On Wednesday, Jan. 18 Candice Stadler will be on our campus to promote WVNCC’s Career Services. Please make it a point to talk to her. (She will be at a table next to the student lounge.) Candice will be talking about College Central and providing information on it. If a student creates their account or updatres it by Jan. 31 they will be entered into a drawing to win a Nook Tablet.
Welcome Week!!!
Welcome back returning students and welcome new students. To celebrate the start of a new semester, we will be having some Welcome Back Events. On Tuesday, there will be pizza available on the New Martinsville Campus starting @ 11:00. Tuesday, Diane’s Catering will provide a Soup/Sandwich Lunch to begin @ 11:00 and on Wednesday, we will have Hot Chocolate, Coffee and Doughnuts available. What a great way to celebrate the first week back!!!
Resolutions for College Students
I resolve to spend less time texting, Facebooking, etc., when I should be doing homework. – This is a simple piece of advice, and it’s advice I give often because I’ve totally been there. Technology that gives us a connection to others is great, yet it’s also highly addictive and can serve as a costly distraction. Surfing while studying can turn a 2 hour project into a 5 hour one. So turn off your phone while studying and close the Facebook window. If you don’t need to be online to study, then stay off the internet completely. Information will sink in better if it doesn’t have to pass through a “Facebook firewall.”
I resolve to take advantage of my NOW and student e-mail accounts. – One of the great things about Northern is the NOW account. Here, is a treasure chest full of information. With your NOW account, you can access your transcripts, midterm grades, final grades, financial aid information, and holds on your account whenever you want. And that’s not all Northern offers you. When you register, you also get your very own e-mail account, which you get to keep even after you graduate. Sure I just told you to stay offline, but now I’m telling you to get online!
I resolve to get 7 hours of sleep on school nights. – Don’t offend your professor by dozing off in your 8:30 AM class, and don’t risk the safety of yourself and other drivers by hitting the roads early in the morning while in a sleepy daze. Get to bed early on school nights, and wake up feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to take on your full day of classes. The benefits of sleep are numerous…Basically, you’ll be healthier – physically & mentally.
I resolve to get involved on-campus. – Don’t be shy – participate! Whether it is a blood drive, a canned food drive, WVNCC’s Relay for Life team, or an on-campus party (Christmas party, Mardi Gras, BBQ) – join in! Also consider joining important school organizations, such as student senate and PTK. You’ll have fun, and feel good about yourself and the cause you are supporting.
I resolve to speak up in class. – Having been a student myself, I know how backward students can be about speaking up in class, but honestly, class participating and offering input can be one of the most worthwhile decisions you can make in college. Whether it is asking a question concerning that especially tough algebra equation, or whether it is participating in that thought-provoking discussion in psychology class, speak up and prepare to reap the benefits and watch the doors open for you.
It’s a new year, and a new semester at Northern. Regardless of how your last semester went, there’s a fresh, clean slate available for you. Put into your education what you are expecting to get out of it. Take responsibility for your actions and hold yourself accountable. Besides that, take advantage of what Northern offers! Explore your NOW account and make a point to login to your e-mail account daily. Consider the academic success center for tutoring help, and seek out the resources the library offers when you are tackling that especially tough research project. The tools are there; it’s up to you to decide if and how you will use them.
Spring Semester Redemption
So by now you’ve probably completed your finals and are ready for a few weeks or so of vacation from the daily grind of college classes. For too many though, this winter break can be a time of stress and anxiety – anxiety over current academic standing.
Reasons for poor grades are plenty. Perhaps you did not take your courses as seriously as you should have - perhaps you partied too much, skipped class too many times, or you daydreamed too often during class. The reasons are these and so many more, but the solutions are simple and few.
Worry when it is reasonable – Worry can make you sick, and sometimes it is unreasonable to be worrying. What’s done is done, and once final grades have been posted, there is really no way to turn back. Instead of thinking over the “what ifs,” instead think on what you can change next time around…Too often we focus on our failures instead of our successes. Take what you can from this experience…You are better prepared for next time around; you know what to expect if you need to take the class over.
Retake a course – Sometimes retaking a course is inevitable. Many degrees require you to make a certain grade in degree-related courses to receive your diploma and graduate. Find out these sort of requirements from your advisor or counselor.
Scholarship Issues – Find out how your grades will affect your scholarship standing. Whether or not you receive your scholarship the next semester, usually depends on certain aspects of your academic standing – such as GPA. For instance, when I was a student, Promise required for me to have an overall yearly GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a B average. Once again, contact your advisor, school counselor, or WV’s Promise Scholarship offices (Google WV Promise to figure out important info such as e-mail addresses & phone #s) regarding the qualifications of retaining the Promise Scholarship.
And keep the following in mind: Many scholarships will not cover the same course twice…Find out how this affects you. You might find it beneficial to retake a failed course during the summer, so you can stay on track.
Course Help & Tutoring – All students could benefit tremendously from Northern’s Academic Success Center. The excuses for not receiving help are many, but none of them are worthwhile excuses. Whether you need serious help, or you are just wanting to brush up or review a course, the academic success center is there. Before reaching the point of failure in a course, do yourself a favor and visit the tutoring center. And even if it is the end of the semester and it is too late to turn a grade around, don’t make the same mistake twice…look into the tutoring center for the following semesters.
Student Christmas Party
The New Martinsville Campus will have its annual Student Christmas Party on Thursday, Dec. 8 in the student lounge beginning @ 11:00. There will be food and fun. The Cash Cube will be here and this could be your lucky day to win some extra $$$ for the holidays. Please come and join us for some holiday fun!!
Happy Thanksgiving
In 1609 a group of Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom, left England for Holland. The Pilgrims prospered in Holland but became worried that their children had become attached to what they felt was the “frivolous” Dutch way of life. The Pilgrims felt this unfamiliar way of life was a threat to the children’s education and morality.
National Guard Visit
The New Martinsville Campus of WVNCC will have SSG Bill Wilson on Thursday, Dec. 1 from 11:00-1:00. This is a great opportunity to talk to him about a career in the National Guard.
Veteran’s Day 11.11.11
VETERAN’S DAY
11.11.11
*“Freedom is never free.” -Author Unknown *
* “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” -Maya Angelou *
* “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?” -George Canning *
* “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” -G.K. Chesterton *
* “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” -Elmer Davis *
* “But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye.” -Thomas Dunn English *
* “I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.” -Gary Hart *
* “Lord, bid war’s trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes *
* “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy *
* “The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums.” -Arthur Koestler *
* “I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?’” -Eve Merriam *
* “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” -Michel de Montaigne *
* “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” -Jose Narosky *
* “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” -Cynthia Ozick *
* “The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.” -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit *
* * * * *
Veteran’s Day was this past Friday – November, 11, 2011. Did you think of the day and what it means to you? When it comes to Veteran’s Day, so many of us think of a day off from work – perhaps the three day weekend -, or we think of Veteran’s Day sales at our favorite stores. Veteran’s Day means so much more than that though; Veteran’s Day is a day dedicated to those who are willing to make – or have made – the ultimate sacrifice. All of those who have fought or are still fighting for our country give so much – time away from their families, physical and mental exertion, and familiar lands and faces. They do this because of a love for their country, and they do this so that we do not have to. What we need to do is so much simpler, what we should do should be second nature: show our thankfulness and gratitude. Freedom comes with so great of a cost, and sometimes we do not seem to be completely aware of that cost.
Support your local veterans, whether through donations to local or national organizations supporting our veterans or through spoken words of gratitude and prayers.
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Secret Santa Deadline
Secret Santa applications are due back to the Service Center by Monday, Nov, 14th.
Thanksgiving Feast
On Tuesday, November 15 the New Martinsville Campus will have its Thanksgiving Feast beginning at 11:00 am in the Student Lounge.
Cost: FREE with a donation of a Non-perishable Item for the CTC Food Drive Challenge.
(Ideas: a can of soup, a boxed food item, etc.)
The Menu will include: Turkey,Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Rolls & Dessert. Food available while supplies last.
