Tag Archives: weekend

What does a snow day mean for your NOVA Online courses?

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With winter here it is important to be aware of NOVA’s inclement weather policy and know what that means for your NOVA Online courses.  Staying informed will allow you to plan accordingly and stay safe! NOVA makes it easy for you to stay up-to-date in the event of an emergency closing or delay. snow dayIf the College is closed or delayed due to an emergency or inclement weather, a text alert will be sent to cell phones registered on NOVA Alert, a notice will be posted on the home page of the College’s website, and a message will appear on our cable television station as well as several local radio and television stations. The College also uses several media sources to announce delays and closings. The Emergency Preparedness website provides more information as you are planning ahead.

What does this mean for your NOVA Online class?

All in-person class sessions, and in-person labs will be canceled or delayed based on NOVA’s announcements. If you are planning to take an exam at the campus testing center, you will want to note that any closings or delays will affect campus testing center hours. Campus closing and delays will affect all campus offices, tutoring centers, and libraries.

Keep in mind, even when the college is closed, you can still log into Blackboard to access your NOVA Online courses.  A snow day is the perfect time to work on assignments and get ahead. If you have a live, virtual session scheduled, that meeting may still take place. Be sure to check your student email and blackboard announcement section to find out if the closing or delay will affect your NOVA Online course or if due dates have been changed due to the weather.

If you have not already, sign up for NOVA Alert today!

Motivational Minute: Life Beyond School

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smell the roses

As a student, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there is life beyond school. Writing papers, taking tests, group projects each take up so much physical and mental energy that, often, it seems as if there is no room for anything else. But making time for enjoyment is crucial in staying motivated to continue working towards your academic and professional goals. Doing something fun can refresh your mind, help you generate new ideas, recharge your motivation, and help you perform in school with more vigor. Dedicate at least one complete day of the week to do things purely because they make YOU feel good. If you cannot take an entire day, devote a few hours on a specific day for that purpose each week.

There are endless options when it comes to entertaining oneself that you can try. Explore new interests, try a new recipe, play a new game, catch up on your favorite T.V. show, be with friends/family, take a nap. You can even link with those who share common interests (MeetUp is a great way to find local common interest groups and activities) and find discounted, exciting activities and trips (LivingSocial is a great place to start) to enjoy. Push yourself out of the box and be more than just a student. Life is a gift, use it well and get the most out of all it has to offer. Namaste.

–Jennifer, NOVA Online Student Success Coach

Parking Changes for Fall 2014

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Many of you have heard that NOVA has implemented several changes to its parking policies at the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester. null

The changes are as follows:

• Free Evening and Weekend Student Parking. To minimize parking on neighborhood streets and optimize parking capacity at each campus, students will be able to park for free on all campuses after 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and all day on weekends in Student (B Lots) only. Students are not permitted to park in Faculty/Staff parking lots.

• Parking Permit Fee Reduction. To provide an incentive for students to park on-campus, the price of student parking permits will be rolled back by $15 per semester to $90.00 when purchased in-person or $80.00 when purchased on-line.

• Parking Infrastructure Support Fee. To offset the reduced parking revenue and provide continuing infrastructure support, a new per-credit-hour fee of $0.50 will be applied to support maintenance and construction of streets, walkways and lots, exterior lighting, signage and safety improvements.

• Graduation Incentive. To provide an additional incentive, graduating students will receive a full rebate of their final semester paid parking permit fee.

Fall Fun and Relaxation in Virginia

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NOVA Fall Break is October 13 & 14 – College Offices Open, but no on-campus instructional classes will be held. During fall break, your online courses may have assignments due during this period – make sure you are aware of all your course dates. Online students may experience some delay in email response from faculty during the Fall Break period.

If you live in the Virginia area and need a break to get away and enjoy the beauty of the skyline, bursting with autumn colors, click here to visit the Fall in Virginia website. Fall FoliageThis website provides all the information you could possibly need to explore fall in Virginia. You will find a plethora of recommendations for the best scenic drives, family getaways, romantic getaways, fall festival, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and even a Fall Foliage Hotline (1.800.424.LOVE).  There is also a search engine to help you find events taking place by area.  You will even find meters on this website showing the peak time the leaves are turning by area!!

According to the meter on the Fall in Virginia website, this will be a peak weekend to enjoy the colors in the mountain areas of Virginia.  This is an outstanding website to locate just about any fall fun you could desire.  Explore this website today and plan your day to relax, de-stress, and enjoy the beauty of autumn!

Celebrating the 4th of July

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flag

Trying to make plans for the 4th of July holiday? Whether you are looking to see some fireworks, attend a festival/ parade or other events, we have provided some great resources below to plan a fun-filled holiday weekend.

Virginia.Org:

This is a great resource where you can search the different 4ht of July events by city/zip code in the entire state of Virginia

http://www.virginia.org/July4th/?adref=ggtxt070412&gclid=CIm26Jnpob8CFTJo7AodIU8AVQ

 Northern Virginia Magazine.com

Details about events scheduled within the Northern Virginia region.

http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/fourth-of-july-2010/

 RVAnews.com

More information about celebrating the 4th of July in Richmond

http://rvanews.com/tag/4th-of-july

Virginia Beach.com

Schedule of events for the 4th of July in VA Beach

http://www.virginiabeach.com/holidays/fourth-july-oceanfront-festivities

Colonial Williamsburg.com

Celebrating our nation’s birthday in Colonial Williamsburg

http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/plan/calendar/fourth-july/

 Washington.org

10 ways to celebrate Independence Day in Washington D.C.

http://washington.org/article/10-ways-celebrate-independence-day-washington-dc

Stay safe on the 4th of July in Washington D.C.  and take advantage of a free ride home

http://www.wrap.org/soberride/

We hope that all NOVA Online students and their families have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Geoscience Field courses at Annandale

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It’s summertime, and that means one and two-credit Geoscience field courses are offered at NOVA – Annandale. Consider enrolling yourself! If you have friends or colleagues whom you think might be interested, spread the word.

null1. GOL 135-052N (Index #12879): Miocene Geology of Calvert Cliffs, MD. A full one-day field trip Sat., 6/28/14 (9 AM-6 PM); Rain date Sun. 6/29/14. This one-day trip considers Miocene seas spread across the Chesapeake Bay region ca. 10-20 million years ago. We visit the Calvert Marine Museum collections, and study ancient sediments, stratigraphy, and paleoenvironments preserved along the western shore of the Maryland Chesapeake within the world-famous Calvert Cliffs. An additional $6 museum fee required. NO PREREQUISITES!

2. GOL 299-051N (Index #12031)- Natural History and Environmental Processes of Chesapeake Bay. A full two-day, two-credit hybrid (lecture/field) course (Mon., 7/14/14 on-campus lecture, and Wed., 7/16/14 field trip on the Bay). This hybrid two-day course considers the natural history, environmental processes, and current health of the Chesapeake Bay, our largest estuary. Course includes background readings, on-campus lecture/lab, coastal field studies, and an offshore boat trip on the Chesapeake. Additional $15 boat fee required. This is an introductory-level, multidisciplinary course well-suited to educators. NO PREREQUISITES!

3. GOL 135-058N (Index #12882)- Building Stones and Historic Quarries of Baltimore, MD. A full one-day field trip Sat. 7/26/14 (9 AM-8:30 PM); Rain date: Sun. 7/27/14. This one-day walking and driving tour will visit buildings and monuments of Baltimore Metro area, as well as historic quarries and natural outcroppings of Texas-Cockeysville area. Focus will be the long geologic history of the region, and the rocks used to construct buildings and monuments in Baltimore and Washington, DC. NO PREREQUISITES!

For any and all questions email Ken Rasmussen at: krasmussen@nvcc.edu.

Have a look at photos from past trips: http://www.nvcc.edu/home/jbuecheler/Photos.html

Congrats Grads!

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NOVA’s Commencement Ceremony – Spring Semester 2014
Sunday, May 18 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University.

1 p.m.: Graduates line up for the procession in Parking Lot A on the south side of the Patriot Center. In case of rain, graduates will meet in the Patriot Center’s lower level entrance.
2 p.m.: Ceremony begins.

graduation caps

Congratulations to everyone graduating this weekend! Let us about your post-graduation plans!

56th Annual Highland Maple Festival

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March 8-9 & 15-16, 2014

 

bucketThe Highland County Chamber of Commerce presents the 56th Annual Highland Maple Festival.

Take a look at the website here.

“Take a step back in time to Highland County, “Virginia’s Switzerland.” Travel back roads and mountain byways to the annual Highland Maple Festival. Held on the 2nd and 3rd weekends of March, the Maple Festival has been an annual event in Highland County, Virginia, since 1958.

Each year, thousands of visitors are drawn to this unspoiled, rural region of Virginia to celebrate the ‘opening’ of the trees and observe the process of maple syrup-making. Sugar camp tours provide a unique and educational experience that portrays a rapidly vanishing way of American life.”