The Online Degree Dorm Room

Associate Online Degree Programs | All About Associate Degrees - Part 6

Posted by bposton on November 21st, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I’m getting close to wrapping up this series of posts about associate degrees, but before I do I wanted to make sure you understood the advantages of getting an associate degree.

Here are some of the advantages:
 

Since it’s normally a two year program, getting an associate degree can be completed sooner than a bachelor’s degree. 

Today many skilled trades and professions, as well as high-paying technical jobs require an associate degree in a specialized field. Those types of jobs are predicted to increase over the next several years.

An associate degree is less expensive overall than a bachelor’s degree. Tuition is usually a lot less, and you normally pay less for room and board. In fact, a lot of students stay at home with their parents when enrolled in an associate degree program since most community colleges lack dorms.

(I have to interject here that since a lot of community colleges and 4 year colleges now offer online programs, the room and board aspect of this is a mute point.)

You can normally find a community college very close to home. There are many more community colleges and 4 year colleges, so you’re more likely to find one that’s close and that offers the courses that you’re looking for.

(Another interjection - with associate online degree programs, distance is not as much of an issue. However, some online programs still have minimal on-campus work requirements, so keep that in mind.)

People with associate degrees are more marketable than ever before since there has been an increase in the reputations of many community and junior colleges.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | All About Associate Degrees - Part Deux

Posted by bposton on November 20th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Here’s the next segment in my “All about Associates Degrees’ Series

Did you know that there are three different types of Associate Degrees you and earn?

Well listen up my dorm room buddy, here they are:

The first, and most commonly know of the three classes of US associate degrees offered is the associate of arts degree (also called the A.A. degree).

The second is called the associate of applied science degree (also called the A.A.S. degree).

And last but not least, there’s the associate of science degree (A.S. degree)

So those are the three types of degrees. Next, I’ll discuss the three types of people that typically choice to get an Associates Degree.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Another Online Degree Success Story

Posted by bposton on November 19th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Alvaro Conde emigrated to the US from Guatemala and was a training coordinator at a
Home Depot store in California. His passion though was counseling for orphans, runaways, and victims of violence.

That’s when Springboard Forward got involved with Alvaro.

Springboard Forward (Springboard) is an award winning on-the-job coaching and mentoring service. Springboard improves the lives of entry-level and low-wage earners and helps businesses enhance worker effectiveness and performance.
Conde was a classic Springboard Forward client–an uninspired low-wage worker in need of support and redirection. Sure enough, with six months of guidance, he came to see the upside: The English he picked up on the job was actually helping him qualify for the work he really wanted. He practiced interviewing and made a career plan, taking a second part-time job with a program for disabled children while working on a human-resources degree online.

And he won a promotion at Home Depot.

Now he enjoys his job, even as he maps out a path to something better.

“I saw that it’s like a puzzle, the way it fits together,” he says.

Way to go, Alvaro!!

At Springboard, a job is just the beginning. Springboard’s mission is to partner with business and community  organizations to improve job performance and promote upward mobility for the working poor - people who already work hard but are losing hope of ever having a sustainable career.

With Springboard, everyone wins. Employers improve job retention and productivity. Workers develop economic hope. And when employers and workers achieve shared goals, the entire community benefits.
You can check them out at Springboardforward.org

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Why do we have to lie about it?

Posted by bposton on November 18th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

This doesn’t make sense to me…

Why do people have to lie on their application?

Yes, it does happen, evidently a lot. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, 57 Percentage of U.S. hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate’s application.

Seems that lying to employers is done more often than lying to the IRS

So why do we have to lie? Are we that focused on getting the job - no matter what? Maybe so.

But it’s certainly not worth it. OK maybe if you lied on your application and didn’t get caught you think it’s OK. But lying has a way of catching up with you.

At least that’s been my experience

Oh by the way, that study also said that 93 Percentage of U.S. employers did not hire a candidate after discovering a lie on their resume.

Don’t you just wonder about the other 7 percent who did hire a liar?

Hey “hire a liar” - that rhymes!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Tips to Concentrate in Class

Posted by bposton on November 17th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

All of us want to succeed in school, right?.
 
But for many of us, concentration in this always-pressured, starved-for-time era can be
difficult. (that’s a real fact for me, anyway)

Here are some tips for helping you improve concentration and do better in either the traditional or online classroom:

 - Take time for breakfast. Those who have breakfast and enough to eat during the
rest of the day will be better able to concentrate in class.

 - Introduce yourself to music. Playing instruments has shown to increase focus and
concentration in other areas.

 - Take a supplement. I heard about one product is Focus, from the “Spray” line of sublingual sprays. Developed by doctors, Focus is a combination of homeopathic remedies that can improve concentration, support memory and help overcome apathy. It acts gently, causes no side effects and meets all FDA guidelines for good manufacturing practices. To learn more about Focus, call (866) 412-7827

 - Get thyself to bed on time. Studies show that you concentrate best after about nine hours of sleep.

 - Give thyself some space. You will be better able to concentrate on homework if you 
have a clear, uncluttered workspace. And turn off the TV; you won’t learn if you’re squeezing your homework in during commercials.

 - Get thyself organized. The National PTA suggests organizing your assignments by recording them on calendars or planners, along with due dates and dates turned in.

 - Don’t “Cram”. It increases anxiety and interferes with clear thinking, according
to the Department of Education. You’ll do better on tests if you spread out studying over several days or weeks and can relate the information to what you already know.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | The USA Today Report - the Online Degree connection

Posted by bposton on November 16th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

OK, so after posting my heart out over the report in Tuesday’s USA Today about the US Dept of Education wanting to reform the higher education system, I’m left with this nagging question…

What about online schools?

There was absolutely nothing mentioned about the trend to online education in the report. Which may mean that the Department of Education doesn’t care or doesn’t track it?

That would be a shame, because to me it’s a very important trend that they need to follow and include in any policy regarding higher education.

There was one little stat in the report that could be an indication of this trend. It was reported that 39% of all students at degree-granting institutions were over the age of 25, and that nearly 40 of students go part time.

hummm, I that sounds a lot like the profile of someone in the online dorm room

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Program | More US Dept of Ed Stats

Posted by bposton on November 16th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

In an effort begin reforming the higher eduction system inthe US, The US Department of Education, headed by Margaret Spelling, referenced some interesting stats the other day in the USA Today.

For example:

According to a 2006 Report by the American Institute for Research, more than 50% of all graduating students at four years colleges did not have the skills needed to handle tasks like understanding credit card offers or summarizing arguments of newpaper editorials.

That number increases to 75% of students graduating from 2 year colleges.

And according to Spelling, most colleges can’t measure whether their student’s skills are improving and that’s not a factor in today’s rankings in US News and World Report.

The Department of Education says that to reform this and other measures such as degree completion rates, a Federal database is needed to track graduation rates and other factors more effiecently and to make this data easily available to prospective students. They also want colleges to publish data on how students are improving. What’s interesting is that a lot of colleges already are doing some sort of measurement - they’re just not making it available to anyone but themselves.

More on that later

Ben

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associate online degree programs | Spelling recommendations to college under fire

Posted by bposton on November 15th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

More about the government’s attempt to “improve” higher education quality.

US Education Secretary Margaret Spelling created a commission awhile back to make recommendations to reform the nation’s higher education system.

The process itself and the motives behind it have come under scruntiny in the past few months. One reason are some of the resulting recommendations.

One recommendation that is coming under fire is the creation of a database to track individiual students. That worries a lot of Student groups across the country because it could raise tons of privacy issues.

This month Spelling and her department will be meeting with the accrediting agencies and also asking for public comment.

One of the questions they’re likely to be asked is why are they spending so much time an money on this when what really need to do is make more money available for lower income students who can’t afford to go to college.

In my next post I’ll look at their side of the story, and let you in on some of the distrubing facts and figures that the US DoE has put out recently.

Ben

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associate online degree programs | How to combat College Stress

Posted by bposton on November 15th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

So here you are, the end of the semester is approaching, and you’re and trying to balance exams, papers and projects. Meanwhile, the cafeteria food has you homesick for some good cooking, and your roommate’s pile of clothes is oozing into your side of the room.

Ah, but it’s so much easier here in the online dorm room

But hey, either way we all have to handle stress. With online classes, it might not come from roommates, but there’s always the stress of job deadlines and other family responsibilites trying to grab your time away from the classes you’re taking.

If the stress is more than you can handle, consider these tips:

 - Get organized. When your work space and schedule are organized,the rest of your life
becomes better organized. Take the time to arrange your papers into files by subject, putting your books on a bookshelf and clearing your desktop every day. Then, get an organizer or PDA and start putting due dates and social activities on the calendar.

Personal note - I currently use a Dell Axim PDA and I’m here to tell you, it really does make a difference when you’ve got your “to-do list” to refer to anywhere you want. It makes thing so much easier, especially for folks like me that forget half of what the need to do

 - Discuss any problems with your professors or an adviser. You should take full advantage of the knowledge your adviser has in helping you manage your schedule and to help you combat any problems you are having with certain subjects. If you have a spouse who supports your efforts to obtain an online degree, make sure he or she is involved and understands your issues. There’s nothing like having a supportive spouse to discuss things with.

It often amazing how much my wife knows that I don’t

 - Maintain a balanced lifestyle. It’s important to eat, sleep, and exercise regularly. I have to admit I need to get back on that expensive treadmill we bought this year. You should also make a point to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and carry light snacks with you to maintain your energy throughout the day. You should also have a goal to get eight hours of sleep each night, and exercise for 30 minutes at least three times a week.

 - Take your vitamins! Studies have shown some all-natural supplements can be beneficial in the fight against stress. So make sure you suppliment your diet with the right vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other suppliments that can help your body ward off the effects of stress.

Ben

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The “Scholar - Ship”

Posted by bposton on October 19th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

OK, this is probably off the beaten path, so to speak, but I thought it was very interesting way to get some college
credit - if you have the time (and money) to take the trip.

It’s called the “Scholar Ship” and it’s a new way to get an international education.
The Scholar Ship is a semester-long academic program aboard a dedicated passenger ship that will
travel around the world.

Scholar Ship is partnering with Royal Caribbean and the United Nations University and is backed by a
consortium of universities in Australia, China, Morocco, Mexico and Ghana.

The ship holds about 600-700 students, and the first trip starts in September 2007. It will begin
in Piraeus, Greece and take in five continents before ending in Kobe, Japan in December

Pretty cool, huh?

Oh, I forgot to mention - it costs $19,950 per sememster, which covers tuition,
living costs and voyage.

Bon Voyage!

Ben

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