Check in on your semester — and yourself

We’re heading into the halfway mark of the semester and it’s a good time to check in with yourself about how it’s all going — both inside and outside the classroom. Here are a few areas that will shape your SAIT experience and some suggestions, opportunities and services available to support you.

First, check your grades

You’ve likely handed in a few reports, projects or quizzes by now — how did they go? Have a look now if you haven’t yet had the chance.

Grades are an important tool to see how you’re progressing in your courses and a good way to notice if you need to make some changes to your habits. SAIT uses a 4-point system for grades. As you complete assignments, your in-progress grades will be available in Brightspace, while your final grades will be in mySAIT. Check your grades in Brightspace now then pop back to this article.

👉 Learn more about understanding your grades and try the grade calculator tool.

Sometimes, you may find your grades aren’t meeting your own expectations or they may not be high enough to allow you to satisfy a necessary prerequisite. Catching those potential pitfalls now is important because support is available, whether it’s tutoring, academic coaching, speaking with your instructor or a new approach to studying.

🛎 Academic coaching and tutoring | Accessibility Services | Educational counselling

You may also find you need to modify your course load. At SAIT, it’s very important to discuss these types of adjustments with your academic chair or academic advisor before you make them. Some courses later on in your program may have a limited offering and you could be affecting your program completion timeline more significantly than you realize. Your chair or advisor will also be able to share options you may not have considered.

👉 The course withdrawal deadline for Winter 2023 is Friday, March 24. Learn more about course withdrawal and why would you do it?

Heathy mind AND body

Don’t forget to move your body — and give your mind a break. Doing one will make the other stronger, plus it’s nice to get outside and go for a walk.

👟 Get active with FREE fitness classes

From spin to yoga, group fitness is on! Classes are free, equipment is provided and no experience is necessary. Check out the Winter 2023 schedule and drop in when you can.

📅 Check in at a Wellness Check on campus

• Wellness checks | Tuesday, March 7, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Senator Burns building
• Wellness checks | Wednesday, March 8, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Aldred Centre
• Wellness checks | Thursday, March 9, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Johnson-Cobbe Energy Centre

📱 Build your resilience with headversity

Welcome to headversity — your personal resilience coach. You can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. Develop skills — self-expertise, mindfulness, mental fitness, mental health, hardiness, energy management — and tools to thrive during times of adversity.  Join now with this passcode: S3A6T9.

It’s that time, time to study

Check in on your study habits and polish your study skills. Make sure you also leave time to review the material to get the most out of your class time.

1. Before class: Complete all assigned readings, gather supplies and review your notes from last class. Not enough time? Take at least a 10-15 minute look at your textbook (bold print, italicized print, pictures, graphs) and PowerPoint slides to get a sense of what will be covered.
2. In class: Make sure to go to class! Listen actively, take notes, participate and ask good questions. Your mind will remember the material you previewed and notetaking will be easier and more efficient.
3. After class: Review, merge and edit your notes and clarify information. Students who do this step tend to remember 50% more when tested two days later than students who don’t review.
4. Study session: Once per week throughout the semester, have an intensive study session to make a study guide and strengthen memory.

👉 Find all the tips you need from three shows and movies — be a star student.

🛎 Get personalized support with studying, time management and more from academic coaching.

Take your experience beyond the classroom door

Your SAIT experience is way more than what you’re learning in class (though that’s important too 😉), so make the most of it this semester! You’ll be with a lot of your classmates throughout your entire SAIT program because of the cohort system, connect further in a program-specific club or branch out and build your network. Not sure where to start? Here are some options:

• Saitsa has clubs for everything and if what you’re looking for isn’t already on the list, get some friends together and start a new club.
• Join a committee: Black Empowerment and Excellence at SAIT, Women in Trades and Technology and Pride at SAIT.
• After your first semester, consider becoming a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the largest honour society in post-secondary.
• Apply now for Winter 2023 opportunities: Peer Mentorship, English Conversation Partners, and Student Leadership.

👉 Find all the opportunities to get involved and stretch your experience.

And remember, there are significant opportunities to improve your extracurricular record and round out your SAIT experience with a Co-Curricular Record!

Looking for an on-campus job to make the most of your time – check the My Career Hub job board.

How are you feeling after your check-in?

It’s good to take a moment throughout your SAIT journey to see how you’re doing. Do you need to expand your experience or focus your efforts?

The number one thing to keep in mind is that we’re here to help. From instructors to advisors, the Reg Erhardt Library to Student Development and Counselling, we’re committed to your success.