Monday, March 29, 2021
Upcoming Etiquette Event - April 8th
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Multiply your Success with the Math Learning Center!
By Bailey Harris, Belk College of Business Peer Advisor
Are you a business major and you tend to struggle with Math classes?
Well you are in the right place.
Part of being a business student at UNC-Charlotte is getting through those necessary math classes that are required in our business progression courses in order to declare your upper-level major. STAT 1220 and MATH 1120 can be a challenge for some students while other students are very successful in it, we are all different. If you are one of those students that doesn’t enjoy math and have difficulty understanding the material then I definitely encourage you to keep reading.
First off, recognize that it is normal to struggle in math classes and that you are not alone in this challenge. Students all over campus have difficulties in math classes no matter their major. Luckily, the university offers various resources you can utilize to help strengthen your math comprehension skills and to ultimately successfully get through these challenging math classes. The main resource we are going to discuss is The Math Learning Center and the benefits of attending the tutoring sessions.
What is the Math Learning Center?
- The Math Learning Center is a place for all of your mathematical needs. The Math Learning Center offers drop-in and by appointment tutoring for MATH and STAT classes to any enrolled student regardless of major or academic standing and there are no additional costs for attending a session. They have trained tutors that are there to patiently guide you through the math concepts and classes that are giving you some level of difficulty.
How do I attend MATH Drop-In Tutoring?
- During the Spring 2021 semester, the Math Learning Center is only offering virtual math tutoring to students. Attending MATH and STAT drop in tutoring is very easy with just a click of a button on their main website and that brings you straight into the drop-in tutoring zoom call. The image below shows you the exact button you need to press to be taking to the Math Drop-In Tutoring Zoom link. Expect to have your name, your course including section number, your instructor’s name, and the specific topic that you are seeking help with prepared before for the session. The drop in hours of the Math Learning Center are as follows:
● Monday-Thursday: 1:00pm-9:00pm
● Friday-Saturday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
What subjects do they offer MATH Drop-In Tutoring for?
- The Math Learning Center offers tutoring for MATH and STAT classes that range from lower level 900s to the higher level courses in the 3000s. That means whether you are in MATH 1120 or even STAT 1220 you are able to utilize the Math Learning Center to help you with any course concepts that are challenging to you.
How was attending MATH Drop-In Tutoring beneficial?
- After attending the Math Drop-In Tutoring, I understand the many benefits of going to the drop-in tutoring sessions. One of those reasons is because by attending these tutoring sessions you get other perspectives from the tutor that the professor for the class may not be able to offer you. You have the ability to look at problems in a different way than you did before. You can learn new strategies to and ways to study for upcoming exams or homework. With drop-in tutoring, you have the ability to drop into the tutoring sessions whenever you are available during the drop-in hours that are offered meaning you can work around your time commitments to go when it is most convenient for you. With the Math Drop-In tutoring sessions you are allowed to come in small groups. Small group tutoring sessions give you the opportunity to be in a group with fellow classmates or people who may have similar questions or struggles as you do. All of the tutors for the Math Learning Center are math majors and are trained to answer your questions as thoroughly as possible to ensure you have a good understanding of the material.
What other services are offered through the Math Learning Center?
- The Math Learning Center also offers by appointment tutoring. You are able to schedule a time to meet with a tutor of your choice to discuss the different topics you are struggling with or to even just prepare for an exam. There are ten different trained math tutors from the Math Learning Center that you can pick from and each of them are tutors for specific math courses. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with a Math Learning Center Tutor go the math.uncc.edu Directory List. The image below shows the screen you should be on and gives your proper instructions on what you need to have for the appointment and how to book one.
The Math Learning Center was created to help students succeed and grow in mathematical comprehension so I urge you to take advantage of this resource that the university is providing to you. All you have to do is take the step to drop-in or schedule an appointment with one of their tutors. You’ll never truly know the benefits of the Math Learning Center unless you check it out yourself.
How Can I Get Over My Fear of Public Speaking?
by Amy Kidder, Belk College Peer Advisor
Public speaking of any type can be nerve wracking. Presentations for classes, clubs and organizations, or even group presentations can be stressful if you don’t feel confident going into it. A lot of people have different experiences when it comes to speaking in front of others. I’ve always been nervous before I have to speak, and I’ve been performing on stage since I was three years old! It’s something that I’ve worked on over the years, and I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve collected from various public speaking courses, workshops, and colleagues.
How can I get over my fear of public speaking?
Unfortunately, we can’t just take a class on public speaking and suddenly become confident and comfortable giving presentations. There really is no one way to completely get over your fear that works for everyone. It may be that you’ll never fully get over it, but can learn how to manage it.
The most obvious way to feel more confident is to practice. This can be true for a lot of things in life and your career. Interviewing, for example, is very similar to giving presentations in that you are very nervous and have to talk and answer questions. But, after lots and lots of practice it gets easier. Try practicing in front of other people like your roommates, friends, a mentor, anyone who you would feel comfortable with getting their feedback. If you would rather practice by yourself, you can try recording yourself and playing it back to see what it sounds like and how you look.
Something that helps with nerves right before your presentation is taking deep breaths. I also recommend listening to your favorite song to help get pumped up.
How do you prepare for group presentations?
I highly recommend making the time to practice together a few times or at the very least once before the actual presentation. It makes a huge difference because you get to know each other’s speaking style, how long their section will be, and if it flows well together.
Another tip is try to plan beforehand what you’ll say to transition to the next person. Say something such as, “Now I will pass it to Paul to talk more about the benefits of technology”. This can help to prevent awkward pauses and let a group member know when to change slides.
How can I get the audience excited about what I’m talking about?
There are several ways to connect with your audience. One of the easiest ways is to ask them questions, even if it is just rhetorical. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re looking at the audience for many reasons. Not only does it make it look like you are interested in talking to them, but it can also help them hear and understand you better. It can also be helpful to see nonverbal cues from your audience that will let you know if they are understanding or might be confused.
Another great way to connect with the audience is to tell a story that they can relate to. It will help them trust what you are saying and imagine themselves in whatever situation you are mentioning.
What are ways I can make myself sound more professional?
One key to sounding professional is by appearing professional. This means dress nicely in your business casual or business professional. It also means having good posture and facing the audience. Using hand gestures can be effective if used sparingly. Use enough that you look natural, but not too much that it becomes distracting. The same can be said about movement such as walking around. A little movement can be good, but don’t make it distracting.
Once you look the part, you will feel more confident about what you’re saying, and your audience will trust you too. A few things to avoid may include:
- Avoid filler words such as “um” or “like” (recording yourself can be a great way to notice if you tend to use them often).
- Avoid using acronyms unless you clearly explain what it stands for and it is something you will be talking about a lot.
- Avoid using phrases or slang that people from other cultures, countries, or even just not from your home state wouldn’t know and understand.
How can I make my PowerPoint look more professional?
A great PowerPoint will support your speaking without detracting from your words. Use a minimal amount of words on each slide. Most people do not enjoy reading a paragraph on the screen. There is no need to make complete sentences, bullet points are fine. If you are going to have text on the slide, make sure it is legible. That means a large, clear font in a color that’s easy to read. If you have pictures, again, make sure people can see them. It’s best to have it take up a whole slide.
Lastly, I’ll end by saying please keep in mind that (1) not everyone has the same experiences, these were just some things that I’ve found helpful myself, and (2) if the presentation is for a class, always follow the directions from your professor regarding how they would prefer you to structure your PowerPoint or the content of your speech. Just like us, each professor has their own experiences and reasons behind why they assign something a particular way. Be sure to check the grading rubric as well.
I hope these tips will be helpful as you are preparing for your next presentation or public speaking event.
Top 5 Public Speaking Tips from a Peer Guide
by Mansi Sodha, Peer Guide
Public speaking is an imperative skill in any industry. Having the ability to effectively communicate with your audience can prove to be instrumental for individuals throughout their careers. Keep reading for our top 5 tips on how to improve your public speaking skills!
- Know your audience
Tailor your speech to the needs of your audience. For instance, if you have reason to believe that your audience does not have knowledge about your topic, spend the introduction giving them a brief overview of your topic. Knowing this will also help you make a general outline of your speech, making it easier to then build the rest of your presentation.
- Develop a relationship with your audience
Your message will be all the more effective if your audience understands the purpose behind your presentation. Make a captivating introduction, use humor and hand gestures - this will keep the audience engaged throughout!
- Make eye contact/maintain good posture
Making direct eye contact with your audience will help you build a connection with them. Try not to look over the heads of your audience. Furthermore, maintaining good posture throughout the duration of your speech will signal to the audience that you care and are genuinely passionate about the subject of your presentation.
- Go off script
It’s acceptable to have an outline for your speech- but try to be authentic when you’re speaking. Speak directly to specific audience members if you notice commonalities and if you have a visual to provide, try to make it as less wordy as possible so that the audience does not get overwhelmed with information.
- Practice makes perfect
The best way to master public speaking is to do it over and over. Practice with friends, family members, co-workers, anyone who is willing to listen! The University Career Center and the Niblock Student Center also have excellent ongoing resources to help you prepare for your next public speaking experience! Check out their calendars at these links below:
Women+ Innovation, Technology & Business: Mentoring & Networking
All students are welcome to join this opportunity to hear a keynote address on Mentoring & Networking from Stacy Cassio of the Pink Mentor Network and meet professionals from RSM to receive networking advice and build your network.
Networking is one of the most effective tools you can cultivate for your job search, and mentorship is a great way to navigate your career and strengthen your network. Join us to learn more about these important topics!
- April 1, 2021 | 3pm- 5pm | Zoom
Register here, and we look forward to seeing you there!
L.E.A.D. Summit with PNC
Applications are open for PNC Bank's Virtual Leadership & Education for Advancing Diversity (L.E.A.D.) Summit. This event will give students the opportunity to connect with their peers from across the country, engage with leadership, and learn more about what it means to work within financial services. This is open to all majors, and if interested, you can apply here.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Lunch & Learn Recap: Driving Diversity
On March 17th, the Niblock Student Center held a Lunch & Learn event on Driving Diversity: Examples in Corporate Programs. This panel included:
Lenny Coltrane - PwC
Kelley Fitzpatrick - Ally
Nathan Hamilton - Vanguard
With diversity & inclusion being such important topics in today’s time, it is necessary to understand what each company is doing in terms of constant growth in these areas. Our panelists discussed how they are a part of D&I initiatives, how their workplace has created an inclusive environment, and barriers to entry can impact underrepresented populations.
Thank you so much to our panelists for joining us, we really appreciated your time and the rich conversation!
Missed this Lunch & Learn? Be sure to check out the next one on Tuesday, April 13th from 2:30pm-3:30pm on Networking Like A Pro: Tips To Building Professional Relationships. For event registration as well as future events at the Niblock Student Center calendar at this link:
Become a Peer Advisor!
by Erika Colvin,
Hi Business Niners! My name is Erika and I serve as one of the Senior Peer Advisors for the 2020-2021 school year. With the end of the year quickly approaching it is recruitment season for the 2021-2022 Peer Advisor Team.
Peer Advisors assist students with advising needs such as creating class schedules, how to get involved on campus, finding important resources, and explaining academic policies. Be responsive to students’ concerns through emails and follow-up if questions cannot be answered during appointments. Since we work with Pre-Business students Peer Advisors have the opportunity to become experts about the Belk College of Business and all of the things the college has to offer.
Benefits of being a Peer Advisor:
Gain real-world, leadership, and problem-solving experiences
Experience working in higher education
Learn teamwork, project management, and communication skills
Niblock Student Center Academic & Career Coaches serve as mentors
Professional Development events/activities through UPIP
As a Peer Advisor your day ranges depending on the time in the semester. As student employees, the first thing students do is attend class or prepare to attend class later in the day. Our work schedules are prepared around class schedules, so every day typically runs smoothly. After students start to get a feel for their semester the Peer Advisor campaigns begin. Throughout the semester we run Early Alert, Midterm grade, Freshman group advising sessions, semester planning, etc. During each campaign, our job as Peer Advisors is to give each student different steps for success, resources, and strategies to make sure that each student does the best of their abilities. During the campaigns, we are able to build a relationship with students in order to make sure they are successful throughout the school year. We also have the opportunity to do speaking engagements on behalf of the Belk College of Business, which enhances our professional development skills.
Being a Peer Advisor is a very rewarding experience because you are able to work directly with fellow students who are or have gone through similar challenges as yourself and get to help them through the process. As I senior Peer Advisor I have enjoyed helping students get acclimated to the campus and helping them reach their goals. If you are looking to get involved in the Belk College of Business as a paraprofessional, the Peer Advisor position is a great opportunity!
Join us at an interest session to learn more about the position!
March 21st - 7:30 PM
March 31st - 2:30 PM
April 6th - 10:00 AM
Peer Advisor Applications are live on Hire-A-Niner & due April 9th!
Go to https://hireaniner.uncc.edu/ and log in with your student credentials!
Type Belk College of Business in the search bar!
Select UPIP: Peer Advisor-Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 (full year)
Read the information about the position & apply!
My Writing Resource Center Experience
by Amy Kidder, Belk College Peer Advisor
I had the opportunity to visit the Writing Resource Center (WRC) recently to review a paper I had for class. Here’s what my experience was like:
How do you schedule an appointment with the WRC?
On the main UNC Charlotte website you can find information about the Writing Resource Center and how to schedule an appointment. During this Spring 2021 semester, all of their appointments are virtual through Zoom.
To schedule any type of appointment you have to make an account on the WRC website. It only takes a couple of minutes.
There are two types of appointments: eTutoring and Video Conferencing.
For the eTutoring appointments, you need to upload your paper and you will get an email notification when someone has responded to your paper. This can be helpful if you don’t have much free time in your schedule. It allows you to see written feedback on your work and make the changes on your own time.
For a Video Conferencing appointment, you need to select a date and time for your face-to-face virtual meeting. This can be beneficial if you have a lot of questions and enjoy being able to have a more detailed conversation about your paper.
For each appointment it asks you a series of questions about what you are looking to get out of your tutoring session and what you need help with. It asks for a due date and what class the assignment is for.
You will get an email confirmation about the appointment with the link to join the session on the day of your appointment.
What was the Live Video Conferencing appointment like?
I signed up for a 45 minute appointment and when I joined the main Zoom room I was put in a breakout room with my tutor, Andrew. I had asked for help to review a paper before I submitted it to make sure it flowed well and there were no spelling or grammatical errors.
I shared my screen with my paper and Andrew and I read through it together. He pointed out anything that he had a question about or that could be changed.
Andrew was very helpful and honest about my paper. He even let me ask a few questions about his experience working at the WRC.
Here are some of the questions I asked:
Why did you want to work at the WRC? Andrew majored in creative writing and loves helping people. He thought this would be a way he could combine these passions.
What are some of the most common questions you get asked by students? Most students want help revising their paper and figuring out the various rules for citations.
What types of papers do you review the most? A huge variety: Graduate School application letters, dissertations, and general essays from students from all majors.
What is something that students might not know about the WRC? The WRC is also working on creating workshops for students about different topics like citation styles, thesis statements, and even help with presentations.
What are some tips you have for students? Read your paper out loud to see if it makes sense. Even if you are a strong writer, it is always helpful to have another set of eyes read over your paper.
Overall, I had a great experience at my virtual appointment at the WRC. It made me feel a lot more prepared and confident to submit my assignment. I will be sure to use their resources again the next time I have a paper to write. Here are a few more takeaways I had:
TIPS:
It is helpful to the tutor if you can upload the rubric or specific assignment instructions from your professor along with your paper.
You can sign up for two 45 minute sessions in a week. Try visiting multiple tutors to get different perspectives on your paper.
SOMETHINGS I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE WRC:
You can use the WRC to help with group project papers.
The WRC can help you prepare for a presentation.
The WRC can be especially helpful for students whose native language is not English.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Everything You Need to Know about Schedule Wizard
By Bailey Harris, Belk College of Business Peer Advisor
Nervous about Registration coming up? There are multiple resources you can utilize to prepare for registration-- you've just got to find your fit and take advantage of them! Schedule Wizard could be something you are interested in, if you are a planner or visual learner who likes to see what everything will look like. Keep reading to learn about some advantages and challenges of Schedule Wizard.
What is Schedule Wizard?
Schedule Wizard is a schedule planning tool that students can use to search, plan, and review a wide variety of schedules that fit with their time commitments. This is a platform you can use to ease finding your class schedule that is most efficient for you and helps you get an idea of what your week will look like with each schedule that is created out of your picked classes.
Where can I find Schedule Wizard?
Schedule Wizard is luckily easy to access. All you have to do is go to your my.uncc.edu page and under the Quick Links you will find it.
- Generates different schedules available to you for the classes you have picked for the upcoming semester. Includes the ability to create breaks or block specific times that you may have prior commitments.
- Allows you to see a weekly view of a proposed class schedule. See a sample of what this looks like below.
- Generates hundreds or even thousands of schedules depending on the options you indicate for your classes and allows you to “heart” your favorite schedules and name them whatever you want.
- Allows you to send proposed course schedule to banner by clicking "send to shopping cart" where it saves course CRN information. You can submit "Register" as soon as your registration time opens.
- Doesn't update as quickly as live banner self service. Seat availability isn't always accurate. Be sure to double check openings in banner!
- Doesn't consider prerequisites, meaning you could pick a class you are not eligible for and move to register for it and be unable to. Remember to cross reference courses descriptions in Banner Self Service and the catalog.
- Doesn't read restricted course sections. For example, classes designated as an "H" are reserved for honor's students. Other restricted include for learning communities or certain majors. Schedule Wizard does not specifically indicate what course sections are restricted
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Exciting Opportunities with the College of Education
Friday, March 12, 2021
Effective Time Management Tips
By Mansi Sodha, Belk College Peer Guide
Time management is important in every phase of life, but especially in college. When mastered, time management can serve as a great skill for every individual. Keep reading for our top tips on how to effectively manage your time!
● Be intentional
○ Start your day with a clear focus in mind of what you have to get done. This can be done by making a to-do list to sort out activities that can be done quickly, things that take more time or just simple reminders to keep you organized.
● Prioritize!
○ Tasks are never ending, but they don’t always have to be done in one day. Look at your to do list and think what is imperative to get done on that day and what can be pushed to a later day. You can also leave a list at the bottom to list out things you can do if the tasks of the day are completed to get ahead for the next day/week to come.
● Find a structure
○ Allot time to do specific tasks at a specific time. It can be helpful to think of this as splitting your work up based on your classes or job. Time blocking can also prevent one task from taking up too much time in your day and leaving time for everything you have to get done!
● Take breaks
○ Breaks are scientifically proven to make individuals more productive. While it is important to get a lot done, it is even more important to recharge yourself. This can be done by taking a few minutes to have a snack, listen to music, or something you enjoy.
● Reward yourself
○ Always remember to do something you enjoy at the end of a long day. Oftentimes, it can be helpful to structure your day in a way where you stop working at a specific time. This can give you the remainder of the day to unwind and prepare for the day ahead.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Opportunity to Join a Fireside Chat: Finding your unique Latino voice in Corporate America
Friday, March 5, 2021
The University Center of Academic Excellence: The Best Friend You Didn’t Know You Need.
We consistently find every year that there is a correlation between going to class and a student’s GPA. So for freshmen who answered the survey and said they missed no classes, what do you think their GPA was? 3.39 For freshmen that said they missed 4 or more classes what do you think their GPA was? 1.03. This is one of many new things learned in the workshops sponsored by the UCAE!
Peer Advisors Taylor and Bailey take on a UCAE workshop to review before you go. We went to a Time Management online workshop with UCAE graduate assistant Catherine Moore and we could not recommend these workshops more! The University Center for Academic Excellence, or UCAE, is a great resource for students to help with classes, school development, and overall success. Keep reading to learn more about the UCAE, their workshops, and why these are beneficial to you as a student.
What is the UCAE?
The University Center of Academic Excellence is an office that offers academic support and resources to all UNC-Charlotte students. Its mission is to increase learning effectiveness, enhance student success, and promote academic excellence. All of the services that the UCAE offers students are built into our tuition so therefore you are already paying for the services so use them to your advantage.
What are UCAE workshops?
UCAE Workshops are highly interactive, 45-minute workshops aimed to help students strengthen their academic performance. These workshops are run by trained Staff and Graduate Students; currently, they are offered virtually, in-person, and across campus.
The UCAE offers 17 different types of workshops that range from Finding Your Motivation to Time Management and more. These workshops are interactive for students to ensure that everyone can get the most out of the workshop and to promote discussions about common struggles we all face as students.
How to schedule RSVP for a workshop
Go to the UCAE Workshop Calendar to view the list of events and details. These are informative sessions designed to effectively help you better balance your coursework and personal life. Once you find one out of the calendar you want to attend then click on it and put it in your calendar! You don’t have to register to attend workshops but make sure to be on time and if they are in person make sure to bring your Student ID.
Quick Summary of Time Management Workshop
This 45-Minute session was jam-packed with new information and study tips to help students get on track and stay on track with their studies. The Time Management workshop was very interactive even in an online setting. Some things we reviewed in this session are:
- Try to break things into portions of 20 to 30 mins weeks or days in advance to manage time properly.
- Plan monthly, weekly, daily. Prioritize your tasks based on the importance
- ABC Daily Planning
- “A” tasks you haveto do today
- “B” tasks you shoulddo today
- “C” tasks that would be nice to do today
- Make sure to plan ‘you time’ for yourself to lessen the feeling of being burnt out
- If you have a lack of discipline try to remember why you are in college, and what motivates you to study hard.
- Use the features on your phone such as: hide social media apps from your home screen, block screen time, and remember to take planned phone breaks
What are two things you learned from this workshop?
The two biggest things we learned from this workshop are:
The 4 R’s of Time Management with your phone
1. Remove - remove any distractions from your proximity
2. Replace - replace some time spent on social media with productive tasks
3. Rearrange - rearrange your time and phone apps to be more productive
4. Reclaim - reclaim your time to get the most out of your study time
The 3 P’s of Time Management
1. Plan - “Failing to plan is planning to fail” take time to write all of your tasks down and get them out of your head
2. Prioritize - Use the ABC’s of daily planning and prioritize your tasks
3. Perform - Concentrate on each individual task until it is 100% completed and you will perform well both in the short term and long run
What are the benefits of attending a workshop?
Workshops are very beneficial to your success as a student. You may have an effective way of studying or taking notes, but these workshops will help you get more ideas for how you could push a little further to get a high A or actually retain information rather than memorizing for a test (I know we all do that as students sometimes). You can meet other students at these sessions who may be in similar classes or situations and can help with their learning tricks as well. Since these services are free to you as a student, use them!
What other services does the UCAE offer?
The UCAE offers way more than just workshops for UNC-Charlotte students they also provide Tutoring that is by appointment and drop-in, Peer Assisted Learning sessions that are led by fellow peers in groups, Personal Academic Consultations that are one-on-one consultations to ensure your academic success, the 49er Rebound Program to help those on academic probation, and SOS Peer Mentoring that is led by peers to help fellow undergraduate students that are having academic difficulties or on academic probation.
To learn more about the UCAE and all of the services they offer, visit their website! It’s been a challenging year for all of us as students, but keep pushing through and we will get through this together!