YALLA WILDCATS
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN QATAR
N NUQWildcats/#NUQWelcome20
Volume 2 | June 5, 2016
CONTENTS
TAB LE O F CONTENTS NUQSU President’s Message
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Checklist & Deadlines 4 First Year Struggles 5 Immunization 101 6 College Transition: Healthy First Year 7 You Know You’re An NU-Q Student When... 8
NUQSU PRESIDENT’S WELCOME MESSAGE
Hello Class of 2020!! (AHHH… it feels weird to say that… I feel old.)
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First of all… CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME to Northwestern University in Qatar! I’m thrilled to have new Wildcats in the NU-Q community. Every year, talented and driven students leave our community, but we also gain more students who have something new to offer. This year it’s you, and we could not be more excited! The next four years are going to fly by quickly. Faster than you can prepare for or imagine. I remember being in your shoes, uncertain whether NU-Q was the place where I was supposed to be, nervous that I wouldn’t like it, and unsure of the trajectory my university experience would lead me on. But three years later, here I am a rising senior and simply cannot believe that it is already my last year at NU-Q! I have loved each and every moment of my time here because despite challenges or frustrations, I have managed to learn and grow an incredible amount from each of my experiences. The connections I have made during my time at NU-Q have also shaped the person that I am today. So if I can give you a piece of advice, it’s this: whether you are a brand new freshman, a transfer student from a different institution, or a nontraditional student who has had some time off since their last adventure in school, use what time you have at NU-Q to further develop your skills and discover what else you are capable of becoming. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Step outside of your comfort zone and uncover new things. There is nothing more fascinating than discovering something new about yourself. It is going to be a roller-coaster, but what is great about NU-Q is that you will always have people who will be there to guide you and support you. Our community may be small, but the people here have big hearts. So don’t hesitate to reach out to your peers, the upperclassmen, the faculty, and the staff. Remember, only YOU can hinder YOURSELF from accomplishing something. Don’t forget to occasionally give yourself a break… look back at what you’ve achieved, reflect on it… and finally give yourself a pat on the back. Make your senior-self proud of your freshman-self, sophomore-self, and junior-self. Go out there and make us proud! Go Wildcats!
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P.S. Come support the Lady Wildcats at our basketball games and you’ll already be in my good graces. Cheers, Jemina Legaspi President, NU-Q Student Union Communication ’17
SUMMER ONBOARDING
CHECKLIST FORMS & DEADLINES June 2
rvey u S n o i ientat r O lease P e r ! e P u d past w o n AP on s i S A e t comple ortal if you tP Studen aven’t h
June 30 QF Hou Interest sing F Photo R orm & elease Form
July 31 ealth H Q U N ess & Welln ents m u c o D
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FIRST YEAR STRUGGLES
Immunization
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• Your Immunization and Tuberculosis Screening Certificate is due July 31, 2016. Also due at that time is your completed and signed National Health Card Application (if you do not currently reside in Qatar) OR front and back copy of your valid Qatar national health card (Hamad Health Card if you currently reside in Qatar).
• The immunization documentation can be a timely process, so start now if you haven’t already (especially if you are missing some immunizations, as some require a series of vaccinations)! Most of you have probably had all the required immunizations as a child (with the exception of the Meningitis vaccination) so it will just be a matter of documenting and getting any missing immunizations which the doctor recommends so you can be in compliance with our policy. Please be mindful that you are also required to have a recent TB screening (not older than August 2015). Testing for TB infection is easy and painless - it involves either a skin test or blood test.
• Regarding the Immunization and TB screening certificate, you will be able to complete page one on your own, but you will need to make an appointment with your physician to discuss the status of your immunizations and to complete pages two and three. After you and your physician have completed the Certificate and it is signed and stamped by your physician, please • If you require assistance as you upload it to the Student Portal (former complete the required items, please ABP dual-enrolls, please submit in your contact patricia.collins@northwestern. hard copies directly to us in the office). edu. The most up-to-date information on immunizations can be found here: http://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/life/ student-services/counseling-wellness/ immunization.html
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The College Transition: Tips for a Healthy First Year!
Here at NU-Q, Counseling and Wellness (CW) wants to keep you healthy so that you can be the best you can be! CW provides high quality crisis intervention, counseling, consultation, educational outreach programs, referrals, services for students with disabilities, and promotes the overall public health of the campus community by collecting your immunization records and ensuring all students are compliant with our health insurance policy. Our website is a great place to retrieve information about exercise classes and facilities, stress management, and academic/personal counseling. Take some time to visit our website http://www.qatar.northwestern. edu/life-nu-q/counseling-wellness/index. html so you will be informed about how to stay healthy this year!
Just remember it is normal to feel excited and apprehensive at the same time as August nears. No matter what you are expecting, you will experience challenges you did not anticipate, and that is okay! So here is my advice to you: • Expect the unexpected • Enjoy surprises. Get involved! • Join a new group. • Keep looking for the right friends. • Manage your stress. Work out! • Attend every class. • Make mistakes and learn from them. • Communicate your feelings openly. • Party safely.
CW offers you a supportive environment through counseling and health promotion activities – we hope that you will take advantage of our upcoming Wellness Wednesday programs and maybe even sign up for Walktober!
As you transition to university life, you might consider these lifestyle behaviors to be well: 1.
Find time daily exercise
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Make healthy food choices
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Have balance in your life
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Avoid tobacco and drugs
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• Look for adventure. • Life changes produce stress. • CW is here to help!
Patti Collins Counselor NU-Q Health & Wellness
YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN
NU-Q STUDENT WHEN…
VIBHAV GAUTAM
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student…” When Katie sends you 15 emails in a day, and because you're nice, you reply to all of them. “What do you love about NU-Q?” Working with friends and learning a way of life. Also, 1:1s with Katie Hyon. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year…” How fast the rest of your years here will fly by. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Basic Acting with Ann Woodworth. “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Finishing the final edit of a film with a friend.
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LOLWA AL-THANI
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When...” You run to Coffee Bean at the Rec Center every day before your classes to get that caffeine jolt. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The dedication the faculty and staff have to help students succeed in anything and everything. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year...” Do your own thing and find what fits you best. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Women as Writers with Professor Tracy Vaughn. BEST class ever! “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Qatar National Day Celebration at the Ceremonial Court.
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NADA BEDAIR
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When...” Your pants wardrobe gradually changes to sweatpants by the end of the semester. “What do you love about NU-Q?” I love the small and yet very diverse community of NU-Q. Everyone knows everyone, and it just feels like home. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year...” I wish I knew how much influence the Student Union holds and that joining it can actually make a great difference. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” MIT 220 with Scott Curtis, you laugh all the time from your professor’s awesome jokes, and you learn SO much about filmmaking at the same time. “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Getting chicken popcorn from Tea Time with my friends while carpooling, then going back to the studio afterwards to eat it and chill with everyone.
OMAIMA ES-SAMAALI
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When…” You go around campus repeating your acting lines out loud because it is important to project! “What do you love about NU-Q?” Late night conversations at the Studio. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year…” Freshman fifteen is REAL! “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Creative Collaboration with Ann Woodworth. “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Lip-syncing to Blank Space with a group of friends at 3am in the Studio.
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NOOF AL-SULAITI
You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When… Everything you own starts becoming purple. You start wearing a lot of free northwestern shirts. Just a lot of purple everywhere. What do you love about NU-Q? A lot of things, mostly the community, staff, faculty and friends I made etc. Also, we have some awesome classes which is great. The hardest aspect of transferring was… Getting credits transferred!! Long process but it’s not so bad in the end. Oh yeah, and get used to being called freshman even though you might not technically be one. It’s all good. What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q? Scott Curtis’s MIT 220 class hands down. Also, Joe Khalil’s Exploring Global Media class was pretty interesting and Joe Khalil is just an awesome professor, seriously, take his classes! What’s your favorite NU-Q memory? Probably being an events coordinator with NUQSU and helping out with Go Wild Week. Meeting and interacting with people from Evanston (they come here during go wild week) was pretty cool. Working with NUQSU is a lot of fun, so sign up for a position when you get the chance!
SHAKEEB ASRAR
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When” When you are going around the campus with a camera, finding people or places to photograph or film. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The small close knit community, and the support provided to students from faculty and staff with any matters, academic or otherwise. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year…” As much as you want to do everything, you can’t. Make sure you have time when you are not doing anything. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Gulf Society & Politics and Exploring Global Media. The former helped me learn things about Qatari society I didn’t know, and the latter turned out to be a must-take course to understand media. “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Doing my journalism residency in Washington, DC (no homework semester) and applying your lessons from class during actual field reporting.