TRANSLATING YOUR MILITARY EXPERIENCE TO THE CIVILIAN WORKPLACE
Don’t miss out on this chance to chat with OSU participants from all around the world! Share your experiences, exchange career tips and build your professional network — all online, from any device.
Our online, cloud-based platform makes it easy and fun for you to participate. After signing in from your home, office, smartphone or tablet, you’ll participate in 1-on-1 chats with other attendees. The chats are text-based and timed, allowing you to quickly meet new people, exchange contact information, and walk away with several new connections you didn’t have before. Each chat is saved, making it simple to look back at your history, review your notes, gather contact information and follow up.
Here are some ideas on how to get the conversation started:
What suggestions do you have to improve my civilian resume?:
What do you do professionally?
What suggestions do you have for civilian success?
Can I ask for your advice on ____?
If you could do one thing differently in your career, what would it be?
Bradley Fuster, special assistant to the provost for innovative learning at SUNY Buffalo State, recently contributed an article to US News & World Report discussing the proper etiquette when talking with instructors online. Although there are numerous situations when you would communicate with an instructor online, these are just a handful of possible scenarios.
Do’s
• Ask questions, but make sure they are good, thoughtful questions: Questions about subject content are generally welcomed. Before asking questions about the course design, scour the syllabus and learning management system information to be sure the answer isn’t hiding in plain sight.
• Participate in discussion forums, blogs and other open-ended forums for dialogue: That’s what they are for. Be sure to stay on topic and not digress into irrelevant personal stories, offer too much information or use the class as your own personal soapbox or diary. Make a point, and make it safe for others to do the same.
• Be polite: The rules of common courtesy certainly extend to online courses, but remember that online professors get a lot of emails, so there is no need to send an email just to say “thanks.”
• Use an online instructor as a reference: Be sure to ask professors for permission to list them as a reference, and find out what contact information they prefer. If a letter of recommendation is being requested, be sure to provide the professor with all of the details, a resume and at least one month of lead time prior to the deadline.
Don’t
• Send a friend request to your professor on social media: It puts the professor in an awkward position and can disrupt a healthy student-teacher barrier.
• Share personal information, stories, or life drama: If assignments are missed or you are in need of a deadline extension, simply explain the situation to the professor. If more detail or documentation is needed, they will ask. Professors are not trained counselors, nurses, financial aid experts, dating gurus or BFFs.
• Openly vent frustrations about a professor or class: Everyone has taken a not-so-great class at one time or another. When students take to social media and blast professors, the language used ultimately says more about the student. If there is truly a concern about a professor’s professionalism or ability, be sure to use online course evaluations to calmly and articulately offer feedback. If the course concerns are so immediate and significant that they can’t wait, contact a department chair or dean and make an appointment to express concern.
• Use emoticons, tell jokes or use sarcasm in writing or email communication: Keep writing scholarly, professional and topical. Sarcasm rarely translates to the written word, and it’s difficult for a professor to infer tone of voice from writing.
When communicating with your instructor online be sure to be timely, topical, professional and kind.
Looking to find a way to relax and recharge? Here are a collection of apps from the OSU-Cascades Student Success Center to help.
iPhone Apps: Meditation/Relaxation/Mindfulness
Bloom – Reminders to make healthy choices, stay connected with others, manage stress, strengthen your spirit, save money, advance your career, and enhance your creativity.
Breathe2Relax – Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing
Daily Body Scan – This is a stand-alone iPod ready audio track featuring expert contributor Stephen Cope from Wild Divine the makers of Relaxing Rhythms
Equanimity – App times mediation and provides mindfulness practice sessions.
Fluid Monkey – Relax as you enjoy interacting with incredibly smooth and responsive pools of liquid. Use all ten fingers to smear paint, jiggle gelatin, or fling brightly-colored balls through puddles of mud
iQuarium – Chill out while watching your Parrot Cichlid fish swimming in its tank, feed it, play with it, interact with it
Panic Attack Aid – Contains tools for breathing, explanation of physical symptoms, and distraction exercises
Relax Melodies – white noise ambience for sleep, meditation & yoga
Simply Yoga – Contains 20, 40, or 60 minute yoga routines that step you through each pose. Each pose is demonstrated by a certified personal trainer, simply choose your workout length and follow along in the comfort of your own home
Buddhist Meditation Trainer – Personal trainer for relaxing and enlightening meditation. It features 10 levels of enlightenment with deeper quotes to meditate on in every level, all with a simple to use meditation timer.
Calming Music to Tranquilize – Calming Music to Tranquilize is a light music collection providing relaxing experiences through the balance and harmony in the Chinese Tai Chi way of meditation.
Daily Body Scan – This is a stand-alone iPod ready audio track featuring expert contributor Stephen Cope from Wild Divine the makers of Relaxing Rhythms
Meditation Helper – A meditation timer which allows you to set a target for the length of time you want to meditate each day. It includes a widget that displays the number of consecutive days you have hit the target. It is thus useful not only as a timer, but also as a tool to help motivate you to meditate regularly.
Music Therapy for Refreshment – Medium Speed Alpha Wave (10Hz) set in 5 melodic music pieces provides a most relaxing way to restore your vigor, to bring about a refreshed mind.
Qi Gong Meditation Relaxation – Improve your physical health, relax and reduce your stress by learning Qi Gong, gentle movement combined with breathing
Relax and Sleep – Choose and mix from over 35+ ambient sounds which incl. thunder and white noise.
Stop Panic and Anxiety – Used as a dysfunctional thought record diary; contains relaxation audio (guided imagery and PMR) and psychoeducation on panic and anxiety
Now that the term is half over and we are heading into the home stretch, you may find yourself analyzing your performance thus far. You are now beginning to see what is and what isn’t working for you with regards to your academic learning strategy. It is easy to keep doing the things that are working for you, but the challenge is to find more effective ways for things that aren’t working for you.
Successful students are strategic thinkers who have found effective solutions to challenges that they are seeing in their learning strategy. They are able to step back and analyze why it isn’t working for them and then adjust their learning strategy to make it more effective, which allows them to persist.
Persistence vs Tenacity
The words persistence and tenacity are currently being used interchangeably in meaning and application. Those who persist or are tenacious, are finding ways to overcome a task or find a solution to a problem. However, they reflect two different trains of thought and levels of thinking.
One who persists will devise a possible solution to a task or problem and then will strictly follow the process to find the solution, regardless if the process is inefficient or flawed. Persistent learners put their head down and attack the issue at hand and work through the process. They will devise a plan of attack and stick with that plan until completion. They do not concern themselves with the effectiveness or how to improve the plan. These learners are characterized as those who “work harder and not smarter.”
On the contrary, the learners who are tenacious may have created an identical solution, but will constantly assess its effectiveness. They will utilize feedback throughout the process to ensure they are improving upon their strategy to create the most productive and efficient process in solving the task or problem. Strategic thinkers are characterized as those who “work smarter and not harder.”
The successful learner is the tenacious individual or strategic thinker. These learners have the ability to constantly assess their strategy throughout the learning process allowing the learner to create the most effective and efficient plan for success. They are aware of what is or isn’t working for them. They have the ability to develop a learning strategy and assess its effectiveness, which is the sign of a tenacious learner.
TENACIOUS LEARNERS are constantly seeking answers to these questions:
You can’t plan on doing things the same way and expect different results. The key is to continually assess and improve your strategy. Being a tenacious, strategic thinker is your key to being a successful learner. Be sure to continually assess and improve your learning strategy. Work smarter, not harder!
Looking for additional resources for a math or science course you are currently enrolled in, or need to review to get yourself prepared for the next course in a sequence? Below are some helpful online tutorials.
Summer is the time for hot weather and fun in the sun. It can also be a strestful time for students balancing work and school, plus wanting to spend time with friends and family who might have more free time over the summer. Below are a few tips for keeping your cool while maintaining your work-life balance over the summer.
Plan time to spend with kids, family and friends – Summer is the time when kids are out of school and families are able to take vacations. Make it a priority to spend time with friends and family, just make sure you plan ahead! Planning out vacation time and weekend trips before starting the summer term will help you manage your time. “When planning your vacation, check the internet connection at your destination,” Ecampus Success Counselor Amy Riley recommends. “Also, it’s a good idea to bring hard copies of syllabi, assignment instructions and online readings, just in case.” Planning ahead will reduce stress and allow you to enjoy your vacation.
Set limits – While you are arranging a vacation, take an extra step and plan out your study, work and family time. Set limits on each so that you can be fully present in the moment. Having a weekly schedule can help you make sure you are dedicating the necessary time to studying, but also to your family and friends.
Learn to kindly say “no” – Summer barbecues, parties and outdoor activities may compete with your study schedule. In order to maintain your balance, it is perfectly acceptable to politely say “no.” Others will be impressed by your ability to be honest and intentional about your time. Prioritize activities that are meaningful and rejuvenating for you. By respectively saying “no,” you are allowing yourself to enjoy and focus on what truly matters.
Build your support system – Summer is a great time to reconnect with old friends or make new connections. It is also a perfect time to build up your support system to help you keep your momentum going into fall term. Reach out to a fellow student, start a class Facebook group or set up an appointment to meet with an instructor you would like to get to know better or who might be helpful throughout your program. As a distance student, creating strong connections can enhance your overall experience and enable you to get the most out of your learning. It will also make finishing your degree that much easier.
Summer goes by quickly; now is the time to gear up for fall – Whether you are taking courses or not, summer will fly by. Now is the time to start preparing for fall term. Kyle Whitehouse, the Ecampus assistant director of learner services, recommends these steps to help you achieve a powerful start:
If you need to do so, make an additional appointment with your advisor to map out a plan for the upcoming year.
Secure your class schedule early, and add your name to wait lists, if necessary.
Be sure to check your email regularly for any changes or notices related to fall term.
Purchase required texts and materials as soon as possible so there is no delay in being prepared.
Set a calendar reminder to prompt you to familiarize yourself with your fall course sites on Canvas, and review your syllabi as early as the week before the new term.
Summer is a great time to refresh. Look back on all that you have accomplished over the past year – in your career, in school and in your personal life. Give yourself a pat on the back. Use those strategies that helped you this past year and figure out where you can improve in the future.
If you’d like more strategies or help with planning for the summer or fall, let us know. The Ecampus success team is here to help! You can set up an appointment, check out our blog or browse our Pinterest page for more tips. You can also connect with other Ecampus students on the new Student Group LinkedIn page.
It’s the start of a new term. New classes. New textbooks. New professors and New expectations.
One way to set yourself up for success is to identify the important due dates listed on your course syllabi and gather them together on a “Term at a Glance” worksheet. This tool lets you see the weeks you’ll have a lot going on quickly, by showing all your exams and major assignments for ALL your classes on a single sheet of paper.
Follow these steps to create your own Term at a Glance tool.
2. Gather all the syllabi for your courses this term.
3.Read through one syllabus from beginning to end. Every time you see a due date or exam date transfer it to your Term at a Glance worksheet. Note that often professors won’t list a specific calendar date, it might say “Tuesday of Week 4” or something similar.
4. Double check that you have all exams and major assignments listed.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 for each course. You may chose to use a different color ink or indicate each course in some other way.
Now look at the whole term.
Is it fairly balanced from week to week?
Do you have any weeks that are empty?(a great time to schedule project work or extra studying)
Are any weeks very full? (may require planning ahead!)
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!
TRANSLATING YOUR MILITARY EXPERIENCE TO THE CIVILIAN WORKPLACE
