RCTC Student Beehive – October 16, 2019

Check out the following links for important RCTC information:   NO CLASSES on Thursday & Friday, October 17 & 18 – Education MN Conference

Over 200 Students Will Receive Scholarships
Learning Center Open Over MEA
Olmsted County Family Support and Assistance
Nominate an Outstanding Educator
Study Tips
Shhhh…Quiet Room
UPCOMING EVENTS

OVER 200 STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
The RCTC Foundation offers a variety of scholarships to incoming, returning, and graduating students. All scholarships offered through the RCTC Foundation are made possible by generous donors supporting the effort to provide scholarship and program support to students who might not otherwise have the resources to pursue higher education. Most RCTC students juggle multiple responsibilities — balancing work, family and career preparation.  Especially in difficult times, a scholarship can make all the difference.

Many students leave RCTC less in debt, thanks to a Foundation scholarship!

• More than 200 students receive scholarships each year.
• Most scholarship awards start at $500 and range as high as $5,000 with $1,000 being the most common award.
• You will receive a higher score on your application if you follow the directions and have written, thoughtful and articulate statements or essays.

The online scholarship application portal will be open for the 2020-21 academic year from January 6 – February 14, 2020.

For additional information, please contact the RCTC Foundation Office at foundation@rctc.edu or (507) 281-7771 – Heintz Center, Room H1301.

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LEARNING CENTER OPEN OVER MEA
The Learning Center will be open modified hours over MEA – October 17 and 18. Tutor availability varies by discipline. Fall MEA Tutor Schedule

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OLMSTED COUNTY FAMILY SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE
Olmsted County Family Support and Assistance will meet with students on Thursday, November 14 and Thursday, December 5. Appointment times will be at 9:30am – 2:00 pm in the Advising and Counseling Office. During the meeting, the representative will share information about Public Assistance programs such as:

• Food support (SNAP)
• Cash assistance (MFIP, GA)
• Medical assistance (MA, MnCare, MnSure)
• Emergency Assistance (EA)
• and referrals to community and Olmsted County resources

To schedule, stop in Advising and Counseling (SS 134) or call 507-285-7260.

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NOMINATE AND OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR TODAY!
Do you know instructors who demonstrate extra effort in classes, exemplary service to RCTC or Rochester and have a great attitude?  If so, please consider nominating them for RCTC Outstanding Educator Award.  Check out past winners and nominate a faculty member here.

Criteria:

• Innovative teaching strategies and materials
• Standards for assessment of student learning and performance
• Culturally responsive teaching and pedagogy
• Service to students, profession, institution, and system to advance teaching excellence
• Content expertise and professional growth
• Models RCTC values

Guiding Principles:
Nominations can be made by any student, faculty, staff or administrator and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on October 30, 2019. No self-nominations and/or solicited nominations are permissible. Nominations need to include a statement of how the educator meets the above criteria.  Winners will be announced the third week of December, 2019. Please direct questions to any of the committee members.

Committee members:
Faculty:  Jeff Lepper, Brendan Shea, Mary Shelerud, Jaime Tjossem
Student:  Robert Hoenisch
Administration:  Michelle Pyfferoen

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STUDY TIPS
We all have the ability to concentrate – sometimes. Think of the times when you were “lost” in something you enjoy: a sport, playing music, a good game, a movie. Total concentration.

But at other times,

• Your mind wanders from one thing to another
• Your worries distract you
• Outside distractions take you away before you know it
• The material is boring, difficult, and/or not interesting to you.

You can prepare yourself to succeed in your studies by developing and appreciating the following habits:

• Take responsibility for yourself
  • Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources
• Center yourself around your values and principles
  • Don’t let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important
• Put first things first
  • Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don’t let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals
  • Avoid your cell phone or telephone
• Discover your key productivity periods and places
  • Morning, afternoon, or evening?
  • Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive. Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges
• First understand others, then attempt to be understood
  • When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor’s place.
  • Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation
• Look for better solutions to problems
  • For example, if you don’t understand the course material, don’t just re-read it. Try making flashcards and take them with you wherever you go. When you have free time…study them!
  • Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or the Learning Center
• Focus
  • Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to summarize a few objectives, gather what you will need, and think of a general strategy of accomplishment
• Take notes as you study
  • Write notes in the margins of your notebook/textbook, etc.
  • Read captions, footnotes, graphs, charts, maps, pictures, etc.  They are often on exams or quizzes
  • Answer study questions at the end of chapters
  • Know the vocabulary
  • Summarize the material in the chapter
  • Draw pictures, charts, diagrams, and highlight with various colors if it will help you remember the material
  • Refer to your syllabus
• Change topics
  • Change the subject you study every one to two hours for variety
• Vary your study activities
  • Alternate reading with more active learning exercises
  • If you have a lot of reading, try the SQ3R method
  • Ask yourself how you could increase your activity level while studying. Perhaps a group will be best? Creating study questions?
  • Ask your teacher for alternative strategies for learning. The more active your learning, the better.
• Take regular, scheduled breaks that fit you
  • Do something different from what you’ve been doing (e.g., walk around if you’ve been sitting), and in a different area
• Consider yourself in a win-win situation
  • When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit. Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance

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SHHH…RCTC QUIET ROOM
Did you know that RCTC has set aside a room for quiet meditation?  It is located in Memorial Hall (MH212).  Students are invited to use the Quiet Room whenever they’d like according to the following guidelines:

• This space is intended for meditation or quiet reflection.
• Respect that this is a quiet space. Please take conversation, music, game playing, electronics and any noisemakers to other locations on campus.
• This is a cell phone and electronics free zone.
• Bring in what you need but leave nothing behind.
• Please keep this area clear and free of messages. There are appropriate message boards for your use located on campus.
• Study space is available in the library. Please do not study in the Quiet Room.
• So that all may have access to the Quiet Room, please limit your visit to no more than 30 minutes at a time.
• General capacity should be limited to ten (10) individuals
• Please respect each individual who uses this space.
• Please communicate any questions or concerns via the comment cards.

If you haven’t already visited the Quiet Room, come check it out.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, October 17

• Soccer vs. MN West, 7:00pm, Home
  This is regional first-round playoffs and you won’t want to miss this game!!!
• Education MN Conference – NO CLASSES

Friday, October 18

• Education MN Conference – NO CLASSES

Saturday, October 19

• Football vs. MSCTC, 1:30pm, Away

Wednesday, October 23

• Beyond FYEX, 2:00pm, HS136
  What now? How can I use what I know about my success skills and apply them in my other classes, at work and in my goal of getting a college degree? This workshop will assist you in taking the next steps in your goals and future success. This is the perfect workshop for anyone who wants to take their success to the next level at RCTC and beyond.

Intramurals information can be found on the Yellowjackets Athletics website for RCTC.

Events Coming this Semester