Barbara Lehtiniemi is a writer and photographer from Ontario. She’s a graduate of Athabasca University, having completed her Bachelor of General Studies degree in 2018.
A regular contributor to The Voice Magazine for over ten years, Barbara has also contributed to other publications including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Maclean’s. Barbara writes in several genres, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. She’s eternally grateful to The Voice Magazine for providing the opportunity to explore an array of topics and writing styles.
Barbara has a fondness for travel, used bookstores, everyday absurdities, and oversized wine glasses. Originally from urban Southwestern Ontario, she now lives on a windswept rural road in Eastern Ontario.
Although I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions (see last January’s article, “Resolving to Abolish New Year’s Resolutions”,) a fresh new year does provide an ideal occasion for reflection. The start of a year offers an opportunity to examine where you’ve been, where you are now, and where You’re going. The new year… Read more »
Are you new to AU? You might be waiting for your first course to begin or perhaps you’ve taken a few and are ready to immerse yourself in a program. With many courses ahead of you and years of study, It’s sometimes overwhelming to decide where to begin. If you’ve never taken university courses before,… Read more »
“Nobody should be alone on Christmas Day,” proclaims the advertisement in the newspaper. A community service group is opening its doors on the afternoon of December 25 this year so that those who are alone for the holidays can enjoy a festive meal in the company of others. For many of those who celebrate Christmas,… Read more »
Wednesday’s AUSU council meeting started on time and moved along at a crisp pace?two qualities every meeting should aspire to. Once again, agendas were not available to meeting observers, making it difficult to follow the discussion. And once again, the formal meeting was followed by a closed councillors-only session. First item up for discussion was… Read more »
Holidays can play havoc with your study schedule. Whether It’s your own vacation, or the upcoming Christmas/New Year’s holidays, the effect is similar. You need to make plans to minimize disruption to your studies. Have you looked at the calendar yet? There’s still time to plan ahead and keep your studies flowing smoothly. If your… Read more »
I still haven’t figured out tutors. I know what their role is. I know how and when to contact them. But after a number of AU courses, some things about tutors still perplex me. According to AU’s Learning Services Tutorial, a tutor will “offer subject-matter assistance, engage in scholarly discussion, mark assignments, provide feedback, and… Read more »
Successful students will spend at least some of their time learning how to learn. Learning isn’t just about taking in information. It involves a set of skills that students will develop over their university career?and beyond. There are endless sources of study skill guides. There is an endless variety of students. How do you find… Read more »
I think November is in stiff competition with February as the most depressing month. It’s not so much that It’s getting colder. It’s not the mention of the f-word (fl*rries) or even the s-word (sn*w.) It’s the beginning of darkness: short days and deep dark nights. With the return to standard time on November 2,… Read more »
Wednesday’s AUSU Council meeting was surprisingly short. That’s actually a relief after last month’s marathon meeting of over three hours, which I bailed out of half-way through. But the short meeting was unsatisfying for what was not discussed. All council members were present November 12, and the meeting got underway promptly at 5:30pm. After the… Read more »
The only thing constant is change. Greek philosopher Heraclitus uttered those words 2500 years ago. And nothing has changed. If change is a constant in our lives, why do we resist it? Why do we wring our hands, gnash our teeth, and bemoan our fate? It’s not just because we’ve been yanked out of our… Read more »