TRIO Members-

Welcome to the 2017-2018

academic your at Rainy River

Community College

___________________________

Stop in the TRIO Lounge or

LeAnne/ Amy’s office during the

first few days of class. We have

LOTS of new and helpful

information to share with you and

Exciting events to sign up for.

Inside this issue

Finding Balance........................... …..2

Celebrating 30 years……..……………….2

Taking Charge of College Success…..3

CliftonStrengths………………………….….4

Focusing on Financial wellness……...5

Important Dates

August 14 Bookstore opens. Fi-

nancial Aid available to charge

textbooks. Bring a photo ID or

your schedule.

August 18-20 On Campus

Housing move in days

August 21 Fall semester begins

with mandatory New Student

Orientation

August 22 First Class Day

Tuition for Fall 2017 Semester Due

- Be sure to have your FAFSA

done and/or payment plan in

place.

September 4 Labor Day

Campus Closed

**September 6 TRIO Program

Orientation 11:30am OR 2:00pm

September 7 Financial Aid

disbursement

September 29 Duty Day

No classes/Campus closed

October 9 No Classes, Campus

OPEN

October 11 Celebrating 30 years

of TRIO at ICC

Fall 2017

Newsletter

Our Mission

TRIO Student Support Services

contributes

to the five community college missions of

the Northeast Higher Education District

and is committed to fostering a campus

climate supportive of

student success and academic achieve-

ment through outreach, advocacy, and

collaboration.

Hello TRIO Member:

I hope your summer was GREAT! The TRIO team at RRCC is looking forward to your return to

campus Tuesday, August 22nd!

This year we begin celebrating 30 years of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) at Rainy River

Community College and across the NHED district! Watch for celebration details and updates!

The TRIO Program has many new and exciting event and activities planned for the upcoming

year and we hope you choose to take part. Some of those activities include taking in the chal-

lenge of an Escape Room, Stress Reduction painting, a trip to a trampoline park, University

Transfer Trips, Mobile Team Challenges and CliftonStrengths activities.

Be sure to stop into the NEW TRIO Lounge and sign up to attend our Fall TRIO Orientation/

Program Review Session.

LeAnne Hardy- Advisor/Program Director

August 22nd is coming quickly and I am super excited to see you back on

campus!

We have made some changes to the TRIO SSS program at RRCC and can’t wait

to get you involved. LeAnne and I have taken over a newly emptied office and

created a TRIO Lounge area for you to use for home work, tutoring,

CliftonStrengths activities, workshops etc.

I am hopeful that the fall weather is nice and we can get out to Voyageurs

National Park and do some exploring and enjoy the lake.

I am here in my office patiently working for the rest of the summer, call me

with any questions that may come up as you are planning your return. I would

love to hear from you.

Enjoy the rest of Summer!

Amy Amundsen- Retention Specialist (Advisor )

Balanced Life Quotes

“The calm and balanced mind is the

strong and great mind; the hurried

and agitated mind is the weak one.”

Wallace D. Wattles

“Balance. The Ultimate Goal.“ Ricky

Lankford

“We come into this world head first

and go out feet first; in be-tween, it is

all a matter of balance. Paul Boese

“I’ve learned that you can’t have

everything and do everything at the

same time.”

Oprah Winfrey

2

10 Tips for Finding Life

Balance in College College is one of the most exciting

times, but it can also be one of the

most challenging and scary times too.

You’ll have your academics, meeting

new friends and roommates, career

decisions to make, your physical fitness

to monitor, and at times you may feel

overwhelmed.

Use these tips for finding life balance to

help you deal with all the distractions

that will face you as a college student.

1. Set Realistic Goals.

2. Learn to Study Effectively.

3. Learn to Better Manage Your Time.

Avoid Procrastination.

4. Eat Well.

5. Exercise Regularly.

6. Take Charge. Set Priorities

7. Simplify.

8. Let Things Go. Don’t Sweat the Small

Stuff.

9. Explore Your Options and Do Not Be

Afraid to Ask for Help as Early as You

Can.

10. Know When It’s Time to Quit.

For many students, college is the first

taste of independence, and with that

independence comes a long series of

decisions about how to spend your

time. Your goal should be to seek a

balance that allows you to excel in

school while still experiencing all that

college has to offer. TRIO SSS Students working

together to complete

Mobile Team Challenges

Watch your

mail for this

postcard

and join us

for a day of

Celebration

and

Leadership

3

Advice to New College Students By Marcia Chambers, TRIO SSS Retention Specialist Vermilion CC

In trying to come up with advice for new students, I came across words of wisdom from

100 freshman students that were asked at the end of their first semester of college

“What advice regarding study skills would you give to a brand-new first-semester

student who will be starting college in the fall?” I’ve listed responses I feel are most

important for students .

Stay organized.

“This is the first time that I’ve ever really been somewhat organized and it helps a lot with

stress. As a freshman you want as little stress as possible.”

“It is crucial to make a schedule so you remain organized. The more you stay organized,

the better you will do in class.”

Read everything carefully.

“Read ... Read ... Read. Keep up on all your reading. It helps you stay on top of your

classes and helps you know what is important for that specific day.”

Manage your time well.

“Don’t fall behind, because it is harder to get your self back up.”

“Use a planner.”

“Know how to take good notes.”

“Pay attention to specific detail, like due dates.”

“Unplug the internet when you are on your computer. Get off Facebook! “

“Attend class! Pay attention in class!”

“Start off strong right off the bat.”

Build study time into your schedule.

“Leave yourself plenty of time for studying; don’t wait until the last minute.”

“Study three days before a test.”

“Don’t stress the little things, because then you get caught up with the wrong things.”

WRITE IN YOUR BOOKS!

“I still got money back even though I wrote in my books. Highlighting and making note

cards are really good study materials, too.”

Ask for help.

Use the Academic Resource Center and the library a lot to the point where they know

your name.

“Learn to use the library; it is one of the most important places on campus.”

“Communicate with your professors and ask questions.”

Find out the best way for you to study and use that.

“Study in a quiet environment that you feel comfortable in.”

“Look over your notes and even rewrite them so you understand them better.”

“If you are having trouble in a class, get help right away from a tutor.”

“Study with breaks in between.”

“Read on your own to increase vocabulary.”

“Even if you did not study in high school, you need to learn how to study, because

school won’t get any easier. “

Practice stress management.

“Be open-minded and meet as many people as you can. “

“Go to class with a positive attitude. You will feel very comfortable and your

performance in the class will be great. “

“Don’t think that you can just slide through college. Apply yourself and do the work.”

“Don’t think that college is one big party. “

“You need time for yourself. “

“Don’t overload yourself; don’t take too many classes. “

Taking Charge for College Success

www.facebook.com/TRIO-Rainy-River-Community-College

4

More than two million people around the world have taken Gallup’s

CliftonStrengths online assessment based on the science of maximizing

human potential by developing people to become great at what they’re

good at. TRIO Staff are committed to assisting students to invest in their

talents so that they will bring them a life of success, meaning and fulfill-

ment. CliftonStrenghts assigns top five self descriptors (strengths) to each

student once they have completed the assessment. These strengths help

students focus on “Who am I?” and “How can I best use my strengths to

make this a better world?” Staff have also taken the assess-ment and are

trained to coach and review the Signature Theme Report results with

students.

College students arrive on campus with potential (often undeveloped)

and during college they have opportunities to explore, to experiment, to

learn, and develop in ways that pre-pare them for life and a career.

Students that can learn what is meaningful to them, re-warding to them,

and reflective of their desires and inner self, are more apt to be engaged.

Knowing one’s strengths has a strong motivational factor. Persons who

build on their strengths are more likely to be successful in what they pursue.

CliftonStrengths is based on six principals of human nature and behavior.

They are:

1. You have a group of talents within you.

2. Your greatest talents hold the key to high achievement, success, and

progress at levels of personal excellence.

3. Becoming aware of your talents builds confidence and provides a basis

for achievement.

4. Learning how to develop and apply strengths will improve your levels of

achievement.

5. Each of your talents can be applied in many areas including relation-

ships, learning, academics, leadership, service, and careers.

6. As you develop and apply strengths, your achievements will increase

and you will experience greater and more frequent successes.

TRIO staff work on creating an environment that helps student effectively

discover, develop, and apply their strengths. As part of our Academic Suc-

cess Seminar (explained on page 1) we will be requiring all TRIO students

take the assessment. We will then review their top five themes (strengths)

and personalized reports with them.

A powerful online assessment tool that

helps individuals identity, understand

and maximize their strengths.

CliftonStrengths 34 Themes

Once the 30 minute assessment is

taken, students receive a report that

lists their top five themes with full

descriptions of talent in the order in

which they are most dominant for

each individual.

Achiever

Activator

Adaptability

Analytical

Arranger

Belief

Command

Communication

Competition

Connectedness

Consistency

Context

Deliberative

Developer

Discipline

Empathy

Focus

Futuristic

Harmony

Ideation

Includer

Individualization

Input

Intellection

Learner

Maximizer

Positivity

Relator

Responsibility

Restorative

Sell-Assurance

Significance

Strategic

Woo

“When students not only know their strengths —

but more importantly, apply them — the effect

on their lives is transformational.”

Wh

at are you

r top

5 stren

gths?

What happens after I complete the FAFSA?

Applying for the FAFSA isn’t the last step in the Financial Aid process. Your FAF-

SA has to be processed, and then you get an Expected Family Contribution

(EFC), which your college uses to figure out how much aid you can get. For more

information on how aid is calculated and when and how your aid will be paid out

visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps.

You’ll then receive an “Award Letter” from the Financial Aid office at the college you’ve

applied and been accepted to (make sure you’ve included their school code on the

FAFSA). The letter will list the type and amount of financial aid the school is willing to

provide if you accept admission and register to take classes at that school.

I’ve got an award letter from my school. Which financial aid is the best to accept?

The rule is: free money first (scholarships and grants), then earned money (work-

study), then borrowed money (federal student loans). You must complete the follow-

ing steps to apply for these loans and have them certified:

1. The loan request process is online through your VCC eServices account. Once

logged in to eServices, click on “Financial Aid” and then “Loans.” This step is required

every time you wish to apply for Federal Direct loan funds.

2. The “Entrance Counseling” and “Master Promissory Note” at student loans.gov This

step is only required for first time Direct Loan borrowers. You will use your Federal

Student Aid ID (FSA ID) to sign in.

What’s the difference between Direct Subsidized Loans & Direct Unsubsidized Loans?

The U.S. Department of Education offers low-interest loans to eligible students to help

cover the cost of college or career school. Students may be eligible to receive subsi-

dized and unsubsidized loans based on their financial need.

Direct Subsidized Loans:

Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need

and have slightly better terms.

Your school determines the amount you can borrow, and the amount may not ex-

ceed your financial need.

The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan

while you’re in school at least half-time, for the first six months after you leave school

(referred to as a grace period*), and during a period of deferment (a postponement of

loan payments).

Direct Unsubsidized Loans:

Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students;

there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need.

Your school determines the amount you can borrow based on your cost of attend-

ance and other financial aid you receive.

You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all

periods.

If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in school and during grace peri-

ods and deferment or forbearance periods, your interest will accrue (accumulate) and

be capitalized (that is, interest will be added to the principal amount of loan).

PLUS Loans:

PLUS Loan is a loan offered to parents of students enrolled in college at least half

time.

For the 2018-2019 school year, you can begin applying October 1, 2017. using your 2016

tax info. We encourage all students to apply early!

5

Focusing on Financial Wellness

CHOOSE YOUR

MOTIVATIONAL

ROCK!

TRIO Lounge

Wednesday – August 30th

10-noon!

Everyone can use a little

Motivation!

INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY

THURSDAY – SEPT. 21ST

TRIO STUDENTS

STOP BY THE TRIO LOUNGE

AND PICK UP YOUR PEACE

BUTTON!

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

Rainy River Community College

1501 Hwy 71

International Falls, MN 56649

From a Former RRCC TRiO

student: “ I have found one of

the biggest resources for me is

the TRiO program. The TRiO

program has a lot to offer

whether it’s just a short break

for a Snickers candy bar or a

one-on-one meeting with an

advisor…..In conclusion,

Rainy River Community

College is just a great place

to be. If I could choose

to go anywhere else to start

my college career, I would

not!! RRCC has a great

environment that is filled

with awesome people with

ridiculously great attitudes.”