Tag Archives: advising

Three Reasons to Communicate with an Advisor

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It’s Advising Week – an excellent time to connect with an advisor. Here are three reasons why –

Confirm the program of study you are pursing aligns with your academic and career goals. 

What are your academic goals? What are your career goals? Share these goals with an advisor. Indicate the program of study you are pursuing. Discuss whether or not the program identified is an appropriate choice to support you with achieving your goals. Discuss your plan for achieving your goals. Don’t have a plan – work with your advisor on developing one.

Review your academic performance. 

How are you doing in your courses? Are you making appropriate progress towards earning your certificate or degree or completing courses for the reason(s) you are attending NOVA? Through NOVA Connect, students can view their grades and an advisement report. The report indicates requirements that have and have not been satisfied for a certificate/degree of interest. It also indicates courses that can be used to satisfy program requirements. Prior to enrolling in courses each semester it is a good idea to review your report. Confirm the report indicates the correct certificate/degree. Review requirements and check the progress you are making towards completion. If you have questions about the program, concerns about grades, or any of the information provided on the report – share questions and discuss concerns with an advisor.

Identify challenges you have encountered and discuss solutions to address the challenges.  

  1. Refer to the following website for information on how to connect with an advisor: https://www.nvcc.edu/advising/my-advisor.html.
  2. How would you describe this semester? Are you earning the grades you intended to earn? Are you making steady progress towards completion of a certificate/degree? Are you making progress towards achieving your goals? NOVA offers many services and resources to support students. Communicate with an advisor about the challenges you are or have encountered. An advisor can work with you to address challenges, connect you to appropriate resources, and provide referrals when appropriate.

Don’t forget, in addition to daily blog posts, NOVA Online is offering a lunchtime webinar series this week focusing on topics to help you with preparing for your next semester. All webinars are thirty minutes and begin at 12:15 pm. Learn more about the series and register at https://nvcceli.wufoo.com/forms/q17oo4ni0mszh1v/.

Earn a Chance to Win a Rocketbook

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During Advising Week Spring 2020 earn a chance to win a Rocketbook by following the steps below –

  1. Participate in any advising week program/event being offered across the college. Recommended events – any webinar that is part of the NOVA Online Advising Week Spring 2020 webinar series.
  2. Access the NOVA Online Virtual Student Union during November 5 – November 10.
  3. Select Discussions.
  4. Review the Discussion Board Rules located at the top of the discussion board main page.
  5. Select Advising Week Spring 2020 Contest from the list.
  6. Click the Reply button and respond to the following:
    1. What was the name, date, and location of the program/event in which you participated?
    2. Why did you select this program/event?
    3. How does participating in this program/event support you with achieving your academic goals?
  7. Click the Post Reply button

While you are in the discussion board, although not required for the challenge, we encourage you to read and respond to someone’s post.

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.  Programs to support you will also be offered across the College. Take advantage of Advising Week events online as well as on campus as you plan your schedule and prepare to register for courses.

Advising Week for Spring 2020 is Here!

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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.

Get the most out of Advising Week by following the steps below:

  1. Reflect on your academic and career goals. If you need more information about career options or would like to learn about a resource to help you build a career plan visit NOVA’s Career Services website.
  2. Review your Advisement Report. The report indicates requirements that have and have not been satisfied for a certificate/degree of interest. It also indicates courses that can be used to satisfy program requirements.
  3. Communicate with an advisor about your academic and career goals. If you are pursuing a certificate or degree check with your advisor to make sure you are pursuing a program of study that aligns with your goals. Also make certain the program of study listed on your advisement report is the program of study you are pursuing.   It is a good idea to have a copy of your academic plan, advisement report, and/or career plan handy when communicating with an advisor.
  4. Put courses you plan to take in your shopping cart in NOVA Connect so you will have the specific information needed when it’s time to register. Priority registration begins today.  Open registration begins on November 11.
  5. Participate in the Spring 2020 NOVA Online Advising Week lunchtime webinar series. See below for the webinar schedule.  The webinars will begin at 12:15 pm EST and end at 12:45 pm.
    • Getting Ready for Your Next Semester – Tuesday, November 5
    • What Can I Do With a Program of Study In . . .? – Wed., November 6
    • Support Services and Resources for Students – Thurs., November 7.
    • Learn more and register at https://nvcceli.wufoo.com/forms/q17oo4ni0mszh1v/.
  6. Earn a chance to win a Rocketbook by participating in the Advising Week Spring 2020 discussion board in the NOVA Online Virtual Student Union during November 5 – November 10. For more information access the VSU, select “Discussions”, then select “Advising Week Spring 2020 Contest” from the list.

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.  Programs to support you will also be offered across the College. Take advantage of Advising Week events online as well as on campus as you plan your schedule and prepare to register for courses.

Webinars to Help You with Your Academic and Career Planning

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Do you need help with your academic or career planning?  If you answered yes to this question, you may find it helpful to participate in one or all of the following webinars:

Getting Ready for Your Next Semester

  • Wednesday, November 7, 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
  • Thursday, November 8, 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm

This 45 minute webinar for NOVA students will focus on answering key questions students have about preparing for their next semester.  Topics covered will include program identification, course selection, college resources, schedule planning, and registration/payment tips.

Focus on Your Career Development

  • Wednesday, November 7, 12:15 pm – 1:00- pm

This 45 minute webinar will introduce students to FOCUS 2 an online, interactive, self-guided career and education planning system.  The system can help students select a program/major based on their interests and aspirations, discover occupations matching their personal preferences and attributes, map out their career plans – present and future, and make informed career decisions.

Exploring Career Options

  • Thursday, November 8, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday, November 14, 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm

This 45 minute webinar will focus on using various online resources to research career options.  The relationship between programs of study at NOVA, college majors, and career options will be discussed.  Resources presented will provide information on nature of work, educational requirements, job outlook, and wages. 

Registration is required for each webinar.  Registration closes 15 minutes prior to the webinar start time.  Learn more and register at http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm.

Destress as you prepare for your next semester

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Winding down from one semester, and planning for your next can be a significant adjustment. With the demand of approaching deadlines, it is easy to get overwhelmed in the blink of an eye. As you gathered information from advising week, and prepared for registration, we want to provide you with some resources to help you unwind, and refocus on preparing for your next semester.

Yoga has more benefits than I can list but the ones I want you to take advantage of right now is it’s capacity to reduce anxiety and stress. Taking time to stretch and twist the body, releases chemicals that our bodies naturally produce when stressed. Beyond the physical movements, yoga has a meditative component that ignites your inner strength in a way that will empower you to tackle any obstacle, help you maintain peace when feeling harried, and turn down the volume of the loud voice of self-doubt. Yoga DogIncorporating yoga into your daily practice has been made easy with the use of technology. Here are some free apps you can download today that can jump-start your yoga practice! There is no greater obstacle to overcome than your own mind, feed it with positivity and it will help you accomplish great things! Namaste.

YogaQuote: Gives you daily inspirational yoga quotes and mantras.

Daily Yoga: Gives you live training with  videos and a professionally made yoga program for you to follow without needing to go to a gym. This app even has yoga to help you destress at your desk (great to do right before writing a paper)!

As you move into your next semester, continue to follow NOVA Online for tips on:

  • Familiarizing yourself with resources to help you with your academic planning.
  • Focusing on your career planning.
  • Checking to make sure you are on the right path to achieve your goals.
  • Gaining skills outside the classroom.
  • Taking some time for reflection.

Have a question, but not sure who to ask? Start with a Success Coach! They can be reached at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or call 703.323.3347.

Digital Open Courses

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Have you started thinking about your schedule for next term? Spring registration is now open! 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!

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 Success Coaches at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.323.3347.

Where does the time go?

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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. Take a look at the weekly study time chart to plan out your schedule.

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

NOVA Online Counselors can be reached at 703.323.3347 or NOVA OnlineCounselors@nvcc.edu.

Spring Registration

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Open registration for new NOVA students for the spring semester  begins today, Monday, November 13!

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

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 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/

Wrap up from advising week blog series

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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 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:

coffee breakUse 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 posted by NOVA Online’s Career Counselor 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.

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.

NOVA + ODU

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Happy National Distance Learning Week!  You know the convenience of online classes with Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute, but do you know how easy it is to continue your education and earn a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University’s ODUOnline? A partnership with the Virginia Community College System and Old Dominion University allows students a nearly seamless transition between an associate and a bachelor’s degree.

With a fully transferrable associate’s degree from a VCCS school, your general education requirements may already be fulfilled. You could get started on more than 44 degree paths in anything from accounting to teacher preparation! You’ll have support every step of the way, from unofficial transcript evaluations before you apply to career help with our Career Services Center after you graduate.

If you’re not quite ready to start with ODUOnline, an ODU Enrollment Coordinator will continue to work with you until you are eligible to apply. They offer support and guidance for as long as you need.

If you are interested in continuing your education with Old Dominion University, stop by and see an ODUOnline Enrollment Coordinator today or visit online.odu.edu to explore your options.

Questions? Email NOVA OnlineCounselors@nvcc.edu for more information about transferring to ODUOnline!