CLASSES & JOBS

It has taken a while, but online colleges are starting to take students away from the usual college experience. This is due in part to the convenience and ease offered by online colleges. Courses can be taken at the convenience of the student versus the set schedules of regular college institutions. This has also attracted an older generation of college goers. Parents and adults with jobs and careers are finding the online college a perfect fit for their busy schedules.

They can attend school when and where they want, leaving them time to work full time, be stay-at-home parents, or pursue other goals. Online colleges give them the flexibility they want to live their lives as adults…not the typical college student life that leaves no time for a job or a life outside of school.

I am currently enrolled in an online class at my university. I didn’t have time in my schedule to fit one of my classes, so I decided I would give this online education thing a try. Surprisingly, I think it’s a good fit for me. The professor warned the class of the pitfalls of taking an online course but I think I’ll be able to survive the course.

The professor warned us that procrastination was the number one killer of online education courses. If students are enrolled in regular courses in addition to an online course, they have the tendency to put off work for their online course. This is due, in part, to the fact that students in the online course aren’t attending a physical classroom every day.

Other than helping your children grow up health and happy, the most important thing you can do is to assist in their education, especially reading skills. Speech, reading and writing are all linked; this means that teaching your child to read will undoubtedly affect their speech and writing abilities.

Encourage your child to experience and discover new things through reading. If they have a question about something, instead of telling them, point them in the direction of a book that will answer their question. This will not only encourage your child to read but also show them where they can learn new and interesting things.

Some of the world’s most famous speakers have freely admitted to nervousness and stage fright. Mark Twain said it best: “There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.” Everyone, even experienced speakers, has some anxiety when speaking in front of a group of people. This is perfectly normal. The best way to deal with this anxiety is to first acknowledge that this fear is perfectly normal and you are not alone. To reduce your fear, you need to make sure you properly and thoroughly prepare yourself before you speak. Proper preparation and rehearsal can help to reduce this fear.

If you can greet some of the audience as they arrive and chat with them for a moment, this will also help alleviate some of your nervousness. It is easier to speak to a group of friends than it is to speak to a group of complete strangers.

I am not a gear head by any means, but I do love listening to Car Talk on NPR. I can change a tire, put gas in my car and on rare occasions, change my own oil. So I am always amazed by those Americans who can see a car pass on the street and give me every small detail about its engine, performance, structure and paint.

These are the friends I turn to every time my car starts to make a weird noise, which I inevitably try to describe to them without success. This provides them with a good laugh and a feeling of superiority to my meager automotive knowledge. I guess cars can just be a hobby and passion like any other. I think I’ll stick to my passion and hobby of listening instead of getting my hands dirty.

When talks of purchasing a home make their way into a new marriage, they are often met with a tremendous amount of excitement. Dreams of cooking special meals in the large kitchen, images of frolicking in the creek just out back or talk about future holidays with your ever-growing family are just the tip of the iceberg. What often happens is that the reality of the situation is overshadowed by the magic of it all.

One of the biggest mistakes a couple can make is failing to check their own credit prior to applying for their mortgage. Forget about the old-wives tales about points being taken from your credit score if you check it. The truth is that you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three big credit reporting companies. This type of credit check is called a “soft pull,” and it doesn’t show up on your report. If you take the time to check your credit report, you will be able to remove any discrepancies prior to applying for a mortgage. You could ultimately save an interest rate percentage point or two by cleaning up your credit report!