Is Further Education Important?

By Edward Henderson

When people ask is further education important, often they have been put off by the high cost of going to college and getting a degree. It's no secret that the cost of getting further education has increased a lot in recent years, so it is no surprise that many students question whether they can afford it. In response, I always ask them can they afford NOT to go to college.

The reason is that college graduates on average earn double the amount of money in their lives than those with just a high school education. The return on investment dwarfs any other investment you could make on wall street. There are a huge number of financial aids available for anyone who wants to go to college.

So once the price is no longer a factor, is going to college really worth it? Further education is important because of the number of opportunities that become available with a college education. It is a fact that more and more people worldwide are getting a higher education, so to stand out in the marketplace you need to have a further education beyond high school.

It's true that there are many successful people who do not have a higher education, although this is becoming more and more rare. It is a lot more difficult to get a high powered and highly paid job without a college education than it ever was before simply because there are a lot more people with a college education these days.

So "Is further education important?" It could be the most important thing you will ever do.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education ImportanceOfCollege.com

Is College Necessary For Success?

By Edward Henderson

This is one question that many potential college students ask themselves when they near the end of high school. They have been told that the most sensible thing to do is to go into higher education if they want to earn more money, but many aren't sure if it is the right thing for them.

First of all, it should be pointed out that college is not necessary for success. There have been many examples where people with just a high school education have gone onto big things, so by not going to college does not mean someone is a failure.

However, going to college is becoming more and more important. The workplace is getting more competitive by the year, and a college education makes an applicant stand out from the crowd. The numbers of people around the world who are going onto higher education is increasing.

Getting a college education opens up many opportunities that may not have been available to a student with just a high school education. On average, college graduates earn around double in their life time than high school graduates.

The answer to the question "Is college necessary for success?" is that college isn't necessary, but does make it a lot easier. Getting a college education makes someone an expert in their field, and also allows them to network with lots of people with similar interests. The most highly paid and powerful jobs often require a college education, so while getting a degree is not essential for success, it is important.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read why going to college is important ImportanceOfCollege.com

How to Write the Best College Education Essay - Important Steps to Help You Get Into College

By Edward Henderson

Most colleges today ask all potential applicants to write an essay to help them decide whether the pupil is suitable for the college or not. While writing a good essay won't get you a place if your grades aren't good enough, it can help you to stand out from the competition. With the number of people applying for higher education increasing all the time, you need to give yourself the best chance of beating people with similar stats to you.

So how do you write the best college education important essay? Here are some tips.

1. Always make sure you answer the question. The essays are usually only 500 words long, so it is vital you answer the question quickly and concisely. Never deviate from the point for too long or you will find yourself running out of words.

2. Don't overuse big words in an attempt to sound clever. If a word fits into the essay then by all means use it, but don't go through your essay looking at the thesaurus to find "cool" words. It will be obvious when the essay is read that you have done so.

3. Try to gain the readers attention in the first few sentences so the admissions officer will want to read on. Remember how many of these essays they will read, you need to make sure yours stands out from the crowd.

There is no certain way to write a good college education important essay, but the three points above should always be taken into consideration.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education. ImportanceOfCollege.com

Four Reasons to Go to College

By Edward Henderson

As you reach the end of your high school education, the decision whether to carry on with further education becomes an important one. Going to college has many benefits, but also comes with a huge price tag, so you need to be certain that you want to go. Here are four reasons to go to college:

1. Going to college allows you to earn more money. It is as simple as that. In fact, people with a Bachelors degree on average earn around double the amount during a lifetime than those who just have a high school education.

2. People who go to college tend to be more rounded people with better social skills. You will earn how to communicate and learn for yourself, as well as being taught by some of the finest minds in the US.

3. Going to college opens many doors to career paths that otherwise wouldn't have been open to you. A college education helps you to stand out from the crowd when gong for high paid jobs. In some cases a college degree may be the bare minimum for the best jobs.

4. Getting a college education gives you the tools to become successful in whatever path you take. The global market for workers is becoming more and more competitive, so higher education is needed for the best and most highly paid jobs.

Higher education allows you many opportunities that wouldn't be available if you only get a high school education. Don't be put off by the high price tag, invest in your own future.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education ImportanceOfCollege.com

Forming a College Education Plan

By Edward Henderson

If you've finished high school and decided you want to go to college, it is vital that you come up with a plan for how you are going to fund it. Going to college is more expensive than it has ever been in the past, and while it is always going to be a good investment you need to have a solid college education plan in place.

For example, going to college at one of the top colleges can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Most people don't have that kind of money around to pay the fees straight away, so you'll need to look into getting a college loan to help you through the extra financial burden.

Also take a good look around for grants that you may be eligible to receive. Grants don't usually have to be paid back so are highly desirable. There are many different grants offered by different establishments, so it pays to look around. There is never any harm in applying for a grant even if you don't think you'll get it. Putting a bit of effort in here can pay off a lot in the future.

The most important thing about a college education plan is having some idea how you are going to pay the money back. Usually this isn't as hard as it sounds because college loans can be paid off over a long period of time, but it's a good idea to put some thought into what you are going to do once you've finished college education.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education. ImportanceOfCollege.com

College Education Ranking - How to Decide on the Best College For You

By Edward Henderson

Going to college is one of the most important decisions in any persons life, so you need to be sure which college is the right one for you. This is especially important today as the price of getting a college education increasing all the time so you need to be sure you will enjoy where you are going. College education ranking tables can help you decide which are the colleges with the best ratings as well as which ones would be suitable for you.

But how do the rankings work? And are they completely fair? If possible, you should always try to visit the college before committing to go there so you can see what it is like and whether you enjoy the surroundings, as rankings tend to only take into account the academic side of the college. The rankings are based on many things, including the average starting salary for a graduate from the college, acceptance ratings and a peer assessment score. The peer assessment score asks deans to rate out of five the college.

College education ranking tables are just one way you should decide on which college is right for you. Other factors such as distance, price and surroundings are also important and should be taken into account. Remember that the better colleges will also be the most expensive. Choosing a college is one of the hardest decisions and person will make in their lives so make sure you spend your time and make the right decision for you.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education. ImportanceOfCollege.com

Average Cost of College - Can You Afford a College Education

By Edward Henderson

The cost of going to college has been steadily increasing in recent times. These days, getting a college education is at its most expensive ever. However the financial gains of getting a higher education far outweigh the cost.

It's not difficult to see why many are put off by the cost of college though. The average cost of college is high, but is often a lot less than you think after grants and bursaries have been taken into account.

The cost of college varies with the different establishments, so exact figure cannot be given. The larger more renowned colleges do tend to charge a lot more for their tuition however, so before deciding on applying to a college you should always find out their exact fees.

The great thing about going to college is that no matter how expensive it is, the student will always make back many times the investment during their life time. It is one of the few investments that carries little to no risk, but can still guarantee huge returns. In fact, on average a college graduate will earn double the amount of money that a high school graduate will earn during a lifetime. This means that it is almost a question of whether you can afford not to go rather than whether you can afford the fees.

With a bit of research on the internet it is easy to find financial aid for students who are worried about the financial cost of going to college.

Going to college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and it is vital to know as much as you can before making a decision. To learn more about why going to college can give you an advantage, please read the importance of college education. ImportanceOfCollege.com

Masters Or Doctorate Degree - Which is Better For You?

By David Cassell

In order to answer the question "which is better for you?", you will have to understand your own motivations, priorities, capabilities and expectations. Your expectations should be based on a thorough knowledge of the pros and cons of both degrees.

Your Career Motivations and Goals

First off, you need to ascertain what your career goals are. For most careers, having a masters degree is a sufficient pre-requisite for entering into the top tier positions in your field. It is a very solid education and demonstrates that you want to deepen your knowledge in your chosen field.

If you decide to pursue a doctorate degree (PhD), it also demonstrates that you are serious about career advancement. However, unless you want a career in academia or research, it probably wouldn't be necessary to do one.

Nonetheless, several businesses headhunt highly qualified candidates to run their operations. Having a doctoral degree would place you way ahead of those you have a masters degree or lower.

There are those who do a PhD because it is a powerful status symbol. If you are going to be doing one on this basis, make sure you consider the costs involved, both in terms of time and money.

Understanding Your Capabilities

If you are not ready to give you a large part of your social life and get down to some serious studying then doing a postgraduate or doctorate degree is not for you. These two programs are very vigorous and time consuming. Be prepared for sleepless nights.

Also, if you barely scraped through your bachelors degree, think twice about pursuing a postgraduate degree. A much higher level of written work and analysis is required to successfully complete one.

Generally, to fulfill the masters degree requirements, one has to successfully complete exams, coursework and a dissertation.

A doctorate normally includes completing the masters program plus doing exams and a thesis based on original research. Most doctoral students work as teaching or research assistants which add to the overall feeling of overwhelm they experience.

You have to be brutally honest with yourself as to whether you're capable of handling postgraduate work.

Evaluating the Time and Money Issues

Doing a masters or doctoral degree can be costly. If you are still paying off for you bachelors degree it may be impossible for you to afford any more studying even though your earning potential would increase markedly.

That said, more financial aid is available for PhD students than masters students. This adds an interesting twist to your post graduate application.

You could apply to a PhD program initially even if you're not sure whether you'll complete it. If the program doesn't suit you, there is no penalty for changing your mind later and leaving with just a masters degree. You'd have still benefited from the financial aid. Of course, this all depends on whether you're accepted into the PhD program in the first place.

Then there is the time issue. If you have a job, a family or even a business, taking time off to study for another 2-6 years may not be feasible.

Age

Age may just be a number but it is a very important one. There is no age limit on the pursuit of a postgraduate degree. If time and money issues are unimportant to you, by all means pursue your masters or PhD.

However, if these issues are important, you need to think about how close you are to retirement and if you'll be working long enough to enjoy the benefits of a postgraduate qualification.

Then there is the matter of energy. Finding the motivation to study late in life is not impossible but difficult. The older you are, the less likely you are to have the motivation to complete postgraduate study or any degree for that matter.

Seek Help

On a final note, don't hesitate to seek the advice of professionals who can help you to think objectively about this decision. Talk to your boss, your academic adviser or even people who have already obtained a postgraduate degree in your field.

Don't enroll into a masters or PhD program unless you are sufficiently convinced it is right for your personal circumstances.

Getting passed over for a promotion is a thing of the past. Find out how your career can skyrocket with an accredited distance education degree. Plus more free information on how to avoid bogus online schools and where to get money for college.

MBA Trends - The Student Profile

By Brit Boone

With the significant, growing interest in a MBA education since 2006, it is important to sketch a profile of these new candidates. It proves helpful to understand who these candidates are, what they are looking for, and what can they anticipate upon graduation.

Who are today's MBA candidates?

Even though there has been a marked increase in MBA applicants over the past several years, there has been an inverse relationship with the quality of candidates. A study by GMAC reports that almost 60% of MBA programs report that "their applicants are of better quality than those seen last year (1)."

The average age of candidates consistently shows some variance based on the region of the world. In Asia, Central Asia, and the Pacific Islands, 53% of the applicants are 24 and younger. In Europe, the largest group falls in the 25 to 30 year range at 44%. When accounting for 30 and younger, this age group represents 71% of future MBA students. The average age for Western European participants is 29, while the Eastern European age is slightly younger at 28 years old. Also of interest in profiling the MBA candidate is that Eastern European respondents to the GMAC survey were evenly split in participation by both genders. The U.S. and Canada also displayed a high level of participation by both male and female MBA applicants. The least balanced in male and female MBA pursuit is India with 85% male candidates and 15% female (2).

The MBA candidate often has work experience, especially in key fast-emerging markets. When grouping candidates that have at least one year of work experience, the four regions with the greatest amount of experienced individuals are: Central and South America with 82%; India with 87%; Eastern Europe and Africa both with 84%. In the U.S., 81% has one year or more of work experience (3).

What is today's MBA candidate looking for in an education?

Internationally, a main shared motivating factor for pursuit of an MBA is for applicants to improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA). Women maintain human capital development as the primary driver in their MBA pursuit. Human capital includes: further developing their KSAs, pursuing opportunities for more interesting and challenging work assignments, and to increase their learning opportunities. Showing consistent variance from female trends, men place personal career development as their top priority with KSA acquisition generally being second in the ranking of motivating factors (4). In Russia, 82% of respondents state that the key objective for candidates is "to acquire new knowledge (5)." This is consistent with the global pursuit of improved KSAs.

Many MBA candidates are looking to develop their ability to understand their local business context and how it fits into the overall global business environment. This is important due to future expected shortages of experienced knowledge-workers in the next 10 to 20 years. Employers will be looking to hire candidates that possess "local knowledge with global scope (6)." In the Russian market this position is a recently developing view that is becoming more common. Some would make the case that it is better for students to study in-country so that they can deal with the complexities and realities that exist in Russian business. This is healthy when the in-country study integrates into how the specific culture and practices fit into the international context.

There is a significant focus on the importance of business and social entrepreneurships in some developing regions. This category ranked very high for Africa, India and Central Asia. In the highly developed economies of Canada, Western Europe, and the United States, this aspect ranked lower than any other category (7). While these are generalizations, there are a number of candidates in every region that are seeking to make a difference. One MBA student, Alessandro Lala, hopes to positively impact business practices in his home country of Italy. In referring to the corporate scandal in 2003 at Parmalat, Lala states that he wants to "use [his] MBA to help influence good governance within [his] future employers (8)."

The largest concern or limiting factor for potential candidates considering an MBA is the financial aspect. This includes: the cost of the program; the anticipated debt that may be necessary; and the delay of other key personal events such as marriage, the birth of a child, etc. The financial issues outlined proved to be a concern shared by 85% of applicants from all regions of the world (9). Some examples of the percentage of applicants expecting to secure a loan for their MBA education are France at 35%, Russia at 29%, and Turkey at 8% (10).

What can a MBA student anticipate after graduation?

A MBA graduate that performs well can anticipate opportunities. These opportunities usually involve job offers and/or advancement. In turn, this leads to increased compensation. According to a 2007 survey with almost 500 multi-national employers in the U.S. and Asia, a graduate degree like a MBA can allow for significant increases in salary. In some cases, as much as a 71% salary premium over those who have only an undergraduate degree is possible (11).

For graduates of executive MBA programs, salary increases are also common. According to the 2007 Executive MBA Council Survey, 2007 graduates saw an average of 21% salary increase with 41% of them receiving a promotion (12).

(1) "Application Trends Survey" of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), 2007.

(2) "mba.com Registrants Survey: 2008 Comprehensive Data Report", GMAC, 2008.

(3) Ibid.

(4) "mba.com Registrants Survey: 2008 Survey Report", GMAC, 2008.

(5) "Work and Study (translated title)" magazine.

(6) "TopMBA Careers - the war for talent", topmba.com, 2006.

(7) "mba.com Registrants Survey: 2008 Survey Report", GMAC, 2008.

(8) "Corporate social responsibility - a mandate for MBAs", QS TopMBA.com

(9) "mba.com Registrants Survey: 2008 Comprehensive Data Report", GMAC, 2008.

(10) "TopMBA.com Applicants Survey 2007", quoted in jobfair.ru.

(11) "Making graduate degrees pay: salary benefits for Masters and PhD candidates", QS TopGradSchool, 2007.

(12) "2007 Executive MBA Council Survey Results Offer Industry Insights", Executive MBA Council, 2007.

Brit Boone is the president of GHP in Russia. A professional development firm, GHP develops organizations and leaders. With programs ranging from career development to International and Executive MBA offerings, GHP serves a range of current and future leaders. More information on MBA trends and development resources are available at the GHP website and blog (ghprussia.ru).

Why Are You Going to College?

By Bob Roth

While in high school, most students begin to select a general career direction. Some make careful choices, while others leave things to chance. Either way, the process usually begins there. When college is in the offing, those young adults will attend college for a wide variety reasons. Those reasons usually fall into four distinct categories: Parents, Career, Money and Interests.

Parents frequently try to steer their children into college. These parents generally recognize that many corporate employers now consider the college degree to be a requirement for administrative, supervisory, technical and management positions. However, college is not right for everyone. Some students aren't ready. Others are better suited for careers in areas where a college education is not all that useful.

Career goals can drive those students who have a specific career in mind. They may want to be an attorney, a doctor, a scientist, an accountant or a social worker, etc. Students who know where they are trying to go usually have an advantage over students who are confused and less focused. Other students may have already entered the world of work and have come to recognize that their career progress may depend on obtaining a degree in their specialty or perhaps in business and management. Such students may attend college on a part-time basis, often at night or on weekends.

Money affects the decisions of some students. These students may select their career direction based on the amount of money they think they can make in that field. People with college degrees often hold higher positions and earn considerably more money than people without a degree, in similar positions. Highly desirable degrees, from the most well-respected colleges, can put high performing students on a career fast track.

Other interests will motivate some students to attend college. Those interests can include a love of learning, athletics, the arts, science, politics and even friendship may come into play (to follow a girl/boyfriend) or for social reasons (meet members of the opposite sex). In other cases, students may attend college by default. These students may go to college simply because all of their friends are going or they don't have a job and don't have a better alternative.

Ultimately, upon graduation from college, most young adults will be starting a new job, going on to Graduate School or seeking a full-time job. And so, the reason that most students are going to college is to obtain the knowledge, wisdom, experience and successes that will impress potential employers and help them land a good job or get into Graduate School.

If students and parents accept this statement, the question then becomes, what can students do to impress potential employers or help them get into Graduate School? And so, if students want to improve the odds for being successful after graduation, they must make the most of the entire four-year college experience.

Employers and Graduate Schools look for seven things:

1. Academic success usually means a "B" average or better. Many employers and Graduate Schools will not even consider you if you don't meet their academic standards.

2. The quality of your college education refers to the rating, reputation and status of your college.

3. A well-rounded college experience.

- Participation in clubs and athletic activities

- Work experience

- Community activities

- Campus events and activities

- Willingness to try things

4. Successes, accomplishments and results.

- Leadership roles and experiences in your area of interest

- Demonstrated strengths that differentiate you from others

- Communication skills (speak, write, present, listen, teach, etc.)

- Examples of competence with technology and computers

- Ability to build relationships and function in a team environment

- Examples of having accepted responsibility

- Ability to overcome obstacles

- Willingness to be held accountable

5. A powerful resume that presents the student's assets and capabilities.

6. Outstanding communication and interviewing skills.

7. Strong references from professors, advisors, coaches, employers, community leaders and other impressive people.

These seven items are the keys to success as students attempt to enter the world of work or be accepted to a desirable Graduate School. If students want their careers to get off on the best foot after college, each student should keep these items in the forefront, as they progress through their college experience.

Visit Bob's web site: www.The4Realities.com. Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job.

Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob also writes articles for nearly 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob serves as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. http://www.The4Realities.com

To Land a Great Job, Students Need a Four-Year Plan

By Bob Roth

Every college student needs a four-year plan that can lead to a great job. Since nobody wants to spend four years in college only to end up in a dead end job, wise students write out, and periodically update, a comprehensive plan that reveals the steps that will lead their goals.

Here is a brief and simplified example that can be tailored to individual needs.

Freshman Year - As soon as possible, select a general and broad career direction that makes sense for you. With that decision, you will be able to conduct some research. Try to find out what the employers in these fields will require of employment candidates, if you interview with them in your senior year. In that way, you can begin to create a path to follow, set goals and establish a timeline for the steps that are required. Don't worry! You can make changes, as you are able to clarify your direction.

From this point forward, you can begin to follow your initial plan of action. Your plan should contain many of the following:

- Identify influential people who can help you, in the future. You'll need a network.

- Build your credibility with high performing students and influential people.

- Volunteer for something in your area of interest.

- Get to know your Professors, Advisors and Career Services staff.

- Research Campus, Community and Work opportunities.

- Understand yourself - What strengths do you bring to the table?

- Pay attention to your attitude and body language. They tell others who you are.

- Evaluate your Leadership, Communication and People Skills.

- Tend to your grades. They are the gateway to many employers.

Sophomore Year - If it has not already been done, you should select a tentative major in your sophomore year. This does not mean that you have to pick out a specific career or job to shoot for. It is still early. As you take your classes and begin to participate in campus, work and community activities, you will gradually gain a clearer perspective.

Take the time to update or expand your plan of action, based on your current goals. Follow your plan of action during year two. It should contain items like these:

- Build and maintain relationships with influential people. Create your network.

- Continue to build credibility with Professors and high performing students.

- Get involved with something in your area of interest.

- Get to know your Professors, Advisors and Career Services staff.

- Participate in Campus, Community and Work opportunities.

- Seek part-time and/or summer jobs in your field of interest.

- Understand yourself - What are your interests, strengths and weaknesses?

- Present the Attitude and Body Language that will help you.

- Find ways to strengthen your Leadership, Communication and People Skills.

- Identify and research potential employers and job hunting web sites.

- Do what is necessary to keep your grades up.

Since employers love people who are able to get things done, begin to build your list of accomplishments. Generally your accomplishments should be aligned with the goals in your plan of action. Try to excel in your areas of interest and strength.

Junior Year - Look back over the past two years and update or expand your plan of action. At this point, your plan should become quite specific. If you have a better idea of where you are trying to go, your plan should include the steps that will get you there. Follow your plan of action for year three. It should contain items like these:

- Continue to build relationships with influential people to expand your network.

- Do something specific to build credibility with Professors and high performing

students. Find ways to help them achieve their own goals.

- Volunteer for something that is important in your area of interest.

- Work closely with your Professors, Advisors and Career Services staff.

- Play a leadership role in at least one Campus, Community or Work opportunity.

- Continue to work at part-time and/or summer jobs in your field of interest.

- Understand yourself - Focus on your strengths and interests.

- Improve your attitude. Present a positive "can do," "let's give it a try" attitude.

- Be certain that your body language and actions match your words.

- Demonstrate your Leadership, Communication and People Skills.

- Identify and research potential employers, alumni & employment web sites.

- Draft your resume - Emphasize accomplishments in your field of interest.

- Develop and practice your interviewing skills.

- Think references and recommendations: Identify the most influential and respected

people who will speak highly of you. Strengthen these relationships.

- Keep your grades up.

During your Junior year, strive to achieve one or two significant accomplishments that will meet or exceed interviewer/employer expectations. These are the things that will be highlighted on your resume, so you will stand out from the other candidates.

Meet with Career Services to see if you are allowed to sign up for campus interviews. If yes, get some interviewing experience. Practice telling interesting stories about how your accomplishments came about.

Senior Year - Finalize and follow your plan of action for year four.

- Keep your grades up.

- Finalize your resume. Your resume should emphasize your accomplishments

and clearly differentiate you from other candidates. What makes you special?

- Prepare for interviews. Practice your responses. Develop thoughtful questions.

- Sign up for and participate in campus interviews. Be ready with examples

and stories that will impress employers. Don't be shy.

- Tap all of your networking sources for useful information and job leads

- Keep organized and detailed records of your contacts

- Contact every employer from your earlier research

- Start utilizing appropriate employment web sites

- Seek references and recommendations from the most influential people in

your network.

- Conduct a thorough and enthusiastic job search campaign. Plan to contact at least

100 employers.

This abbreviated plan can serve as a model for students who are concerned about their futures and are willing to do the hard work. Forward thinking students understand that employment success is earned slowly, during all four years of college. That's why I say that, "The senior year job search starts in the freshman year."

There is no shortcut to employment success. Students who diligently follow their four-year plans are much more likely to be rewarded with great jobs and good salaries at the best employers. Isn't that your goal too?

Visit Bob's web site: http://www.The4Realities.com.. Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob also writes articles for nearly 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob serves as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. http://www.The4Realities.com

Suggestions For First Year College Students

By Bob Roth

After your parents have dropped you off at college and have headed back home, you may experience a slight shutter of apprehension. However, you will get off on the right foot and feel more comfortable with this new and important experience, if you pay close attention to and act on the eight suggestions that follow.

Make Friends - Smile! Be Friendly! Talk to everyone. Do things in groups. Include everyone anytime you go somewhere or do something. Accept people who are different from you. Try to understand the differences. Look for the best in others. The more friends you make in the early days of college, the easier the transition will be.

Explore the Campus - As a group, walk around campus and around town. Find out where everything is located. Learn about the various campus departments, interesting locations (the library, the gym and the pool), activities, organizations and potential employment opportunities. Go to town with a few friends. Check out the shopping, theater and recreational opportunities. In the early going, get out of your dorm. Make a point of going to a variety of campus and community events and activities. Laugh! Have some fun.

Search for a Direction - Check out the fields that already hold some interest for you. Recognize that it is important to select a field of study where you will enjoy the work, one that is in line with your talents and skills. Do some research. Talk to others about your options and opportunities. You can talk with upper class students, alumni, career counselors, employers or faculty advisors and staff members.

Keep Your Grades Up - As you move through your freshman year, it is important to keep up with your grades. Be willing to put in the time, effort and actions necessary to achieve good grades. Since it is easy to stray toward a less demanding path, it takes much discipline to avoid the pitfalls of college life.

Deal With Your Fears - Everyone has fears. You may fear failure, speaking in public, voicing your opinions in class, taking on a leadership role, meeting new people, joining a club or a million other things. Take some small risks, so you can try a few new things. Only by occasionally getting out of your comfort zone can you begin to grow and expand your possibilities for the future. Few people, if any, have achieved great things by staying in their comfort zone 100% of the time. The only way to deal with your fears is to take action, change your behavior and move in a new direction.

Develop a Healthy Curiosity - Curious people are people who learn and grow. They read, research, ask questions, closely observe, experiment, learn from others and regularly try new things. A healthy curiosity is essential for success. College is the ideal place for students to begin to discover and become who they really are.

Operate With a Positive Attitude - The attitude you present to the world tells others who and what you are. Since we all need other people to help us move toward success, it is extremely important for students to present a friendly, upbeat, helpful attitude to the outside world. When that happens, others will be attracted to these positive words, behaviors and traits.

Develop Your Plan of Action - Once you select a direction, create a written plan. Lay out the steps that will lead you to your goal (a great job or acceptance to graduate school). The odds for success are greatly increased when you clearly understand what and how much has to be done, by when. As you move up the ladder of success, you will find that it is highly unlikely that you can regularly achieve your most important goals by winging it.

Most of the time, success is a choice that you make. Since you have the ability to succeed in college and beyond, these recommendations can help to ensure that you begin your college experience with the right approach. When you follow a few sensible suggestions and keep a eye toward your educational and career goals, you will find that your college experience is positive, fun and rewarding.

Visit Bob's web site: www.The4Realities.com. Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job.

Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob also writes articles for nearly 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob serves as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. http://www.The4Realities.com

Facilities at Plymouth State University

By Andrew Nadeau

If you are thinking about attending Plymouth State University or any University for that matter it is highly important to know your surroundings. Plymouth state is composed of several major facilities, all serving their own unique purpose. There are three halls that house most of the academic departments on campus, Rounds Hall, Memorial Hall, and also Hyde Hall.

Rounds Hall is where you will find the education, English and Social Science departments. So if any of these three concentrations are your major, you'll be spending most of your time in this building, which also just happens to be one of the oldest on campus. Memorial Hall is where you will find the Computer Science & Technology program which also contains two fully equipped computer labs. Hyde Hall is one of the biggest "Halls" on campus and it needs to be, it host the most academic departments the school has to offer here.

The Boyd Science center was renovated in 2003, and is where you can find PSU's very reputable and respectable Meteorology Program. The Hartman Union Building or otherwise known as the "HUB" to PSU faculty, student body and alumni is widely known as the center for campus life at PSU. It serves for a variety of different purposes, with cafeterias, gyms, and administrative offices. Student's usually go here to grab a bite to eat in between classes or meet up with friends.

The Silver Center for the Arts is home to all the Performing Arts functions and anything and everything related to such. This building has two theatres, the Hanaway Theatre and the Studio theatre. The Hanaway a large proscenium theatre and the Studio a much smaller personalized theatre. Paul Reuben's, also known as "Pee-Wee Herman" use to grace these stages with his talent.

SyllabusCentral at Plymouth State University was founded by Andrew Nadeau and Hagea Silviu in June of 2008. Please join SyllabusCentral.com by going to our website at Colleges in New Hampshire

Dartmouth College Campus Life

By Andrew Nadeau

If you are looking to attend a school with limitless opportunities to become heavily involved with on campus, then look no further than Dartmouth College. In 2006 a very prestigious source, the Princeton Review, rated Dartmouth College as having the third highest "quality of life" for students out of any College in the Country, and sixth for the "happiest students." It's no wonder why Dartmouth College has such a rich tradition in campus life, it offers over 350 extra curricular activities combined for the students to choose from.

One of the biggest attractions Dartmouth College has to offer is its Greek life. There are 15 fraternities and 9 sororities in all at the college, and Greek life has become such a buzz that just recently they instated a rule that said you can not "rush" a fraternity or sorority until your sophomore year. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the student body are involved in Greek Life on campus as of 2007.

Along with all the great offerings Dartmouth College has to offer comes a school that is rich in its tradition's unlike any other college around. Dartmouth College is broken down into a "quarter" system meaning that it has four terms for each season. One weekend for every "quarter" or season is dedicated to a tradition that Dartmouth has up kept since in some cases as early as the late 1800's. These weekend festivities are a perfect time for students to forget about the stresses college can bring and focus on having fun for a while.

SyllabusCentral at Dartmouth was founded by Andrew Nadeau and Hagea Silviu in June of 2008. Please join SyllabusCentral.com by going to our website at New Hampshire Colleges.

Athletics at the University of Vermont

By Andrew Nadeau

If you are looking for a school where students not only excel in the court but on the playing field as well, look no further than the University of Vermont.

The University offers 20 different varsity sports combined between men's and women's athletics. Most of the teams at UVM compete in the NCAA's Division 1 level with exception to the Men's and Woman's Ski Teams, which are apart of the E.I.S.A., which stands for the Eastern Intercollegiate Skiing Association. The rest of the teams at UVM are apart of the America East Conference with the exception of the Hockey teams which play in the Hockey East Conference.

One of the most highly regarded honors at the University of Vermont for its athletics, the America East Academic Cup, is awarded to the school that collectively has the best overall combined GPA among its student athletes. The University of Vermont has been the recipient of this award the past three years, 2005-2007, and also is the only school in the America East Conference to have won it 4 times overall.

The University has an amazing track record for students continuing to strive athletically even after graduation. The Ski Program alone has produced 66 United States Ski Team members in history, while there have also been 12 professional Hockey players in the schools history and also over 20 players who have gone Professional in there respective Basketball leagues. Sixteen Olympic Games have seen 36 UVM Alumni and have combined to win six medals. Overall the University of Vermont provides a great opportunity to not only excel in the classroom, put on the playing field as well.

SyllabusCentral at University of Vermont was founded by Andrew Nadeau and Hagea Silviu in June of 2008. Please join SyllabusCentral.com by going to our website at Colleges in Vermont

Internship College - Infinite Possibilities

By Violet Williams

Networking is very important in developing a career, especially early on in the process. One should begin to network and meet as many people in a variety of fields as early as college. This often makes it possible to find a job much more quickly than one's fellow students who struggle to impress total strangers.

One good way to network while in college is to find oneself an internship college students can enjoy. Through internships, students are able to meet a variety of different people within the company they are interning for and through the company's clientèle and contacts. Often times, students will find themselves being exposed to the clients more than they expected, taking phone calls, sending emails and practicing good customer service for the company. This is a good way to meet people in different fields.

An internship college students enjoy lets them take on more responsibility than say, an evening job at a local retail store. Allowing interns to take on a good deal of responsibility not only benefits the student, preparing them for life after college, but also can help the company, as quite often a company will hire its interns after they complete their degree. Having candidates familiar with their company and the job they will be hired for is very important to a company.

So, when searching for an internship college, be sure to find one that allows its interns to stretch out their legs and experience a taste of the real world. A student who finds a good internship will rejoice in the number of good contacts he made as he embarks on the beginning of his career.

More information on internship college and College Works Painting in your area is just a click away.

The Aspects of Finding a College Internship

By Vickie Faria

When considering a career path, there are a number of things that you will need to consider. It would be very wise of you to discover what your interests are prior to selecting a major.

One of the most beneficial things that you can do for your self while in school is to take on a college internship. This process will aid you in the decision making process as it relates to making a final decision about your career of choice. When doing this, there are a few things that you will need to review before endeavoring to locate a company that offers internships.

What Field Are You In?

This is a vital aspect in considering what type of internship you will want to take advantage of. For instance, if you are planning on majoring in sports medicine, an internship in personal training might not be the best match for you. You will want to find a place of employment that is directly centered on the major you are after.

What Can You Afford?

The challenge that a lot of college students face is that a college internship is either unpaid, or pays very little. If you are in a tight financial situation you may have a hard time finding a company that offers high paying intern positions. Positions like this DO exist; however, you have to do quite a bit of fishing in order to locate one.

How To Get One

Locating a good college internship is a lot easier that one might imagine. Most community colleges and universities have Career Services Centers that will be more than happy to help you in your search. Some colleges even have departments dedicated specifically to this service. They are typically called Internship Programs Offices or something similar to that.

You might also find luck in running your very own word of mouth campaign. You can ask family and friends if they know of anything or anyone who may be able to help you out. Asking around within your circle of school piers might also uncover some great opportunities.

In Summation

A college internship can be an extremely powerful addition to your arsenal. Whether you are a graduate, current student, or simply looking for a career change, taking advantage of something like this is extremely beneficial to guiding the career choices you will need to make.

If you are not a current college student, you can find many resources online. There is one thing that I can say for sure; if you put in the research and practice patience you will ultimately find what you are looking for.

More information on a college internship and College Works Painting in your area is just a click away.

Main Reasons Why College Students Should Work

By Tom Tessin

Student jobs have become a sort of trend among students around the world, who want to work while they are studying. In short, the term that suits this trend is 'Earn and Learn' policy. Other reason why student jobs are popular among students is they help to cope up with the constant increase in tuition feed, and a way to afford further educations. If you too are a student and are willing to do a student job, there are plenty of options available for you.

Reasons to Work

Sometimes, it is very stressful to work as well as study simultaneously. Many colleges and universities offer student jobs in various departments. You may opt for such jobs in the college department. However, these jobs require through knowledge and understanding of academics of the department. Mostly, all the college jobs are part time jobs and they help students to work according to their schedules.

Advantages:

Student jobs on the campus are very advantageous. Students, who get these jobs and help run the campus, are able to adjust with the college life quickly. If you choose to do a campus job, it is the way to meet new students and get the knowledge about other professors and compeers. There are other departments apart from academics, which too offer campus jobs. Various administrative offices, bookstores and cafeterias are some departments that offer these jobs.

The percentage of working students in the non-teaching department account is 25% in all the universities across the U.S. These jobs help students to fund themselves for their tuition fees, textbooks, living and accommodation and for extra expenditures. The reason why students have to work is that a financial aid or loan may not be sufficient to cover all the studying expenditures of a student.

Other benefit of a student job in the campus is there are high chances of scoring better grades than other students score. You may also have a better job after your graduation, with a good work experience in the campus. After graduation, many companies visit universities to seek candidates for various posts and with a work experience in the campus, your chances of acquiring that post is much brighter than other non-working students. These companies also get an impression that you possess skills of multi-tasking and are able to manage your time well.

There is a misconception among students that working for more hours, hampers the students performance in classes. Studies show that these students perform well in their classes compared to non-working students. Thus, the time allotted for working is only 20 hours a week, as this keeps students stress free and does not hamper their performance too.

Overview:

Your decision to study for a college degree has to be the most important step towards a bright carrier. Keep in mind that whether you are building a good bio-data, developing a good reference list or learning better time management skills, these student jobs not only help you financially, but also help to get a good job after graduation.

Tom Tessin is an author for FINDcollegecards.com that is geared toward students looking for student credit cards

Want to Get a Fashion Merchandising Degree?

By Steven P. Ross

Change is inevitable in the fashion industry. Everything is consumer-driven and fast-paced. Hence, it is important for fashion merchandisers to have knowledge and skills to handle everything that relates to the fashion industry. A fashion merchandising degree equips students to develop necessary skills for the entry-level jobs or to enhance their already established career in fashion merchandising.

Bachelor's and Associate's degrees are offered in the field. The curriculum involves imparting knowledge about the global industry of fashion along with the fundamentals of creation and design of various fashion items that includes everything from clothing, accessories to footwear.

Besides, the course also provides a strong hold to students over the necessary business skills for a bright career in merchandising that also includes retail management, understanding the psychology of consumers or consumer behavior, modern business technology and retail management.

In these degree courses, a student studies about famous designers, fashion history, display and textiles. They indulge in marketing seminars, buying sessions and growth of the in-house promotional methods so as to gain good experience in the field. Furthermore, these courses also provide great opportunities for students to interact with known professionals of the fashion industry, gain knowledge and develop contacts with them.

Promising careers await students once they have completed their study and research of the fashion industry in these degree courses especially if they are careful about the design and color schemes. Creativity is a big add-on that can help a fashion student to achieve the zenith of success.

Store manager, merchandiser, fashion buyer, catalogue manager and fashion event planner are some of the positions that you can hold once you have completed a merchandising course. Good salary packages are offered to students in accordance with their talent and ability in the world of fashion.

However, if you lack resources or time to pursue these degree courses on a regular basis, you may also pursue an online degree course in fashion merchandising.

Nonetheless, the course curriculum and skills that are developed in these courses remain the same but online courses are mainly based on self-study. So, if you are disciplined enough to study on your own, this is a great option available. In case of problems, you need not worry at all as there are online professors always available for your guidance.

Furthermore, whether it is an online institute or a traditional one, it is important to make sure that your fashion institute is accredited so that your fashion merchandising degree is recognized by everyone in the fashion industry. It also proves to be helpful to know about the assistance regarding internship and jobs provided by the institute. So, a careful selection of the fashion institute and hard work in pursuing the degree course finally pays off to contribute to your bright future in the fashion industry ahead.

Interesting in Fashion Degrees and Other Online Studies? Hurry over to http://www.bestonlinestudies.com Online Studies

Adult Basic Education - Entry Strategies That You Can Use For Admission in College Education

By Robert Sissenah

Choosing the right school can be a daunting task by itself.

There is nothing more disheartening or discouraging than to learn that your application for admission into college didn't meet their entrance criteria.

You will most likely confront the prospect that you will be placed on a waiting list or refused admission without giving you good reasons. If this happens, such an outcome does not mean you are unqualified or unworthy. Don't despair, learn from your experience. You can reapply again. But it does reflect the quality of competition for admission into some other colleges or universities. These schools set their entrance requirements at higher standards because they only want applicants who have the performance, academic excellence and scored high on their SAT's entrance exams.

There is no magic formula for gaining admission but the most common mistakes that prospective students make is the lack of planning and forethought. The school's admission decisions are based on some of the factors that I will outline below.

Choose the right school. Base your decision on the school's size and location. Determine if the school you are interested in is the best fit for your educational requirements. Do your own objective research and do not rely on third party comments or that one of your relatives attended school there. Or just because your friends are going to attend there. You be the judge.

The college that you have chosen may also encourage that you schedule a campus visit.

Check your schools admission policy concerning entrance requirements. Some of the items that I raise in this article are contained in the admission policy. This may be the most important school document you will read. Ask for it at the registrar's office and study it and learn it. If you are not sure of any items contained in the policy, check with the admissions office or continuing education office for clarity. This policy sets the criteria and standards whether you meet the requirements for acceptance into their program.

If you already have your high school diploma there is a strong likelihood that you will be accepted into their program without any problems.

Are you a mature student? If you are 19 years of age or over and have decided to go back to school after many years away from the school system, you can also apply for admission into a college education.

If you don't have the minimum entry requirements, your application will be considered on the basis of age, experience and overall demonstrable ability by indicating your ability to attain probable success in your college studies.

In addition to the above, you should apply early because your application may take an extended time for consideration. You may also be required to include your experience resume summarizing work and life experience as well as the submission of academic transcripts. So get all your documents in order.

Did I mention a police record? Yes and there's a reason why I mention this to you. Although this is not an admission requirement for a particular program, but hospitals for instance, require a criminal record check of students and employees, or a daycare center may require criminal record check before granting a placement if you are taking an early childhood education program.

Get a recommendation from your guidance counselor (based on the results of your testing) and send it in for consideration. It would be worthwhile to get one from your previous teacher and one from your boss or an upstanding member in your community can also prove to be helpful in the selection process.

Previous involvement with community or extra-curricular activities, service, or voluntary work may be carefully considered in the selection process. They look for serious commitment, leadership, and earned recognition from peers or adults. They want to enroll people like you who will enrich their educational community with your talents and personalities.

Through Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLA) process at a college. You may be able to get college credits for your experiential learning, such as your work experience, volunteer activities, and attendance at workshops, conferences or corporate training programs that is equal to college level learning. You can also get advanced standing to earn a diploma or certificate in less time.

If you can demonstrate that the knowledge you have obtained meets the standards of a college course, you may be eligible for a credit.

It must also be demonstrated by way of a challenge process, which measures learning through a variety of methods. These include exams, interviews, demonstrations and presentations.

The Challenge Evaluation Process is a challenge test that is administered to demonstrate learning for credit in a specific course.

Be prepared to pay a fee for each course challenged and not all courses are available for challenge. Through a PLA process, you may realize just how much you have learned in the past and may become more confident about pursuing your continuing education. Contact your college for details of this opportunity.

The Portfolio Development Process is a collection of materials in which documented prior learning is used to request college credit.

If you have your portfolio from your previous upgrading, you can show this to your admissions department so they will look at the products that you created. This may be helpful for you for admission into your program. If you put together a portfolio that showcases the strongest work of your previous literacy or upgrading career, but it would not be right for you to send the entire portfolio to the college of your choice. It would, however, be all right to pull your finest essay from this showcase portfolio, such as an essay or a cover letter is a required piece of many college applications.

Some other pieces of your own work could be another sample of your original work that you created yourself out of your own construct, or your teacher's/boss's comment about yourself as a learner or a worker. Your own personal reflection on your progress and growth as a learner, self-reflection on your aptitude and identification of future goals can all be included. These required pieces can be used to help you to get credit. So polish up your pieces.

In terms of academic records. If you are currently or have previously attended a college or university, you must request official transcripts from one of these schools you attended. There is a fee for each transcript you request. However, there is no charge if you are requesting transcripts from a college or university with a lifetime transcript fee agreement. If college X and college Y have this agreement, then you don't have to pay for your transcripts!

Part of the admission process may include structured interviews. The interviews are short, about 20 minutes long. This session carries a lot of weight, whether you make or break the admission process. The teachers carry out the interviews and generally want to find out whether you are familiar with this career area, why you want to pursue this area of study and what your future career plans are. It is also an opportunity for you to find out more about the course and whether it is the right choice for you.

You should be highlighting what you want the interviewer to know about you. As just you would if you attended at an interview for a job. Do not assume that because you have an A in computer sciences that the interviewer will know that you are passionate about computers. There may be people in your class who have received an A and may not even enjoy computers. Do not assume that because you volunteer in a fire hall that an admission committee will know that this is where you have grown most in your personal development.

Prepare yourself for the interview. Be early. Dress appropriately. Make sure that your documents are in order and answer questions as best as you can. Finally, after the session, thank the interviewer.

You will be evaluated how well you answered the questions, how well you conducted yourself, before, during and after the interview.

And remember - brush up on your study skills.This can present a problem if you've been away from school a long time. There are lots of good books with advice on studying, time management, taking notes and doing exams - make an appointment to see the college guidance counsellor early on in the academic year to get more help and advice on how to study.

I would recommend How To Be A Master Sudent publication as most colleges use these books for their first year common semester students.

Review and polish up your life experience resume. You can include this in your portfolio too and submit it along with your application.

Conclusion

In short, be involved with the whole application process from get go.

Make sure that you are telling the admission committee who you are and what makes you unique.

By following this process, you will not only present yourself in the strongest light, but will have gone through a reflective process that is necessary for any lifelong learning journey.

These are some of the entry strategies and tips that you can use for admission in post-secondary education to jumpstart your education and hopefully have allowed you to understand the college admission process.

Good Luck with the process!

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

Foreign LVN and RN Nurses

By R Govindan

The demand for foreign LVN and RN nurses has increased manifold over the last 10-15 years. Analysts have attributed this primarily to lack of skilled in-house staff. This demand has also seen globalization of primary healthcare to developing countries. Countries like the Philippines and India have cashed in on this opportunity and are sending a lot of foreign LVN nurse applications every year.

It does not matter if you are from India or from the United States of America. You could do a good job as an LVN or a RN nurse so long as you are passionate about serving your fellow man.

Some Questions Answered

To begin with, LVN stands for Licensed Vocational Nurse and RN stands for Registered Nurse. What is the difference between the two? In basic terms, an LVN nurse would not be able to do all the duties of an RN. In most cases, an RN supervises an LVN. Quite recently, hospitals have got into the practice of hiring Foreign LVN and RN nurses. Reasons given by hospitals are many.

Without examining the credibility of the reasons, let us understand the answers to some questions asked by foreign LVN and RN Nurses' applicants:

Q: Universities have waiting lists to admit students. Does one have the option of entering a waiting list when applying for the post of Foreign LVN and RN nurses?

A: Your nursing application would need to be submitted latest by March 1st for Fall Admission and by September 30th for Spring Admissions. Your application would be checked and evaluated against all the criteria. After the evaluation, you would be informed if you were selected or rejected.

Q: Does an RN earn more than a LVN Nurse?

A: The answer is Yes. In fact the earning differential between an LVN's earnings and RN's earnings can be more than 50%.

Q: Why are hospitals hiring Foreign LVN and RN Nurses?

A: This question can be answered in two parts: 1) Hospitals wish to on costs. They do this by hiring foreign nurses who may be hired at a lower wage. 2) Hospitals also feel that there are not a lot of skilled LVN and RN nurses available in the country. This lack of supply has forced hospitals to look elsewhere for LVN and RN nurses.

Q: Do nurses have to face status/role discrimination in the hospitals as LVN and RN nurses?

A: No, not at all. LVN and RN nurses are very prestigious positions in a hospital and you are typically treated with a high degree of respect by other staff.

Q: What do I have to do if I have to apply for the position of Foreign LVN Nurse?

A: Most colleges or medical institutions will ask you to submit your credits. Credits would be testimonials of your previous work experience in medical institutions. You would also need to appear for the ACT or SAT examination. In the end, your application package should include the completed application form, your Credits and your SAT scorecard. Importantly, a Foreign LVN and RN nurse applicant must take a US license exam that certifies her to work in any Healthcare organization.

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts offers licensed vocational nursing programs in California, visit their campuses in San Mateo, Concord, Modesto and Fresno for further details.

Should You Take an AP Course?

By Phillip Walters

You may wonder if all the extra hassle of AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses is worth the result - do colleges really favor students who have followed these academically challenging routes? Maybe you've considered taking dual-enrollment classes, which offer high school students the chance to study college level programs while still at school. Well, the potential benefit of these all depends on your college goals.

What's offered by these classes?

AP, IB and duel-enrollment classes give students a chance to be challenged at a higher level academically. It's possible to earn college credit by meeting particular requirements for these classes. Therefore, it's possible that you may actually save money by taking these courses in high school, since you can complete your college course more quickly than other students, saving you some hard-earned pennies! Less college = Less money.

Counting the credit

Don't, however, think that getting college credit will be easy. Students who follow AP or IB courses usually have to contend with a heavier homework and class workload than their high school counterparts, and must also complete end-of-year tests. Each college has a certain score students must earn for the credit to count. So if you do well in the class, but not on the test, you may not receive college credit for this course.

Credits from dual-credit courses are not always accepted towards the total credit count - check out the restrictions for your college of choice. It may depend on whether you are making an in-state application, or wish to apply to a college out-of-state.

The safest course of action to take before entering into an AP, IB or dual-enrollment class is to quiz some of the colleges you are considering applying to regarding their policy. It's good to be certain of what credits and scores you'll need, and college admissions officers are usually happy to help you find the answers you're looking for.

What College Admissions Officers Look For

There are many factors taken into consideration by admissions officers when they decide which students will fit in at their college. Don't just rely on AP and IB courses to flatter your way into the college of your choice. While the more competitive institutions do require candidates to have followed a broad-ranging, challenging program at high school, ACT and SAT scores, overall GPA and your contribution to extra-curricular activities both inside and outside school are all players in this game! One person's idea of a "challenging curriculum" may be different from the next person's.

Remember, your college search won't necessarily be easier just because you take AP or IB classes. You won't automatically be granted a place in a more competitive college, and there is no way of telling how many AP or IB classes you should take in order to win them over.

Top Tip: Play to your strengths in high school - study subjects that you find interesting and which provide you with a challenge. Follow your own academic path when studying - if AP or IB classes help you to do this, and give you the opportunity to gain college credit, it's a bonus!

I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to go to college. This means getting in, finding the right college fit and paying for school. I love to share what I've learned and I hope you can find some useful information useful in your college search.

Getting the Most Out of Academic Lectures

By Nick Sanders

No doubt you have been to a couple of lectures already, or you might even be thinking of what you could expect from your lectures when you actually go to university later on. Either way, you will want to ensure that you are going to get the most out of any lectures you attend.

Lectures are one of the most important tools that you can have whilst at university. Professors and lecturers have learnt all of the information that they are teaching you and have picked out the most helpful and useful resources that will aid you in the completion of your course - and ultimately your degree/graduation. Therefore, they are a real starting block to allow you to gain instant knowledge of theories and subject areas that will help you later in writing papers and studying for exams.

The key point in any academic lecture is to listen to all information given to you and to be organised, and this comes in 3 stages:

Pre-Lecture

You will need to plan what you want to get out of the lecture - maybe you haven't a clue what this Maslow hierarchy of Needs is, but have read a lot of authors referring to it and this lecture is focussed exactly on that.

See how the lecture fits into your course and how you can use the information to help you progress in different papers and exams.

Look into what you already know about the topic of the lecture - can you bring some opinions or question a lecture on their understanding of different theories and concepts?

Lecture delivery

This is the most important aspect of the whole lecture learning process.

You will need to understand the main points of the lecture, whether this is relating to scholars, theorists and/or theories.

Is the lecturer providing any clues about the topic, idea generation and why this particular lecture is important to yourself and your classmates.

Is the lecture informative and does it follow a set structure, could it be said to to analytical of facts and opinions and summarise the concepts as a whole.

Are there any many practical applications or theories or paradigms that you should remember from the lecture - generally a lecturer will focus on these a little more than other parts of the lecture.

Post Lecture

You should quickly draw a mind-map or spider diagram of what you remember about the lecture, just let your memory fill the paper with ideas and understanding.

You will also want to write a list of further questions that you will want to answer from the information that has been covered in the lecture.

If you don't understand any parts of the lecture that were delivered (and there should be at least some), then write these down. You can, at a later stage, take a look at a chapter from the recommended text to read or ask your lecturer for further explanation on these areas.

Organise yourself

Being organised whilst at university means being in possession of the right equipment, and although this sound quite obvious, many students forget to bring a pen, paper, high-lighters, a pencil and stapler/hole punch. You want to organise any material that is given to you (as there will probably be a lot) and losing any part of the material - or not knowing which was with what lecture can be very frustrating and time consuming to sort.

The main principal behind taking notes id that you will look over them in the future and refine them in order to learn, otherwise why in the hell would you take notes in class?

You could develop your own way of certain highlighted parts of a document with a different colour to emphasize importance of keys points. You could also type your notes up after a lecture is this will increase the intake and learning of the information you have listened to.

The main point here is to prepare, organise and finalize your lecture notes.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, a proofreading and editing services company, specialising in dissertation proofreading and editing. You should visit them if you are looking for editing proofreading.

Are You Concluding Your Academic Essays Correctly?

By Nick Sanders

You just written the bulk of your paper and want to finish it off - let it be complete before you leave it, as coming back later will only mean more time (and possibly more torment). This isn't the case though, as you should leave a short time between completing writing your essay and writing the conclusion for your essay. Go for a walk and clear your head, try to go over the steps in your essay and what you have achieved - you will need this when you sit down to write your conclusion in a shirt while.

Is it conclusion or conclusions?

One key thing to clear up here is the difference between a 'conclusion' and 'conclusions'. Conclusions are made throughout your paper, when you are recognizing that a certain author made an advancement in rabbit fertility, or organinisational culture change management, etc. Conclusions are made by you to the reader re-enforcing what you have just been going over (i.e. what the reader was just reading) and clarifying what meaning it had and moving on. Many academics term these as 'sign posts', elements in your work where you close on point and head for another.

On the other hand, a conclusion appears at the end of your academic paper. It 'wraps things up' and concludes the arguments that you have put forward in your paper. This part is often the part that the reader remembers and so needs to be the best part of your paper. Do you go to a journal article, read the introduction and conclusion to see if it is any good, or worth reading? Well I know I definitely did in graduate school, so you need to allow your conclusion to make an impact on your reader.

Answer Questions

You want to answer a major question(s) in your conclusion - so what? (possibly the most fundamental question in academia) You need to show people that your paper was (or indeed is) meaningful when they read it, and is useful to them; whether this is due to it being a paper that they can quote from or whether it identify answers to certain questions for your academic marker.

Don't just repeat

You don't want to repeat and summarise your paper. You need to draw on the main points of your paper that are of interest and need to be highlighted. You will need to support your essay here by referring to examples and not leading them down the path to seem that the information contained is not just some random paper.

Direct your Readers

You will need to relate your conclusion to the reader so that they can understand your conclusion in a real world context. If you introduced the essay generally, then have gone specific during your writing, then consider writing specific and looking in general context how your conclusions can be concluded to a global stance.

Create meaning that is unique

Creating and having new meaning in academia means not that you need to have new information, or some ground breaking theory, but will entail you encapsulating your own ideas, with other author's work and putting them into a new and understandable picture. In general, the summary of the paper and its meaning is worth more than any single part of the paper.

3 Strategies to success:

- Challenge the reader - Challenge the reader to understand what you have read and apply it to their own lives in some way

- Look to the future - By looking to the future in your conclusion you can direct your readers to look towards the future and allow them to think more globally about the impacts your conclusions could have on them

- Pose questions - Posing questions to your reader or the topic in general will allow their minds to wonder and allow your readers to gain a new perspective on the topic that your paper is about. It can also help when you are wanting to bring your main ideas about.

The key points in this article are helpful if you are just wanting a quick guide in your writing in academia, but you should remember to get your work checked by a professional proofreader.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, an online proofreading and editing services company, specialising in editing proofreading services. You should visit them if you are looking for proofreading.

7 Tips to Overcome Plagiarism in Your Essays

By Nick Sanders

You are more than likely a little tired of hearing the word plagiarism, but, if you are conscious about doing well at college and university, then you should be clearly aware of what plagiarism is, how easily you can fall into the trap, and how you will be able to identify quickly if you have mistakenly plagiarised someone else's work and remove it.

Tip 1 - Know what Plagiarism is

You should become accustomed to what plagiarism actually is - essentially it is passing of someone else's work as your own. Doing so in academic writing means that you are not acknowledging where you have gained the information and understanding of the topic on which you are writing, and after all you are not expected to know everything!

Tip 2 - Don't copy any work verbatim

Copying work verbatim means copying someone else's work word for word with no acknowledgment to who or where the work has come from. This is different from a direct citation, as with a citation you are acknowledging where exactly the words have come from as well as evidence of your reading.

Tip 3 - Copying and Pasting is a no, no

You should resist the temptation of copying and pasting any material from someone else's work and changing a few verbs around, and replacing a few other words just isn't right. Even if you put a reference to where you got this information in reference list as you are still copying most of the words from the original writing.

Tip 4 - Keep track of your sources

You may do all of your research on a note pad, and at the back write down all of the full references of the sources you are using. I used to do this and found it to be of great help - it is so frustrating when you have a great quotation, but can't use it as you can not remember where in the hell you actually jotted it down from. Keeping track of and organising your sources is key to keeping on top of preventing plagiarism.

Tip 5 - Practise expressing some else's ideas

You will be writing about many different author's notions and ideas throughout your work, so practicing doing so will lead to you increasingly understanding how to do this process. You want to be able to express other people's opinions and processes fluently and not being able to do so can lead you to copy and plagiarism other individual's work.

Tip 6 - Believe in your own writing and conclusions

You wouldn't have be able to get into your current course if people didn't think you would be able to complete the work set out without committing plagiarism. You want to be able to prove to yourself how much you want your qualification and you should be able to write in your won words an understanding of certain theories and understanding within a chosen topic. You will need to conclude your writing too, so you will need to know in-depth about what you have written in your paper.

Tip 7 - Check your work

Sometimes, and even without noticing, you could be plagiarising someone else's work in your essay or paper. This isn't because you have done it knowingly, but it could be that the 2am mad writing session was pretty tiring and you actually added a part of a paragraph that now doesn't look like your actual writing. Checking through your own work will mean that you should spot some areas that you may have approached the plagiarism boundary and need to steer yourself away from it.

You could also additionally have a professional proofreader look over your document for you and bring a different view to your writing, this increases your chances of making sure your work doesn't contain any plagiarism.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, a proofreading and editing services company, specialising in dissertation proofreading and editing. You should visit them if you are looking for editing proofreading.

5 Tips to Effectively Signposting Your Essays

By Nick Sanders

When you are a student in academia chances are you have to write lots of different essays and papers for submission that are persuasive, show evidence of gathering data and have some analytical thinking behind your writing. However, you will also want to link your writing for your readers so that they can follow your cohesive argument throughout your essay or paper, not doing so can cause confusion to the reader and influence them to become uninterested in your work and your arguments.

Tip 1 - Keep it Simple

There is no point confusing your reader in your introduction with what you will be talking about in your conclusion and listing nearly every point that you want to discuss in your paper. This will just cause more confusion. You will want to direct your reader through the essay allowing them to become aware of your train of thought and direction.

Tip 2 - Introduce each area

Introducing what you are going to be talking about in each key area of your work is crucial, as you will need to acknowledge to the reader that it is something that they will want to read in that particular section. It also 'sets the scene' for what the reader is about to learn and read during the next section of your work.

Tip 3 - Evaluate sections

Reviewing what you have just written about allows your reader to understand the information you have just put before them. It also allows you to get the reader ready for the next step of your argument in the paper which is vital - linking your paper together is what makes a great and well structured argumentative essay.

Tip 4 - Piece together theories you have previously mentioned

Referring to a previously mentioned theory in your paper is a clear sign to the reader that you have concentrated heavily on the research and writing of your paper. It shows that you understand not only the research topic, but your paper as a whole and bring cohesion and understanding.

Tip 5 - Always remind and guide your reader

Readers forget things as quickly as they have read them, unless you actually point something of importance out to them. You will need to remind a reader throughout your paper about a certain theory or train of though by referring back to instances, or examples that extrapolate your meaning and aids reader understanding.

The main things to remember when making sure your work is leading from one area/section to the next is that your reader is prepare for what they are about to read. Of course, you should always get an experienced person or peer to check over your work too.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, a proofreading and editing services company, specialising in dissertation proofreading and editing. You should visit them if you are looking for editing proofreading.

5 Tips For International Students Studying Abroad

By Nick Sanders

When you are thinking of studying abroad, many different thoughts will be going through your head. Is there a language barrier and how will I cope; will I make friends; how will I adapt to the culture and teaching style, and many more.

You will want to be prepared and ready for anything that you will be faced with whilst in a different country as you will want to succeed and make new friends - after all it is an adventure that not many people get to experience, and there are going to be many people like you that are new to a different country, its culture and educational system.

The tips below will allow you to prepare and get the most out of your trip to a different country as an international student.

1. Get Great Living Space

It really does depend where your program places you in your destination country, but living with like minded students is a positive thing for you. Some programs tend to place international students with families in the local area, but, whilst this is good to get some interaction with 'the locals' you will be able to meet more people if you are sharing a place with other international students from many different countries. You are all in the same position and can start some good conversations this way - its always easier to talk to people outside of class time too, when you can really socialize.

2. Learn the Language

Many students do go to another country to study knowing very little about the language of the host nation - and to be honest most Americans and British people assume people will speak English to them - and surprisingly most people will. But, when you are in lecturers you will need to understand what exactly the lecturer is actually talking about and having a clear grasp of the language and vocabulary will mean that you will be able to enjoy your classes more and increase your understanding.

3. Remain Flexible

Living in another culture will mean that there are huge changes in the way they run their academic system. You will need to remain flexible to anything that is 'thrown' at you and look at the funny side of everything - having a sense of humor is a must. Remember that it isn't home and you need to adjust and adapt to the way that people do things and interact where you are going, if you don't then you will not enjoy it as much.

4. Go sightseeing

There are many different places to see in a host of different countries and actually getting out there, looking at some heritage and speaking to the locals will men that you are enriching in your experience. Use the time at the weekends to enjoy time in the country where you are studying and you will be thankful at a later date for doing this. Plus you'll probably get some great photos to put up on Facebook.

5. Keep a Journal

Keeping a record of what you have done and writing down your thoughts and feelings everyday will allow you to learn even more from the experiences you are gaining. This is also a great way to relive your experiences in later years and have to opportunity to reflect on how the whole experience changed you and the way you think, feel and interact with other people.

You should of course have all of your work checked by a professional proofreader whilst you are in the host nation and look forward to gaining the best marks you can for your effort.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread, an online proofreading and editing services company, specialising in dissertation proofreading and editing. You should visit them if you are looking for professional proofreading service.