by: Jordan Dunham
There are a lot of reasons to consider taking college courses online. By far the greatest advantage of taking an internet college course is convenience. You can take a college course online from anywhere that has an internet connection. These days, with many wireless notebooks you can connect to the internet from almost anywhere which makes taking an online college course even more accessible. No more sitting in classes or being cooped up indoors. You can access your college course online from anywhere you want to.
Many people don’t think that they can find the time to fit in getting a college qualification with their other commitments. Taking a college course online can be the answer to this problem. You don’t have the same fixed schedule to attend classes when you take a college course online. You get to study at your own pace and at a time that suits you. It doesn’t matter if you want to do all of your college work in the evenings or at weekends, with a college course online you can do exactly what you want.
Many of the institutes that offer a college course online do not set any time limits for you to complete the course in. This means that you can take as long as you need. If you find that you are unable to study for a few days, weeks or even months there is no problem when you are studying your college course online. You simply start studying again whenever you are ready.
Another benefit of taking a college course online is that a large number of them do not have a formal exam that you have to sit at the end of it. Many of the courses are awarded based on the marks gained in assignments throughout the course. However, if the particular course that you want to take does require that you take a supervised exam to qualify then you will be offered a time and place to suit you.
There are no age limits for people who want top take a college course online. This is ideal for more mature students who don’t relish the thought of going back to college and being surrounded by students who are half their age. So if you are 18 or 80 you can take a college course online and obtain the qualification that you have always wanted. You are allocated a personal tutor who is available to help you with questions and help you work through your assignments and will mark your college course online or by post if you prefer. Some courses also have facilities for students to chat to others taking the college course online to exchange ideas and offer support.
by: Steve Gargin
There has always been a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education. The answer to this is quite simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college education and there are bad establishments that offer an online college education. So, you need to do your research in the same way when you are looking for the best place to pursue your online college education with as you would an offline course.
Of course you are not going to particularly bother finding out about the location of the colleges that offer an online college education because it really doesn’t matter. However, a lot of the other points that you would consider before attending a college should also be taken into consideration before you enrol with an organisation offering an online college education.
The growth in the numbers of people pursuing an online college education has led to increased competition amongst institutions to attract students. The best way to assess the credibility of a site advertising the best online college education is to ask about the accreditation of its courses. Accreditation means that a governing body for a particular field has endorsed the course and this is extremely important in helping you to decide who to trust with your online college education. If a course is not accredited then you need to find out why.
There may be a number of courses that have not yet received accreditation from an appropriate association or governing body but still offer a good online college education. For example, the establishment may have applied for accreditation but not yet been assessed, in which case you can actually check with the particular body that they are in the process of assessing the application for accreditation. Another reason may be that there is no appropriate body that the course can be accredited to. This is less likely but is, nevertheless, a valid reason and does not indicate that the course offered is not going to be worth taking to advance your online college education.
If, however, you find that the online college education institution has been refused accreditation they are likely to try to tell you that accreditation is not important. This is quite simply untrue. An online college education from a non-accredited institution is not going to be viewed as highly as one from an establishment that is accredited. Choose where you gain your online college education from with care to ensure that you are not wasting your time and money by having an almost worthless qualification.
by: Jordan Dunham
Choosing a college degree can be a very difficult decision to make. There are many things to consider but it is important to decide on the right college degree for the type of occupation that you want to pursue. You may find that you do not actually need a college degree but that a certificate or diploma will be sufficient, or your chosen profession may require further study after a college degree such as medicine or law.
Certificates or diplomas require a shorter period of study than a traditional college degree and are usually taken by students wanting to pursue a career in an occupational field. Quite often a certificate or diploma can be taken before embarking on a college degree course.
An associate degree is awarded after completing a two-year college degree course. Some community colleges and other universities offer an associate degree program which allows you to transfer to a four-year college degree course after you have been awarded the appropriate associate degree. There are a number of occupations where a two-year college degree is recommended or required including:
• Administrative Assistant
• Automotive Mechanic
• Cardiovascular Technician
• Commercial Artist
• Computer Technician
• Dental Hygienist
• Drafter
• Engineering Technician
• Funeral Director
• Graphic Designer
• Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician
• Hotel or Restaurant Manager
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Medical Record Technician
• Insurance Agent
• Registered Nurse
• Surgical Technologist
• Surveyor
• Visual Artist
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
A traditional four-year college degree is the most frequently required qualification for a number of occupations. Some examples of professions requiring a four-year college degree in an appropriate discipline are:
• Accountant
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Dietitian
• Editor
• Engineer
• FBI Agent
• Investment Banker
• Journalist
• Medical Illustrator
• Pharmacist
• Public Relations Specialist
• Recreational Therapist
• Research Assistant
• Social Worker
• Teacher
• Writer
There are also a number of occupations that require a student to obtain a college degree that is longer than the conventional four-year college degree programs. These extended professional college degree programs include:
• Architect
• Biologist
• Chiropractor
• Dentist
• Diplomat
• Doctor
• Economist
• Geologist
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Management Consultant
• Palaeontologist
• Priest
• Psychologist
• Public Policy Analyst
by: Jordan Dunham
College life can be a lot of fun but there are college and university exams that need to be taken. Unless you are the type of student who can sail through college and university exams with little or no effort, you're going to have to spend time studying hard in order to pass them. The stressful situations that college exams bring can hold you back if you do not learn how to handle it in a health manner.
You obviously must study before taking your university exams and you should make an effort to review all of the material that was covered in classes thoroughly. Many students get so anxious and worked up that they actually make themselves sick with worry and stress and are unable to recall the information that they studied. Does this sound familiar? If so, you need to find a way to help you relax or you may very well find yourself failing courses.
The sooner you can start preparing for your college exams, the better chance you'll have at scoring high marks. This may sound obvious, but with all the distractions that come along with college life, it can be easy to put off studying until the last minute. Doing this will cause a lot of unnecessary pressure and you're not going to help yourself if you approach your college course preparation this way.
You also need to make sure that you have a study schedule laid out when you're getting ready to take an exam. Lay out a schedule of the material you are going to study and follow the plan. Many college and university students don't remember to build ample rest time into their study plan and end up being too tired to accomplish anything effectively. The best way to prepare for college testing is in short sessions so that you're able to absorb all of the material.
Make sure you get enough sleep and eat properly. If you're not healthy and alert you are going to find your exams much more difficult then they would've been if you had taken proper care of yourself.
by: Charles Kassotis
Even if college is years ahead for your son or daughter, or if you aren’t sure whether you plan to go on for university study following high school or community college, it never hurts to set aside savings that can be used for this worthwhile plan when the time comes. College costs continue to rise each year, with some institutions increasing tuition rates by five percent or more. It’s a good idea to start saving now so your money can compound at a decent rate and bring in a profitable return for future studies.
1. Start a savings plan. Have an affordable sum deducted from your paycheck and placed directly into a savings account. Forget about the money except occasionally to check on interest rates and balances. Over time, it will add up, and after several years you will have a fair amount to apply to college expenses.
2. Set aside a portion of cash gifts. Instead of spending it all in one place or for several things, take ten or fifteen percent out of a cash gift and add it to your savings account. If you get $100 for a Christmas present, put $10 into your savings account and spend the rest. Do the same for any unexpected windfalls.
3. Contribute a portion from each annual paycheck increase. If you get a five percent raise, divert one-half percent to savings. Do the same for year-end bonuses or other cash gifts associated with your job. You won’t miss the money if you do this up front, and the savings plan will increase that much more rapidly.
4. Get a part-time job. Whoever is destined for college could tackle this option, placing most or all of the income into a college savings plan. The job might take just a few hours each week or over the summer, as well as Christmas and spring breaks. Have the college-bound person keep track of the savings.
5. Invest in a mutual fund or money market account. Request that relatives give savings bonds instead of candy or toys for holidays and birthday gifts. Use these, and part of the monthly allowance, to open a mutual fund account. Adding $25 monthly can make a difference over the long haul, especially if the stock or the fund performs well.
Odd jobs, inheritances, and small scholarships won in high school can go into the savings account as well. The important thing is to keep depositing money into the account, don’t take anything out, and be patient as you wait for the account to grow with interest to become the financial support you need to make college dreams come true. Even if you are unable to save all of your college costs, you can save a sizable amount that will go a long way toward paying that hefty tuition bill, book and lab fees, or general service costs.
by: Sintilia Miecevole
Once you are accepted into a college and begin taking classes, the next step is to decide on a major. Most college graduates change their major several times before they finally pick one and stick to it, so it is important not to get discouraged if you have a hard time deciding right away. However, there are some factors to consider beyond your general interests when you decide the subject on which you will focus your studies. It will take a lot of research and soul-searching for you to find a good and somewhat practical match for your interests and lifelong goals.
The first thing to consider when choosing a college major is what interests you the most. Some subjects are more financially lucrative than others, but there is no sense in studying a subject that will make you miserable once you begin working in your field. It is obvious that business, sales and marketing degrees tend to put you on the path toward financial wellbeing, but if you are not interested in the business world you will find that you do not enjoy your chosen career path. Rather than choosing something simply because of future financial benefits, try exploring a variety of options before locking down on one. If financial status is major goal, take a variety of science classes to see if those suit your fancy.
However, practicality should be considered when you choose your major. You should evaluate that reasons you are in college, and plan your course of study accordingly. If you are attending strictly to gain general knowledge and experiences, then choosing something simply because you are interested in it might be an acceptable way to go. If you enjoy reading and writing, getting a degree in English might be beneficial to you. However, English degrees are not quite as marketable as business or science degrees.
If you are unclear about your interests when you first enter college, rest assured that you are not alone. Many people look at their undergraduate experience as a way to get acquainted with themselves in an intellectual and a personal way. Take a wide variety of classes during your basic coursework, and you might find that your major finds you. If you tend to enjoy psychology classes more than anything else, you might consider majoring in the subject, especially if you plan to attend graduate school.
Keep in mind that you can always change your major. Granted, you may end up spending more time in college than you had originally planned, but if you look at it as a journey of exploration, you will find that you will learn more from your college years than you would if you had the get in and get out mindset. Once you finally decide on your major, you will feel confident that you will have made the right choice, and you will be able to learn more from your classes than you would if you were still unsure.
No matter what college major you choose, remember that you are not writing anything in stone. Once you graduate, you will have the freedom to choose whatever sort of profession that holds your interest. Recent graduates are all the same in that they have limited experience in any given field, even if they do have specialized degrees. If you are planning to attend graduate school, you will once again be able to choose another course of study. As an undergraduate, your main goal should be to learn as much as you can about everything that interests you, and to gain as much real life experience as possible. College is your last chance to explore the world without extreme financial responsibilities, so use your time wisely and learn as much as you can.
by: Bill Platt
There are two kinds of people in life: those who continue learning well past the last ringing of the high school class bell, and those who are trudging through life praying for retirement.
In my own life, 40 has finally arrived. Am I old? No. Should I feel old? Why?
School is twenty years in the past for myself, and yet, everyday is a learning experience for me. I am still learning astronomy and engineering from The Science Channel, and I am engaged in a daily pursuit of learning to be a better computer programmer.
I was one of those unlucky soles in that I graduated from high school in 1983. My choice career since 1979 was that of a computer programmer. In 1983, when I entered college, I was stoked. I was going after my dream to be a computer programmer.
Unfortunately, I was relegated to gaining my education from a two-year college, whose computer science teacher chose to live in the past. The college that was close to my home was my starting point in my college career, and they were stuck in the technologies of the 1960's and 1970's.
While in high school, I had been privileged enough to be able to have Personal Computers in the classroom. I was able to be schooled in computer programming on TRS-80's (fondly called Trash 80's by those who used them) and on the first Apple Computers to enter the marketplace.
The writing was on the wall. The future of computer programming was in the personal computer market. Yet, our instructor would only teach us Fortran, an already dying language. (By the mid- to late-1980's, nearly every major business had done away with those massive mainframe computers that relied upon the Fortran operating system.)
It was a very frustrating time in my life. I left college, disillusioned in the fact that I could not learn the kind of programming that I wanted to do in my life.
Move forward eleven years into the future. It was 1994 and Windows 3.11 was the computer operating system of choice. Now, that was a long time ago.
In 1994, I hooked myself up with my first personal computer, and then began the self-teaching process. In 2001, I began teaching computer programming to students who were paying for Adult Continuing Education courses as our local vo-tech.
For me, programming is an everyday learning experience. This past weekend, I was finally able to break through in my understanding of a concept that I had previously had a lot of problems in comprehending.
It was two days past my 40th birthday, and I had a major learning breakthrough. Even at 40, I am still young in heart and mind.
If I were to contribute only one thing to my youthful feelings that would be the fact that even at 40, I find time in my day to learn new things.
