January can be a tough month mental health-wise, and this year more so than ever with the extra restrictions placed on us by the pandemic.

It's the first full week of classes and we hope everyone is settling in well and excited to start a new semester. Below you’ll find answers to some common questions we get at this time of year, including how to buy your textbooks and where to go to get help if you’re struggling with your academics or course selections. If your question isn’t answered in this enewsletter, simply reply to this email!  

Welcome back to the start of the spring semester and, for new students – welcome to VIU! To kick off 2021, there are some new student orientation events planned (see the first item in Need to Know). This issue of the Pulse also includes some info about changes to VIU services and resources to start 2021 on a positive mental health note. Happy New Year!

Vancouver Island University’s ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing the stories of 12 people closely connected with the program – one per month – leading up to the anniversary.

One of the cornerstones of the university experience is learning how to write a research paper – a written document that organizes and analyzes information you have collected to answer a question of yours or your professor’s choosing. A university research paper is a bit different from your typical high school essay, so we asked John Hill, Coordinator of VIU’s Writing Centre, who has helped thousands of students learn how to write research papers, to break it down into steps.

This is the last edition of the Pulse for 2020 and we wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation and gratitude for all of our students for the patience and resilience they have shown this semester as we all adapted to online delivery. We know it hasn’t been easy, but we continue to be inspired by the ways you have stayed connected and supported one another, from online games nights, to physically distanced walks (when those were permitted), to Netflix watch parties. We hope you all have a safe, healthy and restful break and do some things that bring you joy.

Even though this year might look different due to COVID-19, the holidays should be a time to do some of the things you enjoy and spend time with loved ones, even if many of those interactions will have to take place virtually this year. Because staying healthy through the holidays can be challenging, here are 12 tips to stay healthy this holiday season.

The exam period is right around the corner at VIU, so this issue of the Student Pulse is focused on tips to help you prepare for taking online tests (and how they may be different), as well as stress-busting activities to help you stay on top of your game. You’re almost there, and we are so proud of each and every one of you!

Read on to explore the various kinds of tests you may encounter this year and how you can prepare for them, as well as some general tips to help you get prepared for a successful exam season.

Types of online tests

Here are some different types of tests your instructors may have decided to use this semester to evaluate your learning, and some prep strategies.

Vancouver Island University’s ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing the stories of 12 people closely connected with the program – one per month – leading up to the anniversary.