Common Admission Test (CAT)

By Rohit Kumar Mehra

CAT Examination or Common Admission Test is carried out each year by Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs). Common Admission Test ascertains candidate's presence of mind and mental ability to perform during pressure. Success in CAT examination depends majorly upon two important parameters.

• Reducing the number of negatives and managing a strike rate of 85%

• Intelligently choosing questions to answer by picking those, which one is sure about the answers and avoiding the rest .

CAT entrance examination is conducted as criteria to shortlist aspirants who are looking for admission to the six IIMs including

• IIM Ahmedabad

• IIM Bangalore

• IIM Calcutta

• IIM Lucknow

• IIM Indore

• IIM Kozhikode

Apart from the IIMs some of the top management institutes such as Management Development Institute, S.P Jain Institute, Nirma Institute of Management, T.A. PAI and IMT also offer admission to applicants appeared for CAT.

The duration of the examination is of 120 minutes and the number of questions asked in common admission test varies each year. Therefore, a usual CAT examination has questions varying between 75 and 150 . This is an objective based examination and so the aspirant has to choose the best answer for each of the question which is marked at the OMR sheet. Every correct answer is awarded with one mark and every wrong answer faces a deduction of 1/4th of a mark. Differential marks are offered to the questions and therefore questions may be 0.5 mark, 1 mark or 2 marks.

CAT exam is conducted once a year in November/December and those who have graduated with minimum 50% aggregate marks are eligible to sit for it. Additionally those appearing in the final examination of graduation are also eligible for appearing in CAT.

Exam Pattern

Although the exam pattern of CAT is not consistent, usually 75 to 100 numbers of questions are asked in a CAT examination. The marks may also vary from 0.5 mark, 1 mark or 2 marks on a correct answer as well as deduction of 1/4 or 1/3 can be expected on a wrong answer. CAT Examination is conducted to test the ability of the aspirant in following areas which are

• Verbal Ability

• Reading Comprehension

• Problem Solving

• Data Interpretation

• Logical Reasoning

• Data Sufficiency

• Maths Problems

The pattern of this test has often been changed in the past.

2005 exam pattern consisted of:

• Three sections of data interpretation / reasoning, quantitative analysis, and reading, comprehension/verbal ability.

• Duration- 2 hours

• Total number of questions- 90

• Negative marking- 1/3 of mark allotted for a single correct answer

• Total number of questions in DI/Reasoning- 30

• Total number of questions in Qualitative analysis- 30

• Total number of questions in Reading Comprehension/Verbal ability- 30

All three sections carried 50 marks each.

Rohit Mehra is webmaster of http://www.gobskool.com/ - CAT Exam which is a leading online education portal provides a platform where students or MBA aspirants can have online tutorials for competitive exams like Common Admission Test (CAT). The panel will provide online guidance to students appearing for the CAT. The biggest asset of the venture is that it is free, no subscription cost either! This comes as a huge-advantage to the student community who has been craving for personalized help, but could not afford it due to costs or demographics. It also breaks all geographic barriers to bring together some of the best brains in the industry to help nurture the next generation.

Music College Education - Going For a Bachelors Degree

By Lester Lee

With all the talented people in the music world and the influence music has on our culture you think opportunities for musicians would be plentiful. Sadly, this is not true. Although the debate for whether or not a bachelors degree in music will help you get a job is waging right now. This article will just tell you the basics of what you should expect when entering a music college education program to get your bachelors degree.

The beginning of your bachelors degree in music will usually have an introduction to music itself. This means you will be covering many forms of music, mostly classical music in your first year, and the different eras of music. Very rarely will you ever learn about modern music such as jazz, blues, rock, rap, etc. You will just get a basic level of the history of music, not going into that much depth.

Regardless if you are getting your bachelors degree in music you still have to take the other required classes. This means along with your music education you are still going to have to take English, History, Math, Science, etc, as required by the school. The good news is you will usually only have to take a few of these classes.

Now, once you have finished your first year of music college education you will be able to move onto whatever specialty course you are interested in.

If you are going to get into the world of music performance and want to get a bachelors degree on it you must already know an instrument. There are no college classes that will teach you an instrument. This means that you have to be fairly proficient with whatever instrument you play before you are able to take a class on it. In fact, you are usually required to audition to get into the bachelor program.

The other major form of music education is music composition. When majoring in music composition you are going to be required to take many courses on composition. These classes usually start out pretty basic and will eventually get advanced. The early courses will have you just write and read music. As you progress into the advanced courses you will actually have to begin writing your own compositions. Your final independent project before you graduate will usually require you to write a full out sonata or concerto.

This is just some basic information on Music College Education that you should know before you try to get your bachelors degree in music education. Learn more about college education at http://eighttips.com/college_education/.

Universities and College Students Affected by Financial Crisis - Future of Nation at Stake

By Lance Winslow

The financial crisis is severely affecting our colleges and universities. Currently, tuition costs have risen out of control and even if students can get student loans to attend college, it puts them into the workforce under a pile of debt, essentially subjecting them to economic enslavement for decades. In fact, many government agencies are now offering to pay off tuition debts if the graduating students do a rather long stint with government employment.

The Universities have been unable to control costs and due to supply and demand issues, coupled with the easy money of government guaranteed loans to college students. Academia is broken, just like the Health Care System, Banking System and Housing Markets, worse the runaway costs have the taxpayers holding the key. Academia has abused their status like the leaders of the other groups.

The unfortunate thing is that we trust academia to insure the education of the next generation which will lead us. It is critical, unfortunately the system is rotten to the core with agendas and the very thing they accuse the entrepreneurial capitalists is something they themselves are engaged in and yet, they remain immune to the realities of; mostly due to the hijacking of the system and political influences.

The future of our nation's educational system is at stake, whom will run this nation if we cannot give a viable education to the next generation; a countries strength and power can be wiped out in a single generation if education fails. Yet, academia will not come clean. Capitalism has been working in spite the socialist intervention, but the baggage and debris is about to collapse the roof on its house, so one needs to ask; who is really the intellectual strength of our civilization?

Because from where I am standing, it seems rather silly for anyone to insist that our Universities and Colleges are educating our next generation in an efficient matter, academia is broken and if they cannot even run their own domain, I ask; How can we trust them to tell us how to run our civilization? Think on this; open for suggestions and comments.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Definitive Guide to Michigan State University

By J. Vincent Burr

Michigan State University is a major public university located in East Lansing, Michigan. Originally founded in 1855 as the first agricultural college in the United States, it was known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan and included a mandatory 3 hours of manual labor per day for all students. Since 1964 it's been known as Michigan State University, and has even been included in the revised list of "Public Ivy's".

As one of Michigan's "Big 3" schools, Michigan State recently joined with the University of Michigan and Wayne State University to create the University Research Corridor. The URC was created in an effort to highlight the world-class capabilities of Michigan's three leading research institutions and to hopefully spark a much needed transformation of Michigan's economy away from its dependence on the automotive industry, and towards a more high-tech future.

The massive campus at MSU consists of over 5,000 acres, most of which is undeveloped land with hiking trails. There are over 650 buildings in total, 150 of which are dedicated to the university's roots in agriculture. It's been estimated that there are over 100 miles of sidewalks connecting the campus.

Michigan State has the 8th largest student body in the United States with over 45,000 students (almost 10,000 of which are grad students). MSU is known for a very diverse student body with all 50 states and over 125 countries represented. Michigan State has a student/faculty ratio of about 19:1, and has moderately selective admissions. The study abroad program is the largest of any university (single campus) in the nation, with almost 2,500 students studying abroad in over 60 countries, on all continents (yes, even Antarctica).

Overall, Michigan State University is a very well respected school nationally, with individual programs regularly at or near the top in their field. MSU consists of 17 degree granting colleges and over 200 academic programs. The U.S. News ranks the graduate level Elementary Education, Secondary Education and Industrial & Organizational Psychology programs number one in the nation on a regular basis. Recently, the Supply Chain Management program in the business school was also ranked number one in the nation for the second year in a row. The graduate program in Nuclear Physics is ranked number two in the nation, behind only MIT. The medical school is also highly regarded with The College of Osteopathic Medicine ranked number five, the College of Veterinary Medicine ranked number nine, and the College of Human Medicine ranked number 18 in the United States.

MSU is also well respected in athletics, where its trademark green and white colors have been donned through many championship runs, in several sports. Known as the "Spartans", Michigan State is an NCAA division I-A school in the Big Ten Conference in every sport (except hockey), and is the only college in the nation that has won multiple championships in basketball, football and hockey. Many former Spartans have gone on to play professional sports, with several ending up in their respective Halls-of Fame.

Michigan State University is a great choice for someone serious about their education. If you plan to attend college in Michigan, you can't go wrong with MSU. For more information, including student reviews, check the links below.

About the author: J. Vincent Burr is the creator and chief educational writer for the college reviews site MyNextCollege.com, which contains a ton of useful information about Michigan State University including reviews by actual MSU students.

Definitive Guide to Ferris State University

By J. Vincent Burr

Ferris State University was founded in 1884 in Big Rapids, Michigan. At the time, it was known as Big Rapids Industrial School, and was unique at the time for accepting female students. It was founded by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris who was a governor of the state of Michigan, and went on to become a US Senator. It was this namesake that would lead to the eventual renaming of the school several times incorporating the name Ferris, until it was eventually given its current name of Ferris State University in 1987.

Of particular note is the fact that none of the classes at Ferris State are taught by grad students - you are guaranteed to have contact with the actual professor, and with a 16:1 student to faculty ratio you are assured a fair amount of access to your instructors.

There are over 13,000+ students enrolled at Ferris State, most of which are at the main campus in Big Rapids. The University consists of eight colleges: Technology, Business (the only business school in Michigan to offer a major in Public Relations), Education and Human Services, Allied Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Optometry, Pharmacy and The Kendall College of Art and Design. They only grant doctoral degrees through the Optometry and Pharmacy colleges. Kendall College of Art and Design is actually at a satellite campus in nearby Grand Rapids, Michigan and offers over 25 degree programs. Ferris also has a partnership arrangement with Northwestern Michigan College to grant Bachelor degrees to graduates of its Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

The University has come under some criticism for its Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, which consists of an extensive collection of items that promote racial segregation or promulgate racial stereotypes of African Americans. The Ferris State University administration has repeatedly stated that they feel it is important to preserve these items "for the purpose of academic research and education about their cultural influence".

The student government at Ferris State University has gained nationwide notoriety for creating Textbookunion.com, a cost saving initiative for textbook prices that has gained recognition from student bodies across the nation. Created in 2006, textbookunion.com has been presented at state and national student government conferences in an effort to help the initiative gain traction. As of this writing, it currently only feeds textbook information from specific universities in Michigan. However, textbookunion.com is in the process of bringing the program to the national level, and any student may still use its sophisticated search engine to find the lowest price on the internet for a specific textbook.

In athletics, the Ferris State teams are known as the "Bulldogs", and the colors are maroon and gold. Most Ferris State athletic teams are Division II-A. Also of note in its athletic program is that, in conjunction with its Professional Golf Management program, the university manages the Katke Golf Club, which is an 18-hole course next to the main campus in Big Rapids.

Ferris State University is a solid choice if you're interested in attending a smaller school in Michigan. For more information, including reviews from actual students at Ferris State, check out the links below.

About the author: J. Vincent Burr is the creator and chief educational writer for the college review site MyNextCollege.com, which contains a plethora of information about Ferris State University including reviews by actual students.

How to Pick Your New Graduate Career

By Peter Whitehead

As new graduates get ready to develop their careers, they transition from a world where they've attained a level of comfort and success into an entirely unfamiliar one. Many of them think their hard work in university will automatically entitle them to recognition and desirability as a new hire.

But just as gaining acceptance into university requires an understanding of what academia looks for in a prospective student, graduate careers also require careful study and preparation. Here's what to keep in mind as you go about researching and planning your graduate career.

Do What You Love

Before deciding on a career path, it's important to research the job market and analyse your own strengths and interests to find out what kind of graduate career might suit you best. As a wise counsellor once said, 'Do what you love, the money will follow.' This is good advice when pursuing your graduate career since the likelihood of success and happiness always improves when you're doing something you feel passionate about.

To help you figure out your preferences and steer your graduate career in the right direction, many university career centres offer free aptitude and personality tests. These may help you zero in on the kind of graduate career that fits you best.

Start Your Job Searching Early

Start researching graduate careers early, before you graduate. Keep a tight focus on the work you enjoy and then apply that focus to relevant academic coursework, an internship and/or volunteer work experience that can give you a "foot in the door" to your chosen graduate career.

During the final year of study, set aside some time to work on developing your future graduate career options, and make sure you have the financial resources to cover calls, trips and business clothes for interviews. Take advantage of graduate career counselling at your university career centre. Schedule mock interviews to polish your presentation and speaking skills. Attend graduate career fairs and on-campus recruitment events. Keep your academics in good order, a. And learn to manage time effectively between studying and exploring options for graduate your future careers.

Anticipate Hurdles

Be alert to potential challenges early on, before they become roadblocks in your graduate career search:

• Don't like speaking to groups? Take a public speaking class or join a debating club.

• Is your wardrobe fit for campus only? Invest some time and money on updating your clothes.

• Not much job experience? Experience counts, whether it's paid or not. Use time off to volunteer or do part-time work in the field you've targeted for your graduate career.

• Not well-rounded in extra-curriculars? Make sure you have the requisite computer skills, driving license or other practical qualifications that might help in your graduate career and job search.

See Yourself As The Employer Does

Remember, you're just starting out on your new graduate career path. As thrilled as you probably are to have attained your degree, you are not entitled to have grandiose expectations at the very beginning of your graduate career. Potential employers are far more interested in what you can do for the company than in what they can do for you. Know your customer (the employer); learn what they need, and then market the product (yourself) as intelligently as possible.

Start Selling!

Once you've applied the time, money and effort to prepare yourself thoroughly for your preferred graduate career job sector, it's time to get yourself out onto the market. One of the most effective ways is to create a free iProfile as soon as possible and update it frequently.

Stay Positive

When you're competing with other graduates for a position, often the person with better graduate career search skills will win the job over candidates with superior qualifications simply because they know how to sell themselves. Keeping a positive, friendly and professional attitude can compensate for a lack of experience.

So as you embark on the searching for a job, make it clear to recruiters that you're an easy person to work with and are always willing to learn. It can go a long way toward getting your graduate career off to a running start.

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred online CV template. iProfile brings the online CV into the 21st Century. Tips & advice vary from CV writing to negotiating a pay rise.

Graduate Career Advice - Preparing For the University - Job Transition

By Peter Whitehead

Even if you're still engaged in studies and haven't thought much about searching for a job after university, it's never too soon to seek out graduate career advice. It can provide a wealth of information about potential employment opportunities and help you steer your final year of school in the right direction, and give your education a real world focus that it may not have had up until now.

Why Do I Need Graduate Career Advice?

Graduate career advice helps you formulate a clear, objective assessment of your career options and provides assistance and direction so you can reach your goals. Most graduate career advice centres offer a range of options to help you develop and achieve your professional goals. If you seek graduate career advice while you're still in university, you will learn how to make the most of your degree, and you'll have time to acquire the additional knowledge and skills that will help you land that dream job.

While graduate career advice services may differ in their specific offerings, below are some of the key services usually offered under graduate career advice.

Personality/Aptitude Tests

Graduate career advisors often provide free and confidential psychometric tests to assess candidates' aptitudes and interests. These tests typically identify your strengths and help you focus on making appropriate career choices. Personality tests can reveal your preferred communication style and key motivators, which in turn can provide pointers toward the career that suits you best.

Career Guidance

Graduate career advice is often centred on helping you explore a range of fields and job types so you can better understand your options. Not only do you get graduate career advice about specific industries, but you'll also get typical job profiles and practical information on what it's like to work in a particular field. Some services will also provide you with contact information for experts in the field you are interested in so those experts can give you graduate career advice from a real world perspective.

Application Assistance

Graduate career advice services can help you when preparing applications for part-time jobs and, internships, as well as full-time job placements. Most graduate career advice centres can provide direction on how to identify job listings that are right for you and help you follow up with applications. More specifically, a graduate career advice service can help you interpret the finer points of a job advertisement or description, answer questions on application forms, and ensure that your application package is complete and professional.

Interviewing Tips

A key benefit of getting graduate career advice is that it prepares you to face tough interview situations. Working with experts at a graduate career advice centre before that all-important interview means you'll be ready to impress the recruiter / potential employer with your skills, knowledge, and presentation abilities. Graduate career The advice will helps you focus on your core strengths in a positive, professional manner and can also include coaching on how to handle potentially stressful telephone interviews.

How to Write a CV

Graduate career advice sometimes includes CV writing assistance to ensure your CV is in line with your career objectives. Most graduate career advice careers services recommend that those who are job searching maintain a dynamic, online CV like an iProfile, which enables you to easily tailor your CV template to a specific job and gets you noticed by thousands of recruiters and employers throughout the UK. It's a good idea to have ask your graduate career advice service them to review your CV before you distribute it, which could give you an edge over other candidates.

In summary, graduate career advice can make the difference between a lengthy and unproductive job search and securing a coveted position in the field of your choice. Besides providing a wealth of information on the career planning process, graduate career advisors can introduce you to experts and professionals in your area of interest.

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred CV template. iProfile brings the online CV into the 21st Century. Tips & advice vary from CV writing to negotiating a pay rise.

Looking For Surgical Tech Programs?

By Louis Zhang

Those interested in becoming a surgical tech should attend and graduate from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited education program. All of the schools with accredited programs are listed on the CAAHEP website, and there are currently 452 accredited surgical tech programs available.

CAAHEP accredited surgical technician programs are available in many states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

For those who do not have surgical technician programs near them or who want to attend a distance learning or online program, there are eight accredited surgical tech programs. These are at Gulf Coast Community College in Florida, Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, Spencerian College in Kentucky, Southeast Community College in Nebraska, Canadian Valley Technology Center in Oklahoma, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Presentation College in South Dakota and Laramie County Community College in Wyoming.

The accredited training programs usually last anywhere from nine months to twenty-four months to complete, and result in a diploma, certificate, or associates degree. In order to get accepted into surgical technologist programs you normally have to have a high school degree, and it will be helpful if you took math, biology, health and chemistry while you were in high school, though this is not always required to get into a program. These courses will give you a good background your coursework during the program.

Surgical tech trainees usually learn about things like anatomy, care and safety of patients during surgery, how to handle the drugs and equipment used by surgical techs, medical terminology, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, prevention and control of infection, professional ethics, sterile techniques and sterilization of instruments, and surgical procedures. Most surgical technologist programs involve both classroom and clinical components so that students can get some experience in the different skills they will need to use in their profession.

Completing one of the many accredited surgical tech programs is not always enough to get a job as a surgical tech. Many employers prefer that their surgical techs be certified, which requires passing an exam from the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist. Certification is good for four years, during which you need to either complete some continuing education credits or retake the exam in order to keep your certification.

Louis Zhang, Certsurgicaltechnologist dot com For more information on surgical tech programs and accredited surgical schools go to Certsurgicaltechnologist dot com

Learning How to Get Into Law School

By Louis Zhang

Law school is a goal for many soon to be college graduates. Finding out how to get into law school is a process unto itself. Most people think it is all about taking the LSAT exam and scoring well. That is a big part of the process but there is a lot more involved then just the test. Law schools want to know what kind of person you are and how dedicated to the program you will be during your time there. This is serious business and they do not want someone to be there that takes it lightly.

Other then the LSAT's part of how to get into law school starts with your undergraduate degree. Schools want to see good grades on that transcript. so the sooner you begin focusing on your grades the better. Law schools require your school transcripts as well as a Dean's Letter and Letter's of Recommendation from teachers and the like. The letters must show that you are a dedicated person who works hard and has a desire to go to law school.

Deciding which law school to attend is also a big issue. The best advice would be to have a short list of schools that you would like to apply to and also do not get stuck on a known name school. Keep your options as open as possible and apply to a few schools to give yourself an increased chance of getting in. Not every school is right for everyone and you will need to do some research to find schools that feel right to you.

Do you think you know how to get into law school? We are not done yet... you will also need to have a pretty terrific resume put together. You will need to show volunteer hours and any internship activities if you have them. Your resume will need to show previous employment and education. When you finally have everything you need then you are ready to apply. There may be an in person interview required as well. With hard work and determination you will get into the law school of your choice and begin working on your soon to be career. After about 3 years you will be known as a lawyer.

Louis Zhang, Accronlinelawdegree dot com For more information on how to get into law school including law enforcement and environmental law schools go to Accronlinelawdegree dot com

Law School Requirements

By Louis Zhang

You have made the decision to go to law school and now you need to begin the process of getting accepted into the school of your choice. Law school requirements can be tough. So it is important for you to be sure that you are ready for all of the studying and hard work that is before you.

If you investigate a bit about what going to law school is like and still feel committed then it is time for you to look into taking the LSAT's. This is the entrance exam that must be taken as part of the law school program requirements. do not just sign up for the LSAT's and think you are ready... There is work to be done here too.

The LSAT's is a 3 hour test consisting of four sections and those are made up of 2 Logical Reasoning sections that will basically be arguments, 1 Analytical Reasoning section (Games), and 1 Reading Comprehension section. Beyond that there is an experimental section that you can chose to do an argument section or games section and this will not be graded. However, you will not know which of the sections is the experimental section. Finally, there is a writing section in which you will be given a controversial situation and asked to argue a position on one side or the other. This section is not graded either but it is read and should be taken seriously.

From this point you should begin the process of choosing a list of your top picks for law schools and look into their specific requirements. You should not pick a law school just because you a familiar with the name or because you know somebody who went there. Really spend time learning about the school, curriculum, campus life, teachers and any pertinent information that will help you make an educated decision. Choose a few schools that appeal to you.

Next on the list of action steps is obtaining your transcripts from any undergraduate and/or graduate schools you attended. You will also need letters of recommendation from different sources as well as a Dean's letter. Finally, you will be required to provide a resume that shows work experience, volunteer hours, and any internships or other important information that will help you meet the law school requirements and let them know why they want to accept you into their program.

Louis Zhang, Accronlinelawdegree dot com For more information on law school requirements and accredited law school online degree programs go to Accronlinelawdegree dot com