Registered Nurses

Registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, treat patients, patients and educate the public about various medical conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients' family members. RNs record patients' medical histories and symptoms, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation. RNs teach patients and their families how to manage their illness or injury, explaining post-treatment home care needs, diet, nutrition, and exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. Some RNs work to promote general health by educating the public on warning signs and symptoms of disease. RNs also might run general health screening or immunization clinics, blood drives, and public seminars on various conditions. When caring for patients, RNs establish a plan of care or contribute to an existing plan. Plans may include numerous activities, such as administering medication, including careful checking of dosages and avoiding interactions; starting, maintaining, and discontinuing intravenous (IV) fluid lines for, medication, blood, and blood products; administering therapies and treatments; observing the patient and recording those observations, and consulting with physicians and other health care clinicians. Some RNs provide direction to licensed practical nurses and nursing aids regarding patient care. RNs with advanced educational preparation and training may perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and may have prescriptive authority. RNs can specialize in one or more areas of patient care. There are generally four ways to specialize. RNs can choose a particular type of work setting or treatment, such as perioperative nurses, who work in operating rooms and assist surgeons. RNs also may choose to specialize in specific health conditions, as do diabetes management nurses, who assist patients to manage diabetes. Other RNs specialize in working with one or more organs or body system types, such as dermatology nurses, who work with patients who have skin disorders. RNs also can choose to work with a well-defined population, such as geriatric nurses, who work with the elderly. Some RNs may combine specialties. For example, pediatric oncology nurses deal with children and adolescents who have cancer. There are many options for RNs who specialize in a work setting or type of treatment. Ambulatory care nurses provide preventive care and treat patients with a variety of illnesses and injuries in physicians' offices or in clinics. Some ambulatory care nurses are involved in telehealth, providing care and advice through electronic communications media such as videoconferencing, the Internet or by telephone. Critical care nurses provide care to patients with serious, complex, and acute illnesses or injuries that require very close monitoring and extensive medication protocols and therapies. Critical care nurses often work in critical or intensive care hospital units. Emergency, or trauma, nurses work in hospital or stand-alone emergency departments, providing initial assessments and care for patients with life-threatening conditions. Some emergency nurses may become qualified to serve as transport nurses, who provide medical care to patients who are transported by helicopter or airplane to the nearest medical facility. Holistic nurses provide care such as acupuncture, massage and aroma therapy, and biofeedback, which are meant to treat patients' mental and spiritual health in addition to their physical health. Home health care nurses provide at-home nursing care for patients, often as follow-up care after discharge from a hospital or from a rehabilitation, long-term care, or skilled nursing facility. Hospice and palliative care nurses provide care, most often in home or hospice settings, focused on maintaining quality of life for terminally ill patients. Infusion nurses administer medications, fluids, and blood to patients through injections into patients' veins. Long-term care nurses provide health care services on a recurring basis to patients with chronic physical or mental disorders, often in long-term care or skilled nursing facilities.

Online MBA Course at Keller's School of Management

Keller's certified MBA program was designed to provide good management concepts and techniques which enable their students to apply immediately. The MBA programs may be earned in less than a year. The online MBA course offered by Keller is one of the best in the United States of America.

In designing their MBA program, Keller works with many top business corporation. This is with the aim of producing MBA graduates that meet the needs of the industry and ensure high demand of their graduates. In addition to building communication and team building skills, the MBA program offered by Keller also builds the computer applications and system integration.

How are MBA students trained? At Keller, case studies and dynamic classroom environment enables students learn how to assess and analyse business problems. Keller's online MBA course offers the utmost flexibility to students pursuing the course. This allows the students to continue to advance their own career while studying for their MBA. Their online platform allows the students 24 hours access to the system to complete their course works. Students may also participate in online discussion and interaction with instructors and other students.

All faculty members that handle the online program are qualified and was trained by Keller. Hence, students can be assured of the MBA qualities. Students are provided with electronic textbooks and interactive course materials.

What are the career prospects of MBA graduates from Keller? Many of their graduates how hold prestigious career positions in the field of accounting and finance, general management, human resource management, management consulting and marketing. As Keller's program emphasizes the practical skills and concepts of real-world business, students get comprehensive business education that enables them to develop their management expertise to advance their career.

Keller's online MBA course requires successful completion of 48 semester credit hours. Students who are certified public accountants may apply to get exemptions from certain subject requirements. Courses offered are divided into three categories - core courses, program specific courses and elective courses.

Core courses include Marketing Management while program specific courses include Managerial Accounting, Managerial Finance, Legal, Political and Ethical Dimensions of Business, Business Economics and Business Planning Seminar. Students are required to complete 18 credit hours for the elective courses. Students may also pursue four-course concentration in the areas of Accounting, Electronic Commerce Management, Finance, General Management, Health Services, Hospitality Management, Human Resources, Information Security, International Business, Marketing, Network and Communications Management, Project Management, Public Administration and Security Management.

Keller offers few payment options for their students. These include tuition reimbursement which allows students to pay their fees five weeks after completing the session. Applicants who wished to apply to pursue the Keller Online MBA Course must hold a baccalaureate degree to be admitted into the program.

Fashion Design Skills 101: Skills That Fashion Schools Don't Cover Nearly Enough

In fashion school, most of your time was spent learning to create fashion illustrations, draping, sewing, and flat patternmaking. While these are good skills to have, they aren't very practical when you're trying to land your first job in the fashion industry. In the real world you'll be expected to know how to create computerized flat sketches, develop garment specs, CADs, and presentation boards. And I know some of you are thinking "But I learned those things in school too!" To which I reply: You think you know, but you have no idea! Take it from experience: fashion schools don't focus on those skills nearly enough to fully prepare you for your first design position. In this article I will discuss each skill and its importance in the fashion industry.

Draping and Patternmaking - Low Importance
While patternmaking and draping are valuable skills, they usually only come in handy when you deal with a lot of fits. However, fittings are usually conducted by technical design teams so if you got into fashion for creative reasons, you'll most likely be miserable in this type of position. On the creative side of design, all you need is a basic understanding of what creates a good fit, and how to fix a bad one. In the majority of design positions, hands-on patternmaking skills are not necessary, unless you plan to enter Project Runway!

Sewing - Low Importance
On the creative side of design, sewing isn't that relevant. Yes, it's good to understand the general concepts of garment construction, but you don't need to be a great seamstress. On the job, if you need to know how a certain garment is constructed, there are tons of references available: from clothes at the stores, to "how to" books and online articles. The point I'm trying to make is: if you're sewing skills leave something to be desired, don't stress over it.

Illustration - Almost Unnecessary
Sadly, fashion illustrations are a dying art in the industry - they are scarcely used by designers in the real world. The fashion illustration has been replaced with computer drawn stylized technical sketches (floats) or more accurate technical flats, which are faster to sketch and much more practical. Not only do they present a clear representation of design concept, but they are a must have for production. Flats can be turned into CADs and can be used in mood/presentation boards. Fashion schools have not followed this shift and still focus more heavily on illustrations, and not enough on flat sketching.

Computer Programs - Must Know
I can't stress enough the importance of knowing popular computer applications for creating floats, flats and CADs. Most companies expect proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Excel since they are relatively affordable in comparison to more industry specific software. Unfortunately, the coverage of Illustrator and Photoshop provided by fashion schools does not meet the actual demands of the fashion industry. Many companies are also requesting knowledge of WebPDM, so if your college offers a course in this program, it would be to your benefit to take it. If your school does not teach this program, find a school or venue that does offer this program and take it!

Flat Sketching - Must Know
While interviewing candidates for design positions, we've seen applicants' portfolios filled with beautiful illustrations and then say "That's nice, but can you flat sketch?" If flats are included in their portfolios, they are usually basic, lack important details, and are not visually appealing. If the candidates sketches are halfway decent; my next question is "do you know Illustrator and Photoshop? " Almost everyone says yes, but it's usually far from the truth.

A lot of fashion school grads seriously believe that they know these programs well, but what you learned in school isn't enough - fashion schools don't teach these skills well enough for entry level designers to be competent within the fashion industry. Schools just cover basics, which are usually forgotten without practice. Take the extra effort to practice and become comfortable with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and other programs beyond what schools teach: read books and take additional courses (offered in either classroom or online settings).

Creating Specs in a Copycat Industry - Must Know
Knowing how to spec (measure and detail) a garment to create garment specifications, or "specs" is a fundamental skill. Many companies create their spec sheets using Excel. Although garment sizes and measurements vary from company to company, depending on different market segments and categories, if you know the principles, you'll be able to quickly adapt to the standards of any company. You don't even need to know how to develop specs from scratch!

As a head designer, to set spec standards for a company, I usually went to different stores, found garments with a good fit and copied the basic measurements. This is quite common - the fashion industry is a copycat industry- most fashions hanging in the stores are knock-offs of another company. Once, during a shopping trip in London, a store salesperson noticed I was a fashion designer collecting style ideas. He mentioned that his store received a constant flow of American design companies such as Calvin Klein, whose designers come to knockoff their merchandise. That's right - even top designer brands use knockoffs for their ready-to-wear collections. There are even official terms: a "knockoff" is when a style is copied and a "rub-off" is when patterns are copied.

Educate Yourself!
Many fashion schools such as FIT in New York (Fashion Institute of Technology) offer important classes like "flats and specs for the fashion industry", but believe it or not, these courses are not required by the curriculum! Another handy course that should be taken is "creative fashion presentation." Salespeople use presentations a lot as visual aids. In addition they create a good impression and convey creativity level. If you can make outstanding presentations you'll be assigned to do them often, and believe me it's more fun to make boards than do fits or send faxes and organize showrooms.

To sum up: in order to get a job before the rest of the entry level fashion design candidates, you need to focus on refining skills that are highly demanded in the industry. Become proficient with flat sketching, include flats in your portfolio, and be extremely comfortable and knowledgeable in Illustrator and Photoshop. Not only will you be ready with the skills you need to succeed in fashion, but discussing how you went the extra mile to keep up with industry standards will definitely impress any prospective employer!

For your reference we've posted quite a few industry standard examples of flat sketches and CADs in JPEG and vector (Illustrator) formats on www.fashionfrog.com. If you can improve your skills to reach the quality of those shown, you'll be in a very good shape!

© 2008 Designers Nexus Inc. All rights reserved. First published at FashionFrog.com.

author

Natalie Nizhny

A NYC fashion designer, Natalie has traveled Europe and Asia for shopping, researching trends, and manufacturing. In a 14 year career, she's gained an insight in the fashion industry, and trained designers with her extensive knowledge of the global market. Due to popular demand in response to her advice and design training, she created a fashion resource center at FashionFrog.com.

How school discourages learning

Once people stopped forcing me to study certain things, I found out I was actually interested in them after all.

While I was in school, I avoided thinking about subjects like Biology and Science and Maths in my free time. But now, months after graduation, I often find myself very interested in things like what makes plants work, and various other things that I always refused to think about any time other than in school. The reason? Nobody's forcing me to think about it now. I feel free to think about whatever I want, whenever I want.

If my dad wanted to explain to me what nutrients a mushroom (for example), lives on, just a few months ago I would have ignored what he said. But now, I actually am trying to grow some mushrooms (the edible kind), and the more information I have, the better. Imagine just how proud my Biology teacher would have been if I was growing mushrooms back in school... that's probably why I didn't. People trying to encourage me to do things that other people have decided that I should do really discourage me instead.

This is why schools don't work. Education is so over-generalized that everyone has to learn the same stuff, and students aren't encouraged to spend time on things that THEY would rather learn about. About 2 years ago I started learning HTML and making my own website. If I had to do some Maths homework, but would rather work on my site, my teachers would have no sympathy for that. It was the whole "we don't care what you would rather do" attitude of the teachers that made me hate their subjects, not the actual subjects themselves. Every time somebody would try to "nudge" me into doing something related to a subject in my free time, I would just go do something that _I_ chose for myself instead.

You could say this is stupid, and you could say students should continue to be interested in aspects of subjects that interest them, instead of avoiding them because they're taught at school. But you can't tell students how to feel. If the way they're expected to learn things makes them disinterested in those things, it's not the students' fault. It's the school system's fault, and you can't change the way millions of students feel about school, but if you REALLY want to, you CAN change the school system

Home Schooling Online Important Data

The idea of home schooling is broadly recognized nowadays, there are many factors involved in deciding to home school, one of these is usually that you feel that your child is not exhibiting any change for the better in the regular school system and would benefit from your individual attention, but there are many more factors to consider. What information about home schooling online do you need to help you make a decision?

There are only a few guides which can provide assistance to make home schooling easier and so you will know how to start a home school and progress further with your aims here is some information about home schooling online.

The first step even before you start seeking approval from the authorities is to decide whether you are qualified to teach your child. Home schooling is not just restricted to the basics but will include all the essential subjects that would be taught in a traditional school, only the set up differs. Obviously it is important to be legally recognized and to do this you need to meet all the requirements set out by your local school officials.

Also, do not impose your decision on your child. Some children do not benefit from a home-school environment and if there is any doubt you may need to think again. This is because altering the way they are taught might affect their and mindset thus hampering their progress. When you have reached a final decision, several other points have to be taken care of. Depending on the type of education your child needs i.e. high school or basic you have to decide on the subjects that are going to be taught. The fundamentals to be covered in higher grade levels will include complex topics.

Another important piece of information on home schooling online to be kept in mind is what are your State laws related to home schooling, you can be certain that there will be variations from one area to another. Check with your local government officers they will be able to tell you the requirements and what you need to do. Your child's education is only recognized when it is authorised by the education governing bodies.

In the United States and Canada, the trend towards home schooling has been increased tremendously as a matter of choice. This provides an opportunity for links between home schooling parents through the Internet for networking and support and to obtain more information on home schooling. Here, they can exchange tips and give their own ideas regarding various aspects of home schooling. Such give-and-take of thoughts will be beneficial for you and your child. Another benefit is that it will support you as you work toward your goal of setting up a home school.

It is understood that when a child is home schooled, they can enjoy a certain level of freedom. This is not practical in a regular school. Still, it is advised that you get your child engaged in a schedule and projects which will be an aid to the learning process. You will thus understand where and how further improvement can be made.

There are different ways of teaching a child. Nonetheless, the same learning mode might not be applicable to everyone. So, you would need to try various methods and decide which one gives the best results. If your child is not learning or getting better, all the work you put in will be in vain. Now, here you would be required to apply your knowledge and to understand what basic tools are needed for home schooling. The concept is similar to a class in a normal school which would have a proper set up. While teaching at home, there should be sufficient area where the classes can be taken.

The final piece of information on home schooling online I would like to touch on is the money aspect which should be within your limitations. Once you're certain what is required, forecast the overall cost and whether or not it suits your pocket. There are certain ways to lower the cost; however, it will require some research. Browse the net and check if you can benefit from any rebates or discounts on books or other items demanded. Alternatively you can buy in bulk when you know what materials will be employed in the future.

Take the Most Effective Notes in College

Organization and diligence are paramount to success in college courses. It is up to you, the student, to understand the course material that is presented through various avenues including class lectures, textbook readings and assignments. Attending class lectures is extremely important because professors often emphasize valuable information that is critical to succeeding on the test. Taking detailed, accurate and legible notes will help you grasp the organization of material and will benefit you greatly at study time. Below are some simple note-taking techniques you can employ to help boost your test grades:

-Keep notes organized with lecture dates and chapter numbers. Staying organized helps ensure that you are not missing important material when you study for a test. Writing the date on all of your notes will help you stay organized should the pages get out of order, and also help remind you if you have missed any class meetings for which you need to get the notes. Likewise, noting the chapters being discussed in each lecture will help keep your notes organized and make it easy to reference material for which you need clarification or reiteration.

-Summarize important points and abbreviate words. Professors often speak quickly when lecturing. As a student, you will likely not have enough time to write down the lecture word for word, which is why summarizing material and abbreviating words is helpful. Rather than attempting to write down the lecture verbatim, summarize the most important points being covered by the professor. Be sure to include key terms, dates and names in your summary. If you create abbreviations of your own, be sure to make them obvious or make a side note of what each abbreviation means to avoid confusion later.

-Revisit your notes after class. After a class session of note taking, it is a good idea to read through your notes while the lecture material is fresh on your mind. The point of doing this is to be sure that your notes will be legible and understandable when you revisit them later. Many students find it beneficial to take this process a step further and rewrite or type their class notes. Not only does this give you a more streamlined set of notes to reference later, it reiterates the material, making it easier to learn.

-Read between the lines. Sometimes professors make note taking easy by specifying “this will be on the test.” When you are given such a valuable piece of information, be sure to highlight or otherwise notate its importance in your study material. Professors often provide insight into test material in more subtle ways as well. For instance, a professor may repeat a certain concept more than once, or mention “this is important,” “be sure to know this” or “you will see this again.” These clues should be noted as well to help ensure that you study the appropriate material. It is also a good idea to study heavily concepts that are emphasized in both lecture and the textbook.

-If appropriate, make recordings of lectures. For professors who approve, recording lectures is a good way to ensure that you do not miss important material covered during class. While you should still take notes during the lecture, a mini-recorder can help you fill in the blanks in your notes later if there is something you have missed. Listening to key parts of recorded lectures may also help you study, since material presented in a variety of ways is easier to remember.

Successful note taking is a skill that may take some practice to master. Developing and fine-tuning your own approach to thorough note-taking will help improve the quality of your notes as well as your grades.

Online Education - Know What You're Getting Worth Your Time

When it comes to online education, there is so much information out there. Over the past few years, online learning has really moved up the ranks as far as education options are concerned. There are many reasons that people are interested in online learning education, and if this sounds like you, you should consider getting started in this area. The fact of the matter is that you can learn quite a bit with this type of education without ever having to take a seat in the classroom. To some people it does not get any better than this. But before you get started with online learning education you will want to know where you can search for information on this way of doing things. After all, you will need this information so that you can stay ahead of the game and make the right decision. Ask other people you know if they have ever taken online classes. Chances are that if you ask around enough you will find somebody who has. This is a great way to get first hand information from people who you trust.

The best place to gather information concerning online learning education is quite obvious; you should start your search online! Since these institutions are based online they put a lot of time and effort into making plenty of information available via the internet. You should be able to find a webpage as well as detailed information on any online learning education school that you are interested in attending. A simple search will turn up all of the information that you could ever need. Another way to learn about online learning education is to give the institution a call. Even though these schools offer their courses online, they will more than likely have several numbers that you can call if you are interested in more information.

This will allow you to get in touch with people such as financial aid and admissions officers. By talking with them you will be able to get a better feel for what online learning education is all about. Not to mention the fact that they can answer any questions that you may have. Finally, do not forget that you can simply talk with others who are experienced with online learning education. Ask other people you know if they have ever taken online classes. Chances are that if you ask around enough you will find somebody who has. This is a great way to get first hand information from people who you trust.

All in all, online learning education is more popular today than it has ever been in the past. If you are interested in this way of learning, you really need to consider getting as much information as you can before you get started. When you know all there is to know about online learning education you will have a much easier time making a choice on when and how to get started.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to Google Adsense, do please browse for more information at our websites. http://www.greateducationonline.com

Online Career Schools

Are you interested in enhancing your career prospects without going to colleges and attending regular classes? If you are interested in continuing your studies at your own leisure and make a job change or better progression in your current job, whenever you get time, then the answer for you lies in the online career schools.

What are online career schools?

Online career schools are the best places to earn online degrees in any subject. When you go through the various websites searching for the right kind of degree you would find that there are names of the schools and colleges mentioned besides the degree or diploma programs. These are the online career schools where you need to register yourself for earning a degree.

Features of online career schools

There are some distinguished features of the online career schools which make them different from the traditional community schools and colleges. The features of online career schools are:

a) The accreditations of the online career schools depend on the close links that they maintain with the local business houses. In fact you can find that this link has its impact on the course curriculum of these schools. The traditional schools do not need to maintain such relationship with the business houses and therefore the curriculum followed by them are different from those followed by the online career schools.

b) The online career schools are not overseen by the state board of governors. The Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges is the institute with which they work and ensure that the standard of education imparted by them are at par with those offered by the traditional schools and colleges offering distance education programs.

Advantages of online career schools

No traditional institution would offer you so many advantages such as the online career schools. The advantages that you can enjoy in any online career school are the following:

i) Helping you determining your aptitude: Some of the sites offering you online degrees have a system of aptitude test. This aptitude test is to determine your professional strength and the ways in which you can utilize them properly. After you succeed in this aptitude test you can find out the courses that are suitable for you. ii) No need to be physically present in a class: Generally the online classes are held in the own website of the online career schools, though there might be some exceptions. You would find all the lectures and the course materials posted in the site and you can post your questions or suggestions regarding the course material in the bulletin board. iii) Help at hand: When you register in an online career school you would have an academic instructor to help you with your curriculum. You can also sought the help of the fellow classmates for studying iv) Cost effective: The cost of studying depends on the schools and the programs that you choose. The cost of a credit range somewhere between less than $100 to $300. You might have to pay additional registration and enrollment charges if necessary. Moreover you do not need to pay for the tuition charges. Combine with them the cost that you save on fuel, parking and food that you need to pay if you were studying in a traditional school or institute, and you would find that it is always better to go for an online career school.

If you want to have more information on the available online career schools visit the site http://www.topeducationguide.com

Top Education Guide is a comprehensive directory of colleges, universities, online career schools, trade schools, vocational training and online degree programs. You can quickly search through our database of online and campus college locations to find the right degree program best suited for advancing your professional goals. Start searching today, find a degree, and discover a rewarding new career.

Online Vocational Training Courses

When you search for the online vocational training courses you would find various choices in front of you. But before you choose any course it is better that you do a research to know which vocational training course would offer you a better job opportunity.

Some of the online vocational training courses that are worth mentioning are:

a) Animal Care Programs: This is an important online vocational training course which helps you to become a veterinary, animal groomer or veterinary technician. The specific programs that are offered by the online colleges are

i) Veterinary Assistant Program ii) Pet Groomer Program iii) Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor iv) Professional Animal Care Specialist Program

The online vocational schools that offer these courses are Ashworth University, Penn Foster Career School.

Job Prospects: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics among all the occupations, the prospects of this career option will be much higher by the year 2014. As pet owners also become affluent, there will be increasing prospect in the field of animal trainers.

b) Cosmetology: This vocational course which is available online will let you know a lot about the beauty industry and the various areas in which you can specialize include the following:

i) Beauty Therapist Diploma Course ii) Beauty Salon Management iii) Beauty Makeup Professional iv) Holistic Beauty Therapist Diploma v) Manicure and Pedicure vi) Teenage Beauty Makeover Specialist Diploma Course

Job Prospects: After the completion of any of these vocational courses you can get a job as a fashion consultant, teacher, make up specialist and many more

c) Gunsmith Courses: According to a survey the Americans own about 200 million guns and therefore no wonder that there is increasing employment for knowledgeable people in this field. The course offered is: i) Professional Gunsmithing Program The online vocational institutes imparting this course are Penn Foster Career School and Ashworth University.

Job Prospects: If you have an interest in firearms then you can turn your interest into your hobby and it can be taken either as part time or as a full time career option.

d) Tourism and Travel: Tourism and travel is another great vocational training option that you can have online. The courses that are offered include

i) Professional Travel Career Program ii) Travel Agent

If you want to do any of these courses then you can either register with Ashworth University or with Penn Foster Career School

Job Prospects: After finishing this course you can work as a travel agent, become a professional in offering vacation packages and can also start your own travel agency.

e) Wedding Planner: After completion of this online vocational course you can be a floral designer, bridal consultant or caterer. The courses that are offered are: i) Professional Bridal Consultant ii) The Bridal Consultant Program

These courses are offered by Penn Foster Career School and Ashworth University.

Job Prospects: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 10% of the US citizens consult a wedding planner before they go for marriage. The completion of the course makes you eligible for opening a wedding planner consultancy, work as wedding designer and floral designer.

These along with the other vocational courses offer good career opportunities for people who opt for online vocational training courses.

More information is offered in the site http://www.topeducationguide.com

Top Education Guide is a comprehensive directory of colleges, universities, career schools, trade schools, online vocational training and degree programs. You can quickly search through our database of online and campus college locations to find the right degree program best suited for advancing your professional goals. Start searching today, find a degree, and discover a rewarding new career.

Distance Learning College Degree - The Wise Way To Not Get Suckered Into A Useless Distance Learning College Degree

Technology and Internet speeds are closing the gap between distance learning and on-campus education. However there are times where a distance learning college degree program can be different enough to cause you some serious problems. Because of this you need to be aware of how your distance learning degree requirements differ from a standard degree, and you will want to know how your employer views the degree as well.

It would be in your best interest to investigate a company’s requirements and all the other parts of a distance learning college degree before you sign up for one. And also make sure that getting a distance learning college degree is going to accelerate your career or accomplish whatever other personal goals you are trying to accomplish. Just because these colleges use the Internet does not mean that distance learning degree is going to be cheap. It would be financially foolish to invest years of your time and thousands of dollars into a degree that you find out is not recognized.

The first step to take is to talk to your HR rep for your company. You will want to see if a degree from a distance learning college will help or hinder your chances for career advancement.

Some HR directors still think of distance learning as the old school correspondence courses and thus think them useless. So make sure to find out your companies stance on this issue before you enroll.

Check On The Requirements As Well

From the college side of the equation it is important to know the requisite courses to earn a degree from distance learning. Some schools have different degree requirements if you are pursuing a degree via distance learning versus an on-campus degree. So make sure to know the degree requirements before you jump in and make sure you are able to complete them on your schedule. The fact is that you are still pursuing a college degree and there are time requirements with any degree, so know exactly what kind of hours and which events demand a scheduled event.

When it comes to distance learning the details matter a lot and you need to be certain that the degree you will receive will serve your career.

Homeschooling - The Darker Side

It's not all hunky-dory and smooth sailing on the homeschooling front. Like all things in life, there is a downside that has to be seriously considered when you explore the homeschooling option. Though one man's bane may be another man's boon, there are certain common reasons for concern.

The responsibility of teaching your child rests solely on you. You cannot blame anyone else if your child is seen wanting in the skills that his peers excel in. If your child cannot do the things that are expected from other children of his age group, it reflects badly on you as an educator as well as a parent.

A critical part of homeschooling is the time that you have to spend with your children. You may have to give up your friends, shopping and other entertainment and dedicate all these to your child. This can become frustrating at times. You have to learn to take the aggravation with equanimity and wait for the rewards with patience and enthusiasm.

A parent who is dedicated to tutor his or her child single handedly does not realistically have much time left over for a career. This means that the family is robbed of an additional source of income. In turn, this may lead to stress over finances. You will have to train yourself to live on a strictly controlled budget. While this is a matter of habit, it does need some getting used to.

You cannot take a break when you feel like it. Feelings of guilt will assail you if you neglect studies just because you are feeling blue. You also fear that the child will take advantage of the situation. Even when you have given homework, you have to be around to give a helping hand. This means that anytime your child is around you, you are on duty! For some, this may mean working every waking hour. The child studying at home also needs to get out more. This comes from staying at home all the time. Interaction with adults and other children needs to be given special attention.

Children tutored at home cannot develop in the various directions that are open to children attending public schools. To achieve that kind of exposure, you either have to be a super-parent skilled in everything, or enroll your child to various activities. This may not only prove too costly, but also be counter-productive.

It is sometimes observed that homeschooled children do not do as well in SAT tests as their school-going counterparts. Without a diploma or a GED, some students find it difficult to get into the military.

Lastly, if you envision enrolling your child to a public school, there may be a certain period of emotional as well as social adjustment. A child who is used to being at home for the whole day and enjoying so much of uncontained freedom may have to undergo some distressing emotional upheavals before he or she gets used to the rigors of a regular school life.

Online Degree University: Take Classes On Your Schedule

Busy people today believe they have no time in their lives for college, but they are more wrong than ever before. A variety of options make it feasible for a person with a full-time job and family to continue his education, including an online degree university. A degree from an online university gives students flexibility and can help their dream of a degree come true.

Dreams shouldn't be derailed because of a busy life. A college degree is the first step to a variety of future options. People who have earned degrees are proven to make more money than those who have no degree. Wouldn't the extra income be a great benefit for your family and give you extra peace of mind? If you agree, it's time to investigate an online degree university.

Because an online degree university is located online, the best way to search about the topic is to search online. There are lots of different distance learning degree options that you can look into. You might choose to go into business or computers, which are two of the most popular degree options available to you when you go to school online.

You will find that there are also various programs that can help you further your career. Try looking into an online masters degree. You might even get that promotion that you have been looking for. Don't let a busy life stand between you and that raise. Get going to school online today!

You can easily locate an online degree university. Literally hundreds are available that offer a wide array of curricula. Before you start looking for a school, decide on exactly what you are looking for. This is your decision and this is your life, so don't let someone else even try to steer you in one direction or another.

Once you make the decision to attend classes online, you can immediately reap the benefits of non-traditional study. You do not have to carve out a portion of your busy day to attend traditional classes. Now you can go to class whenever you want -- even at night when the kids are in bed and the house is blissfully quiet. All you have to do is make the decision and get your education back on track!

10 Tips For Efficient Learning

Learning is a lifelong skill. From birth and throughout life, a person goes on a journey of acquiring knowledge. How this knowledge is gained varies from one individual to another because each one is created unique.

There are some people who make little or no effort to learn and yet they do well in school. Others spend endless hours over their books but do not excel at all. Genes may have something to do with this, but more than the hereditary factor, it is the attitude towards learning that increases one's ability to perform well. How one efficiently studies makes a capable learner. Here are a few tips to make the most out of learning:

1. Take care of your health

People, like machines, also need downtimes. Stress and fatigue due to studying for long periods of time render the brain less effective to absorb data. Hence, adequate rest should be taken. A healthy mind needs a healthy body - see to it that proper nutrition and regular exercise is always maintained.

2. Develop a passion for learning

One should have a thirst for knowledge in order for learning to take place. Attending classes every day, reading and studying for hours, and accomplishing assignments do not guarantee positive results if you do not have that craving or focus to learn. Self-esteem somehow triggers this passion. The higher your self-confidence is, the more challenged you will become to learn faster.

3. Find a study environment that is conducive

Elements in the environment play an important role in one's quest for learning. A specific study area with ample lighting, privacy, and complete supplies and reference materials are but some essentials for a smooth and stress-free study time. A set routine should also be imposed. Assign a specific time during the day for study. Don't just "fit it in" your schedule or else you'll have no time at all.

4. Set goals and targets

In order for each learning experience to be realistic, it is wise to set goals for yourself - goals that are measurable, achievable, time-bound, and flexible. Prepare weekly schedules, taking note of deadlines. For example, to get high grades, extra effort must be taken in studying and preparing for exams.

5. Take breaks in between study sessions

The brain needs to be recharged once in a while as this is when it absorbs all data obtained from studying. Overexertion causes it to repel information and makes studying futile. Do not go on a study marathon. Instead, study in short but frequent sessions and take breathers in between.

6. Engage in study groups

Two heads are better than one - so goes the cliché. Learning with a group is synergetic. You get to share your opinions, ideas, and views, and at the same time it is a venue for clarifying mind-boggling matters. It is also more interesting and challenging because you gain different perspectives or outlooks.

7. Understand concepts instead of memorizing details

Most of the time, students pass exams and quizzes with flying colors. But after a while, their knowledge of the subject matter would already slip their minds. This is mainly due to a wrong approach to learning - that of memorization. Memorization is only short-term "disguised learning". If one develops the habit of understanding concepts rather than focusing on details, the learning process will flow smoothly and will have a long-term impact.

8. Use shortcuts

Applying shortcuts to your study habits maximize your learning skills. You accomplish more when you abbreviate in note-taking, when you focus your notes around ideas instead of taking them down verbatim, and when you put everything straight into your computer. In this day and age, we need to pack a lot of information into a very limited timeframe.

9. Manage your time wisely

Learning is an ongoing skill. Hand in hand with your goal-setting is allotting and managing your time for things to be done - projects to work on, homework to finish, and term papers and theses to submit. Time properly managed is time well spent. Even your time for socializing should be taken into consideration. Remember - all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

10. Reward yourself

It is important to make the learning experience enjoyable whenever possible. Try out things that may spark that craving within you to learn - listening to music, perhaps, or engaging in a delightful snack - whatever may inspire you. Continuous hours of studying will not only make you weary but also make you lose interest.

The above tips show that devoting long hours to study does not necessarily yield productive results. Studying efficiently and effectively are the key factors to learning better.

This is an excerpt from Mark Patterson's award-winning book "Secrets of LazySmart Students" - every student's guide to getting better marks by working smarter instead of harder. Mark's book will give you incredible tips for time management, self-motivation, will teach you how to kick the procrastination habit and doing great in any exam or written assignment. For more detailed information on what you have rea, check out his book now at: https://paydotcom.com/r/9770/jerric/18436182/

Choosing A College

Most students begin choosing a university they want to attend the summer before their senior year in high school. It is really important to begin researching and applying to colleges early on so that you will have all the decisions made when it comes time to apply in the fall. It is important to apply early because if you wait too long there may not be any spots left. So, here are a few things you will want to consider when it comes to choosing a college.

Academics

The biggest reason for kids to go to college is to get an education. So, the first thing you should focus on when it comes to choosing a college is the academics. Remember, that some colleges are known for their science programs while others are known for engineering, medicine, law, and others. Determine more or less what you want to major in and then choose a college based on this. It is important to make a list of your top three majors so that you look for a school that is good at all of these. The reason why is most college kids change their majors several times and you never know when you begin where you will end up!

Extracurricular Activities

You want to have fun while you aren't studying, so it is important to find a college that has a great selection of extracurricular activities. This includes political clubs, intramural sports, and more. You want to have fun while at college and foster new ideas and friends. Extracurricular activities are a great way to do this. Plus, you can explore things you like in a safe setting. For example, you could join the Young Republicans or Young Democrats club. Join a sorority or fraternity, or play a sport! There should be a lot of options open to you so that you can make the best decisions for your college years.

Cost

Another thing you will want to look at when choosing a college is cost. Public institutions cost less than private ones, and generally a lot less. You could probably even cover your tuition at a public institution on your student credit card if you didn't have any other funds. But, that is never the case with private colleges. They cost $20,000 or more per year and when you add up four years of college, not to mention post graduate studies, you are looking at some major debt. So, if there is a public institution that rivals a private one, then consider the cheaper option. You will find your student credit card limit goes a lot further when your semester's tuition is only a couple thousand dollars.

Ranking

School ranking is also important. You want to go to the best school you can get into so you get the best education. That means you need to evaluate the schools you are interested in and see where they are ranked. Doing this will help you choose the best schools to apply to.

Affordable Online Degrees

Accredited online degree costs arms and legs
- that's the general notion of many people who think of acquiring the
much talked about online degrees. But the reality is a bit different.
It is definitely possible to get an affordable package of the same.
Browse the internet, and you will come across a bunch of online degree
programs that really costs you low.

A person with high ambitions of achieving a better career always have
the option of going for the online college degrees that come in an
attractive yet affordable package. This degree can help you make better
money, and possibly get that promotion that you have long sought after.
One great thing about working towards an on-line degree is that you can
work on it anytime you want. By focusing towards your degree, you could
complete it in as little as two years depending on how many courses you
need.

A recent survey revealed that very often a number of working adults
carry out extensive research work on an affordable college degree
online. Now the question is what actually motivates that kind of a
search? May be enhancement of knowledge related to a specific subject
or the hope of reaping some additional benefits of these online courses
or just to get that long sought promotion. Whatever may be the reasons
there are a number of benefits of these Affordable Online Degrees
listed as follows:

1. In case of working adults, the degree can be easily pursued without hampering their full time employment.
2. The affordable online degree makes you all the more competitive in the job market.
3. The degree acts as an additional resource that proves an individual's set of skills.

Over the internet, you'll come across a number of online universities and institutes offering you an affordable online college degree.
With study material being supplied to the students, these e-learning
centers motivate the participant's efforts by claiming, "The world is
your classroom."

These non-profit, private universities established by the Western
governors are focused to offer the U.S. citizens a "cost-effective,
high-quality education". In many cases there is the Federal financial
aid that is available for the prospective, eligible students.

Online University: Get The Degree You've Always Wanted

Many people would love to be able to get a
university diploma, but that doesn't always seem practical if you have
a full time job and a family to take care of. The daily routine is so
full that college has to be postponed indefinitely. For the majority of
those folks it means that they'll probably never get back into the
classroom again.

Now these people are lucky enough to have the possibility of attending an online university.
This gives them the flexibility they require in order to go back to
their schooling and obtain a diploma. They are not stuck with the rigid
schedules involved in classroom teaching. They have the alternative of
taking courses in their houses whenever it is convenient for them. The
term for this is distance learning.

I can list many advantages to obtaining an online degree.
For example, even though you do have to make the time in your schedule
to do the learning, you can do it whenever you want; the class isn't at
a set time. You can make the learning fit your time, at whatever hour.
So individuals can get a degree and not interrupt their lives to do it.

A large number of universities provide internet education nowadays.
Almost all advanced educational institutions provide some kind of
online curriculum which includes all or the majority of your subjects.
Even the smallest community colleges have internet teaching schedules.
You have the responsibility of discovering which courses they provide
that way and which ones must actually be taken in the classroom.

You can also choose a school that specializes in online university.
There are lots of these schools out there as well. You can find lots of
them by doing a quick search in any search engine. Type in the keywords
'online university' and you will be directed to hundreds of different
sites. These sites can show you how to contact a variety of different
online schools.

Generally the school agents willingly help you in finding the correct
degree and monitory support. These agents help you to overcome all the
hurdles you may face in deciding the future degree course. So for many,
it is very easy to join a school and get the degree which is a dream
come true.

MCSE Certification (Windows Server 2003)

Pass MCSE certification exam in first
attempt. Download latest exam simulation, questions, tutorial and study
guide for MCSE certification exam

About MCSE 2003 certification exam

Microsoft's MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) certification
on Windows Server 2003 is one of the most popular Microsoft
certifications today. The MCSE 2003 certification has been designed for
professionals who analyze the business requirements and design and
implement the infrastructure solutions for business based on the
Microsoft Windows OS clients and Windows 2003 Server operating systems.

Get MCSE certified

Getting MCSE certified is easy. Follow the instructions below and get
your MCSE certification effortlessly. We have designed these PrepKits
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contain everything you require to pass your MCSE certification
exam. All our PrepKits come with 100% money back guarantee. You can get
your money back, if you do not pass your exam in the first attempt.

Job Roles for MCSE Certified Professional

The job roles for those pursuing MCSE certification typically include:
systems engineers, technical support engineers, systems analysts,
network analysts, and technical consultants.

MCSE Certification Requirements

There are no prerequisites for the MCSE 2003 certification and you can
go for it, if you have experience of working in complex computing
environments of medium to large organizations. To become MCSE
certified, you have to pass six mandatory core exams and one elective
exam. The core exams are divided into four Networking Systems exams,
one Client Operating Systems exam and one Design exam.

If you would like to know more about the MCSE 2003 certification
please visit:MCSE 2003 certification exam page. Please also read the
MCSE 2003 certification review for more information on how to prepare
efficiently for your exams.

How Pass4exam helps you get MCSE certified

We provide quality MCSE training products to help you pass all the
required exams. Pass4exam preparation kits (PrepKits) comes with
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to' so that you can identify question patterns, key concepts and little
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weaknesses and opportunities for improvements. In other words, we
provide you everything you need to become MCSE certified.

MCSE certification benefits

Microsoft operating systems are the most widely used operating
systems today and the MCSE certification proves expertise on the
Microsoft products and technologies.

Professionals holding the MCSE certification are preferred by the employers and they also get preference in promotions.

MCSE certification is helpful for professionals who have entry-level
certification in related technologies to upgrade their credentials and
get recognition from the industry.

MCSE Certified professional can find appropriate job easily and get paid more.

And most importantly, on average, an MCSE certified person gets 20% more salary.

Becoming MCSE 2003 Certified, the uCertify way:

Getting MCSE 2003 certified is easy. We are here to help you to get
your MCSE certification effortlessly. You can choose from among the
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All our PrepKits come with 100% money back guarantee. You can get
your money back, if you do not pass your exam in the first attempt.

So, are you ready to take the MCSE
challenge? Choose the core, electives and upgrade exams, download the
Practice tests and tutorials, and follow the instructions; getting
certified will be easy.

MCSE 2000 to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

If you are already certified as an MCSE on Microsoft Windows 2000, you
have to take the two upgrade exams (70-292 and 70-296) to become MCSE
2003 certified.

MCSA to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

If you are already an MCSA certified on windos 2000 you can upgrade
your certification to MCSE 2003 certification by taking two Networking
Systems exams ((70-293 and (70-294)and an Upgrade exam (70-292).

MCSE NT to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

You can also upgrade to MCSE 2003 if you are certified as an MCSE on
Windows NT. You have to take the six core exams. An elective exam is
not required for the upgrade.

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Parents Play A Critical Role In Preparing Their Children For College

Parents Play A Critical Role In Preparing Their Children For College

by Bob Roth The 'College & Career Success' Coach

Too many High School parents think that their only role is to push their children to get good grades, so they will be accepted by a better college. However, in reality, parents of the most successful college students usually play a much broader role.

Yes, grades are important. However, many students with good grades are unprepared for the college experience. Therefore, parents who are interested in college success for their children must be aware of the other roles they should play.

The fact that many children may not understand their parents and many parents do not understand their children does not mean that it isn't important for them all to try.

Bob Roth

Parents can assist in the following ways:

1. Help Your Children Experience The World - Give your children opportunities to visit other cities, farms, museums (art, science, history), historic sites, national parks, oceans, beaches, deserts, mountains, caves, lakes and rivers, a forest, a zoo, a mine, the theater, concerts, ballet, athletic events, your workplace, a manufacturing plant, impressive buildings, government offices, national monuments, a college campus, libraries, lectures on a variety of topics, a train, a bus, a plane, a ship, other countries or places with other races, religions, cultures, languages and foods, areas with poverty and anything else you can think of that will broaden their perspective.

2. Teach And Demonstrate Desirable Behaviors - Help your children learn about right and wrong, fairness, honesty, respect, public behavior, etiquette, politeness, table manners, teamwork and cooperation. Since children learn by example, parental behavior is critical.

3. Help Children Develop Strong Communication Skills - Provide your children with many opportunities to build their reading, writing, speaking and presentation skills. In college, any student with poor spelling, grammar, punctuation and a limited vocabulary will be at a serious disadvantage. Additionally, when young people mispronounce words and substitute slang, they will not impress professors and employers. Effective communi- cation skills must be developed and practiced from the very beginning of childhood.

4. Teach Children To Accept Responsibility - Students who do not accept responsibility for their words, actions, behavior and performance are not ready for college. It is the parent’s role to teach their children to become responsible citizens who are willing to be held accountable for their attitude, effort and results.

5. Reinforce Behavior That Builds A Strong Work Ethic - Good or bad, whatever your child achieves in college will be both earned and deserved. In college, students are not entitled to anything except the opportunity to learn and grow. It is extremely important for students to understand that they must compete for the things they desire (Good Grades, Scholarships, Good Jobs, Promotions, Opportunities, etc.). Students who are unprepared to devote the time and effort needed to succeed will fail. Therefore, from an early age, parents should work hard to instill a strong work ethic in each of their children.

6. Help Children Develop Independence & Maturity - College students are expected to function well on their own. They will need to gather information, analyze it and then make their own good decisions about a wide variety of behaviors and issues. Mature students don't run to a parent or counselor for every little thing that happens. Decision making skills and independence are a critical requirements for growing up. Therefore, parents should help their children mature by gradually allowing more independence, as students demonstrate good judgment and decision making skills.

7. Encourage Children To Get Involved - School activities, part-time and summer jobs and community involvement will give students a more realistic view of the competitive world. Participation gives students the opportunity to learn about themselves and about others. It gives them a chance to develop and stretch their skills, knowledge and interests. When students get involved, they find out what they like, what they are good at and what turns them on. Without these experiences, many students will have a difficult time selecting a direction in college.

8. Help Your Children Build A List Successes - A history of success will help students believe in themselves and gain self-confidence. Since students can be successful in hundreds of ways (grades, sports, clubs, music, acting, dance, hobbies, interests, work assignments, community activities etc.) nobody should be left out. Even the smallest success can be a positive influence on students who are trying to find their way. Since every student will encounter problems and disappointments in college, it is important for them to have the self-confidence to pick themselves up and overcome those obstacles. A list of past successes will remind them that they can succeed.

9. Support Your Children As They Discover Their Strengths - Every student has strengths and weaknesses. However, successful students usually capitalize on the things they like, are good at, believe in, care about, or want to change and are passionate about. Parents play three critical roles here:

a) They should ensure that their children are exposed to as many opportunities and experiences as possible. That will broaden their perspective.

b) Parents can then help their children evaluate those opportunities and experiences to determine which ones truly hold interest and get the student excited.

c) Recognize and accept the fact that their children may want to go in their own direction. Whenever the student is moving toward something positive, parents should be supportive and encourage their children pursue their dreams.

For some students, taking the time to discover their gifts is an inconvenience that they are unwilling to endure. And sadly, those packages will remain unopened.

Bob Roth

10. Help Your Teenager Grow Up - Provide your young adult children with opportunities to make some daily decisions. Then, watch them closely and hold them accountable for the results and consequences of those decisions. When they are ready, let them manage their own time, money, cell phone minutes, clothing purchases and other similar decisions.

Recognize that your children will make a few mistakes and often won't do things the way you would do them. However, as you find that you can trust them, let them make more decisions. Generally, young people should endure the consequences of their decisions and learn from them.

You will hamper the learning process when you always rush to their rescue, overprotect them and defend your children when they are obviously wrong. Inappropriate words, behavior and decisions have consequences. Children must learn that lesson.

11. Show Your Children That Life Is Not Only About Taking - Help your teenage children understand that they have an obligation to make positive contributions everywhere: With Family, Friends, School, Job, Community, Teams, Clubs and Organizations etc. Parents who lead by example, in an effort to teach their children to be willing to make sacrifices for the good of others, are more likely to develop good, caring and giving children.

12. Through Your Words and Actions, Let Your Children Know That You Love and Support Them - When your children know that you are on their side and want only the best for them, they are more likely to pay attention to your advice. Your love, support and encouragement will go a long way toward influencing their thinking and behavior.

Parents who set a good example and involve their children at an early age will usually have the most impact with these principles of college success. However, it's never too late to start. When you take a genuine interest in your children, in their interests and in their development, you will be rewarded with mature, self-confident children who know where they want to go, children who are ready to achieve success in college.

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 Students Guide To Landing A Great Job. For other resources visit: www.LifesLadder.com.

author:

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. Bob writes articles for more than 175 College Career Services Offices and Campus Newspapers. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Bob also serves as an Adjunct at Marist College

Education Lead Generation: Attracting Students in the 21st Century

In this day and age an ever increasing number of people are interested in more alternative educational options as opposed to some of the more traditonal college and university choices and options. For example, distance learning and Internet education opportunities have become very popular amongst people today. Therefore, because there are so many different options available to people interested in furthering their education, education generation - effective education lead generation - has become all the more important today.

In the end when it comes to education lead generation, it is crucial that you consider both a comprehensive and widespread approach to the process. You need to understand that people interested in advancing their education are coming from all walks of life. Therefore, the necessity of taking a widespread and comprehensive approach to the process of education lead generation truly is crucial.

Beyond taking a comprehensive and widespread approach to education lead generation you need to understand the importance of identifying specific market niches after you collect initial consumer date through a more broad approach to education lead generation. In this day and age the most successful marketing campaigns across the board are those that take a targeted or niche approach. By incorporating a targeted or niche marketing approach into your overall efforts at education lead generation you will find that you will be able to attract a heretofore unheard of number of potential students to your school or program.

In the end, the comprehensive initial approach at education lead generation coupled with the utilization of niche or targeted marketing techniques is not unlike the joing workings of two lungs in a person's body. Certainly, in theory a person can live with one lung. However, as a rule, a person lives far better with two. In the same vein, combining a broader approach to lead generation with niche marketing practices, you will be in a position to best orient your educational program or school in the competitive and complex marketplace of the 21st century.

Finally, when it comes to education lead generation you may want to consider engaging the services of a professional consultant. In this day and age there are experts in the field of lead generation that can be very helpful to your business enterprise. These individuals can assist you in crafting and creating (as well as implementing) an education lead generation program that will make the most sense in your set of circumstances.

Driver Education Software for the New Generation

The United States and Canada are experiencing an increased young driver
population after years of a decreased population due to the baby boom
echo. Simultaneously, enrollment in Driver's Education courses has
declined. With our technological advancements as a society, we should
be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training system for
our young drivers.

Studies show that for effective and lasting crash prevention techniques
to be taught both skill and motivational aspects must be addressed
effectively. Therefore, educational training and behavioral change
intervention is needed to produce a decrease in the amount of traffic
crashes in young drivers. New drivers need to learn to handle a vehicle
as well as interact with other road users. It takes several years for a
driver to reach mature risk levels as the only way to reach this level
is by gaining experience.

The linking of parents and community influences as well as personal
involvement and incentives would likely have positive results. These
results would likely be produced within each individual community
through its own efforts. Interactive media could be used to enhance
perceptual and decision skills. Studies show that video games can
increase attentional capacity. Therefore, the integration of
interactive gaming type activities could help improve these skills.
Integrating this curriculum to areas of personal and social values,
risk taking, self esteem, peer pressure, health protection etc. could
foster an ingrained understanding of the subject matter. Pairing a deep
understanding of the responsibility to other drivers with the skill
needed to operate a vehicle safely is an optimal situation.

Driver's Education definitely needs to be updated. It will benefit us
as a society to have skilled, confident and prepared drivers on the
road. Small advancements have been made. Many states are allowing a
student to take an approved CD ROM based or online course. There is
also a downloadable Drivers Ed PC Game. Prospective drivers can
practice driving online and complete practice tests with this
interactive game. However, the posted reviews of this game indicate
that partakers found this game non-engaging and boring. This may not be
a representative sample as people who enjoy the game may be too busy
playing to fill out the review!

Offering an option of time in a driving simulator would be a great
motivator to get new drivers to attend Driver's Ed. Interactive computer software games
that propose different situations and scores according to the drivers
handling of the situation is a less expensive suggestion. Take into
consideration the video gaming phenomenon and then show me a teenager
that refuses to practice his video game! Video gaming can accomplish
both the educational training and the behavioral change intervention.

Post baby boom echo has found an increased young driver population for
the United States and Canada. This increase in new drivers is
accompanied by a decline in enrollment in Driver's Education courses.
We should be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training
system for our young drivers. Driving simulators and driving video
games are two promising avenues for revamping Driver's Education!

How do you get into TEFL?

TEFL?


TEFL - what does it mean? TEFL simply means Teaching English
as a Foreign Language. This acronym describes everything to do with
teaching English as a foreign language - the industry, the courses and
qualifications and the profession.


Different types of people approach TEFL at different points
in their lives. Some are on gap years, others on career breaks, others
as a permanent career and yet others who see it as means to earn money
and travel the world.



A lot of the people who start out doing TEFL on gap years or career breaks end up doing it permanently.



The next question must be 'How do I become a TEFL teacher?'



How do I become a TEFL teacher?


The days of just turning up in a foreign country and landing a
TEFL job on the strength of being able to speak English are slowly
becoming a thing of the past. As the market has matured, the need for
qualifications has become essential.


Before you consider taking a TEFL course you might want to
think about where you are going to teach. Different countries have
different rules regarding minimum qualifications of teachers. Some
countries accept just a TEFL qualification while other countries will
only accept a TEFL qualification with a degree. Qualifications may
differ depending on the type of school you are going to work in, an
International school may require a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in
Education).



Choosing a TEFL course


There are hundreds of different courses to choose from,
ranging from 4 week full-time courses to short weekend courses to
online courses. The choice is overwhelming!


Do some research before choosing your TEFL course. If you
know where you are going to teach, check what qualifications are needed
and accepted in the country (or countries) you are going to.


Let's have a look at some of the different types of courses on offer.



4 week full-time courses


The most well-known courses available fall into this category:
the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and the
Trinity CertTESOL (Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages). These courses are generally offered full-time over
a four week period (there are also options to take these courses
part-time, for example at weekends, over a longer time period).


If you take one of the above mentioned courses, you fill find
that they are recognised worldwide and nearly all language schools
would employ you on the strength of one of these qualifications.


There are other four week courses available with a similar
structure and syllabus. As long as these courses are 120 hours long and
contain six hours of teaching practice, then they will probably secure
you work in most language schools.



A typical day on a training courses of this nature would look something like this:



Morning session 1 - input (language analysis), break,



Morning session 2 - input (phonology), lunch, afternoon session 1 - teaching practice, break, afternoon session 2 - feedback.



The rest of the day would be spent lesson planning or completing written assignments.



Four week courses are intensive (hard work) but, if you are willing to put in the effort, worth it.



Short courses



If for any reason you can't take a four week course, then a shorter course might be the option for you.


People choose the shorter courses for a number of reasons but
primarily because of the shorter duration (usually a weekend, 2 or 3
days long or a week) and the cheaper cost. Although in the short term
the savings on time and money might seem like a good idea, if you are
going to teach for any length of time you will eventually have to take
one of the longer courses.


Shorter courses are a great introduction to TEFL and some
even give you some form of teaching practice. Generally, you can't fail
these courses but will receive a certificate of completion which can be
used in making job applications.



If you are planning to use TEFL as a means to keep travelling, then a shorter course might be the one for you.



Online courses


A third option would be an online TEFL course. These courses
can give you an introduction to TEFL. Online TEFL courses are generally
the cheapest way of getting a TEFL qualification and usually you can
complete them without giving up your current job.


The downside is that online courses don't offer any real
classroom experience (no teaching practice and no observation of other
teachers). Online courses might not be recognised in the country or
countries you are going to teach in.


Online courses can offer modules on areas like teaching
English to young learners and teaching business English. If you plan to
specialize in any of these areas, then an online course might be a good
starting point.



Starting points



Search for information on TEFL courses:



www.cambridge-efl.org


www.trinitycollege.co.uk


www.cactusefl.com

Guide to the Perfect Behavioral Interview Reponses (STAR Format)

So you're a college student who has landed
your first interview for a college internship or full time job. Now if
you've given it much thought, you've probably asked yourself "Self,
What exactly are those recruiters looking for as an ideal answer to
their questions?"

The first thing you should have probably asked is "Self, What are they
going to ask me in that interview?" For that, please refer to my
article Questions recruiters are likely to ask in an interview. After
you've read through that, read on in this article!

Now that you know recruiters are very likely to ask you behavioral
questions, the next thing to do is to figure out what they are looking
for in an ideal response. And the wonderful thing is that there is a
systematic response you can give to every single question they can
throw at you! You just have to know how to formulate it. That's where I
come in.

In my very first interview freshman year (with General Electric), I
thought I was providing great answers, had some great experiences to
share, etc. I look at it now, and it's no surprise I didn't hear back
from them. I even wonder how fast it took the recruiter to throw away
my resume.

Here's an example of mine of what not to do... The interviewer asked me
"Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership." To which I
responded fairly plainly "Well...I was Senior Patrol Leader in Boy
Scouts for several years, that's probably my best example of
leadership."

The interviewer was nice and tried to help me through the rest of the
interview, but honestly, it was a train-wreck. I hope you can see why.
Now I know you won't ever do anything quite that bad, and I wrote this
article to make sure of it.

Recruiters who use behavioral questions are looking for responses in what's called the STAR format. That breaks down into:

Situation
Task
Actions Taken
Results

As long as you answer behavioral questions in that format, you cannot
go wrong! And the cool part about it is that it flows in a logical
order that keeps you on track. By practicing this format, you are
guaranteed to answer questions fully and concisely.

So let's get down to the details of the Situation component. The
Situation is basically setting the stage for your response with the
relevant background information. This includes where and when you were
working (company, how old/what year in school), and maybe a bit of info
on the problem you faced.

The Task blends slightly with the Situation, and is just as simple.
This is something along the lines of "I was assigned to do x." Plain
and simple, it may be the most straight forward part of your response.
Keep in mind that it also sets up the measuring stick for your results,
so be sure that it is actually what you were assigned to do!

The Actions portion of your response should be where the meat of your
answer is. You need to take this opportunity to say "I performed xyz
analysis and used abc tools to do so." or "I led the group by doing
abc." You also need to consider how technically savvy your interviewer
is. If she/he is an engineer, then you can feel free to go into a few
(but not too many!) details about what you did. If you get an HR person
doing the interview, don't even try to go into details, it probably
won't help!

The Results should also be very easy, but is without question the most
important part of your response. As interviewers and companies are
looking for candidates who have been extremely effective in their past
jobs and experiences, this is where they look to determine if you are
someone they want to hire. Use this opportunity to highlight your
results, and their impact on the company: awards, cost savings, sales
made, production improvement, etc. Don't short change yourself on this
section, its critical that you highlight every positive impact that you
made!

I also must warn you not to exaggerate or lie about your
accomplishments! This doesn't ever help anyone in the process,
especially if a company does their homework by calling your provided
references to ask about you!

Finally, your response should take approximately 3-5 minutes total. Any
longer, and you've lost the attention of your interviewer. Any shorter,
and you probably haven't gotten your message across either.

A good interviewer will also probe you with questions like "Tell me
more about that" or will guide you along with "So what was the result
of that?" All I can say is don't rely on them to help you along. Ace it
the first time through!

Here is an example of one of my responses all put together. See if you
can pick out each section. I used this response typically for a
question along the lines of "Tell me about a time you faced a difficult
technical challenge."

"While working at NASA, Kennedy Space Center, I was in an organization
that was doing preliminary design work for the Launch Pad systems of
new rockets we are using to go to the Moon and Mars. We received Flight
Vehicle Commodity Loading requirements from Johnson Space Center and
Marshall Space Center, and then designed the Launch Pad accordingly."

"My boss had originally given an assignment to a Contractor and was not
happy with their progress. I was assigned to take over the project,
lead the contractor, and come up with multiple conceptual solutions for
providing a specified amount of liquid helium to the vehicle on the
launch pad and cost estimates for each method within 2 weeks."

"To do this, I learned as much as I could about liquid helium,
utilizing in-house resources such as reference books, other people in
the department knowledgeable on the subject, etc. I considered multiple
options: starting with atmospheric liquid helium, or with pressurized
gaseous ambient helium, the use of expansion valves, compressors, heat
exchangers, etc. I learned about heat exchanger design, heat exchanger
fluids, efficiency/effectiveness, etc. I worked with heat exchanger
companies to get details, and had the contractor do detail work here."

"I also knew very little about cost estimating, so I worked with the
contractor (who had experience here) to learn broad strokes and details
here. I also worked back and forth with the contractor to ensure that
technical details were correct."

"In the end, I wrote a technical report to summarize all data,
assumptions, and everything so that it could be easily reviewed by
peers, and easily applied in the future after I had left for school.
The concept study and cost estimate were turned in on time to my boss,
who was pleased. In the end, we created a detailed 35 page study
report, which was sent to people at Marshall Space Flight Center and
Johnson Space Center who gave it their thumbs up. The format I used for
the report was standardized as "Boilerplate" for the organization
reports, and I was awarded a NASA On The Spot Award."

This response fit neatly into about 3-4 minutes, and covers all of the
components of the STAR format. Interviewers loved it (and told me that
they did) because it flowed so well and I had demonstrated fantastic
results. I encourage you to write out your examples too, as this can
make them clearer and simpler. Good Luck!

6 Reasons Why Purchasing Degrees Online is Smart

Online degrees are becoming more and more
popular but what is it that attracts people to them. Purchasing degrees
online are becoming as or
more powerful than on-campus degrees. Everything they do, from having
career-oriented majors and a hands-on approach to learning, to their
faculty and accelerated schedules, is focused solely on your career
success.

Here is a statistic that may surprise you, More than 90% of
online graduates hold positions in their chosen field within the first
6 months of
graduation. This statistic gives you a great idea in that you earn more
than a degree from online schools. They all give you career education
that leads you straight into the professional world.

Here are six reasons why purchasing online degrees is smart.

Classes are small; hands on. You get individual attention that you want and you learn critical skills needed to
succeed. Also, by having a hands-on approach to the material you gain the experience you’ll need.

Accelerated schedule: 4 years in 3. Onsite/online
flexibility. Even though you would be taking online courses you
also have the options with many schools to take onsite courses as well.
This offers flexibility, in case you need a more face to face approach
in
learning. Plus with year-round school you are able to graduate much
quicker than a traditional school.

Real-world faculty: real-world curriculum. Online schooling provide you with knowledge from successful professionals
that take industry needs and mix them into your studies.

Education that's affordable. This is my favorite,
since you won’t be going to an onsite class room, credits are much
cheaper and many times books and software are downloadable so you
don’t have to go and spend money there. Also, many schools help you
apply for
funds which make school much more affordable.

Employment results: 90%. Online degrees are recognized by leading employers which will set up interviews with you to
put your degree to work.

Reputable accreditation/degrees employers value. Not only are online schools offering bachelors and graduate degrees
but you can also find schools that have: associates, post-graduate, certificate, career, and high school diplomas and degrees.

Here is a site that you can easily find any degree or diploma
you are looking for. They also help you find the perfect school for you
and help
in applying.

Online Degree Directory

I hope this information helps you in your decision and my Best Wishes to You.

Ohio Supreme Court ruling eliminates jury discretion

Whether you're a CEO of a company or a guy who sweeps floors for a
living, the Ohio Supreme Court has put its stamp of approval on a law
that could have devastating consequences for you if you're seriously
injured in an accident.

In a major opinion issued last month, the court showed contempt for its
past decisions, disrespect for the Ohio Constitution, and disdain for
the men and women who serve on juries.

The court, in a case called Arbino vs. Johnson & Johnson, said for
the first time in Ohio history that it's constitutional to disregard
the findings of a jury if the jury decides to award more than $250,000
to someone injured in an accident to compensate for the person's pain -
even if that pain may last a lifetime.

The court reached this landmark decision despite clear precedent that
such a law is unconstitutional. Essentially what the court says this
time around is that the Ohio General Assembly really, really, really,
really wants to limit damages for insurance companies, so who are we to
stand in their way?

Look at what the Ohio Constitution says, then you decide whether what
the court has done makes any sense. The relevant part of Article I,
Section 5 states, "The right of trial by jury shall be inviolate ..."

In Ohio, the constitutional right to trial by jury has always been
interpreted to mean that judges and the government won't be able to
invade the jury's fact-finding function.

That's why jurors are there, right? To hear the facts of each
individual case and decide what they think is fair. Now, though, jurors
can spend days or weeks hearing the facts of a case, reach a difficult
decision that the injured person should be awarded a sum to compensate
for the pain an accident has caused, only to have that decision gutted
by a judge if the sum exceeds $250,000.

How does the right to a trial by jury remain inviolate if a law
requires judges to violate the decisions a jury reaches? We should
probably now read the constitution to say: The right to a jury shall be
inviolate, provided it doesn't cost an insurance company too much money.

The right to have a jury determine the facts of a case has been the
backbone of our legal system for hundreds of years. It serves as a
check against a judge who might be corrupt or for some reason
influenced by one side or the other. It's a concept as old as our
country and traces its roots to the Magna Carta. As the court's
majority notes, Thomas Jefferson viewed jury trials as "the only
anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to
the principles of its constitution."

If the court really believes those words, shouldn't there be a much
more compelling reason to upend the jury system than the desire to save
insurance companies money? In the interest of full disclosure, I am a
personal injury attorney and I work hard to help people who have been
injured in accidents get a fair shake from insurance companies. And,
yes, this decision has the potential to hurt my wallet in certain
cases. The real impact on my practice likely will be minimal because
most people aren't hurt so seriously that the cap will apply.
Regardless of my personal stake, this is simply a matter of right and
wrong, and I don't think people realize the impact of what's actually
taken place.

Everyone has heard about the infamous McDonald's scalding hot coffee
case. It's a complete oddity, but insurance company lobbyists always
trot it out as if it's the norm. The caps enacted in Ohio are far more
likely to affect the average man or woman unfortunate enough to get
into an auto accident.

Here's the nightmare situation that could happen to you or a family
member. You're driving to work when a guy driving a delivery truck
takes his mind off the road while talking on a cell phone and plows
into your car. Your head hits the window, your ankle is crushed when
your car's frame crumples, and your body is snapped back and forth like
a rag doll, and your life has been altered forever.

The head trauma leaves you plagued by headaches. Your ankle injury
means that every step causes pain to shoot through your leg. Your back
hurts so much that getting a real night's sleep is impossible. You
can't play ball with your kids anymore or even mow the yard. And the
pain doesn't go away after a week, or a month, or even a year. In fact,
by the time you get to trial years have gone by and the docs are
telling you you'll never run again and your pain will always be with
you.

A jury hears your case and awards you the cost of your medical bills
that may have to be repaid, and lost wages, and decides - after hearing
your testimony, your doctor's testimony, your spouse's testimony, the
defense doctor's testimony, and the defense attorney's arguments - that
your lifelong pain is worth $500,000. Or $1 million. Or $2 million.
Whatever it is, it's not enough to compensate you for what this
accident has done to your life and no one - no one - in that courtroom
would change positions with you for any amount of money.

That's the point where the judge steps in and reduces the jury's pain
and suffering award to $250,000 because that's what the law requires.
The jurors heard the facts and struggled to come to a fair decision,
only to have their legs cut out from them by a General Assembly that
knew nothing about the facts of your case or the impact the accident
has had on your life.

And our Supreme Court just blessed this system.

It blessed a system where a jury can hear the specifics of an
individual case only to have the decision wiped out by an arbitrary cap
the state Legislature's Republican majority came up with to satisfy
their chamber of commerce and insurance company campaign contributors.

The court justifies its decision on the thinnest of rationales. See if
you can follow its logic: When judges reduce jury awards for pain and
suffering, they aren't interfering with a jury's fact-finding function,
they're simply applying the law.

What?

Spin that around your head for a while. It never gets any clearer. So,
the jurors can do their cute little dance, and we'll pretend to care
about what they have to say. But the second they award any money to
someone that could actually make an insurance company pay fair
compensation, well something simply must be done. Apparently, the right
to trial by jury is inviolate, but only up to a point.

And there is nothing in the Supreme Court's opinion that would stop the
legislature from capping pain and suffering damages at $1 or $5. The
amount of the cap isn't the point. Caps are wrong at $1 million and
wrong at $1. Jurors are in the best position to determine what someone
deserves for the pain caused by an accident.

The caps can be lifted in extreme cases such as when someone loses a
limb or can no longer independently care for himself and perform
life-sustaining activities. But the caps apply to more common cases
like I described above, even if the person will experience a lifetime
of pain.

To their credit, Justices Terrence O'Donnell and Paul Pfeifer dissented from this badly reasoned and disheartening opinion.

I understand that the General Assembly desperately wanted to do the
bidding of the business interests that have pumped millions of dollars
into GOP campaign coffers. (Incidentally, those same interests also
have contributed millions to Republican candidates on the
all-Republican Supreme Court.)

Legislators, whether Republicans or Democrats, can get into all sorts of mischief when big money is thrown their way.

That's why we have a right to expect that the Ohio Supreme Court will
do more than justify its decisions by paying fawning deference to the
legislature.

We have a right to expect someone in Columbus to stand up for the
people of this state. And most importantly, we have a right to expect
the court to apply Ohio's Constitution and legal precedent, especially
when we're talking about something as cherished and revered as the jury
system.