Educate Thyself: 2013

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Your Guide To Top Nursing Schools

by: John Morris

So, you want to go to one of the top nursing schools, take up nursing and be a well paid and steady employed nurse years from now? To achieve this and more, you have to scout for the top nursing schools that could give you the best level of education. You go here and there to look for top nursing degree programs such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Registered Nurse (RN), Bachelor nursing programs, Masters nursing degree programs, nursing license and other specialty nursing areas like that of the certified nurse midwife programs.

Put an end to that search... All over the world, University of Phoenix, Walden University, Sanford-Brown College, and Bethel University are the most well known and top nursing schools.

Throughout the years, the field of nursing has brought millions and millions of people above average paying jobs. Not only that opportunities arises like the golden sun everyday, and awaits all degree holders of nursing, especially those that graduated from the top nursing schools, and since nursing is proved to be in an endless great demand, a number of nursing schools grow and multiple every year like mushrooms. If you wish to take the path of nursing and get high quality education, you’ll find the top nursing schools in states such as: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Melaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and more.

Most of these top nursing schools require applicants and/or students to acquire formal training and certification. Top nursing schools, according to the studies, are expected to grow more in numbers and go full blown before year 2010. Moreso, the Bureau of Labor Statistics have seen figures of obvious uncontrollable growth in number of employed registered nurses up to date. With this, nursing professions prove itself to be the most in demand and the largest well known profession worldwide. Graduating and earning a degree from the top nursing schools will be your key to the gate of the golden variety of professions such as nurse practitioners, family nurse practitioners, nurse assistance, and registered nurses. Among the given nursing professions, the most popular field is registered nursing.

The top nursing schools enhances the development of their nursing school program and offers which includes undergraduate / non-degree/ graduate medical and health professions; nursing professions; registered nurse; public health and safety; medical administrative services; education; business; liberal arts and humanities; public safety and law enforcement; psychology; computer sciences; math and statistics; nurse practitioner of family; nurse practitioner; public health nurse or community nurse; nursing administration; social services and public administration; dental hygienist; sports medicine; paramedic; therapeutic and rehabilitation professions; nursing for adults and seniors; engineering technology; visual and performing arts; medical ethics and bioethis; religion and philosophy; communication technologies; religious vocations; communication and journalism; residency programs and so on.

The world’s top nursing schools are more often than not, located in the top cities where mode of transportation to and from the location is easy and the cost of living is nonetheless, affordable.

Inspite of the tight competition going on between all the top nursing schools, they maintain the quality of education and continue to vie for a reputable name in the field of nursing. Throughout the years, they’ve given their students a systematized curriculum within convenient class hours, an extensive and strong alumni network, and solid learning groups and learning teams. These tons of benefits and advantages have brought in more than a million students lined up for enrollment. Surely, these top nursing schools are the answers to all your professional high education worries.

Learning groups and Learning teams in top nursing schools
So, how does the learning groups differ from the learning teams? The learning groups are a heard of nursing students who go all the way up TOGETHER all throughout the degree process. They help each other hand in hand as they move from one course to another. The solidarity in learning groups remain intact even after they’ve earned their degrees. However, learning teams are a bit smaller than the learning groups in terms of head count. Usually, learning teams in top nursing schools consists of around 3 to 6 students only. They are not as intact as the learning groups because their ways of interaction and communication is very minimal. And most of the time, they do their group assignments and projects, and other activities which enchances learning skills thru online learning.

Top nursing schools will continue to extend benefits to their graduates, degree holders and alumni. So, ship all your worries off to Timbuktu, because with the helpful information I mentioned about top nursing schools – you’ll be more than ready to take the 1st step!

Goodluck!

About the author:
For more great nursing school info and advice check out:

New Website for College Students to Exchange Textbooks and More on Campus

by: Gregory Rzeczko

Why pay $100 for a textbook when you can get it for a much lower cost? Why should your campus bookstore rip you off? Ever walk around campus and see a lot of fliers for used textbooks trying not to be sold back at the campus bookstore?

A new website, Campusgrind.com (www.campusgrind.com) has come up with a solution. Here anyone can post a textbook ad for free, and if purchased, can meetup on campus for a quick cash exchange or arrange to have it shipped. This allows students to save money on textbooks and get a higher return for selling them back. For example, your campus bookstore might sell a book for $300 and at the end of the semester buy it back for $100, which is 1/3 of what you payed for the textbook. At CampusGrind.com you can post your textbook for $200, 2/3 of what you payed. This way both the buyer and seller have a much
better deal!

In addition to textbooks, there is also a marketplace where you can post just about anything, from computers, dvds, music, autos, clothes, and much more. The campus meetup and shipping concept is the same as textbooks, and is free as well.

Campusgrind.com is a community of over 3,200 campuses nationwide.
The website allows people to search for friends and classmates and add them to their list of friends. Members are allowed to upload up to twenty photos, create a profile, and browse students, faculty, and alumni around any college in the United States. Anyone is able to post topics in his or her college forum, general forum, or other college forums about almost anything, including travel, love & dating, college life, sports, and more.

The founders are currently working on improving the community.

About the author:
Gregory Rzeczko
President & Founder of CampusGrind.com

How to Deal With College and University Exams

by: Jordan Dunham

College life can be a lot of fun but there are college and university exams that need to be taken. Unless you are the type of student who can sail through college and university exams with little or no effort, you're going to have to spend time studying hard in order to pass them. The stressful situations that college exams bring can hold you back if you do not learn how to handle it in a health manner.

You obviously must study before taking your university exams and you should make an effort to review all of the material that was covered in classes thoroughly. Many students get so anxious and worked up that they actually make themselves sick with worry and stress and are unable to recall the information that they studied. Does this sound familiar? If so, you need to find a way to help you relax or you may very well find yourself failing courses.

The sooner you can start preparing for your college exams, the better chance you'll have at scoring high marks. This may sound obvious, but with all the distractions that come along with college life, it can be easy to put off studying until the last minute. Doing this will cause a lot of unnecessary pressure and you're not going to help yourself if you approach your college course preparation this way.

You also need to make sure that you have a study schedule laid out when you're getting ready to take an exam. Lay out a schedule of the material you are going to study and follow the plan. Many college and university students don't remember to build ample rest time into their study plan and end up being too tired to accomplish anything effectively. The best way to prepare for college testing is in short sessions so that you're able to absorb all of the material.

Make sure you get enough sleep and eat properly. If you're not healthy and alert you are going to find your exams much more difficult then they would've been if you had taken proper care of yourself.

At the end of the day, your college examinations are important but they aren't worth making yourself sick over. If you find yourself becoming overly anxious about taking those college exams, consider getting in contact with a tutor who may be able to give you some additional help as needed.

About the author:
Jordan Dunham is an expert on consolidating student loans, visit today for information.

Graduate School: Should you go?

by: Stuart Simpson

You don’t need to go to graduate school. This is true. You’ve got your college degree and this will help you maintain a roomy house in a nice neighborhood. But what will a graduate degree do for you?

First, there is a little more money. Lifetime earnings average $234,000 more than an individual with just a bachelor’s degree. But if you got a doctorate, then increase the amount by $504,000 above the master’s level. Doctoral education along with the apprenticeship work can take 10 years or longer. And the 10 years are some of the most grueling work you’ll ever do. So let’s focus on just the graduate degree. Whew.

Another reason for obtaining a graduate degree is to make yourself more valuable to your employer. They aren’t going to can the guy with the MBA. In this age of layoffs and cutbacks, you need a competitive advantage over your coworker. Everyone is replaceable. If you think you aren’t, better think twice. Just make it harder on your employer to find another employee with a graduate degree at your salary. See what I mean?

Getting your graduate degree usually entails being motivated by some other source. I started my graduate program when I decided to leave my current job. I wanted that advantage over the next applicant when I found the job I was looking for. The people in my class were of the same caliber. Some were just getting the degree “while they were still in school mode”. Most of the others were like me, going back the 2nd time for actual learning and motivation to find something better than our current jobs.

But you don’t need an MBA to get a job – right? True, but it does make it a lot easier finding and holding a job you like and getting compensated for your education. I took a career path after college for several years. After a while, I realized I had time before retirement for another full and complete career of something totally different. Nobody says you have to work at the same place for 35 years. I know a lot of folks who do.

The main thing is – you’ve got time to decide where you want to go and what you want to be. Me? I quit that dead end job. I enjoyed my MBA classes so much I want to be a college instructor. Don’t think I can handle the doctoral program yet, but in time. . .maybe. What are your interests? Find them. Set goals. You can do it.

About the author:
Stuart Simpson
BS Finance
7 hours towards his MBA

Five Steps To Choosing A College

by: Rich Niccolls

My name is Debbie Ross. The information I have about my journey in finding a college can help both parents and students alike. Going back a few years, I was at the turning point of my life. Graduation from high school was just around the corner and I had no clue which college I was going to attend. My parents had their list of colleges that I could attend, and most of my friends were already being accepted to their college or university. With deadlines for applications approaching, I knew that I had to begin finding a college. Choosing the right college is such an important decision, and so I came up with a game plan to find a college. Here are the steps I took in choosing a college.

1. Choosing my future career

The first step I took was to determine what I liked and what I did not like. I quickly ruled out being a doctor, a lawyer or a dentist. In addition, I knew there were career choices that were out of my league, such as being an architect or engineer. My high school grades proved this! Therefore after a lengthy thought process, I narrowed down my choices to Communications, Journalism, Business Management and Information Technology.

My school counselor also helped me by giving me a Career Assessment Test. This revealed many of my strengths and tendencies. From this, I discovered that I was best suited for Business Management related studies. I highly recommend this. Career Assessment Surveys are not very expensive and can be found through an internet search.

2. Matching courses with colleges

The next thing I did was to list the colleges and universities that offered Business Management studies and had a good track record. I used The Fiske Guide to Colleges. Within a short span of time I came up with a list of 20 colleges that I could see myself in for the next 4 years. All of these colleges had multiple specializations within my field of study, were fully accredited, and had good graduation rates with good reputations. I further narrowed my list down to 14 by selecting those universities which were located near a larger city, one of the criteria that I was looking for in my college.

3. Narrowing it down to my top five

I had above average SAT scores (nothing to take me to Harvard though) and therefore had a wider selection of options for myself. Therefore, my final decision would largely be determined by the funds from my parents, any scholarships or grants, and the money I could earn through on-campus work study. I visited the web sites of each college and took virtual tours of the facilities they offered. Each had its strengths -huge libraries, modern student housing, student body size, a variety of extra curricular activities and sports, and more.

I was able to narrow the list from fourteen to five based on the following criteria: going to college within 4 hours of home, my budget for college, and a smaller student body to offer a more personal approach to my education.

4. Parents and Applications

Next, I got my parents involved in my decision. They had been helping me all along the way, but I needed their help in making the final, important decisions. I showed them the list of 5 colleges that I had, including details, locations, and costs. Together, we narrowed the list to three possible colleges that I could attend. They wanted a college or university which would be easy for them to visit, but would also have excellent teaching and housing facilities. The following weekend I filled out all 3 applications and mailed out them to these colleges and universities. Now it was time to wait for the response.

5. Making the final choice

Within a few weeks, I had received acceptance letters from all the colleges where I sent my applications. In the end, my parents and I decided the best way to make the final decision was to visit the campuses. We took two days to visit all three campuses. Visiting the actual university was vastly different from the virtual tours. My final choice was actually rather easy. I decided on the University of Texas at Austin.

The most important steps along the way for me were to take the Career Assessment Test, researching my college choices online through virtual tours, and sitting down with my parents to discuss which colleges to send applications to. This helped make my final decision easier. I hope these steps can help you in finding a college or university as you make career choices.

About the author:
Rich Niccolls has been a college recruiter and professor for 12 years. Read his 7 key factors for choosing the right college for you. Visit The Right College web site.

How to Find the Best Technology Schools

by: Matthew Noel

Technology schools are schools that are designed to allow children from elementary, middle, high school and college levels to achieve specific goals in education. It is through these goals that children will find many of the opportunities that they have found powerful, meaningful, and interesting. Technology schools are an excellent opportunity for most children who are geared towards learning in this scientific, specific manner.

For our purposes, though, we will talk mainly about the college level experience of technology schools. If your child has displayed characteristics of enjoying subjects like math and science, these schools may just be the right place for them to go for their further education. In a normal school setting, the atmosphere is geared towards all subjects. The material in presented in such a way that allows for all children to grasp it in their own way. But when the school is geared towards technology, it is better able to accommodate the challenges and interests of its specific students.

If you are planning to send your child to a technology school, then carefully consider the options that are available to you both. For example, research opportunities not only in your area but also in others across the country. In fact, if opportunities are there, overseas study can be some of the most effective ways to learn about technology and all the aspects it can allow for. These schools are established throughout the country and all offer a unique range of study that cannot be found in schools that are more taught for grammar. The technology school student’s are those that love hands-on experiences that teach them through showing them.

Take some time to learn more about these technology schools right here on the web. Request information and provide opportunities for your child by taking full advantage of all that is out there and offered through these schools. Technology is amazing and if your child is geared towards it don’t slow him down! Technology schools will foster and transform this into reality.

About the author:
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Finding A Scholarship Or College Grant

by: Chris Davis

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.

About the author:
By Chris Davis. Get more information on college financial aid and conduct your own scholarship search at home of the Internet Guide to Funding your Education, as well as other useful services and products for students and teachers.

Education Needs to Emphasize Soft Skills that Translate into Hard Cold Cash

by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

No Child Left Behind mandates have school systems scrambling to improve teaching, update curriculum, improve teacher quality and analyze data between different populations just to name a few of the many actions each school is facing. Yet, given the recently released Nation’s Report Card, securing significant change is going to require some non-traditional solutions.

Maybe it is time for public education to take a lesson from corporate America who is just now also realizing the impact of soft skills on the bottom line. During the last two centuries, businesses focused on controlling their employees. The work environment was one of control where individual actions required a chain of approval that went vertically up, then vertically down. This type of management style produced excessive waste and failed to capitalize quickly when opportunities were presented.

According to annual Michigan State University’s national college employment survey, today’s knowledge worker must have the following skill sets:

Analytical ability

Communication including verbal and written

Decision Making

Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Leadership both individual and group

Personal attributes including work ethics, flexibility, initiative and motivation

Problem Solving

Team Building

Time Management

Yet, looking at most curriculums the focus is on cognitive content specific to the academic disciplines. The presumption is that this knowledge and the supporting skill sets as mentioned above will easily transfer to the workplace. Unfortunately, American business owners know that this is a fallacy because of information that is retrieved from such surveys conducted by Michigan State and other organizations.

For example, American students spend 12 plus years learning how to read and write. Yet if communication is more non-verbal than verbal depending upon how much of Dr. Albert Mehrabrian’s research you believe, then most young people except for those in speech and debate have already been set up to fail because they don’t understand that effective communication extends far beyond reading and writing.

Time management is another great example. Many adults have issues with time management or rather with better self management since you can’t manage a constant that being time. However, the osmosis learning strategy once again rears its inefficient and ineffective head during the kindergarten through high school learning experience. Can you remember as a young student when you actually had a class on effective time management? In today’s classroom with the ever-expanding curriculum, would it not make more sense to actually instruct young people on such a valuable skill instead of leaving it to the osmosis learning strategy?

Developing and nurturing those critical soft skills are what employers know will translate into success for their employees and cold hard cash for them. If public education wants to be truly effective, then the leadership needs to get ahead of the ball and look at the desired end results. Practicing another 33 years of reform where nationally 17 year olds have not gained any reading improvement will absolutely remove us from being the number one world economic force.

Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com

About the author:
Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. speaks nationally to student leadership and works with under performing schools to help them achieve world class status. If improving your school's performance is a goal, then visit or email info@processspecialist.com or call 219.759.5601.

College Degree Is Worth $ 2.1 Million In Future Income

by: Linda Correli

“And once earned, a college degree is forever, as the payoff from higher education can never be erased, broken, or laid off.”

It was estimated by the US Census Bureau that a bachelor degree holder earns approximately $2.1 million over 40 years of his working life. The drastic truth is that a college graduator can expect to earn nearly a million dollar more than his school-educated neighbor does. This sizeable stretch and notable disparity of lifetime earnings raised demand, boosted popularity, and consolidated American firm faith in the value and significance of higher education.

According to the survey conducted for the Chronicle of Higher Education the American nation continues to have a confidence in the value of a college degree, with more than the half of respondents saying “it is essential for success.”

The fact that college education is rewarding financially and economically to the individuals and the entire country is not a secret for anybody. An economic value of qualified and competent specialists is notable and reflects as a weighty factor, which has a great impact on the rapid economic growth of the country.

Benefits you can reap of higher education

However, there is a number of benefits you can get from getting a college degree:

1. First, college degree is your guarantee of financial independence, stability and secure future you can enjoy, having a steady profession and being armed with a set of practical skills and sound knowledge.

2. The world is changing constantly, so no one knows what to expect tomorrow. Therefore, we should be ready for everything, having a solid ground under our feet. Higher education is your solid ground, which can provide you with a confidence for future, and immunity from economical drops.

3. Higher education can give you an opportunity to master a profession with good job opportunities and skills, which are in demand. After all, education permits you to have steady and gross income.

4. A college degree gives you a great chance to be a master of your own life. Educated person has much more leeway and freedom of choice not only in the respect of career opportunities, but also in sense of moral and spiritual values.

5. Higher education can provide you with a possibility to be a free thinker, to see obvious in hidden implication, to analyze, generalize, and make conclusions. In a word, it uncovers the essence of being and helps increase the understanding of the world.

6. You can realize the most cherished and precious dreams of yours, to become a pilot, to have a gorgeous house on the seaside, to have a chic expensive car….Education makes your dreams come true.

7. Higher education expands your knowledge base, sharpens your critical thinking, and consolidates your confidence.

8. “Your college experience can be both life affirming and career enhancing. The classroom and the coursework expose you to diverse people and ideas.”

Overall, it is practically impossible to enumerate all the opportunities you can get with a college degree in hands and acquired knowledge in brain, though you should remember the only one thing that the world higher education opens before you is boundless and versatile.

Education gives you something that can’t be measured in terms of money that you can earn. It is impossible to place power, freedom, and independence you possess being educated on the same footing as material benefits you can enjoy. You can’t buy it for any price, but can easily get with higher education.

About the author:
Linda Correli is a staff writer of and an author of the popular online tutorial for students "What Teachers Want: Master the Art of Essay Writing in 10 Days", available at

Bachelor Degrees, Online?

by: Sandy Baker

Should you get your bachelor degree online? For many people this would seem hard to do. Depending on the field of study that you plan to get, it can be actually quite welcoming and a great way to get in the education that you have always wanted. Sure, it isn’t easy but neither is college for that matter. The online bachelor degree programs are a good way for many to get the education that they need without having to get into a college that is set up traditionally.

There are many programs that are offered through online bachelor degrees. If you would like to know if any of the programs or classes that you need to take are available to you on the web, all you need to do is to log on to any of the various online schools and find out. This level of education that the bachelor degree is one that is advanced and will require much learning.

One of the aspects of online education that people do not understand is how you get the hands-on training that many fields require. While you may or may not need this in the bachelor degrees that you plan to get, you will find that information about this is easy to find at the online university’s websites. In most cases, the online universities will work with area schools, offices, or establishments to allow you to get your lab time in. This is convenient and affordable as well especially useful when you consider you will be meeting some of the people that you may work with once you get your bachelor degree.

You will benefit from leaning more about the online bachelor degree that you are after. You can easily find online colleges that offer the education that you are after in an online manner. See what they are, what their classes will include and find out just how well they will work for you. The online bachelor degrees that are offered are pretty wide-ranged too!

About the author:
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Attaining an Online College Degree

by: Jay Moncliff

There are a lot of people out there who just don't have the time to go to a college campus for an education. This can be for many reasons, such as work, finding a babysitter, costs of college courses, or even coordinating it to fit into your busy schedule. There is a solution for this. You can obtain an online college degree.

An online college degree is just as valid as a degree you receive at a regular college campus. In fact a lot of people prefer it. This is because you can get an online college degree from the comfort of your own home. You don't have to go anywhere to get the online college degree and you can register for the courses for your online college degree at home as well. You also don't have to commute to go to school, which in turn will save you gas, time, and money. An online college degree program will fit into any busy schedule and is convenient for anyone.

Online college degree programs offer financial aid and assistance just like regular college campuses do. Online college degree programs also offer job placement programming to anyone who completes the courses and obtains the online college degree. Online college degree programs often boast that you can get your degree in half the time it would take from a normal on campus course program. This is true because an online college degree program allows you to take the courses as quickly or as slowly as you want. It is all done at your own pace!

Now that you see the advantages of obtaining an online college degree, let us look at some of the online college degree courses offered. Some are: accounting, teaching, business, computers, criminal justice, legal and paralegal, dental assistance, travel and tourism, and many more. There is even master degree programs offered online so you can even further you education.

The prices of online college degree programs can vary from school to school. It is best to do your research and see what school offers you the best deal and the best education. If you need financial aide, be sure the school offers it before you enroll. Remember, this is an online college degree program so it doesn't matter where the course is coming from!

You can now see the huge advantageous of obtaining an online college degree. There really aren't any disadvantages. Only positive things have been said about online college degree programs. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Why not give an online college degree program a try? You will find it is truly worth it, for you and for your future.

About the author:
Jay Moncliff is the founder of a blog focusing on the Online Degree, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on Online Degree. For more info on Online Degree visit:

School of Art

by: David Chandler

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.

About the author:
For more information, visit

Hot to Find the Best Technology Schools

by: Matthew Noel

Nursing as a Career

by: Hege Crowton

We need more people to choose nursing as a career. There is a national shortage, so the career choice would guarantee future employment fresh out of school.

Just last week, as I was taking care of a patient of mine, a doctor asked, "Kim, how did you decide to become a nurse?" That question caused me to reflect over nearly 25 years, and it still causes me to wonder sometimes. You see, I was not one of those little girls that wished to be a nurse, although I really liked the head nurse on Emergency. I told her, "You know, I think nursing chose me."

I went on to explain that I had changed my career path my freshman year of college. I was taking courses that I found to be interesting, along with the 'basics'. After a year of not committing to a degree plan, my dad put his foot down and he strongly encouraged me to find some direction.

I remember thumbing through the college catalog and finding the degree plan for nursing. I was surprised to see that I had taken nearly every prerequisite course except for anatomy and physiology. I applied to the program, was accepted and the rest is history.

Being a nurse has real advantages. Continuing education is an integral part of most professions. Nursing is no exception. This knowledge actually saved the life of one of my children!

Patrick was almost 4 years old. He was enjoying a piece of Halloween candy. My husband was watching him, and he called me in when he saw that Patrick was choking. I gave those 5 abdominal thrusts as if I did it every day of my life, when in fact I had only performed it on a few mannequins over the years. That piece of candy shot out, just like in the videos that they would make us watch. Never again do I groan when the lights go down and we have to watch that same training video.

Scrubs

Another advantage to this profession is the uniform. What other profession allows you to wear clothes that are as comfortable as pajamas! And they are so much more colorful than that starched white from years ago. I had to wear a nursing cap with the white uniform and the white hose and shoes when I was in nursing school. Now you can tell what Holiday is around the corner based on the attire of the nursing staff.

Another change for the better is that more men are entering the profession. I think that it has bettered the salaries. For fear of making sexist or offensive remarks, I will leave it at that.

Continuing in my footsteps.

Today, my oldest child is attending a nursing program. She will be a nurse in less than a year. I have no doubt that she will be an excellent asset to the profession. She did not decide to do this as a career until she was in college for a year.

Choosing nursing as a career

If you like working with people and helping them during some of the most important times of their lives, then I have no doubt you would thrive in your career as a nurse.

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Hege Crowton is establishing her self as an expert copywriter.
She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.
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6 Common Misconceptions about Study Abroad Programs

by: Lee Frankel

With over 100,000 college students studying abroad every year, there’s bound to be all kinds of tall tales, urban legends, and misinformation swirling around. While there may be grains of truth in some of these stories, below are some common misconceptions about study abroad.

Misconception #1: Studying abroad is very expensive.

Truth: In most cases, it is actually cheaper to study abroad. Let’s say the tuition at your school is $5,000 per semester and room and board is another $4,000. Now add in the additional fees you have such as health insurance, books, and laundry. You are now well over $10,000 for the semester. Well, all but one of our programs in Spain is under $10,000 per semester and that includes everything except your airfare and spending money.

Misconception #2: I can’t use my financial aid to study abroad.

Truth: In almost all cases, your federal aid (Stafford loans, Pell grants, etc.) can be used to study abroad and in some states, you can use your state aid as well. It is also not uncommon for your federal aid to increase when you study abroad since some of your school scholarships may not transfer.

Misconception #3: Host families are all poor and just do it for the money.

Truth: The last thing any study abroad company wants to do is have an unhappy student on their program. The goal is for the students to be happy so that they will tell their friends what a great time they had. If we were putting students in bad families, in dangerous neighborhoods, then no one would ever recommend us to their friends. Since the number of universities that endorse our program doubled over the last year, it’s a pretty sure bet that students are happy with our choice of families.

Misconception #4: I’ll be so busy with schoolwork that I won’t get time to see the country I’m in.

Truth: This one is hysterically funny since your average study abroad student comes home with about 400+ photos from a long list of countries. Students have plenty of opportunities to travel and we even take our students on trips to give them a better feel for the country they are in.

Misconception #5: I might not graduate on time if I go abroad.

Truth: If you have already used up all of your elective or general education courses, then it’s true that you might need to bulk up on courses before or after you go abroad. If you plan ahead, however, and leave some electives open to you, then you should be fine. The clear majority of students who study abroad still graduate in four years, despite being away from their home campus for a semester or two.

Misconception #6: Most of the world hates Americans, so I won’t be safe.

Truth: There’s no doubt that there are a lot of people who don’t like the American government, but that has nothing to do with the American people. If you compare the violent crime rate in the United States to that of European, Australian, or Asian countries, you will see that the United States is actually far more dangerous. There are some areas of South America and Africa that are not especially safe, but there are also many countries on those continents that are incredibly safe. Go to the U.S. State Department website and check out the crime statistics on the country you are interested in to see how safe it is.

Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that every college student should take advantage of. Before dismissing it due to the bad experience of one friend or rumors you have had heard, speak with your study abroad advisor and get the facts. I guarantee that once you look at all that studying abroad can offer you, you’ll be hopping the first flight abroad.

One organization that help ensure that you have safest, unforgettable yet affordable study abroad experience is Academic Studies Abroad. Here are some of our very popular study abroad programs in the following countries:

-Study Abroad in Spain - Academic Studies offers study abroad programs in Barcelona, Madrid, Salamanca and Sevilla. Check out our program information at http://www.academicstudies.com/What.html

-Study Abroad England- Academic Studies offers study abroad programs in London. Check out program information at http://www.academicstudies.com/What_london.html.

-Study Abroad Italy - Academic Studies offers study abroad programs in Florence. Find information about our programs at http://www.academicstudies.com/What_florence.html.

-Study Abroad in France - Academic Studies offer study abroad programs in Aix-en-Provence and Avignon. Check out our study abroad programs at http://www.academicstudies.com/What_florence.html

-Study Abroad Ireland - Academic Studies offers study abroad programs in Dublin. Interested in going to Ireland? Check out http://www.academicstudies.com/What_ireland.html

About the author:
Lee Frankel is Director of Academic Studies Abroad, a study abroad provider with programs in five different countries. He has traveled to over 25 countries and travels across the U.S. speaking with college students interested in studying abroad. Do you have questions about study abroad programs? Visit to learn about our various programs or email us at lee@academicstudies.com