Mid-Term Memo

from Dr. Erin Price, Assistant Vice President for Student Success

Mid-semester is upon us and with it comes a bundle of emotions for both students and parents.  For many of our students, this time in the semester is full of stress.   The novelty of starting the semester has worn off…there isn’t another break until Thanksgiving…assignments are piling up…and with mid-term grades being posted, reality is sinking in.

Receiving encouragement – and accountability – from home can be a huge boost to motivation and persistence.  To help you be better prepared for some of the challenges that mid-semester can bring, I’d like to give you some information and ideas for supporting your student.

• Grades for all Belhaven students will be posted starting on Oct. 18^th.  Belhaven students can see their grades for all classes in BlazeNet.
• A signed FERPA waiver or student access information is needed for parents to see mid-term grades.
• Mid-term grades do not go on your student’s permanent record – they are simply an indication of student performance.  However, they shouldn’t be ignored.
• If your student is confused or surprised by a low grade, they should make an appointment to speak with the professor.
• Mid-term is a good time to make a plan, get reorganized, and identify remaining work.
• Most classes aren’t structured so that one grade determines the outcome – there’s plenty of work left.

Take the opportunity of the mid-semester mark to ask your student some important questions:

• Are you going to class?
• Are you reading ahead of class and reviewing after class?
• Are you asking for help?
• Ask for specific grades – not just “I’m doing fine.”
• What are your goals for each class?
• Where are you studying?
• Remember that your student might be reassessing their expectations of what college would be like.  This can be a critical decision-making time, so encouraging them to make adjustments if needed is crucial.

In addition to on-campus resources, internet websites and smart phone apps can provide amazingly helpful tools to assist students with everything from organizing, studying, and filling in missing knowledge gaps.  Some “Cool Tools” for students include:

 StayFocusd (Google Chrome) restricts the amount of time spent on “time-wasting” websites.

 

Evernote (Mac and Windows app) is a web clipping program that allows organizing by topic “notebooks” and quick bookmarking.

 

Khan Academy (Website and Mac app) features free videos on subjects like math, chemistry, and history.  Students can also take practice tests and save their work.

 

 

Quizlet (Website and Mac app) allows students to create their own study guides or search the thousands already on the site.  The site has study sets for everything from standardized tests, math & science, the arts, history, and languages.

 

 

Wunderlist  (Website, Android, and Mac app) is an organizer and time manager that provides a reminder and notification setting.

 

We’re also including on-campus support resources in this posting.  If we can assist your student make the most of the rest of the semester, please contact us.

Advance Registration

Registration for spring semester classes is October 29 – November 2.  This is the best opportunity for current students to get first choice of spring 2013 semester classes.  To register for classes, students must make an appointment with their academic advisor.  Please encourage your son or daughter to take advantage of Advance Registration.

Tutoring

Did you know that Belhaven has various academic labs on campus that are free for student use?  Hours of operation are listed below:

• Writing:         Mon – Wed 1 pm – 5 pm & 6 – 9 pm; Thurs 3 pm – 5 pm

• Math:               Mon, Wed, & Thurs 1 pm – 9 pm; Tues 1:30 pm – 9 pm

• Worldview:  Mon – Thurs 6 pm – 9:30 pm

• Biology:          Mon 2 pm – 4:30 pm & 6 pm – 8:30 pm; Tues 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm; Wed, Thurs & Fri 2 pm – 4:30 pm

• Chemistry:  Mon, Thurs & Fri 2 pm – 5 pm; Mon, 7 pm – 9 pm; Wed & Thurs, 7 pm – 9 pm

Tutoring is also available for Accounting, Bible, and Psychology by appointment.  Students can contact the Office of Student Success at stsuccess@belhaven.edu or 601.968.8865 for more information on any of the tutoring services.  The Think Center also has tutoring schedules available.

Family Weekend

Parents and families of current Belhaven students enjoyed a fun-filled weekend on campus recently during Homecoming 2012.  Some highlights included the family fish fry, ice cream social, digital scavenger hunt and breakfast with Belhaven’s president, Dr. Roger Parrott.  Congratulations to Jon Dickson’s family and Maggie Maag’s family who won first and second prize respectively for submitting the most creative family photos for the digital scavenger hunt!  We had a great time hosting and are looking forward to seeing you again soon.  If you missed Homecoming and Family Weekend this year, make sure to join us in 2013!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Ablaze

Whether in the visual art gallery, the dance theatre, the concert hall, the recital hall, or the flexible theatre, a rich and diverse arts season awaits.  The Arts Ablaze contains the schedule for the year and comments from each of the arts department chairs.  You can download a copy of the ArtsAblaze (PDF) online.

 

Graduate and Professional Fair

The Office of Career Development is hosting a Graduate and Professional School Fair on Thursday, October 25 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Student Center.  This is the perfect opportunity for students to learn about graduate school options, talk with admission personnel about requirements and scholarships, and learn more about graduate placement tests.  This year it will be held on October 25, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, in the Student Center.   Please contact Claire Langley, Director of Career Services, with any questions (clangley@belhaven.edu or 601-968-5939).

Upcoming Campus Activities

Wed. 10/17 through Sat. 10/27:  Henry V, 7:30 pm (Sat. Matinees at 2:00 pm), Blackbox Theatre

Sat. 10/20: BU Volleyball vs. Spring Hill College (AL), 1 pm, Heidelberg Gym

Sat. 10/20: BU M Soccer vs. University of Mobile (AL), 7:30 pm, Newell Field

Sat. 10/20: UDC Performance, 7:30 pm, Newell Field

Sat. 10/20: BU W Soccer vs. University of Mobile (AL), 5 pm, Newell Field

Tues. 10/23: BU Volleyball vs. Tougaloo College (MS), 7 pm, Heidelberg Gym

Wed. 10/24: BU Volleyball vs. Alcorn State Univ. (Senior Night), 7 pm, Heidelberg Gym

Thurs. 10/25:  Graduate and Professional School Fair, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, Student Center

Thurs. 10/25 & Fri. 10/26:  Senior Dance Concerts, 7:30 pm, Bitsy Irby

Sat. 10/27: BU M Soccer vs. William Carey University (MS), 7:30 pm, Newell Field

Sat. 10/27: BU W Soccer vs. William Carey University (MS), 5 pm, Newell Field

Mon. 10/29: Ladies only Worship Night, 8 pm, Barber Auditorium

Tues. 10/30:  Preston Chamber Music Series, 7:30 pm, Concert Hall

Sat. 11/3: BU Football vs. University of Pikeville, 1:30 pm, Newell Field

Sat. 11/3: UDC Performance, 1:30 pm, Newell Field

Sat. 11/10: BU Football vs. Bethel University (TN), 6 pm, Newell Field

 

As always, please contact Marcie Beam if you have any questions regarding any of this information or have questions not addressed in this blog (mbeam@belhaven.edu or 601-968-8744).

 

 

 

Marcie Beam, Student Retention Specialist

This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2012 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.