College Internship - Making Friends

By Vickie Faria

It can be hard for some students to become acquainted with workplace situations and find their place with a company. When you are trying to gain real world experience for a job after college, it can be very intimidating to know how to act in a job setting.

A college internship can provide you with an amazing opportunity to get a feel for how things are done in a workplace setting but it can also be very intimidating if this is your first experience in a professional job environment. It is usually best just to open up to your fellow employees, no matter how nervous or intimidated you feel at the internship college. The door of opportunity to define yourself and make a good impression on others at your company tends to close fairly quickly and you probably don't want to be known as the shy, quite intern during the course of your college internship.

If your college internship company has hired other interns that will be working at the company during the same time frame as you, this is a great chance to make new friends. The other interns are probably going to be around the same age as you and will also be wanting to meet people at the company. Making friends with the other interns can also be beneficial when you are stuck on any assignments during the internship college. You can try and collaborate with the other interns to see if they have any ideas in how to move forward with a college internship project. They will often surprise you and suggest routes that had not presented themselves when you were working alone.

Making friends at your internship college can help a great deal in becoming more familiar with your workplace and finding your place in the company. When you feel comfortable in your college internship workplace, you will be much more likely to excel at the projects given to you and make a good impression on your employer.

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

Understanding How a CLEP Test Can Benefit You

By Wayne Hemrick

I'm assigning the following homework for all high school students - look into taking a CLEP text. They will be glad they did. These CLEP exams, or College Level Examination Program, are quite simply a series of examinations used to test the college-level knowledge of an individual or student. It tests the knowledge someone may have experienced through non school related work such as an independent study, travel, course work, military service schools, professional development or even cultural pursuits.

A CLEP test allows students to demonstrate their learned expertise in a number of specific academic areas. Covering introductory-level college course, CLEP testing is a wonderful way to fulfill those prerequisites and core courses colleges require, which also saves you on overall tuition costs. Thousands of colleges across the country now fully recognize CLEP study and award college credit for qualifying scores.

These CLEP exams cover material taught in the cores courses normally required by student in their first two years of study. By taking a CLEP test, you have an opportunity to bypass that undergraduate coursework. A passing score on CLEP testing is same as that of the credits allotted to a student who successfully completed a course.

A CLEP exam is taken over the computer with most of them consisting of multiple-choice questions with some having a section with fill-in-the-blanks questions as well. The English Composition CLEP test is the lone exception. This exam uses one essay question along with multiple-choice questions. There are many CLEP study guides to help you out.

A CLEP study guide will correspond to one or two semester introductory course. The CLEP test is scored on a scale of 20 to 80. You'll discover the majority of schools and colleges grant credits for a score of 50 or higher. Keep in mind however; the passing score is different from school to school. At the present time, there are over thirty college courses which you can earn credit for through taking a CLEP exam.

The College Board, the organization that administers and grades the tests, provides the appropriate study materials for you. Normally, these CLEP study guides included a number of sample tests for you to take, and any course materials you will need to prepare for the specific test. Most students read over the study guides for about a year before taking their tests. You'll be hard pressed to find a better study tool than these guides.

Relax and enjoy the fact you'll be saving money by taking the test. Don't get too nervous about taking such a big test either. Most of these tests are only a review of advanced high school courses. In other words, you don't need to be a doctor in the subject to get a good score.

Wayne Hemrick is dedicated to higher education. In this article he writes about CLEP test

Education Agency Or Direct Enrollment? A Guide For International Students

By Steve Sutherland

If you have a school in mind you can look on their website and contact them to find out how to enroll. Some students don't feel confident enough with their language ability to do this so prefer to have the assistance of a local who can speak their language.

You need to know that the registrar at the school is willing to take the time to give you information and answer your questions?

While some schools are happy to accept direct enrollments some are likely to direct you to an agent in your country to handle your enrollment anyway.

Price. Won't an education consultant cost more?

These days with the internet giving students direct access to information on thousands of schools around the world it may seem that it would make sense to go 'direct' to the supplier (the school) and cut out the middleman (the agent) to ensure the best price.

Some schools now have information in a variety of languages on their websites and employ foreign language speaking staff and so booking directly with them would seem to be a good idea for students that are prepared to do their own research.

However just like in the travel industry (airlines and hotels) it is unlikely that you will end up saving much money by booking directly with the supplier (the school) and you may end up creating unnecessary stress for yourself.

Agents have contracts to represent schools and receive a commission from a school for enrolling a student with them. Most schools appreciate that a large percentage of their enrollments come through agents and they won't do anything to jeopardize their reputation with education agents. The commission is set aside for education agents only and if any school were to start giving discounts for direct enrollments they would quickly have a bad name among agents.

One problem for schools is students talking among one another. If some students find out that they have paid more than others then resentment of school management is stirred up, instead of the positive environment that schools need to create to keep students happy.

So generally it is in the interests of the agent and the school that direct enrollments are priced the same as agency enrollments.

Most schools prefer that agents don't offer students discounts (sharing their commission with the student) however some agencies do this, sometimes giving some of their commission back to students in the form of refunds, discounts, free gifts or scholarships. So booking through some agents could be cheaper then booking direct.

It is likely that you will end up paying a similar amount in tuition fees if you enroll through an agent or if you enroll with the school directly. If seasonal discounts and promotions are offered to students booking directly then they are usually offered to agents as well.

If you have a school in mind it doesn't hurt to make inquiries and to compare the price of both options. If the program price is similar if booked through an agency or direct through the school you may as well use the agent for the convenience and service that they offer. If the agent is charging excessive consulting fees then you may consider trying to book directly yourself.

Information

The big advantage of using an education agent in your own country is that you can meet with them face to face. You can get a much better understanding of the school and your intended course of study by having a meeting with an expert. Agents have usually had meetings with school representatives, have a lot of school information on file and may even have visited the schools that they represent. An agents business is consulting and they should be spend a fair amount of time to give you information not only on the school but every other aspect of planning your trip as well.

Agents have information on many institutions, courses of study and countries around the world. An agent could save you countless hours of research time on the internet by suggesting options suited to your requirements.

If you have a school in mind then the registrar will probably be happy to advise you over the phone and via email but the communication may not be as clear as with a 'face to face' meeting with an agent.

It is becoming more common for students to seek information from an agent and then try to enroll themselves directly into the institution that the agent recommended. Some agents now charge a deposit before they will start the consulting process. Schools will often still honor the agents commission if they find out that a direct enrollment has come to their school as a result of an agent consulting that student.

Visas and travel arrangements

Education agents will usually apply for your student visa for you. They will also usually assist with other aspects of planning your trip such as booking flights and giving you useful information on traveling and your destination.

Schools are not able to give you much assistance with your visa application (apart from providing some of the necessary documents) and travel arrangements. It's much easier for the agent to handle these things in your home country before departure.

Getting a student visa in some countries is quite simple and it will be easy to do your own application. However in some countries it is a difficult process and you really need the assistance and expertise that an agent can offer.

In Conclusion

Overall I would suggest that for most students using an Education Agency is a better option then booking direct for the convenience that agencies offer students at usually little or no extra cost.

Good luck planning your 'Study Abroad' experience!

Steve Sutherland has been an education agent in Taiwan for four years and manages a 'Study Abroad' forum called http://www.agentschat.com for International Students, Education Agents and Schools. Copyright - Steve Sutherland 2006

The Many Advantages of Taking the CLEP Test

By Wayne Hemrick

The CLEP exam, or College Level Examination Program, is a credit by examination test which can potentially accelerate your college plans like no other. How does bypassing all those boring core classes and getting your degree in only two to three years instead of four sounds? It's possible. All it takes is one CLEP test study guide and you'd be well on your way.

CLEP testing is an opportunity for you to show everything you've learned in school and life. If you pass this exam, then you are equal in experience to a student taught in a college classroom. Completing a CLEP study will get you awarded with the appropriate credit by the college's policy for acceptance of credit by examination.

You have two distinct choices of CLEP exam to pick from. There are either general exams or subject examinations. You can find CLEP test study guides on both too. The most common are the subject exams which cover math, science, humanities, social studies and English. Each one can award you up to six credits. Many students who perform well on all of them can skip a whole year in college. These subject CLEP study guides cover all of the specific areas you'll find on the exams ranging from algebra, calculus, specific historical eras, and others included some of the social sciences, for example.

Here are a few more advantages and benefits of CLEP testing:

A CLEP exam saves you money - Intense CLEP study and passing it can cost you around $60 per credit hour, which is a bargain compared to a college class at $400 and over a credit. Keep in mind that not every college will accept these credits. There is a few which place a limit on how much they will accept.

CLEP testing saves you time - Passing the exam allows you to skip all those boring core classes which you already know a lot about. This saves you money on tuition and time in skipping classes. So, get a CLEP study guide and get to work.

CLEP testing satisfies lower level college requirements - A CLEP test study guide can help you graduate on time and sometimes early! For many students, depending on the major, it can quite difficult to finish every class required in only four years. A CLEP exam allows them to get those credits out of the way early on.

My advice is to take the CLEP test and save those thousands of dollars to buy a new car after graduation. You'll enjoy the car much more than any boring math class. Another option is to skip the core class and take an extra minor. The choice is yours since you worked so hard for it.

Wayne Hemrick is dedicated to higher education. In this article he writes about CLEP test study guide

US Study Overseas - Americans Who Study Abroad

By Tommy Hayes

Each year, more and more Americans are taking advantage of studying overseas. Programs include every educational subject as well as humanitarian based programs like environmental sustainability and refugee issues. Also, people are finding time to study abroad due to the fact that programs can last for under eight weeks to as long as a year. The programs are not only open to college students but to those who desire to take a break from work or are retired; but for the focus of this article, I will concentrate on the main study abroad group, college students.

In 1995 there were approximately 90,000 University students who broadened their minds and studied outside the United States, whereas, in 2007, there were 223,534 University students who studied abroad. The number of college students who study abroad is expected to continue to grow over the following years due to the fact that there are more programs available, more colleges are offering credit for studies abroad, and students are naturally becoming more curious to get out and see the world.

According to the International Institute of International Education, 58% of all study abroad college students choose to further their education in Europe. The statistics for other areas of the world are as follows; Latin America 15%, Asia 9%, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific) 6%, Africa 4%, the Middle East 1%, and North America .5%. These statistics do not add up to 100%, however, the Institute notes this is due to rounding factors.

My personal experiences studying abroad include; an Undergraduate year program in Vienna, Austria, a Masters of Business Administration summer program in London, England and Munich, Germany, and a month long Spanish course in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Whereas the undergrauate and graduate programs were completed for school credit at my College in America, the Language course in Argentina was independently chosen to enhance my own personal goal of learning the language.

I would encourage everyone to study abroad at least once in their lives. The benefits include the opportunity to not only increase your own knowledge through classes but also to live in a foreign country and learn the culture in a way that would be impossible from simply studying books and looking over photos. Studying abroad is truly an amazing life experience.

The Basics of College Research Scorecard

By Sam Miller

A college research scorecard is a strategic management system that colleges adopt as a method of enhancing the existing and upcoming school wide strategies and processes. The apparent and ultimate goal of the scorecard system is to convert the college's vision and mission into a realistic and meaningful set of indicators, which have connection to the strategies and goals of the school. This approach provides a medium for a two-way decision-making process through communicating, tracking, recording, measuring, and evaluating performance of strategies and goals.

The implementation of the college scorecard system makes use of a group of indicators that measure and define institutional effectiveness. Managers and concerned personnel will then view this effectiveness in four different viewpoints: Growth and innovation, operational and financial performance, external stakeholders, and internal stake holders. Each of these viewpoints has a balance of non-financial and financial measures and indicators. The purpose of incorporating a balance between the two primary indicators is to figure out the inputs of college administrators into the educational system and create indicators that acknowledge the results and explanations of an institutional activity. The college balanced scorecard system will then process, manage, evaluate, and produce report through a comprehensive format that will present how the college is doing in the actual setting.

The college scorecard takes advantage of benchmarks as the result of establishing a collaborative procedure of analysis, negotiation, and research. Different constituents and teams within the college organization are responsible for providing inputs to these collaborative processes. The resulting benchmarks will then provide means of assessing objectives and regulating strategies for achieving the goals.

In order to understand completely the complex process of a college scorecard, here is a good example. In an outcome measure data sheet for student-to-counselor ratio, the perspective that the manager should use is the external stakeholder. The next process is to determine the college strategy and the corresponding college goal. The manager may input "Student Access and Success" as the college strategy. It may also help if the manager will provide the description for this outcome measure data sheet. For instance, the description can be the number of credit students enrolled per counselor.

From this, the manager can then create the formula in measuring the student-to-counselor ratio. In formulating, it will help if the manager will indicate the participants of the activity. He or she should indicate if all full-time or part-time counseling staff would join the activity. Other likely factors that managers will include in this student to ratio data sheet are data source, data quality, data collector, scorecard control limits, benchmark rationale, and links to college wide initiatives.

Aside from the student-to-counselor ratio outcome data sheet, other common data sheets managers use for college research scorecard are course completion rate, PIF funding, grant allocations, PDF or professional development funding, PIF funds, overall ratings for the community perception, overall employee satisfaction, recipient finance aid rate, FTES all courses, and term persistence rates. Remember, that indicators alone are not enough. It should be functional, realistic, meaningful, and relevant to the school's goals and strategies.

If you are interested in college research scorecard, check this web-site to learn more about college refind dashboard.

Bogus Distance Learning Degrees - How Can You Tell?

By Rose M

With the rise in demand for online distance learning degrees, many bogus learning institutions have mushroomed over the internet with the sole intention of taking advantage of innocent students seeking for a genuine degree. These so-called "Colleges" often attract applicants with their attractive degree programs which are boasts of easy graduation, low tuition fees, no examinations and credit given for life experience, all of which just sound too good to be true. Some of them even go to the extent of prospecting for customers by sending out bulk email citing university degrees for sale.

Therefore, with all the confusion generated, how can students sieve out the genuine from the bogus? This may be especially difficult for distance learning programs when students practically make their choices based on what is shown on a website. In many cases, especially for international students, it may not be feasible to visit the physical site of a college before enrolling. With this, making choices will really depend on the appearance and content of a website, which sometimes may not be an accurate judge of the creditability of a college.

One of the qualifying factors that can be utilized by students to make correct enrolment decisions is by determining the type of college accreditation that has been received by their college of consideration. If the college vaguely states itself as having "nationwide or worldwide accreditation" without stating specifically which regional accreditation body it is accredited with, then most likely this college does not possess legitimate accreditation.

In the U.S., college accreditation is awarded by one of the following six accreditation agencies which are all appointed by the National Board of Education - New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU). Each agency has been allocated responsibility for providing accreditation for schools in specific states. Therefore, it would be best to run checks on a particular online degree institution with the agency offering college accreditation for the state in which the college is registered in.

Another tell-tale sign of bogus degrees offered is when the university advertises itself through mass-mailing email featuring university degrees for sale. Many bogus distance learning institutions prey on people who are desperate for a degree, but don't have the time and money to go for proper education. That is why these colleges boast of degrees without any examinations, classes, studying or even waiting. There are even websites that offer degrees for just a few hundred dollars which can be ordered and received within 7 days. Furthermore, some of them also have dubious URLs, stating accreditation from agencies which are not any one of the six listed above. Additionally, they offer fixed prices for their Master's, Bachelor's, and even Doctorate Degrees. Their justification for awarding degrees will be for giving credit to life experiences such as any type of work experience, any educational background, any workshops or community services attended as well as travel experience, hobbies and even on the number of books that a person has read!

In conclusion, as the awareness on bogus degrees increases amongst prospective employers, degrees obtained through a legitimate avenue of education can sometimes be mistaken for bogus degrees too. Therefore, the best approach to select a college would ideally be based on legitimate college accreditation awarded by the appointed authorities to the respective colleges.

Find related information on fake degrees and diploma mills including distance learning resources that answers common questions about online degree programs.

Professors - Places to Consider Having an Inbox (to Avoid the Absent-Minded Professor Moniker)

By Meggin McIntosh

If you do not have a designated "bin" to collect all of the incoming items in your life, then these items end up being spread, stuffed, and/or stacked anywhere and everywhere. This leads to the omnipresent feeling that you have things to do, but you're not exactly sure what or where they are--and gives the impression that you are an absent-minded professor because you are trying to keep everything in your head (and that's not a particularly good place to be collecting and organizing everything, no matter how smart you are!)

By having collection "bins," you have (at least) limited the possible locations. Consider buying attractive bins. The top of a box will do, but it's much more satisfying seeing the bottom of a lovely oak inbox than the bottom of a cardboard box. Consider the following suggestions for collection locations and their accompanying "bins" -- although don't think you need ALL of these. Choose the ones you need and start there.

1. Your office: a large box or basket, which is processed daily. Daily.

2. Your home: a large box or basket, which is processed daily. Mail, receipts, whatever...all goes here.

3. Your car: a large box or basket which is carried into your home or office daily and dumped into the inbox there. For many, without this type of system, their whole car becomes an in-box.

4. Your home office: a large box or basket which is processed daily. Everyone in your home should know that this is where things go that they want you to attend to.

5. Your email: one email inbox to collect all initial email (even when you have multiple email addresses). Don't leave yourself open to 'forgetting' to check your multiple email in-boxes. Have one.

6. Your briefcase: a folder or large envelope that is emptied daily into your office or home inbox. No matter where you are (meetings, appointments, etc.) you're picking up items that need your attention when you're back in your working office.

7. Your suitcase: a folder or some type of zipping pouch which is emptied into your home or office inbox upon returning from out of town. When you get home from a conference or other trip, you don't want a nagging sense of 'I know I had some other stuff I needed to take care of...wonder where those things are?' You want to know where all the 'to-be-processed' items are located and that they will get processed as soon as you're back in town. As I write this, I'm on a 7-day trip, where I'll be speaking at 2 universities and I have a special folder (quite large) where all my to-be-processed items are going. This is, of course, in addition to my dirty clothes bag, which will be emptied and processed in the laundry room at home!

8. Your planner: one location for recording all incoming ideas, voice mails, and requests that are not on another piece of paper. This "bin" is processed daily.

9. Your PDA: one file or list where you can record all incoming ideas, voice mails, and requests that are not recorded elsewhere (this is for people who use electronic instead of paper planners). This "bin" is processed daily, just like all the others.

10. Your gym bag: a designated pocket or pouch, which is carried into your home or office and dumped into the inbox and/or washing machine there. It may seem funny to consider someplace in your workout bag as an 'in box,' but if you accept the concept that we need to have designated places to 'collect' and then process, you'll understand how you have items that need to be processed after you've worked out -- including ideas you came up with while you were on the stairstepper machine!)

The key idea here is this: have limited locations (bins) for collecting the incoming items and then process these items daily. Your life will change radically if you empty/process your inboxes every single day. You don't want to be (or appear to be) an absent-minded professor, do you?!

Keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity. Join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin's weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites): **Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com) **Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com) (c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Productivity Professor"(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

Professors - Overcome Reading Overwhelm - 5 Ideas to Remove Some of What You Receive Daily

By Meggin McIntosh

There's no question that you have a great deal to read--and it's easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer quantity. Here are some ideas to help you overcome your reading overwhelm--by simply removing many of the items you are potentially confronted with each day.

1. Eliminate at least one magazine or professional journal to which you currently subscribe or purchase on a weekly/monthly basis. If your weekly news magazines are in a pile, this is a clue that they are not "timely" and that you don't have time to read them. As far as professional materials go, in this day and age, nearly all journals, newsletters, association publications, etc. are available online. Should you ever need to read about a particular topic related to your work, you would be able to search the Internet and find what you are looking for.
   
   


2. Go through your mail while standing next to the wastebasket &/or recycling bin. At home, if your mail is delivered to your door or to a nearby community mailbox, then the minute you walk into the house with your mail, go immediately to the recycle bin and drop in any mail that you don't want or need. At your college or university, there should be a trash can and recycling bin right by the office mailboxes so that all employees can immediately go through their mail and drop unnecessary items (duplicate catalogs as well as catalogs for items you are not interested in, junk mail, flyers about events that aren't pertinent, etc.) into the wastebasket or paper recycling receptacle. Remember, only 20% of what you receive in your mailbox is worth opening (and some of that is still not worth reading once you open it). Get rid of 80% of your mail before you even consider opening it.
   
   


3. For one week (or even one month!) throw away EVERY SINGLE catalog you receive. This supersedes #2 above....For one week, even if it's a catalog you think you MIGHT want, throw it away. Discipline yourself. You have enough stuff and you'll get this catalog again, don't worry!!
   
   


4. Contact the Direct Marketing Association to be removed from mailing lists. Go to http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist for several options (on line as well as mail). It takes a few weeks for you to notice a difference in the quantity of mail you receive, but you will notice a lessening...and it will last for awhile, and then you will need to send in the address(es) again. Generally once every six months I save all the mailing labels from catalogs and other junk mail letters and attach them to a letter that I send into the Direct Marketing Association. It's worth the time and effort. Now that it's an online option, it may be easier for you! Work addresses are not able to use this, but home addresses can be deleted from mailing lists. Note: For business/university/government addresses, especially when I receive multiple copies, I fax back the address page of all of them and indicate that I want to be removed from all (or I indicate which address I want them to use).
   
   


5. Get off as many catalog lists as you can. The best way to do so (in addition to the suggestion above) is to access http://www.catalogchoice.org/. You can systematically begin to remove your name and address from various catalog lists (including ones that you receive at your work address). Not only does this save you from some of the reading/information overwhelm, but it also saves lots of trees and the gas it takes to haul all these catalogs to your mail receptacle.

So....which one will you take action on first?

Keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity. Join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin's weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites): **Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com) **Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com) (c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Productivity Professor"(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

Professors - Feeling Great About Your Day (And Your Life)

By Meggin McIntosh

There are plenty of people, situations, world events, and so forth that could cause you to feel crummy (or worse) about your day. To be productive, it helps when you feel great about your day. Here are ten such ideas. Generate as many more as you can.

1. Tip more than is expected. Significantly more. You will get back SO much more than what you gave. You are in a position where you don't work for tips. Whatever amount you tip, especially when it's more than the average person tips, makes a difference in the other person's life. You are in a position financially where you can do that. Do it.
   
   


2. Treat yourself as if you're worth it. You are. Smile up at the sun. Get the kind of pie YOU want (not just the kind your family wants). Give yourself time to breathe.
   
   


3. Be patient with your family, friends, students, colleagues, and co-workers. Treat all important people with the utmost patience and the most respect. Note: All people are important. Build your emotional bank account with those around you, especially your loved ones. You are likely to need to draw on it some day.
   
   


4. Treat time as more valuable than money. "Spend" some time on yourself. You can get more money; you can't get more time. Recognize that state of affairs.
   
   


5. Remember how you are making a difference through your work and/or personal life. Such a tiny percentage of the world is in a position such as yours. Consider how fortunate you are in your work and life.
   
   


6. Be gracious to everyone around you, especially those who are somewhat or significantly younger or older than you are. Being gracious reflects well on you and is memorable to others (because it's somewhat unique, sad to say). And it feels so much better to YOU to be gracious than to be...well, a jerk.
   
   


7. Write things on your "to-do" list that you did that day and then cross them off. Hey, this article is about ways to feel great about your day--and it makes me feel good to recognize some of the things that I actually did do and check those off. I'll bet you like that, too.
   
   


8. Consider what you have to be thankful for--both the "big" things and the "small" things. Make a list and add to it everyday. Begin to use the language, "I feel thankful for ______." A phrase I use so many times each day (and I mean it) is, "I am thankful everyday." I feel it and I use this response when people say things to me that are complimentary or they ask about whether I like what I'm doing, etc. Take a look around and you'll find plenty to be grateful for.
   
   


9. Bake cookies or make a crock pot of soup and give some to your neighbors. They'll be so surprised and be so pleased and thankful. What an unusual neighborly action you took. It feels great!!
   
   


10. Hug someone who needs it (especially your pets)! And no matter what you feel like, if you have a wonderful mammal (dog, cat, or the like), that pet can help you feel great about your day. Give them some love for what they give back to you.

These ten work, and you probably have ten more. Keep this list handy. Some days you might need reminding.

Keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity. Join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin's weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites): **Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com) **Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com) (c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Productivity Professor"(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!