A crazy couple of weeks!

So the last two weeks have been insane but really fun. Brandon Career Symposium was last week and it was great! Student Recruitment, along with six other faculties and colleges from the U of R had a big interactive display booth. We played "Are you Smarter that a 5th Grader" and found out that we are most of the time. The participants also loved this game, especially when they got the million dollar question and won U of R basketballs. Our mascot Reggie was also there. He got his photo taken close to 200 times! Here is a photo from the event.

On Wednesday we had our large event UR Connected! for Grade 10 and 11s. As usal, it was crazy fun and crazy exhausting. Other than some probelms with AV equipment, I think the day went swimmingly well. We had over 150 grade 10 and 11s who learned more about career possibilities, participated in a fun scavenger hunt and campus tour and had an excellent time at the social. We had an excellent band, Thee Hoolies, made up of present and former U of R students. They are actually in the running for the "Last Band Standing" contect put on by the Owl. We also had a mysterious fortune teller, Madame Esmeralda, a Saskatchewan quiz and a "Guess Where this is in the University" photo contest. I think everyone had a really great time!

Tonight I am going to see "The Importance of Being Earnest", an Oscar Wilde play being put on by the theatre department. The rest of the weekend should be pretty low-key, which is fine by me. I am looking forward to laying around and watching movies. I saw a great one last week, it was a musical called "Once" with modern indie-style music. I liked it so much I bought the soundtrack. You should check it out!

Well I am back for my last hot holiday for awhile. Let's hope that spring hurries in because I want to skip winter altogether. Mexico was absolutely fabulous! We stayed at a big resort next to Xcaret in the Mayan Riviera. All 35+ of us had a great time beachin, swimming and visiting, not to mention eating! Mmmm buffet, I miss you so much! The wedding was absolutely gorgeous and so stress-free. We were sitting around the pool in the morning and got massages at noon! The ceremony was a mere five minutes long and then we were free to eat, drink and be merry.

I hope you enjoy the photos. I like looking at them when I am cold. And yes, there is a lizard on my head - it wouldn't be Mexico if I didn't have a photo with a lizard on my head.




As for work, I am gearing up for a trip to Brandon next week for their annual Career Symposium. I am pretty sure this will be my sixth year in a row at that event! This year is going to be extra-cool though because some faculties and colleges are participating and we are going to have a huge interactive booth with some totally fabulous prizes and games like "Are you Smarter than A Fifth Grader?" I have even heard rumours that our Cougars' mascot, Reggie, may make an appearance or two! So if you are going to that Symposium be sure to stop at our booth and check it all out. Of course it will also be the place you can get all the information you need about the programs and everything else that you are interested in. I'll be sure to post photos.

My advice to you for this week:
If you are in Grade 12 or older: Apply! Now is the perfect time to fill out your application form and you can do it online at: http://www.uregina.ca/admissions/

If you are in Grade 10 or 11: Register for UR Connected! Spots are filling up so register online now: http://www.uregina.ca/newstudent/knowur/urconnected.shtml

Storm-stayed!

Well today I was supposed to go to Saskatoon for a counsellor update and then to Dalmeny for a Post Secondary Education Day (to give presentations to high school students). Unfortunately I won't make either because of this February blizzard! I have to say that even though I missed a month of winter I still wish it was over.

But that's enough complaining. Work is really great, we have been busy with application workshops and planning for UR Connected! We have some really awesome speakers lined up for March 12, including someone who works at the Saskatchewan Disease Control lab, the co-ordinator of the U of R's Women's Centre and an actuary! (If you don't know what that is, come to UR Connected!) The entertainment portion is also coming along. I don't want to say too much, but think fortune tellers and fuzzy balls! Make sure to register at: http://www.uregina.ca/newstudent/knowur/urconnected.shtml

As for my personal life, I have been really busy with my best friend's wedding coming up next week (in Mexico, yay!). We have been friends since birth so it is really special. We had her shower and stagette last weekend which was a blast. The theme was "figure skating" because she has a really famous video from when she was about 11 and totally wiped out during a skating recital - three times or so! We called her Bambi for awhile. Anyways, take a look at our fabul0us costumes.

I am really looking forward to escaping this weather for another week in Mexico! I will be sure to post some photos when I get back.

Getting Settled

I arrived in Regina last Tuesday at 6pm and wasn't too thrilled with the weather! That morning I was in Bangkok which was a beautiful 28 degrees and Regina was a not-so-pleasant -56! It was quite a shock to my system but I was glad to be home at any rate.

My trip was so amazing! I never thought I would be able to do so many cool things, like climbing the Sydney Bridge, petting a koala bear and riding an elephant! I saw many beautiful beaches and coastlines and got a good tan. I absolutely love swimming and there is nothing like swimming in the ocean. I also had a really great time visiting my friend Andriana and became really good friends with her friends and family. In fact, it was really hard to leave Australia. Thailand was beautiful though. I especially loved the fresh fruit and the gorgeous flowers that were everywhere. We had a great time shopping for knock-offs and getting Thai massages and pedicures on the beach. We also went on a safari where we almost got attacked by monkeys! It was such a fantastic trip, just the right mixture of relaxing and sight-seeing.


Now I have been back to work for almost a week and am starting to get settled. It took me a good four days to get over my jet-lag and start sleeping through the night. Luckily, there are lots of things to keep me busy at work to keep my mind off the cold weather!


UR Connected! for grade 10 and 11s is approaching very quickly and will take place the afternoon of March 12. I am on the entertainment committee, among other things, and that is exciting. We are brainstroming fun games we can play and maybe even some bands to play! An important part of the day is the career session portion where different people talk about why they enjoy their careers and the education and training that led them there. If you are in Grade 10 or 11 you can register now: http://www.uregina.ca/newstudent/knowur/urconnected.shtml


Here are a few photos from my trip:

Tinsel and koala bears

So I admit - work is not the foremost thing on my mind right now. But how can it be really with Christmas in only 6 days and my trip to Australia and Thailand in only 7? So I have decided to decorate this blog to celebrate the countdown!

I am really in the Christmas spirit this week, I am even wearing a red sweater today. Today is my office Christmas lunch at the Freehouse, the first of four work-related parties this week. I love this season! I am a little worried about gaining Christmas weight before my trip but this season only comes once a year, right?

I am also going to the Globe Theatre tonight to see "A Christmas Carol". The tickets were a gift from my auntie and it is sold out so it should be really great!

On a sadder note, I have decided to take down my Christmas tree this week, before Christmas. I know, it will be a very sad day. I am not back until January 29 and think it would be even more depressing to come home to it still being up so this is my only option.
On the Student Recruitment front, we are busy with application workshops this week. This is where we help grade 12 students fill out there application forms at Regina high schools. The application deadline isn't until June 16 for most faculties, but lots of students like getting their applications off early so that they know where they stand and so that it is one less thing to worry about! We encourage students to apply when they have the best marks, whether that is their grade 11 marks or a combination of grade 11 and first semester grade 12 final marks.

Well I am off to an application workshop at Winston Knoll. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas if I don't get a chance to blog again! I will try to blog a couple times during my trip too.

Something to leave you with: a photo from our ugly sweater party. (Yes, those are patches of leather and fur on my sweater.) Enjoy!

This is the time of year when I am glad I am not a student

Yes, final exam time. This is the time period in my University career that I dreaded the most and liked the least. My two roommates are both University students and when I see them stressing out and cramming all night long I can't help but be inwardly relieved that I don't have to write any finals. There are some good things about writing finals though. There is no better feeling than knowing you did an excellent job. Also, the celebrating when finals are over is one of the best parts of University!

This week we are doing more Regina and area visits. We were at Sheldon-Williams Collegiate this morning and there were about 110 students in our presentation! We played our game, Uranium, and everyone got really involved. We will be back at Sheldon and other Regina schools next week to help the Grade 12 students fill out their application forms.

Last night all of the people who travel together got together for a Christmas party. The theme was ugly sweater and boy did we have some ugly sweaters. Mine had leather, fur, decals and armpit tassels. In came in second to Dean's from St. Thomas More College. His was a knitted thing in veregated wool in the colors baby blue, baby green and pink. It was hilarious! We also played a few rounds of Taboo and this has caused me to think of some words in new ways, such as abscond, nutmeg and camelot.

Want a good holiday playlist? Here are my recommendations:
Spoon - Don't You Evah
The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa
Sia - Day Too Soon
Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You
Placebo - 20th Century Boy

Getting ready for Christmas

That is what I have been doing the last week - getting ready for Christmas. I went to Bismarck with my mom and sister and finished up my Christmas shopping. All of my presents are now wrapped and under my tree! I also did some online shopping this year. If you are having trouble thinking about what to get people here are some cool ideas:

1. Funny t-shirts - who doesn't love them? Check out http://www.threadpit.com/

2. A tonne of carbon. Yes I am serious. Help your family and friends reduce their carbon footprint at http://www.zerofootprint.net/

3. Concert or Folk Festival tickets. Check out some great bands that are coming to Regina or get a great deal on advance Folk Festival passes at http://www.reginafolkfestival.com/concertseries/



At work we are busy preparing for Christmas as well. Every year we send out a holiday card to all of our prospective students and to all the high schools in Saskatchewan. The photo shoot is always really fun as we have current students in Santa hats doing something silly. Check out this year's photo: