Checklist for success at Malaspina University-College

Launching a successful year at Malaspina University-College starts before the first class.
The thousands of students now arriving in Nanaimo for their year at Malaspina have schedules to set, books to buy, finances to find, and a host of other tasks to complete before tackling the bigger challenge of getting an education.

Students can use the following tips to smooth their transition from summer to studying, whether they are coming from high school, resuming their education, or preparing for a career change.

Financial Aid: When financing your education, your new best friends could be the experts at Malaspina’s Financial Aid and Awards office, where you can get advice on the scholarships, awards and bursaries available to Malaspina students.

Located in Student Services, Building 200, the office accepts applications for bursaries between July 1 and October 31, and again between November 1 and January 31. Applications for scholarships and awards are accepted between December 1 and January 15; and again between March 1 and April 30.

Information on financial aid is also available online at www.viu.ca/calendar/bursary.aspand at www.viu.ca/calendar/awards.asp.

Student Loans: Technology has shrunk the application time for processing student loans but it is not instantaneous. To ensure funding is received for September, students should have applied by mid-July. An application can still be made at any time through the British Columbia Student Assistance Program website at www.bcsap.bc.ca. Allow at least four weeks for processing.

You can also go to the website to check your application status and update your mailing address.

Housing: Looking to put a roof over your head? Check out newspaper classifieds, bulletin boards on campus or around the community, or go to http://isweb.viu.ca/housing_list/housing_list.aspfor guidelines on renting and a list of off-campus accommodation.

Western Student Housing is now accepting applications for student residence housing for January 2007. For information and an application form, go to:

http://www.malaspinaresidences.ca/apply.html

Registration: Prior to the start of classes on September 5, double-check your registration, to ensure you are registered in the courses you want to take. It can all be done online, starting from www.viu.ca/registration.aspand following the prompts.

"All the tools are available on our website for students to manage their student record easily and effectively," said Registrar Fred Jacklin.

The $200 tuition deposit for fall session courses was due by July 31. All academic students should now have received a brochure, For the Record, which provides information on fee payments, adding or dropping courses, wait list procedures, prerequisites, exams, transcripts, program planning and more. Copies of the brochure are available on campus or can be downloaded from www.viu.ca/registration.asp.

If you’re still looking for courses, go to http://www.viu.ca/ExamSchedules/AvailableSections.aspto see a list of classes with available seats.

Books: Spend less time buying and more time reading by strategically planning book buying. Ideally, you’ve bought your books before classes start. During the first two weeks of classes, the bookstore is open from 8 -6, Monday to Thursday, and from 8 – 5 on Friday. Busiest hours are from 9 – 4.

Bring your registration receipt, to more quickly find the required texts. Ask questions at the book enquiry counter before joining a line-up. If you are on a wait list for a course, don’t purchase books for that course until you have a confirmed seat.

Save money by buying used textbooks. Used textbooks in the bookstore are 25 per cent less than new books. If you have books to sell, the book store will offer extended buy-back hours between September 5 and 8, 9 - 3 each day.

Watch for the new Bookstore website, currently in development at www.malaspinabookstore.ca, which will include book classifieds, buyback alerts, special event listings, and booklists.

You can also use the Malaspina Student Union’s BookSwap service to buy and sell used textbooks. Located in the Students’ Union building, BookSwap is open Monday to Thursday from 9 – 5, and on Friday between 9 - 4.

Student ID: If this is your first year at Malaspina, you’ll need your photo ID card, which doubles as your library card, photocopy and print card, and gym access card. You can also use your card to pay for cafeteria meals at a 10 per cent discount, and as ID for other student discounts, including bus passes.

To get your card, bring your student number and one piece of photo ID to the card centre, located at the entrance to the library. At the start of the term, the centre is open from 9 - 6 and is especially busy at lunchtime.

If possible, get your card before the start of classes or show up earlier in the morning or later in the day. Students with older cards may want to upgrade to the new, multi-function cards.

Library: Once you have your student ID/library card, take it to the Library’s Service Desk to receive your library PIN. The PIN lets you access library services online.

Start your research early, to ensure you have time to obtain any required resources through interlibrary loan. To obtain help, you can contact the Library’s Reference Desk, phone 740-6151, or use the online Ask-A-Librarian form.

For online research, use Marlin, the library’s online catalogue for print and multi-media materials. You can also check the library's online guides and tutorials for research help, or try Google Scholar. Your portal to online library services opens at http://www.viu.ca/library/.

Parking: Bring your student number and photo ID to pick up your student parking permit from the parking security office, which is located at the entrance of building 300. From September 1 – 15, the parking office will be open for extended hours, from 8 - 6, Monday to Friday, and from 8 - 4 on Saturdays.