SHARE A COKE WITH...

HAPPY SATURDAY EVERYONE :)


I hope that you are all enjoying the weekend.  
I wanted to share with you an interesting advertising campaign that I recently learned about.  In Australia, in 2011, Coca-Cola began the "share a Coke" campaign, where the Coca-Cola logo on bottles was replaced with first names. Coca-Cola used the 150 most popular names in Australia to print on the bottles.  The campaign was paired with a website page, Facebook page and an online "share a virtual Coke".  I think that this campaign is really clever; for anyone who likes to collect things with their name on it, or if you want to feel famous for the day :P


Here's an example:

"Share a Coke With..." Video

Who do you want to "Share a Coke" with?

CHEERS <3

STUDY BREAK

Hi :)

So, we're already about halfway through our "break", and if you're like me, you're stuck on the cold island of Montreal studying for the midterms that are coming up....  Isn't it lovely how we have to spend our break buried under textbooks?  I love how clever McGill was by naming our break, "reading week" rather than giving us a "spring break" like every other university.  

Anyways, there isn't much content to today's blog; just a small rant before I continue studying.  For all of you McGillians that are spending Reading Week on a tropical island, please do the rest of us a favour and don't come back TOO tanned ;) For the rest of you that are here in Montreal, keep your spirits up and try to have a bit of fun.

Bonne "semaine de relâche" ;)

I wish was there...

 Instead of at home doing this...

BUCKET LIST

Good-Morning!


Today's blog, believe it or not, is inspired by a show on MTV called "The Buried Life".  The show is about a group of Canadian men that are on a mission to accomplish their "Bucket List" -- a list of things you want to do before you die.  I really enjoy it, because it sheds a light on how we should not take any day for granted. If you have not seen the show, I encourage you get watch an episode -- it's a good break from studying :P


The show inspired me to make my own bucket list, and although some of my "dreams" are personal, I will share a short excerpt from my list here:

1. For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I wish to travel, A LOT.  Especially to the 5 countries that I listed in one of my earlier blogs.
2. Wish on a shooting star -- I have yet to even SEE one!
3. Go Sky diving
4. Learn to cook an entire meal (appetizers, main course & dessert) -- I'm a real dud in the kitchen.
5. Get my work published -- whether it's an article for a newspaper or magazine, or by writing a book.
6. Learn how to skate -- Can you believe that I live in CANADA, in MONTREAL, where Hockey basically runs our entire winter, and I don't know how to skate?! Pathetic haha.
7. Be part of a Flash Mob
8. Run a marathon
9. Get a tattoo
10. [........]

Some of my "bucket list" dreams were accomplished recently:

• Swimming with Dolphins
• Making the Canadian National Team in Synchronized Swimming
• Featured on TV
• [....]

I once read an article about people who wrote down their dreams and goals over the next 5 years on paper versus a group of people who didn't.  The group that wrote their dreams down were far more successful, and happy at the end of the next five years than the other group.  So, I urge you all to make your own bucket list.  Remember, it's not about making tasks that are impossible to achieve; it's about being able to accomplish the "little victories" that make life worth living.

     

NERD IT UP

Hey there party rockers :)


Stress + no sleep + extra snacking = MIDTERMS are here.


That's right; that dreaded time of the year is back.  Not only is it cold, and gets dark out early... we are all cooped up indoors with our laptops and textbooks trying to catch up on overdo studying.  


At the beginning of every term, I tell myself that I will not procrastinate and let myself fall behind in my work... for some reason this never seems to work.  The only positive news is that SPRING BREAK is a mere 4 days away which means that there is A CHANCE for me to catch up on all my work -- as long as I steer clear of Procrastination Nation.


Alright, well it's time to get the day started with some O.M. studying.......... I hope that my day isn't divided up like this pie chart ;)

GOOD-LUCK WITH EXAMS!!  

TRAVELS

ALLO ALLO ALLO :)

For anyone who knows me well, they know that I LOVE to travel.  This year, I am planning to go to Thailand and Bali for two weeks, and I could not be more excited.  I have travelled quite a bit, but I have not gone to Asia yet.  From what I hear, I am in for a huge culture shock.  I cannot wait to visit the sites, hear different languages, GO SHOPPING, but I am a little worried about the food.  I have always been a picky eater... so I may be in for a surprise.    

Here's a taste of what I will be seeing during my trip:

After this trip, I will still have 5 major countries -- although, I wish that I could visit every country-- that I NEED TO VISIT before I die:

• Australia -- to see kangaroos and swim in the Great Barrier Reef
• Egypt -- Visit the Pyramids
• South Africa -- Go on an African Safari
• England -- Ride in a red double decker bus, and visit the Queen ;)
• Greece -- Go island hopping and visit all the monuments

What is your dream destination?

GRADE INFLATION

Hey Party People!


In light of it being Monday, I thought I would address a school issue today, but before you read on, you should probably read THIS article.


Alright, so I feel the need to address this article.  I admit that I am among the group of students who detests the grading policy at McGill, and I do agree that it is disheartening to be brought down from an A to an A- or lower.  If an entire class is intelligent (smarter than the average student), and their class average ends up being higher than the mandated average, it is unfair to bring down everyone's grade.


Having said that, I have to admit that this way of grading is effective in the grand scheme of things; it differentiates the above average, average and mediocre students.  


Here are some things that I did not like from the article:


-Yes; Princeton has adopted a similar grading scheme, but the article fails to mention that Princeton also puts disclaimers on transcripts to say that they are a "low grading school".  In my opinion, if McGill adopted this policy, students would complain a lot less about getting an A- rather than an A.


-Ummmm Concordia? What do they have to do with this article?  They are not subjected to mandated averages, and their average GPAs are lower, not because they have a "valid grading scheme" but because they have lower admission standards, hence the average student has a lower GPA to begin with.  IRRELEVANT to the article.  


-Grades are not everything.  McGill is a reputable school, and employers (in general) know about the "deflated grades".  At the end of the day, you will most likely be competing against other McGill students for internships/jobs that were exposed to the same grading scheme.  


What are your thoughts? :) 

WHAT WILL REPLACE COMMERCIALS?

Bonjour les amis :)


Today's blog is a query about technology, but more specifically, advertising.  More and more, I am getting too impatient for commercial advertisements, and I'm sure many of you are the same.  We TiVo our shows to skip over commercials, or stream seasons of shows off the internet to avoid those annoying 2-3 minute commercial breaks.  So, I did a bit of research and I found out that commercials are becoming less effective.  In fact, even politicians are having difficulty reaching the population with their messages.  I read an interesting fact on Say Media:

"With more than one in three voters opting out of live TV, politicians must adjust their campaigns to effectively reach voters." -- Say Media

This got me wondering... If commercial advertisements are becoming less effective, what will be the next biggest fad in advertisements?  Any ideas? :)