30 seconds... Attempting to Coax Sam the Bird to Be Friendly

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so therefore, I have decided to post one of our lighter "30 Seconds..." video blog entries. 

In the Agriculture and Forestry building, there is a jungle-like greenhouse environment full of birds and beautiful greenery - a veritable jungle paradise in which students can spend the cold winter months. Students can be found in the greenhouse relaxing, sketching, and often socializing with Sam, the overly friendly bird. 

After being told of the friendly creature, the CSD staff took it upon themselves to film Sam. Unfortunately, we were quite unsuccessful, but the footage is pretty entertaining.

Without further ado, "30 Seconds... Attempting to Coax Sam the Bird to be Friendly"

Vitamin A Presents... The Parent Orientation Video

The first round of Parent Orientation has already come and gone, and I am happy to report that it was a smashing success. 

Parent Orientation offers parents, as well as future U of A students, a chance to see our beautiful campus and receive some very important information about the years ahead. Students receive a ONEcard quickpass, and get a chance to learn about student life and academic success. Students also get a chance to visit the downtown area, as well as Whyte Avenue, and they receive a tour of campus. At the same time, parents receive presentations from the Office of the Dean of Students, the Academic Support Center, Campus Security Services and many others. Parents also receive campus tours, and get a chance to find out about the services available to their students.

The next Parent Orientation is on August 22nd, and parents can already register online here, and can get more information at www.su.ualberta.ca/orientation (click on "Parents"). Unfortunately, we do not offer a Student Track during the second round of Parent Orientation, but students can register for "New Student Orientation 2009 - Next Exit: U of A" here. 

p.s. Sorry about the video quality. I had some issues posting it, and this was the best option. For better quality, please visit the Facebook fan-page. 

Scared Student's Question has Response lost in the Mail...

A very sad thing happened to me today, and I would like to tell everyone about it. I received a frantic question through the Q&A service today, and I typed up my response, and it turns out the person's email was incorrect and the message couldn't be delivered. Therefore, on the off-chance that they read the Vitamin A blog, I will post their question and my response here, and hope that they see it. If the person who asked the question happens to see it, please let me know, and I will sleep easy. Also, maybe other students have the same question, and this will help them. I'm always looking out for you guys, you should know this. 

Q. OH. MY. GOD. I am SOOOO scared of the UOFA!!!! It will be such a big big campus and I will get so lost and confused and i'm stressin to the max, man help me plZ!!! 

A. The best thing I can possibly suggest to deal with your concerns is to come to Orientation 2009. At Orientation, you will receive a campus tour (to deal with your fear of the large and confusing campus), as well as a variety of informational seminars regarding the ins-and-outs of University life. Topics addressed include Academics, Student Life, Security on Campus, University Etiquette and Community Involvement. I'm not sure whether you have already registered for Orientation (since the Q&A question box is placed in a variety of locations, including the Registration page), but if you haven't, I highly recommend it. Also important to Orientation is the over 6000 new students, with exactly the same concerns as you. Some people stay friends with people they meet at Orientation throughout their academic lives.

Another resource available to you is the Vitamin A program, run by the very same people that put on Orientation. Vitamin A consists of four programs that will help you get to know campus and the people around you, and ensure that they continue their U of A career with great success. Vitamin A Campus Connection is a mixed group of students in various years that meet monthly for networking, recreation and leisure events. Senior students are drawn from a variety of areas on campus and can help new students find their place in the campus community. This is also a great way to meet new friends outside of Orientation, and to attend events directed by the interests of all participating students, such as trips to West Edmonton Mall or other areas of Edmonton, or movie nights. If you think Vitamin A Campus Connections is a good fit for you, please email me, or visit www.su.ualberta.ca/connection for more information. The Vitamin A Passport Program rewards students for attending events around campus. Events range from athletic to cultural, and students have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes. This is a great way to find activities to balance your academics with, such as Studio Theater, or Athletic games, and to be rewarded for doing so. For more information, please visit www.su.ualberta.ca/passport and let me know whether you would like to be added to the Vitamin A Passport Program monthly newsletter, which tells you about all of the things that are happening on campus. The Vitamin A Seminar Program is a series of informational seminars presented by various services around campus on a variety of topics with the aim of improving student's success at the U of A. We are also planning seminars for schedule building as well as stress management for students concerned with balancing their social lives with their academic lives. For more information and to see the schedule of seminars, please visit www.su.ualberta.ca/seminars. The last program is the one that you are utilizing right now, the Q&A. For more information about the Vitamin A Program, please visit the Vitamin A Website, at www.su.ualberta.ca/vitaminA, the Vitamin A blog, at www.UASUvitaminA.blogspot.com, or become a fan on Facebook. 

I have only outlined two things that will help you find you place in the campus community, and there are tons of other options as well. Do your research at clubs fair during Orientation about Student groups you might want to join, or Services you might want to volunteer for. Get out there and do your research, because there are so many exciting and fulfilling opportunities available to you.

Above all, you are not alone in your concerns. The questions that you have are common to most, if not all University students, but what is not common is that you are asking your questions early, and preparing for what is to come. This already puts you at an advantage.

Vitamin A Q&A Featured Question

Since I have a feeling there will be a lot of questions about the upcoming Student Health plan, I have decided to share a recent question I received through the Q&A service for everyone's information. 

Q: On my fee assessment page, there is a dental and health plan for the fall term but not the winter term. Why is that? Are these fees mandatory? 

A: The fee for the dental and health plan is assessed in September, but it covers students from September to August (so you only have to pay it once). You are able to opt out of the Health Plan if you wish, and you can do so at http://ihaveaplan.ca/. You will also be able to access more information about the plan at that site, including a Frequently Asked Questions page.

Infolink (and why you need them)

One of the goals of the Vitamin A blog is to acquaint individuals both coming to the University, and already at the University, with the different services around Campus. One of the most important services, and the first service in what will now be referred to as a "Services Round-Up" is Infolink. 

And who better to explain Infolink than the manager, Hallie:

"At InfoLink, we strive to be a comprehensive student information source for all things university-related. We specialize in academic information, but are able to assist with any question related to the campus community. You've got questions; we've got answers!"

With that being said, here is the latest in the series of "30 Seconds with...": Erin!