Tips to Having a Successful College Career

June 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
alarm clock, bought from IKEA

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Beginning your college career can bring about a multitude of feelings and emotions. Some students will be excited, while others will be confused and a bit anxious. Regardless of how you feel when you begin college, you’ll need to take on new responsibilities, and lots of them.

Knowing what to take to college can be confusing, too. There are many items and you can pretty much take whatever you want, but there is essential gear for college students that need not be forgotten. The most important items aside from clothing are a computer, whether it’s a laptop or a desktop, and don’t forget that always important alarm clock. You’ll need to get to class on time, after all, and your parents won’t be around to wake up.

Time management is an essential skill that college students must learn. With numerous classes, club meetings, and even sports thrown into the mix, it can be difficult to manage everything. Classes and homework should always come first. Attend all of your classes and be sure the required homework is done on time. If you’re having trouble with a class, all colleges offer tutoring. You can seek help from professors as well.

Self-confidence is essential in college. Regardless of what you study, you’ll likely come across a difficult class. In most cases, it’ll be a class that’s required to earn your degree. Have the self-confidence that you’ll get through it. Use the available avenues if you need help. Never count yourself out, just because there may be a road bump or two. With help and self-confidence, you can get through.

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4 Apartment Hunting Tips for College Students

May 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Apartment buildings lining the south side of E... 

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An important part of life at college is your accommodation. For many students, living at home is not an option. You might find that your best option is living in an apartment, but, having never had to search for one before, you might find it difficult to locate something that is right for you. Here are four great tips which could help you find the right apartment.

1) Know your budget and stick to it. Too often people can be lured into renting something that is way beyond their means. Before you even consider walking into a real estate office, carefully plan out your budget and figure out how much you can afford to spend on rent. The general rule of thumb is: rent should be less than 55 percent of your income.

2) Location, location, location. Not every alternative, listed on places such as Atlanta apartments, is created equal. Avoid apartments which are too far from college. Research the area as well. Find out if the neighborhood is safe enough for you to be able to live comfortably. Also, check to make sure that the apartment has adequate safety measures, such as secure locks on the doors and windows.

3) Ask the right questions. Don’t be afraid to thoroughly question the realtor. There are many important questions you could ask them.

4) When it comes to inspection time be sure to thoroughly look over the apartment. Check every nook and cranny; try to be aware that even though the place might look fantastic on inspection day, there could be several things wrong with it.

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Refinance Tips for College Students

May 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Higher education can be expensive. If you are a traditional student chances are you have a few loans, whether they are in the form of a credit card, a car loan or a student loan. Nontraditional students tend to have higher amounts of debt and may even have a mortgage. How do you keep up with all those payments and still study? Refinancing may be the answer. Refinancing can not only lower the initial payment but also may allow consumers to combine bills and pay off higher interest rate loans faster resulting in money saved.

There are many ways to refinance. It is possible to try to do a car refinance or a student loan refinance. The best thing a college student can do for themselves is to build a good credit history. The better the credit history that is available, the better the refinance deal that can be secured. That cell phone bill you pay every month?  Pay it on time to build your credit.

Don’t go with the first company you investigate. Do your homework outside of school. Be sure the company is reputable. Check with the Better Business Bureau to be sure there are not multiple complaints about their business practices. It is also wise to compare offers. The terms of different refinance loans can vary greatly in terms of interest rates and the length of the loan. Understand if there are penalties for early pay offs.

Refinancing is a great way to lower payments. Follow these tips to be sure you get a great deal!

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Who can study?

March 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Most of us have a picture of the typical’ student, they’re a bit of a ‘nerd’ with thick spectacles and not all that good at sport. kind of like the guys in ‘The Big bang theory’ a good comedy program, but not really all that good of a picture of your typical student! (and guaranteed to put off the ‘jocks’ among us!).

Years ago, carrying on study after high school was the reserve of the gifted and the rich. But today, because of the World Wide Web that stranglehold has been shattered and it’s now available to all and that’s fantastic.

The Web has been around for twenty years (only twenty despite the fact it feels like much longer) and was created originally to be a reservoir of Human Knowledge for us all to tap into.

The style of teaching at curriculumweb.org allows everyone (not just the nerd) to be a student and to take part in the process the way that the web was designed to work.

That still doesn’t really answer the question who can study?

Well the truth is everyone from Moms at home with the kids (both married and single) to the Lawyer working in an office wanting to push to get that extra qualification. All it takes is a computer and a little time each week (I was wanting to say each day but we don’t always get the time each day!).

Ever heard the saying ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’? Well, it’s a true saying. If it’s important to you, then you’ll find a way!

But here’s the key. Keep your eye on the destination. keep saying ‘one day I’ll be a____’ (You fill in the blank)

enjoy reaching for your dream.

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Getting started

March 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

All this stuff is very nice. But where do we start?

It can feel like there are gaints in the land, rampaging through our emotions telling us that there are too many problems with getting a handle on this online learning stuff!

There’s only one thing that Giants are good for, and that’s killing! Yep, they’re the only thing we are allowed to kill otherwise we’ll never be free of them.

Getting started online education (studying) can be just like that. We know where we want to end up (with a better job or learning about a hobby) But where do you start? I mean the choice is so big that it’s one of the main things that puts people off in the first place

Well there’s a saying ‘How do you eat an Elephant? one piece at a time!’ and that’s the best way to get started with studying online, one piece at a time.

At curriculumweb.org that’s how they approach online learning. Online learning is the weapon that can slay giants! and you can learn to use it from the comfort of your own home!

King David took five small stones from a river bed to Kill Goliath the giant. He only used one, they say it’s because Goliath had four brothers, that may be true. But he took what he needed to do the job and got it done.

You can do the same, except you don’t have to run to the Battle front standing there alone like he did. You can do it from the comfort of your own home and work together with other Giant killers as they seek to put an end to their gaints as well as yours!

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Where to study?

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Stuck in a dead end Job? Wanting to break out of the mould?

There are lots of reasons that people think about studying. There are also just as many reasons people try to put the study off but the truth is ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got!’

OK, so what about those of us who want to ‘break out of the mould’ as it were. How do we ‘head for the high ground’ and find the right place to study?

Googling ‘online learning’ will only cause more headaches as I just did and got 230,000,000 hits! and that’s not just the sites but also includes universities (in the rest of the World) and Colleges in the US who at best have a small section that fits in a bit of online learning.

The beauty of studying online is you can do it anywhere. From the comfort of your own armchair to the motel room after a long day on the road. All you need is a laptop with a modem and a phone cable in the room.

But what if there was a place that was dedicated totally to online learning,and to providing education and teaching methods online? Well there is.

curriculumweb.org is just such an organization. They are dedicated to online learning and to the collaborative approach that comes from students working together to solve problems as well as developing teaching methods appropriate to the situation.

What better way to work on getting those SAT scores up to get into college or even furthering that college degree and turning it into a Masters! (Now that would look good on the resume, wouldn’t it?)

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Online education…what is it about?

December 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Online education has increased quickly over the year, due to the ease of it. If you have the internet and a computer you can get an online education. As of 2006 3.5 million students and in the past 4 years it rose 14 percent. there also say that by the time 2014 get here it will rise to over 80 percent will use online education. Online education or what some call E-learning is primarily used in kindergarten through 12th grades, and in college. It usually happens in a trditional classroom and some are allowed to do it at home or other places. In the early 1950′s online education was experimented with in elementary school in reading and math as the subject. In 1993 came along the online lectures that with the help of some software and a professor created whats called virtual instructional classrom environment in science, from then on jit just kept getting better and better. With online education you can study just about anything and can do your schooling just about anywhere you can get internet. so if you were an online student and you want to go to a starbuck or dunkin donuts for coffee you can still learn while sitting there enjoying your Coffee. Its one of the most reasons people do online schooling cause you can work, have kids and anything else and still take a classes or courses online. The resources that you can use to find online classes or course is of course the internet and using a search engine, or word of mouth from another student about there school. he further you get into online education pretty soon there might not be the need to have regular classes everyone will be using the internet as a way to better themselves and there Career.

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There’s More to Success Than a Good Breakfast

December 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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It’s been drilled into students brains for years and years: The key to being prepared for a test is getting a good night’s sleep and eating a full, healthy breakfast. Both are definitely essential to ensure students are ready on the day of the test, but a student can get nine hours of sleep and fill up on bacon and eggs and still perform poorly when they sit down to perform. Preparation for tests, especially standardized tests, is a yearlong project. It begins with the taught material and is aided by encouragement and useful, yet challenging enrichments. The following examples are a few ways teachers can establish readiness by the time test day rolls around.

1. Promote studying throughout the year. Many students have the tendency to cram information a couple weeks or even a couple days before the big test. Ultimately, this will not suit the student well. Cramming doesn’t generate understanding; it promotes arbitrary memorization. Teachers should help students structure and guide their studying so there’s no need to cram before a test. With good studying techniques practiced all year, students will be prepared to share their knowledge on paper.
2. Review and practice. In order for students to know what to study, it’s important for them to understand key concepts and have applications for those concepts. Since questions on standardized tests won’t be the same questions a teacher gives throughout the year, students need to become familiar with the broader ideas the question addresses.
3. Go over test-taking skills. Not everyone is good at taking tests. Test-taking is a skill that can be learned, just like solving mathematics problems and shooting a basketball. It takes practice and patience to learn a skill, and students should be taught the significance of learning the best ways to approach a test. With the right mindset and the proper tools, all students can be prepared.

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Online Education: Opening the Doors to More Opportunities

December 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Online education and Financial Aid
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Whether it is for a change in career, new opportunities at work, or enhancing your knowledge, a quality education is the key to your future success. Now that you decided to go to school, have you thought about enrolling in an online distance learning program?

What does online education have to offer?
• Scheduling
Unlike traditional universities, online universities offer courses that run all year round. No longer do you have to hold up on obtaining your degree because the required courses aren’t available until next year. Online universities also offer students a wide variety of courses and programs not readily available in their area.
• Accessibility and flexibility
With course materials readily accessible 24/7, students have the ability to read and have a second look at classroom discussions, lectures, notes, and comments. The student can cater online offerings around a busy work and home life, giving them the benefit of logging on to attend school when they want and wherever they want. As an added bonus, working professionals can continue their careers and earn a degree simultaneously.
• Increased student interaction
Online courses encourage student interaction with the inclusion of discussion questions, learning teams, and group projects. Gone are the days of a solo student hogging the educational spotlight as anonymity provides students the encouragement to participate without bias caused by gender, race or age.
• Study-centered teaching and learning
With real-world issues the focus of study, students can instantly apply newly acquired knowledge to their jobs.
• Savings
Online courses can save students on transportation costs, tuition, books and cost material, and more importantly time.
• Practical knowledge instructors
Online instructors have practical knowledge as they are professionals in their specific fields. This exposes students to knowledge and concepts that can’t be learned in books.

Are you ready to register online for a program that allows you to set your own schedule and focus on your educational needs?

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