Reasons You Should Play Intramurals

intramural

ˌɪntrəˈmjʊər(ə)l/

adjective

1. Sports played by colleges in a fun environment
2. Colleges compete for the York Torch 

Intramural's can be a daunting thing to get involved in. "What if Im not good enough?", "I've never played sports" and "But I don't know anyone" are the things that commonly run through peoples minds when being asked to join intramural's. Im here to change your mind! Presenting.... reasons you should play intramurals:

1. YOU DONT HAVE TO BE GOOD IN SPORTS

Yes you will be playing sports. No, you don't have to be a pro. Almost every sport offered in intramurals is offered in either TIER ONE or TIER TWO. Tier one is more competitive, and people usually have played the sport before, however tier two is way less competitive and more fun (giving a chance for everyone to play)!

Batting in softball...
needless to say that ball didn't go anywhere....

2. ITS FUN 

Yes fun. Just because you're at University doesn't mean you have to give up on fun! And this is a perfect way to get some fun in your life. Intramurals allow you to be goofy, get your body moving, and interacting with other people- how can you say NO people?!

3. THERE ARE SOME CRAZY SPORTS OUT THERE...

RAGE dodgeball. Bowling. Inner-water basketball. YES. Those are all sports you can play FOR FREE here at York University. They bring the fun to a whole 'nother level, and you may never get a chance to play these sports anywhere else ;) 

Me in action.. at Rage Dodgeball
(its THIS FRIDAY btw)!

4. YOU LEARN SPORTS 

Before I came to York I had never played football, let alone knew the rules. And this applied to a lot of sports. Intramurals have allowed me to become more familiar with sports, which I am pretty happy about (no longer do I have to pretend to know what people are talking about the night after a "crazy game")

5.  EASY TO FIT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Finding it hard to get to the gym or to do that 5k a day? Intramurals are a perfect way to incorporate moving your body everyday!

AND if you're having a hard time fitting in study breaks, and socializing time... INTRAMURALS will cover all that for you too! 3-in-1: its s study break, you socialize while playing, and you're getting a workout in :D perfect right?!

Lastly... if sports 100% are not your thing, absolutely, what so ever.... AT LEAST get involved with something at York!

Until Next Time, I'll be Yorking Around, 

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What Im Thankful For...

So its Thanksgiving weekend which means time for reflection and thanks! What am I thankful for? Its a tough one because there is so much I am lucky to have in my life, however one big thing that I am thankful for is the opportunities I have been so grateful to have in my life! These include...

Opportunity to snowboard!

Opportunity to be a Don for the 2013/2014 school year!

Opportunity to work the RED Zone!

Opportunity to be on a website!

Opportunity to run a Half Marathon the upcoming weekend! 

... we shall see how it goes ;)

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend full of thanks!

Until Next Time, I'll be Yorking around,

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Brace Yourselves... Essays Are Coming

I have written quite a few essays during my time here at York University. Since it is that time of the year where essays will be due soon I thought Id give some of my best tips which have helped me along the years...

1. Start Them Early

May seem like the most overrated recommendation but its so true! Essays take time because you need to read materiel, do the research, and then actually pump out X amount of pages filled your arguments and ideas. Point is: give yourself enough time... its the difference between a D essay and a A essay.

2. Talk To Your Professor
They may seem scary and intimidating but most profs are nice and approachable. Feel free to ask them questions regarding your essay and it'll give you a feel for what they are looking for in your paper.

3. Writing Centre
The Writing Centre is a service on campus which provides FREE help with all things essay. They offer help through various ways (15 mins drop ins, 1 hour appointments, and even online help). Get more information about them here or visit them at S311 Ross South.

4. Learning Commons

Located on the second floor of Scott Library, the learning commons can provide assistant with your essays too! They can provide help with writing, research, learning skills, and career services. Furthermore they have workshops going on all the time which can help with achieving those A+ essays! Get more information here.

5. Ref Works

Ref Works is my knight in shining armour (in the essay world). Ref works is a tool to make those tedious bibliographies, much easier. It lets you input your sources, and when your done, you ask it to generate a bibliography and citation in the format you have request. Check out my previous blog post which goes into detail about RefWorks or check out their website here.

6. Think About Past Lectures
There is a reason you've been assigned an essay on a particular topic... and it's not to torture you. Its so you can enhance what you've learned in the class so far. Think back on past themes, topics, and vocabulary you have learnt so far in the class and find ways to tie them into your essay. This will show you understand what you've been learning in class which will then give you a better mark!

Good luck with those essays,

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Phone Applications Every York University Student Needs

We're living in a day and age where we can do just about anything with technology! That's why I thought I'd make a blog about the phone apps every York University student should have:

1. York University Recreation App:

 

This app is brand new and has a ton of fitness features any gym goer needs. From checking the operation hours on a particular day, or to find out about any cancellations this app has it all!

2. York University Safety App:

This is also a new app which allows you to have all of our safety resources at your finger tips. You can get goSafe's number for those late night classes, call York security directly from the app, and even get directions from one building to another! I think it's much more than just a "safety app" which is why I think every student should download it. 

3. York University Bookstore "Sell Your Textbooks" App

This is a super simple and super easy app to use! It essentially gives you access to a bookstore marketplace which makes it easier to sell your used books. Additionally you can hold up your used book to "scan" the bar code which then lets you know how much money you can get from the bookstore for your used book. Get more information here. 

4. UBC Schulich School of Business App 

Although the app is indeed made for Schulich students, anyone can download and it has resources any York student can use. This app is provided by the Schulich School of Business and the Undergraduate Business Council, and sponsored by the CGA. It provides access to events, news, and a directory of services on campus! Get more information here. 

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Im Back- An Update!

It's been a while since I've written a blog post so I thought it would be a good idea to write one now! Orientation, and the start of school sure can be hectic, however there's usually an abundance of new things going on so I thought I would do an update on what's been going on with me:

• After 2 full weeks of training, I am Don here at York University! So far it's been a great experience and am loving it every step of the way. For more information on what a Don does and how you can get involved with Residence Life click here. 

The Vanier Residence Don team for 2013/2014! With
York University president, Mamdouh Shoukri.

• I am going into my 5th year at York. With changes to my major, and being involved on campus I have come back for a 5th and last year. It's bitter-sweet knowing it will be my last so I am making sure to make the most out of it!
• I am training for a half-marathon! I've been an avid runner for a few years now however this will be my FIRST half marathon. I am super excited for it. You can follow my training and see how the race goes by following me on twitter @MonikaSoniaG

Some friends and I- post York University Terry Fox run!
I ram 10k! :)

• Still working at the RED Zone- Of course!!! I have come back for another awesome year at the RED Zone, and I am excited to see many of your faces stopping by to ask questions or even just to say hi! On the first day of school we had over 1000 students stop by- crazy!

What has been going on in your life?! The start of school is a perfect time to plan ahead with school, and extra curricular activities. Some things I do at the start of the school year:

• Schedule my due dates, tests, essays, etc on my calendar. This way I can plan ahead and it is easier to visualize when I have school work due. 

Some of my due dates for October! Eek!

• Look for some clubs I want to get involved with! September is the BEST time to get involved. Many clubs are recruiting students, and looking for new members so go out and get involved! To help you, go onto YuConnect where you can find all the clubs you can get involved with (500+ in case you didn't know). 

YUConnect homepage

• Look for an on-campus job. Right now is the time to apply! York University has over 1000 jobs on campus that are ONLY open to STUDENTS (you!). So, if you're already looking for a job why not check what jobs are open now at York. You can find them over at the Career Centre. 

I also indulge in getting brand new notebooks :) Anything else you usually do during the start of a brand new school year? Let me know!

Goodluck with the school year everyone! Before you know it, it'll all be over so make the most out of your time!!!!

Until Next Time, I'll be Yorking Around, 

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