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Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

Preparation and Testing Needs for Graduate School

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

Preparation and Testing Needs for Graduate School

While many seniors in college are busy preparing their resumes, scheduling interviews with companies blending this with overall social activities and classwork, many others are preparing for their next phase of academic life, graduate school. And along with this preparation comes a certain amount of stress as well as expected life changes. Many young people choose to go out of state, or at least to a different part of their state for their undergraduate studies, while numerous others remain in or near their hometown. However, the amount of out of state students in graduate programs increases a great deal. This is due in part to a strong need to separate your academic background from undergraduate to graduate levels as well as the specific focus of many programs.

Regardless of whether or not you intend to purse a terminal masters degree, such as a JD or MFA, or plan to advance into a doctoral program after your initial graduate studies, the chances are high that one of a few tests will be required. The GRE is a standard graduate acceptance test, while others such as the GMAT and LSAT are typically associated with more specialized fields. The GMAT is typical for most business schools and is part of the MBA program acceptance process. There are numerous gmat prep preparation classes, as well as software programs and specific tests and tools that can help you with your overall successful application.

Business degrees continue to be one of the most soft after and are a necessary educational background to numerous positions. Any management career can be enhanced and your prospects boosted by having those impressive words on your resume. In addition to some of the generalized questions, specific algebra problems and mathematic skills are required. This is the area that typically creates stress in applicants and is easily dealt with through various supplemental classes and available coursework. Regardless of where you plan to go to school, your transcripts, letters of recommendation and test scores will play a major role in your acceptance. These are easily dealt with through proper planning and preparation, but can also contribute to the overall work and stress load of many college seniors. While some BA candidates are busy preparing for their post college life and careers , many ambitious others are simply getting ready for their next, and more intense, phase of academic life. Where you find yourself fitting into this scheme depends greatly on your overall career intentions, as well as your financial situation. And determining how you plan to pay for your graduate degree is a whole other topic and time investment.

Money Saving Tips for College

Friday, July 8th, 2011

College is infamous for being a ridiculously expensive time in a person’s life. Although the bills add up quickly, there are money saving tips that will help keep those bills down and keep more money in the student’s pockets.

While there may not be much leniency with tuition costs, housing is an expense which can be inexpensive if the right measures are taken. There are many different options for students when it comes to housing, there are dormitories, apartments, rental houses or condominiums. Dormitories are an inexpensive living situation as the student will be right on campus and will save money for traveling. While some people do not like living with another person in one room, there are low cost student apartments or rental houses. If the student searches for apartments or houses early enough, then they will be able to find the best possible deal.  

Food is one of the biggest expenses in college, while living in the dorms most students don’t have a kitchen, eating in the cafeteria is much less expensive than eating at a gourmet restaurant. If the student is living in an apartment or house, cooking is one of the best ways to save money. Instead of eating out at a restaurant, making a meal and saving the leftovers will not only save money but will be a healthier life choice as well.

The cost of books can seem astronomical for a first year college student. Spending over $1000 on books each year can really add up. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks which will take that bill down rapidly. The biggest mistake that college students make is that they buy all their books from the bookstore. While some books can only be found at the college bookstore, many of the others can be found online, at a used book store, or in the library. One of the greatest untapped book resources is the campus library, many students go to the library simply to study but the building is filled with books and usually has the novels or textbooks used in the classes. Instead of having to buy a book, why not rent it for free? There are also great deals with online books, many of the books can be found on Amazon or Chegg and will offer free shipping for students.

Going to college may be one of the largest expenses anyone has to deal with, but by being smart with money those astronomical bills can be diminished quickly.

The Future of Education

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

The future is usually a popular topic in this country. Americans sometimes seem obsessed with trying to predict the future in order to prepare for it. Economic forecasts, job forecasts , housing forecasts and other prognostications are calculated almost as frequently as weather forecasts. No one wants to be caught in the rain, literally or metaphorically.

Predicting the future of education is actually a two-fold endeavor. On the one hand is the notion that schools need to know what careers and paths of study will be necessary for the workforce of tomorrow so that they can adjust their curriculum in order to prepare students. On the other hand, they must deal with rapid changes in the way in which people learn, in order to invest in the correct technologies and ensure that their professors and other instructors are ready to employ the new teaching methods.

Whether or not someone needs a masters in psychology or doctorate in literature isn’t interesting to the general population. However, the debate over the efficacy of online education is quickly becoming a hot button topic — and not just in academic circles. The fact that more and more students and employers are demanding online courses and degrees shows that a significant portion of the public sees the benefits of learning independently using computer resources. The flexibility of scheduling is unparalleled and the ability to proceed at the student’s individual pace instead of being dictated to by the least common denominator or the professor’s ego is also a big plus. The lower cost of online education is also a factor.

Universities are likely to continue offering more and more online learning options and professors are going to have to adapt their content to the new format.

Finding a College Apartment

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

It’s October. That means that many first-time college students are starting to realize that dorm life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Many are realizing that it might be a good idea to get out of the dorm and find an apartment or house to share as soon as they can. Depending on the school, they might be able to switch as early as the next semester while for others they will have to wait until next year. Whichever the case, it may be a good idea to start planning now for that move.

A good first step is to find a management company that specializes in college students. Transglobe property management is one company that offers their services to students. Management companies will be able to walk students through the process of finding and moving into their first apartment . They may even be familiar with the paperwork local schools require in order to move out the dorms.

Most college students are going to need to find roommates to share costs. It will also help them to stay closer to school social life if there are other students in the same home. Again, transglobe property management services can help bring students together. If a management company doesn’t offer roommate matching, they will still be able to provide detailed information on available properties, services, and rents so that a student can easily post their own ads and find roommates. Good managers can even advise students on roommate agreements, renters insurance, and other things associated with moving that many first-time renters don’t know about.

Getting a head start on the process is the key to a successful and stress-free move. For college students. who will also be dealing with studies, exams, and a full social calendar, spreading that research and work over time is much better than trying to do it all at the last minute.

Dancing Through Barriers with The Dance Theatre of Harlem

Monday, January 11th, 2010

I have a friend who at one time danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.  This amazed me, as the company has a reputation that is out of this world.  The world acclaim that this company enjoys is really unparalleled, not only for their innovative and exciting performances but for their dedication to arts and dance education through their community outreach program, Dancing Through Barriers.  When you are walking through the streets of the city, or sitting down for breakfast in one of the many fine restaurants of New York City, chances are you will hear someone having a conversation about the arts, about theatre, the museums, or the dance companies that this city so inspires.  And chances are you will this company’s name.

They are now, and have always been, committed to the enrichment of the lives of the children not only in the borough of Harlem, but the rest of the state of New York, the country of the US, and the countries of the world.  Around the city of New York, the company regularly holds classes in public schools, either a few classes at a time, or a series of classes provided through the “artist in residency” programs.  All of the programs are part of a collaboration with the staff of the schools, in Manhattan as well as such cities as Detroit Miami, Washington DC and Miami.  These programs have been made possible through a partnership between the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Kennedy Center, and for the past fifteen years this partnership has served to bring dance to many communities who would have otherwise never experienced this art form.

The company was founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell.  Mitchell was inspired by Martin Luther King, and shortly after King’s assassination, Mitchell decided that he wanted to start a company that would offer ballet classes to the children of his hometown community of Harlem, New York.  His legacy is not only the wonderful opportunities he has provided to many children over the last fifty years, but one of the most exciting ballet companies in the world, and in the history of dance.  When in the city of New York, make every attempt to see these dancers giving back to the community and back to the cultural vibe that is that of one of the most incredible cities on the planet.