Nottingham University Business School - World Top Ranking Performance

By Loke Yuen Wong

Founded in 1798, The University of Nottingham is a world class university with international reputation for excellent research and teaching performance. Today the university has more than 33000 students studying across its four major campuses in the UK and two international campuses in Malaysia and China.

Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) offers one of the world class leading MBA programs which are fully accredited by the Association of MBA (AMBA). The school is a world renowned centre of excellence in research, actively involved in major research areas such as Marketing, Industrial Economics, Human Resource Management, Accounting and Finance. Different types of MBA programs are offered such as the Financial MBA, General MBA, Executive MBA and International MBA.

University Ranking Information:

NUBS is one of the largest business school in Europe. It is ranked 6th by the 2008 Times Good University Guide (UK).

The school has outstanding record in teaching and research. It received a Grade 5 rating in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2001. Its teaching was rated 'excellent' by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Ranked as one of the world top 100 MBA programs by the Financial Times global top 100 MBA 2008 and the Economist Intelligence Unit 2007.

The university is ranked 19th in the Guardian University Ranking 2009 and 13th in the Sunday Times University Guide 2008.

It was named the 'UK University of the Year' by the Times Higher Education in 2006.

It is ranked in the World top 100 universities by the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2007 and THES-QS World University Rankings 2007.

Please visit the relevant guides for Best MBA Programs and Business School Ranking. The author, Loke Yuen Wong, holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and a BCom degree from The University of Adelaide (Australia).

When to Pursue an MBA Degree, Now Or Later?

By Julie Harvard

Most common question rises by those who are interested to pursue an MBA degree is when is the right time to pursue the degree. Does it make sense to continue on immediately after college and earn an MBA? Or, they should decide to go back to school after gaining some work experience.

In fact, there is no right or wrong answer to this question, it depends on the person and the circumstances, so first consider the pros and cons of pursuing an MBA immediately after the college versus after gaining some work experience before deciding the path that you would like to follow in earning your MBA degree.

Pursue an MBA Degree Now

There are several arguments that support on directly going for MBA immediately after completing an undergraduate degree:

1. Don't wait because the MBA degree will open up new career opportunities for you. The earlier you earn the degree the more career opportunities you can grab along your career path.

2. Things may change with time, so don't risk having your MBA plan derailed. You may plan to pursue an MBA after 2 years of working, but there are too many things that can get in within these 2 years such as family, health problem that causes you to have financial burden, lost of job & etc. that may force you to put aside your MBA plan. You just can't really count on things that yet to happen in the future. Hence, if you have intention to pursue an MBA degree, take the action now.

Pursue an MBA Degree Later

There is no right or wrong argument, but the counter-points for pursuing an MBA later are worth to be considered as well:

1. MBA itself has many concentrations for students to specialize in. Gaining some working experience first will help you to determine the type of MBA concentration that can help the most in your career. For example, if your employment experience triggers a desire to become a CEO in banking industry, you may want to enroll in MBA program that offers concentration in Banking Finance.

2. You do not know whether you really need an MBA until you have entered the workplace. Your working experience will tell you whether you need an MBA degree to boost your career to the highest level or you can achieve it with your current degree.

Gaining Working Experience & Pursuing an MBA - Do It Concurrently

With the available of online education, many MBA programs have been offered online, you have the 3rd choice of pursue an MBA degree while concurrently gaining your working experience. However, working and studying at the same time can be a heavy burden, but you might find that working and study can complement one another, as you work experiences add dimension to what you are learning, and you could also apply what you have learned at school on your job.

Find Your Path to an MBA

The benefits of an MBA degree can be realized regardless of whether you earn the degree before, after, or concurrent with gaining working experience, it depends on the person and the circumstances. So, choose your own path that best suits your needs.

Jullie Harvard would like to invite you to explore more information on online MBA programs at http://www.studykiosk.com which will help in making your education decision that best fit your career goal.

Creative Ways College Students Can Save Money

By Tom Tessin

College Students often have a very hard time saving money due to all their bills. With the costs of tuition, books, high gas prices, and their average monthly bills, how can they save money? Although it does seem impossible, it isn't. There are many ways college students can save money. Need some ideas? Check out these ideas and start putting your money in the bank.

Buying Textbooks - One of the most expensive things that college students dread paying for is college textbooks. So how can you help cut the costs on them? Easy, you can get them for almost half the price by getting them online and sharing. If you're going to school with one of your friends, try sharing the book! Have one person pay half and you pay half. Need another idea? Get them online! Websites online like amazon.com, half.com, e-bay and many other websites sell books for very cheap. Now is the time to check them out and start saving money.

Grocery Shopping - When you go grocery shopping try to get a small grocery cart instead of a regular sized one. This will cut down on your unnecessary foods. You will only have so much room so it will eliminate the things you really don't need. Also never buy anything that isn't on sale. Why? Because if you are patient, it will go on sale eventually. These two easy trips can cut down on your shopping bill more than you know.

Save money on gas - Every student should get a gas credit card. If you get a gas credit card, you can save up to 10% on your purchases at the pump. Everyone allows looks down on credit cards, but they can only help you if you use them wisely. Obviously you don't want to max out your card or put more money on it than you can afford. Also you want to make sure you pay the balance in full to avoid interest fees. But if you look at it this way, spend $50 save $5, do this for the year and you'll be saving a ton of money!

Money for fun - Every time you get paid you should only allow yourself so much money to spend on leisure. This amount should be the same every week. If you do this you will feel guilty if you go over, and proud of yourself if you go under. It's just a little mind game that you should play with your head. Try to only spend about 20% or less of your check on fun.

Putting money in the bank - You should also have a certain amount of money that you put in the bank every time you get paid. Once again doing this will make you feel guilty if you don't put as much in as you're supposed to and proud of yourself if you put in more than usual.

Although it seems impossible to save money as a college student, it isn't. It is a lot easier than you can imagine. Just be smart with your money. Every time you buy an item ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" If you stick the ideas above, you will start to see yourself saving money instantly.

Tom Tessin is an author for FINDcollegecards.com that is geared toward students looking for a first credit card

Earn Your Associate's Degree in Information Systems and Technology

By Abby Reid

Students who are interested in computers and information systems should pursue a college education in information systems and technology. This training degree program usually consists of specialized computer courses and information classes. By pursuing this education training program, students are well prepared for a career in a corporate environment.

The computer and Internet have undoubtedly changed the world and how its inhabitants communicate with one another. People are able to broadcast their personal lives, look up information, play video games with users on another continent, e-mail their friends and relatives, send photos, network with business associates and publish blogs at a rapid rate. With the Internet changing at such a quick pace, new technology, computer processes and software is continually required to maintain the safety, efficiency and proper usage of computer technology and the Internet.

If you love working with computers, the World Wide Web, new technology and enjoy troubleshooting, then a college Associate's Degree in Information Systems and Technology may be the right career choice for you. This college education program provides the basic career training foundation that gives students career flexibility in selecting a technology or computer-related occupation. After graduation, students can go on to pursue a Bachelor's Degree or delve immediately into the working world.

Information technology students should be able to quickly identify problems that may interfere with a computer's basic operations, love to troubleshoot, problem solve, enjoy working with other team members and possess a thorough understanding of the basic operations of technology. Acquiring an Associate's Degree will only take a student two years. During this time, students will learn by engaging in many hands-on training courses and computer classes.

The curriculum educates students in the fields of data storage, programming practices, development cycle, technology applications in business strategy and ethical and legal technology issues. Students will be able to locate information resources and evaluate them for relevance and credibility. An Associate's Degree in information technology will give students a thorough comprehension of all cyber-related

processes.

Information systems management courses are designed to help students develop the ability to manage and organize the vast information resources of an organization. These classes give students a thorough and in-depth understanding of management standards and the fundamentals of information and technology systems. With this diverse education, students are able to become an integral part of many different corporate environments. Students who wish to pursue an Associate's Degree in Information Systems can expect to:

• Learn the basics and fundamentals of computers and the Internet


• Become familiar with potential threats, viruses, malware and other hazardous elements that may cause damage to a computer


• Work firsthand with experts in the information advancement and computer technology industries, participate in classroom discussion that allow you to ask questions and test your own theories


• Experiment with new technology and software programs that are currently available on the market


• Learn about information and data storage, retrieval, manipulation and other data processes


• Learn about business settings and how technology relates to the corporate world and its everyday operations, experience how technology benefits a business environment in many different contexts

Choosing a career isn't easy. But if you love computers, the Internet and technology, you may benefit from an Associate's Degree in Information Technology Systems Contact Potomac College today. A successful position in information systems is waiting for you.

Going Back to School - SMART Tips For Single Moms

By Robert Sissenah

This article is written to introduce you a sequential process for setting your goals to achieve your personal objective such as continuing your education, or to upgrade your skills. In your mind, setting goals should not be much of a problem, if you know which direction you're shooting for, just as long as they are SMART ones. I will begin by defining a goal and identifying reasons for setting goals. A goal can be defined as a statement of a desired future a person wishes to achieve.

There could be a lot of reasons for setting goals. Identifying your own reasons for setting goals is just as important as the goal itself. Perhaps you have a course in mind that you would like to enroll in, or you are in a middle of your course and you want to improve your grades because your graduation depends on it. Whatever your reasons are is your course of action.

Remember to set your own specific standard so that you can easily achieve and evaluate your goals, by not setting them too high or too low, but somewhere in the middle. I will then describe a process based on the acronym SMART how you might want to develop and implement your goal using this framework. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Limited.

Are your goals specific? Set specific goals. Your educational goal needs to be specific to achieve the desired results you want. Don't be vague about your goals. You see, if your goals are not well defined, it will only produce incomplete results and you will not be happy. Developing your specific goal will help you organize the things that you have to do in a logical manner and to stay on track. Goals will also help you develop a better understanding of your own learning experience, purpose and expectations. It will also help to use your time and energy more efficiently.

Are they Measurable? Set your goals that are measurable with specific actions. Your goal should be such that you know when you are advancing and by how much and see more tangible results. For example, your goal of being a better basketball player is not measurable, but after five minutes of warm-up at the school gym, you will correctly dribble a basketball with one hand for 20 seconds would be measurable. You should be able to see exactly how you are measuring up in your learning journey using your goals.

Are they Attainable? Set attainable goals. Is it possible to achieve your learning in the time frame available for your learning given the knowledge and expertise that you bring to the classroom? It should be possible for you to achieve this objective in the session. Here's another example, it may be possible for a group of mechanics to disassemble and correctly reassemble a water pump following 30 minutes of instruction; however, it may require more time for third year nursing students to achieve the same competence.

Are they Realistic? Set realistic goals. Is it realistic to achieve this objective? Realistic can also mean Attainable. For example, if a nurse is teaching a group of adults about diabetes, it may not be realistic to expect them to to explain the pathophysiology of diabetic ketoacidosis, but it would be realistic to expect that third year nursing students could achieve the objective. Whereas, it would be realistic for the adults that they can describe the signs and symptoms of high blood sugar levels.

Are they Time-Limited? Set your time-limit.This period defines the time it should take for your learning to take place with a starting and ending point. You could also set your benchmarks at which progress can be assessed. For goals that have outcome goals, establishing a clear deadline for them adds an element of urgency and motivation toward its achievement so you don't procrastinate with your class projects and assignments. The time-limit you select should be realistic. Losing twenty pounds in twenty weeks is realistic, whereas losing those pounds in five weeks is not only unrealistic but there could be health complications in future. Using SMART goals will provide you a framework to improve your educational goal setting. SMART can be used as a way of evaluating your educational goal. I wish you good learning.

Robert Sissenah is the new owner of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) - About Learn-Eh! Visit his website at http://www.cybersenior.ca