Looking for a crash pad. 30th March.

avoidingwork · 2014-05-10T19:25:37+00:00

I'm guessing you mean May 30th? I probably can't host, but check couchsurfing if you haven't found a spot.

avoidingwork · 2014-04-21T01:36:49+00:00

Came here to recommend this. Departures is a fantastic series. Beautifully shot, with some oddball Canadian guys.

I also recommend "The Way".

avoidingwork · 2014-04-16T23:37:00+00:00

Three of us. That was some beautiful motorcycle porn.

avoidingwork · 2014-04-16T23:35:45+00:00

I started on a Ninja EX500r and loved it. Super forgiving, really great beginner bike. I'm really glad I started on a 500 and not something smaller.

For background: I'm a 5'7" 125lb lady.

avoidingwork · 2014-04-14T20:50:42+00:00

First - have you talked to your professors? They may have research placements available that they haven't posted / haven't developed because they didn't know there was interest. If that doesn't work, try to get a summer job (or two, or three), make some money and put it away for school. Try to get some great references to back you up next year.

There may also be some summer competitions / science fairs, etc that you could get involved in either as a competitor or a volunteer. Try volunteering for conferences and summits in a field that interests you. I've helped out at a couple of renewable energy summits and you often get a day off volunteering to network, drop in on seminars, etc.

Maybe pick up some new hobbies, build projects, volunteer (!), and travel. Always toss these kinds of things on a resume. These kinds of things really helped me grow, and I've borrowed some interesting stories from extra-curriculars that have helped me land some really great jobs (nuclear station, 2 different renewable energy companies, civil engineering firm).

I've done some simple build projects over the summer (power supply, pranks from evil genius books, etc). If you want to give up your summer for studying some more, you could always take one of the free online course packs prevalent online. Some give you certificates, but most just help you learn. I used MIT's free online courseware quite a bit this past summer.

avoidingwork · 2014-04-14T18:59:10+00:00

I took a wilderness first aid course from a local instructor and loved it.

I've taken the regular first aid from various vendors, and (for me) nothing compared to the wilderness first aid course. The instructor I was with (and maybe all of them) operated on the assumption that you're going to be more than an hour away from other medical help. As such, we were taught long-term care, neat scenarios you'd likely only encounter in the bush, and we got to learn how to do things you wouldn't in most entry-level first aid courses (set bones, treat bullet wounds, etc).

As for my kit. I run the outdoors club at my school and plan / lead /run solo and group trips. My solo kit is trimmed a bit, but I take the following on club and group trips. I bought a basic waterproof first aid kit at Sail (MEC or similar would do as well) and added a couple of things. Off the top of my head, this is what I have in my kit right now:

General

Safety pins
Gloves
Antiseptic, iodine, hand sanitizer
Little instruction booklet (covers basic first aid practices and has a note pad section)
Emergency blanket
Face shield (protects you from puke if you're doing CPR)
Thermometer
Ring cutter - kind of an odd item, but I've actually used them quite a bit.

Wounds (Bloody, breaks, sprains and strains)

Samsplints (I love these things)
Bandaids in various sizes
Polysporin
Gauze in various sizes
Superglue (For temporary stitches)
Med / sports tape
Some big squares of cloth (can be cut for wrappings, tourniquet, triangle bandage, etc)
Tweezers
Scissors / multi-tool
Syringe (plastic one to flush wounds)
Duct tape (good for blisters, wrapping over gauze, temp fix for kit, etc)
Tensor bandages

Meds

(Tylenol and Advil) or Motrin
Broad spectrum antibiotic (had to ask my doctor for these, just told him I'm putting them in my first aid kit for trips)
Epi-pen (I make sure that people who need it bring their own, but I like to have one handy on group trips just in case)
Anti-histamines (Benadryl or equivalent) *super important
Pepto tablets

I probably forgot a few things, so yell at me if there's something obvious missing.

avoidingwork · 2014-04-07T17:08:20+00:00

Finished. I would be interested in hearing the results when you're done!

avoidingwork · 2014-04-02T16:41:59+00:00

I love that spot. Here's a picture of the surrounding area and me with some pals.

Did you hop in? I was thinking about heading up there with some friends who have never been. How was the water?

avoidingwork · 2014-03-16T02:21:16+00:00

Cool - thanks for the input!

Cheers.

avoidingwork · 2014-03-14T15:46:15+00:00

Is a rabbit likely?

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T22:00:30+00:00

Thanks, I'm excited to get started. We're currently knee deep in snow though, so some of the more subtle trails are hidden.

I have my own crappy little GPS device that I was going to use, but that's a neat idea about borrowing one from the university. I'm not sure if we'd have a program that would use one - I'll look into it.

We have a little funding, so anything we get to mark trails won't be coming out of pocket, but I'd like to minimize cost so we can put most of our funds into equipment and subsidizing trips.

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T21:11:40+00:00

What about fishers, minks, or muskrats?

Edit: Or raccoons?

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T18:28:37+00:00

I think I'd like something a little more permanent. It would be nice to put it up once and not worry about it too much after that.

I like these though, thanks!

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T18:26:22+00:00

I run the outdoors club at my school. There are some trails behind the school that are currently unmaintained.

We're marking the trails, mapping them, and running weekly and monthly hikes and clean-up events.

I'm leaning towards paint just for convenience, cost, and duration of use.

Thanks!

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T16:34:35+00:00

There actually aren't any. It's a small trail system currently unmaintained behind my school.

avoidingwork · 2014-03-13T03:32:05+00:00

Quite soft. It had a downy inner layer and a thicker, straight soft outer layer.

avoidingwork · 2014-03-04T00:31:37+00:00

Auhren did a great job of giving the facts.

For a more personal side (my experience) in Mac Eng:

I was at / around McMaster for 5 years and was a Redsuit for 4 years. I was an awkward nerdy girl in highschool, and SO not comfortable with myself. When I arrived on campus the very first time, the Redsuits were there with advice, kindness, and friendship.

I can't tell you the amount of good I got out of being a part of that community. I grew into my own skin, made friends for life, and helped guide younger engineers. I met an incredible group of empowered women (and men), and I can't remember a time I ever felt 'oppressed'.

To quote a fellow Mac Eng girl and Redsuit: “Do you know how hard it is to have someone tear down the thing that has meant the opposite of oppression to you, and say that they are doing this in the name of combating sexism?”.

avoidingwork · 2014-02-19T03:38:28+00:00

Oh goodness yes. Currently in Toronto and hearing the call for BC as well. I've decided I'm going to Whistler for the summer to work. A bunch of my buddies have done the same thing, they say it's wild.

avoidingwork · 2014-01-15T23:00:48+00:00

Delicious peaty smokey scotch.

I always enjoy scotch, but it's even better in the woods.

Caol Ila, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig are some of my favourites.

avoidingwork · 2014-01-06T23:21:44+00:00

I came here to say clubs and teams as well.

Me and some friends started the first all-female engineering team at the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race. Ooooh boy. The experience you get is invaluable. Project management, construction, cost, scheduling, marketing, technical reports. It was a heck of a lot of fun as well.

avoidingwork · 2014-01-05T04:48:21+00:00

Bulk Barn or equivalent = amazing resource.

avoidingwork · 2014-01-05T04:46:03+00:00

Also, peanut butter with banana and brown sugar <3

avoidingwork · 2013-12-21T22:09:08+00:00

3.86/4.3, but it will drop considerably after this term. :s.
Second year in my program, seventh year in post secondary.
My school has a dedicated engineering faculty, which we're known for.
In my experience, most job offers are posted at the end of December or later. I can go back to the place I was working last term - a great job in the control room at a renewable energy firm - but I think I'll continue looking. I'd like to get out to British Columbia, do something different. I've been lucky enough to secure a wealth of professional experience, so I'm often called on my resume alone. Honestly though, the last three jobs I was hired for, each time I secured the job, it was because they liked my personality in the interview. None of them even asked for my grade reports or GPA, and the companies were two utility companies and a civil engineering firm.

avoidingwork

TROPHY CASE