Dec. 12 to Dec. 18 is the final exams for NECC’s fall semester
Daily Archives: December 3, 2018
News byte
Dec. 11 is the last day of classes before Final Exams begin
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Dec. 7 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on the Haverhill campus (Building C) Cinemateca de Cuba, organized by Global Scholars in Lecture Hall A
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Dec. 5 from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm on the Haverhill campus (Building SC) Interviewing skills workshop with Noreen Fantasia
Educational exchange
NECC faculty, staff visit Dominican Republic
From Nov. 9-14, six NECC faculty and staff members traveled to Dominican Republic, immersing themselves in the culture and gaining a further understanding of the educational system and background of students. Although the warm and welcoming island serves great for vacationing, our beloved travelers specifically traveled there for learning and educational purposes.
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The very succesful trip took months to plan and involved coordinating with several nonprofit organizations.
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Dr. Noemi Custodia-Lora is the Vice President of the Lawrence campus and community relations and has orchestrated a total of four exclusive trips that require faculty and staff members to formally apply. Analuz Garcia, assistant director of community and international relations, also helped plan the trip.
The very successful trip took months to plan according to Dr. Custodia-Lora and involved coordinating with several nonprofit organizations from Salcedo and Ciudad del Conocimiento de Monte Plata, as well as Instituto Tecnologico Superior Comunitario de San Luis (ITSC), Universidad Central del Este (UCE), Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) de Santiago, Dominican public officials and Liceo Cientifico.
Dr. Custodia-Lora shared that President Lane Glenn accompanied them on the first trip as he had never been to the Dominican Republic. She said she often described to him “the educational system, social issues, ways of living, the family dynamics, politics, sports, general culture of Dominican Republic” and that when they returned from the trip he “looked me in the eyes and told me, ‘I get it now.’ That was my inspiration to develop this program. I wanted other faculty and staff to also “get it” and with that for them to have a deeper connection with our students.”
Director of Counseling Services Karen Hruska applied and was accepted to travel to Dominican Republic for her first time. Hruska has been working in higher education for about 12 years and has heard from numerous staff and students the challenges of coming from DR to pursue a life in the U.S., therefore she wanted to gain a better understanding of elementary, middle, high school and college education and how it translates in the U.S. Hruska emphasized wanting a “better future for the kids” and saw the wide gap between the.
Organize, prioritize, accomplish
At the heart of being an effective student, in my experience, is three words, which are Focus, Prioritize, Accomplish. While this credo might be a bit simplistic for some more complicated situations, at very least I’ve found these rules to be a useful place to start when I find myself well and truly stuck.
When a lot of work has to be done in a short amount of time, the first thing that has to go is distraction. Cell phones especially, but even books, instruments, and the ever-present social media has to be shelved. Out of sight, out of mind. It is not difficult to let even an hour at a time go by scrolling mindlessly on Instagram or Facebook, and more than a few projects had been seriously set back by those sorts of distractions.
Around the end of the semester, when the workload seems to double and the due dates come up quicker than ever, even the smallest mistake or delay can go from a mild annoyance to a severe holdup. From assignments, to projects, to presentations and essays, it can feel like everyone needs everything at once. All this stress comes hand in hand with non-academic worries that begin around the same time of year with the onset of the holiday season. Southern Methodist University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Currall is quoted on the SMU page as saying “The stretch from Thanksgiving to the end of finals is ‘ a time of significant stress for many members of our community.’”
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Choose the most difficult, intensive, or grade-impacting projects to prioritise.
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But even at this busiest of junctures, a few minutes of organization can make all the difference. If you don’t have a planner or calendar, I adamantly suggest finding one. But in a pinch, even a scrap of notebook paper or the back of a syllabus will do. On this piece of paper, write out everything that has to be done. Don’t worry about order or importance yet, just dump it all out so it’s not jostled in a busy mind any more. Take a minute or two to simply breathe, relax your shoulders and let your thoughts quiet down. Give yourself a moment of peace and quiet.
Once this is done, organize by urgency. I say urgency rather than due date, because while some projects might be due sooner than others, they might also be simpler or something you are more comfortable doing. Choose the most difficult, intensive, or grade-impacting projects to prioritize. Once this list is made, the hard part can start.
Once the distractions have been shelved, and the set of priorities established, settling to do the work itself doesn’t have to be as uncomfortable or stressful as it might be.
The single most impactful way to make the work easier is to give yourself ample time. This advice comes not from someone who always does, rather someone who has had to scramble to finish a paper or project more that I’d like to admit. It cannot be said enough, and bears repeating, that enough time makes lighter work.
In addition, think about what you can do for yourself to make the work go easier. Dressing comfortably, having a favorite drink or snack on hand, or background music that is soft enough to not become a distraction, I personally do all three of these.
Being well rested also makes work go by much easier, According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, young adults need between seven and a half to eight hours of sleep a night. Missing sleep, according to the Foundation, causes decreased attention, memory and alertness. All of these are serious handicaps on the quality of a project. Having a well-rounded meal can also help you feel awake, alert and able. Starches and carbs are the body’s energy source while vitamins found in fruits and vegetables can help everything from memory retention to improving mood.
Taking short breaks have definitely helped me to clear my head and reorient myself on task. When I get writers block, or can’t decide how to proceed in a certain project, or simply feel drained or out of steam, a short workout or walk serves to get the blood moving, and lets my head relax for a few minutes. Even taking ten minutes to play some music, read a good book or chat with a family member can suffice.
The important distinction here is that these are mentally active forms of rest. Video games, social media or surfing the web are not activities that continue to stimulate the brain in different ways, rather they generate inaction and lethargy that is tempting to give in to.
Playing an instrument, reading, or talking keep the mind active, simply in a different way than hard work at the keyboard does. In this way, the brain can rest while remaining awake and aware.
Once these steps are taken and advice tailored to your own preference, you’re ready to blaze through the toughest part of the semester and finish strong! Good luck.
Happy Thanks-Christmas?
Thanksgiving is getting crushed between popularity of Halloween and Christmas
With stores already stocked with the hottest presents and the best decorations for Christmas, one would swear Thanksgiving had already passed even before the holiday was celebrated last Thursday.
Unfortunately, at the time of this being written, Thanksgiving was still yet to happen, but it seems like a lot of people have alreadymoved ahead to the next holiday. th the recent change of weather, even Mother Nature is trying to get the Christmas season faster than usual. It’s a shame that many people aren’t giving Thanksgiving the same amount of love that Halloween and Christmas get.
Of course, it’s still happening and no one has straight up abandoned the holiday, but it’s still sad to see such a nice and simple holiday get crushed between the popularity of Halloween and Christmas. However, as stated, Thanksgiving is still alive and people have their traditions and own perspectives on this American holiday. NECC Student, Norman Beraha, hasn’t noticed much of any “lack of attention” towards Thanksgiving.
It’s business as usual and nothing out of the ordinary in recent years. However, Beraha has noticed something while working in the grocery store. “(It’s) been packed for the past week,” he states.
With the changing seasons, people are to be expected to trek out into the world every so often and salvage anything they can for whatever they are in need of. When asked about when an appropriate time to start celebrating Christmas would be, Beraha said “At least wait for Thanksgiving to be over before putting out the Christmas decorations.”
Methuen resident, John Hayes, does see Thanksgiving as not getting enough attention. “I certainly do feel Thanksgiving is not getting enough attention anymore”, says Hayes, “I see people on social media getting super excited about Halloween and the spooky stuff, then immediately jumping to Christmas hype.” Hayes has a tradition of simplicity, as he goes home every Thanksgiving to a usual turkey dinner with him and his parents. He sees it as his favorite way and wouldn’t want it any other way.
“When I’m at school and away from home, I’m far more excited about coming home and having awesome food with my family,” Hayes said. When asked about when an appropriate time to start celebrating Christmas would be, Hayes had a surprising answer. “I think maybe a week or two before Thanksgiving is a good start getting in the Christmas spirit, at least from a retail perspective,” Hayes said.
He says he is sick of seeing Christmas merchandise when Halloween is still in season, but did have a different answer for when he starts. “In terms of actually celebrating, I like to wait until Thanksgiving is actually over,” Hayes said.For NECC student, Xavier Velez, Thanksgiving is getting “an appropriate amount of attention; especially since it is lumped in with ‘the holidays’ towards the end of the year.”
For Velez, his thanksgiving traditions are twice as exciting, as he experiences two Thanksgivings, as he has separated parents. “One Thanksgiving is more traditionally celebrated with a Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc.” Velez said. With the other parent, he celebrates a more “ethnically edited” Thanksgiving, being of Puerto Rican descent, with more Spanish cuisines on the table. “However the way I celebrate them is the same way nonetheless”, adds Velez, “Eat until I can’t and then fall asleep on the couch.”
As for Thanksgiving’s need for attention, Velez says “I don’t feel the origin of the holiday is celebrated too much, but the idea of setting aside a day of rest, family and food is what we all cherish the day for.”
When asked when an appropriate time to start celebrating Christmas would be, Velez answered simply “A nice few days to a week after Thanksgiving, some appreciation and then we can switch.”
Velez then added that he unfortunately would be working a shift on Thanksgiving, but that if you care about your family, you should try and take the day off. “You would be surprised how badly some of them want to see/visit you,” Velez said.
Wrapping things up at NECC
Eight tips to get us through the rest of the semester and finals
As the semester is nearing an end and finals are quickly approaching it is easy for students to become overwhelmed by all the pressures school puts on us. It is particularly difficult for community college students considering that there are usually extra pressures on us, including working part-time or full-time, having or caring for children, and so much more. With all this on our plates before we even get to the holiday meals, here are a few tips to chew all you bit off this finals season and more.
1. Sleep is more important than ever.
As previously mentioned, community college students have extremely busy schedules, and with little downtime. Sleep is usually what suffers the most. We’ve all heard the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep a night, but for some of us it’s almost unrealistic. My best advice is get as much sleep is as you can eve if it is not a full eight hours. Six or seven hours can make a huge difference versus only five and will help you be more alert and retain more information in your classes and when you study.
2. Remember the clichés.
We’ve all heard them around this time, eat three meals a day, make time for yourself, keep a schedule etc. And while yes, these are clichés, they all do ring true around this time. Eating three meals a day gives you the energy you need to get through the day, and try to avoid the easy, cheap energies like sugary cereals and mac and cheese.Go for something more substantial that will keep your vigor up and mind active.
Making time for yourself of course is difficult but having time to do something other than study or something you are obligated to do is super important to recharge your batteries and keep you from going insane.
Making a schedule is easy; sticking to it is the hard part, because life can easily get in the way. Just do your best to have a general outline of what you want to get done in a day and try to get it finished.
3. Avoid Procrastination (as best as you can).
It’s no secret that a lot of us procrastinate, we can’t all be the type A student who gets it done three weeks before it’s due. That being said, it is a heck of a lot easier to start a project three weeks before its due and work on it a few times a week until its done rather than cramming it all in 1 night.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you are struggling or falling behind in a class or a project, go to your professors now. Do not wait until the last minute, your professors are usually more than understanding if you come to them when you first start to struggle rather than waiting until the end of the semester begging for extra credit or to makeup the work. Professors are people too and they understand that we all have busy schedules and struggle at times.
5. Over studying doesn’t help either.
Sometimes it might seem like the most viable option is to study for eight hours straight, however I’ve found this is not the most successful option. Generally breaking up my studying into two or three-hour blocks at a time has been far more fruitful in my test results than trying to study for eight plus hours at a time.Taking breaks in between studying so you can process what you’ve learned as well as refresh your mind is important when studying as well.
6. Remember the big picture.
It can be hard when your studying for one huge exam, or working on a project for a class that isn’t even in your major to remember why you’re doing all this, the late nights and the long days. Just keep in mind that it is all for a bigger cause. One day you will have your degree and be able to get the job of your dreams making an impact on the world however you see fit. Focusing on the problem at hand will help you get through the day by day but remember the big picture will help you get through the degree and know why it’s all worth it.
7. Pat yourself on the back.
Give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished so far, you can’t stay motivated for the future if you don’t take a second to look back on what you have already done. You’re doing your best and you deserve to take a minute to reward yourself for that!
8. It’s almost break.
Winter break is almost here, so if nothing more is going to motivate you to get through your finals and the rest of the semester than a long winter break, than here it is! Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself! Remember these eght helpful tips when studying for your final exams and preparing to wrap up the semester and the end of 2018. Our time at Northern Essex is almost over for this semester so make the best of it while you can.
Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself!
Club collecting donations
Donations to help homeless in the Haverhill area
The Respiratory Care Club has teamed up to provide a mitten/scarf drive as well as a canned food drive. Their boxes are in place until the end of November.
All of the donations are going to the Emmaus House in Haverhill.
Emmaus House is a homeless shelter, which provide housing and services to homeless adul and families.
They work to end homelessness, and offer job training.
Tours at the Emmaus House are held every First Tuesday and second Wednesday of every month, for those who are interested. Emmausin.org says “More than 92 cents out of every dollar we receive goes directly toward our programs.”
Ivan De La Rosa a communication/Journalism major at Northern Essex says “The food and clothing drive is a step to a better unity in each other. We are better together.”
Jorge Polanco a psychology major here at Northern essex says “This is a great project, to see people helping out in the community, especially for a great cause, it gives me pure joy to see this college help out.”
Janiliz Gonzalez a current human services major at Northern Essex says ¨It is so heartwarming to hear about a food and clothing drive here at our college. I love the fact that people want to help out, and if I have the chance I will too.¨
Knight is named
Nessex is now the name for the NECC mascot
Our new and improved mascot was proudly named “Nessex” thanks to submissions from students, staff and alumni for the “Name The Knight” contest. After collecting all submissions from September 4-23, three final names were chosen by a panel of judges to be voted on.
“We had 120 votes for the final name. ‘Sir Essexius the Book Slayer’ had the least with only 18 votes, ‘Sir Learns-A-Lot’ had 48 votes, and ‘Nessex’ narrowly squeaked out a victory with 54 votes” says Nathan Gilbert, director of online communications.
The winning name was announced on Homecoming night, Oct. 13.
All three contestant finalists were prized with NECC swag bags. The judges had to shuffle through 131 initial submissions. Some were educational based, others derived from references from Monty Python and other medieval eras.
Ariel Chicklis, coordinator of orientation and student involvement, says the name “Nessex” will be used for this academic year.
Northern Essex sports teams have always been “The Knights” with the previous mascot sporting a large, head and viking fur. Looking a little outdated, the Student Government Association really pushed for a new mascot to represent NECC.
Raising money and advocating to the school, SGA was able to bring to life a brand new knight. “The ‘Name The Knight’ contest was a great way to increase student involvement at the school. We try to raise school spirit wherever possible” says Lindsey Cohan, secretary of SGA. The new Knight is more classic looking, with a knights helmet and striking gold and blue school colors. SGA said they designed the mascot to be gender neutral, as any student could wear it.
As NECC grows and becomes more substantial in the lives of its students and staff, it was only fitting to put a notable face to the school.
It’s been a long time coming considering our school has been very active in sports and athletics. NECC offers men’s baseball, basketball, cross country, and track and field, as well as women’s softball, volleyball, cross country, and track and field.
