Student Newsletter

1. Welcome Back from Midterm Break Event!
2. Writing Centre Info and Writing Tips
3. Volunteers needed
4. Academic Advising

1. Welcome Back from Midterm Break Event! From 1-2 on February 27th, The Off Campus Housing office is organizing a pizza party for FYS students. We'll have a speaker coming by explaining how you can become involved in volunteer and social opportunities on campus, along with free food, drink and good times.

2. Writing Centre Info: The Writing Centre in SN2053 is ready to give you priority 45-minute appointments, on the hour, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. To make a priority appointment, call us during working hours (864-3168) or drop by the Writing Centre in SN2053, and say you want an "FYS" appointment.

Writing Tips:

• Often the most challenging part of writing an assignment is getting started. And one of the best ways to get things going is to talk over your ideas with someone. That someone can be a friend, a classmate, or your instructor.
• Also, one of the chief reasons why students receive poor marks on papers is because what they hand in is not truly a "final draft," as it should be. It's crucial to complete a first draft far enough before the paper's due date to make it possible for you to re-read it objectively. Better still, allow the time for someone else you trust to read it for you and critique it, with time remaining for you to make any necessary changes. A session with a tutor at the Writing Centre at this stage can really help you in turning a rough draft into a final one!

3. Volunteers! The First Year Success Program is looking for volunteers to help plan an end of semester event. IF you are interested in helping out and getting some volunteer experience please email us at fys@mun.ca.

4. Academic Advising: Now that you're back from midterm break, your academic advisors would like to have a chat and find out how the winter semester is going for you. Please take a few minutes to drop by and see Beth Ryan or Chris Hibbs in the Academic Advising Centre in SN4053. They want to hear about all of your courses, especially your experiences in University 2020 and the tutorials for English 1080 and Psychology.

Are you thinking about doing a course in the spring semester (May to August)? Registration starts March 25. If you have questions about taking courses in the intersession, summer session or spring semester, let them know. It's also a good time to think about courses for the fall semester.

You can book an appointment with Chris or Beth through the Academic Advising Centre's appointment system - here's how to do that: http://www.mun.ca/advice/aac/Appointment_Instructions.php. Or simply come by at a time that's convenient for you. Remember that Chris is in AAC satellite office in the library (2028B) from 2:00-4:30 pm each day.