Northern Virginia Community College will be closed later this week for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Offices close Wednesday, November 23 at noon and will reopen on Monday, November 28 at 8:00 am. This includes testing centers! Plan ahead! 
Digital Open Courses
Have you started thinking about your schedule for next semester? Spring registration is currently open for all students! Are you interested in taking a course that doesn’t require you to purchase any textbooks or course materials? A Digital Open NOVA Online course might be right for you!
NOVA 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 textbooks or purchased course materials. 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 Success Coaches at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.323.3347.
Where Will Your Path Lead? (Part 3)
This article is part three in a three part series that provides readers with an overview of the career development process designed to help you identify your path and continue on your journey.
Last week exploring careers and making decisions was discussed. This week the focus is on finding employment and gaining practical experience.
Step Four: Finding Employment (also Gaining Practical Experience)
Are you trying to find any job or a job that is a good fit for you? While you are in college have you considered obtaining an internship to gain practical experience in a field of interest? Developing job search skills including identifying job leads, creating a strong resume, preparing for interviews, and networking will help you find and obtain a job or internship.
One resource to try now – NOVA’s College Central Network
This tool includes a database of current, full-time, part-time, and contractual jobs as well as internships posted by employers interested in hiring NOVA students. This resource also includes career articles written by industry professionals, career videos, and career advice podcasts to help you develop and strengthen your job search skills.
NOVA’s Career Counselors are available to assist you with each step of the career development process.
Article by Christy Jensen-NOVA Academic/Career Counselor.
November is National Career Development Month. Check NOVA’s Career Services website for information about programs being offered virtually and across the College in support of NCDM.
This week at NOVA Online!
Open registration for all students begins today, Monday, November 14! Are you thinking about an online course for Spring 2017 term? The online catalog is available in NOVAConnect – search the online catalog to see what options you have for online courses.
NOVA Online offers courses that begin on January 9, 23, 30, February 20 and March 13! Review the steps for our prepare for your spring semester blog post to help you plan ahead to enroll on-time!
Not sure if online learning is right for you? Take the SmarterMeasure assessment to help you gauge your readiness!
Join NOVA Online Career Counselors Wednesday, November 16 from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm for the Finding a Job or Internship Webinar. This 45 minute webinar will focus on basic strategies for finding a job or internship. Topics covered will include creating a plan, identifying sources of job/internship leads, and resume, cover letter, and interview basics. Register Today!
Join our Virtual Student Union – NOVA Online’s VSU has a new look! Are you taking online classes and looking to connect with other students outside of a classroom setting? Check out our Virtual Student Union or VSU. This is an engagement hub where NOVA Online students have access to create a profile, join discussion forums and connect with other students. In celebration of our new site launch, students will be eligible for raffle prizes once they create an account and interact on the site. Drawings will be done weekly and monthly through the fall semester. Join now!
Engage in your Community! Did you miss our Community Involvement Fair last year? Check out our community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available: Community Volunteer Booklet. Email us at elistulife@nvcc.edu and tell us where and when you are volunteering and we will send you a FREE NOVA Student Life T-shirt to wear!
Financial Avenue – Financial Literacy Contest – Twenty $100 NOVA bookstore gift cards towards educational costs at NOVA will be given-away throughout the 2016‐2017 academic year to randomly selected students NOVA Online who successfully complete Financial Avenue web‐based financial literacy modules! For more information visit Financial Aid’s Financial Literacy Blog. Official contest rules and registration to participate can be found here.
Learn more on the NOVA Online Student Blog. Want to write for the NOVA Online Student Blog? Share your story? Connect with your peers? Send us a writing sample to get started. Email NOVA OnlineStuLife@nvcc.edu for more information.
Honoring Veterans Day
Below is a NOVA Online student spotlight post from Army veteran Evette in honor of Veterans Day.
Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance national holiday, 11th of November as Veteran’s Day.
As an Army veteran, I look back at the time which I served my country with gratitude. My patriotism and willingness to serve and my sacrifice for many of years. Take time to recognize soldiers, veterans, and families of soldiers who are away from their family.
RIP to my veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Veteran’s Day is not just a day off, honor veterans who had defended and continue to defend our country!
– Reach out to families of fallen soldiers and soldiers who remain in harm’s way today.
– Visit Veteran’s in Nursing Home, Wounded Warrior Hospital (Fort Belvoir, Va.), and veteran’s in the hospital.
– Most of all, recognize veterans everyday not just Veteran’s Day.
Remember, never forget our debt of gratitude to our brave men and women.
Want to write for the NOVA Online Student Blog? Share your story? Connect with your peers? Send us a writing sample to get started. Email NOVA OnlineStuLife@nvcc.edu for more information.
Where Will Your Path Lead? (Part 2)
This article is part two in a three part series that provides readers with an overview of the career development process designed to help you identify your path and continue on your journey.
Last week the importance of self-assessment was discussed. This week the focus is on exploring careers and making decisions.
Step Two: Exploring Careers
Have you ever wondered what you would really do on a daily basis if you pursued a particular career? You can explore careers by utilizing resources that have information on academic majors, job salaries, job outlook, required skills, educational requirements, and typical work duties.
One resource to try now – Occupational Outlook Handbook.
This publication from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is revised every two years. Numerous resources exist, in various formats (including print, online, and video), to provide you with information on just about any career.
Step Three: Making Decisions
Are you wondering if a program of study, major, or career is right for you? After you have taken time for self-assessment and explored careers, you will want to evaluate your academic and career options to make a decision and develop a plan.
One resource to try now – Making Decisions section of NOVA’s Career Services website.
Here you can follow a step-by-step process to reflect upon what you have learned, make a decision, set a goal, and create an action plan.
NOVA’s Career Counselors are available to assist you with each step of the career development process.
Article by Christy Jensen-NOVA Academic/Career Counselor.
November is National Career Development Month. Check NOVA’s Career Services website for information about programs being offered virtually and across the College in support of NCDM.
National Distance Learning Week
To mark National Distance Learning Week, we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you 10 things you might not know about the Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online) at Northern Virginia Community College.
This picture was dated 1974 and shows staff getting media ready for some of the first distance learning courses offered through the Extended Learning Institute! 
1. 23,000 NOVA students taken online courses through the NOVA Online each year.
2. NOVA Online offers more than 500 online courses, so whatever field you’re in and whatever degree requirement you’re working to fill, you can probably find it at NOVA Online!
3. NOVA Online courses and NOVA Online faculty win national awards every year.
4. You are not alone when you take a NOVA Online course – you will interact with your instructor and classmates through discussions, group assignments, and more.
5. NOVA Online staff provide lots of services to support you in your online courses, too, including 24/7 free online tutoring, online librarians, 24/7 technical support, student success coaches, and much more.
6. NOVA Online offers several start dates each semester, for most of our courses, so just about any time you want to get started with us, we have a new session starting soon!
7. You can earn more than 40 complete associate’s degrees and certificates entirely through NOVA Online. Check out the complete list on NOVA Online’s website.
8. Not sure whether an online course is right for you? You can take the Smartermeasure assessment to find out!
9. NOVA Online offers courses in 16-week, 12-week, and 8-week lengths so you can choose the schedule and course length that best fits your needs.
10. Most NOVA Online students take classes on campus as well as NOVA Online classes; combining the two can be the perfect way to complete your degree.
Happy Distance Learning Week to our online students at NOVA. If you have any questions, contact the NOVA Online Student Services Team at 703.323.3347 or elisuccess@nvcc.edu or connect with us on social media. We are more than happy to answer your questions, as well as refer you to useful resources and services that will support your online learning experience.
This week at NOVA Online!
Priority registration for continuing students begins on Tuesday, November 8 and open registration for all students starts Monday, November 14.
To help you plan for your next semester, join a NOVA Online Counselor on Thursday, November 10 from 12:15 – 1:00 pm (EST) for the Getting Ready for your Next Semester Webinar! This 45 minute webinar that will focus on answering key questions students have about preparing for their next semester. This is a great opportunity for new and returning students!
Have any questions about your spring term courses? Need to change your degree plan? Schedule a virtual appointment with an NOVA Online Counselor! Visit NOVA Online’s Advising Week blog series for more information to help you plan your spring schedule.
November is National Career Development Month. Join NOVA Online Career Counselor on Wednesday, November 9, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm for the Exploring Career Options Webinar. This 45 minute webinar will focus on using various online resources to research career options.
This week is National Distance Learning Week! Not sure if online courses are right for you? Take the SmarterMeasure assessment to gauge your readiness!
We will celebrate throughout the week with trivia, facts/myths, and memories ! NOVA Online started as correspondence classes in 1975 and used video, audio, and postal mail for courses. Can you imagine? Join us on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week for more!
Have a great week!
Wrap up from the advising week blog series!
That’s a wrap for our Advising Week blog series, but that doesn’t mean it’s over! Still have questions about spring registration? Let us know!
Take some time to reflect on what you have learned over the last two weeks. Go back and review past posts to dig a little deeper. Missed any of the live sessions? Go back and request a recording.
Here are a few tips to help you move forward:
Join us for the November 10th Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar. Learn more about the webinar and request a recording.
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. Remember 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 old 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.
Where does the time go?
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.
I encourage you to take the quiz to see where your time goes and ask yourself: 
Do you have enough time in the week to dedicate to your studies?
Are you using the time efficiently?
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
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.