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A college education is one of the major investments any individual will make throughout their lives. Many individuals struggle with finding the resources required for a sound tertiary education and have had to resort to seeking financial assistance. Most students will rack up a debt averaging $60,000 by the time they have completed say a bachelor’s degree program and we all know this money must come from somewhere. Before the advent of online colleges, most individuals went to traditional colleges where they had no problems receiving financial assistance through the various government educational support programs. However, what of this new growth in the online student community, are they accommodated under this system? Online College FinancingStudents of online colleges need not to worry about receiving financing for their studies. The government has acknowledged the contribution made by online colleges and has extended their financial aid to these accredited online colleges. As long as the online college is accredited by the various government affiliated boards such as the Secretary of Education, then its students qualify for student loans. Types of Online College Financial Aid AvailableOnline students have several options through which they can receive financial aid. However, this support is restricted to student existing within the US. This aid can be accessed through government and private loans, grants and scholarships.
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Where Can I Find Financial Aid for Online College?
Monday, January 11th, 2010Online PhD degree in Psychology Education
Friday, January 8th, 2010|
Do you like to study the human mind and human behavior? Then consider an online education in Psychology. A Ph.D., in psychology can open the doors to many wonderful and rewarding career opportunities for you. We know how tough it is to earn a Ph.D., on campus especially for busy professionals however distance learning makes it easy to attend classes from the convenience and comfort of your home while you pursue your educational goals. What does a psychologist do?Psychologists formulate hypotheses and collect information to test their validity. They research, gather information through controlled laboratory experiments or by administering personality, intelligence test, performance and aptitude, observe among others. What can I do with a PhD in Psychology?A PhD in Psychology can be applied to a wide range of endeavors, including human services, education, law, health, research, teaching and sports. Most Psychologists specialize in different areas such as: Clinical Psychologist: Clinical psychologists normally work as a group practice, independently, in counseling, clinics or hospitals. They help medical and surgical patients in dealing with injuries and illnesses as well as mentally and emotionally distress patients adjust to life. Counseling Psychologists: Counseling psychologists uses interviewing and testing techniques to help clients use various techniques on how to deal with problems faced in different stages of life. Social Psychologists: Social psychologists study group behavior, attitudes and perception. They examine how people interact with each other and with social setting. School Psychologist: School psychologist typically work with students in early childhood through secondary school. They work with parents, teachers and school personnel to develop an environment that is safe, healthy and supportive for all students. Developmental Psychologists: Developmental psychologists specialize in the study of cognitive, physiological and social developmental that takes place throughout life as well as the effects of developmental disabilities. Experimental or Research Psychologists: Experimental or research psychologist study the behavior in humans and animals. They typically work in universities and private research centers and in nonprofit and governmental organizations. What is the employment outlook for someone with a PhD, in Psychology?According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Psychologists held about 166,000 jobs in 2006. Faster-than-average employment growth is expected for psychologists. Job prospects should be the best for people who have a doctoral degree from a leading university in an applied specialty, such as counseling or health, and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology. Master’s degree holders in fields other than industrial-organizational psychology will face keen competition. Opportunities will be limited for bachelor’s degree holders. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that job prospects should be the best for people who have a doctoral degree from a leading university in an applied specialty, such as counseling or health, and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology. Psychologists with extensive training in quantitative research methods and computer science may have a competitive edge over applicants without such background. What should I expect to earn with an Online PhD Degree in Psychology?According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings of wage and salary clinical, counseling, and school psychologists in May 2006 were around $59,440. The middle 50 percent earned between $45,300 and $77,750. The lowest 10 percent earned less than about $35,280, and the highest 10 percent earned around $102,730. With that in mind, I’d say that a PhD in Psychology is an excellent career choice – What do you think? |
10 Great Science Movies – A Treat for Geeks!!
Thursday, January 7th, 2010|
Watching movies with extensive technical influence is a major part of geek life. These movies provide inspiration and insight into many technological advancement that can be implemented into real life situations. The type of movies watched is not limited to their specific area of study as the key issue for these geeks is to delve deep into the various innovations suggested or utilized in the creation of the movie. Some of the movies that are a must see for geeks are: 1. Jurassic Park Jurassic park is a classic film about the advances in genetic manipulations and the unpredictability of nature. It has been viewed by millions of geeks worldwide who have an affinity for dinosaurs and all prehistoric. 2. Gattaca This movie is a favorite among space-orientated geeks. Its plot is about a man living in a world that is classed based on the genetic makeup of individuals and his fight to break out of this cocoon and pursue his dream of space travel. 3. I Robot This movie conveys the story of a futuristic cop who investigates the murder of a human by a suspected rebel robot. 4. The Matrix Trilogy This movie on robotics and artificial intelligence is placed on the top shelf on any geek’s movie collection. The plot is based on the notion that robots have taken over the earth and humans have become slaves to be used as a source of energy. Only a group of rebels headed by a man known as Morfius is capable of creating a sustainable fight back. 5. Stargate The plot of the movie surrounds the mysterious opening of a hate in space that allows people to travel great distances to other planets. Upon reaching there, things are not as the expected and thus endure a constant fight to return to earth. 6. The Thing This classic from the 80s was a combination of both horror and scientific research gone badly. It tells the story of a group of scientists conducting research on the continent of Antarctica who encounter a deadly alien monster that can transform itself into any form of life it encounters. 7. A Space Odyssey This 2001 space exploration classic examines the possible direction that man will take and the scientific issues involved in the evolution of humans into artificial intelligence. 8. Wall-E Wall-E is a classic geek love story. It involves an archaic waste collecting robot who is designed to collect waste after the tragic destruction of the earth and its love of a state of art robot from a distance civilization. Through the pursuit of this love, Wall-E ends up saving this civilization from disaster. 9. An Inconvenient Truth This movie is an environmentalist treasure. It investigates and puts the issues of global warming into the face of its audience. 10. Apollo 13 This geek classic details the momentous job done by NASA in bringing home the crew of Apollo 13 from a space mission despite the many technical malfunctions they encountered. |
Comparison of Online College Student Budget from 1999 to 2009
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010|
Over the past 10 years, we have seen many changes within the online educational community. Competition have increased has increased significantly with many traditional universities entering the market by offering online versions of their on-campus programs. In addition, the general cost of education has escalated due to the effects of inflation and technological advancements. Online universities have had to include marketing departments in their operations to seek out new markets to maintain their market share and most naturally, these expanses are transferred to the pockets of students. The cost of online education is also influenced by the popularity on the university. As online universities become more experienced in the art of online education, they are able to improve their product. This will in turn increase their influence on the market as students who desire the best level of education flock to these online universities that have the most influence within the business sector.  Changes in Student Budget over the YearsTo gain a better understanding of the changes in student budgets we can compare cost of online tuition from 1999 compared to that of 2009. On average, in 1999 that cost of online degree programs stood at around $10,000 for public institutions and $20,000 for private institutions. During that time, online universities were not fully accepted within the business communities as online universities were still going through growing pains and not all had the relevant accreditation from the various boards. Jump 10 years to 2009, online universities now form a vital part of the educational landscape. Many employers are now encouraging their employees to take advantage of online universities as they can improve their qualifications without disrupting their work schedule. As a result, the forces of supply and demand kick in as the increase in demand results in individuals willing to pay more for their education. Statistics show that currently in the year 2009, online students will have to fork out tuitions fees averaging $30,000 for public online institution and $45-50,000 for private institutions. This shows an average of a 50 to 60% increase in ten years. If we conduct a more in-depth study based on the types of online degree programs, we see an even more disturbing trend. The cost of bachelor’s degree stick to the average trends of 50 t 60% but graduate programs see an increase of 102% over the past ten years. This is due to the significant increase in demand for postgraduate degree programs by working professionals. These individuals have to increase their educational arsenal to remain competitive against younger and more technologically advanced kids leaving high school. The fact that they can study without disrupting their work patterns has proven to be a hit among this target group. Another factor that affected the cost of postgraduate programs is that some online universities factored the improved salaries that graduates gain after the completion of a postgraduate degree program. Thus, they decided that these students would be prepared to pay for these opportunities. |
10 Best Internet Savvy tips for Online Learners
Monday, January 4th, 2010|
While students still understand the meaning of online education, learning online has taken new avatars. The following discussion will let you know how your learning can be of use to others, with nothing in black and white. While learning is one side of the story, online learning is making use of online tools to make learning beneficial to one and others. Following are a list of 10 tips and tools used for effective online learning. 1. WikipediaLearning is complete only with understanding. Understanding a subject and making a note on it beneficial to one and all is making use of learning for all future requirements. Wikipedia is used as a source of knowledge for everything unknown. The user edited website is information rich because of the contents offered by users as an addition to the already existing set of facts on a topic or subject. Bu updating your learning of a subject on Wikipedia you not only learn effectively but also enable others have a look at your piece of information. The word of caution here is that since it is a user edited site, the authenticity of the information used should be verified before being adopted. 2. Online GroupsWhether you have been or willing to be a part of online groups is certainly a good idea as it offers you a chance to be a part of ongoing discussions on a topic of interest to you and get a glimpse of the various contributions by members of the group. Verify often the real time happenings are noted only through group discussions like these. It not only helps you understand the various view points, it also helps you stay updated with happenings. The groups may be specific to your college or course of study, or they may even be general like yahoo groups. 3. Online Notes on your ReadingIf you feel your notes will be of great help to all those who find it difficult to read a huge book or publication, then posting your notes on the web is a sure shot idea that will help everyone read through notes prepared out of a huge booklet. Offering an appropriate caption will make search engine optimizer that will enable students’ access it by typing the key word on their search engine. 4. Flashcards OnlineFlash cards have always been used as an effective mode of learning. Forget about making one. You have number of websites offering you tools to make flashcards online. With the help of a flashcard maker you can create your own set of flashcards and take a print out of them for memorizing definitions and concepts. 5. PodcastPodcasting is a superb way to express your presentation to the online world. All you needs is equipment and know how to create weekly or monthly podcast on the subjects of your learning and interest. It not only helps you revise at a later time, it is also helpful to students looking for a similar presentation. 6. BloggingBlogging is a great way to present your opinions on a free to use blog spot, whereby not only you get a chance to express your opinion on multifarious issues, you also get to hear from all those who in turn opine for or against your viewpoint. Blogs can kick start meaningful discussions that offers better understanding for one and all. 7. Video Conferencing or Online ClassesOnline classes are a great way to learn where student find it difficult to commute from very long distances. It is a way by which students find a means to learn and understand those concepts which otherwise turn out to be Greek and Latin to them. 8. Online Interactive PlatformsEvery online educational institution has an online interactive platform that enables students to learn and discuss with their peers and faculties, any topic from their study. This not only helps them learn the subject better, it also helps them stay in the loop for any updates. 9. BroadcastingThose of you who have a presentation on their subjects, can deliver it in a video format, where the presentation can be of use to all those who are in search for some relevant presentation on the subject. Websites like YouTube are widely used for such purposes. 10. Email CommunicationThough considered as one of the oldest online tool email communication is has its benefits even today. Mail forward is a common way of passing on the information to others. You can use this method to pass on important information on the course of study to all those in your group. Not only the message is conveyed, it also helps the person make use of the information at a later time and date. With growing technology the tools for online learning are becoming endless. An effective use of these tools lie can help make online learning a lot more easy. |
