It is not too soon to start thinking about the fall semester. Registration is under way, and classes will start Aug. 19.

New student orientation will be held for all new students from noon to 2 p.m. or 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20, at PDCCC locations in Franklin, Suffolk and Smithfield.

Get ahead

At PDCCC, you can get ahead by pursuing an associate in arts and science degree, transferable to a four-year institution, an associate in applied science degree, or certificate to move directly into the workforce.

You can also take advantage of customized business and industry courses that upgrade your workplace skills or noncredit community service courses for sheer enjoyment at the college’s Regional Workforce Development Center.

The following are some courses available this fall:

Onsite Credit Courses

Courses include Principles of Accounting I, Survey of Criminal Justice, American Sign Language I, Keyboarding I, Small Business Management, Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Schematic and Mechanical Diagrams, Introduction to the Teaching Profession, CPR for Healthcare Providers, U.S. History I, Introduction to Microcomputers, Principles of Marketing, Pre-calculus I, Medical Office Coding, Music Appreciation I, Yoga, Weight Training and Introduction to Psychology I.

Online Credit Courses

Fall online classes include Introduction to Computerized Accounting, Office Administration, General Biology I, Business Law, Introduction to Computer Science, Principles of Macroeconomics, English Composition, History of Western Civilization I, Spreadsheet Software, Introduction to Network Concepts, Introduction to Game Design and Development, Principles of Marketing, Practical Reasoning, Child Psychology, Survey of the New Testament, Beginning Spanish I and Introduction to Sociology.

Workforce Development/

Community Service Courses

Fall credit courses include Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Controls I, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration I-II, Introduction to Business, Team Concepts/Problem Solving and Warehouse and Distribution Operation.

Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connections is scheduled for the Hobbs Suffolk Campus.

Noncredit/community-service courses scheduled for the Workforce Center include Computer for Absolute Beginners and Dog Obedience. Take Better Pictures is scheduled for PDCCC’s Smithfield Center.

For information on other courses, call 569-6700 or visit www.pdc.edu.

Wizard Online Tool

As described on the website www.vawizard.org, the Virginia Education Wizard is a one-stop, online resource that brings together information to help students enter the front door to postsecondary education. Ginny, a life-like guide, walks users through the different features and helps them build their profiles to tailor information based on their particular interests.

The Wizard provides assessments to identify strongest work-related interests and follow-up with career-option recommendations that align with users’ interests and work values; it also leverages real-time data to report what current jobs are paying in local Virginia markets, highlighting jobs where workers are in demand.

In addition, the Wizard outlines the community college curriculum, including options at local campuses closest to each user and workforce training opportunities for people seeking to begin or restart a career quickly.

The Wizard also connects users to the community colleges’ online application and registration process, and guides users through applying for financial aid and much more.