Category Archives: Campus Stuff

Only 31 Days to Go….

Hello everyone! I am ecstatic to be writing my first entry for the Brescia Blog! For those of you whom I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Sarah and I am going into my second year at Brescia University College, majoring in Psychology and French for Teaching. I am literally counting the days (31!) until I will be moving back into residence.

I first heard about Brescia when my two-years-older brother started looking at universities. The stack of viewbooks he brought home included one for Western, and I was captivated. I saw the information in the back of the book about the affiliate university colleges and I knew straight away, without a doubt, that it was for me. In October of Grade 12, I booked a tour of Brescia and I immediately felt an overwhelming connection to the campus and its community. I applied the day of the November Fall Preview Day and was beyond excited when I received my offer in February.

I just couldn’t get enough of Brescia. I did the BUILD program in March, where Grade 11 and 12 students have the opportunity to spend a weekend at Brescia, staying in residence and attending the FLAIR conference. I competed in Take the Lead 2011. I will always remember that day as the happiest I had ever felt, not only because I had won a full scholarship for my first year, but also because I felt entirely welcomed into the community I admired so much. The girls I met that day continue to be some of my closest friends.

I was a junior counsellor at Brescia’s Girls LEAD camp that summer,  helping with the two week program for eight and nine year old girls. This event gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with campus even more, not to mention giving back to the community that had already given me so much.

I moved into Brescia on September 4, 2011. I took part in amazing O-Week activities, from touring downtown London to raising money for Cystic Fibrosis to learning cheers. I met incredible people, overwhelmingly kind Sophs and spent free time wandering through Ursuline Hall, determined to explore every nook and cranny of my new home.

I ran for the Brescia University College Students Council and was elected the First Year Residence Representative. I signed up for the Tri-Mentoring Program and the Leadership Certificate Program. I went to Mass and Campus Ministry events. Most importantly, I learned so much about myself, as a person, as a student and as a leader.

Being asked to be a judge for Take the Lead 2012 was emotional and humbling. I spent that whole day thinking about how influential that day had been for me, and hoping that the incoming girls would find it to be just as inspiring.

Moving out of residence on April 26th after completing exams was very sad. However, I knew that  in just under four months I would be coming back to Brescia, and would be just as busy and involved in my second year (if not more) than in my first.

This year, I am the Brescia Councillor on Western’s University Students Council, a position that also puts me on the BUCSC as the USC Representative. I will be a Brescia Ambassador, leading tours for potential students and their families. And, perhaps what I am most excited about: I will be a Residence Assistant in Brescia’s Residence. I had a very positive experience in residence and I hope that I can help a floor-full of new students to enjoy their first year every bit as much as I did!

I will try to post again soon to tell you all about the BUCSC Training Weekend that happened July 14-15. It was fantastic to be able to see everyone again (and stay in residence over night!) and we had a lot of good discussions.

As I said earlier, I am beyond excited to be writing for the Brescia Blog. Please leave comments to say hello or to ask me any questions you might have – about classes, residence, council, O-Week or anything Brescia really! If I cannot answer them myself, I will be sure to find someone who can. Take care and talk to you soon!

Student’s LEAD Conference

* Attention all “Soon to be” Grade 12 Students THIS POST IS FOR YOU*

It’s been so hard for me to contain this news for almost a week (I have been extremely busy so I haven’t had to time post until now- plus the system was not functioning properly), so now that I am able to share the excitement, I am bursting with happiness!

This year, Brescia University College is hosting its first Students “LEAD Workshop”. Similar to the “Build Conference” that I attended this past March Break, this new workshop offers tips about classroom etiquette and test taking for future university students. The difference between the two programs… It is for students who are GOING into Grade 12 students! Having this workshop at the beginning of the school year, rather than in March break will allow students to apply the resources and advice that they learn in their final school year.

On August 25th and 26th, Brescia will be holding the conference and it will cover topics such as: (These are just some of them)

  1. Test-taking Tactics
  2. How to give a proper presentation
  3. Managing your time adequately so that you don’t have to deal with added stress
  4. Taking detailed (but not too detailed) notes in class
  5. Healthy Eating so that you can manage your nutrition without your parents
  6. Researching using resources other than Wikipedia

It’s a great time to learn all of these tricks because you still can apply them to high school.  You may find that the advice helps you to increase your academic average and how to better interact with high school teachers (and professors once you are old enough) As well, it gives you a university-level certificate that covers a wide range of topics fundamental to students’ high school and post-secondary academic success. The two days are also great for familiarizing yourself with a university campus and university-level professors.

The workshop (including a certificate), lunch and break refreshments, is $40.00. It is such a great deal because you will be learning knowledge that you might otherwise miss out.

Don’t worry if you are not certain that you will be attending University, let alone Brescia the following fall, this workshop is open to the general public! Just a little warning though, you are BOUND to fall in  love with the campus if you are spending two days there.

By no means am I “the expert” on this topic, so although you are welcome to leave (Much wanted) comments, feel free to contact Kate if you have any more questions. Here is all of her information:

Kate Norton

Instruction Co-ordinator

kate.norton@uwo.ca

519.432.8353 ext. 28010

I am sure that the workshop is close to being full by now so you should probably HURRY to reserve your spot. Brescia also has a website page all about this opportunity: http://www.brescia.uwo.ca/academics/PreUniversityPrograms/students_lead.html

Have a great Sunday!

❤ Molly

 

 

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect Schedule?

You must admit that in high school, course selection is pretty limited.  The variety that you are able to choose between lacks diversity.  You are rarely allowed to request a specific teacher and you never get to choose the time or days for any of the classes you’re taking! Thankfully, University is different. Apart from having mandatory courses to take (Depending on the program that you are in) schedule selection is completely dissimilar than what you are used to (If you are soon to be a first year student!)  As thrilled as (soon to be) first year students are for their freedom of choice, many of them also find themselves overwhelmed by the challenge at hand.  While eager students bite off more than they can chew by packing their schedules full of challenging courses, others opt for a super simple schedule and end up becoming disengaged and bored.

So although there is not a formula to schedule making, I am here to tell you what I have learned (from my three older siblings and Brescia staff) about the art of creating a perfect schedule.

By finding a balance between your needs, the requirements of your major and Brescia’s guidelines, it is possible to create your dream schedule (This being said, your friend’s might be completely different since everyone has different requirements and desires).

You are in control of your future. Others can only help to guide you!

1.     Plan your schedule ahead of time!

There is no point in waiting until the actual day of course selection to create your schedule. Both Western and Brescia already have their course calendar up! (You can access them both here http://www.brescia.uwo.ca/academics/Register/fall_winter_registration.html). By creating “mock” schedules with a few variations, you leave yourself wiggle room incase a course is full by the time you register for it. This eliminates your chance of having to sift through “left over” elective choices since you didn’t plan any backups. It also ensures that you have the pre-requisites and do not have any anti-requisites for the course.

2.     What time do you work best?

Most courses are offered at multiple times or even on different days of the week.  This is definitely a benefit to students since it allows them to take into consideration their sleep patterns. If you are a night owl, opt for later classes since that is when you focus best. On the other hand, if you enjoy waking up early choose the class that is offered earlier in the day.

3.     Less is more sometimes!

Take into consideration whether you prefer sitting for three hours all at once, or 1.5 hours twice a week! Not only are courses often offered multiple times per week, they are also offered with different time slots. Some students prefer sitting for less time because they lose concentration. Others would rather be more “efficient” and sit for a longer period of time once a week rather than having the class twice per week.

4.     Are you excited by a challenge?

Sometimes it is tough to choose between a bird course or birdbrain course (For lack of better analogy).  While bird courses often offer less work, the course material can become quite boring quickly.  Birdbrain courses offer a challenge (And definitely involve the audience) but are sometimes overwhelming. So what do you do? Aim for balance! Making a balanced course load really makes a difference- it is easy to fit in both easier and harder courses by interchanging them (Divide up the hard courses between the two semesters and fill the gaps with easier courses)!

5.     Choosing a PERFECT professor!

As I’ve mentioned, courses are often offered multiple times, for different time periods, at different time slots AND… with different PROFESSORS (I just added that one, don’t worry you didn’t miss it!). Since websites such as “rate my teacher” are not all that trustworthy, you might prefer to ask older students (Both Brescia and Western’s Main Campus have Facebook and online forums) which professors they prefer. This being said, everyone has different learning styles so it is better to ask a couple friends for opinions rather than basing your choice solely on one person’s advice. THEN AGAIN, all of Brescia’s professors are unique and inspirational so you really cannot go wrong!

6.     Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?

Why bother taking an English course when you dread language courses and essay writing? At the same time, if you are majoring in Fine Arts, there is no sense in taking Chemistry since it is probably not your passion! University success will come easier to you if you acknowledge your own limitations and assets.

7.     Plan ahead!

I admit that it is difficult to plan your future (Especially when you are only 17 or 18) but it is important to plan your university career with the end in mind.  Although it can be fun to “test out the waters” by exploring your interests and broadening your horizons, it is also important that your undergraduate courses are steering you in the right direction. By ensuring that your first year schedule is setting you up for second year courses (Most second year courses have pre-requisites so be sure to consider that when choosing your schedule), you will be less stressed by the time you go to create your second year schedule.

It can be difficult to choose your exact career going into your first year of university. You don't need to know EXACTLY what you want to do, it is just good to have an idea!

8.     Did you know that you can ask for advice from experts (No I am not an expert unfortunately)?

Brescia has TREMENDOUS counselors that are willing to sit down with you before finalizing your first, second, third or even fourth year schedule. As Christine mentioned, there is a summer orientation day for first year students (http://www.brescia.uwo.ca/admissions/accepted_students/orientation/index.html). Don’t worry if you haven’t decided on your dream job, counselors will help to guide you depending on which departments you are most interested in. If you have already created a draft of your schedule, they will help make sure that your course selections are a good match with your prospective majors and academic skill.

In all, the purpose of this post was not to overwhelm you, but to remind you that being on a new campus doesn’t mean that you are alone! There are SOO many resources and tools available to help you make informed decisions. It is possible to create your perfect itinerary, with perfect courses, professors, time-slots and class lengths!

For those of you who have chosen your courses, what did you consider in making your schedule? Is the professor more important than the timing of the class, or do you value the course material over the time in which the course is offered?

❤ Molly

Cool Contests at Brescia!

It is that time of year again – offers of admission! It is hard to believe that I received my offer 4 years ago! It seems like it was so long ago, but at the same time, it does not seem like I have been at Brescia for 4 years.

There are a couple of interesting contests going on right now where you can win a weekend in London, or even a full one-year scholarship! If you or someone you know is in grade 11 or 12 right now you should probably keep reading or check out Brescia’s web-site. (That is not supposed to sound like a lame tv commercial!)

The Facebook contest has been open since the beginning of January. Potential students are asked to “like” the Brescia University College page and share a story about an inspiring woman. Seems easy enough – it sure is! You can win a weekend in London so you can attend the March Break Open House. This is a pretty cool opportunity – something I would have participated in if I was still in high school.

The big contest is the “Take the Lead” Public Speaking Contest. Girls in grade 11 and 12 present speeches about women who are catalysts for change. The most exciting part is that the winner will win a full scholarship for one year!

If you are in grade 11 or 12 I would encourage you to participate because you really have nothing to lose. You could win a really awesome prize, and you will definitely meet some new people. Meeting other students will make the transition to Brescia easier as you will see a familiar face in September. And not to mention the wonderful faculty and staff members that you will meet!

Good luck to everyone who participates in the contests!

-Alysha

Fall Preview Day

This morning I went to Fall Preview Day to represent Students’ Council. It’s hard to believe that it has been 4 years since I attended! Honestly, I don’t remember much about my Fall Preview Day. I remember going to main campus first and then heading up to Brescia. The people at Brescia were all really friendly and they took the time to answer all of my questions.  I chose Brescia so it must have been a good day!

A lot of girls and their families came to Fall Preview Day for tours, a Food and Nutrition demonstration, and the opportunity to talk to professors. I enjoyed answering questions and telling them about Brescia. We showed the prospective students past yearbooks, Brescia Buzz issues, and told them about all of the events that students’ council puts on each year. We talked to many girls who were interested in getting involved in extra-curricular activities.

It was great to meet prospective students and tell them all about the great things that Brescia has to offer!

-Alysha

A Little More History

Here are a few more “fun facts” about the history of Brescia.

Some of the Rules from the First Constitution of the Student Organization of Ursuline College, 1921

  • Full details of an outing had to be registered before a student left the college for any purpose
  • A freshman had to be accompanied by a junior or a senior
  • Everyone except seniors had to be back in the college by 6pm. Seniors could stay out until 8:30pm once a week.
  • Students were to study from 8-10pm, at 10 the lights would be put out.
  • Five minute limit on phone calls (none after 8pm)
  • No gentlemen in rooms (except parents)
  • Dress code
  • Infractions would be penalized by “campussing”, being kept on ground for one day.

In the Early Days of Brescia, students took a Pledge:

Hearken our pledge! This day we freely choose

This Ursuline College as our Alma Mater

Trusting that she her spirit may infuse,

And make us each her own beloved daughter.

And we in turn pledge her with heart and hand

In loyal truth to love her and revere,

Honour her name, respect her least command,

Render her service, faithful and sincere.

Never to dim the glory of her fame,

Betray her mother-pride or wound her love,

Nor ever by ingratitude or shame

Unworthy of her trusting faith to prove,

Dear Alma Mater, hearken and receive

This solemn pledge, this act of fealty,

Which now we make and by your gracious leave,

Subscribe our names thereto for love of thee.

I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of Brescia’s history! I have to wonder what people will say in another 50 years about the rules that we have today?

-Alysha

A Little History…

Brescia was founded in 1919 and there sure have been some big changes since then! Here are some facts about Brescia’s history that were passed down to me from previous BUCSC members:

Do you take the Brescia-King’s Shuttle? In the 1950s, Brescia purchased a station wagon to make the trip between Brescia and King’s. The shuttle bus started in 1965.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Brescia had an active farm. On one occasion for St. Patrick’s Day, some Kings’ boys decided to paint one of Brescia’s cows green!

In 1942, First years (or Froshettes as they were called) were only allowed to leave the campus with the Dean’s permission and they had to be accompanied by a Senior or a Junior. The Dean would be quite busy if that was still the rule today!

Do you have a hard time choosing your outfit for the day? You might have a tougher time if some items of clothing weren’t permitted! In 1943, slacks, ski pants, and bandanas were considered taboo and were not to be worn by Brescia students.

“No student may go automobile-riding with a gentleman”. This was a rule in the early days of Brescia’s Residence.

These five facts are only a small part of Brescia’s history. I have many more that I will share in my next blog! Really makes you think about how different things were back then!

-Alysha