Category Archives: Academics

How to be Successful in a Summer Course

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Summer courses can be extremely beneficial to your academic plan.  Taking courses during a non-traditional semester, such as summer, can help you knock out classes you need for graduation. Other perks of taking courses during the summer are that class sizes can be smaller and sessions are shorter.

But, as the days lengthen and the sun lures you outside, it can be difficult to stay focused on studying.  And, after being outside and finding fun in the sun, you could feel sluggish when it is time to study.  To help you stay focused and be successful in your academic endeavors, try these simple tricks:

  • Be Awake: Eat breakfast each day.  Keep your meals throughout the day light (include lots of fruits and veggies). Avoid heavy meals; they will make you feel drowsy.
  • Take Good Notes: Because summer sessions are often taught in a shorter session, their pace is often more vigorous then a traditional course.  Take lots of notes and review them often to help you remember the material.  Creating your notes in outline format or using colored pens or markers on your notes can help you remember how topics are related and help you remember the facts.
  • Sleep Well: During the summer, the days are longer. More daylight could cause you to not sleep as soundly as usual. To deter this, buy darkening blinds or curtains to help block out light.
  • Stay Positive: You are your biggest critic.  If you have an “I can do it” attitude, you are more likely to succeed.
  • Attendance: Go to class or sign into your online class every day.  Being present and up to date on any changes or announcements in the class is key to your success.

As you take steps to follow through on these recommendations, consider exploring the following ELife Blogs for further tips on healthy eating, note taking and attendance. And, be sure to reach out to your NOVA Online Success Coach with your questions or concerns. The Success Coaching Team can be reached at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or (703) 764-5076.

-Kristin, NOVA Online Student Success Coach

Connect with Your Success Coach

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As a NOVA Online student, you have access to a plethora of resources to promote your success.  From free online tutoring, to online workshops, webinars, blogs and more; NOVA Online offers unlimited resources to promote your success. In addition to these and other resources, you also have access to a personal success coach!  Your success coach is available to promote your goals and maximize your learning experience at NOVA Online.

If you are experiencing course concerns or struggles, your coach is here to listen to your concerns and support you without judgment or criticism – he or she is your personal advocate.  Your coach will create a respectful and collaborative partnership from the initial communication. Using our resources and services, success coaches will suggest innovative strategies, and solutions to provide easy access to resources, referrals and information that will promote a positive academic experience

Sometimes students consult their coach if they are experiencing challenges juggling their personal responsibilities, college, work, and family.  Other students may call seeking support as a first time college student in need of assistance with test taking skills, time management and transitioning to college life.  Many students reach out seeking academic resources to complement their study routine or if they have an emergency situation and are uncomfortable approaching their instructor.

Whatever the problem, your Success Coach will take the time to listen beyond your concerns/questions to hear your needs. Sometimes a struggle is as easy as getting a little more information to fully understand the need. Many times students contact a coach presenting a struggle that seems overwhelming but the real concern is often something else that can be easily addressed with professional assistance and guidance.

When you are struggling, looking for resources to promote your learning experience, or have questions or concerns, you are encouraged to connect with your success coach. Your coach will be there to serve as your advocate, empower you and promote your success.

contact usFor more information, please email your name and student ID to elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.764.5076. Have a question, but not sure who to ask? Start with a Success Coach!

Written by Adrienne, NOVA Online Student Success Coach

Credit for Prior Learning

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Are you an adult learner who has acquired college-level learning from your work and life experiences? The PLACE Portfolio Development course (SDV 298) may be a great option for you to turn that learning into college course credits toward your NOVA degree!

What is PLACE? Offered at NOVA since 1987, the SDV 298 PLACE portfolio development course provides a means for adult students to use the college-level learning they have gained through workplace training, employment, family life, volunteer work, and other experiences to earn college credits toward their NOVA degrees or certificates.

  • Take the one-credit SDV 298 PLACE portfolio development course
  • Articulate experiential learning as it aligns with specific NOVA courses
  • Create electronic portfolios using Google Sites through VCCS student emails
  • Submit portfolios for up to 15 degree credits or 10 certificate credits

Who are candidates for this program? Adults (typically 25+ years) who have gained significant learning through their work and life experiences that can be applied to their NOVA degree or certificate programs.

Visit NOVA’s Prior Learning website for more information.

Where Does the Time Go?

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imagesDo 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

Start Strong at NOVA

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Welcome to NOVA Online! We are dedicated to helping you start strong. Whatever your educational goals, we can help you achieve them. If you are a first-time-to-college student, ages 17-24 (including high school/homeschool/GED graduates), you need to Start Strong at NOVA.

start strongThe new polices are part of an effort to strengthen the NOVA experience. Five of the new policies affect first-time-to-college students (ages 17-24). New students are required to attend a Student Orientation and meet with a First Year Advisor. As a new NOVA Online student, you can attend a campus Student Orientation, or you can work with NOVA Online virtually to get started.

As you are getting started, utilize your Student Success Planner to help guide your academic goals throughout your NOVA degree. You will also need to take the SmarterMeasure assessment early to help you gage your readiness for online learning.

The sixth policy requiring on-time registration impacts all students: new, current, transfer, international, military or any other type of student. All students must be registered for classes by 11:59 p.m. the day before the session’s start date. Once the session begins, registration is closed.

If you are not enrolled in a class on the start date of the session you will not be able to enroll without permission from the division dean. If you miss on-time registration you can still register for later start date. NOVA Online has several start dates each semester, for students interested in starting a class later in the semester. Check out NOVA Online Critical Course Deadlines for more information. For more information about on-time registration view this video.

Being an Advocate for your Success

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As a student there really is no one better to ensure your success but you. Therefore, there is no better advocate for your success than you! Students have the ability to shape their educational experience by using their voices to speak on their own behalf. When a situation calls for self advocacy, it is always good keep the following tips in mind:

Start with your instructor. Many issues can be handled by simply reaching out to your instructor (i.e. grading, difficulty with course material, problems submitting exams and assignments, etc.). Try to facilitate a dialogue of mutual respect and avoid using abrasive, accusatory, or otherwise aggressive language in all communications with instructors. Review tips on emailing your instructor.

Don’t be intimidated and understand that your voice matters. Sometimes speaking up can be an intimidating task. Students may fear being unjustly persecuted by an instructor if they raise an issue against the instructor. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to rely on others to handle matters or to ignore issues completely, but there are times when you are the person from whom action is required and pretending the problem does not exist does a disservice to you and your education.  If the difference between enduring maltreatment and having an enriching learning experience is you speaking up for yourself, then it’s time to be vocal and let your needs be heard.

Be knowledgeable of your role, responsibilities, and rights as a student. Students have a responsibility to be knowledgeable of the student handbook, codes of conduct, student grievance policy, course policies, etc. When situations arise, you need to be clear on all rules, regulations, and policies related to your issue. You wouldn’t want to raise a stink that could have been avoided by researching school policy. An informed student is an empowered student.

Access your resources. Any time you are not sure how to approach a situation, are uncertain who to address your concerns with, etc., reach out to your support staff for advice, resources, and assistance.  Contact the NOVA Online Success Coach team and they can point you in the right direction at 703-764-5076 or elisuccess@nvcc.edu.

Understand that  not all change is instant and not everything will have the outcome you desire. However, remember that your education is a cause worth advocating for. Namaste.

-Jennifer, NOVA Online Success Coach

It’s Advising Week!

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career road signs
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 and evaluating their schedule for next semester.   Advising week for the Fall 2015 semester will be held from April 6 – April 10. 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 and register for an upcoming session here.
  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 view your report.
  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 Focus on Your Career Planning webinar.  Learn more about the webinar and register for an upcoming session here.
  5. 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 NOVA Online counselor for assistance.  Priority registration for the fall semester will begin on April 14.   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 May 5.

Tip of the week: Figure out a calendar system that works for you! Are you using a paper calendar or electronic calendar? Do you set alerts on your phone or computer? Do you keep a to-do list on your paper calendar? Try out a few different ways to see what works best for you! You have a lot to keep track of as you get registered for your classes, and then once classes start! Get organized. Let us know what works best for you! Tell us in the comments.

Zero textbook costs with NOVA Online Digital Open courses

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NOVA’s OER-Based Associate Degree Project is a comprehensive approach to addressing concerns over access, affordability and student success. The Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online) offers nearly 40 courses that do not require students to purchase textbooks. Instead these courses, designated as Digital Open sections, use free open educational resources (OER) and library materials. NOVA students can earn a General Studies Certificate, or full Associate Degree, without having to purchase textbooks.

We developed our OER-Based Associate Degree Project to be delivered online, so that any student at any NOVA campus could have the opportunity to take these courses. Building digital content and resources into an online course helps to better engage the learner and is more conducive to learning online. This leads to better knowledge retention, better course outcomes, improved information literacy skills, and preparation to function more effectively in technology adapted careers.

We have seen immediate benefits of the OER-Based Associate Degree project, measuring cost-savings to students in excess of $800,000. And because every student in a Digital Open course section has access to all required course materials from day one, more students are able to successfully complete course requirements. Digital Open course sections offered at NOVA Online are identified in the online schedule of classes so that students can find which sections use free digital and open content, with no textbook purchase required.

Click the playlist in the upper right corner of the video, and view – NOVA’s OER-Based Associate Degree Project.

Digital Open Courses

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Have you started thinking about your schedule for next semester? Are you interested in taking a class that doesn’t require you to purchase any textbooks or course materials? A Digital Open NOVA Online class might be right for you! This week, March 9-13 is National Open Education Week, check in with the blog, and follow  or @openeducationwk on Twitter for more.Mobility conceptNOVA Online offers several online courses that do not require students to purchase textbooks or other course materials. Digital Open courses use free online material and Open Educational Resources (OER) instead of expensive textbooks. You can try one or two Digital Open courses, or even complete an entire AS degree track. Instead of requiring traditional textbooks, all readings and materials used in the courses will be available to students free of charge online as OER, or through NOVA’s library resources.

Are you ready try one of NOVA Online’s Digital Open courses? Just look for the notification in the notes section in the online schedule of classes stating: This is a digital open course. No textbook purchase required.

Save time and money with a Digital Open course at NOVA Online! For more information about registering for one of NOVA Online’s Digital Open courses, contact the NOVA Online Counselors at elicounselors@nvcc.edu or 703.323.2425.

MTT – Technology Based Developmental Math

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Are you enrolled in a MTT course through NOVA Online? We want to make sure you have all the information to start strong!math

What is MTT ?

MTT refers to the Motivating Academic Success Through Effective Redesign (MASTER) math courses that make up NOVA’s developmental math program. These courses offer personalized instruction allowing students to skip sections of material in which they can demonstrate competency and work toward mastery of the remaining material. Which MTT course a student takes depends upon the number of units needed. The Virginia Placement Test (VPT) for mathematics is aligned with the MTT units. View the MASTER Math: Progression chart to determine what units are required to be prepared for specific math courses at NOVA. The most units a student can cover in an MTT course at one time is four (MTT 4). Some students may need to complete more than one MTT course to be prepared for the math course required for their degree.

To be successful in MTT, you will need to spend several hours working on the course activities.

Textbooks and Course Materials:

MTT courses use MyMathLab which is an online textbook-based diagnostic evaluation and tutorial program designed specifically for this course. It includes an electronic copy of the class textbook, a variety of multimedia instructional resources, unlimited practice exercises, self-paced learning modules, online testing, and an individualized study plan. MyMathLab is supported and maintained by the publisher’s web server and the required plug-ins for this tool are standard.  MyMathLab is delivered inside a web-based course delivery system called MyLabsPlus. You must have an access code to MyLabsPlus, which can be purchased through the online bookstore.

The Online Math Lab is a substitute for the on-campus Math Computer Lab requirements and can be accessed through the Online Math Lab link in the menu of your Blackboard course site. The Online Math Lab is used by MTT students to ask general questions regarding course content and concepts.

Tests and Quizzes:

There are pre and post tests for each unit. Unit pre and post-tests must be proctored. Module quizzes are not proctored and will be taken at home. You cannot move forward, or complete a unit without completing the pre and post test for that unit. If you are out of the area, you will need to secure an approved proctor to supervise your exams. If you are in the area, you can take your proctored exams at any NOVA campus testing center.

Resources:

Success Coaches – Anxious about taking a math course? Contact your Success Coach at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.764.5076 for tips for success and resources to help you have a successful semester.

Smarthinking – Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to NOVA Online students. Smarthinking provides tutoring in a variety of subjects, many of which are available 24/7.

Student Lingo – Engaging on-demand, on-line workshops 24/7 on a variety of subjects – including math-related topics for example:  How to Succeed in Math, which provides specific strategies on how to succeed in an online math course and How to Overcome Math Anxiety, which helps students understand and assess their own level of math anxiety while providing ways to cope with fear and eliminate stress.

Khan Academy – This free resource offers a new way to work on some of the skills that you may be falling behind on. Students can use Khan’s large library resource database and partake in interactive assessments, challenges and even some helpful videos on a variety of topics.