Education Articles from College Matching Service

     Wal-Mart has just announced its new College Program for employees: Wal-Mart will sponsor an college program for employees. The announcement was made at the Bud Walton arena, where 4,000 employees attended various events surrounding the meeting. Wal-Mart plans to partner with American Public University, an accredited online school with about 70,000 students enrolled in online programs. The program will offer Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees credits toward a degree for hours they work performing their regular jobs.
     With college become increasingly unaffordable, Wal-Mart employees will have the opportunity to take advantage of a 15% discount off tuition fees and earn their online degrees.  In addition, Wal-Mart will invest $50 million in the next three years to offer tuition assistance for those who participate. The goal: to get as many employees educated as possible and create a better work force.
     For most employees, this program offers an aspect of scheduling flexibility with online classes that was not available before. Now students, if enrolled in this program, will earn credits towards their degree as they work. For example, a Wal-Mart cashier would be eligible to earn 6 credits towards an associate’s degree (61 credits) or even a bachelor’s (120 credits). In order to participate in the program, individuals are required to be employed by Wal-Mart for at least one year if full time or three years if part time. They also must earn a positive score on their most recent evaluation.
      Wal-Mart’s innovative strategy toward public education may be the first of its kind, but they are definitely not the only ones. Check with your company to see what education programs may be offered through your employment. If there isn’t one available, don’t give up hope. Collaborate with other employees to express interest in education programs with your superiors. Who knows, maybe your employer will follow in Wal-Mart’s footsteps.

As the demand environmentally friendly energy resources continues to grow in the United States and abroad, the need for “green” training and education will continue to expand into universities across the country. A growing field means more job opportunities; if you’re looking for a job with excellent pay and room for advancement, an education in green technologies may be what you’re looking for.

Becoming a wind-turbine technician means a two-year college program where you’ll receive hands-on training in construction, maintenance and operation of wind turbines. Earning an Associate Degree in Applied Science will give you further training in high tech-low voltage, composite repair and diagnosis of turbine problems. After graduating from the two year program from a junior college you’ll be prepared for an entry level position but will have the skills and education to potentially advance to become a wind turbine operator or supervisor. Many schools offering wind turbine training will have you physically working on a turbine for real world experience. In the classroom you’ll be developing math and electrical skills essential to solving problems with computer systems and electronics. Without a basic background in algebra and trigonometry it may be difficult to get accepted into the program. A background in metalworking or construction management is expected of those looking into the construction aspect of the job.

Completing the program has a higher focus on the development of vocational skills than it does a standard textbook education. Institutes must become certified before they can offer a course on wind-turbine training. Because of this the number of schools is limited. However, the increasing demand for green energy is prompting for more opportunities in education and more schools to take the steps to become certified and offer the appropriate training.

By seeking out college-preparation information, you are making an important step on the path to higher learning. Preparing for college involves understanding and acting on a lot of information. In addition to finding out what grades, courses, exams, paperwork, activities, etc are needed before attending a college, there is the small task of choosing a college. Comparing colleges should be done with as much information in your arsenal as available, with close attention paid to what you want to get out of a college experience and at what cost.

notes to note:

-         courses you need to complete

Most colleges require incoming students to have completed the following courses:

• Four years of English
• Three years of Mathematics, including Algebra II and Geometry
• Three years of History or Social Science
• Two years of laboratory science
• Three years of foreign language

-         examinations you need to take

• SAT
• ACT
• AP exams

-         grades you need to earn for admission into a University, City College, State College

• Community Colleges are generally open enrollment, however you do need a HS diploma or GED equivalent.
• State Universities admit the top 33.3% of the HS graduating class
• Universities admit the top 12.5% of the HS graduating class

-         critical dates and deadlines for Admission and Admission Tests

 (FAFSA, SIR, etc)

• FAFSA deadline is March 2
• Statement of Intent to Register deadline is May 1
• SAT exams are held seven (7) times a year nationally in October, November, December, January, March, May, and June.
• ACT exams are administered on six national test dates in September, October, December, February, April, and June. Many students take the ACT twice, once as Juniors and once as Seniors, but students may take the ACT up to twelve (12) times.

It is hard to understand how the nerdy students in your class get such amazing grades when you study long hours and still,  your grades are not where you want them to be. Do you ever wonder this? You are not alone. Most students study long hours and fail to see their efforts reflected in their grades. With the help of the following tips, you may achieve the grades you want. These tips are applicable to all students from all majors. So, if you are struggling with grades and interested in getting better grades, here is how:

• The first step recommended is attending each class lecture. Do not miss a class.  Now, you may might think this was an obvious one, but you’d be suprised how often students miss class. If you want good grades, there are several reasons why you should attend all your classes: in order to absorb classroom material, sitting in the classroom and listening to the lectures/discussions will help you absorb the materials, make your presence known, and help with your participation. One of the benefits of going to college should be that you form a mentoring relationship with some of your professors, so beyond just attending, make an effort to be involved in the class discussions.

• The second thing you got to do is to Read Through Your Professors Mind– every professor has a different personality and system for running classes, learn what the professor wants,  start by understanding course expectations, it is your responsibility to know deadlines and all the requirements for the course. Understand professors on personal level. Rather than viewing the professor as some figurehead at the front of the class who decides your fate in some abstract way, get to know your professor as a person. Visit him or her during office hours, or stay after class. Communicate with him when you are struggling. Particularly at larger colleges and universities, the professor won’t know when the course is difficult for you.

• The third thing is Be Organized At All Times college is all about multitasking, and you can easily get overwhelmed with due dates, team meetings, and other demands on your time.  Use a planner or other organization system, stay current with due dates course calendars, once you have some sort of system, get in the habit of using it. Keep homework, tests, and class papers in central location– you’ll need these for studying for future tests and for meeting with your professor to discuss them, so make sure you keep them handy.

• Fourth Invest Your Time Adequately: Two words: Time mangement.   Time can be one of your biggest enemies in college so tackle harder work first. Yes, tackle the harder stuff first so that you are sure to have enough time to complete it. You’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment completing the work in this order. Rest, take breaks as reward for work.  Avoid procrastination.  Reward yourself for completing a major task by taking a break and chatting with a friend or watching some television. Not only are the breaks good motivation to help you complete something, but you’ll also be more refreshed to tackle the next bit of work after a break. Break larger projects into smaller, easy-to-accomplish pieces.

• Fifth, Always Pay Attention and Take Good Notes, another reason for attending class is recording the class notes.  Notes are vital clues to what the professor thinks is the most important material for you to learn, so besides taking notes, learn how to better use them to your advantage. Be an active listener in class: listen attentively and actively and ask for clarification when you need it, whether taking notes from scratch or following a professor’s outline.  The key for you will be to get the most important details down so that you can refer back to them when you need them.

Just by following these five pieces of advice will help your grades immensely.  Think of your professors as your friends, not your enemies.

There are very good search engine results when it comes to scholarships. A high percentage of college students use the Internet when searching for financial aid opportunities because it provides both personalized and comprehensive lists of available scholarships. The Internet also generates information on available internships and jobs in your community while also compiling pages of useful scholarship advice and information required for scholarships. In addition to providing information on scholarships, the Internet allows students to access different college’s financial aid allocation and opportunities.

However, when searching for scholarships, you may come across very poorly developed sites. Imagine you are in your Senior year of High School and have begun your frantic search to secure allocation for college,  you start googling the word “scholarships” and come across hundreds of scholarship websites; feeling ambitious, you will probably end up registering with several. But while looking through their lists of scholarships, you may find hundreds, but after a few minutes, you will realize that many of the scholarships were obscure and  did not provide a website and only made applications available through email.  Soon you will find  that these are landing pages intended on taking your information and nothing more. After  experiences like this, you will learn that the only scholarships you should apply for are scholarships that have a website with access to an application so that you are certain your information is received by the scholarship office and not some call center.  Bottom line, be careful with your personal information online and beware scholarship scams.

When you find the right scholarship, you need to know about the interviews. Scholarship interviews can be very helpful because they give you the opportunity to express yourself and gives the committee a first impression about the character you hold. It is normal for many people to be afraid of interviews and are usually intimidated by them. The best advice is to practice.The interview is nothing more than a conversation between you and judges about yourself and your thoughts. They are scoring you on the way you answer your questions, how well you understand the question, and how well you conduct yourself. If you’re scared or have butterflies, it’s completely normal. Just relax, talk about yourself and your points of view, because that is all they expect from an interview.

Many states offer grants for single mothers, and different states have different aid programs with their own set of eligibility requirements, application processes, and award amounts.  Some examples of state grant opportunities include: New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) that awards up to $5,000 to eligible New York state residents whom are single mothers. Kansas Comprehensive Grants awards between $100-$1,100 to eligible Kansas state residents whom are single mothers. New Mexico Student Incentive Grant awards between $200 and $2500 a year to eligible New Mexico state residents whom are single mothers. To find financial aid information for your state of residence, check out the government website listing of  State Higher Education Agencies.

Today, more than ever, and thanks to the technological advances provided by the Internet, single moms have become a substantial segment of the college student population that many schools have their own grant programs for single mothers. In fact, your school is probably your best bet for a single mom grant after the federal grant program. Tip! You MUST file a FAFSA (the federal application) in order to qualify for just about everybody else’s need-based grants and scholarships, including your state’s and your school’s. Many private corporations and non- profit organizations also offer grants and loans for single mothers. For working single mothers, grants and tuition reimbursement from employers is another possibility worth investigating, especially if the education you want to pursue will make you a more valuable employee to your employer.

Be very careful with Grant Scams: In your search for legitimate grants for single mothers, beware of Internet scams promising to send you grants information “for a shipping fee” of a couple of dollars! If you give your bank or credit card information to one of these websites, you are opening yourself up to being charged for services that you did not agree to or know about. As the number of women becoming the single head of household steadily rises, the importance of grants for single mothers also grows.

With the right education, working moms can open doors for themselves and their families and by taking advantage of the available grants tailored specifically for their unique situation.

When a roommate annoys you, it can be hard to live in peace and quiet in your own home. But the fact is, you have to try and get along with your roommate, so that living together can be harmonious and productive. It us understandable the exhaustion and fatigue that goes into work when trying to make a living situation successful for all parties, especially when your roommate is constantly driving you crazy. Have you ever dreaded going home after class? Were you afraid your dorm room or apartment would look like the aftermath of a home invasion? Did you expect certain belongings to come up missing? Has your leftover dinner become their lunch? Living with an inconsiderate roommate can make life difficult, and if you answered yes to any of the previous questions, you are living with an inconsiderate roommate. The key is communication and to act like adults when talking about house issues that need to be addressed. Below are some tips to help you succeed in communicating your complaints to your roommate.

1. Don’t involve third parties and keep the negativity or trash talking to a minimum.

2. Treat your roommate with respect and establish a clear line of communication.

3. Always be honest and never repress your feelings as passive-aggressiveness will only add fuel to the fire. Try to explain your complaint by putting them in your shoes; reverse the roles so to speak so that they may understand where you are coming from and why you are upset by their behavior. Show them, rather than tell them, what their actions are doing.

4. Understand their issues and commit to improving your behavior. Once your roommate sees that you’re willing to make an effort to coexist, they’ll be more likely to do the same.

5. Set boundaries so that your roommate will know where each of you stand. If you have early classes and plan to be in bed by 11 p.m., ask them to hang out with their friends at their apartments or at a bar instead of your apartment. If you don’t want to share your food, keep it compartmentalized and in a familiar area so that your roommate won’t mistake it for their own. If you prefer for the common areas to remain tidy, offer to clean their mess and try to get them involved. Make your preferences clear in a mature manner. But if there’s absolutely nothing you can do to improve the situation, contact residential life or apartment management and attempt to make a change.

6. Take the lessons you’ve learned with the bad roommate and use them to cultivate a healthy relationship with your next roommate. Remember each living condition provides its own unique scenarios, so whenever you see behavior that is not conducive to both yours and their health and success, start with communication.

Typically if it works out the second time, you’ll realize the previous situation only made you a better roommate, and a wiser one as well, because now you know how to deal with an unpleasant situation and know how to pull the silver lining for use in a new situation.

Nowadays, with the recent technological advances, more and more  students are able to use a variety of devices to read assigned school materials. However, many students seem to prefer old fashioned hardcover books because they find that hardcover books are more beneficial when in the classroom. Hardcover books allow students to flip through pages rather than scroll down a computer screen and  make notes in the margins.  Because many school books are available online, students can access them at home, but unless they have a laptop, they cannot access material in class lectures or during class discussions. Moreover, students find that virtual books can have more disadvantages than benefits because virtual books require being connected to the Internet, which allows for temptation to ‘surf the net’ so to speak, rather than complete assignments.

According to a recent survey, many students prefer reading hardcover books because it is easier to maintain their focus and is more convenient to have. The problem with virtual books is access. It may be that every student has a computer station at home to work with, but what happens when that student needs it during class, or when he or she decides to work outside? Not all students have access to the virtual books when they may need it. Another problem with online books is that the Internet has the opportunity to be such a distraction that it may hold students back from reading because they decided to search the web. Hardcover books allow students to mark up pages with underlines and text to use as reference points and are easier to highlight, bookmark, and write notes, whereas online books may not have this feature.

Annotators, those learners who love scribbling thoughts and ideas in the margins of the books, are especially fond of hardcover textbook over virtual books because the act is as easy as  just picking up a pen. Students are using the computers for a variety of school work like, essay development, research, and projects. Hardcover books can be a welcomed alternative to the computer screen as the work can tax vision by the end of the day. Annotator or not, some students simply hate reading online and would just prefer a hardcover textbook. Students spend a lot of time reading for class, and after several hours of reading, the glare can really get affect you. Bottom line, hardcover books are a lot cheaper and are more convenient to have daily. On the other hand, as a pro to online reading, we have the fact that virtual books are Eco-friendly and by uploading books instead of printing them, countless trees are saved.

Our website has some great tools that help students find resources to further their education.

Did you know you can include some of these tools on your own education website?

College Matching Service has an education widgets page that has numerous widgets and tools that you can copy and paste on your own website.  They will allow your visitors to perform a search for scholarships, find a college degree, search for colleges in their area, and more.

Our free scholarship search is particularly popular because of how simple it is.  It allows your visitors to enter a keyword such as “technology” and it will display technology scholarships.  The user can then filter those results based on their qualifications, such as a GPA of 3.0 or higher, their current education level such as sophomore or junior, and much more.

We also provide our scholarships in RSS format so that you can show targeted scholarships right on your website.  For example, if you have a music website, you could display a list of the most recent music scholarships that updates daily.  The visitor can then click on one of the music scholarships and be brought to a detailed page about the scholarship with a link to apply for it.

Best of all, ALL of our education widgets are free to use.  Some of them can even make money for you! Contact us for more information.

Copy the code to display this widget on your own website!

<!--START CMS WIDGET--> <div style="width: 225px;"> <form action="http://collegematchingservice.com/scholarships/search.php" method="GET" target="_blank"> <div style="padding: 3px 3px 3px 3px; background-color: #444444; border: 1px solid #333333;"> <div style="border: 1px dashed #999999; padding: 8px 0px 5px 0px; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff;"> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font: 18px Lucida; color: #333333;"><strong>Free <a href="http://collegematchingservice.com/scholarships/" target="_blank" style="font: 18px Lucida; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Scholarships</a> Search</strong></p> <p style="margin: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 2px 0px;"> <input type="text" name="term" size="20" value="Technology" style="border: 1px solid #333333; padding: 4px;" onClick="this.value=''"> <input type="submit" value="Go!" style="border: 1px solid #333333; font-weight: bold; background-color: #a10404; color: #ffffff; padding: 3px;"></p> <p style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 5px; text-align: center;"><span style="font: 11px Lucida; color: #333333;">powered by <a href="http://collegematchingservice.com" target="_blank" style="font: 11px Lucida; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;">College Matching Service</a></span></p> </p></div> </p></div> <p style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center;"><span style="font: 11px Lucida; color: #333333;">Find <a href="http://collegematchingservice.com" target="_blank" style="font: 12px Lucida; color: #333333; text-decoration: none;">Online Colleges</a></span></p> </p></form> </div> <p><!--END CMS WIDGET-->

There you are, at the foot of a mountain wondering what you are going to do in the future.

You have ideas, thoughts, plans, aspirations, motivations, and dreams. You see the world as your playground; obstacles and oppositions are at a minimum. You are surrounded by people just like yourself who have similar interests and thoughts. You are in a constant state of a creativity flux. One day you meet an eccentric recluse with an idea of how to revolutionize the slow cooking movement in your hometown, the next you meet a cross country runner who practices 4 times a day, counts calories, believes warm-ups are sexy, and thinks of nothing more than the feeling she gets at mile 25.

The greatest thing about college is the fact that it is designed to nurture and develop. Design and nurture what you may ask? That is limitless, but often limited by the focus of the college or the imagination of the student.

Take it from me, once you graduate, your access to the university is severely limited.

The best time to pursue any type of entrepreneurial quest is while you are a student at a university. Do not spend your time hatching the “perfect” plan, instead, move your idea out the door as quickly as possible. Get your idea in front of faculty members. Find faculty that have an entrepreneurial background. Email your universities newspaper, radio station, tv station, or even their public relations department. A university is filled with people who can help you take an idea through to the launch of the end result.

Think about all the things you have going for you as a student with an idea:

1. Being in debt up to your eye balls has very few advantages, but one of them is that it affords you the time you would have otherwise spent on a dead-end job.
2. Every large university has everything a business needs to succeed.
3. You are paying to attend the university, so naturally the majority of faculty feel like they owe you something (if only a little).
4. An atmosphere that naturally fosters creativity even if it wasn’t designed for it.
5. Spectacular access to a brilliant pool of labor.
6. General lack of real-world responsibility.

Greg McAdoo spoke at the Startup School 2008 and gave a great analogy about surfers and startups. He said, and I am paraphrasing, that the greatest surfers in the world don’t make their own waves. They don’t go against the waves, they choose the right wave and ride it perfectly. And that is what a great founder has to do.

So my challenge to you is simple.

Find your huge wave and ride it with passion, conviction, and courage.