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Make your first year a success

Wondering what to expect? Here’s some expert advice.
August 15, 2013
|
By Tom Peacock


Ask an expert: Student Success Mentors speak from experience.
Ask an expert: Student Success Mentors speak from experience. | All photos by America Blasco

Navigating university life for the first time can be a tricky business. But there’s no need to go it alone: Concordia offers free services specifically designed for new students.

Check out the Guide to First Year to find out the basics — what you need to do before classes start, plus advice on how to make the most of your time at the university. Then tap into a more personal resource: the mentors at the Student Success Centres downtown and on the Loyola Campus. As well as being students themselves, Student Success Mentors are trained to provide practical advice and help you find everything you need.

Here are their top tips for your first year.

guillermo

“Be yourself,” says Guillermo Boccagni (BA, political science). “Don’t be shy — ask for help, talk to people, join clubs. If you do that early on, it will help you with everything later.”

 

 

aaisha

Get involved,” says Aaisha Malik (BComm, accountancy). ”We study, we all study, but it's important to save time for other activities — it will make your experience richer. I volunteered at the International Student Office, the Dean of Students Office and the Muslim Students Association.”

 

Jenna

“Read as many things in advance as you can, and keep a good schedule, says Jenna Meyers (MFA, studio arts). "When I started grad school, I realized I was assigned to read three philosophy books and four novels in two weeks! I would also recommend sleeping well and having breakfast. It’s the really normal things that you forget about when you're under stress, because you can't really concentrate.”

 

genevieve

“Explore a bit. Take some classes that are not in your area,” says Genevieve Salendres (BA, psychology and political science, minor in modern Arabic language and culture). “Maybe you'll find something else that you like. When I came here I was really focused on psychology, and I thought that with my electives I had to stay there. But I took another class that wasn't in my area — in political science — and I really liked it. It even led me to add another major.”

 

prabhjot

Use services that are provided by the university,” says Prabhjot Kaur Sekhon (MEng, software engineering). “They’re meant for you, so you should get to benefit from them. For example, graduate students can take the courses and workshops in the Graduate and Professional Skills (GradProSkills) training program. And meet with a student mentor. As an international student, I had a lot of difficulty selecting my courses and figuring out how to manage my time. Meeting with the mentors helped me a lot.”

 

bassam

“Go to orientation,” says Bassam Geagea (BEng, civil engineering). “My brother was here two years ago, before me, so I didn't go to any of the orientation sessions. I figured he would tell me everything. But I found out that, in fact, it's better to go and learn about everything at once. It's really helpful. And if you need any help after that, you can just come to our office here, and we'll help you.

 

jose

“Get to know yourself a little bit better,” Jose Restrepo (BA, psychology, minor in music). “Figure out what you want to do, and then go for it. This is my second time at university. The first time I went to school because I had to, but now, I have a goal. Obstacles look very different when you know where you're going, and how you want to develop your potential as a human being.”

 

To contact the mentors, drop by the Student Success Centre in Room H-481 in the Henry F. Hall Building on the Sir George Williams Campus, or in Room AD-101 in the Administration Building on the Loyola Campus. You can also email them at success@concordia.ca, or visit their Facebook page.

Related link:

·               Student Success Centre



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