Are you graduating this Spring 2018 semester? Are you out of the area but are needing to purchase a cap and gown?

If a student does not live near any of the six NOVA bookstores on campus, they may place their order via an order form. Students can email the NOVA bookstore at SM650@BNCollege.com stating they do not live near a NOVA campus and thus would like to email their order. For more information about purchasing items for commencement, students should also contact the above email address.

Here are some FAQ’s for graduating students:

-Commencement will be held in the month of May at Jiffy Lube Live; 7800 Cellar Door Dr, Bristow, VA 20136. The doors close once the ceremony begins; no graduates will be admitted after that time. Students and their guests are asked to conduct themselves appropriately for this most important occasion and to remain in their seats until the conclusion of the ceremony.

-Your diploma or certificate will be mailed up to three months after the last day of the semester to the address listed in your student record. Please make sure your address is current in the system before the last day of the semester you intend to graduate.

-You will receive only one diploma for each degree or certificate you earn. The College will reissue diplomas in cases of natural disaster (such as fire or tornado), printing error or name changes resulting from gender reassignment.

For more FAQ visit our NOVA Graduation webpage.

A survey conducted by Red Balloon for Corporate revealed that praise is the number one element employees desire to experience a good day at work! Although the survey was directed at professionals in the workplace, the outcomes can also be applied to the elements of a good day/experience in college.

Who can argue ‘praise’ as the number one element of experiencing a good day at work or college? Praise serves to motivate and encourage! Who does not love to get back an assignment with a comment stating, ‘excellent work’ or ‘you have an excellent understanding of the material we’ve been covering’? Likewise, we also feel proud and motivated when our supervisor provides praise for a job well done!

The survey went on to suggest ‘better managers’ as the number two element of experiencing a good day at work. Who wouldn’t want a supervisor that provides accolades and takes time to explain our role and consistently expresses appreciation? As a student, you may be able to parallel the role of a supervisor to the role of your professor. When we have a caring professor that provides plenty of praise and encouragement and takes time to ensure that new concepts and theories are clearly understood, we are motivated and inspired to study and do our best. Alternatively, if you have a professor or supervisor that promotes a culture of criticism, fails to provide direction and does not recognize your efforts and contributions, you will feel frustrated and may become apathetic in your class or job.

The number three element identifies, ‘more time with friends and family’ as important to workplace happiness and avoiding burnout. As employees and students, we all appreciate flexibility and opportunities to attend to family and friends. Likewise, if an emergency arises, we appreciate having a professor or supervisor that will be sensitive to our needs when emergency situations require our time. (To that end, as employees and students, we also have a role in staying on top of assignments and work deadlines so that when a need arises, we are prepared.)

Lastly, ‘greater trust’ is recognized as an important element to a good work experience. As a student, trust is also an extremely important factor to experiencing success and happiness. Recognizing that our instructor trusts our opinions and contributions also builds confidence and respect.

Do you experience these elements in your class? As we see the parallel, we can begin to appreciate how college can prepare us with experiences to transition from life as a student to the life of a professional. Along with theories and content, life lessons can be learned in the classroom. When a professor (or supervisor) fails to promote the elements referenced in this survey; you must believe in yourself and make the best of your environment so that you can bloom where you are planted! When you do experience these elements, learn from them and begin to live them out to encourage others!

Do you know where your time goes? It seems that the older you get, the more responsibilities are put on you. Take this brief quiz via Virginia Tech’s website to determine just how much time you have to dedicate to your studies. If the time left over is not equivalent to at least twice the number of credits you are enrolled in, you do not have enough time allotted for your studies.  But, there are things you can do; such as reducing the time spent on some activities/responsibilities, adjusting your work hours, or adjusting the number of credits you take in a semester.

When one can’t reduce their time on activities or responsibilities or work; that leaves the number of credits one should take in a semester. Many students I talk with want to be able to do it all – work full-time, go to college full-time, take care of their family, etc. Course load is often the only factor that can be manipulated; but students do not want to delay their educational goals. This is certainly admirable; but, if one does not have enough time to complete their course work accurately and on-time, and study effectively for exams; one’s grades will suffer and it can take longer to reach your goals.

So, I encourage you to take the quiz and see where your time goes. Do you have enough time in the week to dedicate to your studies? Are you using the time efficiently? Or do you find you do not have enough time? What can you reduce or eliminate from your schedule to make more time? Watch the Time Management: Strategies for Success video by StudentLingo to obtain some great tips on managing your time effectively!

-Written by NOVA Online Counselor, Kim Burkle

That’s a wrap for our Advising Week blog series, but that doesn’t mean it’s over! Still have questions about summer or fall registration? Let us know!

Take some time to reflect on what you have learned this week. Go back and review past posts to dig a little deeper. Missed any of the live sessions? Request a recording.

Here are a few tips to help you move forward:

Use the Student Success Planner to build your academic plan and compare your plan to program requirements.

Take a moment to facilitate a time study. Summer sessions will run at an accelerated pace, so make sure you are planning your schedule around the shorter session length availability. For fall, you have different options for session length (16, 12, or 8 weeks). Make sure you have enough time to devote to the courses you take on. What has worked in the past? What hasn’t worked? Check out StudentLingo and NOVA Online webinars on time management.

Review your Advisement Report. Access NOVAConnect to run an advisement report to view your progress and outstanding degree requirements.

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. Go back and review past blog posts to help you Focus on Career Planning, and take advantage of Free Job Search Tools!

Communicate with your advisor about your academic and career goals. Be sure to take a moment to review your plans for both the summer term (registration is occurring now) and the fall 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.

Ready to enroll? Follow this tutorial to help you add your courses in NOVA Connect.

Reach out to the Student Services offices or Virtual Advisors with any questions you have as you are planning your courses.

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 Summer and Fall 2018 will be held this week – April 2 – 7.

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 will be held on Wednesday, April 4 from 12:15 – 1:00 pm. 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 contacting our career counselor at elicounselors@nvcc.edu
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 registration for the summer 2018 term began on Tuesday, March 27.  Priority registration for continuing NOVA students for the fall 2018 semester begins Monday, April 2.

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.

Open registration for summer courses begins today, March 27, 2018!

To review a list of available courses, please click here (Select NOVA Online under Campus/Center).

If you need assistance, we are here for you:

Do you need help registering for the course?  For step-by-step online registration instructions, please click here.  If you need additional assistance, please contact us at 703.323.3347 or NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu.

Do you need help with course selection? If you have not been assigned a faculty advisor you can contact a NOVA Online Counselor at elicounselors@nvcc.edu for assistance with course selection. If you would like to schedule a phone call with an academic counselor, please include your contact information. Use your VCCS student email and include your student ID# when emailing.

Are you a visiting/transient student? If you are attempting to enroll in a course at NOVA for which you believe you have successfully completed (a grade of “C“ or higher) the required prerequisite(s) at an accredited college or university, you will need to work with an advisor before being permitted to enroll in courses at NOVA. More information at the Visiting and Transient Student webpage or reach out to a Virtual Advisor at AcademicAdvising@nvcc.edu.

Are you new to NOVA Online?  We encourage you to attend a NOVA Online Orientation webinar! The NOVA Online Orientation will focus on answering key questions to getting started. For more information and to register for a session, click here.

Do you have questions about Tuition and Payment? For payment due dates, methods, and online payment instructions, please click here. Make sure to have your tuition paid or financial aid in place before the deadline, so you are not dropped from your courses.

If you are looking for additional resources to help you achieve academic success, the NOVA Online Student Services Team is here for you! You can access free online tutoring,  webinars, and free online workshops to help you succeed in your NOVA Online courses.

We also encourage you to take the SmarterMeasure assessment to gauge your readiness for online learning.

You can reach us at 703.323.3347 or visit us at http://eli.nvcc.edu/

Choices

Advising Week is held every fall and spring at NOVA to help students prepare for their next semester and create an academic plan that works for them! Advising Week for summer / fall 2018 will be held Monday, April 2nd – Friday, April 6th.

Follow this NOVA Online Student Blog next week as we help you prepare to get the most out of Advising Week.

Things to watch for to help you prepare for Advising Week:

• Creating a schedule that works for you.
• Connecting with your advisor.
• Communicating effectively with your advisor.
• Taking time for yourself.

Questions to ask yourself as you prepare for Advising Week:

• What is one change I can make to my schedule to be more successful next term/semester?
• When would be a good time for me to connect with my advisor?
• What questions do I have for my advisor?
• What is one thing I can do this week to help manage stress?

Pay attention to the tuition deadline so you are not dropped for non-payment. Contact Financial Aid with any questions.

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.

With summer/fall registration quickly approaching, Have you been questioning whether to take an online or campus-based course? We want to point out some of the differences between online through NOVA Online and on-campus courses at NOVA.

• 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 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 or 8-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, 10, 12, 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 a 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 the 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!

With springtime quickly approaching, it is a perfect time to think about how to give back within your community! Have you recently taken time to reflect on the impact your community has had on you and how you can civically engage in return? Here are some great ideas on how to do so:

4 Ideas for Giving Back Over Spring Break

The Difference Between “Civically Engaged” and “Volunteer” and How to Turn one into the Other

8 Ways College Students are Giving Back to Their Communities

This is books scramble. Many books on white background.

Students with financial aid awards for Spring 2018 can purchase books against their excess financial aid–either online or in campus bookstores.

Students wishing to purchase books online must complete and sign the Bookstore Authorization E-Form, via the Financial Aid Dashboard, prior to completing a purchase. Students enrolled or planning to enroll in later starting classes who desire to use their financial aid to purchase books must purchase during this purchase periods; no additional accommodations will be made.  The financial aid process must be complete and anticipated aid must be enough to cover tuition, fees and books.  Files can have no negative holds. E-forms must be submitted each academic year.

Last day to purchase books/supplies using financial aid for the spring term: March 16, 2018

You may place your online order 24 hours after completing the authorization e-form or on the first business day after completing the e-form, if later.

Search the online bookstore for the textbooks and course materials required for your NOVA Online courses.

Have questions about your Financial Aid award? Contact them by phone, live chat, or email through the Student Support Center.