Principalship: Leading Change in Schools

Thinking Schools ensure that we equip students with skills and knowledge and values and instincts to face future challenges, while Learning Nation aims to promote a culture of continual learning beyond the school environment. (MOE, 1998,p.16)

In order to realize the vision, the MOE has introduced changes to the curriculum, the training of teachers, assessment modes and the development of resource packages. Furthermore, all schools will have students spending at least 30% of their curriculum time accessing electronic resources and working on computers. (MOE, 1998,p.17) The changes in the curriculum include the infusion of thinking skills and the reduction in the contents of the curriculum. Schools are strongly encouraged to set up their own thinking programs and teachers are to enroll in courses to learn how to infuse thinking skills in their teaching.

With the restructuring taking place to realize the vision, most teachers fear that the changes will burden them by increasing their already-heavy workload and tight time schedule due to increased training hours. The principal, being the main disseminator of the MOE’s mission of TSLN in the school, has the unenviable task to articulate this vision to overcome the resistance to the changes especially from the school’s teachers.

The main objective of the paper is to explore the perceptions of teachers as to the effectiveness of principals in leading a change programs (in this case, a Thinking Programs). Since teachers are directly responsible for the learning outcomes of the students, their perceptions of their principals’ effectiveness and concomitant actions are vital to the success of the vision of TSLN. As part of the paper, a case study of a primary school, which has embarked on a Thinking Programs, has been carried out.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In the hope of improving the existing system, schools face many problems when introducing well-meaning changes. Restructuring would, inevitably, involve people within the organisation to absorb new ideas and ideals that usually result in many uncertainties (Heckman, 1990). A school’s principal, thus, has the uphill task to manage the level of resistance to change and align the staff to work towards a common vision, amidst the turbulence.

To reiterate, the author is focussing on teachers’ perceptions of their principal in leading change, more specifically, the process of creating a Thinking Programme for the school. The importance of teachers’ perception of their leaders in the success of a school has been documented in various researches. Researchers (such as Bhella, 1992) suggested that teachers’ morale is related to student achievement. And, in turn, the principal has the strongest influence on teachers’ satisfaction in the workplace. (Vanderstoepe et al, 1994) From that perspective, the teachers’ satisfaction and perceptions of the principal in leading the change process would directly have an impact on the success rate of the new programme of boosting students’ achievement.

What You Should Know About Scholarships

When it's time to go to college, the word "scholarship" is confusing for both students and parents. We automatically think about student loans, FAFSA, tuition and fees, EFC, grants, and work study. But what we don't realize is that knowing more about the scholarship process could save us thousands of dollars when trying to cover the cost of our kids' education.

Scholarships are "free money" given away by the government, private institutions and organizations, charitable foundations, schools, universities, clubs, etc. Unlike loans, scholarships are not repaid to the scholarship provider.

Some of the scholarships available are:

• Athletic Scholarships
• National Merit Scholarships
• Academic Merit Scholarships
• Professional, Career, and Trade Association-Sponsored Scholarships
• FAFSA
• Work Study
• Ethnic and Religious Scholarships
• Community Organization Sponsored Scholarships
• Special Scholarships
• Alumni Legacy Scholarships
• Transfer Student Scholarships

With so many scholarships, how do you know which one to apply to or where can you go for an application?

Some scholarships are based on your kid's grades or financial needs, while others are awarded based on ethnic groups, athletic or artistic abilities, or given to students interested in a particular field.

In some instances, your kids don't have to have perfect grades to apply for a scholarship, and some don't even ask for any proof of income.

For example, the Work-Study Scholarship will require your kid to work part-time for the money given and most jobs are on campus.

Finding information on scholarships on the Internet can be difficult because you won't find everything you need to know to finance your child's education.

A year ago, when my daughter was going to college, I searched the Internet and the only thing I found simple enough to do was fill out a FAFSA application. Since I didn't have time to search the Internet at the moment, and because other information I found was so confusing, I decided just to fill out the application and did nothing else.

I promised myself that for the next year, I would search in advance because even though my daughter got some financial aid, I was convinced that there had to be other resources out there for her education.

That's when I came accross a guide written by a father that went through the process of getting a scholarship for his child, who spent time talking to financial aid officers at many universities and discovered that just filling out the CSS Profile and FAFSA financial aid forms and meeting some deadlines is only half the battle in acquiring Federal Pell grants, college need-based grants, and Federal Stafford and Perkins loans.

I learned how college financial aid offices actually determine what federal aid and state grants will be given out to potential students and if you know in advance how to prepare yourself to receive the maximum amount for your child's college education, you will obtain better results.

Once you know where to find the information and when and how to apply for a scholarship, it will be easy to obtain financial aid for your kids.

Quality Schools

After presenting these ideas at the NAREN (National At-Risk Education Network) in Wisconsin last week, I was asked to write an article that would be able to reach more people to spread the exciting word about Dr. William Glasser’s work in the area of Quality Schools.

There are many characteristics that are required in order for a school to be listed as a Quality School. There are currently 13 such schools in the country, with many more on their journey to become Quality Schools.

In a Quality School, relationships are based upon trust and respect, and all discipline problems, not incidents, have been eliminated. Total Learning Competency is stressed and an evaluation that is below competence or what is now a "B" has been eliminated. All schooling as defined by Dr. William Glasser has been replaced by useful education. All students do some Quality Work each year that is significantly beyond competence. All such work receives an "A" grade or higher, such as an "A+".

Students and staff are taught to use Choice Theory in their lives and in their work in school. Parents are encouraged to participate in study groups to become familiar with the ideas of Dr. William Glasser. Students do better on state proficiency tests and college entrance examinations. The importance of these tests is emphasized in the school. Staff, students, parents and administrators view the school as a joyful place.

All of the above criterion must be in place to be listed as a Quality School. When a school is a Quality School, the dictates of “No Child Left Behind” take care of themselves. Now, of course there will be a few children who have totally rejected school that are unreachable but for the majority, they will learn and do quality work.

The way to achieve this is to implement the three conditions of quality. First, the school and each classroom must create an environment that will meet the needs of the students, and consequently of teachers. All humans are born with five basic human needs. We have the need for survival, connection/love, power, freedom and fun/learning. This is true of students and teachers.

In order to help students meet their need for survival, the school and classroom must be safe. They must feel that they won’t be hurt physically or emotionally. When students feel safe, there is no need to threaten teachers or other students.

In order for students to satisfy their need for connection/love, they must have a relationship with the teacher and the other students. They must believe that the teacher has their best interest at heart. The more you give love and connection away, the more they come back to you.

In order to satisfy a student’s need for power, teachers must listen to and respect their students’ ideas and issues. This does not mean that teachers must agree with their students but they must at least let the students know that they are important. When students feel listened to and respected, they don’t disrespect their teachers and they tend to listen more.

For students to have freedom, they must have choices. They must not be bogged down in rules and regulations. When students have choices, they won’t have the need to create destructive choices of their own.

In school, learning should be fun. Learning is always fun when the learning is useful and the students want to learn what is being taught. Imagine students having fun learning! Isn’t that the dream of teachers everywhere? When your students are having fun, you do too.

I know this sounds like an impossible task but there are many schools doing just that with training in Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Creating a need-satisfying environment is what actually eliminates discipline problems. If someone has a legitimate, appropriate way to get his/her needs met, then there is no reason to create discipline problems.

Switching courses over to a competency-based approach is critical to the Quality School concept. Students are not permitted to get credit for less than B work and they have opportunities to improve their work until it meets the minimum standard for a B. Concepts are taught in such a way that reduces the need for memorizing facts that can be found in any encyclopedia or text.

This and more speaks to the second condition of quality that students will only be asked to do useful work. It is the teacher’s job to convince students that what they are being asked to do is useful in the real world. If you are successful in that endeavor, you will have willing students. Wouldn’t that make your job more enjoyable for you?

The final condition of quality is self-evaluation. Students are asked to grade their own work. There are two essential items that must be met in order to get accurate self-evaluations from students. First, they must have no fear that the teacher or anyone else will hurt them with an honest self-evaluation. Second, there must be a clear rubric in place that will give students a model against which to compare their own work.

Self-evaluation does not replace the need of the teacher or teacher’s aide (another student already judged to be competent in that particular area) from corroborating the student’s self-evaluation. Students are not punished for less than competent work. Rather they are shown where their work is lacking and given the opportunity to fix it. This, again, is a skill that is seen everyday in the real world. Rarely do people actually loss their jobs for substandard work. They are told what is wrong and asked to fix it.

Exam Guides One: 5 Great Tips To Improve Your Strategy

In order to do well on a exam, you must first have a good knowledge of the information that is being examined. But, aside that, you must have a good strategy for taking the exam. This allows you to show what you know. This exam guide gives you some tips that will help you make a good strategy:

Directions

Test direction are very important, so read them carefully. Ask your teacher to explain any test direction that you do not understand. A good score on the exam is achieved only by following directions. If you don't follow directions, you won't be able to demonstrate what you know.

Examine

Examine the entire test in order to see how much you have to do, because, only by knowing it all you can break it down into parts more manageable for you.

Time

Once you are done with the test examination, it's time for you to decide how much time you will spend on each item. If an item has different points, plan to spend the most time on items that count for the most points. A good planning of your time is especially important for essay test where you have to avoid spending too much time on one item and leave little time for other test items.

Easiest First

Remember to answer the items you find easiest first, because if you get stuck on a more difficult item that comes up early in the test, you may not have enough time to answer items you know.

Review

If you plan you time correctly, you will have time to review your answers and make sure they are as complete and accurate as possible. Also make sure you review the test directions to be certain you have answered all items required.

Using this exam guide will definately help you do better on exams, no matter the field they cover, and get better grades.

Student Loans - Ensuring a Brighter Future Ahead

Higher education in the university gives students a chance to open up. They have a completely new world to deal with. Malcolm Forbes says, “Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” While basic education helps inculcate the values and beliefs in students, higher education illustrates what the real world is. While they taste the charm of independence, they also experience the bitter hardships that accost independence.

All their hardships start and end with money. Being away from parents, they will have to deal with a whole lot of financial issues. Besides the tuition fees, the students will have to make provision for rent, traveling expenses, food, books and entertainment.

These add up to a sizeable figure. The parents, already burdened with their own expenses, cannot be burdened any more. With the finances leading them to the edge, students are hardly able to concentrate on studies. Some may even contemplate suicide; while others may take resort to drug abuse.

A student loan can be a convenient option of sponsoring your studies. Student loans help the students pay off their tuition fees, along with the other living expenses, which includes lodging, books, food and other charges. The amount of loan advanced will depend on the actual requirement and the financial condition of the family.

Student loan is repayable only after one completes his/ her education and starts earning a minimum amount. The minimum earning has been increased from ₤10000 to ₤15000 with effect from April 2005. This means that until the student starts earning a minimum of ₤15000, the student need not pay the student loan.

The search for the student loan must go on simultaneously with the search for an academic course. This ensures that the student knows the amount of loan that he has qualified for. He can thus plan the expenses in accordance with his budget. Besides, some institutions require students to advance tuition fees within a very short notice. Any delays can result in losing opportunity of studying in a preferred institution or university. Prior search for student loan ensures that you do not lose upon an opportunity.

The amount to be repaid includes an interest element combined with the principal. Paying in cash would have ensured that no such extra payments are required. However, by not utilizing ones cash reserves for the educational expenses, you are able to use it for other important expenditures.

However, it is not easy to get student loans. Most lenders find students precarious because they are not in full time employment. Besides, banks have pegged the age limit for getting loans at 22, an age higher than the age of average students, thus disqualifying them from getting loans. Absence of credit history may also act as an impediment in their search for loans. Another reason, wrongly attributed to the age of students, is that while they take loans for educational purposes, the money is actually being squandered.

Nevertheless, there are banks and lenders who accept students as mature customers. They are ready to advance financial help to the students to sort out their finances. All student loan applications are to be routed through Local Education Authority (LEA). However, this may differ if you are undergoing different circumstances, like having dependants, bieng disabled, or engaged in some kind of social work.

Lenders will be ready to offer a better APR if the student joins a part time job. This will give a source of income, and a guarantee to the lender that the repayment will be made on time. Even getting parents to be guarantors to the loan will help getting best deals.

The student is bound to inform the student loans company or the local education authority about any relevant changes that may occur on his/ her account. these include change of name, course, national insurance number, or if the student plans to go abroad, and if the employment status changes from employed to self employed. Failure to inform the authorities about such relevant changes will incur penalties.

The loan is broken into a number of installments for convenient repayment. the repayments will start from the April following the completion of the course, whether or not the student graduates. For students who are employed and their earning is above the minimum level, the employer will deduct the repayment every month from the salary. The self employed people will have to make repayments through self assessment tax returns. Those who are employed abroad will be required to pay directly to the loan provider. Failure to keep up the repayments can lead to penalties.

There are a number of means available to the student nowadays to help them in their pursuit for higher education. It is the accumulation of skills through higher education which gives one a distinct identity. Not taking advantage of them would mean bieng one of the crowd, because there will be some who would grasp the opportunity.

Revolt of the Scholars

Scindex's Instant Publishing Service is about empowerment. The price of scholarly, peer-reviewed journals has skyrocketed in the last few years, often way out of the limited means of libraries, universities, individual scientists and scholars. A "scholarly divide" has opened between the haves (academic institutions with rich endowments and well-heeled corporations) and the haves not (all the others). Paradoxically, access to authoritative and authenticated knowledge has declined as the number of professional journals has proliferated. This is not to mention the long (and often crucial) delays in publishing research results and the shoddy work of many under-paid and over-worked peer reviewers.

The Internet was suppose to change all that. Originally, a computer network for the exchange of (restricted and open) research results among scientists and academics in participating institutions - it was supposed to provide instant publishing, instant access and instant gratification. It has delivered only partially. Preprints of academic papers are often placed online by their eager authors and subjected to peer scrutiny. But this haphazard publishing cottage industry did nothing to dethrone the print incumbents and their avaricious pricing.

The major missing element is, of course, respectability. But there are others. No agreed upon content or knowledge classification method has emerged. Some web sites (such as Suite101) use the Dewey decimal system. Others invented and implemented systems of their making. Additionally, one click publishing technology (such as Webseed's or Blogger's) came to be identified strictly to non-scholarly material: personal reminiscences, correspondence, articles and news.

Enter Scindex and its Academic Resource Channel. Established by academics and software experts from Bulgaria, it epitomizes the tearing down of geographical barriers heralded by the Internet. But it does much more than that. Scindex is a whole, self-contained, stand-alone, instant self-publishing and self-assembly system. Self-publishing systems do exist (for instance, Purdue University's) - but they incorporate only certain components. Scindex covers the whole range.

Having (freely) registered as a member, a scientist or a scholar can publish their papers, essays, research results, articles and comments online. They have to submit an abstract and use Sciendex's classification ("call") numbers and science descriptors, arranged in a massive directory available in the "RealSci Locator". The Locator can be also downloaded and used off-line and its is surprisingly user-friendly. The submission process itself is totally automated and very short.

The system includes a long series of thematic journals. These journals self-assemble, in accordance with the call numbers selected by the submitters. An article submitted with certain call numbers will automatically be included in the relevant journals.

The fly in the ointment is the absence of peer review. As the system moves from beta to commercialization, Scindex intends to address this issue by introducing a system of incentives and inducements. Reviewers will be granted "credit points" to be applied against the (paid) publication of their own papers, for instance.

Scindex is the model of things to come. Publishing becomes more and more automated and knowledge-orientated. Peer reviewed papers become more outlandishly expensive and irrelevant. Scientists and scholars are getting impatient and rebellious. The confluence of these three trends spells - at the least - the creation of a web based universe of parallel and alternative scholarly publishing.

How To Pass Exams

In modern society passing educational examinations becomes an increasingly important and essential means to a better job and improved living standards.

The structure and nature of all examinations are things we cannot change to suit ourselves. Hence we need to find ways of dealing effectively with them - ways of making their systems and requirements actually work for us.

There are ways of doing this and the following can be successfully used by anyone studying for any examinations because exams usually have certain key common elements.

Check Out The Syllabus As an examinee, you have to abide by certain rules and constraints. The time length of the exam, how many question you have to answer, and so forth.

But the examiners also have to abide by certain rules - and they cannot change them (at least not without adequate notice) any more than you can! They have to publish a syllabus for every examination and they can only ask questions on what is contained within that syllabus. Once you know the syllabus, you know where the starting and finishing lines are and how far you have to run

Moreover, all parts of the syllabus are not equal: some parts of it are more equal than others. Some topics will hardly ever be questioned while others will come up every year. Highlight the syllabus using two colours: red, say, for those areas that come up very frequently; green for those which rarely come up. Do this only after a systematic inspection of past exam papers, as the next section will explain.

Then use a third colour to highlight those (hopefully very few) parts of the syllabus which you have really serious difficulty with. Providing these parts are not numerous, and depending on how often they come up, it may be possible to leave them on one side. But do use sense and judgement in doing this!

Whatever You Are Studying, First Study The Exam Papers Studying past examination papers is almost as crucial as studying the subject you have chosen!

Get hold of as many past papers as you can. The more you have the better you will be able to discern any patterns. Draw up a grid on A4 paper. Divide the top horizontally into years - as many as you have past papers for plus one for the year in which you are going to sit the exam Divide the lefthand vertical into as many subject areas as seems appropriate from your inspection of the syllabus and past exam papers. Do this very careful and only after you have become very familiar with the exam topics. Also, make allowance for any coupling of topics because sometimes examiners like to link one topic with another. If you have, say, a dozen past papers and a particular linking has only come up once, you are probably save to forget it. But if it has occurred, say, three or four times it needs to go down.

So now you have large set of cells, each of which relates to a particular year and to a specific topic. Place a cross in each cell for the year in which a given topic has come up. If there is a pattern, and very often there is, you will soon see it. The relative frequency with which the various topic come up will now be easy to see.

It is not that examiners are doing a parallel kind of exercise to determine the structure of the next examination they set. They might well be unaware of the kinds of patterns we are talking about. But examiners do have at least a mental scheduling of the relative importance of particular topics and an impression of what have been chosen recently.

Now use the spare column on the right-hand side, which relates to the year you are going to sit the exam, to mark those subject areas which seem most likely to come up this next time. These are the ones which you need to spend extra time on. The other areas need to be covered as well, but your projections need special care and attention.

In the case of some examinations such a pattern may not seem to emerge. But often it will. In any case, it is worth the investment of time to find out, and whether it does or not it would be foolish not to inspect as many past papers as possible. You need to see how the questions are phrased, how they are divided, sometimes even subdivided, whether there are any special conditions imposed, such as papers which are divided into different sections with different lengths of time allowed for each, and so forth.

Overall, many students just seem to accept the constraints of an examination system as a barbed wire fence they can do nothing about. But the foregoing might just give you a set of wire cutters!

Free Money For College

What if someone came up to you and offered you $5000 to attend college? Or after college, what if someone called you and asked if you wanted a couple thousand dollars to pay off some student loans? The obvious answer is, “Where do I sign up?” But, the truth is that there are hundreds of ways for you to receive free money for college today – you just need to know where to look.

Search For “Free” Money First

With the emergence of the internet, finding places, companies, and events that offer free money for college has never been as easy. To start, try typing in “free money for college” into a search engine on the internet. Behold thousands upon thousands of web sites that offer you free money just for attending college. Obviously, no site will just hand over money, but there will provide great opportunities for you to further your education in the future with the help of some “free” cash.

Scholarship-Takers Wanted!

Are you eligible for a scholarship for college? Many students might think not, but there is a good chance that scholarships exist out there that would give YOU money for college, even if you think that you do not have chance. Do you have a special talent, or are you interested in a specific major going into college? Businesses often offer scholarships to students wishing to major in classes that could potentially benefit them in the future. Are you into art, writing, or some other creative field? Contests exist that could give you the opportunity to win free money for college.

Start Your Search Today!

While the free money exists out there to help you pay for college, it is up to you to go out there and get it! Search the internet for opportunities to enter contests or submit applications for college scholarships. The free money is out there. Good luck searching for it and receiving your free money for college today.

This article is distributed by NextStudent. At NextStudent, we believe that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we're dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible.

Pre-Bachelor

The program should be one term, two terms or three terms (1 year). This program is meant for students who lack the necessary language skills to start the first-year bachelor program, the course enables them to improve their skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Lenghtime: Students can follow the language program from one to three terms (1 year) according to their result of the English Admission Exams that organized at the beginning of each intake, each term or quarter last 10 weeks and has at least 20-periods-a-week english class and 6 periods a week of French or german.

Business Management University [Switzerland]:

The Group "Business & Management University" is a private university committed to higher education, operates under the direction of a strategic committee compound by five members. The administrators, faculty, staff, and students of the University, are committed to excellence in education.

It carries out its mission by assembling a faculty team having high academic and professional standards.

The University is dedicated to the preparation of student in two fields in the arts and sciences: Management and banking & finance.

A major commitment exists to provide educational services for the larger national and international community, especially graduate education for mature students.

To encourage students to develop their unique potential and to become quickly productive member of society, the University seeks to provide an appropriate academic and social environment. Moreover, the University attempts to responds to the needs of its students through administrative services, teaching, scholarship and research

Who Should Earn an Online Associate Degree

An online associate degree is a two-year general studies degree that is obtained entirely over the Internet. This type of degree is perfect for those individuals who wish to begin their college career or who wish to finish their two year degree before continuing on to obtain their bachelor's or master's degree.

To get an online associate degree, an individual does not need to have any prior college credits. But if you do have prior credits from an accredited college, these credits can be transferred to your online school to cut down on the time it will take to earn your degree. To apply for a degree program, individuals must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.

Earning an associate's degree usually takes two years at a regular onsite college. Earning an online associate degree can take as little as six months. This time difference is advantageous for those individuals who wish to enter the work force earlier or for those who do not have a lot of money or time to spend on college.

As all classes are taken via the Internet either with downloadable software and lesson instruction or through virtual classroom online, individuals must have access to a computer and the Internet.

When choosing an online associate degree program, there are two main choices. Individuals can either choose to earn a degree in general studies or a degree that focuses on one aspect of education. A general studies degree is best for those who just wish to finish their degree or obtain general classes for their current job.

A focused degree program is better for someone who wishes to continue their education with a bachelor's degree or for those who need specific skills for their current career. For example, a person who manages a business or wishes to obtain a bachelor's in business management will want obtain an associates degree in business.

Most online colleges and universities offer an online associate degree program. These programs are usually very similar in content and lessons. The biggest difference in programs will be price and completion time. To offset the price, many individuals apply for student loans. Another option is to see if the program would be covered by your employer's tuition reimbursement program.

Who Should Earn an Online Associate Degree

An online associate degree is a two-year general studies degree that is obtained entirely over the Internet. This type of degree is perfect for those individuals who wish to begin their college career or who wish to finish their two year degree before continuing on to obtain their bachelor's or master's degree.

To get an online associate degree, an individual does not need to have any prior college credits. But if you do have prior credits from an accredited college, these credits can be transferred to your online school to cut down on the time it will take to earn your degree. To apply for a degree program, individuals must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.

Earning an associate's degree usually takes two years at a regular onsite college. Earning an online associate degree can take as little as six months. This time difference is advantageous for those individuals who wish to enter the work force earlier or for those who do not have a lot of money or time to spend on college.

As all classes are taken via the Internet either with downloadable software and lesson instruction or through virtual classroom online, individuals must have access to a computer and the Internet.

When choosing an online associate degree program, there are two main choices. Individuals can either choose to earn a degree in general studies or a degree that focuses on one aspect of education. A general studies degree is best for those who just wish to finish their degree or obtain general classes for their current job.

A focused degree program is better for someone who wishes to continue their education with a bachelor's degree or for those who need specific skills for their current career. For example, a person who manages a business or wishes to obtain a bachelor's in business management will want obtain an associates degree in business.

Most online colleges and universities offer an online associate degree program. These programs are usually very similar in content and lessons. The biggest difference in programs will be price and completion time. To offset the price, many individuals apply for student loans. Another option is to see if the program would be covered by your employer's tuition reimbursement program

Prepping for the new SAT I

On March 12, 2005, high school juniors across the country were the first to take the new SAT I test, the standardized testing used in the college admission process. The test is 3 hours and 45 minutes, instead of just 3 hours, and contains a third writing section. So, the new test has three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing, each scored out of 800 points, for a total of 2400 possible points.

To prepare for this test, students must realize that the test has not changed that dramatically and in some ways it is easier with the insidious and ambiguous analogies eliminated from the reading section. The math section is a bit more challenging, but more congruent with 10th and 11th grade math. Students should brush up on math formulas and know how to break down word problems. To be successful in the writing section, know how to write a good thesis that is logical, clear and concise. The thesis does not have to be overly analytic or compelling, but every paragraph has to relate to the thesis. Focus on grammar, which is a big component of the new SAT I test. Know the difference between an adverb and a preposition. Since the essay is handwritten, use print instead of script so that the essay is legible. Be aware that SAT vocabulary words are very important, so know the root words, prefixes and suffixes.

Overall, learn the basic skills in writing, math and vocabulary before taking practice tests. Tutoring is sometimes helpful to provide structure and motivate a student to prepare for the test. The SAT tests do not measure intelligence, they merely measure how well students do on the test and rank them in comparison to other SAT test takers. If the SAT I test is extremely challenging, consider taking the ACT test instead. Most schools will accept the ACT test, but it is a good idea to check with the universities that you are applying to and find out which tests are required for admission. Students should take practice tests in the SAT and ACT to determine which test yields the better result.

For parents, know that students are very anxious about the test and help them in dealing with the pressure. If your child has a learning issue and will benefit from more time, then lobby the school for extended or untimed test taking. Play the SAT vocabulary test with your child at the dinner table or in the car.

Finally, put the test into perspective. While it is certainly a factor for college admissions, it counts about half as much as the rigorousness of a student’s high school curriculum and grades. So, for students who are lackluster test-takers, they should prove themselves academically by taking a challenging course load and working on grades. Colleges are much more interested to know how students perform in the classroom over 4 years, than how they did for 4 hours on a Saturday morning

How Parents Can Help Allieviate The Stress of Getting Into College

Getting into college is a stressful experience for most high school students. However, there are steps that parents can take to help alleviate the stress and make the experience more positive. To begin with, parents should make the process about “you” not “we” when discussing college choices, allowing the student to have a sense of empowerment or independence over the college selection and application process.

Parents should NEVER fill out applications, call schools or schedule appointments for their children with guidance counselors or admissions officers. High School students are quite capable of doing the work necessary for “getting in” to college. Parents should be open to the schools that their children are leaning toward and not fall into the “one school only” trap as the ultimate prize and reward. Always remember that the emphasis is on enjoying the learning experience, not winning. There are over 3,500 colleges in the US and only 200 of them accept fewer than _ of their applicants.

It is less important to push your child towards a prestigious school than it is to focus on the school that provides the proper match for successful learning and a meaningful college experience. Encourage your child to research schools early and make several visits to college campuses. Plan to accompany your child on these visits, but allow your child the freedom to explore and ask questions independently. Be supportive and encourage your child to do mock interviews with other adults to prepare for the college visits.

If possible, begin the college planning process in the 9th grade, so that your child can proceed in “baby steps” instead of at a fast-paced schedule. Parents need to remind their children that there are many colleges and many options and that it is “okay” if students don’t get into their first choice selections

How to Choose the Right School For You

Now that the admission committees have handed you their decisions, it is time for you to choose which college to attend. For some, this choice is easy. Maybe you were admitted early decision or have a clear first choice. For others, the decision is more difficult. Perhaps you have not visited many of the schools on your list, maybe you and your parents disagree about what is best for your future, or perhaps you just can’t seem to figure out what you want. No matter the reason, you must decide by the May 1st reply date. What should you do?

Identify your options.

Are you choosing between two schools or several? Have you narrowed down your choices? Are you comparing financial aid packages? Are you trying to get taken off a wait list at a school? What are the factors that you will use to make your decision?

Expand your research.

Now that you know what your options are, it is time to begin or continue your research. Hopefully you already know why each school is on your list. Review what you have learned and continue to learn about the schools. What are you looking for? What does each school offer? Consider how each school matches your interests: academic, extracurricular, social, and otherwise. Use the schools’ websites, talk to friends, e-mail professors, visit the campuses. Have discussions with your family and others you trust. If you have not already visited the schools on your list, now is the time. One college applicant, Scott, visited the schools on his list only after he received his acceptance letters. Doing so gave him a new perspective on his choices: “I had applied to the University of Wisconsin-Madison on my counselor’s recommendation. I didn’t really think I would ever go there because it was so far away from home and I always thought of Wisconsin as a place of pastures and cows. But when I visited, I felt at home. The students were friendly, the classes were tough, and I had no idea Madison had such a fun night life.”

Prioritize.

Amanda, an aspiring professional dancer, knew she wanted to attend college. She felt good about her auditions, and was thrilled to be admitted to several schools. After narrowing down her choices to SUNY-Purchase and University of Michigan, Amanda realized she needed to learn more about each school. “I found that the reputation of the schools said that Michigan had stronger academics and SUNY had better connections to the New York dance scene, which is where I want to establish a career. I am also really interested in literature and writing.” Amanda had to prioritize. She asked herself, what role did she want her artistic and academic interests to play in her life? What was more important to her?

Be honest with yourself.

Radha, a senior from New Jersey, had narrowed down her acceptances to two schools: Boston University and University of Southern California (USC). Both schools were a good fit, as Radha wanted a city school with a lot of options and school spirit. After sorting out the pros and cons of each school, Radha was still stuck. Something else was bothering her. I asked, “If both schools were close to home, which would you choose?” Without hesitation, Radha replied, “USC. I just loved my visit and really loved the students I met.” Suddenly, we had uncovered the issue that was hindering Radha: she wanted to go to USC, but she did not want to go far from home. After our discussion, Radha talked about the issue with her family. As an older sister with divorced parents, Radha had secretly decided she needed to stay near her younger sister whom she often looked after. Discussing her concerns with her parents helped Radha make the brave decision to attend the school she wanted. By looking deeper into the issue that was really troubling her—her fear of leaving home—Radha was able to make the decision that was best for her. It is important to remember that there are many factors that play into the decision of which school to attend. Going off to college often signifies the beginning of a more adult life, so this decision can be influenced by anxieties about leaving home.

Go with your gut.

We’ve been through the rational decision-making processes like making pro and con lists and prioritizing. However, intuition is often our best guide. Adam, now a few years out of college, recently said, “I don’t know why exactly I chose Georgetown, but as soon as I got in I got excited. Somehow I just knew it would be the best place for me. And I was right.” Pay attention to your gut. Trust yourself.

You can’t be wrong.

Here is the good news: there is no such thing as the wrong choice. Like any experience, college is what you make of it. Take advantage of opportunities, choose challenging classes, become involved in your interests, and your decision will have been the right one. Chances are you will be happy at any of the schools on your list. After all, you applied to them because you discovered they were good matches for you. If you later find you would rather be somewhere else, you can always consider the transfer option. But most students are happy with the choice they made, and graduates often look back, saying: “I am glad I went where I did, but I think I would have been happy and successful at many colleges.”

Study More Effectively

If you are studying for an exam or if you need to learn some material for a presentation, you may be wondering how early you should start to study, and how often you should review the material in order to remember it.

Is it best to study large chunks of the information at a time, or should you try to master small bits of it? Should you review the material again the next day? Or is it best to let a few days go by?

Learning experts have proposed several different schedules for reviewing study materials, but the following is one that works well for most people. Try it to see if it works for you, or whether it is more effective to introduce minor changes to the review schedule.

First, study what you can thoroughly learn in a 40-minute period. During this time keep your mind actively engaged in the material by making notes, asking yourself questions about it, speaking out loud, and making learning maps. Then take a five or ten minute break to do something completely different, preferably something which includes physical exercise and deep breathing.

After your ten-minute break, go back and review your original material and your written notes. Review for about five minutes. The next day review the material again for five minutes. A week later review it for five minutes. A month later review it for five minutes.

If you need to remember the information longer, review it for five minutes after two months, and then again after six months.

Your review will be even more successful if you speak your thoughts out loud. You can say a verbal summary out loud to yourself, or you can speak the summary to someone else.

Each time you repeat the same physical action, or review the same study material, there are chemical changes that take place at the synapses between your brain cells, making it easier for the signal to go through the next time you repeat that thought or action. That is why review and repetition help fix acquired skills and knowledge in your brain.

Saying the material out loud, or writing out a few notes again will involve more of your brain cells in the process of remembering.

People who have sustained some brain damage due to advancing age, brain injury, or because of alcohol or drug use may no longer have the ability to easily refresh their knowledge by quickly reviewing material again. These people may have to spend much more time and effort on reviewing material, and still have a lower rate of recall.

For the majority of people however, the above schedule is a time-effective way to keep information easily available to your memory.

Online Colleges as a Resource for Your New Career

Online Colleges require successful team building

Most online colleges require their students to work together in teams to fulfill their coursework obligations. The University of Phoenix Online, for example, requires weekly participation and discussion questions, 4 to 5 individual assignments, and 3-4 team assignments. Many other online programs have similar requirements. Contrary to a popular myth about going to school online, you won’t be working on your education alone and isolated.

Education professionals often group online students by geographical areas To have a successful experience with your college’s online program, use the following tips when working with your team online:

• Assign team responsibilities. Treat your distance learning assignment just like a work assignment. Have a second in command for most projects just in case the person in charge doesn’t follow through.

• Educators like to receive papers that have “one voice.” Formatting, the outline, even the tone that the paper has should all be worked out before everybody logs off to do their work.

• Work out chat sessions online to help speed through team discussions. Topics in threaded discussion groups online can take a really long time to work their way out since not everybody is online at the same time.

• Plan for the worse online. Set internal deadlines that give you extra time before the assignment is due in case somebody doesn’t carry their weight.

Educators will usually group students by their geographical areas to help with time zones. If your educator is new to the online milieu, suggest that you’d like to be grouped together by time zones.

Distance Learning : Get an education while you work

Distance Learning Makes the Grade

Distance Learning might make all the difference for you between your hole in the wall job and your dream job. Many working professionals have learned that they don’t have to stop working to fulfill their dream of learning more. What do they do? They work on their education at night while still going to work.

Many Students access Education at Night While Working Full-Time

Most people can’t afford to stop work in order to get educated. So how do you learn when you’re still working? How can you educate yourself further? But how can you afford not to go to school when all of your coworkers are working on their educations?

Maybe you’ve tried school but found that it just wouldn’t work with your schedule. Learn what others have about learning via a distance program. Most distance programs offer an asynchronous forum for classrooms. That means that you still have deadlines and weekly (and possibly daily) quotas, you don’t have to be somewhere at the same time as the educator.

Going to school online doesn’t limit you to just a distance university. You can take special classes in a distance education setting that will help you improve your writing, your interview skills, write a better resume, or even learn what you want to do with the rest of your life. If going online doesn’t work for you, consider the many correspondent courses out there that will help you bridge the distances between you and learning. You’ll get access to an educator, who will help guide you, provide you with lectures and notes, and provide you feedback on your work. You’ll find that you’ll learn just as much if not more than you would in a traditional setting.

You owe it to yourself to be your own career builder. Look into what online line educators can provide you. Bridge the distance between you and your future. Take the time to educate yourself about the options you have to learn in a non-traditional setting.

Why Students Turn To Custom Writing Services

Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts, including scholars, university board members and even commercial parties, such as TurnItIn, which sells plagiarism detection software righteously claiming that plagiarism should be combated through the most efficient and up to date tools.

Well, if such company ever reaches its ultimate goal of eliminating plagiarism, it will go out of business, since there will be no more need for plagiarism detection.

Meanwhile, we see that everyone discussing plagiarism has certain motivation and interest to defend one point or another. Students, however, don't seem to have an interest to speak on this subject at all, or worse - they have never been asked.

I neither belong to the camp that combats plagiarism, nor to the one that defends or partially justifies it. I simply want to make the voice of college students heard with no hidden reason behind it.

My own college profile of a "straight A student" had nothing to do with any type of plagiarism that would involve direct copy/paste and serious violation of copyright law. However, now that the definition of plagiarism has evolved to such a broad extent, I can't tell for sure whether all my college assignments can be referred as 100% original and plagiarism-free.

While I was able to devote most of my time to studying (with 2 scholarships that covered almost 85% of my college expenses, and monthly checks from my parents, who had above average income and the only daughter to spend it on), I saw many of my friends struggling with their assignments, especially when it came to writing essays and developing research papers.

At that point I didn't question the meaning and purpose of my own devoted enthusiasm for education. I enjoyed the process as the end in itself, didn't have to worry about money and had all those skills and talents for being a successful student. Most of my friends, however, were different. I didn't like to hang out with the "know-it-all" crowd. I enjoyed the company of people with different backgrounds and different perspectives on life. I could learn something new from each one of them.

My friends and I were very close and we could trust each other any secret with no doubt. So, I knew they cheated on the exams occasionally and hired someone to write their term papers. However, their integrity has never been challenged in my eyes by this knowledge. I knew them well enough to tell that they had their own reasons. Were they valid enough? I can't judge that objectively, because they were my friends and I was on their side. But one thing I can tell for sure - these reasons must be heard before blaming anyone a degraded cheater.

Victim Of Social Pressure

My friend Joshua grew up in a hard-working, but relatively poor family with three other siblings, who were younger than him. His father was a high school teacher and his mother was a nurse. They both were hard on Joshua about his education and future career. It took them a lot of efforts and a lot of money to get Joshua through college, so my friend was carrying a heavy burden of high expectations and big responsibility. He had no excuses for failure and no right for mistakes, so he could not allow himself fail some class and spend thousands of dollars to repeat it next semester just because his writing skills weren't good enough.

Sad, but true. The knowledge itself is no longer a valuable asset in our society, what matters is one's degree or certification. Our society has invented the terms where grades are all that matter for education, why blame it on students after all.

Joshua would have been an empty space for an employer without his degree, no matter how smart he was in engineering. So, he needed that degree no matter what.

May be it was due to lack of self-confidence, or perhaps our English professor was too hard on us, but Joshua always had problems with his writing assignments at college. He never seemed to meet the instructions no matter how hard he tried. English was not the only problem. Other classes required a lot of writing, too.

When faced with the threat of failure, Joshua turned to other people's help. First he asked for our advice and we tried to work out some solution for him. Unfortunately, nothing else helps to develop writing skills other than practice. But Joshua didn't have extra time for it, so it didn't work.

Then, he started using works of older students, since the assignments for some classes often repeated themselves every year. However, when caught once by one of our professors plagiarizing the same essay that was turned in a year before, Joshua decided it was too risky, because he could have been expelled.

Finally, when nothing else seemed to work for him, he started ordering his term papers and essays from one of those companies that offer writing services for a fee. I thought this was quite expensive, but then I learned that competition for these services is quite fierce, and some like www.Go2Essay.com or www.CustomResearchPapers.us now offer custom written papers for as low as $14.95 per page. I was against such solution of the problem, but it seemed to work just fine for Joshua.

Academic Honesty Doesn'T Pay Off

My other friend Kim was from a wealthy family of a self-made businessman, who owned everything he had to his own persistence and self-discipline. He didn't want Kim to grow as a spoiled offspring of a wealthy family. When Kim was applying for a college, her father said that if she gets accepted, he would pay for her education, but would leave all other expenses up to her. So, Kim had to find a job when she was a freshman.

Not a big deal, when you still can count on your parents to support you. However, in Kim's case she couldn't afford quitting her job even if there were too many college assignments to cope with, because she wouldn't have means to support herself otherwise. Her father didn't care much for Kim's grades as long as she could get through another semester. He only advised her to learn hard at those classes that she thought were interesting or useful for her future career, while the rest was permissible to skip as long as she could get a passing grade.

In her junior year Kim had finally decided that she would go in advertisement. She was very good at drawing and really enjoyed her creative design classes. When hired for one advertisement agency as a logo designer, she was soon making $15 per hour and working full-time almost always. The end of each semester was a real catastrophe for her, since she felt too much pressure from her deadlines both at work and at college.

Kim didn't feel that there was something wrong with hiring people for writing her academic papers, which were not of particular interest or relevance to her career. However, she never cheated on her creative design assignments. She held them sacred and was truly the best student in her group.

Perhaps, it was her father's influence, but Kim valued her time and was quite picky with how she spends it and whom she spends it with. None of Kim's friends, including me, could tell that she was lazy or had a lot of disposable income to spend on her custom written papers. For Kim these services were the only way to ensure that she wouldn't loose her job spending half of the day writing her paper on a subject of no relevance to her, and than turning it with no guarantee of a passing grade and no reward for her time.

At the end of each semester with so many writing assignments coming from different classes it was not just a matter of making some extra money, but a question of life and death: either she writes all assignments herself and goes broke next month, or she survives the pressure by delegating some of her essays to other people. Even if it looks like an academic dishonesty for other people, I know Kim was always honest to herself in pursuit of her goals, and after all it's the only thing that matters.

These are just few examples of how the perception of plagiarism as a disastrous crime can be challenged if viewed from different perspective. I don't think that plagiarism is the best solution for students and I do not defend its practice, however I do believe that the roots of plagiarism should not be looked in the nature of modern students, but instead - in the nature of modern education system, which values grades higher than knowledge and is designed to respond to the national standards rather than student needs.

Thus, plagiarism detection software may help to combat plagiarism in a short-term run, however, unless we re-evaluate and improve the existing system of education, the root of plagiarism will not be extirpated for a long-time benefit.

Online Degree Programs

An online university degree can help to increase one's chances of earning a higher income from a job, instead of settling for a position that will limit them because of lack of education. Online university degree offers wide variety of online programs; such as Undergraduate, Graduate, Doctorate, and Professional courses. The specific courses offered include disciplines such as business management and administration, criminal justice, health, information technology, nursing, education, human resources, call center professional training, and project management.

Studying on the Internet is a convenient way to earn an education because it won't interfere with work and saves time and energy. Online university degrees can help students to pace themselves and get needed schooling while still enjoying life. The classes offered through an online university degree might only require a minimal amount of work during the week as opposed to classes at a regular college. That can be an added benefit so as not to overload the student's schedule.

Internet programs can be helpful because their courses are designed to interact with professors on an email or Internet basis, instead of being engaged in class work and group projects which is a time consuming process for the workers and employers. Those falling into this category might benefit from pursuing an Internet degree. There are numerous websites that offer profiles for different colleges and universities, including web universities.

Web studies can be a blessing to those who desire to use their time and talents in the required period. They work hard and might be serving in remote countries that don't have schools near them. That's where an online university degree can be a great asset.

There is a wide choice of online courses that are offered by various colleges and universities. Some of the courses offered are general, while others are specific. It is therefore important that you survey all the options available, and then identify the course that is best suited to your requirements and the university that is best equipped to provide you with an in-depth learning of the course. Ensure that the teaching faculty for the course of your choice is qualified and that all necessary technical support will be provided to you in your online communications with the Institute.

After having decided your specific course and the learning center, you need to open a channel of communication with the institution. Each institution can provide the student with specific requirements. An online degree program may include purchasing textbooks or purchasing an e-book which allows the student to access the book online, usually at cheaper costs. Through an online degree program, links might be provided in the course syllabus allowing for additional instruction or templates to use to complete class assignments. Do a search on the Internet today for online degree programs and find out the vast opportunities available to anyone possessing a computer and Internet service. Attending an online university is a legitimate, convenient, and flexible way for you to advance you education, as well as your career and personal potential

Online University Degree

An online university degree is a wonderful option if you are a busy person or a person who enjoys doing most of their work alone. Because there is no need to attend a class at a traditional school, earning an online university degree is very convenient and a good option for anyone, especially a busy person. Having a family or a job that keeps you busy is no longer an excuse for not getting a college degree! Earning an online University degree is a convenient way to advance your education and training. A big perk for those who opt for online university degrees is the allowance of a flexible schedule it provides.

Online university degrees offer a wide range of majors to study, which can help students to achieve their ultimate dreams, create a business, travel to exotic places and build international relationships, or become an entrepreneur. An online university degree can also help to increase one's chances of earning a higher income from a job, instead of settling for a position that will limit them because of lack of education.

Here are some reasons that you should consider an online university for your education:
• First of all, convenience is at the top of the list. Courses in the online university are designed to allow you the ability to go to school when you have the time. Think this is too hard to manage? Choose the courses that you need, take them when you have time, and stay at home while you are doing it.

• In fact, you can even learn while you keep up with life. If you have to work, if you have to take care of a family, or perhaps you just do not like that atmosphere of day to day college living, the online university is perfect for you. In fact, it is great for those looking for a promotion if only they had some additional education in the field.

• Often times the online university will be far less expensive then a standard form simply because you do not have to pay for the vast amounts of time you spend on campus. No room and board here.

Many online programs offer accelerated degree programs. This is ideal if you are looking to advance your career, and are in a hurry to do so. Many online programs also offer students the option of attending part time.

When searching for a school to get your online university degree, search for all the information you can find on every school that you might be interested in taking your program through. When you decide what school you would like to enroll in, the first, and one of the most important things, to do is to make sure that it is accredited.

With the prevalence of the Internet and technologies such as teleconferencing available today, it is possible to come away from the experience of attending an online University not only with a degree, but also being more in tune with technology, which has the potential to broaden your career opportunities even more. Attending an online university is a legitimate, convenient, and flexible way for you to advance you education, as well as your career and personal potential. The online university is set up so that you succeed

Earning An Associates Degree Online

Learning online can also help further a career that you are presently already employed at or one you hope to become a part of. There are ways to help you to make your online education experience as successful as ever. If you have not completed any college or university education after high school and are thinking about getting an online degree, one of your best options may to be to consider an online associate degree. These programs are readily available, come in a wide variety of choices, and generally take about half as long to complete as an online bachelors degree. Best of all they are usually half of the cost.

Associate’s online degree programs are usually not as demanding as Bachelor’s degrees and they can serve as stepping stones toward further learning and employment in a certain field or profession. Associate online degree programs are easy; all of the coursework can be done on evenings and weekends without having to commute to a campus. However, certain courses, such as culinary arts, automotive repair and nursing may require some practical exams and internships that can be completed close to home.

To get an online associate degree, an individual does not need to have any prior college credits. But if you do have prior credits from an accredited college, these credits can be transferred to your online school to cut down on the time it will take to earn your degree.

Earning an associate's degree usually takes two years at a regular onsite college but earning an online associate degree can take as little as six months. This time difference is advantageous for those individuals who wish to enter the work force earlier or for those who do not have a lot of money or time to spend on college. As all classes are taken via the Internet either with downloadable software and lesson instruction or through virtual classroom online, individuals must have access to a computer and the Internet.

When choosing an online associate degree program, there are two main choices. Individuals can either choose to earn a degree in general studies or a degree that focuses on one aspect of education. A general studies degree is best for those who just wish to finish their degree or obtain general classes for their current job. A focused degree program is better for someone who wishes to continue their education with a bachelor's degree or for those who need specific skills for their current career.

Most online colleges and universities offer an online associate degree program. These colleges and universities are already well established with good reputations. However, they may cost more than non-college and non-university programs. You must find the program that is right for you based on cost, convenience, and quality. These programs are usually very similar in content and lessons. The biggest difference in programs will be price and completion time. To offset the price, many individuals apply for student loans. Another option is to see if the program would be covered by your employer's tuition reimbursement program.

Finding the right institution for an online Associate’s degree can be a pleasant challenge, since the opportunities are virtually unlimited. It is essential to ensure that the institution which issues your online Associate’s degree is accredited and that you will be able to take your degree anywhere you want to work.

When searching for online Associate’s degrees there are many available. It is a good idea to research the school before enrolling. Make sure that the school is accredited and that the teacher is well qualified.

Taking the time to earn an internet associate degree is a guaranteed way to improve your chances at finding success on your chosen career path.

Social Aspects of Online Learning

The number of people studying online – whether it’s for an individual course, a career upgrade, or an entire degree – continues to grow as technology allows for better distance learning techniques. The great thing about online learning is the flexibility: depending on the type of course you take, most e-learners will have the opportunity to personalize their program and work at the speed that suits them best. Further, after the initial output for equipment, online learning tends to be much less expensive than traditional campus based schooling.

Online learning is great for those who prefer to study independently, or who are working full time or caring for children and don’t have the time or opportunity to attend a campus school. However, the other side of this coin is that e-learners often feel isolated from their school and fellow students. Angela MacArthur, editor of onlinelearning101.com, explains, “It can be incredibly difficult to work through an entire degree without the support of an academic community that understands the process and the obstacles. Students can be left feeling unsupported and unconnected – despite their constant online access to school facilities.”

However, there are many ways that online learners can avoid that lonely feeling:

• Look for courses that involve group learning. If you have to maintain contact with fellow students in order to complete assignments, you’re more likely to make the effort to do so frequently. Make sure you get the phone numbers of some of your classmates so that you’re not left relying on email or instant messaging to speak to someone. When it comes to connecting, you’d be surprised how important it is to hear an actual voice once in a while.

• Take advantage of the diversity offered in an online environment. Find out where your fellow classmates are from. You might find some friends with a drastically different point of view if you take the time to get to know some of the other students. One of the great things about online learning is its accessibility – you might find people from different countries, who speak different languages, or simply live a different type of lifestyle.

• If possible, connect with your instructor. Most online instructors are trained specifically in online learning techniques and will be able to help you not only succeed in your course, but in the online environment in general. As well, the more people you’re directly in contact with the less you’ll feel separated from the school experience.

• Join an online learners’ community or forum. You’re not limited to fellow classmates, or even students involved in a similar course of study. Whether you’re working towards a degree, taking an interest course, or upgrading your career skills, you’ll be experiencing situations similar to others who are taking the time to learn online. Members of a forum may not be able to help you with homework questions, but they can certainly empathize with what you’re going through.

• Get out! You’re incredibly busy right now, with studying, work, family and all the everyday things that crop up. Make sure that you don’t end up scheduling yourself to oblivion, and leave yourself some time to get out and socialize. Meet with some friends, join a gym, even go for a walk at your local dog park and chat with the regulars. Just make sure that you’re not spending every waking moment staring at a computer

A Brief History of Distance Education

Distance education has afforded generations of students the opportunity pursue their educational goals outside of the traditional school system. It has allowed countless students the ability to further their education, while allowing them to maintain their obligations to their families and employers. While distance education is not for everyone, it has certainly stood the test of time. The following is a brief timeline of events related to distance education.

• 1840 – Isaac Pitman begins teaching shorthand by correspondence in the UK.

• 1858 – The University of London creates its External Program.

• 1883 – New York State authorizes the Chautauqua Institute to award degrees earned via correspondence.

• 1891 – The Colliery Engineer School of Mines renames itself International Correspondence Schools.

• 1892 – The University of Chicago starts administering the first university courses by mail.

• 1906 – The Calvert School of Baltimore becomes the first primary school in the United States to offer correspondence courses.

• 1916 – The National University Continuing Education Association is created in the United States.

• 1921 – Pennsylvania State College begins broadcasting courses on the radio.

• 1933 – The University of Iowa begins broadcasting courses on television.

• 1950 – The Ford Foundation begins offering grants to create and develop educational programs for television broadcasting.

• 1967 – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is created.

• 1970 – Walden University is established.

• 1974 – California State University offers a Masters degree via correspondence.

• 1982 – The National University Teleconferencing Network is established.

• 1984 – The personal computer is named "man of the year" by Time Magazine.

With the advent of the personal computer and the development of the internet, distance education has evolved into an extremely important element of modern education. Most every university in North America offers courses online, while an entire cottage industry has formed around the concept of online education. There are countless online courses available to members of the general public. The wonderful thing about online education is that there are no borders, and prospective students worldwide now have access to the same opportunities. Online learning has the ability to make the world a better place. In some ways, it already has

Education and training services to overseas students in UK, Australia, Canada

They offer research oriented programs which attract the students a lot. Research assistantship is an award for those who have worked on a project that is assigned to him. These universities also offer financial add packages so that it can become earn while you learn experience and happen to be the best place for overseas study.

Australia is also firmly committed to providing quality education and training and offers strong assurance to International students. Australia has taken the responsibility towards international students seriously to the extent that the regulations for providing education services to these students are set in federal government legislation.

Australia provides the world’s most rigorous protection for international students through the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000.with this standard Australian university provides the education to international students to meet the consistent standard in education, facilities and services and be on par with the international standards.

Education in the UK is internationally recognized for its quality and variety. There is wide range of courses offered by various institutes across the globe. The UK continues to be the hub of the information and communications technology revolution and this is reflected throughout the teaching and standard equipment in schools, further and higher education institutions. There are many scholarships and awards available to the International students studying in the UK; they are offered by the EU, British Government and by individual schools and universities.

There is a huge competition building up in the overseas student market. Australia, UK, America and Canada have raised their game, and new competitors are emerging, such as China, which used to send large numbers of students abroad, is now recruiting overseas students to its shores.

Overseas education helps to open diverse opportunities for students to give their career a good start. Intellectually speaking, it might have given a well-informed and historically-minded researcher an insight into how class privilege shapes social perceptions.

Study Skills: Top Revising Mistakes

It may seem like an easy process at first because the subject matter has already been taken up, but then it is only through revising that a person perceives more underlying ideas never seen before - and this arouses critical thinking. Revising is also how most people prepare for examinations, from where a considerable percentage of grades come from.

Therefore, in order for revising to effectively serve its purpose, do not fall into the trap of committing the following mistakes:

Not enough planning

Planning is the initial step in revising, as in any undertaking. This is where you identify the topics to be studied based on the course outline or syllabus provided at the start of the term. A workable timetable should likewise be prepared to determine the amount of time to be allotted for each subject matter. There are some who take the course outline for granted and thus also overlook setting up a time frame. What happens then is that time intended for revising runs out, and some important topics are missed. Scheduling weekly revisions is fair enough, but spending short periods of time daily for study is more effective.

Not paying attention to course objectives

Like the syllabus, course objectives are also explained at the beginning of the school term to guide students on what they expect to achieve from the curriculum. Lacking this awareness leads to a waste of time on revising less important topics.

Not managing time properly

For students, the ultimate goal is to be able to graduate and get a degree. To realize that, several years are dedicated to serious study. Oftentimes, due to voluminous workload - assignments, quizzes, examinations, projects, theses, case analyses - the essence of time management is either neglected or ignored. Each day is taken as it comes, so to speak. Before you know it, a lot of precious time has already been put to waste because time was not managed properly.

Cramming

Cramming stems from failure to plan what to revise, how to revise, and when to revise. Not only is absorbed information lodged in the short-term memory, it also stresses the mind and the body. Because cramming usually takes place on the night before an examination day, there is that foregone opportunity to make clarifications with or ask questions to the instructor. It is best to distribute revision time several days or weeks before an examination takes place. Not having an effective note-taking system Textbooks provide the basic knowledge required in a particular subject.

The instructor, however, augments this with lectures. Not everybody exhibits a positive attitude towards lectures, and this may affect note-taking habits. At worst, one may not take down notes. If and when he does, he might just be scribbling irrelevant information. As a result of this, he will have a difficult time revising because of incomplete material.

Choosing An Online University Degree

Today hundreds of universities and colleges offer online programs that range from improving your basic skills all the way to graduate study courses. Because of the large number of schools offering online programs, it can be difficult to know what to look for in a quality program.

There are two basic types of institutions offering online degrees: Colleges and universities with physical campuses and online-only institutions. Online-only institutions do offer single courses, but tend to focus on degree programs. Colleges and universities with physical campuses offer both complete degree programs and single courses, which are often taken by on-campus students as well as online-only students.

Prior to the rise of online universities, attaining a higher education degree was largely impossibility for those already in the work force. Getting a degree for that coveted promotion or simply completing your education in later years of life is a real option now. There are several universities offering various programs to this end. In fact, the plethora can be confusing and you need to research your options with utmost care.

What to look for

• Programs:

Obviously, one primary consideration for you is whether or not a school offers programs in an area of interest to you. Increasingly, program options are growing, to the advantage of Online Degree.

• Technology:

When choosing a school, be careful to check its expectations about technology. Be sure that their use of technology matches your needs and your capacity. Generally speaking, more technology does not make a better online learning experience. It may enhance the experience, and may even make the learning more entertaining. But the additional technology does not necessarily assure that you will learn more.

• Accreditation:

Accreditation is an important issue for online schools. It is the way that many of them differentiate themselves from their competitors. Accreditation is not a guarantee of excellent quality, good service, or an enjoyable online learning experience. It is only a guarantee that the school has been accredited.

• Flexibility:

Often, distance learners need flexibility. Flexibility in the online learning environment is a very important commodity. Because the experience is distributed, learners tend to have a wide variety of situations—personal, professional, and academic—that impact their studies.

Once you have decided on the goals and programs, you need to research the university that best meets your requirements for time flexibility, accessibility, and ease of completing the course.

The choice of where, when and how is up to you. Best of all you do not have to travel, the costs are a fraction of attending a bricks and mortar school, and you can learn and study at your own pace and at a time that is convenient for you. Your kitchen table can be your classroom and nobody will object if you decide to have a sandwich and a glass of milk while you study.

So what are you waiting for? Find out which distance learning programs offer an online degree or skills training that you would like to receive. Then clear off your kitchen table and begin working to achieve your dream. Your future is just one click away.

Best Online University

One of the most convenient ways to further your education while keeping a job and home is registering for an online degree. With online courses you will have interactive classes via the net, will receive course work online, have an advisor who will guide you 24/7, and you can at your own convenience complete assignments from home.

There are many online universities, and many of them have unique advantages. But which will be the Best Online University for me? With online universities sprouting up everywhere it becomes difficult to determine which schools offer the best package for which individuals. To assist you there we have taken three criteria; marketability, usability, and class quality.

• Marketability

There is little question that among online universities, which university carries the best reputation. Employers consistently regard the students coming out of reputed universities as prepared for the job market and as a result, a degree from a reputed university, more than any other online university, confers marketability. There are hundreds of small universities spread throughout the country which offers very less online programs and as a result they are not that much confers marketability.

• Usability

Students consistently report good experiences with the guided notes of online universities. As it has replaced the tedious classroom chat room and malfunctioning web cams of old. Students like to prefer using online systems which have been perfected for many years.

• Class Quality

Students consistently report quality teaching in every department. There are universities like Phoenix which offers wide array of class choices.

There are many online universities which are reputed. Some of them are University of Phoenix Online, Colorado Online Technical University, Devry Online University, Boston Online University and Kaplan Online University.

• University of Phoenix Online

The University of Phoenix Online is the most widely recognized online university in the world. But beyond job opportunities, Phoenix also excels above most of its competitors with respect to teaching.

• Colorado Online Technical University

Colorado Technical University is suitable for high school graduates and adult working class professionals. Their convenient online and on ground classes will help adults build their schedules around their profession. At Colorado Technical University you will gain inspiration and an increased desire for gaining more education throughout your life time.

• Devry Online University

Devry University is one of the oldest and most widely recognized online universities. DeVry students have the unique opportunity to choose to take courses online or opt to take some in live physical classrooms. The school is uniquely able to provide many students with employment as they proceed through their education.

• Boston Online University

An online degree from Boston University represents achievement of a high academic standard. At Boston University Online, you can earn your degree during the hours and in the location that work best for you—without settling for anything less than the resources and distinction of a great university.

• Kaplan Online University

Kaplan University focuses on adding a human touch to the high technology of learning online. The flexibility and dynamic interaction of online education at Kaplan University also allows for innovative learning opportunities.

There are many good universities out there. But according to your needs and requirements in your education, you must have to choose the best online university

Advantages to Being a Professor

Are you thinking of becoming a professor? Academia involves a major commitment, so think hard. Here are some advantages to life as a professor.

Should you be a professor? Is an academic career the right choice for you? Pursuing a career in academia is a major commitment that involves many years of graduate study and an incredible amount of work, so think hard and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of this career choice.

Here are some advantages to being a professor. Be sure to check out the disadvantages as well!

* Rewarding work. Most people choose to go into academia because they find the long hours rewarding. You get to share your knowledge and insights with classrooms full of students, and change the lives of some of them. You get to write about topics that interest you greatly.

* Meaningful work. Some people choose academia in part as an alternative to the corporate world. Teaching and writing can feel a whole lot more meaningful than making a corporation richer.

* You get to use your mind every single day. Professors don't push papers (or at least not many). They don't have to do mindless projects for middle management. You get to spend your days with ideas, and with people with whom you will share those ideas and gather new ones.

* You get to write. If this doesn't sound like an advantage you, you may want to point your career search elsewhere (and not stick around for graduate school)

* A flexible schedule. Professors work hard, but they also have a fair amount of choice about when they work. If you have a family, you can schedule some of your work around them.

* Travel! Professors frequently go to academic conferences to deliver papers and to network with others in the field. Many universities pay for all the trip expenses. Yes, you'll be plenty busy at the conference, but you'll still have time to get to know the city.

* Summer break and long vacations. Not many careers come with long breaks for Thanksgiving and the holidays and summers free. Now, you probably will do plenty of work during these breaks, especially writing, but you can also take advantage of some much needed free time. Professors also get periodic sabbaticals, where they are relieved from all duties except to work on an extensive writing project.

* Fabulous people. Yes, some of the people you'll meet in academia are nutjobs. But you'll also meet fascinating and brilliant people from all over the world.

* Job security (someday). Yes, earning tenure is no easy feat. But once you have tenure, you're set! Few other careers offer this possibility.

* Prestige. Well, maybe not tons of prestige. But your mom can proudly tell all her friends, "My kid is a professor!"

College Media Literacy Courses

Media literacy is an international movement to provide students skills and insights to interpret media. Here's some thoughts on media education for college students.

I've been teaching media education classes to college students for over a decade. As you can imagine, this is a delightful topic to teach. Surprisingly, it can also be quite a challenge. I'd like to share with you some tips on how to teach students to analyze the media critically. In other words, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my experiences with teaching media literacy to U.S. college students.

What is media literacy? Media literacy is an international educational movement designed to provide students with skills, tools, insights, and a vocabulary to understand the important role media play in shaping, reflecting, and sometimes subverting our social realities. Media literacy classes often contain a production component so that students can understand the technical aspects of how media messages are constructed. Media literacy courses focus on many topics, including the journalistic production of news, the impact of media monopolies, representations of women and minorities in the media, media violence and sex, advertising and persuasion, political campaigns and the media, and the emerging role of digital media in modern life.

Why is media literacy important? People tend to think of the media primarily as insignificant entertainment. This is deceiving, because it's such an enormous part of our lives. The average American watches between 24-28 hours of TV per week, and according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average U.S. child (ages 8-18) uses the media for about 44 hours per week. That's the equivalent of a full time job. The object of media literacy isn't to criticize people for using the media so much, but rather to learn to think critically about an activity that takes up so much of our lives. In addition, most of our media is controlled by a small group of elite corporations. We should pay critical attention to media products because they are the messages of powerful people, just as we ought to pay critical attention to speeches by politicians.

Is media literacy taught widely in the United States? Sadly, no, but it is on the increase. Media literacy has been part of elementary and higher education curricula since the 1970s in countries such as Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands. The media literacy movement has made inroads in most Western countries, but the United States is an exception. This is one of the challenges of teaching media literacy to U.S. college students. The very concept that media can be studied as an important social influence and not simply as entertainment is foreign to many students.

Can media literacy concepts be incorporated into existing classes? Absolutely. For example, a political science class could offer a unit on how political ads are made and how they impact elections. A child psychology class could discuss research on children, violence, and video games.

How do you conduct a media literacy class? Well, one of the most important thing to remember when you're teaching media literacy is that you're not there to preach. You're not there to point out "hidden meanings" in the media. There aren't any, and it's important to teach your students to not think of messages as concrete things that are physically inside of a TV set or movie screen. Media literacy is not about revealing truths; it's about critical thinking and interpretation. For example, if you'd like your students to be more aware of gender roles in Disney films, the solution is not to "explain" to students what you feel those roles are. Instead, present your students with multiple readings and opinions about Disney films and gender. Then show them some clips from Disney films and ask them what they think. The students might have a completely different opinion than you, and that's fine. If they're incorporating some of what they've read and learned in their interpretation, you have a successful lesson.

Do media literacy classes avoid the traditional lecture format? Well, there are many different ways to teach, and lecture certainly has a role in these classes. But it is important to incorporate discussion so that students can engage in the practice of media interpretation. As with the Disney example, it's also typical for instructors to incorporate media clips as examples and starting points for discussion. In addition, media literacy courses often incorporate media production such as video editing and web page design. The primary object of this is not to teach students how to use these technologies (although this is big bonus), but rather to see first hand how technology and the production process shapes messages.

What's so challenging about teaching media literacy to college students in the U.S.? One of the biggest challenges is the "it's just entertainment" response, which has never ceased to drive me bonkers. Upon seeing a Disney film, a student might respond to a question about gender roles with, "Oh, you're reading too much into this film. It's just entertainment." Students often feel that if a message was not "placed' in a media text internationally, then it has no effect on the audience. They also feel that they themselves are not impacted by the media as long as they understand "it's just entertainment." There's no easy way around this. The trick is to teach students some basic concepts about interpretation, which is about interpretation and not about finding hidden meanings. Students also need to learn that media effects are not only upon individuals, but upon society as a whole. As a part of a culture, we are socialized by many factors, one of which is the media, so the values reflected in the media are part of our socialization process. Americans tend to be very individualistic, so this is a hard lesson to teach. I've found that teaching with a sense of humor and a light touch helps alleviate the sense that I'm taking media too seriously or "ruining" their favorite TV shows and movies.

How to Write a College Term Paper

Tip #1: Figure out exactly what the professor wants. Read the assignment sheet very carefully. If you have any questions, ask your professor for clarification. Visit your professor at office hours, and discuss your paper plan to make sure you understand the directions. At a guess, I'd say that at least 10% of my students over the years were downgraded because they did not follow directions.

Tip #2: Brainstorm a great topic that is appropriate for the assignment. Students often are uncreative when thinking of topics. I recently assigned students to write about international media coverage of a current event, and over half of them wrote about North Korea! Stand out from the crowd and write about something unique. You definitely want to write about something that interests you, or else this paper assignment is going to suck. If you're not sure what to write, visit the professor to get some help with brainstorming.

Tip # 3: Write an outline. Professors always tell you this, and students often don't listen. We mean it. Good organization is one of the keys to success in a college term paper, and it's very difficult to be organized without an outline. It doesn't have to be a very detailed outline, and you can certainly deviate from the outline as you write the paper. Consider showing your outline to the professor before you write the paper.

Tip #4: Make sure you back up claims in the paper with sufficient evidence. A claim is a statement of fact. Evidence is material that lends support to that claim. For example, let's say you want to claim that hot dogs are linked to child leukemia. If you're going to state this, you need to back up your claim with evidence. Discuss some medical studies and statistics, and include a quote from a credible pediatrician. When using evidence, be sure not to rely too heavily on examples. You can find examples of just about anything, and isolated examples are rarely good evidence. For example, a story about your cousin who has childhood leukemia and ate a lot of hot dogs is not strong evidence to back up your claim. Feel free to use this example, but use it alongside more general evidence, like statistics or medical studies.

Tip #5: Write a cool introduction. A creative introduction is one of those things that separates an A paper from a B paper. Start out with an interesting anecdote, a startling statistic, or something that draws the reader into the paper. Use your imagination.

Tip #6: Write a very clear thesis statement, and use the thesis statement to preview what's in the paper. This is very important. A good thesis statement is like a road map. For example, a good thesis statement might read, "In this paper, I am going to discuss the economic challenges facing three Canadian provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba." Your paper should then provide information about the economic challenges of these three provinces in the order you listed them in the thesis statement. Make your thesis statement as simple as possible, and don't deviate from it.

Tip #7: Use good sources. Students sometimes see sources as a hoop to jump through in order to get a decent grade. But good sources lead to good papers, so take the time to find them. Choose credible sources (i.e. written by people who know what they're talking about and who don't have a strong bias). Avoid outdated sources. Use sources rich with facts and ideas that you can use in your paper. Don't rely too heavily on one source. And never list sources in your bibliography that you didn't really use to write the paper, because that's academic dishonesty that can get you in a heap of trouble. A little tip: if your professor asks for a minimum of six sources, she doesn't want you to use six. She wants about ten.

Tip #8: Lose the B.S. Professors are smart. We know when a student is adding mumbo jumbo in order to reach the page limit. Introductions sometimes become storage places for B.S., so keep your introductions short.

Tip #9: Never ever, ever, ever plagiarize. Here's a definition of plagiarism, and some very good reasons to avoid plagiarism.

Tip #10: Get help if you need it. If you're just not very good at writing term papers, help is available on your campus. But you need to seek it out. Find out if your school has a study center, a writing center, remedial courses, and other resources for writing help.