Kymone Fletcher

**University and Education**

**Life Balance**

Knapp, Kerry. "Top 10 Tips for Balancing Work and School." Monster.ca. Accessed November 10, 2015. http://career-advice.monster.ca/in-the-workplace/work-life-balance/top-10-tips-for-balancing-work-and-school-canada/article.aspx.

In this article, Kerry Knapp talks about different ways to balance life between having a job and working at the same time. Knapp mentions one should take their personality in account when thinking about how and when they will do their school work, one should decide if they are a fast or slow worker to allow themselves an adequate amount of time to get this done. She also mentions the possibility of taking time off work if needed and the importance of having good communication with your boss about your school work load. Knapp also discusses the possibility of taking some courses online so you can save time not having to commute and if you do not have the option to take courses online, choose a job or school that is close to home. If you cannot choose a school or job in close proximity she mentions the idea of strategizing your time by doing readings or other school work on your way to and from school and/or work. She also recommends making a schedule and making time for enough sleep. Lastly, Knapp stresses how important it is to stay passionate about what you are doing so you do not lose motivation

"5 Tips to Achieve Your Optimal Work/School/Life Balance." Columbia University. December 18, 2014. Accessed November 10, 2015. http://ce.columbia.edu/news/5-tips-achieve-your-optimal-workschoollife-balance.

In this article, various contributors talked about ways to balance working and going to school at the same time while still making time for family. This advice might not apply to most students in the present but can be put into action in the future. One of the suggestions for balancing work/school life while still having time for family was to put your family or partner into consideration while working. Make sure you have enough time left over to spend with your loved ones as well as keeping on top of all your work. Your family should also support you and you can make sure of this by reminding them what your goals are as this will explain why you are so busy.In this article, the possibility of taking online classes is also mentioned as well as being realistic when choosing courses. Do not choose too many courses as you can be bombarded with too much work and do not choose an early class if you know you cannot wake up in the early mornings. Lastly, this article mentions the importance of taking time for yourself and rewarding yourself for your hard work every once in a while.

**Maintaining/Achieving Grades**

"Getting Good Grades." University of Toronto Scarborough. Accessed November 10, 2015. http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ccds/getting-good-grades.

The University of Toronto Scarborough complied a variety of tips on how students can achieve good grades in university. Going to lectures and actually paying attention (taking notes, no web surfing, talking to friends etc.) can help with absorbing the material and understanding the content better that will lead to better marks on exams and assignments. A lot of courses give a mark for participation so participating in tutorials and lecture can also help in achieving a better grade. When given assignments, having a talk with your TA or professor about the exceptions can help with doing the best work possible and getting the best grade. It should also be noted that if an assignment has been given back with a mark that is unsatisfactory do not be afraid to argue it. Not only is there a possibility that you can get a better mark, but this shows your TA and/or professor that you are passionate and take learning seriously. Lastly, doing readings for every class each week before the lectures and tutorials will help to better understand the content and can help with being able to participate in class.

Hansen Ph.D, Randall S. "10 Tips for Getting Good (or Better) Grades." Quint Careers. Accessed November 11, 2015. http://www.quintcareers.com/getting-better-grades/.

In this article, Randell Hansen talks about how to get good grades or even improve already good grades. Firstly he recommends that all classes are attended, not only does this count towards participation marks but something crucial might be covered in class that could be on a test or exam. He also recommends having good communication with profs which includes going to office hours. keeping a planner is also a good way to get good grades as it helps to stay on top of all homework ,readings and assignments which would eliminate the possibility of getting penalized for handing in late work. Hansen also mentions taking good notes during lectures and even reviewing and rewriting notes after class as this can help you absorb the material better. Lastly, he recommends proofreading and rewriting assignments before handing them in as even the best scholars and writers do not get it perfect on the first shot.