Best Schools

Your Professor is Not There to Teach

2009-10-28T08:42:00.001-07:00

I was so excited those first few days that I was in college. It was something that I had always dreamed of, and it was great to finally attain my dream. But after the euphoria wore off, I noticed one thing: my professors were some of the worst teachers that I had ever had.

I thought that for the amount of money that I had spent to get this education that the teaching quality would be better. I talked to some of my fellow students and most of them felt the same way. So, why weren’t they good teachers?

After a couple of weeks a strange thing happened one day. My physics professor sat down with us and addressed the problem of his lack of teaching skills. As it turns out, all of the faculty at our college were hired to do research and that is what they were there for. But, the school also asked that these researchers teach a class or two so that their expertise could be shared with students. So, he apologized for his lack of teaching skills, but offered to help us during his office hours if we needed it.

Later that night, I reflected upon his talk and it made sense: colleges are always looking to get more money for research so they can attract more prestigious and educated faculty to their campuses. Too bad I am here to learn I guess.

Diploma Frames Should Be a Classic Style

2009-09-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

When you are choosing the frame for your college diploma, think classic. There are many modern and edgy options available for college diploma frames these days. Although these may look neat on your wall today, they don't really reflect the seriousness of the college diploma. A classic style respects the tradition of your education and shows that you mean business when it comes to your degree.

This doesn't mean that your diploma frame has to be boring. There are a lot of classic styles for diploma frames that are quite ornate. It has more to do with choosing a design that is timeless than choosing a particular texture or shape for the frame. You can work with a professional at the store where you're purchasing the frame to get a good idea of which classic diploma frames are most commonly purchased.

There's nothing wrong with edgy, cool frames. They just aren't right for your diploma. Get an edgy graduation picture frame instead. The grad picture will always reflect who you were right at the time of your graduation. An edgy modern frame chosen at the same time compliments that. In contrast, the classic diploma frame will be something that you can take with you from place to place over time. That means something.

Cooking Classes are a Great Precursor to Cooking School

2009-09-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

You're thinking about attending a culinary arts school. You know that you enjoy cooking and you think that you might want to do it for a living. A degree from a good cooking school would allow you to do that. But if you're not quite sure that this is what you want to do with your life then you may be wondering if an investment in cooking school is a wise decision. If that's the position that you find yourself in then you might want to consider taking a few cooking classes before signing up for a whole cooking school program.

There are many different types of cooking classes that you can take. You can take a local class through your community college. You can take free or inexpensive classes that are offered by local grocers or Farmers' Markets. You can take a single class or a series of classes through an accredited culinary school that offers classes to people not attending their programs. Any of these options would give you a little bit of experience regarding what cooking school would be like. This experience can help you to decide if cooking school is right for you. If it's not then you'll know without spending a lot of money. If it is then you'll feel better about your decision. Either way it's a win-win situation.

Pros and Cons of Staying the Summer

2009-07-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

If you are going to school away from home, maybe even out of state, there are both pros and cons to staying the summer.

The first question to ask, of course, though, is Can you? Does your dorm allow students to stay there over the summer? Do you have to be enrolled in summer classes in order to stay? If you are in an apartment, is your lease up now, or can you continue staying there throughout the summer — perhaps even continue on in the same apartment come fall?

The next question is, how much of a hassle is it to move home? If your folks live out of state, it can even be a little expensive to move all your stuff home and then back to school again in the fall, for instance if you have to rent a truck or pay a lot to fuel a cross-country trip.

On the other hand, returning home for the summer can actually save money. Regardless of whether you live in the dorms or in an off-campus apartment, you can save a lot by living rent-free with your parents for the summer. You might even be able to find a summer job while you're there and save up some money for when you go back to school in the fall.

If you decide to return home for the summer, or at least visit for a little while, you might be able to cut costs by renting self service storage for the summer. If you find self storage near your dorm or apartment, you won't have to pay to haul all your stuff a long ways, OR take it all back again in the fall. Just put in storage anything from your dorm room or apartment that you won't need at your parents' house, such as furniture, winter clothes, and school books.

Whatever your decision, just make sure you consider the pros and cons of both sides carefully before making it!

Dad Was Right About School Events

2009-07-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

All throughout my years in high school, my dad used to bug me to participate in school events. He wanted me to attend the school's sports games and participate in school clubs. The last thing that I wanted to do was to spend any more time at school than was absolutely required of me. I ignored my Dad. Now that I'm older, I realize that he was right. I should have participated more in high school while I had the chance.

What I didn't realize back then was that participating in school events would have taught me skills that would be useful today. I never really learned how to work as part of a team because I did everything on my own in high school. I never learned how to conform which has sometimes made it difficult to get along with bosses in my adult life.

I also think that there are people from my high school who have maintained their friendships from that time. I did not. I just never felt that close or connected to people there so it was easy for us to drift apart. Had I been more active in events at school, I might still have some of those friends today. I can't go back and change it but if I could then I would. Maybe my kids will listen to me better than I listened to my dad.

Where to Hang Your Diploma

2009-06-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Your diploma is a special document which should be hung up where it can be seen. Most people know this. However, a lot of people don't really know where a good place to hang their diploma may be.

Top choices for where to hang diploma frames include:

Your office or cubicle. If you work in a professional setting then you should frame and hang your diploma where clients can see it.
Your home office. If you work from home then you should make a spot in your home office for your diploma. It helps remind you of how much you have accomplished.
Your den. People who don't want to hang their diplomas at work may find a spot in a den at home where it looks good.
Mom's house. If the diploma doesn't mean enough to you for you to hang it then give it to Mom and Dad. They'll be proud to hang it in their home to show it off for you!

It took time and money to earn that piece of paper. Don't let it just sit in a drawer when it could be hanging in a great frame on your wall instead.

The Importance of Proper Training

2009-06-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, my brother-in-law decided that he was going to quit his job as a police officer, which he'd been at for nearly 10 years, and work for a friend who had his own mortgage broker business. The decision was triggered by dissatisfaction with the politics at his police department, but it was a bad move. I don't think he realized how difficult it is to make a living on commissions without having the proper loan officer training.

The business did put him through the minimum training required, of course, but it just wasn't enough for my brother-in-law to understand what he was doing. He needed some more in depth mortgage education, which he didn't get.

In addition, a successful broker usually needs to build a reputation and relationships with real estate agents in the area, so that he can depend on them to send business his way. Like any business where you are dependent on yourself for income, being a mortgage broker requires a lot of marketing yourself, and I just don't think he understood this.

The end result was that after several months working in that office, he still wasn't making enough in commissions to pay his bills and support his kids. He ended up going back to work as a police officer (at a different department), and that ended his short stint as a mortgage broker. I guess there is a lesson in this — to be successful in a career change, you really need to have the proper training to make the change in the first place!

Cooking Schools Start Up the Campfires

2009-06-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things that people working in the cooking industry are starting to realize lately is that it's really important for all chefs to know where their food comes from. They need to have an understanding of how it's grown and where it thrives in order to truly know when it's fresh. Cooking schools and culinary arts academies are taking this to heart and making sure that their students get outside of the classroom and back in touch with nature.

Take a look at the calendars for any local cooking school and there's a good chance that you'll see at least one day scheduled for getting outside. Students may be asked to spend a day working on a local farm. Alternatively, they may be taken out on a camping trip to learn about finding and cooking with native foods. At the very least, they may be asked to get their food from the farmers' market.

Good culinary arts institutes around the nation are making plans to make sure that their students gain a thorough understanding of their food from start to finish. They simply can't make a good finished product if they aren't in tune with the farming and shipping processes that go into getting the food ready for cooking.

Does It Matter What School You Go To?

2009-05-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

I went to a college preparatory high school where everyone was on track to get into the best colleges possible. Most of my graduating class went on to Ivy League schools. At the time, getting accepted to a great college seemed like the most important thing in the world. Now that I'm in the working world, I can see that it might not matter as much as we thought.

The school that you go to certainly matters in terms of the being able to pursue a degree that interests you. I'm just not sure that it matters whether you go to a name brand school or not. If the Transitional Audiology Online degree at at still university makes more sense for you than an audiology degree at a top Ivy League school then you may want to go with that program even though you're being pushed towards the Ivies.

The people that I graduated with who did go to Ivy League schools certainly had some doors opened for them that the rest of us did not. However, I wouldn't say that they're any more or less happy with their careers (or the way that their lives turned out) than the rest of us. My conclusion is that it's better to choose the school that's right for you than to choose the one that looks best on paper.

Benefits of Golf Jobs

2009-04-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

People who are attending college at golf academies may get some raised eyebrows from their peers at other schools. A lot of people just don't take golf jobs very seriously. The truth of the matter, however, is that there are a lot of benefits to golf jobs.

The biggest benefit is, of course, the chance to get to spend time doing what you love which is playing golf. Even people who don't go into professional golf careers but who work in other types of golf jobs will have the opportunity to do a lot of golfing during the course of their employment.

These people will also have the chance to meet others who also enjoy golf. This is terrific because it means that the job itself will be a great tool for socializing throughout the course of a lifetime. Many adults have trouble making friends at their jobs because they don't have a lot in common with others there but that's not true for people in golf jobs.

Finally, there is the perk of being able to get a job in many different wonderful locations. Golf courses are located throughout the world and many of them are in great cities. You can relocate and easily find a golf job at a place that's so beautiful that you won't believe that you get paid to spend your time there.

Looking for a Job Upon Graduation

2009-03-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

In just 2 months, I’ll be graduating college. It took me 6 years, but I did it! Let me do a little recap of my college career for you.
· I started out wanting to get a psychology degree
· I then decided I wanted to get a business administration degree
· Then, I thought I could work full time while going to school full time
· I ended up doing poorly that semester and had to retake the classes
· I took another semester off so I could work to save some money
· Finally, I got serious and knocked out the rest of my classes in just 2 years, earning all A’s and B’s

As you can see, I didn’t take the traditional route to graduation. There were some road bumps along the way, but I persevered and now I’m graduating. Honestly, I think those road bumps and failures were good for me because I really did some maturing.

Now, I need to start focusing on finding a job. I’ve had a few good internships in the business world, so I’ve made some good contacts. I know the school is having a job fair in a couple of weeks, so I’ll have to hit that up.

Wish me luck!

Culinary Classes

2009-03-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

The classes at culinary school range from cleaning to setting a table correctly. The focus, of course, is on food. You will learn about everything from making salads to baking desserts. You will practice the techniques right in class, as you learn them. As a student of culinary arts, you will spend a significant amount of your time practicing basic techniques, such as chopping vegetables and kneading dough. Instructors will help you to modify and perfect your skills.
Most classes have both a lecture and hands-on element. You will be able to practice in well equipped, modern kitchens. Students will find that they are graded, not only on the taste of their food, but on the presentation as well. Students will also be evaluated on safety, cleanliness, and professionalism.
You will be taught the realities of working in the food service industry. For the most part, culinary training focuses on practical and applied knowledge. Everything that you learn will be useful in your culinary career. However, you will have textbooks and written homework and exams. It is also likely that you will have to complete an internship in the course of your education. Some programs even have their own restaurants that students work in.

The need for LEED

2009-02-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever pondered about the environment, and where it is heading with our constant use of nonrenewable fuels? Whether we like it or not, things need to change. The way we do business, the way we drive to work, the way we use energy at home. If you are a homebuilder, you have more than likely heard about LEED. If you have been pushing toward enabling a greener environment it is strongly recommended to have workers who have passed a leed exam. Not only are you taking the steps to becoming a green company you can fulfill your leed accreditation. Accreditation is something looked at very highly among future homeowners, and helps assure those potential customers that you meet government compliancy and safety regulations.

It is important that your workers meet and exceed the normal standard of builders. Workers with leeds certification are extremely valuable in today’s market because they have passed all the needed education for efficient energy use. They are well versed in heating, cooling, hot water, and lighting design. They have the knowledge of the best technology available to create energy efficient buildings. Their specialty will be a great asset when looking into expanding in the market of building greener, energy efficient houses.

Thinking about Giving School Another Try

2009-02-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been giving serious thought to going back to school. When I first graduated high school, I gave college a try. But I just wasn’t ready for it. So, I decided to go straight to work instead. I figured I could gain plenty of real world experience, and that this experience would make up for not getting an education.
Well, now I’m ready to give school another shot. Frankly, I have no idea what I’d study (do I want an educational leadership degree or some sort of counseling degrees?) I don’t know.
But what I do know is this. I’m tired of being stuck at the same job with no chance of moving forward. The bottom line is that without that college diploma, my career options are severely limited. The amount of money I’m making might be fine for now, but once I’m ready to settle down and have a family, this job just won’t do.
So, what do you guys recommend? Do you think I should give college another try? Are there any good night school programs? What about online colleges? Any advice would be much appreciated. I’ll let you all know what I decide.

Easy Workout

2009-02-16T14:28:00.001-08:00

Recently, I was told by my doctor to engage in more exercise. I don’t have a gym close enough to home, so I decided to look into learning how to swim. The first place I found offered Swimming lessons in Miami. This worked out for me since work wasn’t to far from their location. I’ve gone a couple of times in the last few weeks, and have really started to see the benefit. I like being able to do something more cardiovascular, but not have to worry about smelling bad after a gym visit. I can’t always make it home in time to shower, so I just take a pair of clothes, a bar of soap, and a towel with me before I leave in the morning.

It has only been a couple of weeks, but, like I said, I am seeing a huge improvement. The Swimming lessons in Miami have been a great help in getting me back in shape, and feeling better than ever. I’m surprised that I never actually made time for this before, but I’m very glad that I took the time now. I’m sleeping much better at night, and I’m waking up refreshed. Swimming has been the best exercise that I’ve gotten into.

Surviving and Thriving after Paralysis

2009-01-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

A teenage parent’s worst fear is realized after a late night phone call or a knock at the door by local police officers reporting a car accident. When a teenager gets his driver’s license, parents worry about his ability to handle the awesome responsibility of driving. While a teen enjoys the freedom, the parent hopes the teen is responsible enough to arrive back home safely each time he pulls out of the driveway. Does a teenager possess the split second decision making ability to navigate the world safely behind the wheel of a car?

Each year, millions of car accidents result in paralysis with a teenager behind the wheel. While the human body is an amazing mechanism, the road to recovery is filled with amazing individuals who ultimately are tasked with healing a broken body and spirit. Transitional Physical Therapy Online prepares practicing physical therapists with enhanced skills to provide a range of care for people battling life changing injuries. Participating practitioners can reference Human Movement Online to learn about state of the art practices and gain valuable healing techniques. Arizona School of Health Sciences Programs is on the forefront of medical advances and technology to help practitioners offer the best care to their patients.

Figuring Out How to Fund my College Degree

2008-12-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I am a procrastinator, but I never realized the consequences of not planning ahead until I looked at how much college tuition costs. All of a sudden, I realized that I should have been saving my money over the last couple of years that I have worked instead of spending it all on video games.

Needless to say, what’s done is done, and I cannot cry over spilled milk. So, I decided that I was going to be a little more proactive in my approach and talk to someone that could help me figure out what I should do.

I got in touch with a certified college planning specialist to see what options I had. With one short year until I entered college, I really didn’t have much time to come up with the money. After a brief chat, he gave me some college financial aid advice that I could use to pay for my degree.

Even though I think that I now have a plan in place that will help me pay for my college degree, I am feeling a little stressed – this will be the single most expensive thing in my life to date – definitely something I hadn’t thought about until now.

Better Coaching for Kids

2008-12-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

My husband started coaching our twin sons in softball when they were six years old. We introduced them to some other sports like soccer and swimming, and after trying the others they both said they like softball best. For their seventh birthday, we enrolled them in a Florida baseball camp. They were absolutely thrilled and couldn't stop talking about it for a week afterwards.

I know kids have short attention spans and our two boys have certainly lost interest quickly in some things, but they are making a nice transition from softball to baseball. They're both naturally competitive and since they practice together with my husband joining them when he can, even I can see they're improving pretty quickly.

The baseball camp was run by a training academy that offers clinics, private lessons, coaching - all kinds of things for softball and baseball players. You can buy memberships, equipment, clothing, and even franchise opportunities. They seem to have thought of everything. One of their coaches told us there's a lot of demand for more baseball coaches these days, and he really thought the school had developed some of the best franchise opportunities he knew of.

Getting Ready to Study Culinary Arts

2008-12-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

When I decided I wanted to go to Culinary school and pursue culinary arts to try to get one of the culinary arts degrees that were available, I got really excited about the idea. I have been practicing my cooking skills and trying to build my knowledge on my own ever since so that I can get an edge for when I do finally start my courses.

I have had to put it off for a little bit for now because money has been tight and I have a lot of family obligations I need to attend to like taking care of my mother who has been dealing with a lot of different health issues and ailments in the past few recent years and I have been pitching in and lending a hand for her whenever I can. But as soon as I possibly can, I will get myself enrolled in the courses and start down my new career path.

For now I have been spending my time like I said just kind of practicing out of books and watching the cooking channel on the food network and of course experimenting on my own to see what works and what does not work so well. I will often hold dinner parties for my friends and family to try the different recipes on them. So far I have been met with much success.

A Whole New World

2008-12-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

Criminal Justice – who would have ever thought that was going to become such a big part of our vocabulary. Ever since 9/11 it has been a huge part of what Americans think about, especially when we hear of things happening in other parts of the world. After that it would be finding people to help fulfill the tasks of this position and the department.

People with a criminal justice associate degree would learn first hand what this position would require. Anything from CSI type tracking of suspects to administrative tasks to complete the investigation are a part of the job of someone in criminal justice. I have always imagined that it would be a cross between an investigation seen on a show like CSI or even like the show 24. Hopefully though it wouldn’t be as day to day dangerous as either of those shows! I bet that with an associate degree that focuses on criminal justice and homeland security and the things that go into it would be a very valuable degree these days. Why wouldn’t anyone want to get this kind of knowledge?

Summer Classes

2008-11-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

Over the summer I took a creative writing class at a local college. I was surprised at the diversity of writing the students offered. Some students had MBA degrees in economics, while others were just taking the class for self enrichment. All the students loved to write.

One of our main assignments was writing journal pages several days a week. One student, who was pursuing her bachelors in health administration, noted how the journal relieved some of her stress and anxiety just by writing her worries down. Journaling can be very therapeutic. Especially in this age of emailing and text mails, the written word is often lost.

When was the last time you received a hand written letter? Not just a note on a happy birthday or Christmas card, but an actually letter. I haven’t received a hand written letter in years. My grandmother sent me letters when I first moved away from the family. I tried to write my fiancé faithfully when I was studying abroad for a semester. He wrote me emails and sent me candy.
This summer I’ll be starting a master degree program online. I will miss the camaraderie of the summer writing class. Maybe I’ll write some letters.

The Growing Importance of College

2008-10-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

College has become much more of a necessity than it used to be. I remember a colleague of mine mentioning on her blog that when she graduated from high school, some 25 or 30 years ago, college wasn’t as much of an expectation as it is today. There were still plenty of good jobs you could get without a college education. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.

Many jobs that you could once get with just a high school diploma now require, or at least are made easier by having, a college degree. For instance, consider the golf industry. Once upon a time, no one would have considered a college education necessary -- it was enough if you just were good at golf. Now, however, if you want to pursue a golf career, you will find it is extremely helpful, if not necessary, if you have attended a golf school.

Vocational and career colleges have also expanded their programs beyond what they used to be. To continue with the same example, golf schools these days don’t just teach you how to play golf -- they also teach information and techniques that someone pursuing a career in the industry would need to know. For instance, golf course management schools teach you the ins and outs of managing a golf facility. Other subjects are things like design and construction of golf equipment, such as golf clubs, and landscaping for golf courses.

As you can see, getting a college education is more important now than ever before. If you want to guarantee your earning potential, job security, and your success in your chosen career, you should seriously consider pursuing some sort of higher education.

Distance Learning for Physical Therapists

2008-10-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

I am a physical therapist enrolled in some physical therapy courses that make up one of the Arizona School of Health Sciences Online Programs. I'm learning a lot; deciding to use distance learning to obtain more training has proven to be a good career move for me. The orthopedic clinic where I work will be raising my salary after I finish taking the classes. Some of my fellow practitioners have also taken some distance learning courses at the same school, and they agree the experience was extremely valuable. One clinician got a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, and another enrolled in an Advanced Occupational Therapy Online program, and she'll be finishing up soon.

Our clinic is managed by administrators who are firm believers in staying abreast of the most current information and technology, something that isn't easy to do. We're expected to think progressively, so continuing education is emphasized in the practice. We're not forced to go back to school, but distance learning makes it pretty convenient, and everyone wants to get a raise in pay, so there isn't much resistance to taking extra courses. I consider myself lucky to work for people who invest so much in their employees.

Going Online for a Career in Criminal Justice

2008-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I work at a childcare center and am interested becoming a social worker or going into some area of criminal justice, like corrections. I've been checking into what sort of education is required. I've been talking to some parole officers in town who say taking courses at online colleges is a convenient way to go, and they haven't had any problem getting their credits approved, if the school is accredited. One of the parole officers majored in criminal justice, and the other one has a degree in psychology. They sometimes get online continuing education credits for courses, and they tell me people can get online criminal justice degrees or online psychology degrees at some of the same schools. Either of those degrees would be helpful in getting a job in corrections later on.

My parents say they would be happy to help with tuition, and I found out there's financial aid available for online education too. So that means I can choose to quit my present job and get an online degree faster, if I want. But I can also stay on at the childcare center while taking classes online. It's just great to know I have that choice.

Defining Your Culinary Education

2008-09-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

There is a really diverse population that makes up the group of people who are attending a school that is teaching them about cooking. There is also some dispute among this varied group about what to call this type of school.

Some of the ways that the education that people are getting for culinary training has been defined include:

"Cooking Schools". Many people just prefer to say that they are attending one of the nation's many cooking schools which reflects that they are interested in letting people know that they like to cook.

"Chef Schools". This term indicates that the person is more interested in conveying the career that they plan to have ("chef") than what they like to do ("cook"). The title is what matters here.

"Culinary Schools". There are some people who really feel that cooking is an art and that they are learning how to complete that art successfully and creatively. These people usually say that they are attending culinary school.

The way that you choose to define your culinary education really depends a lot on what aspect of a culinary career is what you want people to focus on when they think about what it is that you do.

[Tags] cooking schools, chef schools, culinary training [/Tags]