NIC @ Home Student Newsletter - Aug. 10

Hello NIC students! We welcome our new and continuing students to North Island College with the Launch of our NIC Virtual Orientation 2020/21, which is now live! I am also pleased to present your weekly Student Life newsletter with information on online sessions.

Student Life at Home

We invite you to watch the Welcome to NIC video featuring NIC President John Bowman.

Visit the Virtual Orientation page to access exciting and informative Fall Orientation 2020 online sessions and win prizes. Sessions are offered in a combination of pre-recorded and live sessions.

Pre-recorded Sessions:

Pre-recorded sessions are designed for you to participate and learn anywhere: at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. These sessions include a short video or presentation to help you discover all the people and resources to support your success here at NIC. The sessions include virtual campus tours, COVID 19 information and safety protocols, scheduling and registration, academic integrity, academic and personal supports, and more. To access the full list of pre-recorded sessions visit: https://www.nic.bc.ca/life-at-nic/explore-our-college/nic-virtual-orientation/

Live Sessions:

Live sessions are being offered throughout August and early September and are 1-2 hours long. The live sessions would cover different topics and gives you a chance to ask any questions that you might have. To register for the live sessions please send an email to studentlife@nic.bc.ca indicating which session(s) you would like to attend and you will be provided with an online meeting link to join the session. The sessions include:

Learning Digitally: Student Orientation to NIC Learning Technologies - An overview of the learning platforms and tools needed for digital classes, along with some tips for learning digitally at NIC

  • August 11, 1-2:30 pm (PDT) 
  • August 17, 2-3:30 pm (PDT) 

To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca

Checklist to Success - A review of important steps to prepare you for the start of the semester.

  • August 14, 12-1 pm (PDT)

To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca

Parents and Supporters - This session will provide information for parents and supporters to assist students in making important academic and life choices.

  • August 20, 6-7 pm (PDT)

To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca

Student Life and Employment Opportunities - How to get the most out of your College experience during these unusual times and steps in searching for employment.

  • August 21, 12-1 pm (PDT)

To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca


Survive and Thrive at NIC: Supports and Services - An overview of the many academic and non-academic/personal supports available to NIC students. This session will include information on financial aid.

  • August 28, 10-11 am (PDT)

To register, please email studentlife@nic.bc.ca

 

Welcome to NIC: In this session, we offer a warm NIC welcome to all new students, in addition to a brief review of important orientation information, and a chance to win prizes!

  • September 8, 10:30-12 pm (PDT)
  • September 8, 1-2:30 pm (PDT)

Please note that you do not have to register for the Welcome to NIC live event. You will receive an email closer to the date with the link for both sessions; you just choose which one to attend and click the link that will be provided!

If you are a new international student please make sure you visit the New International Student Orientation webpage.

For the chance to win a Chromebook, first watch the Win a Chromebook Competition presentation. Then, send your answers to the questions in an email to competitions@nic.bc.ca before 3 pm (PDT) on September 8, 2020.

For an additional chance to win a Chromebook make sure you attend one of our Welcome to NIC live events on September 8.

 Self-Care: Tips to Save Money and Add to Your Financial Health.

  • Save with a side hustle: Make a list of your skills and passions and find ways to make extra income with those skills and passion of yours.
  • Put your monthly savings on autopilot: Set up an automatic transfer from one of your accounts to a designated savings account when your paycheck comes in and pay yourself first.
  • Save your pay raise: On your next pay raise, make sure to increase the amount you pay yourself first through automatic transfer your savings account.
  • Save money by removing or reducing your credit card numbers from online shops: This will make spending on unnecessary online purchases inconvenient and will reduce impulse buying.
  • Wait a while and save: Before buying something that you want but don’t need, wait a week or so. If you forget about that in that time, good for your financial health.
  • Have no spend days: Challenge yourself not to spend money on specific days or a specific week of the month and put some effort into making your own coffee or lunch.
  • Score Saving on sale items: Buy groceries or household items in bulk at good prices that you will need. But do not use this tip to buy discounted items that you do not need.
  • Maximize savings at your local Dollar Store: Mainstream retails stores can be unreasonably expensive at times, take advantage of great savings on necessary items at a Dollar Store.
  • Save money with a change jar: Save your spare change, place a jar/box in your house where everyone can put their spare change instead of leaving them lying around. When the jar is full exchange the coins for notes at your bank. - (Dollie, F., April 26, 2020)

If you need any support through this time, please reach out to us. You can find information on NIC's counselling services, along with links to community supports, including 24hr crisis lines, on NIC's Counselling page.

We encourage you to join our NIC Student Life Facebook group to connect with us, share your views and stay updated on events and information on student life at NIC. Go to NIC Facebook page and click on 'Groups.' #WeAreNICe #Thrive #NICatHome

Healthy Eating - Scroll down for another delicious recipe (slow cooker recipe for hot summer days). Send your own healthy recipes to studentlife@nic.bc.ca.

Supports and Services

NIC educational, financial aid and Aboriginal education advisors are available for online drop-in sessions on Thursdays from 1-3pm PDT throughout August. For the online meeting link and directions on how to join these sessions, email questions@nic.bc.ca or indigenousadvising@nic.bc.ca for Aboriginal advising. Learn more at www.nic.bc.ca/life-at-nic/nic-news/news/drop-in-advising/

Our Student Technical Service team is hosting drop-in sessions to answer any questions on how to use Blackboard or MyNIC. Use your computer or mobile device to connect! Learn more at https://library.nic.bc.ca/studenttech

Learn Anywhere: NIC’s Learn Anywhere website is geared to provide a collection of information that will help you be successful learning digitally by covering area such as:  What is digital learning? How to be a digital learner while using NIC-supported technologies during your studies? A list of key skills and knowledge all students should have for successful learning in today’s world, knowing your rights and responsibilities and Technology Readiness Checklists. More details at: https://learnanywhere.opened.ca/

As a student, you are eligible to receive a student photo ID card. However, with social distancing restrictions currently in place face-to-face services in Student Services is unavailable. You can still get your photo ID card by mail. To do this, you will need to email, from your North Island College email address, a jpeg headshot between 10-2500KB, and a clear copy of another photo ID (driver’s license, passport, BC ID, etc) to photoid@nic.bc.ca. Once student services have received your jpeg headshot, they will produce your ID card and mail it to the current address on your NIC student record. If you have moved and not updated your address, you must do this, or the card will be sent to the wrong address.

Have you done any research, work or presentations that would be beneficial for other NIC students that we can share? Let us know by sending an email to studentlife@nic.bc.ca.

If there is information you'd like to see included in upcoming communications, or would like to share, please let us know at studentlife@nic.bc.ca.

Enjoy your week and stay well,

Dean Martin
Manager, Student Life

If you wish to respond or have any questions, please click here.

Healthy Eating

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 4 lemons
  • 2-3 heads of garlic
  • 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
  • Fresh rosemary or any fresh herbs
  • All-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut garlic heads and lemons in half and lay in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Cut the bottoms off the lemons so they lay flat.
  3. Add a sprig of rosemary, or any herbs.
  4. Remove insides from chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry.
  5. Season chicken well, inside and out, with all-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper.
  6. Lay chicken on top of garlic and lemon slices and stuff the chicken with a garlic head cut in half, and a lemon cut in quarters.
  7. Cover top of chicken with additional lemon slices and rosemary.
  8. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
  9. Slow cooker cooking times vary.
  10. Important: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
  11. When chicken has reached 165, turn off slow cooker and let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes.
  12. Remove from slow cooker, carve and serve.
  13. Liquid from slow cooker can be strained and served over chicken.

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