Hello MEOC Clients,
The Maine Educational Opportunity Center offers a service for the benefit of those clients who have provided us with an email address - a quarterly newsletter! The first issue of the current academic year is below. If you review the newsletter and do not wish to receive future issues, please email sarah.paterson@umit.maine.edu to unsubscribe. We hope you will find this newsletter to be informative and helpful in fulfilling your educational goals!Greetings from the Maine Educational Opportunity Center!!
Please visit us online at http://meoc.maine.edu/
In this month's issue:
*Services offered by MEOC
*Study tip of the month
*Staff Contact information listing
*Congratulations are in order!
*Reminder about address corrections
I. Services offered by MEOC
Call MEOC at 1-800-281-3703 if you need any of the following FREE services:
*Career Counseling
*College Planning
*Referrals/Advocacy
*College Admissions Assistance
*Financial Aid Counseling
*Default Loan Counseling
A) eChoices.com - the always-on career planning tool from Bridges.com
Maine Educational Opportunity Center clients are now able to access the Choices career planning program on-line. If you are new to Choices, then the features of eChoices will open up a new world of opportunities to you. eChoices is a great way to find more information about colleges and occupations and is FREE for MEOC clients! eChoices can help you:
- Explore careers: check out an occupation and see related programs of study at colleges.
- Discover your interests: The Interest Assessments feature in eChoices helps you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work. You can also use your results as a starting point for searching for occupations. You'll learn more about your work values so you can decide what is important to you in a job.
- Find a college: eChoices is a great starting point for helping you find the college that's right for you. You can search for different colleges by state, majors and programs, campus size and athletics, just to mention a few.
- Save your information: With eChoices, you have the ability to save your information and access it from any computer (yes, even at home). As you move around the website and use its features, the details of your session are stored in your own account so when you return later, you can continue from where you left off.
- Planning for the future: The eChoices planner provides an online portfolio for you to use as a tool in your career planning. Use the Planner to record information about you and your career plans, track your job search activities, and prepare your resume and cover letters.
To Start Using eChoices
1. Go to the website www.eChoices.com
2. Click on "Open Existing Account"
3. Type in the 7 digit Access ID: (see your MEOC Advisor)
4. Type the Access Password: umaine
5. Create your own account name and password and you're all set! It's that easy!
B) SkillsTutor.com - On-line access to extra help in areas in which you're having trouble!
SkillsTutor is a tutorial program designed to improve student achievement for students in grades 3 through adult. The lessons and tutorials found in SkillsTutor are used by thousands of schools across America. There are more than 1,000 skill lessons that help you focus on academic skills. The quizzes and tests in SkillsTutor can help identify your weaker skill areas and then give you lessons to improve your skills. You can even track your progress with short tests before and after you complete the skill areas. Best of all, you can do this all from your home computer.
There are many lessons and skill areas from which to choose, including:
- Reading
-Writing
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Algebra
- Reading Comprehension
- Workforce Readiness Skills
- Science
- Vocabulary
- Information Skills
To get on-line and start using SkillsTutor.com, please contact your MEOC Counselor. Your counselor has to establish an account for you before you're able to begin. You can reach your counselor by telephone at 1-800-281-3703. In the meantime, check out the website at www.skillstutor.com. SkillsTutor is free for MEOC clients!
II. Study Tip of the Month
Why Do Today What I Can Put Off Until Tomorrow: The Battle of Procrastination!
There are times in all of our lives when we put off doing something that we don't want to do. However, this can be a huge problem for the average college student. Far too often we find that all those little things we've put off have turned into a huge looming monster that we don't have time to fight at the end of a semester. Do not procrastinate, do it now! You'll thank yourself later!
Five steps to avoiding procrastination:
1. Set a goal - This might be a test you need to study for or a paper due. Have the due date marked on your calendar.
2. Break the task down into smaller segments - Got a test in a couple weeks? Study for a different section every couple days. One night you might make note-cards from one chapter and then do it for another chapter a couple days later.
3. Focus on one thing at a time - It is easy to become overwhelmed by the project as a whole. Avoid thinking of each task in the context of the big picture. Think: I just need to finish this section tonight.
4. Avoid perfectionism - Finish the task and THEN try to perfect it if you have time. Getting a B on an imperfect paper is better than getting an F because you didn't turn it in on time.
5. Reward yourself for forward movement, even if it's just the small steps. Got that term paper done? Take yourself out to dinner!
III. Staff Listing
Please keep in touch with your advisor/counselor!
* Joanne Richards: joanne.richards@umit.maine.edu - serving Augusta, Rockland, Belfast, Bath, Brunswick, Thomaston, and Waldoboro areas.
* Christy Le: christy.le@umit.maine.edu - serving East Wilton, Norway, Lewiston, Auburn, Oxford, Lisbon Falls, and Rumford.
* Kristin VerBeck: kristin.verbeck@umit.maine.edu - serving Lincoln, Dover-Foxcroft, Old Town, and Millinocket.
* Elizabeth Patterson: elizabeth.patterson@umit.maine.edu - serving Bangor, Brewer, Waterville, Calais, Machias, and Skowhegan.
* Tina McDonald: tina.mcdonald@umit.maine.edu - serving the Portland area, Sanford, Windham, and Saco.
* Dena Winslow: dena.york@umit.maine.edu - serving Caribou, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Houlton, and Limestone.
* Sally Daniels: sally.daniels@umit.maine.edu - serving Ellsworth.
* Sarah Paterson: sarah.paterson@umit.maine.edu - serving all clients who have entered into post-secondary education.
Don't be afraid to call on our advisors/counselors if you need some help. You can leave a message for them by calling 1-800-281-3703.
IV. Congratulations are in order!
Congratulations to Christy Le and family as they have a new baby boy! Don't worry though, Christy may be out on family leave for this wonderful occasion but that doesn't mean that there aren't other counselors covering her territory. If you are one of Christy's clients and you need assistance, just call 1-800-281-3703 and we'll be there to help!
V. Reminder about address corrections
Be sure to contact MEOC at 1-800-281-3703 if you:
- have moved/have an alternate mailing address
- have a new address due to 911 coding
- have changed your phone number
- have married/changed your name
- are going to be changing your email address and would like this newsletter readdressed!
Remember that we can't be of service to you if we can't find you!
If you have any questions/comments/concerns or suggestions for this newsletter, or if you wish to unsubscribe, send an email to sarah.paterson@umit.maine.edu.
Maine Educational Opportunity Center
5713 Chadbourne Hall
Orono, ME 04469-5713
1-800-281-3703
(F)- (207) 581-2532
http://meoc.maine.edu/
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