Happiness and Goals

           

                   Happiness and balance is something everyone strives to achieve through being successful in their personal and professional lives, But to begin with, what is success exactly? I asked around some friends the same question everyone gave me a different answer according to their own point of view and how they perceive success most of them linked it to their goals what that they want to achieve at some point in time.

In my opinion success is not a " Destination " its the " Journey " itself , being satisfied inside about your daily life activities,what you do ,what you see, what you have and the direction of your path if it is towards your goals, are you seeing them getting closer and achieving them one by one.
How to accomplish that ? well first thing is first "If you don't know where are you going you can never get there " so the key point here is " Goal Setting " goal setting is very very important because goals really do define your future.Write down your goals , researches showed that you will have better chances achieving them, keep in mind that a common misstep is to be overly ambitious with your goals don't get me wrong its good to aim at the stars but be careful to aim too high (You'll brake your neck) lol .Just be realistic and optimistic as much as possible while writing your goals in a (SMART) format : Specific,Measurable,Attainable,relevant and Timely based. Finally I would like to share with you ten simple tips that for sure will help you be happy and successful :

- keep your list to 10 goals .
- Write them down where you can see them frequently (phone or beside bed ).
- Surround yourself with people doing the same or have already achieved it.
- Constantly stay on the lookout for opportunities that will help you attain your goals.
- Visualize yourself succeeding.
- Let everyone know what you are doing people want to love and see others succeed.
- Free your life of other interest or time consuming endeavors that no longer fit your goals.
- Talk to people who are doing what you want to do and ask for advice and assistance.
- As you meet a goal replace it with another one keep stretching your mind and ambitions.
- Stay positive and flexible.

                                                  " Plan your work & work your plan "

The right friends

            

Finding the right friends and building lasting friendships is something everyone strive to achieve since lasting friendships are considered to be the backbone of our social life where they help us in many ways throughout our personal and professional lives as well as they provide the constant support and companionship that a friendship can provide, being a friend and having a friend makes life worthwhile.
        
              Friendship is one of the most amazing things in life that is most valued and appreciated. Real lasting friendships doesn't happen over night it takes investment from both parties in order for this friendship to grow and prosper they say "a friend who walks in when everyone is walking out " . sometimes we get disappointed from people we thought they are friends that is why its important to learn from your previous experiences and try to really determine the ones worth investing in. I will share with you some tips of why choosing the right friends is very important .

1.Stress Relief
friends can be a big stress reliever when you take a break from studying or work to hangout and do anything fun that you share interest in with them to relax and enjoy a good time doing what you like with good company. 

2.Support
Everyone needs support specially at difficult times and that is what good friends are for to support you and stand by you in difficult times either you are away or at home .

3.Help
Good friends show up when you need help if your car broke down in the middle of nowhere and need a ride there is a few who you will wake up to come assist you and if you are moving they wont ask if you need help they will just show up at your house.

4.Positive Motivation
Having positive optimistic friends around you is important to motivate you and helps you to stay positive specially through rough times when you are down.

5.You well become Them.
This is the most important reason when choosing your friends because friends will have strong impact on you whether you admit it or not its a fact , you will adopt words they use and start developing similar habits and laugh about thing they thought it funny.

It is very important to choose friends that share the same standards to build each other up and who will love and support you encouraging you to bring your best out .

Tomorrow

Beat the odds and achieve your goals today.

Smart Snacking Strategies

Here are some ways to make healthy snacking part of your everyday routine:

• Prepare healthy snacks in advance. Did you know that you can make your own granola or trail mix? When you make something yourself, you get to control the ingredients and put in what's good for you! You also can keep plenty of fresh fruit and veggies at home to take on the go. Cut up melons or vegetables like celery and carrots in advance and store them in the fridge until you want them. Making your own snacks is also a blessing to your wallet!
• Keep healthy snacks with you. Make it a habit to stash some fruit, granola bars, or baby carrots in your backpack so you always have some healthy food nearby. Half a cheese sandwich also makes a great snack to have on standby.
• Make it interesting. Healthy snacking doesn't have to be boring as long as you give yourself a variety of choices. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, or low-fat fruit yogurt are healthy, tasty, and easy.
• Satisfy cravings with healthier approaches. If you're crazy for chocolate, try a hot chocolate drink instead of a chocolate bar. An 8-ounce mug of hot chocolate has only 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. The average chocolate bar, on the other hand, has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat. Substitute nonfat frozen yogurt or sorbet for ice cream. If you're craving savory munchies, snack on baked tortilla chips instead of regular corn chips and pair them with salsa instead of sour cream. Or satisfy salt cravings with pretzels instead of chips.
• Read serving size information. What looks like a small package of cookies can contain 2 or more servings — which means double or even triple the amounts of fat, calories, and sugar shown on the label.

Don't slip up after dinner. Evenings can be a tempting time to indulge in sugary, fatty snacks. If you're really feeling hungry, don't ignore it. Instead, pick the right snacks to fill the hunger gap. Whole-wheat fig bars, rice cakes, or air-popped popcorn can do the trick, as can fruit paired with cheese or yogurt.

Healthy Treats to Try!

Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard and it's definitely worth the little bit of extra effort. Here are a few healthy snacking ideas that do the trick:

• Ants on a log: Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins. See picture to the left.
  
• Banana ice: Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts.
  
• Healthy ice pops: Freeze fresh, unsweetened 100% juice in ice pop molds or ice cube trays.
  
• Whole-grain pita and hummus: Warm a pita in the oven on low, then cut it into small triangles. Dip it in a tasty, low-fat hummus. Hummus is available in yummy flavors like garlic and spicy red pepper. Hummus also makes a tasty dip for cut-up veggies.
  
• Happy trails mix: Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and ¼ cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix.

As with everything, moderation is the key to smart snacking. Students who eat regular meals and healthy snacks are less likely to overeat and gain weight than those who skip meals or go for long periods without eating and then munch down a large order of fries.

It's also natural to feel hungrier at certain times — like between a long afternoon of classes and your sports game meet. Knowing how much food your body needs to satisfy this hunger is critical. A handful of walnuts is great brain food before sitting down to do that math homework. But a whole bag won't help you add anything — except pounds!

The Perfect Study Place, Don’t Settle for Less!

By Anthony Truong. Now that you have learned how to become more organized, you now have more time to study now! But before you dive right into study mode, you need the right environment for your study place, ideally a place without any distractions. Here are some tips of what I do:

At Home:
I think that studying at home is the best place to study. However, the biggest obstacles are your bed, fridge, and Internet.  Unless you are doing internet research, turn your Internet off. Download all the resources that you will need and just do yourself a favour and turn it off! Hide your modem in the basement if you really have to. If for some reason you do not have a desk to study at, I would highly suggest in investing in one. In the meantime, go to the library because studying on the floor, bed or couch isn’t going to cut it.

The Library:

The Library would be the second best choice, it is not the first because it can become time consuming traveling to your local library depending on where you live. Don't forget about eating! Lunch breaks can consume a large portion of your precious studying time. Don’t fall into the trap of going to the library with your friends. It will end up with too many “study breaks”. If you choose to go to the library, go alone and sit in the silent study area because if you sit anywhere else, the chances of a friend bumping into you are more likely. Just make sure you remember to bring all your resources with you, the last thing you want is forgetting your textbook or notes at home.

In conclusion, try to limit as many distractions as possible. Don't be the person that studies for 8 hours to get a 90%. Realistically, nobody has the time and willpower to study for 8 hours. Make it easy for yourself and be the person that studies for 2 hours for that 90%!

12 cheap alternatives!

12 cheap alternatives to fast food, If you want to save money this is a great way how!



1. Plan ahead
3. Appetizers
4. Keep a cheap list
5. Good salads
6. Breakfasts
7. Lunch specials
9. Make your favorite fast food
10. Always pack snacks
11. Bring bottled water
12. Grocery stores


Using these tips will for sure help you save some money and maintain your student budget!

Fit A Workout Into A Busy Day

So you have 2 lectures and 1 lab in one day AND you still want those unreal biceps? Easy. Instead of blowing off the gym completely due the weak excuse that you’re “too busy,” simply make your workout shorter yet still effective using these tips:

Prepare Yourself – Ensure you have all gym necessities in your gym bag and ready to go. This include untangling your headphones, filling up your water bottle, and having that kick@$$ playlist already downloaded.

Avoid Rush Hour – Don’t go to the gym when other fitness gurus are planning their workout (like 6:00pm after work). Choose the early afternoon to avoid waiting in line for machines.

Do Something You Love – Whether it be yoga, running, biking, weight lifting, etc. Pick a form of exercise that you actually enjoy doing. This will make the workout seem less like a chore and more like fun.

Minimize Time, Maximize Weight – Instead of doing your usual workout, switch to shorter intervals of heavier weights.

Multitask Your Muscles – Direct yourself to machines that work a few muscles at a time rather than a machined geared to only one.

Shower Strategy  – Look for all-in-one shampoo and conditioners. There's even a few body washes out there that work as shampoo too to save time when cleansing yourself. Also bring all your stuff into the gym with you, that way when your workout is over, you can dash right to the shower!

Also, Muscle and Strength is all about premium workout routines for each part of your body! Review them to help put together an effective workout that's right for you!

Improve your diet, now!

To teenagers, “dieting” sounds like some crazy challenge that requires more work than writing an essay or completing a project.

Here are some small changes that can make a big impact:

• Say no to pop! Go for sugar-free versions or simply just switch to water. Add a couple slices of cucumber for a refreshing taste that’s also good for your skin.
• Keeping a stocked fruit bowl at home or in res is an easy way to enjoy a fast and low-kilojoule snack.
• Eat breakfast every day so you’re less likely to snack on junk food. A fortified breakfast cereal served with low-fat milk can provide plenty of vitamins, mineral and fibre. Other fast and healthy options include yoghurt or wholemeal toast.
• Don’t skip lunch or dinner.
• Reduce the size of your meals; do you really need 3 servings of that?
• Don’t add salt to your food.
• Avoid fast-food joints at all costs unless you order a healthier menu option.
• Change your meeting place. Meeting up with friends on a regular basis at the burger bar around the corner is doing more damage than you think. Pick a restaurant that serves healthier foods.

One great website that offers dozens of healthy recipes is Allrecipes.com. They offer great advice to give your meals a healthy boost! Check it out! 

Become Organized and Take Control of Time

By Anthony Truong. You are a typical student. You attend multiple classes throughout the week, have exams to study for, projects to do, and you could be working. On top of everything, you need time to eat, sleep and socialize. The life of a student is very busy and without the proper ability to be organized, you might find yourself in a difficult situation.You wouldn't want to be in a situation where you walk into your classroom to find out that you have an exam or project due. You wouldn't want to study for an exam just to find out that you studied the wrong materials. If you can develop a strong foundation of organizational skills, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort for the rest of your life.

Here are my two tips on becoming more organized:

1. Use A Schedule. At the beginning of the year, input all the dates of exams, project deadlines and everything else onto a calender. You can use a paper calender, but I would recommend an online calender because you can sync it to your phone. Whenever something comes up or a deadline is moved, be sure to adjust accordingly. Feel free to include your school and work schedule into your calender, I decided not to because it would clutter my schedule, after all, you need to be able to read your schedule! I use my phone's calendar app, this is what my schedule looks like:

2. Plan Plan Plan! Now that you have an organized calender, you can start planning. At the beginning of each week you should plan out your week. You make a to-do list for things that need to be accomplished this week. First, you should list down all of the things you need to do this week. Second, you reorganize your list in order from the top being the highest priority and the bottom being the lowest priority. I prioritize based on when the deadline is and the value of it. For example, an assignment due in 2 days that is worth 30% is more important than studying for a quiz that is worth 5% in 3 days. I use an app called Astrid Tasks to create my to-do list, this is what my to-do list for week looks like:

For all 3 terms I have been in school, I have received a perfect 4.0 GPA. I am heavily involved with club activities, volunteer work and a part-time job. I also make time for myself to go to the gym twice a week. Follow these 2 tips and you can now consider yourself organized. Now you just need to stay organized! Just like I always say, to look back and learn from mistakes, to look forward and leave no days unalert.

Make That Dude/Gal Your Friend

Social life plays a major role in every individual's life success overall and for students more importantly its critical for them to have a healthy social life .a healthy social life helps the students to have a stable state of mind allowing them to focus and perform to their best ability but the question that often pop up is how do i do it ?
There is many things students can start doing that will help improve their social life here are a few tips :

SMILE
Smile , say hii :) don't be shy a nice warm smile usually breaks the ice expressing positivity .

Be yourself
be comfortable in your own skin don't pretend to be something somebody you
are not meaning that you should always speak your mind and be honest since it builds trust and trust is the base for any type of relation.

Be there
presence and participation, being present at all classes events and venues around school as well as participating in class discussions activities and volunteer opportunities around school is beneficial to build relations socialize with fellow students and earn recognition around campus .

Watch out for future tips about a lot more things you can do to further more make your social experience in college exciting beneficial and fun.

You Have To Want It

No one ever said it would be easy. In order to accomplish any goal you must work for, you must believe in yourself, and you have to want it. Whether your goal is to achieve 6-pack abs, killer legs, an A+ on a project, you have to commit yourself to it.

The video to the left is the most well-known motivational speech to date. In encourages others to want to achieve their goals as badly as they want to breath. Do you want to achieve your goal as much as you want to breath?

Here are some quick tips to help you achieve your goals:

• Make a “goal-setting” calendar. Write down all the things you want to accomplish over a time period and the actions you will do to achieve them.
• Change your background. It’s simple but effective. Instead of that cute picture of your dog, or a sunset from your recent vacation, try choosing a motivational quote or a picture of your desired goal to be the backdrop on your phone or computer. 
• Reminder Yourself. Whether it be reminders in your phone, or sticky notes plastered over your walls and mirrors. Being constantly reminded of your goals will get it stuck in your mind that it’s a necessity.
• Bring a friend. Having someone else push you is never a problem. Get your parents to push you to achieve, or partner up with a friend who may have the same goal and achieve it together. The motivation from each other will also boost competition and thus greater results. 
• Use social media! Follow Instagram, and Twitter accounts that are making posts focused on your goal or similar goals. 

Eating on a student budget!

Whether you live on res or you live at home we all have to eat!


We all know about fast food and how convenient it might be on campus but, It all adds up to be a rediculous amount of money those value combos that seem to be cheap will kill your bank account.

Instead try these alternatives:

Bring food from home

If you are going to buy lunch make sure you have something else from home to save a little money

Make a budget or a plan that calculates how much you want to spend and how much you can spend

If you will be grocery shopping at a local supermarket don't buy the brand names that are so expensive.

With these things in mind, you will not only have more money but you have a chance to stop eating out so much and start eating healthier as well! its a win-win situation you can't go wrong!

Good luck everyone!

until next week ciao for now

A Message From The Authors

Hello Fellow Students,

We are the Guide's authors and we are in the sames shoes as you; attending a post-secondary institution and planning our career. Currently the four of us are in second year of the Marketing program at Sheridan College and this guide is the result of a class project for our Digital Marketing class.

As we all know, attending college and university is probably the most stressful times for teenagers and young adults which is why as a team, we decided to get together and create a guide that will help us all. As the days go by, we will be posting tips and advice on how to be social at a new school, how to live on a student budget, how to maintain good health and fitness, and how to succeed academically.

We hope you enjoy our guide and that our tips help you in one way or another. We encourage feedback and audience engagement so feel free to leave comments on our posts!