Blog Posts

6 Signs of Sleep Deprivation Students Should Watch For

Not only will there be no one telling you to go to bed on time when you’re at university, you’ll have so many more opportunities to stay up late. For instance, as well as parties and other events, you may fall behind with assignments and need to work into the night to finish on time. The problem with this is it can quickly lead to sleep deprivation, which has serious mental and physical consequences. Knowing the signs of sleep deprivation is important; this way, you’ll be aware of when you need to increase how much you sleep. 1. Falling Asleep Too Easily It’s normal to take at least a few minutes to fall asleep when you go to bed. If you fall asleep instantly, you’re likely exhausted . Similarly, falling asleep at other times — including on public transport, while watching movies, and in class — is a sign of sleep deprivation. 2. Problems Concentrating It’s much more difficult to maintain your focus when you’re tired. If you’re finding your classes more challenging than normal or you’re taking longer to complete assignments, it could be because your focus is waning. By increasing the amount of deep sleep you receive every night, you’ll become more alert, improve your memory, increase your productivity, and regain your critical thinking skills. 3. Anxiety When you lack enough sleep, your mental health can suffer. In particular, it’s common to become stressed, which can make you feel anxious for no clear reason . This is because your brain struggles to process emotional information, which impacts your mood. Sleeping more is a quick fix to improve your mental health. 4. Poor Skin Quality The cheapest way to take care of your skin is through sleep. No amount of moisturizer can achieve the same as enough sleep, as your skin is only able to heal and produce more collagen when you’re resting. You’ll also improve your appearance because you’ll have no more puffiness and dark circles under your eyes. 5. Dehydration Staying awake for too many hours can prevent your body from producing sufficient vasopressin. This hormone is responsible for preventing dehydration by ensuring you retain more water. This will prevent you from feeling thirsty the next day. 6. Physical Ailments Sleep deprivation is linked to a number of physical ailments, ranging from weight gain (often due to increased cravings) to aches and pains. You’ll also find you fall sick more easily and it takes you longer to recover. You may also suffer from sleep deprivation if you’re sharing a room with someone who often comes home late or makes a lot of noise while you’re trying to sleep. The solution to this problem is to move into an apartment with your own room. You can find alternatives for Laurier student housing at Preston House and Bridgeport House. Both properties are just steps from campus, meaning you can sleep in without worrying about being late to class. Better yet, in addition to your own bedroom, you’ll have the luxury of an en suite washroom. Book a tour of the property of your choice.

8 Reasons to Travel as a Student

One of the best times to travel is while you’re a student. Not only do you have several long breaks during the year, but it’s also easy to travel with friends and have some great experiences. Here are several key reasons why it’s worthwhile to travel as a student. 1. Expand Your Horizons There’s only so much you can learn about the world from reading and watching videos. Sometimes, the only way to fully understand is to experience. By traveling, you’ll gain a glimpse of how other people live and experience some of the culture for yourself. 2. Meet People from Around the World When you choose travel opportunities that allow you to interact with other people, you expand your network. Some of the people you meet will be from the countries you’re visiting, whereas others may be travelers like you. These people may become your friends or useful contacts for your career. 3. Improve Your Confidence Traveling puts you in situations unlike anything you’d encounter at home. Realizing you’re able to overcome these challenges will increase your confidence in yourself overall. Plus, potential employees will be impressed with your grit — as well as talking about your travels in interviews, you can include experiences like volunteering abroad on your resume. 4. Perform Better Academically Students who travel tend to gain better grades at university. This is especially true if the things you see and do on your trips are related to your major. 5. Learn About Yourself It may be a cliché to say that traveling allows you to discover yourself — but it’s true. Many students find that traveling helps them identify their purpose, reveals their values, and allows them to truly be themselves. 6. Challenge Your Ideas You’ve likely formed many of your beliefs without giving them too much thought. Traveling will expose you to new perspectives and viewpoints, perhaps even changing the ideas you have about the world. This is key to personal growth. 7. Learn to Be Independent Attending university gives you some independence, but you still have a support system around you. When you’re traveling, you’re on your own. Even simple tasks may be different — and they may be especially challenging if there’s a language barrier. Navigating these difficulties will show you what you’re capable of. 8. Appreciate What You Have It’s easy to take your life for granted. Traveling to less-developed countries , in particular, will help you gain a greater appreciation of what you have. No matter where you go, though, you should find you come to appreciate both big and small things more, such as your friends, your family, aspects of your culture, your favourite foods, and the ease of carrying out tasks in your everyday life. While travel presents wonderful opportunities, it’s also important to make the most of the time you spend at university. To have the ultimate student experience, move into your own apartment. You’ll find UWaterloo off-campus housing at Preston House and Bridgeport House. Both properties have large, fully-furnished suites and great onsite amenities, including a pool table and ping pong table, bright study spaces, and a communal kitchen. Book a tour to visit the property of your choice.

How to Establish Your Personal Brand During Your Job Search

To stand out against other candidates in your job search, it’s important to focus on how you’re different. Your personal brand expresses your values, skills, and reputation in your field. Even before you graduate, you can start working on your personal brand. By doing so, you’ll pave the way to more opportunities, particularly with companies you want to work for and in positions that align with your goals. 1. Develop Your Online Presence Make sure plenty of information about you comes up when an employer searches for you online. Demonstrate your skills and talent by uploading content to a website or blog, creating an online portfolio, and building a reputation — for instance, you could write guest articles for blogs in your industry, appear on podcasts, and create digital products to sell. 2. Set Up a LinkedIn Profile One of the first places employers will look for you is LinkedIn. It’s crucial not just to have a profile but also to fill out all the fields. Here are a few things you should include: Professional profile and cover photos A succinct headline that expresses both what you’re currently doing and what kind of job you want after you graduate A short bio summarizing your skills, achievements, and other information relevant to your personal brand Your work experience Your education, including credentials you’ve gained outside university 3. Explore Other Platforms Depending on your industry, other platforms may be just as useful as LinkedIn. For instance, Instagram is ideal for visual content, whereas YouTube and TikTok allow you to publish videos showcasing everything from projects you’re involved in to opinion pieces. 4. Interact with Thought Leaders In addition to creating your own content, interact with the published content from other people in your field. This is a great way to show what’s important to you with little effort and to make others more likely to approach you. Leave comments on social media posts, interact on LinkedIn groups, and respond when someone leaves you a comment. Over time, you may find you develop real relationships with thought leaders, especially if you strive to have real conversations around topics that matter to you. 5. Gain More Skills Your personal branding is an ongoing process that requires you to constantly improve and add to your skills. Sometimes, this will mean pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, such as by speaking at events, reaching out to people you don’t know for networking purposes, or developing digital skills in areas you find difficult. Key to establishing a personal brand is understanding who you are and what you represent . University is a great time to explore this, most of all if you have an independent lifestyle that allows you to truly be yourself. If you’re looking to move off campus, great alternatives to Laurier student housing are Preston House and Bridgeport House. You’ll have your own bedroom in a spacious suite, fully-furnished with state-of-the-art amenities. Plus, you’ll be able to network with other students (including stude nts who attend other schools) in the communal areas. Book a tour to see why you’ll love living here.