Today / Tomorrow: Webinar to Get Ready for Next Semester!!!

Believe it or not, Spring semester is right around the corner. Spring forward with ELI and attend an upcoming webinar, “Getting Ready for Your Next Semester.”

October 31th, 12:15 pm - 1 pm

OR

November 1st, 9 am - 9:45 pm

This 45 minute webinar will answer key questions to help you plan for next semester. Topics will include program identification, college resources, degree progress reports, and course selection.

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 available for participants to ask questions. Webinars are free; however, registration is required.

1.      Print a copy of the Getting Ready for Your Next Semester Worksheet located on the webinar registration page.   

2.      Click HERE to join the webinar.  This should be done within 10- 15 minutes of the webinar start time.  Enter only your first name at the login prompt.

3.      Run an audio check by selecting “Tools”, selecting “Audio”, and selecting “Audio Setup Wizard”

*If you are not able to attend either webinar and would like a copy of the recording, please email the host at CHJensen@nvcc.edu. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  For some Halloween fun, explore the Animal Planet for photos of animals in their Halloween Costumes.

So, what are you, or your pet dressing up as this year? Some of us need some last-minute creative ideas!

Send pics of you and your pet in your costumes to elistulife@nvcc.edu.  We will post some of the photos on the NOVA ELIfe facebook wall!

Are You Ready to Register for Next Semester?

Priority registration, for current students, begins on November 6.   Students who need some help planning their next schedule are encouraged to attend a Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar.    This 45 webinar for NOVA students will focus on answering key questions students have about continuing their studies at NOVA.  Topics covered will include identifying a purpose; reviewing program, course, and transfer information; understanding an advisement report; communicating with an advisor; reviewing the registration process; and troubleshooting common registration problems.   Identify session dates and register for this free webinar at the ELI Webinar website.

Financial Wellness

This Wellness Wednesday focuses on Financial Wellness. Do you ever wonder to yourself where your money goes each month? Have you ever tried tracking your spending to find out? You might be surprised with the answer. According to a recent Wall Street publication, the number one expense that Americans spend money on is dining out (article referenced here.)

If you are considering tracking your expenses, a great free resource that helps you track your monthly spending is Mint.com. This website not only helps you track your spending but helps you create goals if you are looking to reduce spending in certain areas (food, entertainment ect..)

Money can often be a very stressful topic for many individuals and spending is different for every person/family so you need to make sure that when you’re looking to reduce spending, look at what make sense for you and your needs.

This article is also a great resource. Once you have identified where you feel your spending could be reduced, this article gives simple strategies you can follow to begin that process.   

Annandale Campus: Community Engagement Volunteer and Internship Fair: Oct. 29, 2012

Are you looking for an internship?  Would you like to get more involved in your community and gain career experience?  If you answered, ‘yes’, to either of these questions, save the date, and register for the Community Engagement Volunteer and Internship Fair sponsored by Northern Virginia community College and Volunteer Fairfax!

Explore the internships in your field and volunteer opportunities. There will be two breakout sessions from 11:30 AM to 12 noon. One will be a panel discussion for students on: Volunteerism as a Gateway to Careers: Career Exploration, Service and Resume Building. The other will be an information session for organization contacts on how to: Offer Internships for College Credit.

 

Following the breakout sessions, the volunteerism/internship fair will run from 12 noon until 2 PM. Students will have the opportunity to participate in informal roundtable discussions about internships and volunteer positions with representatives from a number of local organizations.  (Light Refreshments will be provided.) 

The event will take place October 29th, 2012 from 11:30 AM to 2 PM in the

Ernst Cultural Center Forum, Annandale Campus.

If you live in the Northern Virginia Area, this is an excellent opportunity to discover the many resources that can help you grow and develop in your chosen field. Interning and volunteering can also promote opportunities to network. Register now for the Community Engagement: Internship and Volunteer Fair!

Advising Week is Almost Here!

Advising week is offered every fall and spring semester at NOVA as a time for students to reflect upon their academic goals and career development in preparation for planning or evaluating their schedule for next semester.   Advising week for the Spring 2013 semester will be held from October 29 – November 2.  Get the most out of advising week by following the steps below:

1. Attend a Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar.  Learn more about the webinar, identify session dates and register at the ELI Webinar website.

2. Review your Advisement Report.   Access NOVAConnect to

      view your advisement report.

3. Communicate with your advisor about your academic and career goals.   If you have not declared a program of study or are not pursuing a specific program at NOVA, contact an ELI counselor for assistance.   

Priority registration will begin on November 6.   All current students will be assigned a priority registration date.  During advising week access NOVAConnect to identify your priority registration date.  Open registration begins on November 12.

Ghost & Goblin 5K - This Saturday

http://www.ghost5k.com/

Prince William County Trade Show - FREE Admission

Smart Goals & Physical Wellness

  

As we continue to promote wellness this month, lets focuses on Physical Wellness! One great thing to do to stay consistent with a healthy lifestyle is Goal Setting!

If you have something that you want to do, get SMART with your goals. For example: "I am going to work out this week" can become "I will walk for 30 minutes after dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday."

The SMARTer you get with your goals; the more you set yourself up for success!

For example:

"I exercise because I want to _______________."

Today, give some thought to your reasons for exercising/staying active.
*Are you interested in simply losing weight or do you want to build strength as well?
*Do you have a specific goal, like running your first 5K, benching a certain weight, or doing a pull-up?
*Want to lower your health risk and improve your quality of life (e.g decrease frequent aches/pains, feel lighter on your feet)

Knowing your goals, and gearing your activities toward them, helps ensure that your workouts satisfying AND successful in their outcomes.

Here is a great article on creating personal goal setting and how to be realistic when you want to achieve SMART goals! 

Poetry and Poster Contest

NCDA 47th Annual Poetry & Poster 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 47th annual poetry & poster contest. This year’s theme is “Inspiring Careers: Honoring History”. 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)

View 2011 poster contest winning entries

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

Professional Resume/Cover Letter Review

Career Development month is right around the corner.  Before you know if, November will be upon us! 

To gear up for your next job, career search, or internship, turn to SmarThinking to help you improve your resume and cover letters.  Once you are logged into SmarThinking, choose Resumes and Cover Letters from the drop down next to the ‘Submit Your Writing’ icon on the SmarThinking homepage. 

If you have questions or need help logging into SmarThinking, please contact the ELI Success Coaching Team at ELISuccess@nvcc.edu or (703) 764-5076.

Emotional Wellness

Have you ever reflected on the impact of stress management on her overall health? Have you ever thought about how it can sometimes take more energy to be negative than it takes to perpetuate positive emotions?

Through mindful connection to eating well, being active, and other health goals; you can create purpose when focusing on positive momentum.

The below image is a visual created by Scott Sonnon (a well-known personal trainer and coach)

This visual highlights emotional spirals that come with positive and negative emotions. He states that emotions can build off one another causing an upward or downward spiral; even if we are headed one direction, we can use mindful reflection to redirect the path of our energy.

See Sonnon’s blog and learn more about his philosophy on overall health and wellness.

32nd Annual Ghost Train at Burke Lake Park: Oct. 27-28, 2012

Chug a chug a choo choo, the 2012 Ghost Train is coming!  Plan your Halloween fun at the 32^nd Annual Ghost Train at Burke Lake Park, October 27-28, 2012.

Support NOVA’s Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies program at the 32^nd Annual Ghost Train. Sponsored by Northern Virginia Community College in cooperation with Burke Lake Park, Fairfax County Park Authority, the event offers fun for all ages!  Enjoy a ride on the Ghost Train Express and travel through the Alice in Wonderland tunnel. Exit the magical tunnel and be thrilled as you travel through the Fairy Tale Loop.  Next you will get a glimpse of Halloween at the Witches Junction! 

There will be fun for everyone!  Enjoy a moon bounce, cotton candy, sweet treats and more as you mingle with your favorite fairy tale and Disney characters, and friendly ghosts. Concerned it may be too scary, no worries, the events are designed to ensure that young children will not be frightened. 

If you are considering a major in the field of outdoor recreation, the Ghost Train is the perfect place to give back, volunteer and engage with other NOVA students.  To volunteer, please call the Program Director, Mr. Larry Smith, at 703.323.3230 or 703.323.3107.

Come out and support NOVA and the Parks.  The cost per ticket is $4.00. Children under the age of 2 can ride for free. The cost to ride the Carousel is $1.75 per person. A free disc golf is also available at the park.

For more information, explore the Ghost Train Documentary or call NOVA’s Recreation, Parks & Leisure program at 703-323-3230 or 703.323.3107.

Veterinary Technology Program Open House

ELI Meet-Up -- Come Hike with Us Sunday 1 pm

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEN5SUJYY1BQZE9VTUlySzJHbEY4UkE6MQ

Why Bother with Breakfast?

Many busy students may be tempted to skip breakfast for a variety of reasons.They think it will add too much unnecessary time to their morning routine, they don’t feel hungry first thing in the morning or they think that skipping meals can improve weight loss. In reality, a healthy breakfast can be quick and easy, will help jumpstart your metabolism for the day and give you the energy necessary to get your morning off to a productive start.

You may be wondering if you can squeeze breakfast into your already hectic morning schedule. It’s not as hard as you might think. Make it part of your daily routine. Every day you plan accordingly for the days activities, squeezing in an extra ten minutes each morning for a healthy breakfast will pay dividends and will be well worth the investment. In fact, research indicates that students who ate breakfast prior to taking a test did better than those who did not.

If you aren’t a big fan of traditional breakfast foods check out these examples of quick, inexpensive and healthy breakfast options recommended by other college students.

October: Disability Employment Awareness Month

Although it has been recognized since 1945, many folks are unaware that October is Disability Employment Awareness Month.  Initially, the first week of October was celebrated as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week”.  Later, in 1962, "physically" was removed in an effort to recognize the employment needs of all individuals with disabilities.  To increase awareness of disability employment challenges, in 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and the name was changed to Disability Employment Awareness Month. 

In recognition of Disability Employment Awareness Month, October is a perfect time to reach out and become more sensitive to the needs of individuals with disabilities.  During the month there are many opportunities for employers to sponsor disability training and hold workshops or webinars to learn about the different accommodations available to assist employees with a disability.  Establishing a company disability mentoring day/week is also an excellent opportunity for a corporation/organization to engage staff and promote opportunities to connect with a diverse workforce. 

Forming an Affinity Group is an on-going initiative that employers can consider adopting in an effort to support disability awareness. Fairfax County Government is a local agency promoting an Employees Disability Awareness & Action Network Affinity Group.  The group focuses on improving and achieving an accessible work environment for current and future employees with disabilities.  Agency employees with or without disabilities are encouraged to attend the meetings.  The group also provides a networking platform for open communication and opportunities.

This year Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will dedicate the month of October to exploring the ways people with disabilities have been portrayed in film. The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film, will air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. beginning on October 2. All films will be presented with both closed captioning and audio description (via secondary audio) for viewers with auditory and visual disabilities.  The series features more than 20 films ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s. Each night’s collection will explore particular aspects, themes, or types of disability, such as blindness, deafness and psychiatric or intellectual disabilities. One evening of programming will focus on veterans with disabilities returning home from war.

There are many valuable causes and organizations that you can join.  Find your passion and get involved to make a difference in your community!

Woodbridge Campus: 5K Run/Health & Wellness Expo

If you live in the Northern Virginia area, discover the wealth of information dedicated to your health at the Woodbridge Campus, Hustle to Health Expo, Sunday, October 7, 2012, 8am-12pm.

Put on your running shoes and start the day with a 5K run or walk.  Registration check-in begins at 7am in the parking lot of the Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.   The run/walk will begin at 8am.  Participants will walk from the Medical Center to the Woodbridge Campus.

Once participants arrive at the Woodbridge Campus, they will be able to enjoy the Health and Wellness Expo with fitness demonstrations to include yoga and martial arts.  There will also be plenty of entertainment including area food vendors, local bands and more!

To participate in the run, registration is required and can be completed online.  Participants will receive a free t-shirt!  If you prefer a shorter walk, you can register for the one mile family run/walk.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn some health tips, get out, get fit, and have fun! 

All proceeds will be donated to the NVCC Educational Foundation to provide scholarships to deserving NOVA students.

Pedometer Challenge!

Nutrient Dense Foods

Ever wonder what foods have the most natural nutrients. Check out some of the below foods that are considered the most nutrient dense foods and great to have in your daily diet.

- Spinach- I guess Popeye was right when he says “I'm strong to the fin-ich
cause I eats me spin-ach.” With this food rich in fiber, protein and antioxidants it adds a great source of nutrients to any meal.

-Hemp Seeds- You might not find this item in your typical grocery store but hemp products are considered one of the most nutritionally complete food sources. It’s complete with essential fatty and amino acids which are great in any diet …and hemp is actually pretty tasty too!

-Berries- This food is a great way to consume natural sugars. Berries have a lot of antioxidants and can really easily be mixed with some of your favorite meals!

-Chocolate- Surprised? Now this does not mean grab a kit kat or milky way when you’re at the grocery store. The true cacao bean (usually found predominantly in dark chocolate) can be a great source of antioxidants for body to help with your heart heath and even your skin!

To learn more about this topic, view the article here.

Test Taking Strategies to Bolster Your Confidence

As mid-term exams are fast approaching, below are a list of some test taking tips that may help lessen your anxiety as you tackle those challenging test questions:

• In order to ensure that you divide your time wisely, do a quick preview of the exam before you delve into answering the questions. Circle the questions that, intuitively, you think you can answer quickly and take note of the ones that you will allot more time and attention.

• Answer the questions that you can answer quickly and save more time for the ones that require more time and critical thinking. The latter questions may require that you outline or pre-write to inductively arrive at the correct answer.

• Look for clues from the questions you answered first as a guide for the ones that you do not automatically know the answer to. Answering these questions may also jog your thinking and memory to more quickly answer the questions that you were initially stumped on.

• Pace yourself according to the amount that each question is generally worth. Reserve some extra time at the end of the exam to review your answers. Think carefully before changing your answers and verify in your mind that the answer makes sense. For instance, avoid changing an answer from “c” to “b” just because you selected choice “b” for 3 answers in a row. Make sure the answer choice itself is an appropriate answer to the question.

• Allow yourself enough time to think through and process in your mind what the question is asking. Avoid rushing into answering the question based merely on what you assume could be the answer. Have a place to jot down notes and key words where appropriate to help you arrive at the correct answer.

• Pay particular attention to key words that cross over material from course lectures, lecture notes and textbook readings.

• Turn phrases that contain double negatives into positives to reduce confusion. For example, turn “not lacking” into having or “not none” into some.

• To fine tune your ability to answer particularly difficult questions, look for inconsistencies in grammar, phrasing and styling as a way of eliminating answers that are not correct and selecting the most plausible choice.

For more information on this topic, visit this link.

Forwarding your Student Email

When juggling school, life, work, and family, it is very easy for important events and deadlines to get lost in the shuffle. When it comes to events and deadlines related to your schoolwork and life at NOVA, we try to keep you informed through this blog, Twitter, Facebook, and through emails to your student email account.

Your professor, the Financial Aid Office, the Business Office, and the Central Records Office will also send important communications that you would need to be aware of to your student email account. If, however, your student email account isn't the one you are used to checking every day, you might miss something important.

Thankfully, your student emails can be forwarded to another email address automatically, or you can set up your student email to receive emails from all of your other email accounts, so you can check everything in just one place.

To forward your student emails to another account, follow these steps:

1. Log into your student email account by logging into MY NOVA and selecting your student email from the list of choices
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

Just keep in mind that all information which would be protected by privacy laws that an employee at NOVA would send you through email must be sent to your student email account to ensure a level of security. When you forward an email to another address, you take responsibility yourself for protecting your privacy regarding that information. Remember too, that your professor will need you to respond to him or her using your student email, so you may not be able to just reply from a forwarded email. Instead, you might need to log in to your student email account to respond.