Monthly Archives: April 2011

Little Know Resources: Health Center

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So picture this:  you’re a student, working hard at school and work and using your superhuman powers to take care of all of your responsibilities. But wait.  What’s that? It’s your old foe, the sore throat accompanied by his evil sidekick, the fever.  They also brought along a gang of their dastardly friends, the aches and the chills.  What’s a poor student to do?  Hospitals are like your kryptonite with expensive fees and creepy paper covered beds.  Is this it? Could this be your undoing?

The WSU Health Center

Before you surrender to your foe and curl up in bed with a bowl of soup, make sure you check out the WSU Health Center. This center is a league of heroes dedicated to providing you with quality care for all your minor aches and pains at a low cost.  The funding for these services comes from student fees and only WSU students can take advantage of them.

Not only do they offer care for common illnesses but they also offer preventative care, physicals, contraception instruction (we love those little ones but superheroes can only do so much, right?), and minor surgery.  There is also a pharmacy available for students and their spouses and many prescriptions are available for $4 or less.

You’re saved! You’re back to your old ways of writing papers, passing your classes with flying colors and keeping your little ones clean and healthy to boot (now to keep them from bickering… that’s another article for another day.)

This is just one of the many resources WSU has to offer to help you be successful. You can learn more about the WSU Health Center and their services  here.

The Dude Abides: Free bowling for nontrad dads!

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The Nontraditional Student Center is offering a free bowling event for dads. Bring the kids and play bowling, billiards and event get your picture taken together for a free commemorative keychain. This is a great chance to spend some quality time with them before school gets out (you know they’re going to drive you crazy this summer).

Saturday, May 7, 2011

10am-2pm

Wildcat Lanes, Ogden Campus

ONLINE CLASSES: Embrace your inner geek

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Online classes can be a returning student’s best friend. They offer tremendous flexibility for students with busy, and ever-changing schedules. You can do coursework anytime, there are plenty of great classes to choose from and there’s no dress code.

At Weber State, it’s called WSU Online. Let me explain a few things about how it works. You may have heard of online classes or hybrid classes (a combination of in–class and online)—well this is where they happen. WSU Online takes all the aspects of traditional classroom learning (except that face–to–face thing) and puts them on the web. It’s a great tool for both students and professors, but in order to be used effectively, there are a few things you should consider.

Computer Skills

You don’t need to be a computer geek or anything, but you need to have a basic understanding of computers and the internet. In addition, there are a few system requirements you need in order for WSU Online to work correctly. And if you don’t have a computer of your own, there are plenty of computer labs that are open late across campus.

Real Expectations

So what exactly will you be doing, you say? Well, the learning structure of WSU Online is set up to work just like any classroom environment. Professors can upload articles, web links, and homework assignments. Likewise, you, as a student, can upload and submit homework assignments, take tests, and even get your grades (you do all that on Facebook anyway, right?). Be aware though, that because you don’t meet in class, you need to really manage your own time as efficiently as you would in a traditional classroom.

Class Variety

Before you make a decision about WSU Online, you should know what kind of options there are for the classes you need and want to take. Of course, not every class has an online option, but most departments offer at least a few online courses (everything from Art to Zoology). In fact, some degrees, such as General Studies (AS), and Medical Laboratory Science (BS), can be earned entirely online.

No matter how you’re planning on spending your time here at Weber State University, an online class here and there can be a great asset (plus you’ll earn some valuable nerd–cred.)

Little Known Resources: Supplemental Instruction

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It’s like learning to cook with friends.

So say I wanted to learn how to cook something new. What would I do? Well, I guess I could pick up Paula Deen’s latest work, but I’ve never really been good at reading cookbooks. Or I could try to watch a cooking show while I’m making dinner, but I always burn something when it goes to commercial. Wouldn’t it be great if I could join a cooking group where I could learn how to cook with my friends.  We could talk about different recipes we’ve found, how they are best prepared and discuss how best to prepare the perfect lasagna.

That’s exactly what Supplemental Instruction (SI) is.  It’s an optional course that comes with some General Education courses.  It allows you to study with your classmates under the supervision of a certified SI instructor (another student who has already taken and passed the class… like a sous chef).

Difficult Shmifficult.

So who is Supplemental Instruction for? SI is offered for certain freshman level courses that are historically more difficult.  Studies have shown that students who attend SI courses usually receive one and a half of a letter grade better than other students who do not.  That could be you my friend! The even better thing is that it’s free of charge and is offered at both the Ogden and Davis campuses.

When you’re registering for classes, the classes with an SI session attached to them will say so in the catalog.  For more information about what Supplemental Instruction is and how it can benefit you, please visit their website.