Early Start
Information for
On-Campus
Students
NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY
What type of classes do Early Start students take?
 Typical courses include:
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English 101 (based on ACT scores)
Math 101 (based on ACT scores)
Art 110 or Music 105 (Art/Music
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Appreciation)
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Government 101 (American
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National/Civics)
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History (Western Civilization, World
History)
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Psychology 101
Sociology 151
Speech 101
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Biology
Chemistry
Physics
French
Spanish
Geography
Geology
General Education
 There are a core group of classes required of Louisiana
college graduates.
 This core group represents the courses in which most Early
Start students enroll.
 These courses are established by the Board of Regents to
ensure graduates have a well rounded education regardless
of the major the student chooses to pursue.
General Education
 This is one of the major educational differences
between universities and technical schools.
 The good news for you, is that these general
education courses are usually, transferable to other
Louisiana universities.
Other ways to earn college credit in high school:
 ACT – SAT – Compass Exams
 Scoring well in Math and/or English can earn you Nicholls credit.
 Advanced Placement Testing
 An invitation is extended to high school students for the
opportunity to take an advanced placement exam to attempt to
test out of courses at Nicholls. Must have an ACT composite of 24
or higher. Tests are free. Courses are non-transferrable.
 CLEP testing
 National exam that we offer on campus to give you an
opportunity to try to test out of courses. There is a fee to take
each exam. Courses are transferable.
 Military Credit
ACT Scores for NSU Placement
 English Composition
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18-27 ACT = English 101
28-31 ACT = English 102
32-36 ACT = English
literature
 Mathematics
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19-20 ACT = Math 100
21-22 ACT = Math 101
23-26 ACT = Math 102, 106,
or 108
27-36 ACT = Math 165
Colonel Card
 Student ID
 Allows you to use computer labs on campus and check
out books in the library
 Students can apply money to their Colonel Card to be
used on campus
 Visit the Colonel Card office in the Union to obtain your
card
 You must obtain your Colonel Card before obtaining
your parking decal.
Parking Decal
 $50 fee
 Valid for one year
 Fee will be applied to your fee bill and you may pay
using Banner Self-Service or at Fee Collections in Elkins
 Parking decals can be obtained in Calecas Hall
Tips for Success
#1
GO TO CLASS
 Also:
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Read ahead and be prepared for class.
Learn how to study.
Seek help, ask questions, talk to your professors.
Ask someone. Come to the Advising Center with any type of
problem you may have or need help with.
What You Can Expect
 Most professors and other students will not know that
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you are still in high school.
It’s not a secret that you are a high school student. You
are free to tell them if you would like.
Expect for faculty, staff, and other students to interact
with you as an adult.
Know that you may hear and see things in class or on
campus that may be controversial, this is part of the
college experience.
If you do not feel comfortable, at any time, please
notify Mrs. Lori Richard.
Course Expectations
 Please...
 Have fun and enjoy this experience. Not all students have this
opportunity. Enjoy it!
 Attend class and communicate reasons for an absence or tardy to
your professor.
 Complete all assignments on time and with quality work.
 Study hard.
 This class will be on your permanent college record, it will follow
you to all universities you may attend in the future.
 Follow all campus and classroom rules listed in the Code of
Student Conduct. http://www.nicholls.edu/documents/student_life/code_of_conduct.pdf

No cheating, no plagiarizing.
Early Start Grades and Advising
 Early Start students must earn an A, B, or C to be eligible for
Early Start enrollment in the future.
 Students who withdraw (W) or resign will not be allowed to
participate in the Early Start program in future semesters.
 Early Start students must see the Early Start advisor, Lori
Richard, to drop a course or resign from the university.
 All grades are final and permanently placed on the student’s
official transcript.
Before the first day of class
 Drop or Add Classes– must be done with Mrs. Lori Richard
 Pick up your Colonel Card
 Get your parking decal (if you need one)
 Buy your textbooks
First Day of Class
Bring:
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Books
Notebook or binder
and loose leaf paper
Pencil/pen
Book bag
Daily planner
 Syllabus. This is something your
professor will give you in class. This is
the backbone of your course. Your
instructor’s expectations for you will
be located in this document. Read it.
Understand it. Ask questions.
 Anticipate parking issues. You will
likely have to drive around for a while
before finding a parking space. Make
sure you ONLY park in a commuter
student spot. Otherwise, you may
find a pretty $50 parking ticket taped
to your vehicle.
Other Tips
 Keep small umbrella or poncho in your book bag for when
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that rain cloud sneaks up on you. Class will go on, even on
rainy days.
Consider bringing a small sweater or jacket to class.
Sometimes our classrooms are cold.
Keep a copy of your schedule handy.
Bring a mini stapler, mini hole punch, or other supplies you
may need. Professors will expect your assignments to be
submitted stapled.
Keep money on your Colonel Card or cash for vending
machine snacks, copy machines, purchasing food, or items
at the bookstore. Check out the iPhone app in the app
store for your Colonel Card.
Get Familiar with Campus
 Walk through your
schedule to get familiar
with where your class will
be.
 Use the Nicholls iPhone
app to help you navigate
campus and other campus
tools. The app can be
found in the iPhone app
store.
Decoding Your Schedule
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CRN: unique course number for that particular
class only
Course: course abbreviation, number, and
section
Title: Title of course
Campus: location of course
Credits: number of credit hours for the course
Level: UG=undergraduate
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Days: Days of the week the course meets
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TR= Tuesday and Thursday
MWF= Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
M= Monday only; T= Tuesday only; W=Wednesday
only; R= Thursday only; F= Friday only
MW= Monday and Wednesday
Time: Time the course meets on given days of
week
Location: Building and room number
Instructor: Last name of your instructor
** press visit bookstore to find the books
required for your class!!
Banner, Moodle, and E-mail
 Student Email: University assigned gmail account. Use this account when
emailing faculty/staff on campus (i.e. professors, Early Start advisor).
 Moodle: Online course management system that will be heavily utilized in
your classes. It is imperative that you use this valuable tool.
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Moodle has replaced our old Blackboard system. You may still hear students and faculty
refer to Blackboard. Spring 2012 is the first semester that all courses will use Moodle only.
 Banner Self-Service: Where you handle business. Banner keeps the official
record that the university has on each student. In Banner Self-Service you
will find your:
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Fee Bill: how much you owe the university
Unofficial Transcript: an unofficial copy of all course work attempted or in progress
Semester schedule
Official transcript request form
Faculty/staff contact information
Your personal contact information that you can update as it changes
And lots of other things…
Log-in Links
 On the Nicholls home page, under CURRENT STUDENT, you will find log-in
links for: student email, Moodle, and Banner Self-Service.
Links
Banner Self-Service Log-in Information
 Banner Self-Service:
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User ID: Social Security number or Student ID number (N number)
Password: Six digit birthdate. You will be asked to change your
password after your first log-in (mm/dd/yy)
Once in Banner, your third party ID will be located in the top right
corner of the screen. This is the first part of your email account. Write
this down. You will need it to log-in to email.
Your Nicholls ID (N number) is located next to your third party ID. It will
look something like this: N00012345 Always use a capital “N” and
include all zeros in this number.
Student Email and Moodle Log-in Information
 Student Email:
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Use email links provided on Nicholls homepage to access email.
Username: Third party ID (obtained from Banner)
Password: N number (be sure to use capital ‘N’)
 Moodle:
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Use Moodle link provided on Nicholls homepage to access Moodle.
Log-in is in the top right hand corner of Moodle home page
Username: Third party ID (obtained from Banner)
Password: N number (be sure to use capital ‘N’)
Handy Information
 Early Start Advisor:
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Lori Richard
234 Elkins
448.4825
Lori.Richard@nicholls.edu
 Academic Advising Center:
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234 Elkins Hall
448.4117
 Parking Permits:
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Calecas Hall
448.4942
 Colonel Card Office
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Bollinger Memorial Student Union
448-4498
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https://services.jsatech.com/index.php?cid=202
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 Meal Plans
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Vernon Galliano Dining Hall, Sudexo
Office
448.4513
http://www.nicholls.edu/dining/mealplans/commuter-meal-plans/
 Admissions
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Otto Candies Hall
448.4507
 Records and Registration
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Otto Candies Hall
448.4153
 Tutorial and Academic
Enhancement Center
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143 Peltier Hall
448.4100
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http://www.nicholls.edu/academic_enhancement/
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