Making it Through the Week

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Sometimes in life, it is all you can do to make it through a week where it seems like everything is going wrong at once. You have drama to the left of you, stresses to the right, and here you are, stuck in the middle with broke. But while being broke is not that great, sometimes it happens. The bad part about it all is when you’re already broke, but then you have yet another problem crop up and it just throws you for a loop. At that point it can be tempting to just curl up into a ball and whimper.

But doing that will just make you into a loser, and you have no time for that. You need to pick yourself up, and work onward to get back on your feet and start getting ahead again. Sometimes doing that means asking for more hours at work, but sometimes they just can’t get here fast enough to help with the immediate issues.

When today’s problems are just getting to be too great, or rather too terrible, a little help may be the only possible remedy to it all. In time you can root out the real causes of your problems, but for right now a little breathing room is much appreciated. With a little bit of space, you can make calmer, more clear minded decisions about what your next move is going to be. When you think clearly, you can plan without the fear and desperation making your every thought seem like a life and death struggle.

Filed Under: Online Education Tagged With:

Do Online Study Groups Really Work?

If you are an online student, you may feel like you are too far removed from the faculty and other students to create camaraderie. That’s not true anymore. Online study groups do work—and they work very well.

Collaborating In A Cloud
If you are taking online courses, you have already proven yourself to be open-minded. But it can be difficult to work with other students when you never “see” each other.

There are websites that have been developed to assist with this issue. Students can now join forces within a virtual workspace that can be easily established; password protected (to make sure those in attendance are the fellow students that you are expecting); and equip with document control features (this is essential in eliminating multiple copies of the same document).

Pros & Cons
There are inherent benefits to face-to-face contact; but it’s certainly possible to have a productive relationship via the computer (ask anyone who met on an online dating site…).

Benefits:

  • Expansive Reach – you can collaborate with people from different regions (or different countries). That is an education in itself.
  • Document Control – if you have ever dealt with consolidating comments from multiple copies of the same document from different people – you understand the value of this feature.
  • Task Assignment – It’s easy to assign different parts of a project to different participants through this online venue.

Disadvantages:

  • Learning Curve – if you are new to a certain online collaboration platform, it can delay your usage and affect the overall value of using the tool.
  • Time Zones – For participants in different time zones, the synchronous activities are not possible.
Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,

Students: The Preschool Years

As parents, we know that our preschoolers are not only students at school they are students at home as well.  Teachers at school spend up to eight hours a day teaching them things like letters, numbers, colors, shapes and beginning math skills.  We should help to reinforce what they are learning at school by using bonding time and integrate a bit of learning into it.

One way to do this is to have you child do chores after they finish their homework.  Pay them a dollar or two everyday and have them save their money.  At the end of the week as them to count the money for you.  This will teach them their numbers and if you want to get a little creative, take them to the store and allow them to pick out a piece of candy or a cheap toy and ask them to do the math before you get to the register.

There are many ways to integrate andreinforce the skills they learn in school.  It takes a littel time and creativity, but you can bond and teach at th same time.  We all want the smartest child on the block, but our children will only be asucesful as we help them to be.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: , ,

Study Groups for Adults

Going back to school as an adult can be seriously stressful and scary.  Many of us have not been to school in over a decade before we decide that we need a change.  Going back to school can be stressful because there are going to be a lot of things that we once knew and understood that we will no longer understand or know how to do.  College algebra is a great example of one of those subject.  The wonderful thing about going back to school as an adult is that we now have the ability to utilize these wonderful things called study groups.

Study groups are formed on particular subjects, an algebra study group can be used if yo are not able to grasp the entire idea behind Algebra.  Many people will be in one study group.  This makes learning much easier because you will get many different perspectives and you will likely find a method of solving problems within the algebra field that is easier for you to understand that you would have otherwise.

As an adult you will not be worried over your clothes and things that you would have worried about if you had gone to school when you were a kid, giving you more time to designate to your studies.  Study groups for adults are just another method of grasping the knowledge you want to attain.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: , ,

Online Education: The Cons

Most people are aware of the benefits of online education.  Online education is great for those of us who have children and need to spend more time at home than in a classroom setting.  If you have younger children, going to a classroom can get expensive.  The prices of daycare are outrageous and many people cannot afford to go to school simply because they cannot afford to pay a babysitter.  While the benefits of online education are plenty, there are also many things tat can be considered downfalls for online education depending on the degree you are seeking.

One such downfall is the limitation of the type of degree you can pursue.  You cannot seek a degree n the health care field at home, you must physically attend class and even clinicals.  You can get a degree in business or marketing at home, but again you are limited.

The online education option can also be a downfall when it comes to the credibility of the degree itself. For example, some online education schools are not accredited and this is important because many companies will not hire you if you do not graduate from an accredited college.

While in most cases the benefits of online classes are more important that the cons, for those people who want to ge a degree in something other than business and the like, online schol is not an option.

Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,

Narrowing The Choice For Online Schools

Manuevering the minefield of online schools is a daunting task. But there are a few criteria you can use to narrow down the choices. The hardest part of it all is settling on a career choice. But once you get past that obstacle, you still have literally dozen of online schools to choose from. So before you become completely bogged down in the options, your first consideration is to look at the job itself.

Even if you don’t have a specific job in mind, you can contact the company human resources department. Get an rundown of the schools that the company accepts for that individual job field. This is a very good first place to start when weeding down the list. Although some of the schools may be physical, you can always check for online offerings of the individual schools.

While the company is the best source of information for what school to attend, you also want to check the accreditation of the online school. The accreditation of a school can be easily checked. Most companies won’t accept online degrees if the school does not have an accreditation behind it.

The thing to ask all potential online schools is about the ability to transfer credits. You need this option if you decide to change careers. In the normal course of college, many people change their minds about the career they want to pursue. Even those that get a late start on their careers will need this flexibility.

Online schools are numerous and it is essential that you find the right one.

Filed Under: Education, Internet Tagged With: , ,

The Difference Between Online Schooling And Attending College

For those who are looking to go back to college, the question is between attending an online school or going to a campus for classes. there are pros and cons for each. But more importantly, you have to figure out what works best for your budget and your schedule. For some, the best option might be a mixture of both physical attendance and online courses. A lot of what you decide is going to be on what degree you hope to get from college. Some degrees will require you to physical attend classes. There are just some degrees that you can’t acquire online.

Online schools offer schedule flexibility. This means you can do the classes whenever you fit them in. Just beware that many colleges will require you to complete them in a certain amount of time. So while you can put off classes for one day, missing a few weeks could hurt you. That is the real danger of online classes. You have to have some self-discipline to log in on a regular basis.

Physical classes are on a set schedule. The real advantage is that you have face to face communications with your teacher. So, if you have any problems with the material, you can easily ask. Furthermore, you can communicate with your classmates to form study groups or spend time at the library while on campus. However, you may still have to complete some projects online as part of your schoolwork.

A college degree is a goal for many individuals. The type of classes you pick are going to depend on whether you need flexibility or whether you need personal motivation. Just keep in mind, that some degrees may not allow you that option. So, you will have to ultimately decide whether or not the degree is the one you really want.

Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,

Online Education: A Family Centered Method of Education

Everyone knows that after you have children, it is almost impossible to finish school.  While it can be done, getting it done traditionally is highly unlikely.  Luckily with the advances in technology and the evolution of the school system, moms can go back to school without leaving their children with babysitters.  Online education has come a long way over the last few years and made it possible to obtain a degree from an accredited institution.

On average a degree can make a person twice as much than without a degree.  A decent education is important in today’s society; however it is hard when you have children.  Adult education is hard when you add in children.  You have to find a babysitter, not just a babysitter but a sitter that you can trust.  This means you will have to run background checks and references to make sure that the person you are leaving your children with is someone that you can count on.  College is a difficult experience without having to worry about your children while you are in class.

Online education keeps those worries at bay.  You can learn at home while your kids play in the back yard.  This is a very satisfying endeavor.  More satisfying is knowing that you are earning that education while your kids are home safe with their mother, father or guardian.  There is no better feeling than working towards a better future for you and your family without sacrificing the safety or time with your family.

Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,

Creating An Effective Study Group

There are study groups and then there are “party” groups. The difference between them is the desire to learn instead of the desire to simply hanging out. So, when you decide to create a study group, it is important to look at a person’s intent and drive to learn before you hand out the invitation. It doesn’t matter what they do in their personal lives. What does matter is that they are serious about learning the material.

The other factor that should play into picking people for a study group is a compatible study schedule. A study group is ineffective if nobody shows up during the scheduled times. Sure, someone is always going to have an excuse. But the schedule should work for the majority of the participants. You can pick a time based on a general consensus or set a predetermined time that the group needs to work into their individual schedules.

Determine the goal of the study group. In other words, figure out what material you are covering. Look at what you want to accomplish learning and what you need to retain for tests. Break the material down in to more manageable pieces. Keep everyone in your study group involved in handling the material. One person should not answer every question nor should only one person just ask the questions Remember every individual in the group needs to get a grip on the study material. Try to keep the group focused. Redirect any irrelevant conversations back to the material. If it doesn’t seem that the group is focusing, it might be time to just dismiss the group and try again another time.

Finally, there is such a thing as studying too long. Set the time limit for an hour or two at the most. Breaks are important. Just limit the number of them.

Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,

Online Education for School Phobias

Many parents are resorting to online education for their children for many reasons, from school bullies to school phobias. School phobias are most prominent in pre-teens and teens.  They are at such a fragile stage in life and allowing the phobias to ruin their education is not an option.  So utilizing online education is the savior to their futures in many cases.

Online education can keep the fear of public speaking at bay for a time, while eventually they will need to overcome that fear; it is up to us as parents to help them get an education first.  If they will learn a little more easily at home, there are many online educational programs that can help.

Another phobia is that of peer pressure.  Many children already know in advance that they will not be able to say no, so they are always keeping people away, which can provoke ridicule and cause severe damage to your child’s self confidence.   This is not acceptable.

Online education is becoming a more popular method of educating children because they learn faster and more efficiently.  They learn faster and more efficiently because the distractions that are present in a normal school setting are not present while homeschooling.  No worries about wearing the best name brand clothing, no worries over which group of kids to hang out with.  They have more attention dedicated to their studies.  In most cases of online education for teens with school phobias, the child excels and makes better grades than was possible in an actual classroom setting.  You will still need to make sure that your child is getting some social time in with other children their ages; these activities can come in the form of sports or the arts, so long as they have friends and benefit of building social skills.  An online education is not enough to produce a well rounded child.  In any case, a child with school phobias will benefit from online education.

Filed Under: Education, Online Education Tagged With: , ,
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