How To Stretch Your Student Loan

If you’re considering going to university, there is a strong chance that you’re also contemplating taking out a student loan to fund your university expenses. Student loans don’t have to equate to student debt and if you plan your finances, it is possible to get by without student loans and possibly even profit from them. There are many sites on the internet which provide downloadable student finance guides and online advice on how best to manage your finances. Moneynet offers a comprehensive student finance guide whilst the money section on support4learning is also a popular internet resource.
The first step to avoid financial dependence on a student loan is to consider taking a gap year to gain experience and earn money. This is a great opportunity to start saving for university and will give you funds to cover accommodation and bills without tapping into your student loan.
In terms of managing your personal finances, you could open up a notice savings account and invest your gap year earnings – alongside a student loan, accruing interest on the total amount, but being disciplined so that you only ever tuck into your savings – not the loan itself.
If you’re comfortable that you can timetable it – you might consider a part-time job to help finance your studies, using your income to cover the majority of your expenses so that you can leave your bank savings alone. There will be times when you may have to make a withdrawal from your savings account, but if you leave the capital there as long as possible – the more money you will make.
If you’re concerned about getting the maximum amount of interest on your loan, you could try doing a savings comparison search on the internet. Sites such as moneynet.co.uk ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/banking-saving/index.shtml ) and reviewcentre.com ( http://www.reviewcentre.com/products2312.html ) allow you to compare different accounts alongside each other.
If you keep a tight grip on your finances, then it is likely that you will be in a strong position to pay off your loans when you graduate. Whilst studying, you might also be interested in conducting price comparison research for insurance and current accounts to ensure you’re getting the best deals. Don’t be seduced by high street offers of freshers’ fair promotions – collect as much information as you can, so you can make an informed financial decision. It’s also worth setting yourself up with online accounts which you manage through an account aggregation tool. Account aggregation allows you to manage your money online and can save you time, foot leather and bank charges. If you want to find out more about account aggregation, visit the Channel 4 website which offers a detailed guide. ( http://www.channel4.com/4money/banking/features/account_aggregation_161204.html ).

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By Rachel Lane

Additional student resources:
http://www.moneynet.co.uk/student-finance-guide/index.shtml

Harvard Business Students Drop the Ball

If you are going for a Harvard MBA, you will be given one assignment to evaluate a fictitious company, which will be attempting to regionally dominate the carwash industry and then later create a nationwide carwash system. Each year students contact our company the Car Wash Guys to ask us questions about the industry. They lie and pretend to be franchise buyers and pretend to be interested, looking for industry information to help in their class case study and project.
I can tell you if you are doing a college report of some type, it does not matter what you write because the professors in business schools are morons and they would not know if what you wrote was true or not. Many times the students ask for industry data, such as how many carwashes are there of different types such as but not limited to; self serve coin-ops, rollovers and conveyor car washes. In fact those numbers are irrelevant to making money number one, number two the market analysis by anal-ists is a waste of time. Because everyone in the carwash industry is running redline with the same information and no one is using the whole track. If you want profit, not just revenues and numbers on paper you need to give the customer what they want and have them lined up all year, regardless of regional weather seasonality.
http://www.carwashguys.com/073102_2.shtml
You know endless irrelevant data is what everyone else is working with, and they all keep doing the same thing and no one has become the Lance Armstrong of the Car Wash Industry. As long as you are using irrelevant data, your report ought to be filled with pictures and a good use of white space? College Professors such as Harvard Business School (yes a college level education) love those things you know. That and young boys, deny it professors?
I know as a business student you want to fill-in all the blanks and answer these questions with definitive answers, but once you are in business, you do a disservice to your client or to yourself and in the case of a term paper if you believe that such information is relevant. It is not, unless you are selling hydraulic hoses and components or soap injection systems to the car wash industry. And if so the information is only relevant for five years anyway. Other than that, the questions you are asking are not the right questions. Case in point? Sure. Look at this recent article of someone doing it all the Corporate Business School way:
http://www.carwash.com/news.asp?mode=4&N_ID=57473
You should be focused on one thing and one thing only for your client, your boss, your professor-less teacher or your company. WINNING. To win you do need data, but good data. Relevant data, which leads to good decision-making and controlling markets and 100% market domination. Profits, Winning, remember that. The world is full of losers with bogus input, who could of, would of and should of, but didn't; don’t be one of them. That goes for your schoolwork and your business career. Think on this.

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By Lance Winslow

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

M.B.A. Overview

Students entering business school to earn their M.B.A. degree will need varied skills and have basic proficiency in certain areas. The level of math skills necessary in business school will vary depending on the program. Many Master of Business Administration programs require statistics, algebra, and most likely, calculus. You may want to refresh your skills if they are in question before entering an M.B.A. program. Most business schools require the use of personal computers throughout your M.B.A. program. Many schools will require that you have your own laptop. Though the extent to which you use a computer will vary, you should be comfortable with word processing, spreadsheets and databases. Each school will give you their minimum basic requirements for computer skills and hardware/software needs.
Schools today attempt to mimic the business environment in their academic programs by using student teams. As corporations have increasingly turned to teams to work on projects and to solve problems, MBA programs have transformed a larger portion of course work from individual work to teamwork. Many master of business administration programs now include teambuilding training as team building workshops, or as a subject in organizational behavior courses. Teams may be formed for the purpose of one project in one course or they may remain together for months, working on multiple courses. In the competitive setting of MBA programs, the cooperation of students in teambuilding exercises is often difficult. Students that participate in team activities find that working with others takes up a lot of academic time.
The fundamentals of business are taught in every MBA program. Economics, finance, accounting, organizational behavior, marketing, and statistics are in the basic repertoire for master of business administration programs. In business school these subjects are considered a core group of courses required of every student. These core courses make up the first year of study in a two-year full-time program. In some programs, students who have a prior background in business can bypass some or all of the core courses on the basis of either a special examination or an evaluation of the undergraduate transcript.

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By Melissa Steele

Melissa Steele EducationGuys.com Writer

Study Abroad - Why Choose to Study at a UK University?

Can a quarter-million of the world’s brightest students be wrong? That’s one estimate of the number of foreign students who forsake the comforts of home and brave the UK’s food and, for many, forbidding weather to get the postgraduate education they consider the key to a bright future in their homelands.
The British Council puts the total number of overseas students currently studying in Britain – at all academic levels – at nearly one million, with two-fifths of post-graduate students hailing from other countries. The British government’s increasing recognition of the value of this phenomenon to the British economy overall is likely to increase its efforts to attract these students away from competing institutions in other countries and to address the complex student-visa laws that most overseas students cite as the greatest – and often the only – disincentive to seeking graduate degrees in the UK.
Studying in the UK, rather than at comparable universities and colleges in other countries, clearly remains the first choice of the largest segment of the overseas student population.
The principle reason can be summed up in the single word the 23-year-old Uzbekistanian Tulkin Sultanov gave the BBC as his reason for pursuing advanced studies in the UK: “reputation.” Worldwide, UK universities are renowned for their high academic standards, cutting-edge educational facilities (particularly in the sciences, engineering and the arts), and broad range of offerings combined with the flexibility to accommodate individual student needs.
Like many other students who eventually go to the UK itself, Sultanov was educated in a British school in his homeland. As a result, he said, he knew both that British teaching was high-quality, that the professors at British universities had international reputations as leaders in their fields – and, crucially, that alumni of British universities enjoyed a level of professional success on return to their homeland that made them the envy of their generation.
UK universities and colleges are continuously evaluated by professional bodies to ensure that their teaching and research standards and their facilities are at the highest standards. The result has been the more important rating by the rest of the world, which at this point assumes that any British post-graduate education is top rank. Because standards are now known to be high at all levels, an unrivaled prestige attaches to a master’s or doctoral degree earned at a British university.
Of the half-million Chinese students studying abroad annually, some 50,000 have chose the UK as their academic destination of choice, together spending an estimated £550m a year on their UK educations. Twenty-two-year-old Lin Disheng, a Chinese student featured in another BBC story, followed his BS degree from Nottingham University (where he earned first-class honors in e-commerce and digital business) with a master’s degree programme at Oxford. Citing China’s rapid industrialisation and economic growth, he told the BBC, “Chinese young people like me want to make a contribution to this rapid process. That's why I want to study In the UK - to learn better western technologies and experience the western culture and do the best I can.”
It goes without saying that the students who are accepted into British universities are the top students of their home countries’ top universities. Still, for most, what amplifies the education they received at home can be summed up in the three words independence, creativity and self-reliance. These are not only qualities they pick up at the personal level – although the mere process of adapting to, and then succeeding in, a culture often significantly unlike their own gives them a level of self-confidence they might well not even need in their homelands.
More to the point, a UK graduate education teaches foreign students a kind of independent thinking, creativity with ideas (most conspicuous in artistic disciplines but as evident in disciplines such as business and politics – “thinking outside the box” – and even science. Most foreign student have come from academic environments that have emphasized rote learning and, with the best of intentions, the dutiful regurgitation to their professors of the teachers’ own ideas. Only in an environment that both fosters and teachers ways of independent thinking do students learn how to generate their own ideas, propose and test original solutions to problems, and trust their own creative impulses.
British universities also offer well-recognised value for money. Undergraduate degree programmes, for example, are typically spread over three rather than four years, and most master’s degree programmes are designed to be completed in one year. This makes them highly cost-effective when compared to the longer time it takes to complete comparable courses of study in other countries, particularly in the US. Also, scholarships and other forms of financial aid make it possible to for many foreign students to enter institutions they would not be able to attend on their own or their families’ resources. Personal support in gaining access to such assistance, overseen by highly trained university administration staffs, helps many foreign students navigate that thicket of qualifications that sometimes discourage them from pursuing this vital source of financial help.
Furthermore, access to government-funded health care contributes greatly to the financial advantages of studying in the UK. Students in any full-time course in Scotland and in full-time courses lasting at least six months in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are entitled to free medical treatment from the British National Health Service.
Another advantage of study in the UK is that some students can, if they must or wish, work while they are pursuing their degrees. Because they are from outside the EU, students who are registered is a course of study longer than six months can work as much as 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during holidays. Students who need to supplement their finances to live as well as study abroad will be happy to know that part-time work is easy to find. Others may find working part-time a valuable way of learning more about the local culture outside the confines of academe.
The UK also offers a unique variety of graduate academic settings. In addition to the universities and colleges ensconced within Britain’s bustling, dynamic cities – which include far more places than London, though the capital is unrivaled for its academic, cultural, and other offerings – students can choose to study on purpose-built countryside campuses, often in areas of singular natural beauty as well. While some foreign students understandably want the programmes as well as the prestige of Britain’s famous, time-honored seats of higher education, others prefer the more modern, state-of-the-art universities that have sprung up throughout the country, sometimes with specific academic specialisations, sometimes offering a full range of post-graduate programmes.
Indeed, exposure to the larger culture is, though often overlooked during considerations of where to study abroad, one of the strongest reasons for choosing the UK as a place to pursue an advanced degree. Exploring the country beyond the university campus is sure to strengthen English skills and, more to the point, it does not require learning yet another language beyond the international language of English that has become the worldwide academic norm.
In addition to the native, local, and popular cultures, Britain offers some of the richest examples of Western culture to be found anywhere in Europe – and not just in London. Although London plays second fiddle to no other city in Europe in terms of its cultural offerings of all kinds, there are also significant cultural centres and events in other UK cities, such as Birmingham, which has one of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, and Edinburgh, a city with an extraordinarily rich year-around cultural life and a summer festival of all the arts that is one of the world’s most renowned. British museums also are considered among the world’s finest.
For the more adventuresome, the rest of Europe is literally at the doorstep of people living in the UK. There are affordable ways to travel to the other countries of Europe – particularly for students – with resulting close, easy access to a broad array of other Western cultures, people, and traditions.
But even students who find study so demanding that it keeps them close to home and allows them little time for travel will be grateful to be “confined” to a country as famously beautiful as the UK. The British countryside, villages, and beaches are famous worldwide for their surpassing beauty. Travel within the country is inexpensive and fast, allowing most visiting students ample opportunities to explore the UK’s riches beyond its university walls.
Whatever your motives for choosing to study in the UK – and whatever you do to enhance your academic experience while there – you can be sure of one thing. When you return home, everyone will be impressed that you earned your degree in a country known throughout the world for the high quality of its educational offerings. And, with a British degree in your pocket (and brain), you’ll be in a prime position to compete for your country’s best jobs – and find the most satisfying way to take part in a globalised world you have yourself encountered.

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By Hugh O'Connell

Hugh O’Connell is a business owner and university lecturer. He is a director of Plan-it Consultants Limited, Thailand and UniRoute Limited, Hong Kong. Plan-it provides off line resources to students wishing to study overseas: study abroad program. UniRoute offers online advice on study abroad and study UK. Currently Hugh resides in Thailand and is working towards his doctorate.

The French Culinary Institute in NYC

The French Culinary Institute was founded in New York City in 1984 by Dorothy Cann Hamilton. It quickly became one of America’s foremost cooking schools, due to its combination of classic French techniques and American inventiveness. Today, it is recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious culinary schools due in part to the distinguished faculty at the school.
Faculty members include culinary luminaries such as master chefs Alain Sailhac, Jacques Pépin, André Soltner, Jacques Torres, Alice Waters, and master sommelier Andrea Robinson. They also have a series of visiting lecturers to compliment the teachings of their core faculty. The FCI provides students with rigorous, hands-on, training that allows for an easy transition into the workforce.
There are three core programs available at the FCI: The Culinary Arts Program, The Classic Pastry Arts Program, and their Art of International Bread Making Program.
The Culinary Arts Program will teach you much more than French cuisine. This program will provide you with the foundation necessary for all great cuisine. The program is broken into four levels, with each progressively more intense than the last. By the fourth level you will have direct responsibility for the menu at "L’Ecole", a restaurant highly rated by the Zagat Survey and the Wine Spectator.
The Classic Pastry Arts Program will teach you all there is to know about making the perfect pastries. Under the stewardship of Jaques Torres, one of the youngest recipients of the prestigious "Meilleur Ouvrier de France Pâtissier" Award, you will be on the road to success. The day you graduate, you will be qualified to create pastry art and designs in the finest commercial kitchens in the country.
The Art of International Bread Making Program is a 180 hour intensive immersion in all things bread making. Students will learn to bake artisan breads of France, German and Eastern European breads, and Italian breads in three two-week sessions. Graduates will receive "Le Diplome du Boulanger" upon successful completion of these courses.
For more information about The French Culinary Institute, feel free to visit their website at www.frenchculinary.com.

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by: Michael Lansing

Michael Lansing fancies himself a chef in the making, and spends much of his day dabbling in the kitchen. When he is not trying to convince his family to try his latest creation, he writes for http://www.cookingschools101.com – an independent resource for future culinary students, with information about cooking classes (www.cookingschools101.com), Italian cooking schools (www.cookingschools101.com/specialty-chefs.aspx), Information about culinary colleges (www.cookingschools101.com/) and more.

Finding A Scholarship Or College Grant

The cost of a college education has risen to unthinkable levels over the last two decades. Few parents have the extra cash on hand to cover these costs, so student loans and mounting debt have become a reality for many students. Image graduating with an outstanding debt of 50 to 100 thousand dollars. It almost defeats the purpose of getting that degree in the first place. With no end to tuition increases in sight, financial aid packages are essential for most students.
Fortunately, aid opportunities have also multiplied in recent years. Scholarships and grants were once thought of as only available for the poor or the brightest students. That is no longer true. These days, almost everyone is eligible for some type of award.
Free money for college can be divided into two basic categories: scholarships (usually merit based) and grants (usually need based). Of course, many other conditions apply to various awards. Minority status, gender, career plans, and field of study are the most common qualifiers for today’s financial aid awards. Almost everyone can use one of these categories to focus their search for aid.
One of the best sources for college grants is the federal government. Be sure to submit The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. This will tell you if you are eligible for a Pell grant, and colleges will use this information to determine if you qualify for a school-sponsored grant. Private grant foundations may also require the FAFSA be completed before considering you for an award.
Ideally, a student would start looking for scholarships during the junior year of high school. This may seem early, but some awards require an application be submitted the year before you begin your first semester in college. Furthermore, collecting the names and contact information of prospective awards can take months. You must also factor in time for completing lengthy application forms, writing essays, and scheduling interviews.
In your search for scholarships, focus on three main sources. First, search your local community. Start with the high school councilor’s office, your local library, churches, community organizations, and any corporation that is based nearby. Next, contact the financial aid office of each college you are considering. They can tell you about all school-based awards that may not appear in the standard listings. Finally, use the Internet. The standard search engine is of some use, but dedicated scholarship search sites are a tremendous resource. Some of these data banks have up to 800,000 awards indexed. Best of all, you can search based on a personal profile that will match scholarships to your unique situation.
Of course, this article can only get you started in the right direction. College funding is a complicated process and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Remember that almost half of all college students receive some type of aid, so the chances of success are good. With a dedicated and organized search plan, you can get your share too.

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by: Chris Davis

Get more information on college financial aid and conduct your own scholarship search at http://www.educationwebresources.com, home of the Internet Guide to Funding your Education, as well as other useful services and products for students and teachers.

Robotic Research in the United States

The United States is behind in robotic research although we are a big buyer of the technology. The rest of the world especially in Europe and Asia are ahead of us in the field of robotics by quite a bit and pouring money into their research at a rate almost ten times our national governmental funding.
Even with this said, there are a few stand out Universities holding up our United States robotics research. For instance Carnegie Mellon University has a six-legged robot, which can scale vertical walls; great for exploring Pyramid ventilation systems to the Kings chambers, military applications of saving Earthquake survivors.
MIT has some self assembling robotic systems which are getting smarter all the time using advanced artificial intelligence, able to change shapes to get around obstacles and build themselves like a Lego castle.
There are also very small robots which can travel at speeds of 8.2 feet per second and go over two and a half miles on one battery charge. Also we have developed NASA’s Mars Explorers with new prototypes with brand new features for the next generation of reconnaissance exploration vehicles.
At Berkeley, they now have small insect size flying vehicles which can fly around avoid obstacles, send back data and make decisions of which is the safest or best possible direction to continued its programmed mission.
So even though we have an irresponsible government which refuses to fund the research and development needed to guarantee of our future economic might, at least we have standouts willing to do what it takes and accept the most difficult research and applications in the real world. Think on this and think of a major in robotic sciences and a profitable career.

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By Lance Winslow

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Earning a College Degree Online

Traditionally, earning a college degree has required a student to physically attend a college or University at one of the campuses the institution runs. This might require a student to relocate, or the student might be limited in the classes he or she can register for due to job requirements or scheduling conflicts. Today, the advantages of technology afford students opportunities outside the brick walls of an institution of higher learning. Many students are now opting to earn their college degrees online. As the popularity of attending college online increases, more traditional colleges and Universities are joining the fast-growing group of online-only college and Universities in offering several different levels of college degrees over the internet, presenting students with broader educational options, as well as flexibility and convenience.
There are many advantages to seeking a college degree online. A student need not live locally to attend the college of his or her choosing. Attending classes and submitting coursework online eliminates the need for commuting or relocating. Convenience is another factor in earning a college degree online. A college may be able to offer more sections of certain courses, allowing students more choices as to when to attend classes. Night and weekend sections of courses are usually offered as well, which is ideal for the student that also works full time and/or cares for a family. The flexibility of online college is very attractive. Further, for those who are considering returning to school after several years, attending college online is a great way to ease into the routine of class work and projects again, and can reduce the pressure of feeling the need to fit in with younger students. In addition, who wouldn’t find it appealing to attend college from the comforts of home?
When considering going online to earn a college degree, there are a few options open to the prospective student. There are several online-only institutions that are fully accredited and offer many choices of degrees. Accreditation is an important factor to consider in choosing an online college. If you have previous college credits you would like to transfer, attending an accredited college will be necessary to do that. Also, accreditation is beneficial for having your degree recognized by employers and professional organizations. Online-only colleges offer the benefit of a cutting edge learning format technologically, as well as accelerated programs for those who are in a hurry to earn a college degree for professional advancement.
The type of college degree earned online ranges from Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD degrees. And the fields of study and degree programs available are extensive. No longer is online education just for web designers and computer programmers. Students may study Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, foreign languages, Mathematics, Human Resources, Fine Arts, and various Healthcare programs. These are but a few of the fields of study available to the online student.
If you are worried that you might not be able to afford to earn a college degree online, there are options available to you. Some employers might offer to pay a portion or even all tuition and fees toward an employee receiving a degree. Also, financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and even scholarships might be available to you. Check with the particular online program of interest to see what financial options are available, since some colleges might not offer financial aid to students who attend part-time.
You might be concerned that earning your college degree online won’t provide as enriching an experience as attending a traditional face-to-face college or University. Earning a college degree online can be an experience that is every bit as enriching, interpersonal, and dynamic as attending college the old-fashioned way. A big misconception is that online learning is impersonal. This isn’t the case at all. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communication as do traditional methods of learning. In fact, attending college online helps to facilitate the independent learning process, as well as developing time management skills. Attending college online takes just as much commitment as the old-fashioned way of going to school, and the potential career and personal benefits are just as great, if not greater. Going online to earn your college degree is a legitimate, convenient, and flexible way for you to advance you education, as well as your career and personal potential.

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By Frank Marshall

Learn the essential information for picking the right online degree course at Online College Degree

College, To Be or Not To Be

Somewhere around the age of fifteen, someone will begin to ask you about your plans for college. Uh? At fifteen, your most important plans involve a corsage and the latest dance moves. But, somewhere between fifteen and high school graduation, you begin to discover this faraway land of “college”.
What does this opportunity “college” really mean for most of us? It is the difference between a life and an existence. You can stop today to look around, and take the time to notice the have’s and the have not’s. The people, who have, also have a college degree. College graduates work in jobs that bring them satisfaction, not just their next meal. They enjoy what they do each day and they look forward to innovation and progress. Most of the time, they are a part of those things, they actually help to bring about change and make progress.
If you’ve never taken the time to ask yourself (as I’m sure most teens have not), begin to ask yourself questions about your basic likes and dislikes. What things in your life bring interest to you? Even the smallest things can tell you something about yourself. College helps you to further define these basic interests and find the right niche for you. The possibilities on the job market are endless and so are available College degrees. There are degrees out there in things you don’t even realize exist, until you enter the great gates of the “undergraduate” world.
What you also don’t know, (and won’t) unless you enter the realm of continued education, is that there are others just like you. The student population abounds with entering college freshmen who don’t have a clue as to what they want to do with their lives. The point is not necessarily knowing what you want to do, but having the initiative to seek out the answers. There are so many doctors, lawyers, teachers, and engineers that started out without any idea about their chosen path. They did, however, have the desire to get on the path.
Now, I realize the first, and most often used excuse, is a lack of money for college expenses. Bah humbug! I know at forty, what I did not at 18: there is money available, if you want to find money. The big hold up here is not the lack of availability it’s the lack of available guidance counselors and adults to help these young people find the funding. It would seem to me, that as a guidance counselor, you would make available all information about scholarships, grants, and student loans to any young person on campus. But this is not so. Visit any high school in this country, and for the majority of students, there is no help to be found.
College is the doorway to the imagined, but unproven. It is the bridge between what we are and what we can be. It is a testament to the age old adage, “If you can dream it, you can do it!”

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By Frederic Madore

Frederic Madore is the founder of the College Information Center. Find all the information you need about College Loans and more.

Art Schools

An Art school has a primary focus on the visual arts, such as graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, and sculpture. They are specific to the type of education that you wish to obtain. Art schools differ from larger institutions by degrees including such classes as science and math. When the school is considered an accredited college, you can still obtain a bachelor of Fine Arts degree. There are certain criteria that you need to meet in order to be accepted into an art school. What the admissions committees look for in an applicant is:
Grades: the committee wants to make sure that the future student will be successful and thrive under academic pressure.
Students who have strong academic backgrounds are preferred. Do not worry if you are not the strongest academic applicant.
The Admissions counselors also take personal background and extracurricular activities into consideration.
Improve your chances of being accepted at the art school of your choice, by improving your GPA, participating in after school activities, (if you are still in school), involvement in the community or neighborhood, and/or participation in civic or religious groups. These will all give you an advantage when applying to the art school you wish to attend, as they will enhance your application making it more likely to be accepted.
It is always a challenge to be accepted into art school, but it is never impossible. No matter what you reason is for applying to art school, whether it is to better your qualifications and improve your chances of getting a promotion or if you are just out of high school wanting to attend school.
There will always be ways to improve your chances of getting into art school. Therefore, take a look around talk to people that may be going to the school of your choice. Never be afraid to ask questions. You will find that people are willing to give you the information you need in order to optimize your application. Do not be afraid to take all the advantages and advise you can get.

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By David Chandler

For more information, visit Art Schools.

Online University: Options For Everyone

The online university is one of the best ways for many individuals to get the education that they want and need when they may not have the time to get into a college setting. Whatever reason that you may have for not making it into the university is one thing. But, now that there are so many options in getting into an online university you have little excuse to get your degree.
If you are thinking that there are no real benefits to doing this, you are sadly mistaken. Here are some reasons that you should consider an online university for your education:
• First of all, convenience is at the top of the list. Courses in the online university are designed to allow you the ability to go to school when you have the time. Think this is too hard to manage? Choose the courses that you need, take them when you have time, and stay at home while you are doing it.

• In fact, you can even learn while you keep up with life. If you have to work, if you have to take care of a family, or perhaps you just do not like that atmosphere of day to day college living, the online university is perfect for you. In fact, it is great for those looking for a promotion if only they had some additional education in the field.

• Often times the online university will be far less expensive then a standard form simply because you do not have to pay for the vast amounts of time you spend on campus. No room and board here.
The online university is best suited for the individual who can work well on their own. It is offered to many people and it offers many various types of programs from elementary education through the master’s degree and beyond. The online university is set up so that you succeed!

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By Leon Chaddock

for more information please see http://www.online-university-advice.co.uk

The University of Phoenix: Pros and Cons

~~~ About the University ~~~
The University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the United States. It has more than 17,000 instructors and 240,000 students, out of whom roughly half are enrolled in its highly evolved online educational programs. It has 170 physical campuses spread over the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico and ---. Since 1976, more than 171,600 working professionals have earned their degree from University of Phoenix.
The University of Phoenix is designed very differently from conventional universities. Its programs are aimed at working adults – AT&T, Boeing, IBM, Intel, Lockheed Martin, and Motorola -- not to mention the U.S. military.---who want to better their salaries by enhancing their qualifications. About 60% of students receive some tuition reimbursement from their employers, which include such blue
The School offers undergraduate and graduate-degree programs in Business, Business and MBA, Criminal Justice, Education and Teaching, Healthcare and Nursing, Human Services Information, Technology, Accounting, Management, baccalaureate nursing programs marketing, and the like,
~~~ Pros ~~~
1. You can enroll in on-campus, offline or Flexnet programs (the latter is a combination of the first two) 2. If you are a working adult, you will not feel out of place age wise: the average student is 34 years old and earns between $50,000 and $60,000 a year 3. Again, if you are working, there is a high chance you can receive tuition reimbursement from your employer (60% of students do) 4. The tuition is much less than several other universities’. Some sample fee comparisons:
TRV University (Technical Remote Viewing 101: Basic Skills) $1295.00
Columbia University (Political Science S1002Q) $2514.00
Northwestern University (News writing and Reporting 301-0) $3217.00
Harvard University (SOCI S-40: Introduction to Human Societies) $1850.00
------ University of Phoenix Online (Marketing: MKT 421G) $1230.00 -----------
5. The University’s online program is one of the most highly evolved in the world and continues to be a fount of innovation. (The latest development: online, downloadable, paperless textbooks) 6. The curriculum stresses team playing. Even online students are organized into groups and each group asked to complete a project. This prepares students for the group efforts so fundamental to today’s working world 7. The University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Any graduate school is required to recognize its diplomas
~~~ Cons ~~~
1. Graduate Schools value applicants from Ivy League Universities much more than those from the University of Phoenix

2. Staff turnover is very high and continuity is poor

(http://adam.theficus.com/archives/2003/08/fuck_university.html#comment-864)

3. Instructors can often be confused about the syllabus

(http://adam.theficus.com/archives/2003/08/fuck_university.html#comment-3196)

4. Plagiarism is often unchecked (Ibid)

5. Feedback on graded papers can be non-existent (Ibid)

6. Responsiveness of the management leaves a lot to be desired; often complaints are not addressed

(http://answers.google.com/answers/login?qe_destination=%2Fanswers%2Fthreadview%3Fid%3D216054)

7. An unusual number of students are disillusioned with the University
~~~ Conclusion ~~~
All the facts are now before you. It is now your call to weigh them carefully and make a sound, informed decision. Good luck in your educational endeavors!
Copyright 2005 http://university-of-phoenix-info.info/

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By Lucky Balaraman

Lucky Balaraman, who has a Masters degree in engineering, is an experienced author who writes on a variety of subjects. For more information on The University of Phoenix, visit his website at: http://university-of-phoenix-info.info/