Dr. J is Touro California Director of Academic Support Dr. Jill Alban.

Dear Dr. J,

I’m having trouble sleeping because I’m having issues with financial aid. Is there someone I can go to talk to about that?

— Sleepless in Solano

Dear Sleepless,

I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way! We definitely do not want you to lose sleep or valuable study time because of questions or concerns regarding financial aid. It is a good idea to schedule an appointment with the Financial Aid office and speak with either Dannielle or Cherri as they can certainly help ease your mind when it comes to your questions. They are currently located at 690 Walnut Avenue (along with the rest of Student Affairs such as Registrar, Bursar, etc,) and are more than happy to meet with you. There are also opportunities on campus that are available such as work study in which you can be a tutor, or a hall monitor, researcher, etc. We are all here to help you, so please don’t hesitate to visit.

Dear Dr. J,

I’m married and recently got accepted into Touro! Both my wife and I are very excited for school to start but we’re not quite sure what to expect. What should I tell her to expect? I know that I will not have as much free time with her as I do now.

— Nervous Newbies

Dear Newbies,

Welcome and congratulations! It is definitely an exciting time and I can understand your hesitancy. It is important to definitely let your spouse/significant other know what your schedule looks like and what to expect. Our recommendation is to show them your class load and have them be familiar with the times that you’ll be in class, when exams are, and when you have school obligations so that seeing it will help with the realization that you will not have as much time as you used to.

Try and schedule things that are fun for the both of you during your downtime such as having dinners together, or having brunch on the weekends while walking the dog!  It is important to continue fostering your relationship but making sure your partner knows that you will start to have a lot on your plate but that schooling is your current priority for the next few years. It may also be helpful if there is a class roster provided with pictures so that your significant other can put a face to a name and to introduce them to your new cohort, as well as attend events on campus such as the Winter Gala. These are things that can certainly help ease into the transition.

To submit a question related to student success, write it in a comment on this page, or email directly to jill.alban@tu.edu.

 Jill Alban is the Director of Academic Support at Touro University California. She earned her Doctorate in Education and has been an educator for more than 30 years. She enjoys the challenge of helping students develop study strategies and improve their grades. On the weekend you can find her romping with her husband and Rose, her labradoodle, in Tilden Park or swimming laps at the Berkeley City Club. She is training to swim the Bosporus. Her dream is to swim from Europe to Asia. She can be reached at jill.alban@tu.edu

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