Category: Student Issues

NVC Psychology Club Receives National Recognition for Event

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Mental Health HeaderLike most students, I wanted to be a part of something on campus and I finally decided to join the NVC Psi Beta chapter. Integrating yourself into a club for the first time is hard, but this was worth it; I walked into a tight-knit group who invited me in!

For months before, some key club members, advisors, officers and club vets alike, had worked to put all the pieces together to get the Mini Mental Health Summit (see national award at bottom) up and running. It was amazing to see the well-oiled machine they had scheduled. On the day of the event, there was a photobooth with a cutout filter, artwork done by students, an inkblot station to tell us how it made you feel, a variety of local agencies all dealing with mental health and wellness, a panel of speakers, videos, and food!

Still a newbie in the club, I stayed close to the few I knew by the photo booth, took pictures and saw some of the artwork we collected, with our members playing music and singing across the hall. It was there I saw representatives from Clarity Child Guidance Center, and got to chat them up about future opportunities. I even painted an inkblot that students could respond to – it seemed to make people feel happy or hungry! The panel though, was my favorite part. Hearing from our counselor, from some of the agency representatives and our own students tell their stories and offer wisdom was insurmountably inspiring. I began to see some of these quasi-strangers differently and I wasn’t shy anymore.

Our mini mental health summit was a defining moment for NVC, Psi Beta, and myself. It was MY first big event that I worked with the clubs, and showed me what we could do! The officers that put it together showed me what we were capable of; this club and our amazing advisors helped to introduce me to one of the communities where I fit best and has astronomically improved my college experience.

The panel we held supplied to the conversation we were having around mental health and contributed to creating a safe space on campus. It allowed students and teachers to see that we weren’t afraid to have the conversation in the first place! The summit was a trend setting, award-winning event that was put together with the goal of simply educating; it was a selfless act that has driven me to want to give back and provide the same opportunity for our club and our school and our community. It’s success has made me determined to gather the troops and hold an event to inspire and teach people here, too. Holding such an event on campus so shamelessly added a brick to the pavement on the trek to breaking the mental health stigma.

I have had some amazing professors here at Northwest Vista, and they have aided in my growth, as well as this organization. To have a community this open minded surrounding you, we grow close and have meaningful friendships because of it. We help each other and accept each other because of it, too. We were able to open up our community to the whole campus during the summit, and by making the discussion of mental health visible and accessible, we shed light on the topic. I believe that there are students out there who made strides to talk to someone about their feelings, and we made people unashamed to ask for help. That is why we need events like this: so people don’t feel so alone. We stay silent out of fear of being rejected and ostracized, but when people get up on stage and draw attention to their survival and their strength it shows the rest of us what is possible.

By NVC Student Diane Goguen

Note: 
Psi Beta National Honor Society awarded the NVC chapter the 2016-17 Community Service Award for its Mental Health Summit last November at NVC. Read News Release Community Service Award 16-17.doc.

Mental Health Header

A Lesson in Patience

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

I was never sure on what I wanted to major in when I got to college. I had an interest in many fields of study and I thought that if I could just set my mind to one thing I would finally find my place in the world. I thought that once I got to college that somehow, someway, my major would just fall into my lap and all would be well.

Maybe some well-meaning teacher would see me as a diamond in the rough and take me under their wing or I would stumble upon a skill I never knew I had. Then I fall in love with a field that would give me both financial security and a permission to live a creative life. As you can probably tell, I wanted my college career to be a skillfully written and a heartwarming coming of age story. It wasn’t long until I found out how unrealistic that mindset was.

The truth is that sometimes you aren’t immediately sure of who or what you want to be. Most of the time there is no personal mentor to help you or even a magical twist of fate that is going to tell you your true passion in life. I’m writing this to tell you, whoever you are, that it’s okay not to have it figured out. It’s okay to be stuck in the middle. I was always filled with shame and embarrassment because it seemed as if everyone had an idea of what they wanted out of their education and I felt clueless. It wasn’t until my second year that I realized that I wanted to go into graphic design.

There was no lightbulb moment, no poetic clarity – I just took the time to look at what was available to me, layout my interests, and analyze my strengths and weaknesses. While I did my core classes I read about fields that interested me on web articles, in books, and in hobbies I decided to pick up. I learned about who I was and what I loved to do. Now, you don’t need to do the same thing I did to figure out what it is you want to do for the rest of your life. You don’t even need to have the rest of your life figured out. I surely don’t. The point is that you must be patient and kind to yourself, because if you were to take the time to ask those who seem to have their lives together, you’d find out that there was no moment for them either. Some of them have even changed their major multiple times.

You don’t need to be ashamed for not knowing. Life is big and scary enough as it is, but the one thing you have control of is yourself. Know yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient. We all have a path and all our paths start at different times. You’ll get there, I know you will.

By NVC Student Kimberly Ferguson

 

 

Why NVC Wants You to Complete a Degree?

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
NVC President Dr. Ric Baser

You may have heard Northwest Vista College faculty and staff members say that earning your associate degree before transferring to a university gives you confidence and motivation to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Completing your associate degree also ensures the acceptance of your general education or “core” courses. In addition, getting a degree from NVC will increase your earnings while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. If you are enrolled in one of NVC’s outstanding Associate of Applied Science programs, completion of the degree increases your employability and opportunities for promotion.   

NVC faculty and staff understand and care about your success and they want you to transfer successfully. We also know that the costs of attending a university are much higher than attending a community college like NVC.

We know that if you complete your degree at NVC prior to transferring, you will receive an exceptional education that will save money. These are just some of the reasons why you should get an associate degree from NVC, which is the No. 1 ranked community college in Texas.

NVC faculty and staff wish for you to stay at NVC long enough to earn your degree, which usually means a minimum of 60 credit hours. If you have 60 credit-level hours or more, I urge you to speak with your academic advisor today or in the next few days. Set up an appointment with your academic advisor.  The deadline for summer degree completion is Thursday, June 29. 

Remember that the awarding of degrees is not automatic. You have to apply with your advisor who will evaluate your transcript and degree plan.

To find out who your advisor is:

  • Go to ACES
  • Click on “My Page”
  • Your advisor’s picture and contact info will be there

To find out how many hours you have completed at NVC:

  • Go to ACES
  • Click on “My Page”
  • Click on “Unofficial Transcript” to get completed hours
NVC President Dr. Ric Baser Congratulates Recent NVC Graduate

Taking Online Summer Classes Provides Flexibility

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

With the summer semester at Northwest Vista College looming, the question that you always get is “so are you taking classes?” Whenever I hear this question, I always go through a range of emotions to whether or not I need a break, how fast I want to finish my degree or where funding will be coming from. When I think about summer classes, I think about taking online classes to maintain my flexibility while continuing my education.

Online classes offered at Northwest Vista give us the freedom to study however our schedule see fits, it could be at 2 am or 3 pm. Online classes offered during the summer allow you to complete coursework while maintaining a healthy balance so you are able to spend time with your family and still have time to get work done.

Many people always assume that they will be extremely busy and will not have time to do the work, but if you pace yourself and manage your time wisely, you will be ahead when the fall semester rolls around. Taking classes in the summer is also a great way to get ahead and graduate earlier than expected. Even though classes are online the summer months allow more one-one-one with instructors since there’s fewer students enrolled in the summer.

Don’t think of summer courses as being hard and a waste of time, look at it as an opportunity to continue your education and graduating faster. To learn more about summer registration and deadlines, go here: http://www.alamo.edu/main.aspx?id=61032

By NVC Student Percy Bustamante Gooden

Online Summer Classes Banner

Balancing College, Work and Life

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Student Library ComputersDo you ever think to yourself, “how am I going to get through this semester”? Every one has their own way to manage their time and it’s really important for you to find your own way, too. If you’re a college student like me, who’s also going to work full-time while still trying to maintain a social life you may find this a bit difficult, but don’t worry you’re not alone.

Almost everyone that’s going to school is feeling the same way as you but may not show it because they have created a sort of system to survive the semester. I would like to discuss four ways on how we, as college students, can make it through the semester with less tears and headaches than our last semester.

  1. Prioritize what would be the most important thing to do at the beginning of your week to the least important.
  2. Dissect your week into time frames (this way you might be able to do two of those things you need done that week in one day).
  3. Make sure you leave some time to take a break whether that’s meeting up with a friend for lunch or taking your dog out for a walk.
  4. Try to submit the majority of your homework at the beginning of the week so it’s not piling up for you to do later. Another reason to submit work early is so you can get feedback from your professors or if you’re having trouble understanding an assignment, you’ll be able to ask your professors for help earlier in the week to make sure you get that high score.
With these four ways listed hopefully it gives you an idea of how you can manage your time this semester. The idea is to be stress free, and to be more involved with your school work. Always remember to work hard now, so you can play more later.
by NVC Student Noemi Solis, 1359
School & Life Balance

Resilient Students

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

For many, college can be both a rewarding and stressful experience. As a student attending Northwest Vista, I like many other students have experienced challenges in my day-to-day routine that could potentially impact my school life. School for many can create a sense of excitement and can also build up anxiety. There are many factors that could cause this, such as new surroundings, and more responsibilities when it comes to academics.

If we are moving away from home to attend school this can also add stress by having to meet new people. Even though I live in San Antonio and commute to and from the campus, I have seen several students that are not from the local area that are homesick. For some, being away from home, and having to figure life out on your own for the first time can create stressors in personal and professional lives. This can potentially cause people to have a lack of motivation, loss of focus during classes, and even depression. We can see this the most when we have students that are away from home for certain holidays. Being that San Antonio is Military City USA, we have a lot of locals that attend our school to help give advice on how to cope.

Some ways that we can overcome the stress of being homesick, is to stay in contact with people from home. As students we can also look out for one another and if we see someone that is not acting normal or looks distant. We can reach out and give them some attention even if it’s just to say hi. It is okay to be homesick, but we should balance our feelings and emotions to become productive students. Another thing we as students could do is participate in school activities to help get us involved in the community.

No one said being away from home and attending college was going to be easy, but we should be resilient to accomplish a goal and set ourselves up for a better future.

Tips to Cope from Being Away from Home

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-experience/2011/09/28/5-ways-for-college-students-to-survive-being-homesick

By NVC Student Percy Bustamante Gooden

NVC Campus Students

It’s Strength…Not Stigma

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Mental health illness is a condition that can be treated. Research has done tremendous efforts with people living with such a condition. However there are still many who are undiagnosed or need help to accept their illness.

NVC will be hosting a Mental Health Fair on November 3. It is hosted by Psi Beta Sigma. NVC Psychology Professor Jennifer Fox, who is helping to organize the event, also lives with mental illness.

Fox says, “I too, have struggled with major depression and generalized anxiety disorder since the age of 18.”

According to bestcolleges.com: One in four students have a diagnosable illness. Also:

  • 40% do not seek help
  • 80% feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities; and
  • 50% have been so anxious they struggled in school.

Fox recounts, “I hid behind a shroud of secrecy and shame from friends and family, as well as myself.”

This is the purpose of this event – to take the first step and speak about it to someone. This event is also for people who are not suffering from a mental illness but to become a little more educated to understand it and possibly help someone who may be suffering from mental illness.

Fox adds, “I wholeheartedly credit my courageous students who’ve lifted their own shrouds of secrecy by sharing their stories with me for the perseverance and dedication.”

Fox concludes, “I invite all of you to join us at the closing of the mental health summit as we courageously stand together to raise awareness, celebrate our resilience, and transform the stigma into strength.”

By NVC Student Jay Jimenez

Mental Health

Your Vote is Important

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

Our nation’s voting season is upon us. Daily we are hearing about our presidential candidates through television, news, radio, and social media. Individuals are already starting to form their opinion on who they will vote for in November.

According to “Young-Adult Voting: An Analysis of Presidential Elections,” it’s typical that in American elections, “young people have stood out for their consistently low levels of electoral participation.”

The importance of us voting is critical. By not casting a vote, we are not helping ourselves, and doing a disservice to our own country. If we want to see change or have our rights remain the same, we need to go out and vote. Regardless of whether or not, you agree with the candidates 100 percent, we need to find our common ground this November during the election. We spend too much emphasis on not voting rather than understanding and getting to know our candidates in one form or another.

We need to not only look at our presidential candidates, we also need to consider our local candidates to be tomorrow’s leaders. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Javier Salazar. He is the current Democratic candidate running for Sheriff in Bexar County.

tnI got to know that he is a 23-year veteran San Antonio Police Officer. When I asked what qualities he can bring to the county and the job, Salazar replies that he wants to build a foundation in Bexar County.

“What I would like is to have a relationship between law enforcement and the residents.”

It is this type of understanding, we as students, need to be doing more. I listened to what he had to say for an hour, and it gave me an understanding of what issues are happening around our beautiful city.

If we can just take the time and pay attention to the upcoming presidential debate this evening and listen to what our local candidates have to say, then we can certainly be a little bit more educated on issues, rather than solely just plain saying no to voting.

If you are not registered to vote, you have the opportunity to get registered tomorrow at the Cypress patio from 9 am to 2:30 pm.

By NVC Student Jay Jimenez

Vote

“First Week Done…Now What?”

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

NVC CampusSo your first week has passed, and you now have a better understanding of the parking situation. Hopefully you have made at least one new friend in each of your classes. So now what?

Well you would be happy to know that it does get better. I cannot tell you countless thoughts I had about questioning my professors or my own abilities. Did I choose the right professor? Is it too late to drop? Can I handle these assignments? I have these thoughts every semester.

What I can tell you is that I take each course week by week. Make sure to communicate a bit more with your professors and peers in your class because by doing so, it will expand your horizons, and believe me at NVC this is what professors appreciate. Plus getting the conversation going helps you when doing your group assignments because that awkward silence is no longer there.

By attending classes, you will start to feel a sense of accomplishment throughout the semester. It feels good when you have a purpose. You will start to notice that you will get better at managing your time too. You will want to try to avoid becoming complacent because it’s not beneficial for you when you need to turn in assignments.

So pat yourself on the back, you made it the first week. Be mindful of resources available to you around campus. Ask questions, this is your time. Let’s make it a fun semester and participate in activities around NVC so you can learn about all the cool things NVC has to offer.

By NVC Student Jay Jimenez

Depending on Your Instructors

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

“Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” –Solomon Ortiz

Whether or not you may believe it, but having support from your instructors really does change your outlook on school. I don’t mean when they cut you slack, give you an A just because, or allow you to miss days; no, this does not help. However, if you are a student who is really trying your hardest and really want to make something of yourself, some instructors will provide you the ability to move toward your goals even if they do not make it known.

I say this because it has happened to me more than once. I must say it was a shock to me at first because I never paid much attention to my instructors when I first started college, I just wanted to pass the class and move on. But sometimes I would try to find a way to connect with my instructors and see them as someone who used to be in my shoes. One of my instructors once said, “I used to eat Top Ramen too!” That was hilarious to me because we have all been there. This is a prime example that before they were teaching the class, they were attending class.

I supposed over the years, I became more mature, because I was able to see them as someone trying to help my future rather than someone making my life miserable with homework. I never took the time out until recently to appreciate the work they put in for me to get where I am today. The instructors that I had from various subjects have made a positive impact on me so much that I decided to change schools and my major because I knew they were leading me in the right direction.

Some students may feel as if they are here every day on campus to fend for themselves. Your instructors are here for a reason, as much as you depend on your scientific calculator in that overwhelming math class, you should be able to depend on your instructor. Not for an easy way out of course, but to guide you in the right direction. All you have to do is ask, they will have the answers or will try to help you find them.

By NVC Student Traishelle Armstrong

 

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