embarking on new ventures after a time of lockdown can seem quite daunting, Godara has shared some key themes that helped to shape her experience at Laurier for the better.
*(Pro-Tip): If you're looking for a new drink to try, Neetu recommends SociaLITE's Triple Berry flavour!
Here are Godara's key themes:
1. Take chances
It can be easy to forget that you are not the only one feeling nervous, lost, and every other scary emotion that comes with moving out to live on your own for the first time, but remember: everyone is in the same boat. In the wise words of High School Musical, "we're all in this together." So when you are sitting alone in your dorm room, deliberating over whether joining that club or meeting that person is the best decision for you, remind yourself that you will not gain anything if you fear taking chances. On the contrary, the worst that can happen from making that leap of faith is a crucial learning experience that will make you wiser for the future. Every memory you make and people you meet during your time at Laurier will help shape the course of your life and your own character in some way, for better or for worse.
2. Keep your mind open to new possibilities
Being in a new environment with different people and a diverse range of classes, you don't know what will peak your interest. Nothing is ever set in stone, and the solid plans you have stuck to for so long may rapidly change before you know it. In first year, Neetu Godara had no clue what she wanted out of her university experience. She had applied to journalism, science, and business programs at well-renowned universities before ultimately choosing Laurier. It wasn't until her third year, during which she took an integrated marketing communications course that she had her "Aha!" moment. Marketing was a concept that was enjoyable and intuitive for her. In her words, "it was honestly the first class in three years where I loved reading the textbook." Through Godara's insights, we can learn that it is okay not to know what we want out of our futures. Although the pressure may be soul-crushing, there is never a need to conform. Whether you've had your life planned out since you were 12, or you are simply going through the motions, it is important to allow yourself the opportunity to be open towards any awesome opportunities that come your way. What will be, will be, and you may not even realize what path is right for you until you are already travelling along with it.
3. Embrace the Laurier community
If there's one thing that can rival the importance of academics, it's the community that you will find yourself surrounded by when you become a student at Laurier. As a business student, the community will become your best network (yes, even more so than LinkedIn). There is a sense of camaraderie in shared experiences, and that one acquaintance in the first-year who bonded with you over the trauma of BU111 may just be your next best connection when it comes to finding a job post-graduation. By getting involved in the resources and social opportunities all around you, it will be easy to find like-minded people from all walks of life that you can learn and grow from. At the end of the day, in a community that is equipped to help you, helping each other will only help you get ahead. Wouldn't it be cool to say you played a role in the success of the founder of the next Amazon? Or that the founder was you?
]]>A dynasty constitutes what, exactly? It has many different definitions but in sports, it means a team that has dominated their field for an extended length of time. A dynasty can live and die, as through generations and changes of players constitute a whole new squad, and a whole new game. Current dynasties look a little something like The New England Patriots, The New York Yankees, Nick Saban’s University of Alabama football squad and as for hockey, only 4 teams have won the last 8 cups, and minus Boston’s 2011 win, that number would reduce to only 3. Pittsburgh has cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017, Chicago has cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and L.A. has cups in 2012 and 2014. Although this may look like the beginning of a dynasty, there is no one team that dominates the league (not to mention Chicago lost in the first round of the playoffs in both 2016 and 2017, and is looking like they may not even make the playoffs this year). The question here is, what exactly makes a dynasty team? A great captain? A great coach? Line cohesion? The answer isn’t as simple as a draft pick and a bit of luck; there are copious statistics that go into making the perfect team, which may be exactly why your team traded your favourite player and proceeded to win 3 titles.
What exactly are the stats that go into a dynasty? Let’s look at the San Antonio Spurs as an example. With five championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, The Spurs have made it known they are one of the best in the business. They also never missed the playoffs since 1997, the year Tim Duncan was drafted to the team. Looking at points per possessions, for every 100 possessions the team nets 7 points; sounds pretty low, but not only is basketball a sport full of turnovers, but also the next team up in that stat is the L.A. Lakers, sitting at 4. This means the Spurs get almost 3 points more than the next best team per every 100 possessions. When looking at opposing field goal % of championship teams from 1998-2014, San Antonio sits in 3 of those top 5 spots, with the 2004-2005 squad sitting in second behind the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls, and both the 2013-2014 and 2005-2006 teams sitting in 4th and 5thbehind the 2010-2011 Dallas Mavericks. Though big teams in sports these days look like the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Spurs have proved they deserve to be taken seriously in the basketball world.
Bill Belichick is synonymous with the term dynasty. Since Belichick became head coach of the Patriots, after he made the best choice of his life resigning as coach of the New York Jets after one day, he has run the NFL. Since his hiring in 2000, the Patriots have won 15 division titles (the last 9 have all been theirs), 7 AFC championships, and five Super Bowl wins, going for another AFC championship this weekend (which will be their 7th straight appearance in the game) and potentially another Super Bowl win on February 4th. These numbers aren’t even the most important when it comes to looking at the Pats complete dominance of pro football. The most shocking yet incredible stat about Belichick’s legacy is that he would have to coach for 102 more years and not win the division in any of them in order to restore the frequency of AFC title wins for the Patriots before his arrival. Even in game, the Pats point differential since 2001 is a whopping 2,534; one thousand more than 2nd place team Pittsburgh (1,354) and over double every other team (The Browns are at -1,477 if you were wondering). Since 2001, the Patriots are 82-24 against the AFC East (77.4 winning percentage) and 235-overall (including playoffs), giving them a 76.5 winning percentage. Against the AFC North, the division that includes rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the Pats have a 29-8 record, or a 78.4 winning percentage. Anyone with eyes can see that New England has absolute dominated football for the past two decades, but even statistically, we can see the Pats win 75% of the time to sum it up.
Derek Jeter has been a relevant name in sports for decades. Whether it be his questionable choices as he’s in control of the Marlins, or his other endeavors as a businessman, he’ll always be remembered first and foremost as a Yankee, and for good reason. Between 1996 and 2003, the Yankees had 4 World Series titles and 6 World Series appearances with him in the lineup, including from 1998-2000 when they won 3 World Series titles in a row. Since then, the Yankees won another title in 2009, but that was their last victory. As far as baseball goes, the Yankees still dominate the AL East, qualifying for 18 of the 24 postseasons in the last 25 years, including 13 consecutive appearances from 1995 to 2007. They also won the American League seven times in this time. Of course, in recent years, the only team to have multiple successes was the San Francisco Giants, winning titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but since have failed to even qualify for the postseason in 2017, and losing to eventual World Series champions Chicago in 2016 in the League Divisional series. They also failed to make the postseason in 2011, 2013 and 2015, the 3 years between their World Series wins. Though the Giants do have potential, they’re not the powerhouse that the Yankees have been.
Saying that a winning team is statistically better than their opponents is stupidly obvious. Of course you have to be better than your opponent to beat them. Yet there’s always going to be those highlight reel buzzer beaters from Cinderella story teams, or an overtime win due to a hail Mary, or a shootout goal that wins you the cup. Being “better” doesn’t just mean being a few points ahead of the team below you, but rather being almost twice as good, so much that the competition can’t even come close to you. A dynasty is just that; their skills are so unmatched that as hard as teams try to get new players and change up their game plan, they just cannot beat these powerhouses. The way to beat a dynasty team? Attempt to compete to their level, or tank for the number one pick, but most of all just pray that it’ll be over soon.
]]>College sports are outfitted independently by school. Unlike professional sports, there is no contract binding every school to one outfitter, and over the years we have seen an increase in diversity of uniform. One thing hasn’t changed though: winners wear Nike. In this year’s playoff bracket off Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Clemson, all 4 teams are worn by Nike. This is not only effective marketing for the brand that all the best teams in sports wear Nike, but also every championship shirt that comes after the big playoff win is also produced by Nike, and therefore goes straight into their revenue stream. Regardless of what team would have won this year, Nike would still be generating cash flow as they outfit some of the greatest teams in the sport. Out of the last 10 winners of BCS National Championship, though 5 of them were Alabama, only one single school has not been outfitted by Nike. Auburn, who won the trophy in 2010 and quarterback Cam Newton won the Heisman, is a school outfitted by Under Armour, an up and coming brand in the sport. Other than that, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State, Oklahoma and Florida are all schools that rock the swoosh, and also create some of the best players the sport has seen. Of course, many schools vary; some schools like Nebraska and Mississippi State wear Adidas, some like Wisconsin and Northwestern wear UA, and even UNC wears Jordan, though Jordan technically is a brand of Nike and still creates revenue for them. It also helps when teams like Oregon and Ohio State have alternate uniforms for games as it creates hype around rivalries and special events, which in turn creates a desire for fans to grab the limited-edition merchandise, the perfect marketing ploy to bring money back to the brand.
The NBA gave Nike a giant brand deal this year as Adidas did not look to resign after 11 years, and now Nike is in an 8-year contract with the league. Not even a year into the deal and Nike is already doing what Nike does best: selling. The tactic when a brand deal takes over a whole league is not to be the champion, as no matter who wins the brand will be represented. Innovation comes into play when trying to keep fans interested in the brand, making something special to keep up sales. The “statement” jerseys Nike has produced for the NBA this year are absolutely electric, and that’s just a look at the regular gameplay jerseys. Nike has also produced insane special edition jerseys for some teams, from the Heat’s “Miami Vice” jerseys, paying homage to the old Miami arena and looking fly while doing it, to Toronto’s “Welcome OVO” jerseys, along with a custom matching “Welcome Toronto” court. If there’s one thing Toronto loves more than having a sports franchise that is good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to win them, it’s Drake. Nike knows exactly how to capitalize on the niche of each city; people are always going to buy their teams jerseys and merchandise, but making a custom jersey that represents who the people of the city are is the simplest marketing scheme to make the most out of their brand deal.
What do Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps and Neymar Jr. all have in common? They’re all Nike athletes. It’s one thing to be a sponsored athlete; most athletes do have sponsorships in their sport as they need funding to compete, and if an athlete is half decent it’s easy to land a deal. Yet to have the best of the best in almost every sport wearing your clothes? That’s another thing. Federer turned pro 20 years ago, and in that time has won eight Wimbledon titles, 5 Australian Open titles, 5 US Open titles and one French Open title. Only 8 men have captured a Grand Slam in their career, and RF is one of those, only adding to not only his dominance but Nike’s too; he wears them in every match of his, even creating his own line with the brand, which inspires young tennis protégées to dress like him and hopefully play like him too. Serena Williams is the only tennis player in history (man or woman) to have six title wins in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, and the only player ever to have seven wins in two of the four Grand Slams, hers coming from Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Her and her sister Venus also have competed in doubles titles 14 times, and won all 14. Only three people have ever won at Augusta National in back to back years. Who was one of them? None other than Tiger Woods himself. He’s also had multiple wins at all of the majors, while some golfers only dream of maybe getting one major win on their resume during their career. Michael Phelps is one of the most decorated swimmers of all time, and Neymar Jr. is arguably the best player in soccer right now, playing for both Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil, teams both outfitted by Nike, and both dominant in the futbol world. Every single one of these athletes is at the top of their sport, and has secured their place in history, with the swoosh right behind them every step of the way.
To say that a uniform doesn’t change an athlete is fair; their athletic ability comes from hours of dedication and practice, and playing a sport is a full-time job for professional athletes. Yet when Tom Brady goes for his 6th Super Bowl title on February 4th, the Nike swoosh will be sitting on both of his shoulders as he throws TD pass after TD pass. Nike is not only the main outfitter for most championship athletes, but they also know how to market to those who aren’t pros. Creating special edition jerseys, or letting athletes create their own collections so kids who want to play just like them can wear their clothing is genius. Winners wear Nike, your favourite player wears Nike, what other reasons does one need to rep the swoosh? The next time you’re wondering what type of shoes to purchase, or what type of compression shorts will be best to hit your deadlift PR in the gym, when you see that Nike logo staring you down, just do it.
]]>To say hockey is an integral part of North American culture is a no brainer. For over a hundred years, viewers have watched as young boys have evolved into men on the ice, yet behind the scenes? There are a lot of women to thank for your viewing pleasures. The NHL’s current CMO is Heidi Browning, and she has been nothing but spectacular since her debut with the company in 2016. She realized that in an ever-evolving technological world, as she has roots in Silicon Valley, she amped up digital marketing and apps to enhance the NHL fan experience. Browning knows that many 20-50 year old men are always going to watch hockey; yet she knows there are other potential markets to reach out to, and did just that. Women are not usually a primary target audience for hockey marketing, but Browning knew that they should be. Reaching out to omitted demographics like women, millennials and even just casual hockey fans who may not be as “die hard” as your average college aged former hockey boy are why Browning has seen a 23% increase in Stanley Cup Final ratings year after year.
Canada has produced many talented basketball players in it’s day like Andrew Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Jamal Murray and Kelly Olynyk to name a few. Canada basketball is a fundamental part of many young lives, as it oversees smaller organizations like Ontario Basketball. The President & CEO of Canada Basketball is Michele O’Keefe, who has worked with the corporation since 2012 and has been a part of both FIBA Americas and FIBA Central boards, helping to grow the game not only for Canadians but for aspiring ballers all over the world. O’Keefe secured the 2015 FIBA Americas Women’s Championship in her role as executive director for Canada Basketball, and her passion for not only women in sport but also diversity and international relations in sport are the reason why she was the perfect fit to oversee operations for the corporation.
Even your favourite Instagram pastime, Barstool Sports, has a woman as their CEO. Erika Nardini took on the role of Barstool CEO after beating out 74 men for the job. With a following of over 8 million “Stoolies”, Erika has seen a 400% increase in merchandise sales year by year, and the company is valued at over $100 million dollars currently. Erika isn’t the only hard hitter in the Barstool lineup, as they recently hired Deirdre Lester as chief revenue officer. Though all your favourite bloggers may quite well be guys being dudes, from a business perspective of your favourite sports business, women run the table.
Even just playing sports themselves are a business, and women have gotten tired of having to watch their dreams played out by the opposite sex as there was no outlet for them to play. That’s all changed since the introduction of many professional sports leagues for women, like the WNBA. NWSL and recently the introduction of the NWHL. Of course the revenue is not at the levels of the NBA, MLS and NHL, yet even moving women’s sports to a level in which they can be payed to live out their lifelong dreams is a step in the right direction for women in sports.
Sports are a complicated business that have fundamentally been run by men are are still predominantly run by men. The field is always changing however, and women are continuing to work harder than ever to prove that this isn’t a man’s world. Sports are meant to bring people together and promote teamwork, leadership and building relationships – regardless of the gender of who’s on your team. Women play an integral part in this world, and sports sees no shortage of that. As sports fan and Super Bowl halftime performer Beyoncé once said, “Who run the world? Girls.”
]]>