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How to Decorate Your Student Apartment for Halloween

A big benefit of being at university is having your own space that you can decorate however you want. Halloween brings the opportunity to refresh your apartment with festive decorations. You can go all out without exceeding your budget by incorporating the following ideas. 1. Door Decor Welcome visitors to your apartment by starting your Halloween decor at your door. You could give the door a spooky face, hang a fall wreath or scary sign, or find a creepy doormat — the options are endless. 2. Spooky Mason Jars Make your own Halloween decorations by saving old mason jars. Paint them to look like jack o’ lanterns, ghosts, or other spooky figures and pop a candle inside to make the jars glow. 3. Wall Decals Cover your walls with Halloween-themed decals to instantly transform your apartment. You can find anything from elaborate scenes to simpler shapes like bats, ghosts, and pumpkins. They’re effective, reusable, and — best of all — won’t damage your walls. 4. Spider Web Another dramatic Halloween decoration to use is fake spider web. Hang it across your walls and ceiling throughout the apartment. 5. Halloween Pillows Infuse a sense of Halloween into your entire apartment with Halloween pillows. They’ll look great on your bed or the couch in your living room. If you already have enough pillows, just buy covers. 6. DIY Bulletin Board Remind yourself it’s Halloween season every time you look up from your desk by attaching some spooky images to your bulletin board. Use coloured paper to cut out some spiders, cauldrons, witches, and ghosts — or anything that matches the rest of your Halloween decor. 7. Seasonal Tapestry If you already have a tapestry hanging next to your bed, switch it just for the season for one with a Halloween theme. You can easily find something inexpensive that you’ll be able to reuse every year. Ideally, you should pick a design that complements your Halloween pillows. 8. Photo Collage Create your own Halloween art for your wall with a collage. Print out pictures expressing the aspects of Halloween you like the most and perhaps add some of your own photos, such as from parties with friends. 9. Creepy Coffee Station Update your coffee station for the season by interspersing the mugs with spiders, candies, flameless candles, and a Halloween sign or two. Your friends will love coming over to your place for coffee. 10. Display of Mini Pumpkins Place mini pumpkins around your apartment to infuse every room with a sense of Halloween. They’re much less expensive than a big pumpkin for a jack o’ lantern and their small size means they fit in all sorts of spots. When Halloween is over, you can peel them and cook them into various dishes — the flavour is delicious! It’s much more exciting to decorate your entire apartment than half a dorm room you share with someone else (and who may not have the same enthusiasm for Halloween as you do). There’s still time to find off-campus housing. If you’re searching for apartments near uOttawa, look no further than THEO. Our fully-furnished apartments give you a private or semi-private bedroom and living room that you can decorate for Halloween. Apply now while there are still units available.

11 Tips for Decorating Your Student Apartment on a Budget

It’s common to feel homesick during the holiday season, as you’re away from your family, traditions, and many of the festivities you usually enjoy. An easy fix is to decorate your student apartment. There’s no need to spend much to achieve great results — you have plenty of options even if you’re on a tight budget. 1. Mini Tree You may think a Christmas tree is out of your budget — but you can always find a small one. Purchasing an artificial tree is a good investment because you’ll be able to use it for many years. 2. Traditional Ornaments Decorate your mini tree and other spots in your apartment with traditional ornaments. You could buy them individually to choose designs you love or save money by purchasing in bulk. If you want a variety, consider buying a few designs in bulk with friends and sharing them between you. 3. Window Stickers Not only are window stickers reusable, they take up almost no space in storage. Add them to the window in your bedroom to make them the first thing you see every morning when you wake up and draw the curtains. This will put you in a festive mood for the rest of the day. 4. Fairy Lights Fairy lights are a staple in student apartments. If you don’t already have some, purchase a couple strings to hang around your bed and along the ceiling. You may like them enough to keep using them after the holidays are over. 5. Fake Snow A simple decoration that has a big impact is fake snow. Purchase a small bag to sprinkle along your windowsill and any surfaces where you want to make a festive display. 6. Snowflakes Accompany your fake snow with some snowflakes. These are one of the most economical decorations around because you can make them yourself with nothing more than white paper, scissors, and tape. This could even be a good option to do with friends who want to spend a relaxing evening indoors. 7. Greeting Card Display If you receive holiday greeting cards from friends and family, it’s worth creating a way to display them. If you have too many to fit on your desk without it becoming cluttered, pin them to the wall. You may like to do this in the living room, where you can combine your cards with those your roommates receive. 8. Garland Hanging a garland around a doorframe, along a wall, or above your desk is sure to be impactful — and it doesn’t need to be expensive. You could purchase traditional tinsel or make your own garland from things like fir tree trimmings, ornaments, ribbons, or candy canes. 9. Door Wreath Welcome visitors to your apartment by hanging a wreath on the door. You can easily find an inexpensive one to purchase , but it’s much more fun to make your own, perhaps with your roommates. All you’ll need to get started is a wreath base. Then, you can use all the same materials as for a garland. 10. Stockings Another way to involve your roommates in the festivities is to purchase stockings for each of you. It’s ideal if each reflects the owner’s personality. Hang them in your living room and drop in a few treats for each other before you head home for winter break. 11. Throw Pillows Over the holiday season, you’ll likely be spending more time indoors to escape the cold weather . Make your apartment extra cozy with some throw pillows for the couch. If you already have enough pillows, just purchase some seasonal covers. You have limited space to decorate when you live in a dorm room, meaning the results tend to be mediocre at best. However, when you’re living in an off-campus apartment, your options for decorating are limitless. You can find the perfect uOttawa student housing at THEO. We have a variety of floor plans to choose from to suit any budget — meaning you’ll have enough funds left over to properly decorate. Contact us now while we still have spots available.

How to Make a Positive Impact as a Student

Many students decide to go to university because they want to make a difference in the world, and gaining an education will open up new opportunities. However, if your graduation is still a ways off, you may feel like it’s too long to wait. The good news is there are several things you can do while you’re still a student. 1. Find Opportunities to Volunteer The easiest way to make a difference is to volunteer. There are numerous opportunities for university students, including through campus organizations and places in your community, such as soup kitchens, hospices, local schools, and animal shelters. If there’s nothing available that matches your interests or your goals for the future, you could even start your own initiative. 2. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Before making a purchase, think about whether you could go without or if an alternative would be better for the environment. For example, you could buy cloth instead of paper napkins to produce less waste. Other ways to reduce your carbon footprint include switching to reusable shopping bags, eating less meat, and carrying a water bottle with you to avoid needing to purchase beverages. 3. Raise Awareness About a Social Issue You’ll make a bigger impact if it’s more than just you taking action. Educating people on an issue you care about can have a knock-on effect by leading to change in your local community or even in society as a whole. There are various ways to raise awareness, including bringing up the issue in debates with students, wearing a T-shirt that leads people to ask you questions, and talking about the issue online, such as by posting on social media, creating videos, or writing a guest blog post. 4. Offer Tutoring Services If you’d like to help other students, consider tutoring. For example, you could provide affordable services to students who are finding a class difficult that you passed with flying colours . Alternatively, you could tutor students who are struggling with a particular skill you possess , such as speaking a foreign language, coding, or math. 5. Branch Out to Experience Other Viewpoints You may only hear limited perspectives if all your activities at university centre on a common theme. However, there are multiple ways to expose yourself to new ideas — although this will likely mean stepping out of your comfort zone. For instance, you could sign up for an elective completely unrelated to your major, join an extracurricular you wouldn’t typically consider, or go to a campus event that none of your friends are attending. The key to making a positive impact is mixing with a variety of people. It’s easy to fall into the trap of having only a small social circle at university — perhaps all your friends take the same classes as you or belong to the same clubs due to a shared interest. You can widen your social circle by living in a student community. For apartments near UOttawa , look no further than THEO. You’ll have opportunities to socialize in places like the lounge, common kitchen, gym, and basketball court. Book a tour wit h a leasing agent today.

Key Differences Between Online & In-Person Classes

There are many factors to consider when deciding what classes to take, including how you’ll create a balanced schedule, the requirements for your major, and what you’ll likely find fulfilling. You may also need to decide if you’d prefer to take classes online or attend in person. To make an informed decision, it’s important to be clear about the differences between online and in-person classes. 1. You Can Often Fit Online Classes Around Other Commitments Online classes are often pre-recorded lectures that students can watch at any time. This allows you to fit classes around your other commitments, such as a job, internship, volunteer work, or even the in-person classes you’re also taking. 2. You Can’t Rewatch In-Person Classes If you know you may struggle to understand concepts the first time you encounter them and you’d like to listen to lectures multiple times, online classes may be for you. Typically, you can watch recordings as many times as you like. However, if you think you’ll cope better with doubts by having verbal conversations with your professors, in-person classes could be the better option . 3. Online Classes Require Discipline At university, students must have good time-management and organizational skills. It’s also up to them to go to classes, since attendance tends to be optional. Taking classes online requires even more discipline because you’ll have fewer interactions with your professors and carry out more independent study. 4. Digital Literacy Is Key for Online Classes All students need digital literacy skills, but it’s impossible to succeed with online classes unless you can use a learning management system and can troubleshoot if you run into problems with a program or device. You should also be aware of how to interact with others online, since all our communication will be through digital channels. Having said that, no matter if you’re an online or in-person student, your university will have resources available to help you improve your IT skills. 5. Discussions Take Longer in Online Classes Both online and in-person classes often involve discussions between students and professors. Discussions during in-person classes take place over a much shorter time frame : they require students to come up with ideas in the moment and involve public speaking skills. In contrast, online discussions tend to be a back and forth of posts and responses. Students have more time to think and research their answers, which they deliver in text form. Neither form of discussion is inherently better, but you may prefer one over the other. 6. Online Classes Attract a More Diverse Set of Students You may have less contact with other students in online classes, which could be a disadvantage. On the flip side , the students who attend your classes will be more diverse. Students who are only taking online classes can be based anywhere in the country (or even abroad), meaning you’ll be exposed to more cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. No matter if you’re taking online classes, in-person classes, or a mix of both, you should live with other students to have the full student experience. A better option than a dorm room is off-campus housing. Ottawa students can find a home at THEO. We have one-bedroom apartments, private bedrooms in shared apartments, and shared bedrooms. Apply now to secure the type of unit you want.

6 Tips for Moving Off Campus

It’s common to live in a dorm when you start university. However, after a couple of semesters at most, you’ll realize how uncomfortable this is — the rooms are cramped, you lack privacy, and you’re stuck with a meal plan. Plus, living in student residence tends to be more expensive than having your own apartment. Moving off campus is the right decision for most students, but it’s a big transition. To make the move as smooth as possible, there are a few things you need to do. 1. Search for an Affordable Apartment Make sure you have a budget in mind before you begin looking for apartments. This will avoid you wasting time visiting apartments that turn out to be too expensive. Start your search early to increase your chances of finding something close to campus. 2. Check the Lease Carefully Know what you’re agreeing to before you sign a lease. In particular, check for additional fees for things like maintenance, trash removal, and parking. Also find out what would happen if you want to terminate the lease early. 3. Document the Condition of the Apartment On move-in day, take photos of any damage you notice the building, appliances, or furnishings have. This will prevent the landlord placing the blame on you and asking you to pay for repairs when you move out. 4. Set Some Ground Rules with Your Roommates Living off campus means you have much more freedom. However, to avoid conflict with roommates, you need to set your expectations from the start. Come to an agreement about how you’ll divide up bills and chores, etiquette arriving home late, and rules for inviting friends over. 5. Pay Your Bills on Time Being able to demonstrate that you have always paid your bills on time will be invaluable when finding an apartment after university. Similarly, paying bills for utilities will help you maintain a good credit score, which will have an impact on multiple aspects of your life. Besides, you want to avoid late fees at all costs, as these will only reduce your spending money for the month. 6. Take Out Renters Insurance An expense that is worthwhile, though, is renters insurance. This will protect you in the case your belongings are lost or damaged due to an event such as a fire, a natural disaster, or theft. 6. Stock Up on Groceries Eat a balanced diet and avoid spending more than necessary by cooking plenty of your own meals. Stock up on groceries as soon as you move in (including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables) and learn to cook a variety of meals. There’s no need for moving off campus to be complicated. THEO provides UOttawa student housing that comes equipped with everything you need. The rent is all inclusive, meaning you don’t have to worry about furniture, appliances, and utilities — plus, you’ll have access to our great onsite amenities. If you choose to live in a shared apartment, we’ll even match you with roommates. Book a visit to meet THEO now.

A Resume Writing Guide for Students

Although a resume is only a short document, it can prove to be incredibly difficult to write. You may never have needed to write a resume before, which means you’re starting with a blank slate. The good news is when you know what to include, the task becomes less intimidating. You’ll be able to create a resume that stands out, no matter if you’re searching for a part-time job to earn extra spending money or you’re competing with other students for a top internship. Here are some tips to get you started. 1. Add Your Basic Information at the Top Make it immediately obvious who the resume belongs to by adding your name in a large font at the top of the page. Follow this with key contact information, such as your email address, your phone number, and the URL to your LinkedIn profile. It’s important to avoid making extra work for a hiring manager who likes your application and wants to contact you. Note that it’s no longer standard to include your street address on your resume. There will likely be times when you need to upload your resume online — the last thing you want is to have your address published on the internet. 2. Include Your Education Near the Top As a student, your education is a crucial part of your resume, especially while you lack work experience in your field. In addition to details like the name of your university, your major, and your expected graduation date, include any awards you’ve received, classes that particularly relate to the job, and top achievements. As soon as you have enough information about your university education, it becomes unnecessary to include details about high school. 3. Detail Your Work Experience Start with your most recent work experience and list the other positions you’ve held in reverse chronological order. Be specific about your duties and what you achieved for the company, using numbers whenever possible. To keep the word count to a minimum, avoid using the word “I” before verbs — it is already obvious you’re talking about yourself. 4. List Your Skills Consider all the skills you possess that are necessary for the kinds of jobs you’re applying for. You may have acquired skills at other jobs, during internships, at school, or through volunteering. You may have also taught yourself some skills. List as many skills as you can — companies often use software to search resumes for keywords, meaning yours could go unread if it lacks a critical skill. 5. Summarize the Key Points Pick out the most interesting or relevant aspects of who you are, what you’ve achieved, and what you have to offer to employers. Turn this information into a short summary section for the top of your resume. 6. Keep to One Page Resumes should be a maximum of two pages — but one page is better. As a student, you should be able to fit everything within a single page. To stay concise, cut unnecessary words, avoid repetition, and leave out any obvious phrases such as, “References available upon request.” 7. Tailor Your Resume for the Position Create a standard resume you’ll use as a starting point when applying to jobs, but tweak the information to make it more relevant for each individual position. For instance, it may be worth changing the words you use and skills you highlight to match those that appear in the job post. You’ll want to have somewhere comfortable to return to after a long day working at your job or internship. You can find UOttawa off-campus housing at THEO. In addition to your spacious suite, you’ll be able to use our great onsite amenities, which include study areas, a gym, a basketball court, an art room, and a music room. Book a tour to see why you’ll love living here.