Writing for Self Expression (Grades 8-10)
2022-09-01 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC

Mastering the Essay
2022-09-01 10:00 - 13:00 | South Granville Office, 3195 Granville Street, Suite 203, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3K2, Canada
Want to brush up on your reading and writing skills over summer break? Options Solutions is here to help!
This interactive, fast-paced workshop is aimed at providing students with the theory and practice to succeed in their English studies at the grade 11 to 12 level. It will give students the skills and confidence they need to succeed, making their future English courses easier and more enjoyable.
Furthermore, active reading, planning, and essay writing skills are a great way to prepare for the Graduate Literacy Assessment (GLA), a new provincial exam for students in grades 10 and 12.

Back to School Study Skills
2022-09-10 09:00 - 11:00 | BC
This intensive study skills session is designed to help students be academically prepared for their educational futures.
The session is an instructional as well as practical, hands-on work session. It is offered at the start of the school term to help students thrive. Students will leave the workshop armed with the knowledge, skills, strategies, and reference material required to prepare them for academic success. They will also leave the workshop with a concrete understanding of their own executive functioning strengths and weaknesses and with an individualized plan to help them succeed in academic environments.

How to Rock Your First Semester
2022-09-10 10:00 - 12:00 | BC
These intensive study skills sessions are designed to help students be academically prepared for post-secondary.
The sessions are instructional as well as practical, hands-on work sessions. We will explore organizational strategies and understand the resources available to post-secondary students. We will also address how to communicate with professors and teaching assistants, how to make use of a course outline, and how to set goals and practice effective time management. Students will leave the workshop armed with the knowledge, skills, and strategies required to prepare them for academic success.

Intro to Canadian Supplement Writing
2022-09-17 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-09-24 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-09 17:00 - 20:00 | BC
This three-hour session introduces students who are entering grade 12 to the writing components for Canadian applications.
The session will include a presentation that outlines the typical essay and supplemental writing prompts required by major Canadian universities and programs. During this presentation, session leaders will also provide writing and time management strategies and sample essays from previous years’ successful applications. Students will then be given time to brainstorm and engage in practice writing exercises. Options Solutions writing coaches will give students one-on-one feedback on their drafts.
Beginning the application process early will give students the opportunity to make the most productive use of their summer and enter grade 12 with more clarity and direction.

Video Interview Workshop
2022-09-17 10:00 - 13:00 | BC
This three-hour session prepares students for the video interview components of university applications.
The session will include a presentation that outlines the main components of video interview requirements, as well as a practical guide for successfully completing those videos. During the session, students will learn how to answer typical interview questions and have the opportunity to tackle some sample questions as a group. They will then practice in pairs and give each other feedback, as well as record their responses for analysis. Programs that require the video interview include Commerce at UBC, the University of Toronto, and York University, as well as Engineering at the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo.

Writing for Applications
2022-10-01 09:00 - 12:00 | BC
These sessions aim to help students complete the supplemental writing portions of their post-secondary and scholarship applications.
This writing workshop allows students to work on the written portions of their US, UK, and Canadian applications (and scholarship applications, too!) in a constructive and supportive environment. Students are able to receive assistance in all parts of the writing process: brainstorming, drafting, editing and finalizing their work. We accommodate students working on a variety of projects all in the same session, and our writing coaches work personally with students on their unique pieces.

University Executive Functioning Workshop
2022-10-02 10:00 - 12:00 | BC
The transition from high school to university can be challenging. This interactive course is designed to arm students with the knowledge and reference material required for post-secondary success. The three-hour workshop is instructional as well as practical; students will set achievable goals and create a variety of supplementary schedules. They will also review work and recreation balance, time-management strategies, and test-taking skills. This workshop is scheduled to get students organized before their first round of mid-term exams and assignments.

Topics will include:

Goal setting Important deadlines
Review of post-secondary course expectations and online portals
Daily schedules
Exam-study schedules
General term weekly schedules
Strategies for managing procrastination
How to study efficiently, save time, and do well academically

This is meant to be a Step Two to How to Rock First Semester, but all students are welcome.

Please bring your course syllabi, list of deadlines and due dates, and school academic schedule to the workshop.

ACT Debrief
2022-10-05 17:30 - 20:30 | BC
Complete a full ACT exam at home and join us for a three-hour virtual debrief.
Each student is given a cover sheet to help them understand their successes and their areas needing improvement. In order to get an accurate estimate of a student’s abilities, we use only officially released ACT and SAT exams. Taking practice tests helps students prepare for the stamina required on test day.
ACT mock exam and debrief: $250+ applicable taxes, includes 4-hour exam, exam marking and 3 hour debrief session.

Writing for Applications
2022-10-08 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-15 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-21 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-29 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-05 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-08 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-11-12 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-17 17:00 - 20:00 and 1 more date | BC
These sessions aim to help students complete the supplemental writing portions of their post-secondary and scholarship applications.
Writing Workshop allows students to work on the written portions of their US, UK, and Canadian applications (and scholarship applications,
too!) in an oversighted and productive environment. Students are able to receive assistance in all parts of the writing process: brainstorming, drafting, editing and finalizing their work. We accommodate students working on a variety of projects all in the same session, and our writing coaches work personally with students on their unique pieces.

Students should have handy their list of universities and programs they are applying to for this session.
If you are in person, please bring a laptop. All students need a Google account to access Google Drive and Google Classroom.
We strongly encourage all students to attend an Intro to Canadian Supplement Writing Workshop before attending a Supplement Writing Workshop.

Canadian Application Workshop
2022-10-08 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-15 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-17 17:30 - 20:30, 2022-10-21 10:00 - 13:00, 2022-11-02 17:30 - 20:30, 2022-11-05 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-19 10:00 - 13:00 | BC
The application process can be complicated and confusing.
These sessions are designed for students who want assistance completing their Canadian post-secondary applications in a constructive and supportive environment. Our educational consultants will lead students through completing the application process step-by-step and answer any questions that arise along the way.
Please bring to each session:

A laptop computer
Your finalized list of post-secondary schools and programs
Your PEN (personal education number)
Your SIN (social insurance number)
Credit card information: number, expiration date & security code (for submission fees)
A list of your courses and grades (grades 11 & 12)

Video Interview Workshop
2022-10-20 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-11-05 10:00 - 13:00 | BC
This three-hour session prepares students for the video interview components of university applications.
The session will include a presentation that outlines the main components of video interview requirements, as well as a practical guide for successfully completing those videos. During the session, students will learn how to answer typical interview questions and have the opportunity to tackle some sample questions as a group. They will then practice in pairs and give each other feedback, as well as record their responses for analysis. Programs that require the video interview include Commerce at UBC, the University of Toronto, and York University, as well as Engineering at the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo.
The workshop covers topics such as:

body language and appearance
technical set-up
coping strategies for nerves
tips on answering prompts

Video Interview Follow Up - Business
2022-11-16 17:30 - 19:00 | BC
These sessions are designed for students who have already attended the Video Interview Workshop.
The business specific session will build on the general Video Interview Workshop, and provide more in-depth strategies and practice for questions asked by business programs.
The business-specific workshop covers topics such as:

the most important qualities to foreground when answering experiential questions
answering opinion-based questions
answering questions on difficult topics
discussing the evolution of your interest in business and your interest in a particular program
