Student Lingo: Stress Management Workshop

As finals and projects are approaching, take some time to de-stress, re-focus on your courses, and prepare for your exams. Take breaks, stay focused and manage your stress!

stress comic

From finding time to do assignments between jobs to managing a family and a full-time course load; students juggle multiple responsibilities on a daily basis. Handling the demands of school while balancing the responsibilities of work and personal life can be overwhelming and there is a serious need for students to be equipped to handle the stress that comes along with managing so many things at once. But, fear not because StudentLingo provides a Stress Management Techniques Workshop to help you manage your stress and finish your semester successfully. If you haven’t already, register for an account with your student email (@email.vccs.edu).

You can also access a number of stress-taming tools for your toolbox through the Stress Management Online Workshop! Student Lingo offers NOVA students free online workshops that address a wide variety of topics; providing students with information, strategies, and resources to overcome barriers to academic success, and reach their personal, academic, and professional goals.

What is highlighted?

In this workshop you will learn the following information:

  • How to identify and evaluate your unique warning signs and reactions to stressors.
  • Assess your stress triggers and identify the sources of stress in your life.
  • How stress affects your physical health, mental clarity, academic performance, etc.
  • How your mind and body process and internalizes stress.
  • New stress management strategies to practice and integrate in your daily life to deal with stress in a healthy way!

 Once you finish reviewing the workshop, keep your momentum for change by incorporating what you have learned right away. Take action to make what you’ve learned meaningful by applying it when stress arises. Assess the triggers in your life, the sources of stress as it relates to school, your professional life, and your personal life and ask yourself the following questions to actively combat their impact on your life:

  •  How do I react when theses triggers come up?
  • Is my reaction to these stressors healthy?
  • What can I do to minimize the effect that these stressors have on me?
  • Which stress management techniques that I learned from this workshop do I plan on using?
  • How can they to help manage my reaction to these specific triggers?

Like this post? You may also find the Motivational Minute: Many Faces of Stress blog post useful for more stress management tips and information!

Article provided by the NOVA Online Success Coaches. Contact your Success Coach at onlinesuccess@nvcc.edu.

What Do I Need to Complete the FAFSA

There are several items you will need to complete the FAFSA. The 2018-2019 FAFSA covers Fall 2018, Spring 2019 and Summer 2019. For 2018-2019, you will need financial information from 2016. All students will need the following information to complete the FAFSA application:

  • Your social security number
  • Your name and date of birth must match your records with the Social Security Administration
  • Your 2016 federal income tax return
    • Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ
    • Foreign tax return, or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Marshall Islands, Federal States of Micronesia or Palau
  • Your 2016 W-2 forms and other records of money earned in 2016, if any income was earned
  • Your 2016 untaxed income records, if applicable (i.e. child support received, interest income, veterans’ benefits, etc.)
  • Your current bank statements
  • Your current assets held outside of retirement accounts
  • Your alien registration or permanent registration card, if applicable (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

If you are a dependent student, you will also need to provide the following information for your parents:

Note: A dependent student is a student who does not meet any of the criteria for an independent student. An independent student is one of the following: at least 24 years old, married, a graduate or professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, someone with legal dependents other than a spouse, an emancipated minor, someone with a court appointed legal guardian, or someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. 

  •  Parent(s) 2016 federal income tax return and W-2s
  • Parent(s) bank statements and current records for all non-retirement investment and asset accounts
  • Parent(s) social security number, date of birth (day, month and year)
  • Date your parents were married, widowed, divorced or separated

If you are married, you will also need to provide the 2016 federal income tax return information for your spouse.

Federal Student Aid Information Center

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (EST) and 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday – Sunday (EST)

Phone: 1-800-433-3243 | International: 1-334-523-2691 | Hearing Impaired: TTY calls only 1-800-730-8913

Questions about your Financial Aid award? Financial Aid assistance is available by creating a case at https://mysupport.nvcc.edu or uploading documents that are accepted electronically through the To Do List. You may also fax documents to (703) 323-3494.   Questions about financial aid eligibility? Check out the Financial Aid Blog.

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. 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

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 tutoringwebinars, 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

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.

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.

This Week at NOVA Online!

Advising week and spring registration is approaching! Follow this blog to make the most of advising week and prepare to register for spring semester courses. We will run a two week advising week series that begins tomorrow.

Join NOVA Online Counselors for a Getting Ready for your Next Semester Webinar. This group advising session will help you prepare for spring registration! Review the link above to review the dates/times and register for a live session.

Join NOVA Online’s Career Counselor for a Career Webinar Series each Wednesday in November. For more information about the webinar’s available review the registration form above.

Money Management Webinar – Wednesday, November 1 from Noon-1pm. Are you interested in learning more about managing your finances? Would you like to review how you can create a budget, reduce your expenses, create an emergency fund, and save for long-term goals? If so, please join us for a money management webinar! We’ll also discuss credit cards, credit scores, credit reports, responsible borrowing and the free financial coaching services that are available for NOVA students. We look forward to you joining us! Register now!

Have a NOVA Online exam coming up? Not sure how to test? Check out NOVA Online’s testing site or your taking exams tab in your Blackboard course site for details.

It is very important to monitor your VCCS student email for updates and announcements from NOVA Online, NOVA and your instructor. Look for emails from NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu throughout your course.

 

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! 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!  Coming Soon! (Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available).

Don’t forget to sign-up for NOVA AlertNOVA Alert is a free alert system that allows NOVA to contact you during an emergency by sending messages to your cell phone and email.

Transfer Planning Webinar

Thinking about transferring after NOVA and not sure where to start? Want to make sure you have options available to you if you decide to transfer? Start planning now! Join us for a Transfer Planning Webinar tomorrow!

It’s never too early to begin your planning to transfer another institution. This one-hour webinar will discuss the basics of transfer planning; information about Guaranteed Admission Agreements, Articulation Agreements, and Transfer Guides; and a provide web tour of NOVA’s transfer website.

Join us live Wednesday, October 25th, 12:00pm-1:00pm or request a recording.

This Week at NOVA Online

Is today the first day of your NOVA Online course? Today is NOVA Online’s last start date for the fall semester!

Review the Critical Enrollment Dates blog post to make sure you get off to a great start. Join us for today’s NOVA Online Orientation webinar or request a recording to help you get started!

All courses beginning today are 8-week courses. These courses will run at an accelerated pace to cover the full 16-week semester’s material. Make sure you are comfortable with the pace of the course from day 1. An NOVA Online Student Blogger has shared her experiences preparing for an accelerated course!

Have a NOVA Online exam coming up? Not sure how to test? Check out NOVA Online’s testing site or your taking exams tab in your Blackboard course site for details.

It is very important to monitor your VCCS student email for updates and announcements from NOVA Online, NOVA and your instructor. Look for emails from NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu throughout your course.

 As a college-wide initiative intended to highlight LGBTQ History Month, Student Life will be hosting the Gender and Sexuality panel entitled Intersectionality and Me on Tuesday, October 24th from 2-4pm. Livestream instructions can be found at: http://eli.nvcc.edu/studentlife/. Find out more information about the event and the panelists!

The VALHEN 2018-2019 Scholarship Application is now open. The Virginia Higher Education Network (VALHEN) is dedicated to assist Latinx/Hispanic students to pursue higher education within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarship awards are for one year and are paid directly to the recipient’s college or university, to cover tuition, books, and/or fees. Application deadline: Dec. 1, 2017

Financial Literacy Contest– Have you entered NOVA’s CashContest for the chance to win $500 while learning more about managing your personal finances?  It only takes about 45 minutes… Simply follow the Official CashContest Rules posted on NOVA’s Financial Literacy Blog and complete a short course at https://fa.financialavenue.org/ by the deadline for a chance to win a $500 award.  Complete all four courses for additional chances to win one of the ten $500 awards.

Join our Virtual Student Union. 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!

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! 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!  Coming Soon! (Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available).

Don’t forget to sign-up for NOVA Alert.  NOVA Alert is a free alert system that allows NOVA to contact you during an emergency by sending messages to your cell phone and email. https://alert.nvcc.edu

This Week at NOVA Online!

Still looking for a fall semester course? You may find an 8 week option through NOVA Online! Take a look at the schedule in NOVA Connect.

NOVA Idol Talent Show Auditions Coming in November! It’s more than a singing competition. Pick your song or best talent and start practicing.  Campus auditions begin November 2. For more information visit http://www.nvcc.edu/novaidol/

Financial Literacy Contest– Have you entered NOVA’s CashContest for the chance to win $500 while learning more about managing your personal finances?  It only takes about 45 minutes… Simply follow the Official CashContest Rules posted on NOVA’s Financial Literacy Blog and complete a short course at https://fa.financialavenue.org/ by the deadline for a chance to win a $500 award.  Complete all four courses for additional chances to win one of the ten $500 awards.

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage- During this month we recognize all the contributions our Hispanic and Latino Americans have made within the United States. Follow our social media sites all month to learn more, participate in trivia and check out events that are happening on campus and locally near the DC area to celebrate!

Join our Virtual Student Union. 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!

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! 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!  Coming Soon!(Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available)