10
10.29.2020
Features
The Communicator
Five things to do in your first quarter Steps for new students to feel successful Ashley Jacobson The Communicator If you’re entering college as a freshly graduated teenager, or coming back to school after a long time away, it can be a little scary. New students arrive every year, but it’s not every year that there’s a pandemic to adjust to. However, don’t fear! In order to help you gain a little control during this turbulent time, here is a list of things both new and returning students can do to make the fall quarter successful. First thing’s first! Fill out the FAFSA. If you haven’t yet, this is your reminder. Applications may close on June 30th, but getting it done sooner can mean that you have a chance of a bigger award. Some scholarship applications also require that you have already applied to FAFSA, so the sooner it’s done, the better. Secondly, apply for other financial aid. If you are in need of a little extra help, check out the
How To Pay For School section of the SFCC website. There you’ll find links to scholarship applications, work study, and emergency Covid funds. This is also where you’ll find scholarship and priority funding deadlines. Make sure to keep your eye on those! “Right now we’re backlogged processing Covid fund applications, but we’re also trying to distribute CARES Act funds as soon as we can. We want to make sure that people who are in need of aid can get it,” said Ashley Johns, Acting Assistant Director of Financial Aid. Another thing that you can do to stay productive is touch base with your counselor. Based on the degree you’re aiming for, there’s certain classes you’ll need to take in order to meet the requirements. It helps to check in with your counselor regularly, especially since winter quarter registration is coming up. If you’re getting ready to transfer, make sure you discuss your plans with both your SFCC counselor and your counselor at your transfer school to make sure
you’re on the right track. You can also make sure you’re on the right track by taking your placement tests (if you haven’t). There are new testing processes for math and English, so don’t be nervous if you’re not sure what to do. The new process is a “Directed Self Placement Survey”, which are guided self-assessments that are administered as the first activity in Bigfoot Orientation. However, before you take this assessment, and if you’ve graduated high school in the past three years, you’ll need to send in an unofficial copy of your high school transcripts to be evaluated for your math placement. It’s best to do this as soon as possible. Your placements will remain valid for three years after you’ve taken your assessment. “Students are encouraged to take their first English and math classes within the first two quarters at SFCC. This allows [students] to use their course grades as prerequisites and no further placement processes are required,” said Kris Moberg-Hendron, the Testing Center Manager. Lastly, try to get involved on
Corbin Willmorth| The Communicator
The Building 17 Student Union sign campus. Now, this is not a “must do”, but it can certainly make your time here much more enjoyable. In the For Our Students section of the school website, you’ll find links for student resources, student government, clubs, intramurals, and more. Many of these clubs are finding ways to meet remotely, so don’t be put off by worries of spreading germs. The weight room is also open and available to all students. And who knows? You might meet some great people or find a new passion you didn’t know you had.
Does the way you look matter on zoom calls? Online school changes the way students present themselves Aggie Bennett The Communicator With a pandemic this last year, causing in person schooling to come to a halt, people started to take it as an opportunity to wear their pajamas “to school” everyday. “If you are at home what is the point of getting ready for the day?” Trevor Crabtree said. Crabtree is a running start student, or freshman, this year at SFCC. “It is hard to find the motivation to even brush your hair for an 8 am zoom call these days,” he said. “Especially when you ... aren’t even having to leave your house for school.” SFCC students aren’t the only ones that are feeling this way. “I used to try and do my makeup for my one Zoom call a day,” said Anya Deakins. Deakins is a sophomore at East-
sfcc.kalyn.sande@gmail.com
ern Washington University this year. “I felt ... more professional at least showing that I put in some effort. After a couple weeks though, I just felt it didn’t matter for my one 30 min zoom call once everyday. Just wasn’t worth my time.” School is one thing to not dress for success for, but what about a job interview over zoom? Harvard Business Review conducted a survey on the best lighting, background, and colors to wear for more professional zoom meetings, back in March and April of 2020. “Participants were asked to choose which background, clothing color and clothing style helped the speaker appear the most authentic (genuine, actions are in line with beliefs), the most trustworthy (honest, truthful, reliable), the most innovative (original, creative in thinking, willing to depart from the norm), and the most like an expert (highly credible,
an authority on the subject matter at hand),” said Noah Zandan. Zandan is CEO and Co-Founder of Quantified Communications, a firm that combines data and behavioral analytics to help people measure and strengthen communication. “On average, 54% of men (vs 43% of women) voiced having a clear preference about background, clothing color, and type of attire, and 57% of respondents age 18 to 29 stated a clear preference, compared to an overall average of 49%,” he said. So, might want to think about how your clothes and background look depending on how the person who is interviewing you, identifies themself. “Respondents identified business casual attire and neutral colors as helping the speaker appear authentic and trustworthy,” he said. “Patterns, neutrals, and bright colors were favored equally when it came to making the speaker appear innovative.”
Ashley Jacobson| The Communicator
Anatomy of the Online Student
What your background should look like is a little different. “44% of survey respondents prefer to see a wall with books or bookshelves behind the speaker, while 34% prefer framed décor such as art, diplomas, or photographs,” he said.
www.communicatoronline.org
