Fall break has come and gone for students, and it is time for them to think about
final exams. Final exam week begins on Wednesday, December 4, and ends on Tuesday,
December 10. The final exam schedule is different from your student's normal class
itinerary. You and your student can find the Exam Schedule here. Study Day is Tuesday, December 3. No classes are held, so students may begin studying
for finals.
There are a number of steps that your student can use to prepare for final exams.
The P.O.W.E.R. method is a great place to start — Prepare, Organize, Work, Evaluate, Re-Think.
PREPARE:
What will be on the final exam? Is it going to be comprehensive and cover all material
in the semester, or is it an exam that covers only part of the semester? Before your
student can begin to study, he or she needs to know where to focus that studying.
If the professor has not given information about the final exam yet, encourage your
student to make an appointment with the professor to find out what will be covered
on the exam. Additionally, many professors host exam review sessions for students.
Once the focus for the exam is established, it is time to begin the actual preparation
— studying. The second step in the P.O.W.E.R. method is very helpful for this — organization
and being organized.
ORGANIZE:
It is advantageous for your student to use a planner for exam week because exams can
be held on different days and at different times from their normal schedule.
It is also helpful for your student to appropriately group material covered in the
class (group by chapter, section, division, or theme). Re-arrange lecture notes into
easily-remembered sections. Find all graded material from the class and place that
graded material in the appropriate section. When it is time to actually begin studying,
having organized material will make that task easier.
Once your student knows what material to study and has grouped material accordingly,
the actual work of studying begins. Prior to exams, you may wish to send your student
a care package with healthy snacks to enjoy while studying.
WORK:
Study groups are beneficial in helping students retain information.
Drop-in tutoring during exam week is available through the Academic Success Center.
Have your student visit our website for more information.
Have your student "self-test" to see what concepts need additional review.
Each student is different, so the work involved in studying will be different. Help
your student stay calm and not be distracted by phone calls, e-mails, and texts.
EVALUATE & RE-THINK:
Evaluate the material missed on tests and the self-tests your student prepares. Why
was the material missed or answered incorrectly? What can help your student remember
the correct approach? By evaluating missed material and re-thinking his or her approach
to the material, your student can be more successful during final exams.
These tips will help your student successfully P.O.W.E.R. through finals week!
As with every extended break, residence halls will close for the Thanksgiving holiday
promptly at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 27 and will reopen at 2 p.m. on Sunday,
December 1. Students will not be able to get into their residence hall room after
the 9 a.m. closing.
After students depart, residence hall staff will check every room for general health
and safety. These inspections are plain view searches. Staff will be checking for
prohibited items including fire hazards (extension cords, candles, etc) and will also
check the general cleanliness of the room and suite bathrooms. Residence hall contracts
state that health and safety inspections can occasionally occur.
Special arrangements for students to stay can be made for those students who are student
teachers, participating in an internship, athletes whose names have been submitted
by the Athletic Department, students with Rock Hill area jobs, and students that live
more than 300 miles from the Winthrop campus.
A permission slip, which is passed out to all students with more instructions, must
be turned into Residence Life. Students who are staying for the holiday break must
make their own arrangements to stay in Lee Wicker, Phelps, Richardson, Roddey or The
Courtyard. All other halls will be closed.
All students will receive a break notice with more information. Students can also
call their Residential Learning Coordinator (RLC) or Residence Life at 803/323-2223
with further questions.
November is here, and that means it is time to register for spring classes. If your
student is a new freshman or transfer this semester, this will be a new experience:
no sitting in a computer lab with 50 other new students, surrounded by orientation
personnel to help. So, what do they do?
The first step to a successful registration is to be advised. All degree-seeking
students must meet with their academic advisor in order to be cleared to register.
Advising began October 23 and lasts for two weeks. Students should look through the
course offerings found in Wingspan on the Records and Registration page to plan their spring schedule. The student should also be prepared to discuss their
academic plan with their advisor. DegreeWorks, the online degree progress system,
clearly lays out the student's degree requirements with what they have completed and
what they have yet to complete.
Second, the student should make sure they have no "holds" on their account. Are there
any outstanding financial balances? Have they provided the Center for Student Wellness
with appropriate immunization information? Students can view all holds via their
Wingspan account. The student will be unable to register until all registration holds
are removed.
Third, the student should make note of their time assignment. Because Winthrop cannot register 6000 students at the same time, times are staggered
throughout a six-day period. Graduate students and seniors register first. Freshmen
are on the last day.
Finally, what does your student do if they cannot register for several of their classes
because they are already full? Students should always have alternate classes picked
out, but if that doesn't work, they can contact the department chairperson for the
course to request an override. Students should keep in mind that other students change
their schedules all the time and seats may become available later in the semester.
The Registrar has already sent an e-mail to all students and placed an announcement
on Wingspan that outlined all the items above. We understand that the registration
process can sometimes be a frustrating time for students, and the Office of Records
and Registration is available to assist your student with this. Please make sure
they understand they can call, e-mail, or come by the office for any issues they may
be having.
Homecoming at Winthrop is an important part of the spirit and tradition of the university
which involves faculty, staff, students, alumni and you, as a Winthrop parent. We
are especially excited for this year's homecoming week, and have several new events
that will roll out for our Hollywood-themed homecoming, November 4-10. In hopes of
getting students more involved with our annual pep rally, the Homecoming Committee
has decided to combine this event with what we are calling the Campus Green Bash.
This event will consist of various student clubs, organizations, and Greek Life enjoying
an afternoon on the Campus Green. Each organization present at the Bash will have
some type of interactive activity for students to participate in. Also, there will
be inflatables and other sponsored activities from the Rock Hill community that students
can enjoy. Immediately following the Campus Green Bash will be the annual Pep Rally,
which will be held in the campus Amphitheater. By having both events back to back
and outdoors, the Committee hopes to attract more student involvement and excitement.
One other major event the Homecoming Committee has planned is our Paint the Town Garnet
& Gold event. We have recruited several local businesses who have agreed to allow
various student clubs and organizations, as well as alumni, to use their storefront
windows to paint and decorate in support of Winthrop's Homecoming week. We believe
this will help to build and prosper an even stronger relationship between the Rock
Hill and Winthrop community. This event has been the subject of many conversations
and planning in past years, and we are extremely excited to see it come to fruition
and hope it becomes another tradition for Winthrop.
It is through these new and innovative events that we hope to generate more student
involvement, and promote the importance of school pride. The Homecoming Committee
is dedicated to jolting such an effort, and believes parents have a place in helping
to continue the traditions of homecoming at Winthrop, and encouraging your student
to take advantage of an important experience in their college lives. Thus, parents
are also an important aspect to the Winthrop community and Homecoming. We hope to
encourage you as a Winthrop parent to be involved in these events and help to establish
and build those traditions we are so fond and proud of. We hope to see you soon during
homecoming 2013! Please visit our website for more information.
It's getting colder here in the South! Wintertime is generally regarded as the time
of year when you are destined to feel under the weather. We want to make sure your
student continues to stay healthy during these winter months. Fruits, vegetables,
complex carbohydrates and protein give us the necessary fuel to feel well and energetic.
It is vital your student also understands the importance of washing their hands. We
have anti-bacterial stations at all dining locations on campus — please stress to
your student the importance of using these stations before and after eating!
It is also important that your student stays healthy for finals! Don't forget the
brain food. Make sure your student eats properly during finals week! A $50 Caf Cash
reload should get them through! You can add Caf Cash immediately to their account
by going to the dining website.
By now your student is getting the flow of things on campus — how everything works,
and what they would like to see improved or stay the same! We would love to have their
feedback at our Dining Services Advisory Board meetings, which take place every month
in Thomson Hall. This is a time we like to hear students' feedback on dining services
at Winthrop. We offer free lunch to all students that join the meeting and a drawing
to win Caf Cash. Our next meeting is November 20 at 11 a.m., in the Upper East Thomson
conference room. If your student has any requests, let them know to stop by!
Happy Holidays from Dining Services!
Winthrop University's December 2013 Undergraduate Commencement exercises is scheduled for Saturday, December 14 at 11 a.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum. All August 2013 and December 2013 graduates are invited to participate! The procession will begin promptly at 10:50 a.m.
Degree candidates should report to the check-in area, located just inside the north entrance of the coliseum, in academic cap and gown by no later than 9:30 a.m. Please note that all students must be in proper graduation attire: black robes, black caps with garnet and gold tassel. (Ladies do not have to wear the white collar which may come with the gown.) Caps may not be decorated and only Winthrop-issued honor cords may be worn. Sorority/fraternity stoles may not be worn over the gown during the ceremony. You may purchase your cap, gown and tassel at the Winthrop Bookstore.
Family and guests of the degree candidates are invited to enter the Coliseum through the upper concourse level and be seated by 10:40 a.m. Parking for the ceremony is available on university property only. Those who park off of university property may be towed. Guests are asked not to bring balloons into the coliseum. Balloons obstruct views and make it difficult to see the graduates.
The commencement ceremony will be video streamed on the web. There will be a link on the Winthrop University homepage on the day of Commencement with the link to the stream and instructions for optimal viewing.
For more information regarding the December 2013 Commencement Ceremony please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Records and Registration located in 127 Tillman Hall at 803/323-2194 or e-mail us.
Early Registration Begins 11/6
Thanksgiving Break 11/27-12/1
