Are Your Career Plans in Focus?

As you plan your schedule for your next term/semester, prepare to transfer, or get ready to begin a new job take a moment to focus on your career development.  Are you attending NOVA to pursue a certificate or degree, but unsure about what career options might be available to you? Have you decided on a major, but have difficulty answering the question – “What can I do with a major in _____? Do you need to fine tune your skills or add to your skill set in preparation for a career change? Learn more about career options by utilizing FOCUS 2, an online interactive self-guided career and education planning system that can help you:

  • Select a program/major based on your interests and aspirations
  •  Discover occupations matching your personal preferences and attributes
  • Map out your career plans, present and future
  • Make informed career decisions

FOCUS 2 is free for NOVA students.   Learn more about and access the system at NOVA’s Career Services website.

Need some help?  Have a question?  Contact Christy Jensen, NOVA Online Career Counselor, at chjensen@nvcc.edu.

Connect with your Faculty Advisor

Your Faculty Advisor is a valuable asset in your academic journey. They can provide insights and recommendations based on their education and real world experience. Take advantage of their knowledge and expertise in your program of interest!Plan early for your next semester with your Faculty Advisor and have your courses selected and be ready to register on your Priority Registration date. This will give you the best chances at getting the courses you need. Registering early will also be beneficial for students who use NOVA’s TMS payment plan allowing for a lower down payment and more months to break up your remaining tuition balance.

How can my Faculty Advisor help me?

  • Create an academic program completion plan, which maps out which courses you need to take for your major/program of study.
  • Select which electives will support your academic goal/career plans.
  • Connect with NOVA resources you need and make referrals.
  • Submit the appropriate forms for substitution requests or changing your major.
  • Reflect on your academic performance, so you can be successful.
  • Serve as a reference or assist in preparing letters of recommendation for applications (transfer, employment and scholarship).
  • Review your academic progress to help assure you complete your program based on your goals

How do I address my Faculty Advisor?

  • Address the Faculty Advisor as “Professor and their last name.” If you know they have earned a Ph.D., or Ed.D. address them as “Doctor and their last name”. (i.e. Professor Jones or  Dr. Smith).
  • Be sure to send your email from your NOVA student email account and include your Student ID number.
  • As a NOVA Online student, you may not meet your Faculty Advisor in person. Project yourself as a professional and dedicated student by composing a well-organized and thoughtful email. Take advantage of these Ten Quick Steps to Email Your Instructor.

What can I include in my correspondence to my advisor?

  • Outline topics or questions you would like to discuss. (i.e. transfer plans, career opportunities, extracurricular/club involvement).
  • Review your program requirements in the catalog and ask any questions you may have about unsatisfied requirements.
  • Identify courses you may be interested in for the upcoming term and year.

Suggested Questions and Topics to discuss:

  • What courses do I need to complete my academic program?
  • What are the prerequisites for the courses I plan to take or where can I find them?
  • I would like to discuss my academic goals.
  • What do I need to know about transferring? Are there deadlines and scholarships?
  • I need a tutor.  How do I find one and access other services when I need help?
  • I need to work. How can I arrange my classes around my work schedule and how will working impact my studies?
  • I am interested in participating in extracurricular and co-curricular activities.  Can we discuss my academic goals and extracurricular and co-curricular activities.
  • Ask your advisor to share how they chose their major in college.

The last part of the semester is always hectic, reach out to your faculty advisor now!

Attend a Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar.  Learn more about the webinar and register for an upcoming session here. Undecided or just getting started on your degree plan? Talk to an Academic Counselor to help you get started with your next term classes. NOVA Online Academic Counselors can be reached at NOVA OnlineCounselors@nvcc.edu.

It’s Advising Week

Advising Week is offered every fall and spring at NOVA as a time for students to reflect upon their academic goals and career development in preparation for planning and evaluating their schedule for next semester. Advising week for spring 2018 will be held this week – November 6 – 10. Priority registration for continuing NOVA students begins on Monday, November 6.Get the most out of Advising Week by following the steps below:

  1. Attend the Advising Week Webinar Series: Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar designed specifically for you to select your next semester courses, verify your degree plan on your account and revisit your academic and career goals. Learn more about the webinar and register for the session.
  2. Use the Student Success Planner to build your academic plan and compare your plan to program requirements.
  3. Review your Advisement Report.  Access NOVAConnect to run an advisement report to view your progress and outstanding degree requirements.
  4. Take a moment to reflect upon your career planning. If you need more information about career options or would like to learn about a resource to help you build a career plan consider attending a webinar or two in the Career Development Webinar Series to Support National Career Development Month.  Learn more about the webinars and register for the session.
  5. Communicate with your advisor about your academic and career goals.  Be sure to take a moment to review your plans for the spring semester. Plan to have your academic plan,  advisement report, and/or career plan handy when communicating with your advisor.

If you have not declared a program of study or are not pursuing a specific program at NOVA connect with an academic counselor or advisor for assistance. Open spring registration for all students begins on Monday, November 13.  Priority registration for continuing NOVA students begins on Monday, November 6.

This Advising Week Series will focus on academic planning, connecting with your advisor, and preparing for your upcoming terms. Throughout Advising Week the NOVA Online Student Blog will provide you with tools to plan effectively, resources to help guide your decisions, and answers to frequently asked questions throughout the process. Take advantage of Advising Week events on campus or virtually as you plan your schedule and register for courses. Reach out to the Student Services offices or Virtual Advisors with any questions you have as you are planning your courses.

Get Ready for Advising Week

Advising week is almost here! To make the most of the interaction with your advisor there are a few things you can do to prepare. Are you ready

Participate in the Advising Week Webinar Series: Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinars will be available over the next two weeks to help you select your next semester courses, verify your degree plan on your account, and revisit your academic and career goals. Learn more about the webinars and register for a group advising session.  

Verify your program of Study:  First it is important to verify your student record reflects the program of study you intend on completing here at NOVA. Visit the Academics section of your Student Center in the Student Information System to verify your plan. If your plan needs to be updated make contact with an academic counselor or advisor to determine which plan is the best for you based on your goals.

Run an Advisement Report: Once your program of study is accurate there are several tools you can take advantage of to see your progress towards your plan’s requirements and the courses you have left to complete. You can run an advisement report to view your progress and outstanding degree requirements.

Review program requirements: Now that you’ve run your advisement report, review the report to see how the coursework you have completed has been applied towards your degree requirements and what you have left to complete.

Plan your semester: You can use the Student Success Planner to create a plan, allowing you to map out when you will complete your remaining courses. As you plan out these courses semester by semester, strive for balance in your course schedule. Use these tips to help you strategize. Don’t delay in taking courses that are challenging for you, especially math.

Request to meet with your Advisor: Once you have our courses mapped out in the Student Success Planner you can even send a meeting request to discuss your plan to your advisor.

This Advising Week Series will focus on academic planning, connecting with your advisor, and preparing for your upcoming terms. Throughout Advising Week the NOVA Online Student Blog will provide you with tools to plan effectively, resources to help guide your decisions, and answers to frequently asked questions throughout the process. Take advantage of Advising Week events on campus or virtually as you plan your schedule and register for courses. Reach out to the Student Services offices or Virtual Advisors with any questions you have as you are planning your courses.

Online Course Format

As you are thinking about future online courses through the Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online) give thought to the course format and pacing of online courses.

As you prepare for advising week and registration, think about the course format that will work best for you at this time.

  • Format
  • Technology
  • Time Required

Although online learning and on-campus courses cover the same content, the format is different. NOVA Online courses are flexible, with stated deadlines, meaning, you can work on your course at any point throughout the week, but will need to meet weekly or even mid-weekly due dates. NOVA Online requires proctored/supervised exams to be completed within the stated course deadlines. Some courses may also be accelerated with the instructor’s permission.

Technology provides content and interaction. NOVA Online courses use Blackboard as the course management system to communicate and facilitate class discussions. Students are required to use their VCCS student email account to communicate with the instructor.

Online learning courses usually require at least as much time as you would spend taking a campus-based course. You should plan to study at least 2-3 hours a week for each credit. In other words, for a 16-week, three-credit course, you would study 6-9 hours per week. For 12, 10, 8 or 6-week courses, more time would need to be scheduled to complete your requirements. When you compare this time with what you spend in class and studying outside of class, it is about the same.

Here is a chart that illustrates the general amount of time per week you should expect to study per credit hour based on the course length. For example, if you enroll in an 8-week, 3-credit class, you can expect to spend 12-18 hours per week studying for this class. In general, the shorter the class length (8-, 12-, 10-, or 16-week), the more hours of study time you can expect to spend per week per credit.

(Click on chart to enlarge picture)

We encourage you to participate in an NOVA Online Orientation to help as you are getting started in your first online course. You can view short videos from Blackboard to review how to submit an assignment, post on discussion board, check grades, etc.

For more information about getting started at NOVA Online, please email elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076. Have a question, but not sure who to ask? Start with a Success Coach!

Happy National Career Development Month!

November is National Career Development Month.  NCDM was designed to highlight the importance of life-long career development and the personal empowerment of all people.

Take time to focus on your career development by participating in the Career Development Webinar Series.  This lunchtime webinar series will take you through the basic steps of career development with the goal of helping you make informed decisions about your academic and career goals.   All webinars are free, but registration is required.  The first webinar is being offered at 12:15 pm today.

Learn more about career development on NOVA’s Career Services website.  Check NOVA’s Events calendar and NOVA Online’s Student Life website for information about  programs being offered across the college.

Follow NOVA Online on Twitter this month to receive a daily inspirational quote along with tips to help you with your career development.  Throughout the month vote for your favorite quote on Facebook and join in the conversation.   Read ELife for tips, stories, and to stay connected.