The Online Degree Dorm Room

online degree programs psychology | Something new…

Posted by bposton on May 6th, 2008 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Hello my dorm room buddy

Hope all is well and your exams didn’t blow your mind…

I came across this story this other day and thought it was quite interesting.

Most universites know how to reach out new students, Tiffin University is doing something no other school has tried:

They create an online college just to get students to its school.

Ivy Bridge College is an online-only school developed and run by Tiffin University
offering associate degrees which can open up doors to a four-year degree at Tiffin
and other schools.

Just what is Tiffin?

Well, they are an independent, coeducational institution that has been educating
students since 1888, and they’ve achieved national recognition for its accredited
on-campus and online courses.

Tiffin’s Ivy Bridge program is designed particularly to help students who need extra
academic assistance to succeed and will team students with coaches who will monitor
their progress.

Specifically, Ivy Bridge College offers:

Log On Anytime. Students can log on to take classes at any time, setting their own
schedule, and completing the program in as little as 20 months.

Connection with teachers and students. The school is encouraging email contact with
teachers, news group discussions, online chats, and office hours. Students will be
able to connect with each other as well.

A planned path. Ivy Bridge has agreements in place with Tiffin University and dozens
of other colleges and universities throughout the United States. These agreements
make it easier for students to be accepted into and to transfer credits to four-year
institutions once they have completed their Ivy Bridge degree.

Earn a highly prized degree. Ivy Bridge students will earn a Tiffin University degree,
which is authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents and accredited by the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission (NCA) and by the Association of
Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Applications for new students is currently under way, so if you’re still just thinking about starting with an online course - stop thinking and start doing!

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Engineering Degree Online | What, no High School Diploma??

Posted by bposton on November 12th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I got a question one of my online degree dorm room buddies who asked:

“I’ve got a friend who never finished high school, what are his chances at a good career?”

My answer - not very good

Folks who don’t have a high school diploma will earn $200,000 less during their lifetimes than those who
graduate from high school, and at least $800,000 less than those who have a college degree.

That’s according to stats published by the Educational Resource Information Center.

But here’s the good news…

Nowadays, if you never finished high school you have a huge variety of options to help you earn that diploma.

Here’s one example; The Liberty High School Diploma Program gives you a way to get a high school diploma by way of
distance learning. 

This program is offered by a company called Careertel, and it’s approved by the Vermont State Board of Education.

It’s pretty convenient for folks who are busy and can’t take time away from work.

Exams are submitted by mail, faculty advisers offer help by phone and course
material is provided with each class.

So what about the GED?

Well, studies have shown that a student with a standard high school diploma, as opposed to an equivalency
certificate, has a better shot at getting a job, all other things being equal. They also stand a better chance
of getting through college.

For more information about the Liberty program, call Careertel at (800) 820-4202.

Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | Housing Bust creates online learning Opportunity

Posted by bposton on November 11th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

OK, I guess I shouldn’t call it a Bust…:-)

But the fact is that housing sales are down. Ah, but there’s a silver lining…

Why am I taling about housing sales and what does that have to do with an online degree?

Well, just hear me out my door room buddy, especially if you’re a Realtor…

The fact is that sales are down pretty much everywhere. According to the October 2006 Freddie Mac Economic & Housing Outlook, home sales for this year are expected to fall 9 percent from 2005 figure.

And projected sales for next year are even worse. To prove the point, sales of existing and new homes in August were down 12 and 15 percent, respectively, from 2005.

So what’s a Real Estate agent to do?

Try going back to school for that degree!

If you’re an agent who wants to remain competitive, then you should think about these points made by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:
 
1. As real estate transactions have become more legally complex, many firms have turned to college graduates to fill positions.

2. A large number of agents and brokers have some college training.

3. College courses in real estate, finance, business administration, statistics, economics, law, and English are helpful.

4. For those who intend to start their own company, business courses such as marketing and accounting are as significant as courses in real estate or finance.

Here’s some more facts and figures:

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Member Profile, back in 2001 about 26 percent of Realtors had bachelor’s degrees and they earned 30 percent more than Realtors without degrees.

The 2005 NAR Member Profile now shows that 20 percent more Realtors (46%) now have at least a bachelor’s degree.

So if the market is slowing and your workload is decreasing, maybe now’s a good time to consider getting that online degree.

Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | The college textbook ripoff - continued

Posted by bposton on November 10th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

OK, I’m rested now and ready to finish my expose on the college textbook scam…

Again, to recap - it’s a 6.5 billion dollar business. The costs have risen 186% since 1986. The average student book bill is 900 per year…

ahrgggg….

Here’s another thing. Publishers are saying they have to include more and more material to serve as many people as possible, and that’s why they costs keep going up.

Of course, that also means that the darn books get stuffed with so much “stuff” that it’s impossible to go thru it all during the course!!!

double ahrgggg!!!

Here’s another thing. since these publishers are bundling disks, workbooks, and website access into a textbook, they’re not playing fair with the textbook resellers. That’s because once these type of bundles are opened, like courses with DVDs inside, they can’t be resold. So these publishers are doing everything they can to end the used book market

Yeah, I know. theres alot of reselling options on the Internet. For example there’s the every popular ebay, half.com and even independent outfits like varsitybooks.com and ecampus.com. But you know what? their slice of the business is a small fraction of the total textbook market. A 2006 report by the NACS found that 23 percent of students buy their books online and of those online sales, a third are from the websites of existing campus bookstores.

So what’s a student to do?

Write your congressman…

Seventeen states have recently proposed legislation to help curb the rising costs of books, including the requirement that schools post the international barcode number of each of the required texts so that students can shop for them online. The new Connecticut law also even require publishers to tell professors what the books cost before the professors assign their students to buy them. I guess that might make a different.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about a student who took matters into his own hands…

Ben

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engineering degree online : fake diplomas - it’s a crime

Posted by bposton on October 28th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I’ve been talking alot about fake or phoney diplomas, and degree mills.

Sorry for staying up on this soap box, but I really wanted you to understand that they are bad, bad, bad.

Actually, they’re against the law - in some states. One of those is Oregon, a state that cracks down on diploma mills all the time.

Alan Contreras works on this for the State of Oregon. Here’s a comment he made:

“You don’t want somebody with a fake degree working in Homeland Security. You don’t want somebody with a fake degree teaching your children or designing your bridges.”

I’d agree. But here’s the sad news - it’s a reported fact that investigations have found employees with diploma mill degrees at the Transportation Security Administration, the Defense Intelligence Agency and at the Departments of Treasury and Education.

A while back there was a report that one individual -  who sat on an advisory committee for the Department of Education - had two degrees from two diploma mills including Kensington University.

Kensington was forced out of business by officials in California and Hawaii.

There was also another person - A Florida State representative, who was also on the National Commission on Presidential Scholars that was another Kensington alum.

Both these people say that they worked very hard for their degree and thought it was legitimate.

What irks me is that taxpayers have probably paid for the bogus degrees of these and many other government employees. 

Just my final warning - check out the program very carefully.

OK, I’ll get off my soap box now - a least for awhile  

Ben

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