Brandi Hoel, Author at Ecampus Student Success

DID YOU KNOW….that OSU is one of only two land, sea, space, and sun grant research institutions in the United States?

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Lots and lots (and lots) of research!

You may think that just because you don’t live close to Corvallis, that you aren’t eligible to participate in the wide array of research opportunities that exist across the OSU campus for undergraduate students. Yet, there are many opportunities that involve “an educational collaboration between students and faculty members” that can be facilitated from a distance. Sometimes students reach out to faculty for project supervision, and other times faculty members seek out research teams. Either way, participating in undergraduate research can be beneficial educationally and professionally.

WHY PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH?

Undergraduate Research, Scholarships, and Arts states that undergraduate research:

Engages and empowers students in hands-on learning
Enhances the student learning experience through mentoring relationships with faculty
Increases retention in the STEM disciplines & other fields
Provides effective career preparation & promotes interest in graduate education
Develops critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, self confidence, and intellectual independence
Promotes an innovation-oriented culture

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

Check out the Undergraduate Research, Scholarships, and Arts website and Dr. Kevin Ahern’s video on HOW TO GET STARTED!

Great news! The OSU Alumni Association is committed to helping you build a successful career and job search strategy by delivering virtual career guidance by the nation’s top career authors and experts for FREE!

Check out the Free Webinars on the Alumni Association’s webpage and start planning for your dream job today!

All you need is a computer, Smart Phone or Smart Pad to participate.

Make sure to continue the conversation on the Beaver Careers Group!

Miss a webinar? No worries…check out the archives.

Whether you have taken the Summer term completely off or the term is just winding down, it’s a great time to reflect back on previous successes and challenges to better prepare for upcoming terms. Did you earn the grades you wanted? Did you feel prepared and organized throughout the term? Were you able to balance your personal life with your academic requirements?

What might you change about the upcoming term to address any challenges that you may have faced?

Here are some great tips on how to prepare for an upcoming term:

Buy your books early! Open them. Look through them. Get together a game plan for studying!
Organize your time for each class. We recommend setting aside 2-3 hours per credit hour. Where will this fit into your schedule?
Make a goal to commit to a success strategy this term. Log-in to blackboard everyday? Make a connection with at least one other individual in each course? Commit to using a planner for the entire term…
NEED ADDITIONAL IDEAS? Set up a Success Counseling appointment to start the term off strong!

We hope you are having a wonderful, successful summer!

The College of Public Health and Human Sciences hosted a Career Symposium in April. They were able to record three sessions that may be applicable across all Ecampus majors. Check them out!

VIDEOS:

“Career Trail Exploration”

“Resumes and Cover Letters”

“Graduate School Tests”

Can you believe that finals are already right around the corner? If you haven’t already started preparing, it’s a great time to get together a solid plan for final exams.

Feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it? You’re not alone! It can be daunting to organize all of the details, materials, and time that it takes to successfully prepare for a final exam. The OSU’s Learning Corner has some great information and resources as you begin to prepare.

Here are some helpful tips from the Learning Corner:

1) Develop a study plan!

2) Assess what you know and what you don’t know.

3) Use specific study strategies for reviewing and testing yourself.

4) Reach out if you need help!

5) Give yourself plenty of time for recall leading up to your final.

Okay, okay but how can this help you? Here’s a sample of how these tips can help you ask important questions to prepare for a successful study plan. You can use the Where_To_Get_Started worksheet to begin a plan of your own!

Happy studying and good luck with finals!

Stressed out about finals? Feeling anxious and overwhelmed?

Here’s some advice from the OSU Learning Corner:

Monitor your test anxiety. What makes you anxious? What symptoms do you feel? What seems to help? Be aware of the types of anxiety you are feeling and how you are choosing to address them.
Try deep breathing. Take 2-3 deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling so your abdomen expands and contracts. Deep breathing can trigger the body’s relaxation response, reducing your feelings of anxiety.
Consciously relax. Try to relax muscles in your shoulders, arms, neck, legs, etc. or alternately tensing and relaxing muscles. By relaxing your body, you may be able to also relax your mind and approach the test with more comfort.
Engage in positive self-talk. If you catch yourself thinking about failing the test, or not knowing an answer, or what this means about your intelligence or your future success and happiness, tell yourself (in your head) to stop thinking that way. Replace those negative thoughts with a positive message like “I can do this” or “I am prepared for the test.”
Remain calm. Come prepared and on time, and stay away from stressed or anxious students. One research article found that students who did a free write on their thoughts and worries for the test before the test started outperformed a similar group of anxious students who didn’t do the free write (Ramirez & Beilock, 2011).
Be confident. Trust your preparation and your ability to perform well.

Check out all the Learning Corner’s Tools & Worksheets to get started on a strong study plan. Good luck with finals!

Source: “This Is a Book” by Demetri Martin

Hi everyone! I have been working as a Success Counselor since April 2013 and I love working with our Ecampus students! Prior to transitioning into this role, I was an Ecampus advisor for students in our Human Development and Family Sciences program. I grew up in a small town in southern Oregon and moved to the Willamette Valley about 10 years ago. I initially earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Oregon University and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from right here at OSU. My favorite experience while working at Oregon State Ecampus has been meeting our graduates in person at our annual Ecampus Commencement Reception after countless phone calls and email conversations. It’s a special trip to Corvallis for many individuals, and I love that I get to be a part of it! Outside of work, I love attending OSU football games with my husband and parents, reading, playing with my goofy pup, “Hank” and even occasionally trying my hand at something “crafty.”

Brandi’s tip of the week – “Plan ahead! Setting weekly goals and utilizing a strategy to organize your time will help you stay on track and help avoid that pesky tendency to procrastinate. OSU’s Learning Corner has a variety worksheets and academic calendars that you can access for free!

Happy studying and GO BEAVS!

Consider this great new course when planning for future terms!

The transition to online learning can be full of surprises, and often, new students hit the ground eager to succeed but without the support to achieve at a level that matches their intentions. ALS 108: Online Learning Success (formally ALS 115x) has finally been approved as a permanent course.

“I had researched a lot of stuff before I started school but this class gave me even more helpful information…I have seen in my other on-line classes a number of people post they are struggling in blackboard or with some aspect of their on-line process that I saw covered in ALS 115. The attention to OSU resources was extremely valuable and surprising there were so many available.”

“I suggest that ALS 115 be a required course for anyone that is studying on-line or seeking an Ecampus degree. “

“I have been really inspired this week by all the learning assessments. I loved finding out how to create comprehensive notes! That was epic.”

This course may be especially helpful for any student who is in their first few terms of study or anyone who is experiencing hesitancy or difficulty with online learning.

We hope you have a successful fall term!

Ecampus Student Success

Author Archives: Brandi Hoel

“I can’t get involved in research as an Ecampus student.” Wait, yes you can!

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Are you ready for finals?

Take a deep breath…

Success is not Linear!

Meet your Success Counselors – Brandi Hoel

ALS 108 – Online Learning Success

Common Myths About Online Learning

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