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 since 2013, 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 grateful to The Voice Magazine for providing the opportunity to explore an array of topics and writing styles, and she remains dreadfully sorry for those awful haikus.
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 with her indulgent and supportive husband, Leo.
You can follow Barbara on Twitter @theregoesbarb, or contact her at theregoesbarb@gmail.com.
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 »
Thousands of writers, and would-be writers, get seduced each year by NaNoWriMo. November 1 brings the opening day of National Novel Writing Month, in which writers are challenged to complete a 50,000-page novel in 30 days. Committing to writing an average of 1667 words per day over the course of the month, so the theory… Read more »
The final of a three-part series on the AU Library. See parts one and two. The AU Library’s core service is to support “students in AU courses by collecting online, print, and audiovisual resources in subject areas taught at the university, and making these available to the AU community.” Additionally, the library’s staff provide assistance… Read more »
Last week’s article introduced the AU Library and its website. Check out the new look! The library’s new website was launched October 15 and has the same URL: http://library.athabascau.ca/. Using a university library for research requires some creative search strategies, according to Elaine Fabbro, Acting Director of Library Services at Athabasca University’s library. Students need… Read more »
“The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein If there’s one thing you absolutely have to know about the AU Library, It’s that they welcome questions. “Students who ask questions will be more successful,” says Elaine Fabbro, Acting Director, Library Services. At the AU Library, there’s… Read more »