Aggie Quick Connection February 2010
Welcome Family Members, Message from the Director of the Offices of the Dean of Student Life The spring semester is off to a great start! Already the campus is buzzing with activity, and we want you to be up to date. Many exciting opportunities and events are available to students (and family members!) this spring. If you are a newly subscribed family member, welcome! As your student begins this semester, don’t forget to visit the Aggie Parent web site for other updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at: http://parents.tamu.edu Please feel free to contact Student Life at (979) 845-3111, or email us at studentlife@tamu.edu if you have any questions. Dr. Carol Binzer Director of Student Life
Family Edition
Nine Ways to Help Your Student Get a Fresh Start for Second Semester Returning to college for your second semester is a very different experience from heading off to college for the first time. Here are a few suggestions for your student:
1 Recognize this as a new beginning 2 Take advantage of confidence gained 3 Learn from fall semester 4 Be prepared for mixed feelings 5 This is a good time to get involved on campus
6 Take advantage of the more realistic picture of college life
7 Think carefully about transfer options 8 Think about, and talk about, goals for the semester
9 Talk with family members about expectations To read the entire article, visit: http://www.collegeparentcentral.com/2010/01/9ways-to-help-your-college-student-get-a-fresh-startfor-second-semester/
Inside... 2 New Student Programs 3 Upcoming Events 4-5 General Resources
...On the Calendar February Feb. 23
Black History Month Renting: 101
1
Aggie Quick Connection New Student Programs AMPLIFY: THE SUCCESS SERIES FOR STUDENTS Encourage your student to attend Amplify, a year-long collaborative, campus-wide effort designed to assist freshman, transfer and sophomore Aggies by developing skills that help make them aware of resources that will enhance their Texas A&M experience. Some example sessions offered this semester include: Cooking on a Budget, Time Management and Procrastination, and Career Assessment Workshop: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to Help Identify Personality Characteristics. To view a complete listing of this semester’s workshops, please visit: http://amplify.tamu.edu/workshop Every program offered through Amplify is completely FREE so we hope your student will take advantage! Registering for Amplify workshops A reservation is required so that presenters can prepare the appropriate amount of materials and also to help track the programs students are most interested in so that we can refine our offerings in the future. Remind your student to go to http://amplify.tamu.edu, click on a workshop, and select “View Details to Register”. At any time students can view, manage or change the list of programs students are registered for by clicking on “My Profile.”
THIS MONTH IN AMPLIFY February 23, 2010 11:00 - 1:00 PM Journal Writing Workshop 4:30 - 5:30 PM Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) Interpretation 4:30 - 6:00 PM Renting: 101 February 24, 2010 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
CommUnity Conversations
February 25, 2010 2:20 - 3:20 PM
Smart Reading Strategies
February 28, 2010 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Aggie Allies Advance
February 2010
Family Edition
Stay Connected with the latest Campus News The Battalion“The independent student voice of Texas A&M since 1893.” www.thebatt.com Texas A&M News and InformationAggie Hotline The Division of Marketing & Communications produces Aggie Hotline, an email news brief service that is distributed to subscribers each weekday. News briefs may also be found online at: tamunews. tamu.edu. Subscribe to Aggie Hotline: Send an email message to listserv@tamu. edu. Leave the subject line blank and type the message: SUB Aggie-Hotline your-real-name.
2
Aggie Quick Connection More Upcoming Events & Programs RENTING: 101 Have a student living off campus or planning to live off campus next year? Do they understand Texas lease law and the standards they are to uphold? An Off Campus Student Services’ Renting: 101 session will help your student learn the expectations of their landlord in addition to pet rules and the importance of renter’s insurance. Spring Sessions will be held in Cain Hall C-113 on: • Tuesday, February 23rd at 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm • Wednesday, March 3rd at 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm • Wednesday, March 4th at 11:30 am – 1:00 pm After this session students will be knowledgeable about their rights as a tenant to make for a worry-free positive off campus living experience. Registration for each session can be accessed at: http://amplify. tamu.edu/workshop.
PARENTS WEEKEND Parents’ Weekend is a special time each spring when students have the opportunity to express their gratitude for all of the support their parents have given throughout the year. This year, Parents’ Weekend will be April 16-18, 2010 and include such events as the Aggie Moms’ Boutique, Bevo Burn BBQ and the All-University Awards Ceremony. While there are great opportunities to visit campus year-round, this is an extra special chance for parents to see their impact on their student and the University. More information can be found at: http://parentsweekend.tamu.edu/.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS Whether coming in for a visit, to attend a football game or for Parents’ Weekend, hotel rooms often need to be reserved well in advance. An on-line listing of local hotels can be found at the Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Look under ‘accommodations’ at http://visitaggieland.com/.
CARPOOL CARPOOL is Texas A&M’s safe rides program, providing free, non-judgmental rides home every weekend to everyone in the B/CS community. Every spring CARPOOL hosts a Gala to raise funds to cover our operational costs. Anyone who is interested in supporting our cause to keep the roads of Bryan and College Station safe is welcome to attend! • CARPOOL Gala “Here’s to a Decade” Dinner and Auction Saturday, March 6, 2010 6:00 PM The Zone Club on Kyle Field $60 tickets RSVP at carpool.tamu.edu by February 26th If you have any questions regarding the event or how to donate, please, contact our Director of Gala, Laura Wolken, at lawolken@yahoo.com.
February 2010
Family Edition
3
Aggie Quick Connection General TAMU Resources EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION The Howdy portal has a new feature! Students can use the Howdy portal as a way to provide Texas A&M University up to information for their preferred emergency contacts. Having this information is not only important, but can be very beneficial to the student, as well as their parent(s)/guardian(s). Please encourage you student to follow the steps below and update this valuable piece of information. If you or your student has any questions about how to update this information, do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Services office at (979) 845-3113 for more information. Directions: • Go to howdy.tamu.edu • Enter student Net ID and Password • Click on the “MyRecord” tab at the top of the screen • In the “Student Records” box select the bullet that says ”View/Update Emergency Contacts” • At the bottom of the screen, select “Update Emergency Contacts” • Select “New Contact” and enter the emergency contact’s information and select “Submit Changes” • You can add as many new contacts as you would like to have on record
COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SERVICES Computers have become necessary to the successful completion of your student’s college career. While amazing and useful, they can also be the source of frustration and headache. Computing and Information Services is here to help http://cis.tamu.edu/ • Help Desk Central is open 24/7 to answer any of your student’s general computing questions. https://hdc.tamu.edu/ • Help Desk Repair Services can troubleshoot when your student’s PC is having hardware problems and can also install new hardware or software. They can be reached by phone at (979) 845-8300. • Short courses that cover a wide variety of computing topics are available to your student at no charge. http://cis.tamu.edu/shortcourses/ • Software is also available for students to purchase at heavily discounted prices. https://software. tamu.edu/sell-student/credentials.aspx
SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID The Scholarships & Financial Aid website has a wealth of information about how to pay for college, including tips on how to apply for financial aid and how to avoid scholarship scams. Visit their website at: financialaid.tamu.edu. It is important that bills are paid on time or that other arrangements are made. Doing this will ensure that your student’s schedule is not dropped.
February 2010
Family Edition
4
Aggie Quick Connection General TAMU Resources STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE - P.A.S.S. Programs for Academic Success Skills (P.A.S.S.) provides students with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enhance study and exam-taking ability, while decreasing anxiety related to academic performance. Services include individual and group counseling, assessment of study behaviors, screening for learning disabilities, an extensive collection of self-help resources, and weekly workshops on a variety of study skills topics. Students can register for P.A.S.S. and other academic help programs by going to the Student Counseling Service homepage at scs.tamu.edu or by calling (979) 845-4427.
CAREER CENTER There are many resources and tools for Aggies through the Career Center. From career advising to job searching, the Career Center is committed to your student’s success in landing the right job. One tool available to Aggies is the AggiE-folio: An on-line personal skill-based professional portfolio. With the AggiE-folio, students can showcase examples of knowledge, skills, and strengths to employers. Find out more about this great resource at: careercenter.tamu.edu/services/.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES As the new semester starts, encourage your student to take advantage of the many resources on campus for students interested in improving their grades or study habits. From tutoring in specific classes to general study skills, TAMU offers a wide range of programs for students to choose from including: • The Student Learning Center offers a variety of learning assistance programs designed to help students learn how to gain the skills necessary to succeed academically at Texas A&M. Their programs include tutoring sessions and academic skill courses. For more information on the Student Learning Center, see their website: slc.tamu.edu. • On-line workshops for various study skills and test anxiety along with other resources can be found through Student Counseling Service at: scs.tamu.edu/academic/LSC.asp. • Support from the Writing Center staff can be found at: writingcenter.tamu.edu. • Free one-on-one and group tutoring is available. The courses for which tutoring is offered varies each semester. For a listing of this semester’s classes and how to register, visit: tutor.tamu.edu/. • Additionally, assistance can often be found for individual courses in the department through which they are offered.
February 2010
Family Edition
5