Hello everyone, it’s Nicole and I want to welcome all mature students back to York University! The continuation of classes after a labour disruption can be a bit of shock, especially for students who didn’t attend York for two or more weeks.

I understand that thinking about everything you still have to do before the Winter Term concludes can feel a bit overwhelming. I’m speaking to you as one of the students who experienced four weeks of postponed classes and must now jump back into academic studies, finish up major assignments and prepare for exams. I realized that I need to implement a plan to help me finish off my academic year. These four tips that I’m sharing with you are part of that plan.

My goal is to help dispel some of the anxiety that may be bothering you and to remind you that completing the Winter Term is something that you can do with the right attitude and work ethic.

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1. Get Informed

It’s important to gather as much information as you can about the resumption of the Winter Term and the options that are available to you as a student of York University. You may have received an email from your professors regarding the resumption of your classes, or your professors may choose to explain everything in class.

I think it is very important to speak with your course director about the changes to course content this week so you can start to formulate a plan for rest of the academic year. Ask for their guidance as well as their cooperation. This is especially important if you are a student who will be graduating, leaving the country, experiencing a conflict due to travelling or starting a job. If for some reason you will not be attending your class this week and haven’t heard anything from your instructor, contact them to find out how the class will proceed.

The websites down below contain valuable information about updated academic activities:

• Registrar’s Important Dates for updates to the Winter Term:
  http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/fw14.htm
• Exam Schedule for Final Exams:
  https://w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/
• Labour Disruption Website FAQ for information about residence and housing, international students, finances, etc:
  http://labourdisruption.info.yorku.ca/faqs-students-and-parents/

International Students please visit the York International website (http://yorkinternational.yorku.ca/) or office at 200 York Lanes to receive more information on how you should proceed with your studies.

 

2. Re-Focus

The last month of school can be challenging. This is true whether or not students are dealing with the circumstances of a labour disruption. The best advice I can give you is try to be as productive as you can during these next few weeks. This means getting on top of the new requirements and deadlines for assignments as soon as you can, keeping on top of your course readings and starting your review for your exams before classes end (if your exams are scheduled in April).

Scheduling your time is very important. If you want to be successful, try to make school one of your top priorities and schedule some time out of every day to be proactive and complete some of your coursework. Sometimes a change in environment can help with this. Instead of going home after class, try going over to the library for an hour to do some schoolwork. If the library doesn’t work for you, maybe you know of a coffee shop or café with a pleasant atmosphere.

 

3. Use the York University Support Units

Now, more than ever, is a fantastic time to take advantage of the various academic supports that York University has. You’ll find there are quite a few workshops dedicated to getting students back on track for the Winter Term.

You can find out about various workshops and activities by visiting the York Events Page (http://www.yorku.ca/yuevents/index.asp) or by clicking on the links below:

 

• Career Centre
• Learning Commons
• Learnings Skills Services
• Personal Counselling Services
• Writing Centres

If you have any questions about your degree requirements or your academic history, sit down with your faculty advisor to discuss your options. You can find links to all faculty advisors by clicking on the following link: http://acadresources.yorku.ca/advising.htm

You can also visit us at ACMAPS if you have any questions, would like to speak to someone about your academic progress or would like to sit down with a mature student mentor and have a conversation.

 

4. Speak to Your Peers

You have classmates in your courses that are facing some of the same challenges you are at the moment, so you don’t have to jump back into your studies all by yourself. Seek out a few of your peers and offer up the idea of working on course content together, which can include: sharing notes on lectures and readings, and working out an exam study group.

I strongly recommend working together with your peers, I’m sure you’ll find that many of them will be open to the idea. It helps to alleviate some of the heavy workload and stress.