Year of the Rabbit

Happy Lunar New Year!

 
All the very best to you in the Year of the Rabbit!

"Xing Nian Kwai Le"

"Gung Hay Fat Choy"

"Chuc Mung Nam Moi"
"Sae Hae Bok Manee Badusaeyo"

Week 2 Begins! Get Started on the Right Foot

Resources to make the most out of your learning!

1.  Tutoring in the ESL Library:  Every Tues and Thurs from 12-1pm.

2.  Tutoring at the TLC (Tutoring Learning Centre):  Speaking and Writing Tutoring in C503 with Peer Tutors.  Check out their blog for more information.

3.  Student Success workshops and Peer Leader assistance:  Check this blog (www.eslatgbc.com) for upcoming workshops on speaking, writing, summarizing and vocabulary, as well as info on study tips and events. Peer Leaders are available in D304A.

Workshops this week:

1.  Library Orientation:  Tues, January 18th/Thurs, January 20th:  3pm, ESL Library, D315.


2.  PowerPoint Basics:  Wed., January 19th:  3pm
The above workshops will be led by Amber in the ESL Library, D315.

3.  Speak Up:  Practice conversation and speaking skills in a relaxed atmosphere and make new friends in the process.

Wednesdays, D309, 3-4:30pm

Applying to College?

FYI (For Your Information):

The deadline to apply to George Brown College Full time studies is February 1^st. This deadline is also relevant to all Second Career students. All students, excluding International Students, must apply to: www.ontariocolleges.ca. There is a $95 fee to apply.

International students should meet with the International Centre at 200 King Street East to discuss their application process in greater detail.

Advisor extraordinaire, Tracy Cummins, will be available to meet with all interested students on Monday, Jan. 24^th D241 at 12:50 to discuss the application process in greater detail.

Ten Tips for Student Success

1. Attend your classes. But don't just 'attend'--participate.  Make your learning active so that you engage with what you are learning.  It will 'sink in' much better!
2. Know your faculty. Make sure you know who your teachers are and don't feel shy to approach them!  If you have a question, by all means ask it!  Chances are, other students in the class have the same question.  If you have a problem and it's affecting your ability to do your work, speak to your teachers sooner rather than later.  Don't wait til after the fact to discuss it.  And make an appointment with Student Success!  We are here to help! 
3. Make sure your teacher knows you. Sit in the front of the classroom. Participate in class discussions. This becomes even more important when you get into larger college classes but why not start a good habit now!!
   
4. Use a daily planner. Note the dates of exams, assignments, papers, etc.
   
5. Be organized. Prioritize your responsibilities. Manage your time. Remember everyone has the same 168 hours a week, only some of us use them better than others.  Cramming is not conducive to understanding and retaining large amounts of information. Spending time on your courses each day is the best way to learn. 
6. Know your campus resources. Visit the Resources Page on this blog to find out what is available. Become familiar with the services and programs offered by the Counseling Center, the Career Centre, the TLC, the PAL Centre Office, the Library, The Life Works Centre and the Student Association.
   
7. Take care of you health. Get enough sleep. Fatigue and stress weaken memory and comprehension. Eat properly, exercise regularly, and get adequate sleep. Why not get involved in a team sport or join the fitness facility at George Brown College?  You can stay fit and make new friends in the process--a great way to improve your English!!
8. Work only as necessary. Don't overdo it!  If you manage your time wisely, and study with your peers in a study group, you'll have more time for leisure activities so that you can balance your schedule. Meet up with a Peer Leader to support your study group!
   
9. Get involved in campus activities. It will help you learn valuable skills, expand your social network and enhance your self-confidence. Seek out opportunities to apply what you learn in the classroom. FYI:  the Student Association is always looking for volunteers.  What's more:  you can add this experience to your resume!
   
10. Keep your eyes on the prize. Clarify your goals and make them measurable and achievable.  Know why you are in college in the first place. Visualize your success on a daily basis.

And, as always, take advantage of the resources available to you.  There is help for you:

• The Peer Tutors at the TLC in C503
• Tutoring in the ESL Library, D315
• Peer Leaders and Student Success Workshops, D304

Happy New Year and Welcome to a new session at the School of ESL!

If this is your first time at the School of ESL, welcome!!

For returning students, we hope you had a wonderful, safe and restful holiday and you're all geared up for the new session!

Classes begin at 9am on Monday, January 10th.

Plan to come about 15 minutes early to check the schedules posted outside of the ESL Office so that you can find out where your class is located.

Wishing you a very successful session!

Happy Norooz!

Today is Norooz, the first day of Spring and the beginning of Persian New Year! 

Etymology

'Nowruz' comes from two words, now (or a similar term, such as 'nau' or 'nav', with the sounds 'n' and 'v' or 'w'), meaning new in Persian, Kurdish, Avestan, Sanskrit and several other related Indo-European languages, and roz orruz or rozh, meaning day in Middle Persian and Persian languages. The English 'new', the German 'neu', the French 'nouveau', the Romanian 'nou', are intimately related to the [[Iranian languages|Iranic] 'now'.

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz

New Year's Resolutions--What's Yours???

The New Year is the perfect time to set goals for SUCCESS!!

2010 is a great time to GET SMART!!!
If you are hoping for student success in the upcoming session, now’s an excellent time to get SMART.

To get a jump start on a great academic year, set some college or school goals and make them
· Specific
· Measurable
· Achievable
· Relevant
· Time-Framed
Follow these 5 easy steps and you’ll be on your way.

How To Set S.M.A.R.T Student Goals
Say your goal is ‘To work harder at college’. Here’s how to make it S.M.A.R.T.



Step 1: Make it Specific
‘To work harder at college’ is too general. What exactly do you want to be different? Do you want to take extra courses? Go to the TLC to get help from a tutor? Improve your conversation skills with an ESL tutor in the library? Write better essays? Do more research? Spend more time studying? Think about what actions will give you the best returns for your time and energy.
Specific: I want to spend more time studying. It helps if: you can picture it clearly

Step 2: Make it Measurable
How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? What’s the measurable outcome?
Measurable: I’ll spend three hours on personal study for every 1 hour of classes. It helps if: there’s an objective, defined outcome that you can tick off.

Step 3: Make it Achievable
Reality-check time. Are you willing to do what it takes to stick with your goal? If you’re likely to feel overwhelmed and give up after a week, it’s better to choose a more achievable target you are willing to commit to.
Achievable: I’ll spend two hours on personal study for every 1 hour of classes – that’s doable. It helps if: your goal and your commitment level are well matched.

Step 4: Make it Relevant
You have a better chance of achieving your goal if it’s relevant to your life and other priorities. If it’s a ‘you really should’ from someone else, or a childhood plan you no longer care about, then ditch or update it.For instance, if a friend wants you to take art classes with him/her but you have very little artistic inclination or desire, choose something else. Make it relevant to your life or you’ll lose interest and motivation early on.
Relevant: I’ll spend two hours on personal study by listening to CBC Quirks and Quarks podcasts for every 1 hour of class – which is relevant to my interest in health and science as well as to my goal of becoming a nurse. It helps if: You aren’t fighting with yourself to reach your objective.

Step 5: Make it Time-Framed
What’s a reasonable date or timeframe for your goal? Find a happy medium between being so ambitious that you never really expect to succeed, and aiming so low you have zero incentive to try. BE REALISTIC!
Time-Framed: I’ll spend two hours on personal study for every 1 hour of class for each week of this session. It helps if: the time frame is close enough to energize you (looking too far ahead can be counter-productive if you feel like you can worry about it later). In order for you to reach your SMART goals they must have specific dates or times attached to them. Tommorow never comes.



Optimize Your Chance of Goal Success:
To give yourself the best chance of achieving your objectives, use these questions to direct you.
They move you from planning to action.

Questions to ask yourself—to optimize your chance of SUCCESS!
1. What Resources Do You Need? Make a list of all the things, people and information you need to achieve your objective.
For instance:

• Take a hoodie to the library so I’m not cold
• Upload CBC podcasts to my MP3 player so that I can listen while I commute
• Stock up on stationery or sticky notes so I can make notes
• Buy a good book on study skills
• Form a study group!!!

2. What Needs To Be Scheduled In Your Diary?
Most goals need time and activities – make sure you have these allocated in your diary.
For instance:

• Schedule a time to go to the shops and buy your hoodie, stationery and study-skills books
• Schedule a 2-hour study session in your diary for every hour of classes you have.

3. What Milestones Are Important Along The Way?
It helps keep up your motivation if you give yourself little rewards for your progress along the way. Start by deciding which milestones to reward.
For instance:

• Sticking to my study schedule for the first week
• Sticking to my study schedule for the first month
• Sticking to my study schedule for the whole session!

4. What Rewards Will You Give Yourself?
Next, choose your rewards.
For instance:

• Sticking to my study schedule for the first week – Go to the movies
• Sticking to my study schedule for the first month – Check out that new restaurant
• Sticking to my study schedule for the whole semester – Get a new MP3 player

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to student success!
adapted from: getorganized.com



People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.
- Earl Nightingale