Handling Stress Calmly

Imagine you are about to submit an online assignment at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning. Your computer crashes and you must submit it from another computer. You decide to drive to the library. However, it is pouring down rain, traffic is moving at a bumper-to-bumper pace and the clock is ticking. If you do not submit the assignment by 8:00, you will not receive credit. Does this scenario sound familiar?  This scenario is similar to something that we have all experienced at one time or another.

What are some of the feelings that you experience in such a scenario and how do you typically respond? Think physiology: racing heart, nausea, indigestion or tense muscles.  The feelings of worry and stress may hinder our thought processes and may interfere with our ability to make informed decisions while in crisis mode. In these unpredictable times, we can’t always control our external circumstances; however, we can control our response to them and how we strategize to overcome physical and mental stress in preparation for the next time we are faced with a similar situation.

Some suggestions to promote peace in your life during stressful situations:

·       Be pro-active.  Although we can’t always be a step ahead, try to plan so that you are not completing tasks at the last minute. 

·       Take a Deep Breath.  If you are inclined to take rapid, shallow breaths, practice taking in slower deep breaths to combat the stress response.

·       Do not respond reactively. Take a moment to think through your situation and how to best resolve the problem.  Write down your options and determine which will be the best approach. 

·       Think of a calm relaxing scene such as a tranquil, sandy beach with the peaceful sound of ocean waves in the background or whatever scene helps you feel at peace (you may want to practice this in your spare time so that you can return to this scene when circumstances warrant it).

·       Turn on some relaxing music. Easy listening music may serve to provide a sense of peace and calmness.

As you learn to take responsibility and incorporate these processes into your life, they will help you develop a rational and orderly response to stressful situations.

For additional information please, click here.

Guest Post: "My Summer 2013"

We would like to thank ELI student, Betty, for her blog submission.  Betty shares her ELI story along with sensational tips to get organized and be prepared in the online classroom:

I am 46 years old and work full time.  I also have a home, 3 daughters, 3 horses and a new husband.  I wanted to go back to school for over 10 years but life and finances kept getting in the way.  Right before my birthday in May, I checked my little savings account balance and decided the time was now so I signed up for 3 online classes the first day of the summer session.  I have since signed up for 2 more summer classes and am also enrolled for fall 2013. 

My goal is to complete my Associates by spring 2015 and transfer to a four year school.  I have many reasons for getting a degree but first and foremost is for myself.  I also hope to set a good example for my daughters and be eligible for a better position at work.

My family is very supportive of my decision but it has been an adjustment.  Mom is now in the other room doing homework some evenings or reading a textbook.  I have always been a person who keeps a schedule and now it is even more important.  I work ahead in all my classes because I know there will be a time when a sick child, work project or unexpected work travel will happen and I do not want to be late for my school assignments. 

My tip is have a master schedule (my kids call my big binder my life).  I have work, school and family schedules all in one place and that helps keep me straight, on time and my kids where they need to be.  I even have bill due dates written in on this schedule.  It is the old fashioned paper schedule.  I do put things on my outlook for work and my iphone for home, but those are just reminders.  This system may not work for everyone, but find what works for you and stick to it.

I am no different than many adults going back to school.  I know many people have much crazier lives than I do.  I encourage anyone thinking about college to give it a try.  The best time is now; chances are your life isn’t going to get less hectic or complicated.

ELife Blog encourages student involvement.  We are honored to post your blog submissions sharing your ELI story, success stories and success tips.  For consideration, please submit your blog to ELISuccess@nvcc.edu

Best Note Taking Apps

Looking for some new apps?  Want a high-tech way to take notes?  Here are some hot apps that can help you get the best of both worlds…

1.   Penultimate – Hand-write notes right no your ipad.  To do this, you’ll need a stylus but, penultimate features smooth, realistic handwriting simulation with multiple paper styles and a variety of pen color options.  When done, you can search your text, save your ideas to Evernote, and share single page images or full PDF notebooks.  Cost: Free

2.   Bamboo Paper – Notebook – Also Hand-write notes right no your ipad but, what makes this app special is that bamboo paper has creates its own stylus - Wacom.  The app allows you to save your notes in Dropbox and Evernote and there is even a feature to allow you to post your ideas to Facebook and Twitter. Cost: Free or you can unlock the full version, which gives you unlimited notebooks for $1.99.

3.   MyScript Notes Mobile - Not only can you handwrite your notes, but you can turn your notes into text so that others don’t have to try to figure out your handwriting. Your handwritten notes are also searchable and you can look up definitions of words, or search for them on the Internet. The app also lets you use a wide variety of gestures to edit text and you can import PDFs for annotation, or add images to your document. Files can be saved to Evernote and Dropbox and can be posted on Facebook or Twitter. This is one of those apps that utilizes everything the iPad’s technology offers to create an exciting and inventive app. Cost: $7.99.

4.   Notability – Type and handwrite notes using this app.  It also includes a full-featured word processor with the ability to spell check, add bullet points, and more. You can annotate PDFs, so if your professor sends out a worksheet, you can write notes directly on the iPad without having to switch to a different app. The most useful feature of this app is that it records audio. You can record a lecture while taking notes. The app syncs what you type with what was recorded so that, when you go back over your notes, if something you wrote doesn’t make sense, you can tap a word and it will play back the section of the lecture that took place at that time. Cost: $1.99

5.   My Sketch Paper - This is less of a note-taking app and more of an idea-sketching app, but I felt that is was important to include it for our creative readers. Users can take notes using the text editor and freehand sketch ideas, or simply doodle in the margins. Cost: Free.

More can be found at iDownloadBlog.com.  Original article written by Lory Gil on April 23, 2013.  

Conquer Note Taking to Succeed in Classes

Ever heard of the Cornell Note Taking System?  Watch this video, try it, see if it helps you…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_Vzeq5L3g

 

 

5 Mid-Semester Testing Tips You Need To Know

Late June – early July is the period of heaviest testing for the Summer 2013 semester at ELI.  Exams are due for all sessions, 6, 8, and 12 week.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind when taking exams during this period.

1.       Never wait until the last minute to test.  Crowds can be large, lines long, and Blackboard can be affected by the volume.

2.       Avoid Saturdays, if at all possible.  If you cannot, please arrive at or before the testing center opening time.  If your course offers exam proctoring through ProctorU, consider using that option, keeping in mind item number one.  Blackboard is affected everywhere during high volume periods.

3.       Please note there can be lines during this period, even during what might normally be slow times at your campus testing center.  Plan to arrive earlier than you normally would at other times during the semester.

4.       Be sure to have your completed exam pass and your photo ID ready when you arrive.  Anything that speeds up the process of getting students into the center and exams started is beneficial to all.

5.       Please keep in mind testing center staff are doing the best they can with the resources they are provided.  A smile can go a long way to make everyone’s experience a pleasant one.

Sat. May 11 – Extended Testing Center Hours

As you prepare for finals, please note...

All NOVA Testing Centers (*except MEC) will be open from 9 am – 5 pm on Saturday, May 11th. 

As always:

·         ESL Placement tests must be started 3 hours prior to closing.

·         Placement tests must be started 2 hours prior to closing.

·         ELI and all other exams must be started 90 minutes prior to closing.

·         All exams are collected 15 minutes prior to closing times.

More Testing Center Info.



Testing Center Hours



Plan For Finals... With ELI!

Register For One of These Webinars

Making Peace With Time

Do you find yourself competing with your clock? Are you trying to engage in too many projects or assignments at once without giving any one your undivided attention? Do you sometimes feel like you are at the mercy of your cell phone or blackberry? In the book, “Power of Slow”, Christine Louise Hohlbaum discusses several strategies to help time work in your favor. He discussed the following tips:

• Adopt a “gentler” pace that involves finding a rhythm that is comfortable for you. It does not mean you have to limit your efficiency on tasks and responsibilities, but finding time to stop in between your daily agenda to enjoy the simple things and savor brief bursts of time to rejuvenate your spirit.

• Familiarize yourself with the concept of “time abundance”. Hohlbaum describes this state as an awareness that there is more than enough time to accomplish tasks that contribute to your sense of purpose. If one of your purposes is to help people, whatever task moves you toward that end will blend with the window of time needed to accomplish this purpose, the point being to trust that time is on your side when you are accomplishing goals that stay within your life’s purpose.

• Know when saying “no” to one thing aids in “creating the opening” to make another possibility happen. Sometimes, when faced with a choice, if you are in a position to say “no” to something, it can create the space for “yes” in a more meaningful opportunity.

• Hohlbaum uses the term “ma”, a term coined by the Japanese to represent the space in between music or beats to symbolize those little moments of nothingness that we need to recharge in between tasks. The point is to create space between meetings and time-specific obligations to appreciate moments of peace and serenity.

• Go “clock free” to experience what it is like to appreciate the sense of timelessness that comes with disconnecting from your time source (i. e., clock, cell phone, clock on your computer). This will help you get in touch with how you experience the ebbs and flows of time that are not being dictated by a number.

•Participate in activities that are of high interest and enjoyment such as your favorite hobby(ies). If dancing or painting take you away from the hectic pace of life so that you are not thinking at all about time and deadlines, pick an appropriate window of opportunity during the week to engage in these uplifting activities. Hohlbaum likens this activity to “inviting flow” into your life.

• Practice mindful eating. Rather than viewing eating as just another activity in your day that you need to survive, take time to pause in between bites and take your time chewing, taking care to savor every bite and how it speaks to your senses.

• To regain your center and composure, take advantage of letting that call go to voicemail when you are in need of time to recharge your batteries. Furthermore, turning off your cell phone altogether is a great way to prevent the clock, the calls and the e-mails from forcing you to operate at a frantic pace that can leave you out of balance at the end of the day. New rule: five minutes of being cell phone free can be the equivalent to an hour of liberation!

• Close multiple windows on your computer to encourage focusing on one project at a time. This act helps to minimize the distractions that can interfere with complete, uninterrupted concentration.

• Maintain a sense of adventure by taking time out to visit places outside of the realm of work, family and home. Hohlbaum labels this technique being the “Captain of Your Own Ship” as you take the time to visit other ports to make the most of your time and create meaning within the time allotted in your days and weeks.

Hohlbaum also discusses the importance of recapturing the meaning of your childhood dreams and engaging in pursuits that relate to those interests as a way of making your time valuable. For more inspiring techniques on balancing your time in a meaningful way, visit this link.

Quizlet: A new way to study on the go.

Are there times where you are waiting in line or sitting on the Metro and wish you had your study materials to cram in just a few minutes of study time? As a student, your time is precious. You might feel like finding the opportunity to get in quality study time is difficult. Quizlet can help you squeeze in quality study time any time you have a chance!

Quizlet is an online learning tool that takes electronic flash cards and studying to a whole new level. You can create your own flash cards or access more than 6 million user generated flashcards in just about every subject imaginable. Finding what you are looking for is easy, browse by subject or enter your keywords into the search box.

There are several different ways to study with Quizlet. Flashcard Mode allows you to study your material like you would with traditional flashcards but Quizlet allows you to take advantage of the option of having the term and definition on the front or split front and back. You can also shuffle, randomize or listen to your flashcards with audio. Speller Mode tests your memory by having you type the word as you hear it. Learn Mode allows you to type in the term when challenged with the definition. It also keeps track of your correct and incorrect answers and will retest you on those that you’ve missed. Take advantage of Test Mode's self generating random tests complete with true and false, fill in the blank and matching sections to challenge your knowledge. You can also use the competitive games Quizlet offers to help you learn and retain your material. Scatter and Space Race will make it easy for you to study and hard for you to stop!

Another exciting feature is the text to audio capability. By pressing the speaker icon the term or definition will be read aloud. This is great for auditory learners and an amazing study aid for those learning a foreign language. Quizlet currently offers text to audio in 18 languages ranging from Chinese to Romanian.

Being an online student can make arranging study groups a challenge. Quizlet allows you to create groups to share and discuss flashcards. No more trying to coordinate with 8 different people to find a day and time to study that works for everyone.

There are more than 50 mobile apps for Quizlet for nearly every type of SMART phone. Quizlet makes studying fun and accessbile nearly anywhere. This quick demo video will show you all Quizlet has to offer. Give Quizlet a try and let us know what you think!

How Well Do You Plan?

Take the quiz below to see if you are really are the "planner" you think you are.

DIRECTIONS: On a scrap sheet of paper, jot down the number that best describes you.

	Never	Seldom	Sometimes	Often	Always
How often do you plan in an effort to keep life from running out of control?	1	2	3	4	5
Do you put daily plans on paper?	1	2	3	4	5
Do you allow flexibility in your plans?	1	2	3	4	5
How often do you ac-complish all you plan for a given day?	1	2	3	4	5
How often do you plan time for what matters most to you?	1	2	3	4	5
How often is your daily plan de-stroyed by urgent in- terruptions?	5	4	3	2	1

SCORING: Add the numbers next to your answers.

INTERPRETATION:

6-10: Terrible Planner.
You should consider using new tools and processes to help you plan effectively. A great first step would be to take a time management course.

11-15: Below average planner.
You may already have a planning system, but using it more effectively will help to reduce the stress and lack of control you feel in your life.

16-20: Average planner.
Your planning system is working, but you can do better. You may need help focusing on priorities, dealing with urgent interruptions or writing your daily plan.

21-25: Above-average planner.
Your planning system is working well. Keep up the good work, with periodic reviews to be sure you’re planning around what matters most in your life.

26-30: Excellent planner--or candidate for burnout?
You have mastered planning and should experience the serenity that comes from taking charge of your life. But make sure you’re in control of your planning rather than letting it control you.

(*Quiz written for USA WEEKEND by time management expert Hyrum Smith, chairman of the Franklin Covey Co.)

Winter Wake-Up App

Waking up can be difficult enough, but once snow is in the mix, everyone's morning routine can be messed up.

But, now there's an app that can help keep you from getting blindsided by snow and ice.  The "Winter Wake-Up" app will wake you up early if weather is bad.  The app was created by the Belgian ad agency Boondoggle.
 
It works by collecting weather data while people are sleeping, and moves their alarm times up if weather conditions change, giving people time to de-ice, dig out or deal with traffic..
 

The app is available for both iPhones and Androids.
 
Check out how it works in this YouTube video.

Schedule your class meetings

Now that you have a clear understanding about why you are taking classes, it is time to plot out when you will be working on them this semester. Taking a college course is a definite time commitment. And while online classes give you flexibility, they frequently require more time than classroom based courses, not less. In an online course, it is essential that you check in one or more times a week and that you do the reading assigned for the course in addition to the practice exercises or the graded assignments. To budget your time appropriately, allow three hours each week for every credit you are taking. So, if you are completing six credits of classes, make sure you budget 18 hours in your schedule for doing your reading and coursework. This is equivalent to a part-time job! Furthermore, when scheduling your classes, allow 15 minute breaks for every hour of uninterrupted study to allow yourself to retain what you are trying to learn.

It is best if you actually pull out your calendar and mark in the times that are already committed to things like work, meetings, or other necessities. Also mark in the time you need for meals, commuting, and sleep. After that, pencil in the hours you intend to spend studying. View these in your mind as your “class time” and try to keep them as consistent as you can every week, so you create a habit. Then, on the first week of classes, “attend” your class by logging in during the first scheduled window and complete as much of your first week’s assignments as you can. Most classroom based courses encourage you to miss no more than two class periods a semester. Try to be at least this faithful to attend your self-scheduled online study periods. When it comes to taking online classes, building strong habits is critical to success!

Too much to do? Tips for managing stress

It is natural for students to feel greater stress as the end of the semester approaches. In the beginning and middle of a semester, assignments tend to be smaller and evenly spread out because you are in the early stages of learning the material. As the course progresses, eventually there will be a project or paper where students need to apply what they have learned in some way. These assignments are often more challenging or complex than the early assignments. In addition to that, there are exams to prepare for, often in several classes at once.

Surprisingly, stress is actually a very healthy thing for us. Without stress, our lives would be filled with constant procrastination as very few things became important enough for us to actually do. Stress is what drives us to complete the projects and assignments and study for the tests. If too many stressors build up, however, it can sometimes make you feel sick physically. If this happens to you, there are several strategies you can use to manage it.

First, making a list of all of the things that are causing you to feel stress can be stressful in itself to draw up, but doing so will help you create a clear picture of what is weighing you down. Once you have the list, organize the list by importance, but try to weave easy-to-do tasks from the list between major tasks so you can gain a sense of quick ‘relief’ from a stressor by doing one of the easier tasks when you need a quick burst of energy or sense of accomplishment. Break the larger tasks down into smaller bites that are easier to handle. If something is causing an enormous amount of stress compared to everything else on your list, try to tackle that first—it will make doing everything else that much easier.

Make a list of soothing activities that help you relax. Do a soothing activity between each of the items on your list to give yourself recreation and mental breaks. Don’t forget to exercise, eat healthily, and get a normal amount of sleep whenever possible. Those habits will help your body be more resilient to stress whenever it occurs. Finally, remind yourself that this stressful time will not last forever. It will only be a few short weeks before you can take a nice relaxing break between semesters!

If I Only Had More Time

Ever wonder where the time goes?  Often, it seems there are never enough hours in a day or enough days in a week to accomplish everything we would like to get done.  While it’s not possible to add more hours to a day or more days to a week it is possible to take time to reflect upon how you are using your time to determine where you might “find” time or use your time more effectively. To help you determine how you are currently using your time it is recommended that you complete a time analysis exercise like the “How do you spend your time each day?” exercise available from Study Guides and Strategies.  After completing a time analysis exercise, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my priorities?
• Does how I am spending my time reflect my priorities?
• Is the time I am spending for each area I have identified realistic?
• If the answer to the last question is no, brainstorm about actions you could take to use your time more effectively. 

Need more information or tips?  Take a look at any of the following resources:

• Time Management Tips
• Time Scheduling Suggestions
• Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management

Online vs. On Campus Classes: Through the Eyes of a Student

Hi everyone, my name is Brian. I’m currently attending NOVA to earn my A.S. degree with plans of transferring to a university. SDV 100 is my first online class I’ve taken! The adjustment as a student from the classroom to online was a bit difficult because there is so much flexibility in learning the course material. Not having the structured schedule of sitting in a classroom put my time management skills to the test. Traditionally, for me, a school day consists of getting up in the morning, going to a class, and listening to a lecture for an hour or two, during which I would take notes and then go home.

When I started SVD 100 online at the beginning of this semester, I almost didn’t know what to do. No face to face interactions? No specific time when class starts? Home work is due by the end of the week? These are just some of the questions I asked myself during my first week. As time went on, any anxieties I had about taking the course online had dissipated. I found myself a nice routine to follow each week that worked for me, and still allowed ample time for my studies and do homework.

There were two key things that aided me through my first online experience, setting up my calendar and setting reminders for myself. Since we receive Gmail accounts when we register at NOVA, I chose to keep things simple and use Gmail’s calendar feature to keep organized. This process is as easy as logging in to GMail, going to the calendar tab on the upper left hand corner, then pointing and clicking on a time slot on the calendar to schedule appointments. If you have a busy schedule, It might take you some time but, ultimately, I believe this to be a great way to visually organize your time.

Setting reminders was just as easy as setting up my calendar since I have an Android phone. When I put anything new into my calendar it automatically syncs to my phone and vice versa.

Online classes are a paradigm shift from the traditional “brick and mortar” school house but, with good time management skills, distance learning can provide a tremendous benefit to the student, the professor, and, have significant positive impact on the environment. The downside is a lack of social interaction and the lack of synergy when debating ideas with classmates. The proliferationof social media tools makes online classes the perfect venue for today’s students.

Webinar Wednesday: "It's Only a Matter of Time"

Getting back into the swing of things for the new semester can be a challenge--especially when trying to juggle work, family, and a social life along with your ELI courses. So before you pick up bad procrastination habits, get stressed out, burned out or overwhelmed, start things off right by participating in this week's Webinar Wednesday...

"It's Only a Matter of Time" - Sept. 1, 12:15pm - 1:00pm
This 45 minute webinar for NOVA students will focus on time management. Several tips for effective time management will be presented. Registration required.

What's a webinar? A webinar is a web-based seminar. Using the computer of your choice, you will be able to see the presentation and listen in using your computer speakers. A microphone is not required as a text chat feature will be utilized during the webinars for participants to ask questions. For more details visit the Fall 2010 webinar schedule.

Keeping track of life

As I get caught up in my summer activities, with vacations, changes in my work schedule, and other unexpected events popping up, my life is anything but routine. The cues that I have during other times in the year that remind me what day of the week it is and what has to be done on that day are all out of sync. I often need to find other ways to remember details like when my assignments are due or when tests need to be taken. This has led me to explore new ways to remember the things I have to do.

One of the first things I tried out was the calendar on my cell phone to set reminders for important events. If I also set a reminder the Monday of the week an important assignment is due, I find that I then manage to make plenty of time to work on it that week. Unfortunately, this only works when my phone is both on and charged—two things I often forget to take care of. The next method I discovered was a way to forward my mail from my student email account to my main address, so I can I receive any announcements from my teachers as quickly as possible.

Finally, while I was logged into my student email account to forward the mail, I noticed that I have access to Google’s Calendar program there. Although I have Outlook at work, I don’t have it at home, so I decided to use the Google Calendar as a way to remind myself of deadlines and events when working from my home computer. And with Google Calendar, I can set reminders for the events that will be sent to me by email, which will be forwarded to my personal account too, so that gives me an additional failsafe to make sure I don’t miss a deadline.

Here are the directions on how to forward mail from your student email account:

1. To forward all emails sent to a student email account to a personal email address, log into your student account.
2. Then click where it says Settings in the upper right corner of the screen. 
3. Then select Forwarding and POP/IMAP from the top row of the menu.
4. Select the Forward a copy of incoming mail to:
5. Enter the email address you want the mail forwarded to, and then select the Save changes button at the bottom of the screen. 

For audio/visual directions on how to do this, click here.

You Be The Counselor: Keeping Track of Time

My workweek has been busy, and I realize it has been several days since I logged into Blackboard. I remember with dismay that I needed to respond to three of my classmate’s posts by midnight, or I won’t receive credit. As I scan the discussion board, I feel overwhelmed by the number of posts I see. I decide that I am grateful I’m not the professor—It’s stressful just looking at all those unread posts, without having to carefully read every single one. For now though, I just have to respond to three. I scan the posts looking for one that would be interesting to reply to.

There are a couple of students who have recently completed their posts. Since no one has commented on them yet, I decide to start there. The first two posts are very brief and a little vague. In each of them, I point out a term that is not well defined or an idea that could use a little fleshing out, and ask the writer for some clarification. That was pretty quick—only one more post response to go. 

The next post is enjoyable to read. The writer makes a thorough argument backed up with details from a research study. I decide to challenge one of his conclusions. It takes me about 30 minutes to compose my response, and I have to look a full article that he referred to in his post using NOVA’s library website in order to make sure my own information is right. Now that I’ve put in this extra work, I realize that I want to see how my fellow student responds to what I wrote. Unfortunately, it’s the last day for responses to be posted for a grade, so he will probably not check back on these forums again. I feel disappointed at that thought. Since I learned a lot while writing that post, my time certainly wasn’t wasted, but it would definitely be much more rewarding to get an enjoyable discussion for my efforts. I decide that next week, I need to figure out a way to remember to log on sooner!

Are there any tools or strategies that you find useful to help you keep track of your schedule and upcoming assignments? What ideas do you have that might be helpful to this student?

Try the Pomodoro Technique

Do you ever have problems accomplishing everything you've set out to do in one day? Do you stress out when you find you've spent too much time on one task and have neglected other important to-do items? Well, using the simple Pomodoro Technique for time management, you can eliminate this anxiety and enhance your focus and concentration by breaking up tasks into five basic steps. All you need is a kitchen timer, a piece of paper and a pencil. Then: ready, set, Pomodoro! Visit this website to see how to use this technique and start getting the most out of each day.

Cool Technology Tool: TeuxDeux

Here is a neat tool to help you manage your hectic schedule and ever-expanding list of things to-do. In keeping with it's clever name, TeuxDeux boasts equally clever features: crisp visualization displays an uncluttered glance of daily tasks; simple click, drag and drop navigation make it a cinch to manage; and a "someday bucket" allows you to keep track of both essential and ambitious to-do's. TeuxDeux is browser-based so you can't integrate it with your mobile device just yet, but it's still worth a try. Check out the demo and see what you think.

What tool do you use to manage your to-do's?