National Career Development Month: Calling all Poets and Artists

Help celebrate National Career Development Month by participating in the 48^th annual poetry and poster contest.  This year’s theme is “Charting the Course for the Second Century”.  There are various division areas for the contest including adult student - 18 and older enrolled in school as well as open adult - 18 and older not enrolled in school.  

Learn more about the contest at http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/ncdmonth or watch for details on ELI Facebook and the Elife Blog.

Virginia Cyber Aces State Championship

Cyber Aces Foundation is working with the Northern Virginia branch of Virginia Tech to host a Virginia statewide cyber competition, Cyber Aces Online, where students have the opportunity to receive online training, win top honors, and earn a place at the Virginia Cyber Aces state championship in the Spring.  The Virginia Cyber Aces state championship is a free statewide competition to discover and develop Virginia's top cyber talent.

This competition involves the students registering for Cyber Aces Online (www.cyberaces.org) starting 9/3 and ending 10/15. Students are provided with free online instruction in networking, operating systems, and systems administration. After a two- to three-week study period for each of these areas, students complete an online multiple choice quiz. The course is designed for anyone who has an interest in learning more about information security and the growing threats from cyber attacks. No special knowledge is required. All a student needs is a computer with Internet access and the ability to watch videos. Upon completion, the student will receive a certificate of completion. The top 50 to 100 performers from around the Commonwealth will be invited to participate in a NetWars competition in Spring 2014.

Did you know that ELI also has a Facebook and Twitter account?  Follow-us, like-us, win prizes!  Once or twice a semester we have contests for students on our social media pages. 

Want to win a prize now?  Send a 200-300 word essay telling us your “NOVA story” and we will send you a box of ELI swag! 

Send your entries to ELISuccess@nvcc.edu by June 30, 2013. 

(Questions?  Feel free to email us)

https://www.facebook.com/NOVAelife

https://twitter.com/NOVAELIFE

First Annual NVCC Math Competition

NVCC will host First Annual NVCC Math Competition on April 13, 2013 (Annandale campus). We would like to invite all students to participate in this fun contest.  This level of questions involve: algebra, college algebra, trigonometry, logic, precalculus, and probability. It is two 30 minutes rounds of ten questions in each round. There are Prize and certificates for first, second, and third places; and many other prizes and goodie to top runner up.

This is a partner (team of two) competition, and you must register as a team. Bring your best friend, your group study, or your classmate to compete against one another in this fun environment.

More information can be found at: all information can be found at : http://blogs.nvcc.edu/knong/

March Madness!

Somewhere in-between Daylight Savings Time and the official first day of Spring, some people get a little mad… I am talking about March Madness!

As the NCAA Basketball Tournament begins, millions of people will be fixated on 64 college basketball teams. The perennial favorites and the Cinderella squads will give some joy, some heartbreak, but all will experience the excitement of March Madness.

Join the fun by participating in the ELI Fantasy Sports League’s NCAA Tournament Pick’Em! Visit the ELI Virtual Student Union and select the NCAA link in the Game Center located on the main page. From there, you will easily fill in your electronic NCAA Bracket and see how well you do compared to other ELI students. Random participants will win free prizes; regardless of how well your picks do, so join in on the fun! The ELI Fantasy Sports League’s NCAA Tournament Pick’Em tips at Noon on Thursday, March 15, 2012, so complete your free electronic bracket today!

ELI’s Virtual Student Union is an online social site for ELI students to stay connected outside of their Blackboard courses by hanging out with other ELI students and participating in online clubs and events.  Stay tuned for more events and fantasy sports leagues…  and let us know what you want to see in your Virtual Student Union.

Attention All Vista Higher Learning Book Users! Win a $100 Gift Card!

Vista Higher Learning employee Laurie truly believes in the power of language. She brushes up on Spanish with her llama Willy in the living room!

Post a photo on Vista Higher Learning’s Facebook page of you studying with your Vista Higher Learning book. Snap your photo in your favorite study spot (and perhaps with your best study buddy?) for a chance to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card.

Only one entry per person, and all entries must be received by Monday, February 20th. Winners will be chosen based on photo quality and creativity, so have fun!

NCDA 46th Annual Poster & Poetry Contest

Need a break from your studies or an opportunity to show your creative side? In honor of National Career Development Month (November) the National Career Development Association (NCDA) is sponsoring the 46th annual poster & poetry contest. This year’s theme is “My Career Dreams”. Why not take a moment to think about what this year’s theme means to you and consider entering the contest.

The following are a few details: 

Eligibility:

Every adult and student enrolled in public, private, and parochial schools in states with participating NCDA state divisions are eligible.

Contest Division Areas Include:

• Senior: Grades 9-12
• Adult Student: 18 and older enrolled in school
• Open Adult: 18 and older not enrolled in school (student teachers, parents, and professionals . . . )

Requirements:

Poems

• Form:  Any acceptable poetic form (e.g. cinquain, free verse, diamante, haiku, limerick, metered, rhyming, blank verse).
• Size:  Each poem should be submitted on a single sheet of paper 8.5” x  11” in 12 point font.

Posters

• Lettering:  Simple bold lettering is preferred.  Captions are to be used to convey the theme, attract attention, and to achieve goals of clarity, vigor, and originality.  All lettering is considered part of the design.
• Size:  Each poster must be created in 8.5” x 11” format, including matte, to be eligible.

Learn more about the contest and print a copy of the Entry Form

See examples of the 2010 winning entries

Enjoy Taking Pictures?

Enjoy taking pictures?  Why not consider participating in the special photography contest being held from Sept. 5 – Oct. 31?  Four categories are available for the contest - flora, fauna, seasons, and people.  Learn more at http://www.virginiaoutdoors.com/article/more/2846.

We have a winner!

Thanks to all of you who entered our scavenger hunt contest. We got lots of correct entries to put into our drawing--and last week, we randomly drew our winner, Elizabeth Eldreth. Congratulations, Elizabeth! We sent Elizabeth a prize pack full of ELI goodies. Keep your eye out for future contests so you can try to win your own prize pack!

Some of you mentioned that you'd like to know the answers to the scavenger hunt questions--which is great, because they are all about things that ELI students should know! The answers can all be found in past entries to the blog, but here's a quick review. For more information on any item, use the subject labels on the bottom right of the blog to find the past entry with all the details, and if you need any help, post a comment and we'll help you find what you need!

1. What are the benefits of having a NOVA ID Card?

• cheaper price for printing on campus
• using vending machines on campus that don't accept cash
• access to parking garages at some campuses
• get college student discounts at local businesses

2. What are two online services to provide writing assistance?

• Smarthinking
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

3. What do you need to participate in one of ELI's free orientation or advising webinars?

• a computer with internet access and speakers or headphones
• sometimes, to register in advance

4. How can you find out what courses you need to graduate?

• Run a degree progress report in NOVAConnect

5. What three items do you need to take an ELI exam at a NOVA testing center?

• photo ID
• Exam Pass
• student ID number

6. How can you get research help from home?

• Get online articles and research sources under "Articles and More" on the library homepage.
• Use the "Ask a Librarian" feature of the library homepage.

7. Where can you find out what textbooks you need before you have access to your course in Blackboard?

• Visit the ELI Course Information page for your course.
• Look up your course on the Alexandria Campus Online Bookstore, which stocks all ELI books.

8. How can the Virginia Education Wizard help you plan for your future?

• help you determine what career might be best for you
• help you identify college majors that best prepare you for your chosen career
• find colleges in Virginia that best meet your educational needs
• help you estimate college costs and find financial aid
• learn about transferring to a four-year college from NOVA

9. How can you learn more about Guaranteed Admissions to four-year colleges?

• Visit the Guaranteed Admissions website.
• Follow up with a NOVA counselor.

10. What is the purpose of ELI course deadlines?

• To make sure you make steady progress in your course and learn the material well.

Cool contest for video-makers!

Do you like to make videos? Have some good tips to share with other students about succeeding in college? Then you might want to enter the McGraw-Hill Student Success Video Contest! They welcome creative, 3-5 minute videos on topics like time management, studying, test-taking, becoming a better student, or anything to help students succeed in college or thereafter. And the best part is that you can win prizes, including $2500 for the first-place winner, $1500 for the second-place winner, and a $100 gas card for 8 other runners-up. So why not try your hand at filmmaking? The deadline in December 31.

Visit McGraw-Hill's Facebook page here to get full information about the contest. If you decide to enter, we'd love to hear about what you've done!