Central Advising hosts course planning workshop for new KPU students

Every semester, there is a new surge of students arriving at KPU, many of whom are fresh from high school. Navigating through the changes may be confusing, which is why KPU Central hosted a two-session Course Planning Workshop to help new students navigate the upcoming Spring 2021 semester. The workshop sessions were held via Microsoft Teams on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, and explained how KPU is functioning with online classes, and gave students information to help familiarize themselves with the registration process.

The workshop was led by Theresa Voorsluys, the Interim Manager of Academic Advising, and Amy Yiu, one of the Academic Advisors at KPU. Through these workshops, they provided basic information about the school system in order to help students make good decisions, and referred students to other helpful resources they could make use of.

Five main topics were focused on the workshop: course load, program requirements, registration, timetable, and tips on how to register.

Course load refers to the number of courses a student can take in a semester. Voorsluys and Yiu suggested that each student’s course load should depend on the number of hours students can dedicate to schoolwork while balancing their other activities.

After that, they demonstrated how students could go to the KPU website to find the requirements of their program of choice. They also showed students about the “Plan Ahead” tab for preparations before registration, and the timetable for class schedules.

They explained the difference between synchronous and asynchronous classes, which are going to continue throughout the Spring semester. If students have any questions regarding online learning, both Voorsluys and Yiu say that it’s best to contact their course instructors prior to the start of the semester.

Usually, this workshop is held every semester before registration, and Voorsluys and Yiu say that even though there were some delays due to COVID-19, they were glad that students came to participate and learn.

They advised students to practice their time management skills, make connections, get involved in the university, and use the Learning Centre as a resource. Voorsluys and Yiu say that a good way to settle in is to get to know instructors and take maximum advantage of their office hours to address questions or course struggles.

Lastly, they encourage students to check out the Learning Centre’s new program called KPU One-on-One, which gives students the opportunity to meet with faculty strategists, who can provide useful tips for university and exam preparations.

Additional support for students includes KPU 100 Introduction to University, which lets students get familiar with Moodle, and KPU 101 Thriving in Action, a course that explores effective learning strategies related to positive psychology.

For any other questions, students contact Central Advising at advisor@kpu.ca or on Advisor Connect. Visit their website for announcements and general information.