Students are mailed a one-page Quick-Start Syllabus. Read through the Quick-Start Syllabus to:

• Note your Critical Enrollment Dates.
• Download your full-length Syllabus from the ELI Web site. If you are enrolled in a non-online course and you do not have Internet access, you can call the ELI Hotline at (703) 323-3347 or (888) 4DL-NVCC and request that your Syllabus be mailed to you.

Read through the full-length Syllabus to:

• Find the list of course materials you will need and purchase them at a campus bookstore.
• Become familiar with the technology used in your course.
• Look for the description of how you will be graded.
• Contact your instructor with any questions you have.
• Begin your assignments (listed in the Course Guide downloaded from ELI Web site.)

Students are mailed a one-page Quick-Start Syllabus. Read through the Quick-Start Syllabus to:

• Note your Critical Enrollment Dates.
• Find the web address for your course site.
• If it is a Blackboard course, find your Blackboard user ID and password.

Log onto your course site to:

• Read through the relevant Syllabus information and look for exam information.
• Purchase the materials you will need.
• Contact your instructor.
• Begin your assignments.

Each course requires reading a textbook. Additionally, a course may require using a study guide, course-specific computer software, video, or lab equipment. The materials you will need are listed in the Online Syllabus. You can purchase these materials in the campus bookstores, by mail or online, for online courses.

You will have your own enrollment dates which you can find in the Syllabus. Most ELI courses follow a 16-week schedule although some courses may be accelerated with the instructor’s permission. The Enrollment Dates include:

• Start Date: This is your official start date to begin your course.
• Last Refund Date: You many withdraw up to this date and have your tuition money returned.
• Inactive Students Dropped Date: You must submit the number of assignments specified by your instructor by this date to avoid being administratively withdrawn by the instructor with no tuition refund
• Last Date for Withdrawal: You may request a withdrawal up to this point and receive a W grade. After this date, you will receive the grade you deserve based on the work you have completed. Instructors also use this date to withdraw students who have not completed the amount of work as specified by their instructors.
• End of Enrollment date: This is the day your enrollment ends.

If you are making progress in your course, as specified by your instructor, as you near the end of your enrollment, you may request an incomplete. This would allow you to have additional time in which to complete the remaining assignments.

You can contact your course instructor by phone or by email. You can find your instructor's phone numbers, email addresses and office hours listed in the Syllabus.

Note that when the college is closed, such as on holidays and between semesters, your instructor may not be available.

The first assignment in most courses will ask you to introduce yourself to the instructor and possibly the rest of the class. This is usually accomplished online in discussion forums, or by creating a home page online, or on voice mail, or by mail. Other typical first assignments include reading assignments, loading software, and joining a class discussion.

Whatever the first assignment is, it is important to begin promptly. You should submit your first required assignment as soon as possible but definitely within the first 3 weeks of your enrollment. Students who begin immediately and keep working on their assignments tend to finish courses successfully.

All students have various techniques that work for them when they are studying. Techniques that seem to help distance students include:

• Creating a definite weekly schedule of when you will study each course. Determine which parts of the day/week are best for you, schedule 1/2 - 1 hour at a time, write it down and stick to it, regardless of what else might be tempting you. Remember that most 3-credit courses will require 6-9 hours of study per week.
• Previewing your chapter by looking at headings and pictures, reading the chapter through once, then going back and outlining the chapter so you don't have to read the whole thing again before the test. Try different outlining techniques: drawing pictures of relationships, using colors to show relationships, putting your outline on audio tape so you can play it back at your convenience (in the car or on your headset while exercising).
• Using a stack of index cards, put a question or word on the front and answer on the back, as a quick testing tool. You can use your index cards on the subway, during lunch hour, or any other time when you have a few minutes to spare.
• Using as many senses as possible to learn the material. Try reading aloud, quizzing yourself out loud or having someone else quiz you. Make charts, graphs, and pictures of concepts. Associate sounds, tastes, and smells with terminology to create associations to help you remember.

And when it comes to the test…

Most instructors provide information online or in the Course Guide, about the kinds of test questions and the length of the exam. If you have questions, contact your instructor.

Review, review, review, and then relax.

1. When you enroll in an ELI course, what document should you receive in the postal mail prior to your course start date?

  Student Handbook

  Course Guide

  Quick-Start Syllabus

2. What information will you find in a full-length Syllabus?

  Textbook information

  Critical dates

  Grading information

  All of the above

3. What information will you find in a Quick-Start syllabus?

  Online course web site address

  Critical enrollment dates

  Instructor's email address

  All of the above

4. If you are taking an online course and receive a Quick-Start Syllabus with no grading information, where will you find out how you will be graded?

  Call your instructor

  Look in the online Syllabus

  Call the ELI hotline

5. If you enroll for an ELI course during regular registration periods, when will your course begin?

  The first day of classes

  The date listed on your Syllabus

  Two weeks after you register

6. Critical Dates on your Syllabus include which of the following?

  Last day to withdraw with a refund

  Inactive Student Dropped Date

  First Assignment due date

  Start and Ending Dates

  All of the above

7. How long do you have to complete your course?

  As long as you need

  The same time frame as the current semester

  4 months, approximately

  6 months, approximately

8. There are no specific due dates for assignments in most ELI courses. When should you submit the first required assignment?

  Wait for the instructor to contact you

  Anytime during your enrollment

  As soon as possible, but within the first 3 weeks of your enrollment