Distance learning has become extremely appealing and widely attended because of the many educational options it offers through an educational format that caters to students who require flexibility in pursuing a degree. If you have decided that you need to jump-start your flagging career, want to change careers, or reach higher for an education that can increase your earning potential, then a distance learning online school is for you!

Anything from the traditional undergraduate and graduate degrees to certificates, diplomas and other certification is available in the wide world of distance learning. If you plan to study business, education, religion, math or any of the other traditional educational disciplines, you can find a distance learning online school offering exactly what you need. If you prefer a vocational education such as computer technology, culinary arts, mechanics or fashion design from an accredited certificate or diploma program, then you will find an abundance of options through the distance learning school format.

Some distance learning schools can be completed in as little as a few months in order to be qualified for the career you choose and some will require as much as 3 to 4 years if enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. The options are limitless as to the profession or skill that a distance learning school may offer providing you a chance to find the dream job or satisfying career you have always wanted. With the flexible distance learning online format, a distance learning school provides you with all the instructional materials you will need to study in the comfort of your own home and around your own work schedule. Unlike traditional on-campus studies, distance learning schools are more likely to attract those that are already in jobs and have settled in particular locales with a family. The distance learning online school format usually draws more ‘mature’ students and some distance learning schools have a required age limit to whom they will offer their services especially among the university educational community. Personal accountability and motivation are imperative to the learner’s success in a distance learning school even with all the instructional monitoring provided by the schools.

If you are interested in exploring a distance learning online school education, a wide array of choices can be found throughout the Internet with informative sites on every imaginable interest. Decide what amount of time that you can devote to studies, how much financially you can invest in a new skill or degree and what format of distance learning you prefer. Some distance learning online schools offer curriculum mostly by video instruction, others use a totally computer-based format, and still others instruct completely by mail. Many art instruction schools use the correspondence by mail format while some technical schools offer total computer-based instruction. Thoroughly investigate the distance learning online school of your choice as to its instruction format, distance learning policies, financial aid, and accreditation status. If you can imagine it, you can find it through distance learning online educational websites!

For more information, visit:
http://www.christianet.com/articles/
http://www.christianet.com/

Everybody lies, and storytellers are some of the best liars around. But here is the problem: People like storytellers. They hate liars. The meaning is similar but different. In the South, storytellers sit on porch swings and drink ice tea. Liars stare down the barrel of shotguns.

I should know. I’m from the South and we shoot liars all the time. Of course, I’m lying. But I can’t help it. After all, I am a “Southern” storyteller. I emphasis the adjective because I believe Southerners tell stories for reasons that are not always apparent to our friends in other parts of the United States. Our stories are more than entertainment. They teach lessons and those lessons are always filled with wisdom that is inspirational.

For example, everybody knows the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I bet what people don’t know is that it comes from the South. Of course, people in the Midwest will swear it’s theirs. They’re lying. If they just happen to be telling the truth, then it doesn’t really matter because I’ll still say it’s ours. In fact, we have been using that saying for so long that strong personal philosophies have grown up around it. One man says, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach old tricks to a new dog.” Then the man sitting next to him will say, “What dogs won’t learn, cats will.” These two men could sit on the porch and twist and turn one simple idea a million different ways—and I’m not lying.

This story illustrates a more complex idea that I want to make about the relationship between storytelling and students. In his book “All Marketers are Liars,” Seth Godin claims that marketing is about telling a good story. Successful marketers tell us stories that match our belief systems and these stories directly influence our behavior. I understand Godin’s points. What I fail to understand is why students don’t appropriate this behavior when it comes to marketing themselves to themselves. It seems to me to be the most important skill students can develop and exploit. But they don’t. Students are malcontent and maladjusted because storytelling has been outsourced to actors, singers, reporters, politicians, and marketers who are not always heavily invested in telling them the truth. These people influence the stories students tell themselves. This influence is why students have stopped telling themselves stories to celebrate their differences. It is more acceptable to be like others. Students have stopped telling themselves stories for inspiration. Religious leaders and talk show hosts fill this gap. Storytelling is in the hands of the folks in New York and Hollywood and they are not giving it back without a fight.

My advice to students is simple. Prepare to fight. Southerners are always up for a brawl. After all, we did lose the war. But we learned some lessons that no other region in the United States has ever had to learn. We learned to love ourselves. We learned that storytelling is transformative. It uplifts. It heals. And if we lack influence, wealth, beauty, and fame (qualities all students covet), we always own a more powerful tool. That tool is storytelling and stories are what it manifests. Now, that’s the truth.

J.K. Dennis has been a college teacher and academic adviser for over twelve years. To learn more, visit http://www.3hp.us or email questions and comments to 9lessons@3hp.us

For all the students even dreaming about going to college, I have one piece of advice: don’t graduate. Yes. You heard me. Don’t graduate. I’m sure dozens of intelligent people have told you that you need to go to college and get good grades so you can get a good job that will provide good benefits. Well, the bad news about all of this good news is that it is cruel propaganda.

Let me explain why. Year after year, I watch you work hard and earn good grades (some of you, at least). You receive honors and awards for your achievements. You eventually graduate and your family comes to your graduation–with gifts and balloons. Once graduation is over, reality drops. There are few good jobs for you. You move back home to live with your parents (assuming that you left in the first place). Initially, you have to work jobs that seldom pay well or have anything to do with your major. Those darn student loan people start calling to remind you about your huge debt and all the special programs you qualify for if you are “experiencing problems meeting your debt obligations.” You discover that you still have some choices. You can settle for a decent job that pays the bills. You can marry, have children, and spend the rest of your life suspended between debt and death. Or, you can go back to college to graduate all over again.

I’m here to say—don’t do it. Don’t graduate twice. In fact, don’t even graduate once. Instead, I strongly urge you to do something even better and that is “get educated.” If you are confused, then this is a sign that you have probably graduated without being educated. Let me make my point more concrete.

Do you remember hearing stories about athletes who somehow made it through high school without ever learning how to read or write? Of course, you do. I bet you were just as shocked as everybody else. How in the world could this happen? Didn’t somebody know? Of course, somebody knew. Somebody always knows. But knowing did little to stop those athletes from parading across the stage at graduation—with a diploma.

They graduated, but they weren’t educated.

So, here’s the kicker (and you are not going to like it).

For one moment, I want you to imagine that you are an athlete who graduated uneducated or undereducated. Guess what? This isn’t make-believe. You are that athlete and the athlete is you! Sure, you probably have an A average. You can read poems in Latin while doing hat tricks, and you are probably on your way to a prestigious university. The fact of the matter is that your magnificent attributes are relative in the educational system. That diploma puts you and the athlete in the same boat. He is situated at one end and you at another. However, your chances of getting out of that boat and going on to a life of success are much better. How does this happen? How does such a stark difference grow out of sameness? When you figure out the answer, you will be on the road toward educating yourself.

For now, I just hope that you can see the gap between graduating and being educated. No longer do you have to wait and hope someone will explain this complicated reality to you. If you decide you absolutely have to go college, then you must graduate with an education. If not, you will spend the rest of your life in that boat and it’s harder to get out than you think.

J.K. Dennis has been a college teacher and academic adviser for over twelve years. To learn more, visit http://www.3hp.us or email questions and comments to 9lessons@3hp.us

The driving factor of any university is to make the students understand the business needs of today and equip them for a better tomorrow. This means there has to be a constant inflow of feedbacks on "what" the business needs today and what it might need tomorrow. This philosophy works best when the time taken, to constantly educate the student of the business needs is very low.

Business needs are changing at a very high pace, so they expect the recruits to be up to date of the recent happennings. For this to happen the instructors at the college have to be on their toes, to understand the new activities. Once they get a complete understanding of the business needs they can very well mould and motivate the students to move in that direction.

A conventional thought could be one of, "why can’t we achieve this by means of contact sessions between the students and professionals?" It is very much possible but, for all practical reasons its negatives outweigh the positives. We can schedule contact sessions every week or so. But for all practical reasons, all we could have is a couple of contact sessions over a span of 6 months. And we also expect the visiting professional to list out the business needs, which will be very much misunderstood by the students. Because the professional, presents from a businessman’s perspective and transalting it, in terms of educating the students is completely a different task.

Let us take a typical example of a post graduate school: Iin the fast pace of technological advancements, whatever that is vogue today becomes outmoded tomorrow. So any education that teaches something that is outmoded is of lesser value. This pushes the schools to be agile, and flexible. This nimbleness will directly mould the students to adapt to the latest technology. So once the students are out of the schools, they are very much on their toes, with respect to latest technological shifts and conceptual business changes.

Let us take a classical example of Jack Welsh ex CEO of GE , he formulated a unconventional management philosophy that "When something is working, it has to be fixed". That is, when something is working, it is bound to die and it has to be fixed soon, before it falls apart. This was very much contradictory to the traditional adage " When something is working, do not touch it". This is a very valuable lesson in terms of management students. Because they are the people who are going to rule the world tomorrow, that means this shift in business has to be imparted to the students. And more than that, they need to be informed whether that principle holds good for any field.

We can also attribute pessimistice notions to this approach, such as, the instructors will not be able to do justice in handling both the streams (teaching and professional work). But there are many other options, such being a consultant etc, are available for the instructors to be in constant touch with the industry. It is just that they need to run that extra mile to do justice to the students.

-Ramesh-

Are you considering getting your bachelor’s or master’s or other degree online? It’s a growing field that’s receiving acceptance and approval for all types of career and education goals.

The biggest advantage to online degree education is that it’s a complete college degree program that is delivered via the Internet. All classes, materials, tests and lectures are delivered online. This process allows the student to "attend" class from anywhere at any time that is convenient to them.

According to educators from Cornell University, “the web provides significant new functionality in transmitting information to the student and providing forums for exchange. The web is revolutionizing some areas of study through increased opportunities for learning and alternative formats for information.” (Dwyer, Barbieri, and Doerr, 1995).

One of the ways it has done this is through enhanced student-to-student and faculty-to-student communication. Students and faculty can both benefit from using the communication and assessment tools that are made available via online learning.

The technology also enables students to exercise more flexibility in their approach to education, depending on what best suits their personal learning styles and busy schedules.

In addition, the class material and program is continuously updated for up to the minute, real world application. This allows the student to immediately begin applying their new knowledge to their existing work environment.

There are many different types of programs available. Students can receive a bachelor’s or master’s degree in many areas such as accounting, marketing, human resources, e-business, information technology, nursing and even elementary education.

The typical online program takes three years to complete. A master’s degree program may take up to four years depending on the type of degree sought and the prior education of the student.

Most programs are accredited and they usually accept the transfer of prior credits from other accredited universities. Some of them are also well-known off-line schools such as Duke, Stanford, Jones International, and Capella.

While enrolled, a student typically takes just one class at a time for a five to six week period. This allows the student to concentrate solely on that material before moving on to the next module of information.

The price of an online degree education program is comparable to that of a regular college degree. Plus, many students are eligible for financing in the way of a student loan. Sometimes employer education programs can even reimburse a student’s tuition fees.

Keep in mind though, that you may have to be a little more organized and self-motivated for this type of education and you will have to manage time demands in other areas of your life. Because you normally won’t have set class times, it will be up to you to the time into your schedule. Then again, some programs require that you log on to the Internet at designated times for virtual class sessions.

Another potential disadvantage is that some employers still prefer that their employees have degrees from traditional colleges. However, these views are rapidly changing.

A recent survey of 1,300 graduates and 80 employers asked supervisors to rate the value of the degree earned by their employee compared to a resident school degree in the same field. Sixty-nine percent of the supervisors rated the online degree "just as valuable" or "more valuable" than traditional degrees. This means that one out of three supervisors need to be convinced that an online degree offers the same quality and content as a traditional degree.

Plus, traditional brick and mortar universities who offer online courses often make no separation between their programs and the type of degree awarded. And transcripts do not indicate whether a course was done at a distance or on campus.

Dan Allen http://www.aboutonlinedegrees.info

Dan is the founder of http://www.aboutonlinedegrees.info, a site dedicated to providing a wide array of information and resources for those thinking of getting their degree online.

Embrace the secrets of the body-mind connection and tap into an inexhaustible supply of power and energy leading to your college success. College is a demanding challenge. The role of the physical body is key to peak performance. This secret tool allows us to summon the full measure of our brainpower and talent on demand without hesitation. Strong study habits and academic discipline are most productive when performed by a brain and a body well fueled and precisely tuned. Six key secrets of mind-body performance are nutrition (do’s and don’ts), hydration, exercise, sleep and true relaxation.

Secret #1…Focused Nutrition_____ Superior brainpower requires high quality fuel. The brain is fueled by oxygenation, hydration and proper nutrition, namely carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are transformed into glycogen within the body, fueling the muscles and the brain. The brain uses 50% of the body’s available glycogen and even more when under stress (like during exams). Despite protein’s reputation as “brain food”, complex carbohydrates are a far superior fuel. Aim for a mix of 2/3 complex carbohydrates and 1/3 protein in your meals and snacks. The best strategy to fuel the brain is to begin the day with a complex carbohydrate rich breakfast and then eat lightly and nutritiously; ‘grazing’ throughout the day. Be sure to keep the brain well supplied with another ‘nutrient’: water.

Secret #2…Diet Downfalls_____ Despite the popularity of low- carb weight-loss plans, one of the largest contributors to poor mental performance is a diet low in complex carbohydrates. Yet, avoiding certain types of food supports high-level brain functioning. Sugary, fatty, and many protein heavy foods are poor quality brain fuel. Sugar increases anxiety while providing a jittery, scattered rush of energy, followed by a dramatic crash in energy, thinking ability and sometimes mood. Fats and protein slow the brain and create foggy thinking. It is much better to save the cheeseburger or steak until after the exam or power-study session.

Secret #3…Ample Hydration_____ Proper hydration is another secret component to boosting brainpower. Brain tissue itself is 85% water, and the brain is quite sensitive to dehydration. Ample hydration allows the brain to function most efficiently, much like grease on gears. Conversely, dehydration slows the brain and is a major factor in fatigue. Reach for a tall glass of spring water rather than a caffeinated beverage, as it will serve you better as a student needing energy and focus. Conservative and judicious use of caffeine can be a useful study aid, but more often it is overused or abused and has an overall negative effect on performance. Be aware that coffee is especially dehydrating. For maximum benefit drink 48-64 ounces of water per day. The benefits extend far beyond boosting your brainpower to support the health of your entire being.

Secret #4…Essential Exercise_____ Exercise nourishes the brain with oxygen while cleansing the body of performance damaging chemicals. Exercise relieves the body of stress and it’s by-products to create clearer, more creative thinking. Exercise trains the body to handle stress as well as aiding in recovering from stress. Stress itself is not bad. Stress creates growth (mental, physical and emotional), yet the growth occurs during a recovery period. Exercise addresses both sides of this equation; it can relax as well as increase stress capacity. This is especially true when the form of exercise is carefully chosen to create a specific effect. For example, a kickbox-aerobics class or long run may be the best choice when you feel dull and sluggish or frustrated and irritable. Yoga, Chi Gung or a nature walk help soothe nerves and re- focus the mind when you feel pressured or anxious. There is a physiology to our emotions and it is well established that we learn and perform better when we feel good. Exercise is a major key to peak performance that powerfully supports academic and personal success both in college and in life.

Secret #5…Quality Sleep_____ We underestimate the importance of quality sleep and true relaxation on our success. However, it is essential. We need at least seven hours sleep for peak performance. Naps are great, but not as a substitute for regular sleep. Studies actually show that “early to bed, early to rise” really does create success. This may be quite a challenge at school, but keep it in mind.

Secret #6…Deep Relaxation_____ College success can be derailed by the wrong kind of relaxation. While socializing and ‘partying’ has it’s traditional place in college life, they do not fulfill the requirements of “deep relaxation.” Highly personal, develop your own repertoire of spirit-feeding, body-soothing activities like nature walks, playing an instrument, inspirational reading, deep breathing exercises, star-gazing, meditating or yoga practice. Eventually you will be able to precisely read your body’s signals and take meaningful action to enhance your talents and abilities despite any outer stress or circumstance.

Most advice about achieving college success is centered on developing excellent study habits. While academic discipline and strong study habits are indisputably key factors in college success, there is a powerful ‘secret tool’ at work at the very foundation of all our efforts. Achieving meaningful success at college, both academically and personally, requires a holistic approach. All mental and emotional strategies we may employ are deeply affected by our core foundation: the physical body.

Copyright 2005 Karen B. Cohen

Karen B. Cohen is a performance and wellness coach living in a college town in rural Virginia. She works frequently with the faculty and students at Washington and Lee University. Most recently Karen presented "New Paradigms in Modern Leadership" as part of the "Lessons in Leadership" seminar series at W&L. She is available for seminars, workshops and individual coaching, and can be reached through her latest project http://www.RockbridgeMag.com (Karen@RockbridgeMag.com).

Now I remember being a freshman in college, and let me tell you, there are a couple of key things to keep in mind (that most people don’t). One is how to manage your time, another is how to manage your money , and last but certainly not least is how to manage your health (what most don’t realize is that all three are closely related).

So…why does this happen? There are plenty of reasons why poor little freshmen come in skinny (I know… we’ll have to make believe they came in skinny to begin with) and go back home after year one weighing in twenty pounds heavier. For the nerds, studying means munching. Chemistry? Not without chips. Pizza? Yeah, it helps with the math. This is all due to stress that accumulates with the pressure of performing well and acing those exams. Stress leads to "false" hunger; false because you’re not really hungry and just need to do SOMETHING to keep from going crazy. Couple this with the fact that you are now on your own (for all of those out-of-towners). Fast food quickly becomes your best friend as its time efficient (even though you procrastinate so that’s really pointless) and keeps the need for cooking knowledge at a basic minimum. Why study the art of making some rice when you can just by a cheeseburger at McDonald’s?

Most students will make friends, and hence study groups, and hence order this stuff in bulks. Now that you all are doing it together, the problem is magnified. If you showed any restraint before, that all goes out the window and you’ll find yourself asking "can you pass the dip?"

Not all of the problems are with eating. A main problem is the lack of exercise. Students do not plan for workout time, or maybe classes take over and there IS no time (or at least it feels that way). These (used by themselves or in combination) are usually the excuses that students use when asked "how much do you weigh now?"

Solutions

Don’t lose hope! All of these reasons for the freshman fifteen are common…but they are also B.S. excuses. It doesn’t take much for students to keep or even improve their figure. First, if time is a problem, you have to organize a schedule. If you can study math and history, you can also take notes on what to do today. Be focused…treat your health like it is your most important class. Write down goals and male it a point to stick to them. Grade yourself if you have to and strive for an A. And remember to start asap or it will be harder to fix this! Quick workouts will be your friend.

When I was a freshman I barely ever went to the gym, instead I had alternative ways if staying fit. Did you HEAR that? You don’t even have to go to the gym, people! I did two sets of pushups every other morning and jogged for fifteen minutes three times a week (jog a little faster than usual to optimize your workout). That was ALMOST enough to keep me in shape… dieting was just as important.

Don’t ever buy chips, soda pop, cookies…you will almost surely find those at campus events for FREE. Be smart, don’t waste money on that. Instead, stakeout your local convenience for easy to make rice and meat packages or salads and pasta for vegetarians. Eat small meals often. Have your meals for the day done in the morning so that later all you have to do is serve yourself. Six small meals is much better than one or two big ones.

Eat healthy snacks. No candy bars. Try Special K bars, granola bars, or protein bars to eat in between classes and meals. Add a sip or two of water and you shouldn’t be too hungry until dinner time. This is good because you avoid eating fattening sweets and avoid eating too much at dinner.

If you eat less, you will be spending less money and gaining less pounds. There is a correlation there, for those of you that don’t know. We want to fatten up your wallets, not your stomachs. Look for healthy snacks, eat lots of fruit…LOTS of fruit and/or vegetables. In the end, you will look great, feel great, be healthier, and have much higher self-esteem. The best part is you’ll make being healthy a way of life, a habit without knowing it. Just discipline yourself for about 21 straight days. Remember, the sooner the better, and its never too late to start.

Vincent St. James is an author with thecollegeguys.com who specializes in personal fitness as well as personal finance. Read more from Vincent at thecollegeguys.com.

So its the beginning of the school year, your first day of class is over, and you just want to sit down and relax for a moment because you know that the rest of the semester won’t be as easy as Day 1. You’re alone in the room. Quiet. You sit, close your eyes, roll your head to massage your neck.

WHAM!! The door flies open and your new roommate charges in with his girlfriend (or guy friend- hey you never know) the friend screaming and bursting in disturbing laughter as your roommate is silent and has this not-quite-well look in his eyes, dragging around a dead hamster, chatting about "I can’t wait to do that again…they’re gonna get what they deserve, Oh sorry [insert your name here], I didn’t see you there." You muster up the ability to hold your tongue and you finally exhale, ever so slowly, "its okay." Like hell it’s ok, you think to yourself.

This specific scenario describes what happens when your roommate is a "Freak" (learn more about roommate categorization in Part II of this article), and maybe this all sounds too familiar. But there are plenty of other things that can go wrong with a new dorm or apartment roommate. Maybe you’re more of the party type and your roommate thinks bible study is just sooooooo much fun. Maybe your roommate doesn’t know the meaning of "too loud," "maybe later," "lighten up you stiff," or "for the last time, this is MINE, that is YOURS." Like I said, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with the unexpected roommate. Maybe you two just aren’t compatible -but don’t worry- we here at thecollegeguys.com know just what to do.

Step one is to relax. This kind of thing is normal. You’ll find hundreds if not thousands of others who are in the same position as you are. Its one of those "please don’t happen to me" type of things, and when it does, one is usually unaware of what should be done or how to handle the situation. If you’ve been in this situation, you know what I’m talking about. First, you’re angry and get the whole "why me" syndrome, wishing your roomie was as cool as your friends’. Then you try to avoid the situation as much as possible but when it gets to be too much you experience moments of extreme awkwardness with your room-buddy and anyone else s/he’s associated with. Worse case scenario is that it starts to affect your work or study skills, and when that happens, you KNOW its bad.

Some problems are really common, such as bathroom use and privacy. The most important things to establish with a new roommate are boundaries. Your roomie needs to know what are off-limits (e.g. shampoo, bag of chips, your box of porn) and what the meaning of space is. The ability to compromise is important in relations among roommates, so you may have to give a little to get a little. You will also have to be frank with your roomie, being clear about what’s your side of the room and about clearing up scheduling conflicts, for example. Scheduling conflicts are particularly important because you don’t want to take home a major project when your roommate has penciled in a yoga session or keg party. Remember, communication is key.

Now, if you are to sort these issues out with your roommate, its important to do it correctly. You can’t just rush up to your mate and demand that you go over some ground rules…."or else." That won’t do (however, it could be fun). What you need to do is the following:

• Be early: don’t wait until a status quo has been established… you want to make sure that early on in your relationship that you and your roommate are on the same page.

Nostagio Onesti has written several articles specializing in college issues for thecollegeguys.com (where you will find Part II to this article and much more).