How to Register for Classes

If you are already a matriculated UMass Dartmouth student, you can register through COIN online.

If this is your first UMass Dartmouth online course, you will need to activate your UMass Dartmouth email account. All online course correspondence is done through your UMD email, not your personal email. Also, the first semester RN-BS online students will be registered automatically.

Students register for classes in COIN, UMass Dartmouth's student information system, located in the myUMassD portal.

Before registering, each student must meet with his or her academic advisor to review course selections and for the advisor to lift the academic advising hold on the COIN account. A student will not be able to register for classes until this hold is lifted.

Be sure to note the class numbers in the course listings for the classes you want to take. Then:

1. Log in to the myUMassD portal
2. Select COIN from the Launch Pad
3. Log in to COIN and click on Academics
4. Select add/drop/swap a class
5. Select the upcoming term
6. Select add classes
7. Enter your class numbers; Once they have been entered, click on submit

COIN should indicate why a student may have trouble registering for a class. If you need any additional help, please visit the IT Student Help Desk for one-on-one assistance.

How to Remove Holds

If you have a hold on your account, COIN will block you from enrolling until the hold is removed.

Check your COIN account prior to your registration date and address any of the following holds. Typical holds which will block enrollment include:

Academic Advising Hold:
Academic advising holds can be lifted by meeting with your adviser or attending a group advising session.

Bursar’s Hold
 A bursar’s hold is placed on student accounts having a past due balance. Your student support coordinator or faculty advisers cannot remove a bursar’s hold. You will need to go to the 2nd floor of the Foster Administration Building to resolve the problem with the Bursar.

Emergency Contact Hold
In order to remove this hold, students need to log on to their COIN account to verify their emergency contact information in their Personal Data section.

Immunization Hold 
The Immunization Hold is placed on student accounts by Health Services and will not block enrollment during the Fall semester. If the Immunization Hold is not removed, it will block your enrollment in the Spring semester. To remove the Immunization Hold, students need to upload their immunization record to UMD’s Health Services Office. Here is the link to access the online portal: http://www.umassd.edu/studentaffairs/health/

Graduation Process

1. Contact your faculty adviser to make sure all classes have been met towards your degree.

2. Make sure your graduation term is correct. Contact Diane Rodrigues to make sure the term is changed. Her email is drodrigues1@umassd.edu, (Make sure when you email her you include your student ID.)

3. Fill out intent to graduate form (this comes out in November)

4. After you apply, the Office of Registrar forwards applicant names to the appropriate academic department for careful review and certification that all requirements have been met. Once all final grades have been posted, the department will send your degree certification to the Office of Registrar for posting of your degree on your transcript.

5. Here is a link with more information about applying for graduation.
http://www.umassd.edu/registrar/graduation/

Study Strategies to Reduce Test Anxiety

Test anxiety is when a student excessively worries about doing well on a test. This type of anxiety is more than the average anxiety all students may experience from time to time. Severe text anxiety can become a major hindrance on test performance and cause extreme nervousness and memory lapses, among other symptoms.

Recognizing Test Anxiety

• Freezing up 
• Panicking 
• Being easily distracted 
• Physical effects; sweating, shortness of breath 
• Lack of interest in test or topic 

How to Combat Text Anxiety Being well prepared for a test is the best way to reduce test anxiety.

1. Space out your studying over a few days or weeks, and continually review class material. Don’t wait until the night before to try to learn all the material.
2. Try to maintain a positive attitude while preparing for the test and during the test.
3. Exercising for a few days before the test and throughout the semester will help reduce stress.
4. Get a good night’s sleep during the entire semester and before the test.
5. Stay relaxed. If you begin to get nervous take a few deep breaths slowly to relax yourself and then get back to work.
6. Read the directions slowly and carefully.
7. If you don’t understand the directions on the test, ask the teacher to explain them to you.
8. Skim through the test so that you have a good idea how to pace yourself.
9. Write down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin first so you won’t worry about forgetting them.
10. Do the simple questions first to help build up your confidence for the harder questions.
11. Don’t worry about how fast other people finish their test; just concentrate on your own test.
12. If you don’t know a question, skip it. Go back to it later if you have time, and remember that you don’t have to always get every question right to do well on the test.
13. Focus on the question at hand; don’t let your mind wander onto other things.

UMass Dartmouth Student Success Website

You may need some help as you navigate your path to graduation.

Our checklists, tools, and advice are designed to guide you on that path to a college degree.

Academics are the most important part of why you’re here and we understand that there are other aspects of your education that enrich your experience—like community involvement, faculty engagement and developing a sense of belonging. Click here for more information.

How to Study

Here is a great resource to find tips/strategies to study. https://howtostudy.org/
You can find information on Time Management, Procrastination, Stress Management and so much more!

 My favorite is the Assignment Calculator. Just plug in start and end date of an assignment and get the steps you need to take day by day to get it done!

 Want me to help you one on one?
 Let me know by making an appointment by phone or office click here to make an appointment.


   

Time Management and Study Skills

Complete your FAFSA today!

Apply now! Federal Student Aid has more than $150 billion available to help you pay for school!

Create your FSA ID before you start your FAFSA application.  UMD school code that you will need is 002210

Helpful Tips

• Be aware of deadlines. Do not wait to be accepted for admission. Complete the FAFSA as soon after October 1 as possible. Priority consideration deadline is March 1.
• Keep a file for your records of all financial aid materials. Keep copies of all documents including the FAFSA.
• Respond promptly to all requests for information. If additional documentation is required, your application file cannot be completed until we have received and reviewed requested documents.
• Be sure your name and student ID are on all correspondence.
• Notify Financial Aid Services in writing of all outside scholarships, awards, additional resources, or unique family circumstances.

Call University Enrollment to find out if they received your FAFSA. It takes 5-7 Business days to process. 

University Enrollment Center, Foster Administration, first floor 508.999.8857 or 508.999.8866 

Scholarships

There are twelve scholarships available to students in the College of Nursing. 

Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors; RN-BS students; and graduate students are eligible for these scholarships. (Current seniors who will be graduating in May are not eligible, as you will not be in school next year.)

Scholarship awards are based on academic achievement and financial need.

To qualify, you must meet the criteria listed below for each scholarship. In addition, your GPA should be at least a 2.5 and you must submit a scholarship letter to the Office of the Dean of the College of Nursing, Dion 202, by March 31.

The Scholarship Committee may request recommendations from course/clinical faculty.

One letter will suffice for all scholarships, as the College of Nursing Scholarship Committee will meet and match scholarships with applicants. Recipients will be notified by mail and scholarshisp will be applied directly to your academic bill.

To apply for a scholarship, please submit a typed scholarship letter which includes:

• Your name, address, student ID, telephone number and expected year of graduation.
• A description of your nursing career goals.
• A short, sepcific statement supporting your financial need for this scholarship.
• Details of current employment, e.g., name of agency, number of hours/week.
• A list of your community involvement, volunteerism and leadership activities.

Submit your scholarship letter to: 
College of Nursing Scholarship Committee
College of Nursing
c/o Robin Couto 
Dean’s Office, Dion 202

Deadline for all twelve College of Nursing scholarships: March 31.

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1. Marie M. Howard Scholarship: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Junior, who demonstrates high academic and professional accomplishment and a commitment to professional nursing, as well as financial need. (Approximately $400.00) 

2. Phyllis Porth Darrell Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Junior or Senior, who demonstrates high academic and professional accomplishment and a commitment to professional nursing, as well as financial need. (Approximately $475.00) 

3. Jeanne Castonguay Violette Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Senior, leading to the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. (Approximately $550.00) 

4. Rose Castonguay Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Senior, who demonstrates high academic and professional accomplishment and a commitment to professional nursing, as well as financial need. (Approximately $750.00)

5. Bristol South County Medical Auxiliary Scholarship: Awarded to an upcoming senior nursing student who is interested in developing a career in nursing, and is a permanent resident of Bristol County. (Approximately $600.00) 

6. Grace R. and Henry C. Lincoln, MD Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time matriculated nursing student, and is based on academic merit, as well as financial need. (Approximately $375.00) 

7. Robert John Fisher Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Junior or Senior, who demonstrates exceptional leadership ability and high academic and professional accomplishment. (Approximately $500) 

8. Arlene M. Oliveira Scholarship Fund: Awarded to a nursing student who will be a Junior, Senior or student in the Graduate program, who is employed by St Anne’s Hospital, Fall River, MA. (Approximately $525.00) 

9. Truesdale Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association Scholarship Fund: Awarded to a nursing student in the Graduate program who demonstrates financial need and academic merit. (Approximately $600.00) 

10. Professor Jacqueline Bazinet Cobert Memorial Scholarship Fund: Awarded to a full-time, matriculated graduate or undergraduate student in the College of Nursing. Award decisions shall be based on academic merit as determined by the appropriate university scholarship committee(s). (Approximately $375.00) 

11. Lepreau and Welch Scholarship: Awarded to a full-time matriculated undergraduate student in the College of Nursing. Award decisions shall be based on financial need, academic merit as determined by the appropriate university scholarship committee(s). Preference will be given to students living in the Fall River and Westport areas. (Approximately $1,100.00

12. Eleanora S. Fontaine: Awarded to a sophomore nursing student enrolled in the College of Nursing with demonstrated financial need and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Preference is for a female student from the Greater New Bedford area. (Approximately $400.00).

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Getting started

Direct Deposit for Refunds - http://www.umassd.edu/bursar/refunds/studentrefunds/

Students can enroll for direct deposit of student refunds through COIN. This will eliminate the need to go to the University Enrollment Center to pick up your refund check or wait for your check to come in the mail.

Students will receive an email notification to their UMass Dartmouth email account when the refund has been processed. All students who wish to enroll for direct deposits can log into COIN via the myUMassD portal at https://my.umassd.edu/ to designate what bank account the funds will be deposited

2.      UMD scholarships for the nursing program

        http://www.umassd.edu/financialaid/scholarships/nursing/

3.       UMD email setup  https://secure.umassd.edu/newstudents/

4.       Get familiar with your COIN (student) account http://www.umassd.edu/orientation/newstudentorientation/coin/

About my role

My name is Michele Bourgeois and I am the Student Support Coordinator for your program in the College of Nursing. My role is to assist you with counseling, transition support, FAFSA renewal and verification, scholarship search, goal setting, referrals to University resources and reenrollment supports.

I am very eager to have the opportunity to assist you. I am available to help you overcome barriers you may face. University processes can be challenging and confusing at times. For these reasons I am here for any questions, concerns or advice.

I am available between 8:00am - 4:00pm by email, phone, or office visit. If the times do not work with your schedule please let me know so we can arrange a different time. You can reach me at 508.910.6533 or mbourgeois1@umassd.edu. To arrange a meeting please click here: http://doodle.com/micheleumassd

I look forward to assisting you soon.

How to use COIN

Click this link to learn more about how to use your COIN account: http://www.umassd.edu/orientation/newstudentorientation/coin/