Rising LeadersThe Russell Conwell Center Emerging Scholars Newsletter

www.temple.edu/rcc | Page 1

Volume 1 : Issue 4: Spring 2013

You are well on your way to becoming a Temple student in the Emerging Scholars Program in the Russell Conwell Center. To ensure you have fulfilled all of your requirements, review the following checklist. If you have missed a step, you can still get it done. While you are working on your assign-ments, University Placement Test or NSQ, we are looking forward to meeting you and registering you for your fall classes at your selected New Student Orientation in July. If you have any questions, call us at 215-204-1252. -Michael Stokes, Director, RCC

Steps to Complete Date Done or Due

❏ Complete the RCC Webpage Assignments (every 2 weeks starting 4/1, _______ they are brief and will assist the RCC in your instruction)

❏ Take the online University Placement Exam (available beginning 4/1, _______ you will receive an email to access the exam after you pay your deposit. The Placement Test Must be completed by May 30, 2013)

❏ Complete the online New Student Questionnaire – NSQ (you will receive _______ an email to access the NSQ after your deposit is paid)

❏ Register and attend New Student Orientation (NSO) on either 7/8-9, _______ 7/11-12, or 7/15-16 (register through the link below, you must attend NSO keep your fall courses)

❏ Meet with your RCC Learning Specialist/Advisor to register for your _______ Fall courses on the second day of the NSO you selected

❏ Attend the Emerging Scholars Community Program (from12-4pm) (if you missed the reception, you will also have to attend an 11-12 8/22/13a Emerging Scholars Orientation)

Useful LinksTo sign-up for your

New Student Orientation (NSO) go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EmergingScholarsNSOReg

Sign up to live on-campus in the RCC Living Learning Community

http://www.temple.edu/ studentaffairs/housing/living-

learning-communities/applying.asp

Change your major, go tohttp://www.temple.edu/studen-

taffairs/orientation/freshman-orien-tation/changing-your-major.asp

Diamond Dollars student TU photo http://www.temple.edu/diamond

dollars/owlcard.htm

Pay your deposit; Activate your TU accessnet & email account go tohttp://www.temple.edu/student affairs/orientation/freshman-

orientation/before-you-register.asp

Temple UniversityRussell Conwell Center (RCC) Emerging Scholars Checklist

Preparing for College Continued on page 2

As you approach high school graduation, or perhaps have already graduated, you may not know exactly what to expect .

It is a fun and exciting time, but amidst the positive emotions there may be some fears or worries ranging from academic questions to social challenges. In accordance with these problems, it is the Rus-sell Conwell Center’s job to help you become fully integrated into the collegiate way of life. To help vanquish these uncertainties, we have compiled a list of the most common troubles that plague first year success, and how you can beat them.

The level of work you will be completing in college is going to be much higher than it was in high school. In college, there is simply more work. To combat this, it will be important to brush up on your time management skills. With more free time due to fewer classes and less time in class, it might seem like there will be more free time than you know what to do with. This is where scheduling be-comes very important. Once you start to get involved with activities or have multiple papers due each week, the large amount of time you had turns out to be much less than you thought. On the same note, the work is harder and thus takes up more time. This is where

seeking help from tutors, professors and academic coaches will be paramount. The major difference between high school and college is that everything is on you as the student. In a 150-person lecture, the professor does not have the time or resources to keep track of each student. If you feel like you are getting behind, do not sit and stress. Seek the help and you will receive it; use the resources you have and freshman year will be much easier.

In addition, review the classes you will be taking next semester. Maybe you are taking pre-calculus or chemistry, which you hav-en’t seen in a year or two. Take the opportunity over the summer to brush up on some basic skills. An hour or two a week dedicated toward reviewing material for the fall semester can make the tran-sition much easier, and give you a better chance of achieving high grades. Staying sharp over the summer will take one more thing off the worry list as you look to go back to school.

Academics are very important to surviving college, but the social aspect is just as crucial to having an enjoyable and balanced expe-rience. On a campus with nearly 40,000 students, finding friends

Coaches’ Corner

www.temple.edu/rcc | Page 2

Getting Prepared for College over the

Summer!

1. Don’t waste the Summer! Use your free time to make some money and get your things in order for school in the fall.

2.Take a trip and get ac-quainted with campus! The fewer surprises the better!

3. Make connections with students in your major and your roommates!

4.Take a deep breath and relax. The first semester is hard for a lot of students, but everything gets easier in time.

Coaches’ Tips

Name: Alexandra OlivierHometown: Brooklyn, NYMajor: Double major in Magazine Journalism and Sociology

Less than a month from graduation, Alex reflects on her time spent in Philadelphia and at Temple. Alex hopes to use her love for Stepping as a way to better the communi-ty and eventually have her own non-profit organization.

What are you going to miss about temple?

I will miss my Step team, The La-dies of Elegance, the most. I spent

four years with them, and two as the president. They are really my family on campus.

What were your initial emotions about coming to Temple?

All I felt the first week was excitement. I was excited to start classes, because I knew I was set to take two journalism classes. I was ready to start my major! Also the fact that I was living on campus was really exciting for me. I’m not from here, and living in Philadelphia seemed really cool, and it was almost a chance to start over.

Do you have any advice for new students?

Everyone says it, but grab the college experience by the horns- time flies. I think it is import-ant that students learn to take advantage of everything. Temple offers a lot of discounts on things around the city and it’s a great op-portunity to immerse yourself in the culture. North Philly is only a part of the city. Center City and South Philly are both really cool and worth the trip.

Are you looking forward to graduation?

Yes I am. It is sad to leave, but I am excited to start the internships I have lined up. It’s going to be an adjustment going from classes 2-3 times a week, to no classes and just work every day. The good part is that I love the field I am in and so I could not be more excited to dive right in.

Any post-graduation goals?

I see myself going for my Masters in public administration so I have the knowledge and authority to start my own non-profit. I want to work with urban teenage girls, and use stepping as a means to teach them leadership and build self-confidence. For me, step-ping has always been more than just art. I think of it as a way to connect and give back to the com-munity. My immediate goal is to start my own magazine. I have been working on it for four years. So after graduation I see myself spending a lot of time working on that.

-Christina Betz, Editorial Intern

should not be difficult. But perhaps the sheer amount of people is what scares you. It can be intimidating to come to a large city and have to make a place for yourself. One of the best ways to meet new people is to join clubs that you are interested in. If you attend meetings you are bound to find some-one you get along with, because you have a guaranteed shared hobby/interest.

Over the summer, in addition to studying, make some connections with other students. Summer Bridge is a great time to start building relationships with other students. Some say that the friends they meet here are the friends they have until graduation. Another great option is to get in touch with your future roommate(s). Talking and get-ting to know the person you will be living with makes the process much easier and could have other benefits as well.

Are you worried about the reputation col-lege carries? The great thing about Tem-

ple is that partying and many of the other negative stereotypes about college are not true. You should never feel pressured by other students to engage in activities that you feel uncomfortable with, or that could be damaging to you and others around you. Most students are in the same position; nervous, scared and overall unsure. Connect with someone. After the first week or so you will feel right at home.

Staying healthy is another huge task that new students face. You worry about the food (the scary freshman fifteen), when you can work out, and the amount of sleep you will be able to get. These are very im-portant things to think about when starting school. Eating healthy can be accomplished despite all the rumors! Choose not to eat greasy pizza, and cookies all day. Substitute that burger for a salad. Make more time to go to the gym. Temple offers many dif-ferent exercise options including TUF, the IBC and the Pearson-McGonigle Complex.

Instead of sitting around playing Xbox or watching TV, take an hour and go play basketball with your friends or go for a run. Exercise does just as much for your body, as it does for you brain. Students will notice the ability to concentrate better, and for a longer period of time, and increased motiva-tion when working out on a regular basis.

The most important part to surviving fresh-man year is to stop stressing! Stress can lead to depression and withdrawal, which turns into an endless cycle of negative emotions. Be confident and start making connections as soon as possible. Having a friend and the ability to rely on someone makes the transitioning process much easier, since you will both be going through it at the same time. And always try to solve a problem when you first feel it creeping up;do not procrastinate in getting help. And finally enjoy yourself! Time moves fast, so take advantage of every opportunity.

-Christina Betz, Editorial Intern

Preparing for CollegeContinued from page 1

For more information on typical Freshman transitions or challenges go to http://temple.edu/rcc/site/newsletter.html