Student Services
Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview
As a World Campus student, you may be studying from a distance, but you still have access to Penn State services!
What will we learn?
By the end of this Lesson, you should be able to:
- better understand what services are available to you as a World Campus student.
- become aware of the variety of events available to you as a World Campus student by subscribing to the calendar of events.
Refer to the Activities page for more information on the assessments for this lesson.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please post to the corresponding Canvas forum or e-mail the instructor (if the question is personal in nature).
World Campus Student Services
World Campus Student Services
Start where you do for anything else related to Penn State... the World Campus Student Portal website [1]! You were introduced to this website in the New Student Orientation and I always tell my advisees, this is your hub for all things Penn State! It is the administrative office that is open to you all day, every day!
On the homepage you'll see a calendar list of Important Dates, a calendar list of Events and the World Campus Blog. The important dates are all related to academic deadlines, registration timelines, etc. The Events calendar [2] is full of cool opportunities! World Campus constantly hosts online events to help you take advantage of all that Penn State has to offer and to be more successful as an online student. There is an online book club, a webinar about mortgages and home buying, information about an upcoming job fair, and much, much more! Be sure to sign up for notifications of events, even if you can't make them at the particular date and time, most are recorded for you to view later! You can integrate the World Campus calendar into your Google calendar so that you never miss an event! Directions on how to do so are located on the Events Calendar webpage under "Subscribe to the Calendar" (on the right side of the screen!)
The World Campus blog [3] has a range of contributors, from Penn State staff to World Campus students. You can read more on How to Decide If a Job Opportunity Is Right for You [4], or How to Use the E-Book Program at Penn State World Campus [5], plus dozens of other articles that you may find helpful.
Student Affairs
Student Affairs
In addition to the amenities previously discussed, the Student Portal homepage also offers a link to World Campus "Student Affairs". See screenshot series below:
As shown in the screenshot below, on the Help and Support page, you will see a tile that is labled "Contact Our Teams". After you click on that, you'll see that one of those items listed is the Student Affairs Office [7].
Just as you would if you were attending an institution in person, you have a Student Affairs office that is dedicated to helping you get the most out of your college career! Want to start up a student club or find a club that fits your interests? The Student Affairs office can help you connect to the club that's best for you! Do you need help with a resume? The Student Affairs office has people that can provide assistance!
It is worth noting that World Campus offers Mental Health services [8]. Your health is important; should you find yourself needing assistance, do not hesitate to reach out!
[9]
HelpDesk (Technical Support)
HelpDesk (Technical Support)
Our tech gurus are awake ALL HOURS of the day and night, 7 days a week, to serve you better! As the website says, they are available "to help address any computer or technological concerns you have!"
Who wouldn't want an on-call "geek squad"? You've got it at your fingertips! Your tuition dollars help pay for this service, so take advantage of their knowledge!
I call Tech Support regularly, because, believe it or not, I am not tech-savvy. If I were, I'd certainly make sure the videos that I post to the course didn't show up with my face distorted, mid-word, and showcasing my molars. Tech Support staff are experts and chances are whatever problem you're facing, they've seen it before. They're experts at helping World Campus students that are new to online learning and might need help figuring out apps, widgets, and even hoozywhatsits.
Use the 5-minute rule: If you've spent 5 minutes on trying to find a button that you can't locate or trying to solve a tech issue that you're not sure about, or you can't connect to your psu.edu email inbox, CALL TECH SUPPORT.
Five minutes. Then call in reinforcements via Tech Support. You'll save valuable time and who knows, you may even learn something!
You can contact them by clicking on the "Help and Support" [10] button on the top of the Student Portal website homepage (top right of the screenshot below) and you'll see their tile listed as an option. After you click that, then click on the "IT Service Desk" text in the first paragraph to get to here:
[11]
Career Services
Career Services
If you think you need to wait until you graduate to take advantage of the services provided by the Career Services office [12], think again! You can always search for a job in the field before you've actually graduated. Many organizations will hire you (usually conditionally) if they know you're working towards a degree. So, it's never too early to polish that resume and practice writing cover letters!
If you already have a job, you can work with the Career Services staff to hone your skills for that next big promotion or create a road map for career advancement.
If you're looking for an internship, Career Services can help with that too! Don't be afraid to call them up and say, "I need help with X, can you help me?" If they can't, they will find someone that can.
Work with the staff in Career Services to get your resume in tip-top shape! Resume formats and norms are constantly changing; get expert advice on how to make yours the best it can be!
Career Services [13] offers many services including:
- Career Counseling
- Career, internship, and grad school resources
- Employer connections
Check out the Career Services webpage by clicking on the image below!
[12]
Activities
| Requirement | Assignment Details | Submitting your work |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribe |
Use the "Get the news by email" SUBSCRIBE button World Campus website [14] to make sure you never miss an opportunity to participate in a World Campus event! |
No submission |
[2]
Summary
Summary
I know, I know, I keep repeating that there are resources out there to help you, but I want you to be successful both as a student and as a graduate. And the truth is, it's easier to be successful when you let people help you! Also, I want you to know that being an online student doesn't mean that you're disconnected or not a real Penn State student. You are Penn State!
If you didn't know, World Campus is the second-largest campus (of 24! [15]) at Penn State. You have access to the same resources as those students on campus, so USE THEM. The bottom line is, you're already paying for all of these things through your tuition dollars, so why not leverage them to help you get a leg up?!