N. Other Student Responsibilities
• Access and Diversity – if you registered with A & D please submit any A&D letters to Karen Smith
at least 2 weeks prior to the first exam. Paper or electronic copies are all accepted. Exam
accommodations must be arranged at least 1 week in advance of the exam.
• Email – You must maintain an active e-mail address that is registered with the University for the
purpose of communicating with the instructors, the Dean of Science, and the Registrar.
• SSC (student service centre)- Monitor your “Message Centre” to make sure you have received all
course e-mails. A plea of ignorance will not be received if you miss some important e-mail
information that negatively impacts your course grade.
• Consult the BIOL112 Canvas site on a regular basis for bulletins and other posted information.
• i>Clicker – ensure your transmitter and maintain it in good working order (e.g. make sure the
batteries are new and replaced when necessary).
O. Student Wellbeing
Your wellbeing is important to us! One of the strongest indicators of academic success is an overall
sense of wellbeing and work/life balance. University can be stressful! However, there are normal
and abnormal levels of stress. Don’t wait until things are out of control to seek help.
The following was prepared for you by fellow student and former BIOL 112 Peer Tutor, Justine Cole.
Stress
As you may know, the term “stress” refers to your body’s response to an existent or perceived threat
(Canadian Mental Health Association, 2017). For the most part, the body’s stress response allows us
to either confront or escape dangerous situations. However, many of the stressors we face today,
aren’t things we can run from, but rather are problems that we must work through (Canadian
Mental Health Association, 2017). For example, the most common causes of stress among youth in
BC include academic difficulties, relocation, loss of a friend or family member, as well as personal
illness (Crisis Centre, 2017).
Stress and Wellness
Sometimes, moderate stress can be a necessary motivator, but chronic or severe stress often
interferes with our personal wellness and academic success. One of the best things we can do is
understand the symptoms of excessive stress so that we can be more aware of when we may need
to seek help.
Common symptoms include:
• Changes in your body (including tension, disturbed sleep, changes in appetite)
• Changes in your thoughts (trouble concentrating, lost self-confidence, poor judgement)
• Changes in your emotions (including loneliness, excessive worry, anger and irritability)
• Changes in your actions (including fidgeting, increased substance use, social withdrawal)
For more information, visit: https://crisiscentre.bc.ca/coping-and-self-care/#
Stress Management
What you can do….
- In Class
• Try your best to keep up with readings and other course materials
• Focus on the big concepts and personal areas of weakness
• Remove distractions (Facebook, Instant Messaging) so you don’t miss anything important!