A baby horse that the Equine Breeding Students delivered!!

I started my journey at Olds College in the Winter Semester of 2012 as a Business Administration Student.  Up until May 2013 my perspective on the College, although respective and appreciative, was very limited. I didn’t realize that not only does Olds College have a close knit Business Community, it also has various other aspects and ‘communities’ to offer; including, Land and Water Resources, Agricultural Management, Animal Health Technology, Meat Processing, Equine Sciences, Farrier Science, Fashion, etc. and in between each of these topics are more diverse specializations. Needless to say, Olds College has something for everyone.

I started my position as a Summer Student Ambassador on April 29^th, 2013. Thus far, I have already quadrupled my knowledge of Olds College, and it is continuously growing. Situated on over 2000 acres of land, the college is full of incredible surprises and sights to see. This week, I have been inside the Lands Science Building with the beautiful greenery, I have seen the huge Pavilion with machinery and dirt and I have also got to spend some time with the BABY HORSES! How awesome is my job?!

As most of you know, Olds College is turning 100 this year.  Due to the progressive culture of the College, however, most buildings are brand new or renovated, but one thing remains at Olds College as the years continue; the friendly, helpful, and caring nature of each and every staff member.

During my first few weeks as working at Olds College I have been introduced to numerous staff members and instructors, all of them greeted me with a welcoming smile. Throughout these visits and introductions, I have begun to understand how each instructor specializes in the classes that they teach, not only this but they are passionate about what they do. “Love What You Do, Do What You Love”, Olds College motto fits perfectly for everyone, and this shines through when meeting the instructors. Everything at Olds College is hands on, opening the potential for every student to be knowledgeable, experienced, and prepared for their career!

If you haven’t had the awesome, once in a life time experience, to see all of the unique aspects to Olds College and you would like to, make sure you call Sandra and book your tour today!

This event took place on May 7, 2013 at the new Calgary campus! It was an event for all the admitted fashion students to get a feel for the new building and environment. These students got to bring their moral support with them as they journeyed through the 7th floor of the Bow Valley College building in downtown Calgary. When the students first arrived they registered where they got name tags that let everyone know their name and if they brought anyone along their name tags were labelled as “Moral Support”. This tag allowed them to get a free meal where they got to use their creative minds to make and create their own style of sandwich. After they finished eating their meal they got a private tour around the whole Calgary campus lead by different fashion instructors who explained what types of things they would be doing in each of the different rooms and also by Morgan Ross, the Dean of the School of Business, who was very excited to tell all about the new campus. Following shortly after the tour the students then got to break off in to their respected programs, Apparel Technology and Fashion Marketing. When in these groups they got to learn the more of the specifics about their programs and talk to actual instructors about what they will be doing in the fall. During this time they also got to ask any questions that they had about the school or program. All the students were very enthusiastic about being on campus and had lots of questions for their instructors, who answered them with ease and great detail. Once they had all of their questions answered and their brains full of new and exciting information, they then filled out an evaluation for us. We asked this of them to see how they felt the event had gone and if it was full of useful information, we love getting feedback from prospect students because we love improving so that we can be the best at what we do! At the end of the evaluation they got to receive a swag bag of goodies before they were on their way home!

As all of you know, exams are just around the corner, and with that comes with moving home. Although the thought of going home is exciting, it is important to manage your time with studying and packing. Personally, I love packing, while some people cannot stand the idea. So I have come up with a fool-proof way of splitting your time wisely during the next two weeks.

1. Prioritize – Do you live in residence, or townhouses? Often townhouse students have to spend more time packing because they have accumulated kitchenware, and other household items over the school year. Also, decide which needs to get done first. Have an exam on Monday? Spend a couple of hours packing on the weekend, but focus on your upcoming exam. If your exams are later on in the week, focus on packing so you have more time during the week to prepare.

2. Organize – Nothing is worse than losing something in a move. I like to label my totes with the item that are inside. This way, I know exactly where everything is and can find it easily. Also, do not pack up your shampoo and toothbrush 5 days before you move. You’re going to need those. Pack the things that you can live without for a short period of time (ie printer, some articles of clothing, winter coats and shoes).

3. Divide and Concur – Have roommates? Help eachother. Sometimes the worst part of packing is dreading how boring it will be. Help a friend pack and organize his/her things, and then work on yours.

4. Wait for the End to Clean – In all honestly, it is easiest to wait until everything is packed up and out of the way before you start cleaning. This way you are not tripping over things while you are attempting to vacuum.

Hopefully these ideas have brought some clarity and relief to your busy schedules. I wish everyone luck on their exams, and hope your summer is rewarding and fun!

With Open House right around the corner things are becoming busier around campus. Everyone is in preparation for the big day. Mix in the upcoming exams and final projects, that’s a busy last month for most of our students. How do they manage to keep stress down? I have a few suggestions on things that can help keep stress down or to put it out of your mind for a little while. Some of my suggestions/ideas are:

• Visiting friends
• Going for a coffee or ice cream with a friend
• Having a movie night with popcorn
• Laugh with some friends
• Start projects early
• Take a nap
• Read a book
• Get off campus for a day
• Go window shopping
• Paint your nails
• Take a few deep breaths
• Play a board game
• Listen to music

These are just a few suggestions. Everyone has their own way of dealing and preventing stress. Stress can cause bad grades from worrying and a grumpy student from lack of sleep; these can be avoided if you learn to manage your stress properly. If you are having trouble with stress the nurse is around to help you with managing it and any other concerns you may have. Next time you are feeling smothered by the responsibilities of college take a few deep breaths and take a step back. Maybe it’s time that you took a break from studying and give your brain a break.

The end of the year is approaching! I know I’m not alone in saying I can’t wait for summer, but there still is so much to do in the next three weeks and I have come up with some helpful tips on wrapping up those final project and studying for your exams.

1. Outline what needs to get done.

By the end of the term you might have left everything to the last minute and are now just trying trying to finish whatever you see first. This tactic won’t serve you well, you need to prioritize and outline when things are due and start there. This would also be a great time to set a study schedule for the time you have available between classes and work. It’s important to keep a schedule of your time so that you are accountable for the time you have. This doesn’t mean spend all your time studying, you of course can schedule in some time for fun. This plan will help you relax and focus on the tasks at hand because you have scheduled your time wisely and know that in the future you will be focusing on the other assignments that need to get done.

2. Take care of your body.

In stressful times college students often tend to neglect themselves but staying up late to finish last minute assignments, or skipping meals because they have a group meeting to attend. During this busy time of year it is important to maintain good health, it helps you stay on top of your game and focus on the tasks at hand. As well, Going to the gym can provide you with a break from the stress and help you take your mind of things for a short period of time.

3. Rewrite your notes.

Some courses can be really dry and hard to remember, a helpful tip is to rewrite your lecture notes into your own words. This processes will also help because you are reviewing the material all over again while rewriting and the material is more likely to stick if when you’ve changed it into words you better understand.

4.Take Breaks.

It is important to refresh your thoughts and recharge during the end of the semester. Go out with your friends, attend the End of the Year Bash and just relax for a bit so that you recharged to take on the next task at hand.

One of the unique things about Olds College, is their Bachelor of Applied Science, Agribusiness course. It is the only one of its kind in Canada and allows students with an agriculture (or related) diploma to fast-track their degree in three years. Even though you are technically enrolled in four years of schooling, the fouth year work placement doesn’t seem like school work. Students come from all parts of Canada, including students from Olds College, Ridgetown and Kemptville.

I completed my Agricultural Management diploma in 2012, and immediately transfered into the Agribusiness program. I thought it was a great opportunity to receive more hands-on business and agriculture training, without having to move and attend a large university. In this program, you are enrolled in business classes that are agriculture themed. For example, in Strategic Business Management, you are given case studies on agricultural companies. I feel that this helps me learn the content a lot quicker because I am interested in the information given.

For my Directed Field Study, I am hoping to get into the grain marketing industry. I am finding this to be a challenge because it is such a complex and demanding career. I have found it is sometimes difficult to manage school, extra-curricular and friends, all while trying to find the perfect job. I would recommend to anyone who is entering this program next year to start looking at jobs ads and applying as early as possible.

In the “Fundamentals of Landscaping” class, offered in the second semester of the first year as a Landscape Management major, we have been introduced to hands-on training with-in the schools 12,000 sq. ft. pavilion building.

Having arrived to Olds College, with an interest in gaining increased knowledge in hardscape practices, this class has not disappointed.

During the first week we were given a tour of the pavilion and introduced to Jack.  Along with the course professor, Dave Moroz, Jack provides helpful tips and advice on the safe ways of using the vast tools at our disposal, which help get the job done.

Having just passed the mid-term mark, the class has left the topic of “retaining walls” and delved into “paver stone” installation.  Similar to the retaining walls, there’s a fair bit of calculations and prep-work required before laying the first stone.  It has been a tough start for me personally, however, I appreciate the opportunity to make mistakes in class, and learn from them, providing me with a fine-tuned arsenal of skills and experience, when I graduate from Olds.

Any comments or questions are always welcome, I hope this has provided you with a glimpse of what Olds College can offer.

Jon

With classes starting to wind down after midterms it’s time to start thinking about our futures. In my program the teachers and our coordinator make it easier for us. As a requirement of our program, we have to do a practicum in a veterinary clinic for a month. We have the potential to get a job with our practicum clinic after we finish the required number of hours. In addition we have to do 3 major projects that count for a large part of our grade before we write finals and go out into our clinics.

One of the challenges for this, is finding a clinic that will take you under their wing and help you learn. Fortunately, everyone in my class managed to get a good place that would take them. We are working hard on finishing the required assignments and planning for our futures. We are a close knit group of girls now down to a mere 10. School is finishing soon and we are all preparing to depart and go our separate ways but will keep in touch and try to remain friends for a long time to come.

I’ve been told that the people you meet in college stay with you forever, and now I know why people say that. We make the best of friends during our college education and it makes sense to want to keep them as friends.  While in school you can always count on someone to be there for you, like an extended family. We became a family over the past school year, we all have bright futures and I hope they all succeed in whatever they do.

As the end of the semester approaches, I find myself becoming less motivated to complete projects and assignments. With the change in weather, I have already started planning for summer events and activities that I cannot wait for. I’m sure that I am not the only one that is starting to feel this way and that is why I have come up with some tips on how to stay motivated for the remainder of the semester.

The first tip I have for you is to take the projects that you are assigned and relate them to things your interested in and are passionate about. When you’re actually interested in your assignment, having to read 40 pages of research does not seem like a horrible chore. The opportunity to learn more about what you are truly interested will keep you engaged with the project and help you stay motivated. If your not interested in the assignment, it will become difficult to remain positive and keep at it (if there are set backs), but if you are passionate about the topic you’ll embrace the challenges and move past them with more ease.

The second tip I have for you is to get some sun! It’s starting to warm up out there and with spring on its way there is no better time to take a walk around campus. A fifteen minute walk can work wonders on your spirits and keep you motivated. It is known that the sun will can stimulate positive moods and help with depression. If you have to stay inside to work on projects, try working near a window or opening up your blinds to let the light in, it will help promote productivity levels.

The last tip I have for you is to exercise and eat right. In some cases it may seem impossible to fit in time to work out or go to the gym, but the reality is that if you have a half an hour to watch your favorite T.V. show you have enough time for a quick walk or gym session. A quick walk or run will provide you with a short break so that you can recharge and stay motivated on the tasks at hand. Eating right is also another timely factor, many people resort to fast foods to save time, but in the long run it’s not doing you any good. Fast food tends to lack in protein and vitamins that your body uses for energy, this is why many people feel drained or tried after eating fast foods, and that is why if you want to stay motivated and “charged” you should try some healthy alternatives. Pre-cut fruits and vegetables are always available at grocery stores today, as well as pre-made soup and sandwich options. These are better quick alternatives that can provide the nutrition to keep you motivated.

Staying motivated is no easy task for a college student, but with the right attitude and a willingness to succeed, the end of the semester will be here before you know it! Good Luck!

When group projects come up in class one must think about the type of work that must be presented to the class or teacher and who they wish to work with to achieve the appropriate grade that they want.  There are many types of members to consider when forming a group. There are the slackers, the smarty pants, the hard worker, and the not-so-there member.

The Slacker in the one that is along for the ride and the marks of the project but will put little to no effort into the project. Often this member will agree to meet the group to work on the project but after a few minutes into the meeting suddenly has something more important to do instead of working with everyone. The best way to manage this type of member is to assign a few smaller parts to the project that will be able to be done in little to know time at all.

The Smarty pants in the group is often identified by the on going list of things that wont work and those that the group should do instead of the agreed topic. These members mean well but often but a dent into the project momentum in the long run. They often refer to the phrase “that will not work” at any point in the project. The best way to manage this member is to be patient and give them some time to get their ideas out there. There may just be a topic that is worth using and will benefit the group.

The Hard worker is the one member that everyone sees them selves as being in their group but there are many differences from that of the other previous members. This member usually ends up being the one that does a lot of the work that either no one wants to do or if someone doesn’t end up doing what they were assigned to do they will take on. These members often say that that will do it if the others don’t have time. To manage this make sure that everyone knows what there part is and if you notice this type of thing happening in your group try to step in and offer to help that person who is taking on all of the extra work.

With the not-so-there member can often be confused with the slacker but they are the ones that do their share if assigned  but if parts are optional for them to do they often tend to disappear leaving the rest of the group to do those parts of the project. To make sure that before everyone leaves for the night that each member knows what is going on, that all parts of the project have someone working on it, and ask to have a progress meeting set up to go over what has been done.

These are just a few things to watch out for when it comes to a group project and with these tips your group dynamics should be improved. I wish all of you luck on the coming end of year projects and finals!