Always Learn!

Importance of a good college education is inestimable; its profit is incalculable. Although college tuition can cost you a few thousand dollars, not going can cost much more in your lifetime. In fact, there are plenty of available financial aid options to help you face the cost of your college tuition. From federal to private organization, if you are interested in finding financial aid to continue your education, you will surely find an institution to help you. This article explains the importance of a college education and steps to take to find financial aid.

Education aims to provide every individual the physical, intellectual and moral development they need. It allows you to manage your lives and face the demands of the society in which you live. Education has always been essential in human life. From the beginning of time, humankind has sought to invent new technologies to better meet their needs. However, with the advancement of science, higher education is becoming increasingly more important. In developed countries like the United States and Canada, a degree in college is “necessary” to live a life more or less modest.

Not long ago while I was in hospital, I met a pretty woman who was working in the hospital as a Registered Nurse. She seems so happy that I asked questions about the job she was doing and why she is so happy. She started telling me the reason of her joy. Before becoming a RN, she used to work in a restaurant as a dishwasher. When she realized that she was going to lose her fingers by water/sanitizer solution, she decided to get a part time job and went to college. Now, being a RN, she works less, and makes much more money. She told me, “That’s the greatest decision I ever made in my life.”

I am not telling you there is no success in life without a college education, but the chances are slim. Even those who are, because of their talents, succeed without an education are often full of social gap; although money seems to talk in this society. Truly, if he were not educated, Obama would never break the barrier of racism to become the first black president in the US, which for many remains unbelievable. You are not Obama and you will never be; however, you can be a professional in a branch. Nothing is more rewarding than a good professional education.

According to a study published by U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 90 percent of the fastest growing job (mostly in computer and medical fields) require a college education or technical school training. In addition, there is a big difference between college and high school graduates salaries. A college graduate employee in the U.S. earns nearly twice as much as an employee with just a high school diploma. It is estimated that college graduates will earn $ 1 million dollars more than those with only a high school diploma, according to University of Wisconsin-River Falls. If life becomes harder day by day, college education becomes more necessary to cope with the exigencies of the society.

As jobs continue to decline, it becomes more difficult for high school graduates to obtain a “medium-paying job” that was once available. The benefits of a good education are unlimited; having it is as precious as gold and silver. The question is how to pay for that education? If you do not want to take student loans, it may be difficult for you to go college. Find grant is difficult but not impossible. You can find a list of top colleges in the US and all information you need to find financial aid to pursue your education. For details, Visit continuingeducationcollege.com, or visit the link in the resource box below.

Attaining an online education degree has opened opportunities for many students, especially those who find paying for traditional full-time courses outside their reach. But as much as acquiring an online education degree has many benefits over traditional learning, many factors play a role in order to make it successful for online students. Because of the differences in the way that online education is disseminated and acquired, some amendments in approaching this mode of learning need be put in place to make it a success.

1. Choosing the right accredited online college or university – The first step is to select the right institution to provide for your online education degree. Do your homework before starting school, and make sure the school has been accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies. Unfortunately, without that educational stamp of approval, the degree will not be worth the paper on which it is printed. In fact, “diploma mills” offer substandard, or no education with the promise of a quick (but worthless) degree.

2. Analyze cost vs. benefit – Some students enroll in a distance learning program without considering the cost. Generally, the cost per credit hour is fairly expensive. However, decide whether the education will translate into better income opportunities down the road. Only after assessing the true benefits can students appreciate the rewards of obtaining an education online degree.

3. Degree validation by employers – No wonder many employers are wary of online degrees. With bogus institutions literally selling degrees, employers have good reason to be doubtful and cautious. Therefore, immediately alleviate any potential misgivings by your prospective employer by offering verification of accreditation through an agency sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA.

4. Practice discipline, time management and be determined to succeed – During the course of learning, many students simply lack discipline and are unable to focus. This makes it difficult to keep up with their online lessons and coursework, it is thus crucial for students in pursuit of online education degree to have a great determination to succeed. It is very easy to lose focus and motivation when studying alone. Exercising good time management and keeping in constant touch with classmates would increase the morale to succeed.

5. Utilize all the facilities provided by your college – Many education degree online courses provide online lectures and email access to facilitate communication among students, lecturers and administration staff. It’s important to take full advantage of these services as they keep you “connected” with your accredited online college. It helps further your motivation in your studies when you make use of these facilities to stay in touch.

6. Make use of credit transfers – Many online education degree colleges allow students to transfer their credits from courses they took in previous colleges, whether online or traditional. By doing this, it means students don’t have to repeat courses they learnt before. For this to be effected, it’s important for a student who intends to pursue an education online to make sure they get transcripts and results from their previous universities or colleges and make them available to their accredited online college so they can be passed as transfer credits.

7. Using Educational technology is essential – The only way to facilitate an excellent online education degree is to take full advantage of all the educational technology available. Virtual libraries generally have all the information necessary to complete research projects and other assignments. The online materials have been factored into the cost of the course. The convenience is another reason for using this benefit to the fullest.

Recently, there has been an impetus to place for-profit performance-markers in the not-for-profit education sector. While everyone agrees that public money should only be spent on programs, initiatives, and teachers that produce results, finding an accurate and realistic means for measuring pedagogy has proved difficult.

The difficulty in finding a middle ground hasn’t stopped the NCLB commission—led by Roy E. Barnes and Tommy Thompson—from suggesting that teachers and principals should be judged by their students’ test scores. In addition, the NCLB commission suggested that the performance of specific students be tracked from year to year. In response to the aggressive means that the NCLB commission is seeking to place on higher education, Edward J. McElroy—president of the American Federation of Teachers—stated that: “there is no reliable assessment systems(s) to tie student achievement to teacher performance.”1

Meanwhile in New York State, Eliot Spitzer and Manuel Rivera have carved out an additional $7 billion a year—which will boost the total yearly spend to $24.8 billion by 2010—for “performance based” school funding. In an effort to do away with the antiquated funding that New York State currently employs, each of the State’s school districts are obligated to sign a “contract of excellence” in order to secure funding. The push towards a measurably pedagogic system provides the education system with more funding, while making superintendents, administrators, and teachers accountable.

In contrast to the tact that the NCLB commission has taken, Spitzer’s approach to policy change and implementation has been more collaborative in nature: especially when compared with former Governor Pataki.

Commissioner of Education Richard P. Mills noted that Gov Spitzer delivered his speech in the education department building, included regents on his transition team, and invited board members to

help lead the charge for his agenda…. “He’s offering a partnership. It’s not always been like this,” Mr Mills said. “He’s giving us strong leadership. This is how it’s done.” 2

On a more global scale, the push towards performance-based education has been promoted as a means for maintaining the competitive work force, and the quality of life of the United States Of America. On December 14, 2006 the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce panel recommended that schools be operated by independent contractors, as well as giving states funding power, rather than local school districts. This panel is composed of New York City schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein; two former labor secretaries, William E. Brock, a Republican, and Ray Marshall, a Democrat; two former federal education secretaries, Rod Paige, a Republican, and Richard W. Riley, a Democrat and others. The panel’s recommendation comes in the wake of many claims that the American workforce is becoming less competitive. The AFT executive vice president, Antonia Cortese, noted that the proposals had ”some seriously flawed ideas with faddish allure that won’t produce better academic results .”3

Regardless of how we feel about performance based education initiatives, it is worth noting that the topic has garnered the attention of heavy-weight public figures from across the country. It is also worth noting that we’ve seen more performance-based education initiatives implemented in the past few years than in the previous decade. It remains to be seen how the country as a whole will move towards performance based education funding as a standard, rather than an idea.

-Sources

Jean Shecmo, Diana, “Tougher Standards Urged for Federal Education Law”, The New York Times, February 14, 2007

McNeil, Michelle, “Reform Agenda” in New York, Education Week, February 7, 2007

Herszenhorn, David M., Expert Panel Proposes Far-Reaching Redesign of the American Education System, The New York Times, December 15th 2006K

Recently, there has been an impetus to place for-profit performance-markers in the not-for-profit education sector. While everyone agrees that public money should only be spent on programs, initiatives, and teachers that produce results, finding an accurate and realistic means for measuring pedagogy has proved difficult.