Blog Posts

5 Tips for Writing Dissertations

Some students need to create a dissertation on a topic of their choice to complete their degrees. After conducting research, you’ll create a piece of writing of around 10,000 to 20,000 words. Although this may sound intimidating, it’s actually quite manageable if you break it down into the different elements. 1. Choose the Right Topic Your dissertation is your chance to consolidate what you’ve learned throughout your time at university into one big research project. You should choose a topic that reflects what you’ve studied and is relevant to the career you want to pursue. It should be something you find interesting to ensure you enjoy the process — plus, it will be obvious in your writing that you’re passionate about the topic. 2. Know Your Limitations The topic for your dissertation must be narrow enough that you’re able to answer your research question fully and draw a conclusion. The good thing about being restrictive is this makes it easier to do something unique. Although you’ll be building on the research of others, the objective of your dissertation and the question you seek to answer should be original. 3. Answer Key Questions in Your Research Proposal Once you’ve come up with an idea for your dissertation, you’ll need to present a research proposal. Your research proposal should express what you intend to achieve, the methodology you’ll use, and why your project will matter. You also need to reference the work of other researchers who have already contributed to the topic, along with their conclusions. 4. Gather Data How you collect data will depend on your research question. You may collect your own data through experiments, surveys, interviews, or observations. Alternatively, you may use archives or databases to gather information you cannot generate first hand . Whatever method you use, it’s crucial to ensure the data is high quality, which may mean you need to record how you obtained it, check for anomalies, and ensure you use reliable sources. 5. Proofread and Receive Feedback After you’ve finished writing your dissertation, read it through several times. It can help to read it aloud and to ask a friend to take a look to ensure there are no errors you’ve overlooked. In addition, utilize all the resources available to you at university. Professors, librarians, and staff at the campus writing center can all provide you with guidance. You’ll be dedicating a large part of your final year at university to working on your dissertation. To ensure this is your best work, you’ll need somewhere you can write in peace. You won’t find this with a dorm room on campus, but you will be able to study at home without facing constant distractions if you search for apartments for rent. Waterloo students should look no further than King Street Towers. As well as using the desk in your fully-furnished bedroom, you can take advantage of our WiFi study spac es. Plus, when you need a break, just head to the fitness and yoga studio, rooftop fire pit, or theater. Apply now to secure a unit with extra features, like an en suite bathroom and private balcony.

5 Best Podcasts for University Students

Listening to podcasts is a great way to relax, bring yourself some entertainment while you’re carrying out chores, and keep your mind active when you’ve had enough of books. As well as searching for podcasts on topics that pique your interest, you can use them to enhance your studies, gain advice to cope with the challenges of being a student, and prepare for life after graduation. You have a huge number of podcasts to choose from, but a few stand out as the best. 1. The Inforium For tips about navigating everything from classes and student loans to creating an active social life and meeting your personal goals, The Inforium is the place to go. The hosts started the podcast as College Info Geek while they were students themselves but continued making episodes after they graduated due to the huge success of the podcast. After more than 300 episodes, they changed the name to The Inforium and expanded into discussing even more topics. All the advice is based on the hosts’ real-life exp eriences and is unscripted for a spontaneous, fun feel. 2. Ted Talks Daily As a student, it’s important to seek out opportunities to learn new things whenever you can. Ted Talks Daily will inspire you with new ideas to bring to debates, class discussions, and your papers and generally increase your understanding of the world. Whatever your interests, there are sure to be episodes you’ll enjoy. 3. The Career Growth Podcast As you near graduation, you need to start thinking about your future career. The Career Growth Podcast can provide you with useful information you may not encounter elsewhere, such as how to connect with leaders in your field, coping with anxiety when starting a new job, and how to position yourself as a top candidate when you lack experience. Many of the things you’ll learn can also be useful for internships while you’re still at university. 4. Becoming Wise For something short you can listen to while you prepare a cup of tea or coffee, try Becoming Wise. It’s ideal to fit into your morning routine, as the conversations with fascinating people give you the chance to reflect on how to make each day meaningful. Although the podcast is no longer releasing new episodes, there’s a back catalogue of almost 40 you can listen to. 5. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders If you have dreams of becoming an entrepreneur after you graduate — or perhaps even starting a business while you’re still at university — Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders is a podcast you need to listen to. The weekly episodes are interviews with leaders from all sorts of industries, who discuss what they’ve learned by bringing their disruptive ideas to reality. There’s nothing worse when you’re trying to listen to a podcast than being constantly interrupted. To have somewhere you can listen in peace, you need to move off campus and search for rooms for rent. Waterloo students can find a new home at King Street Towers. Choose from a range of spacious floor plans with features like private bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, and even your own balcony. As well as playing podcasts at home, you can listen during the short walk to campus. Book a tour to check out King Street Towers for yourself.

Should You Consider an Internship After Graduation?

Although it’s most common to take an internship while you’re still a student, there’s nothing to stop you from searching for opportunities after you graduate. You may decide to do this if you missed out on taking an internship while you were still a student. Alternatively, you may decide the career you initially wanted to pursue isn’t for you and want to gain experience or try out working in a different field. Although there are advantages to taking an internship after graduation, there are also some downsi des you need to consider to determine if this is a suitable option for you. Here are some pros and cons worth thinking about. Pro: Internships Are Always Valuable Internships provide opportunities you won’t receive from permanent positions: they allow you to see what a career would be like in a particular field before you commit to a job. In addition, you’ll have the chance to be involved in a variety of different projects, which will help you figure out what you enjoy doing — and what you may prefer to avoid. Con: You’ll Earn Less Once you graduate, you have the chance to apply to jobs that require a degree. This usually comes with higher pay, which could be important if you need to support yourself and start paying off student loans. Internships tend to offer considerably lower pay — possibly not enough to cover all your expenses. Pro: You’ll Make Useful Contacts If the employer is impressed with your performance, an internship may lead to an offer for a full-time job at the company. Even if it doesn’t , you’ll meet many people who may be able to introduce you to other employers and opportunities. Con: It Could Be a Waste of Time Most internships last between eight to 12 weeks . This is a long amount of time to commit to. It’s important to consider whether an internship is the only way to gain the experience you need or if it would be better to go straight into a permanent position. If your main concern is contacts to find the kind of job you want, attend networking events and job fairs or reach out to people like your professors and classmates to gain the connections you need. Pro: You’ll Gain Experience Employers want to see you have some kind of experience relevant to the role. You’ll develop a range of skills during an internship that you won’t learn from your studies alone. An internship could encourage an employer to consider your resume — it could even help you to land something higher than an entry-level job. Many students search for internships near where they are currently studying. If you apply sooner rather than later, it may even be possible to start the internship while you’re still attending classes. If your internship will continue after you graduate, you’ll need to find somewhere to live. An alternative to University of Waterloo housing is King Street Towers. Since all our leases are for 12 months, you’ll be living with other students and recent graduates. Contact us to secure the floor plan you want.

A Guide to Using Social Media to Build Your Career

Despite the huge amount of interesting content that hits social media every day, it takes effort to create high-quality content. You already know this if you’ve tried to keep to a content creation schedule in the past. Despite the challenges, though, creating content could be worthwhile. In fact, if you’re committed, you could use social media content to build a career while you’re still at university —  here’s how. 1. Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About The only way to make sure you stick with your content creation is if you pick a topic you find fascinating and that you’re an expert about . This will keep you motivated, mean you never run out of ideas, and ensure you are able to talk with authority. 2. Pick a Niche Area Once you’ve decided on a general topic, narrow it down to a niche. You might think it would be best to choose a broad topic to attract a wide audience, but this will mean you’re competing with a huge number of other content creators. Of course, the niche should be broad enough for you to be able to continue creating content in the long term. The last thing you want is to run out of ideas and find yourself having to change direction after establishing an audience. 3. Find Time for Content Creation Your social media content may well become a profitable side hustle or even a full career. However, while you’re still at university, your priority needs to be your academics. Dedicate a reasonable amount of time to content creation without sacrificing other aspects of your life. This could mean creating a schedule for content creation tasks. Some tasks may only require a few minutes, meaning you can fit them into the gaps between your classes. 4. Persevere Through Tough Times When you start out, you may receive little attention for your content. This is because social media algorithms give greater visibility to content creators with large followings. As with any other career, you shouldn’t expect to be at the top of your field when you’re just starting out. Try to enjoy the process and celebrate small wins. If you’re creating content that people do want to consume, you’ll eventually develop an audience — but that will take time and perseverance. 5. Post Consistently Set yourself a publishing schedule to ensure you maintain an active presence on the social media platform you’ve chosen. Bear in mind that you may have more time to dedicate to content creation some weeks than others. Plus, you may suddenly feel inspired and be able to create a large amount of content at once. Use this to your advantage by saving some of the content you create to publish later. This will prevent you from having gaps where you publish nothing for a long time. 6. Push Yourself to Be Creative Look for inspiration in different places . Being active in the community related to your niche should help you come up with many ideas. In addition, it may help to save ideas you find online and check out what kind of content other people are creating — even if it’s completely unrelated to your topic, it may inspire you. Creating content for a social media career is extra challenging if you lack somewhere to produce and edit your content in peace. For Waterloo off-campus housing, look no further than King Street Towers. As well as in your private bedroom, you may like to create content in the fitness centers, games rooms, and rooftop fire pit — all are great for showing how luxurious the student living experience can be. Book a tour now to see your new home.

6 Must-Have Items for an Organized Student Apartment

Students have a lot of belongings but minimal free time to dedicate to tidying up their apartments. To help you stay organized, here are a few items you should have during your time at university. 1. Damage-Free Hooks Take advantage of the vertical space available to you with hooks. Since you need to be careful not to damage the walls in your apartment (to avoid losing your security deposit), make sure you find damage-free hooks. Large wall hooks are ideal for keeping your jacket and backpack near the door, whereas smaller wire hooks are perfect for putting in your closet and other spots around your apartment. You can use them for all sorts of things, including cleaning supplies, grocery bags, and jewelry. 2. Entryway Organizer You may also like to keep small items near your front door, such as your keys. With an entryway organizer, you’ll have a few small hooks as well as a dry erase board. This is perfect for writing your roommates notes — whether you need to leave them important messages (such as to let them know you won’t be around at the weekend) or just want to write friendly greetings. 3. Picture Hanging Strips To make your apartment feel like home, you’ll want to cover the walls in decorations. Again, you’ll need a solution that doesn’t cause any damage. Picture hanging strips are ideal, as they’re strong enough to hold all your favourite photos, some artwork, and a mood board. You may also like to use picture hanging strips to secure a whiteboard above your desk, where you can write your schedule, upcoming due dates for assignments, and other things you need to remember. 4. Wall Caddies It’s common for spots around your apartment to become littered with small objects. This includes stationery on your desk, cosmetics on your vanity, and personal care items around the bathroom sink. Stop these from cluttering up surfaces and make it easy to find what you’re looking for with some wall caddies. 5. Cord Organizers If you have many devices on your desk, you may find that their cords tangle together. The last thing you want when you’re rushing to class is a tangled mess of cables. The solution is to use cord organizers. These bundle your cords up and allow you to tuck them out of the way or attach them to the wall next to your desk. You’ll also find this prevents damage to your cables, meaning they last longer. 6. Wall Clips Although not technically a necessity, a student apartment is never complete without some string lights. Prevent them from falling down and making a mess by securing them to your walls or ceiling with some clear decorating clips. It’s easier to stay organized when you have enough space for everything. Since dorm rooms are always cramped, it makes sense to look for apartments for rent. Waterloo students should look no further than King Street Towers. We have suites with three to six bedrooms, including many with en suite bathrooms. Plus, all the suites are fully furnished with the student lifestyle in mind. Apply now to secure the floor plan you want.