In today’s earlier post, I discussed the problems with certifications – they’re expensive, they are offered by a multitude of privately-owned companies, and they are required for jobs on top of an expensive university education. I was rightfully corrected by one of my wonderful readers on the importance of certifications; certifications are undoubtedly a useful…
Category: Life Thoughts
Viewpoint: What’s Up with the Certifications?
In some of my previous posts, I have alluded to the high expectations placed on recent graduates in our current economy; they’re expected to have critical thinking skills, as well as a whole host of practical, hands-on abilities. While critical thinking skills can be stimulated through conversations with peers and mentors in university classes, credentials…
Self-Employment for All!
In a recent conversation with a friend, the issue of self-employment came up. I’ve previously mentioned the CYBF program and its potential to assist young people who are otherwise unemployed; it seems that the internet agrees with me. In the article entitled “Young, free and self-employed“, Emma Jayne Jones highlights the plight of youth in…
On the Light Side of Life
Although deeply introspective yesterday, a recent fit of socializing has really drawn me out into a more spontaneous mental space and I’ve been reflecting a lot on travel. I still strongly identify with the idea of taking a Gap Year (see my blog post here), as I’m still travel-curious and coming to a point in my…
Get Grumpy for Real Change: Dissatisfaction and Creativity
This morning when I got out of bed, my feet hit the floor and a rapid series of thoughts flowed through my head: “What shall I do today, how shall I arrange it, and what will be the outcome?” Coffee had not yet graced my lips, nor had food, but I was already contemplating the…
Money for Nothing and Your Chicks for Free
This morning, one of the first tweets that I noticed was an interview from CTV’s Canada AM on the jobs available to new graduates. The interview was with Tara Talbot, vice-president of human resources at Workopolis. Tara suggests that the “top 5 hot jobs” are (note that these are the top jobs that – dramatic…
A Sentimental Post on a Rainy Evening
Tonight, it’s raining gently outside and the feeling of fall is sharp in the air; it’s just that much cooler, and that much darker by early evening. I have a gin and tonic at my elbow after a great dinner with family – it’s been a wonderful weekend overall, full of travel to see the…
Wanting, but Holding Back
Excerpt from the blog You are Not So Smart: A Celebration of Self Delusion, and more specifically, the article Procrastination: “Thinking about thinking, this is the key. In the struggle between should versus want, some people have figured out something crucial – want never goes away. Procrastination is all about choosing want over should because you…
Viewpoint: Social Media as Valuable Tool
Yesterday I wrote a Viewpoint blog article that outlined some of my criticisms towards social media and technology in general. I suggested that social media and technology can control your life life if you’re unaware of its influence over you, mostly due to the presence of the sensation-seeking “monkey mind”. The path to enlightenment when…
Viewpoint: Social Media as Problematic Life Addiction
A Word on “Viewpoints” Since everyone’s blogs can be overly negative or overly positive at times, given the context and emotional situation of the author, it is important to keep in mind that one person’s voice is just that – it is likely they are ignoring certain variables, filtering the information in specific ways, and…
Hiking and Cycling Problems in Kitchener, Ontario
Over the past several days, I have had the great and humbling reminder of what it is like to not have a car when living in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. I see this as a reminder that the urban infrastructure here was not designed to support the lifestyles of the poor, the young student, or the newly…
Urgent Desires
So the stress-filled, hazy dream of early September is over – my frantic scramble to find a way of shaking up the status quo, my critique of the university system, and my need to overcome a sense of emasculation after the PARE test. I admit that, since I took the PARE test and subsequently failed…
Maria Legault 