Meet Elizabeth

Subject: Elizabeth Keen of Nashville. It's her first semester at Vol State. She's majoring in Elementary Education. During a recent stroll across campus, we stopped and asked her a few questions:

How has the first week of classes been? "Actually, it's more relaxed than high school."

Worst movie you've seen: "Delta Force. It's funny, but really stupid."

Oddest thing we would find in your backpack: "Apple Juice."

Toughest class you have so far: "Math. Definitely Math."

Vol State. Volunteer State Community College

Meet Brandon

Our Subject: Brandon King of Hendersonville.

It's the first week of college classes for Brandon.

How college is going so far: "Really good. Everything's been great."

Best movie see recently: "SWAT."

Favorite food: "Steak."

Toughest class so far: "It looks like it's going to be Psychology."

Electronic device you couldn't live without: "My cell phone."

What you did last weekend: "Went to a car show."

Vol State. Volunteer State Community College.

Best Day of the Year

You can tell the minute you merge onto Nashville Pike. Traffic is heavier at 7:30am, and classes at Volunteer State Community College are back in session for fall. Today is the first day of classes for the fall semester. It's my favorite day of the year. Campus really comes back to life. There are people everywhere. The air is full of energy and excitement.

Student Government, Phi Theta Kappa and some of the other student organizations have turned the hallway between Student Services and the Bookstore into a Hawaiian paradise full of hanging flowers. The first edition of The Settler, Vol State's student newspaper is on the stands. There are lots of handshakes and hugs going around today too since many people haven't seen each other since the last day of Spring exams.

It's really the best day of the year to work at or be a student at a college.

First Day of Classes

We're back and busy here at Vol State for another fall semester. These are a few shots we took today on campus. Volunteer State Community College.

Meet Heather

Our Subject: Heather Halbert of Hendersonville

Heather is getting ready for her first semester at Vol State. She comes from Station Camp High School. She's "just testing the waters" to see what she wants to major in later on.

Favorite band: "The Deftones."

Best thing she did this summer: "I visited my family in West Virginia."

Biggest college fear: "Getting into a lot of debt."

Most looking forward to: "Meeting new people."

Volunteer State Community College.

Registration Day

It's registration day at Volunteer State Community College. The best and fastest way to get help is to come in. Admissions will be accepting and processing applications immediately.

If you come in today, here are a few tips.

1) Earlier is better. We usually start out slow and pick up speed. Lines will be shortest before lunch. of course, if you have to come later, that's fine. We'll be here to help.

2) If you have personal copies of your ACT scores, bring them. If they are less than 3 years old, we can use them to help you decide which classes to take. If you've never taken the ACT, that's fine. If you need to take a placement test, we can help with that today too. If you just want to take a class or two, you may not need to test at all.

3) If you are a transfer student, bring unofficial copies of your transcripts with you. Admissions will still need official copies, but the unofficial will help your advisor help you.

4) Be patient. We're here to help you, but it may take a few minutes due to all of the new students who will be on campus. We want to make sure everyone gets the help they need.

5) Fees are due today. If you register for classes today, you will need to pay at least a part of your fees today. If you've already applied for Financial Aid, you can swing by their office to find out your status. For more information on fees, go to our Business Office website.

If you can't make it today, we'll be here 8-4:30 tomorrow.

Free stuff is always good...

“FREE! Yes, I said FREE! When you first set foot on campus Monday and Tuesday, August 27 and 28, come to Duffer Plaza or the Wood Center main lobby from 9:00-11:00am and pick up on some FREE Cookies and Drinks!!!! UPS and the Office of Career Placement and Cooperative Education at Vol State will be there to “share the wealth” and get you started right this Fall 2007 Semester! Come hungry and thirsty. We’ll see you there! Welcome to campus!”

Dr. Rick Parrent, Director
Office of Career Placement and Cooperative Education
Annex 100, Room 101C
Volunteer State Community College
(615) 230-3307
rick.parrent@volstate.edu

Looking for a Job?

If you are looking to hook up with a job, start a career, or just hang with some new friends and begin networking with employers in Middle Tennessee, be sure to come to the 2007 Fall Job Career Fair at Vol State Community College, the Pickel Gymnasium Wednesday, September 19, from 10:00AM-2:00PM. There will be plenty of businesses looking to hire full-time, part-time, and even seasonal employees. Can you believe it—they are already looking for Christmas workers???? Bring your resume if you can and don’t forget to “beef up” the wardrobe just a tad. Maybe a pair of jeans and polo shirt guys, or ladies, a blue jean skirt and blouse would be nice.

Oh, by the way, remember there are always some “cool” give-aways and great promotional items you can pick up too! So, mark it down today!! We’ll see you at the fair.

Dr. Rick Parrent, Director
Office of Career Placement and Cooperative Education
Annex 100, Room 101C
Volunteer State Community College
(615) 230-3307
rick.parrent@volstate.edu

Getting PlUgGeD in!

Seriously. . .can I just remark on HOW HOT IT IS OUTSIDE?! YIKES! There are 12 days until school starts. Are you ready? Seriously, are you ready? Do you have your Student I.D. and Parking Decal? Did you get your books? Have you memorized your V# yet? Could the list get any longer? If you have questions give us a call in the Office of Admissions www.volstate.edu/admissions or send me an email at heather.harper@volstate.edu.

I want to remind you that school is not just about going to class. It's also about getting plugged in and joining organizations and involving yourselves in student activities. You NEED to get involved at the college! Think about this---anyone can go to class and make good grades but what sets you apart from EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CROWD? Are you trying to get accepted into a difficult program in Allied Health? www.volstate.edu/alliedhealth. Are you trying to find scholarship opportunities? www.volstate.edu/financialaid. Maybe you are trying to get a job with a particular business. Let's face it, you've got to be well rounded. The Office of Student Life and Leadership on our campus is great! Make sure to look for opportunities to get involved. Look for flyers, events posted in the Cafeteria, or swing by the the Campus Center to get a calendar of events and activities. Vol State. Volunteer State Community College.

Meet Rhonda

Our Subject: Vol State student Rhonda Lancaster of Celina

We ran into Rhonda as she was leaving the bookstore. We fired a bunch of questions at her and this is all we managed to get:

Heat: "Hate it."

College Books: "Some of them are too expensive."

Fave Classes: "I'm excited about all of my Radiologic classes."

Toughest thing about being a cook and waitress: "Putting up with your customers."

Celebrity I'd like to have dinner with: "Reece Witherspoon. I think she's a wonderful actress."

Campus is Buzzing

It's always interesting to see the campus change in August. It's rather peaceful here at Vol State during summer session, but as we gear up for fall semester it starts to get busy. This is the time to get the help you need to go to school this fall. If you are a returning student, or someone who has never attended college at all, we have the people here to help you.

I was just out in the Ramer lobby and a bunch of students are using the computers there to get registered. They're also talking to our Help Desk folks, who have a special table set up in the lobby. If you are coming by the campus in person, this is a great place to stop first. They can answer all sorts of questions and get you to the right places.

If you want help by phone you can also call the Help Desk at 615-230-3532. Or visit our website for all of the latest registration info and admissions info http://www.volstate.edu/ Volunteer State Community College.

Vol State pics on Flickr

Student Performance, originally uploaded by Pioneers1.

Check out pictures of Vol State students and the campus on our new Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/10901605@N05/

This picture shows our music students in concert. We have two big shows each year, one for Christmas and the other in the spring. Music students record a CD of their work in our recording studio for sale at both concerts. It's a chance for our students to learn about the recording process and experience live performance. Volunteer State Community College.

Getting Started

Getting started in college is really the hardest part. There's a whole new language to learn so you can communicate with the folks trying to help you. Vol State requires incoming freshmen to participate in new student orientation. It's called Directions and can be done online at http://www.volstate.edu/directions/. Most students decide to participate online, but there's an on-campus "live" version too. Directions isn't limited to freshmen, any student can visit the website and read the information.

If you're not a freshman, but it's been awhile since you were enrolled in college, you might want to check out Directions too. Things are changing at Vol State all the time. We keep the Directions website up to date and link you out to important web pages on the Volunteer State Community College site. There's a whole lot more information out there than most people know. If you can't find the information you need online, you can always just give us a call. Someone is available 8:00-4:30 M-F to help you at 615-230-3532.