Making the decision to continue your education online is an important one. It is vital, however, that you do your research to make get the most out of your education. Here are some tips to help get you started.
The first thing you should look at when deciding on your school is their accreditation. Many diploma mills will claim to be accredited. However, upon further inspection, you will find that many are not or are accredited by a company, which has been set up by the school itself, to lend legitimacy to its programs. Be diligent in contacting the college and asking for proof of their accreditation. Don't be afraid to get in touch with the awarding body to verify that what the college is telling is in fact true. Many diploma mills do not expect prospective students to conduct due diligence on them, so this can be to your advantage. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a website which lists recognized awarding bodies and the Distance Education Council will be happy to help you verify a particular college's accreditation.
Read the course catalogue closely to get a sense of what sort of programs they offer. In the rush to capitalize on the explosion in the online education market, many colleges will offer degrees in areas before than can develop a reputable or experience faculty. Does the instructor actually have professional and academic experience in the field that they teach? If you have any questions or queries, contact the university or the instructor and ask them. This should help you get a better sense of what the institution and its instructors are like.
One of the best indications that an online school is a diploma mill is if their admissions policies are too lenient or non-existent. While there are many good colleges with relaxed admissions procedures, diploma mills are often simply interested in taking money off of students in the form of tuition or fees. If the college is too keen to grant you credits based upon past courses or life-experience without careful consideration, than that is usually a sign that the school is best avoided.
While earning your degree online can be a rewarding experience, it is important that you know what to look for when choosing your school.
2008-07-28
How to Receive an Education and Training Online
It is not unusual for a person to grow apathetic toward his or her current job. Lack of stimulating work, low pay, and limited growth potential within an organization are all excellent reasons to seek out a way to make a change. One of the best, and easiest, ways to achieve this is to explore furthering your education and training online. This innovative and exciting method of personal and professional improvement has the benefit of allowing you to enhance your career opportunities by either earning a degree or by taking advantage of continuing education options. This is also an ideal option for you if you want to change your career entirely. Education and training can be sought online without interfering with work and family commitments.
In order to get that promotion you've been working so hard for, it's often necessary to further your education and training. Doing so online allows you do achieve your full career potential at your own pace, without interfering with work. In many professions, such as pharmacy, it's often required to stay up to date with new technologies and pertinent information. A convenient way to do this is to take your continuing education courses online. Some employers are even willing to pay for a portion or all tuition and fees. After all, investing money in their employees can provide long-term benefits for employers.
There are many advantages of choosing an online education and training facility if you wish to further your education and training. There is no need to live near or commute to a school or training facility when all classes can be attended and all coursework submitted online. Attending school online is a great option for those who might have misgivings about going to college as an older student or returning after many years. Furthering your education and training at an online school can make it easier to ease into the routine of class work and projects, an can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger college students. Further, the course availability is often convenient for those who work full time and/or care for a family. Frequently, institutions offer evening and weekend sections of courses. It is also very appealing to 'go to school' from the comforts of home.
The type of education and training available online is seemingly limitless. The entire spectrum of college degrees is available to a student, including Associate's, Bachelor's, and PhD degrees, as well as professional certificates. These degrees are available in many different fields, including Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, Mathematics, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and Healthcare programs. In addition to college diplomas, continuing education for professionals is available in many areas, including Healthcare programs, Business, and Information Technology.
Affording to further your education and training online is no different from doing so in a traditional face-to-face institution. Often, financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans, and scholarships. It is important to check with the individual institution of interest for requirements and guidelines. Also, many employers may be willing to pay for part or all of an employee's continuing education. Investing in an employee's future is also investing in the employer's future.
The misconception of continuing your education and training online is that the experience might not be as enriching or legitimate as attending face-to-face classes at a traditional college or training facility. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communications as their traditional counterparts. In fact, continuing your education online might help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop time management and self-motivation skills. With the prevalence of the Internet and advancements such as teleconferencing in both education and the business world today, it is possible to come away from the experience not only with a degree, but also with greater knowledge and comfort with technology. Continuing your education and training online is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities.
In order to get that promotion you've been working so hard for, it's often necessary to further your education and training. Doing so online allows you do achieve your full career potential at your own pace, without interfering with work. In many professions, such as pharmacy, it's often required to stay up to date with new technologies and pertinent information. A convenient way to do this is to take your continuing education courses online. Some employers are even willing to pay for a portion or all tuition and fees. After all, investing money in their employees can provide long-term benefits for employers.
There are many advantages of choosing an online education and training facility if you wish to further your education and training. There is no need to live near or commute to a school or training facility when all classes can be attended and all coursework submitted online. Attending school online is a great option for those who might have misgivings about going to college as an older student or returning after many years. Furthering your education and training at an online school can make it easier to ease into the routine of class work and projects, an can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger college students. Further, the course availability is often convenient for those who work full time and/or care for a family. Frequently, institutions offer evening and weekend sections of courses. It is also very appealing to 'go to school' from the comforts of home.
The type of education and training available online is seemingly limitless. The entire spectrum of college degrees is available to a student, including Associate's, Bachelor's, and PhD degrees, as well as professional certificates. These degrees are available in many different fields, including Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, Mathematics, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and Healthcare programs. In addition to college diplomas, continuing education for professionals is available in many areas, including Healthcare programs, Business, and Information Technology.
Affording to further your education and training online is no different from doing so in a traditional face-to-face institution. Often, financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans, and scholarships. It is important to check with the individual institution of interest for requirements and guidelines. Also, many employers may be willing to pay for part or all of an employee's continuing education. Investing in an employee's future is also investing in the employer's future.
The misconception of continuing your education and training online is that the experience might not be as enriching or legitimate as attending face-to-face classes at a traditional college or training facility. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communications as their traditional counterparts. In fact, continuing your education online might help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop time management and self-motivation skills. With the prevalence of the Internet and advancements such as teleconferencing in both education and the business world today, it is possible to come away from the experience not only with a degree, but also with greater knowledge and comfort with technology. Continuing your education and training online is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities.
How To Pay For Your Online Degree
College can be expensive. Just because your degree is completed online does not make it cost any less. Education can be a budget busting proposition so here's what I found can help!
Apply for student loans. Head to your schools counseling office or to your local bank. Look for low interest and long duration payment plans.
The government offers several loans to students going to school. The cap of the loan is generally set by the school you are attending. These are great low interest long term loans that you should seriously consider. Here's the online info link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
All loans must be paid back. However, the terms are very reasonable. The government agencies will determine the type of loan you are offered through several factors, including your income level. Some students are offered subsidized loans, in which the government actually pays the interest of the loan for them. Others are offered unsubsidized loans. Their interest accrues while they are going to school. Generally speaking, government loans are the best type of loan to take out because they are designed to benefit the student and usually offer the most reasonable rates and terms.
There are also grants available. Apply for as many as you can. A grant is a gift of money. You do not need to pay it back. The government offers grants of money to students who fall in the lower brackets of income level. Usually students must maintain a minimum gpa in order to qualify for the grant. The required gpa depends upon how much money a student (or, more often, a student's family) has. The minimum gpa varies, but is generally in the 2.0-3.0 range. Grants do not have to be paid back. Check out some info as the same site for loans: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Some students don't qualify for government loans. Those who are not United States citizens, men who fail to register for the draft, and students enrolling in unapproved schools are not able to receive funding from government agencies. These students have the option of taking out private loans from individual banks. Bank loans require that the student has established sufficient creditor is co-signing with someone who has. These loans generally have a higher interest rate and less negotiable terms.
Make sure you also check out scholarships. A scholarship is an award based on academic performance, talent, or other factors. It may have certain requirements, but you do not need to pay it back. Students can learn about individual scholarships from their schools counseling office (or web site) or from online scholarship databases.
Apply for everything you can in order to see what you qualify for. There is not a grant or scholarship program you should overlook interms of pursuing financing for your education.
Apply for student loans. Head to your schools counseling office or to your local bank. Look for low interest and long duration payment plans.
The government offers several loans to students going to school. The cap of the loan is generally set by the school you are attending. These are great low interest long term loans that you should seriously consider. Here's the online info link: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
All loans must be paid back. However, the terms are very reasonable. The government agencies will determine the type of loan you are offered through several factors, including your income level. Some students are offered subsidized loans, in which the government actually pays the interest of the loan for them. Others are offered unsubsidized loans. Their interest accrues while they are going to school. Generally speaking, government loans are the best type of loan to take out because they are designed to benefit the student and usually offer the most reasonable rates and terms.
There are also grants available. Apply for as many as you can. A grant is a gift of money. You do not need to pay it back. The government offers grants of money to students who fall in the lower brackets of income level. Usually students must maintain a minimum gpa in order to qualify for the grant. The required gpa depends upon how much money a student (or, more often, a student's family) has. The minimum gpa varies, but is generally in the 2.0-3.0 range. Grants do not have to be paid back. Check out some info as the same site for loans: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Some students don't qualify for government loans. Those who are not United States citizens, men who fail to register for the draft, and students enrolling in unapproved schools are not able to receive funding from government agencies. These students have the option of taking out private loans from individual banks. Bank loans require that the student has established sufficient creditor is co-signing with someone who has. These loans generally have a higher interest rate and less negotiable terms.
Make sure you also check out scholarships. A scholarship is an award based on academic performance, talent, or other factors. It may have certain requirements, but you do not need to pay it back. Students can learn about individual scholarships from their schools counseling office (or web site) or from online scholarship databases.
Apply for everything you can in order to see what you qualify for. There is not a grant or scholarship program you should overlook interms of pursuing financing for your education.
How To Get Your Kids To Speak Your Language
Note: This experience had to do with preserving Spanish for our kids but the principles are valid for anyone trying to help their kids speak and preserve any language and culture.
COUNTRY OF MANY PEOPLES
This country,,, (The authors raised their kids in the United States but they believe that their experience can be useful for people in other non-spanish-speaking countries.) This country is made up of people from all over the world. We or our parents came from Latin countries. We now live here. We function in two different worlds, the American world and the world of our parents. All of us live in these two different worlds in different ways. Some of us were born in the countries our parents came from; others of us were born here. This makes a difference in how and how much we live in our two worlds.
COUNTRY OF MANY LANGUAGES
The one thing that is most important in our parents' world is their language which is also ours in different ways. The Spanish language of our parents is an issue to all of us every day. We may be proud to speak it well. We may be ashamed at not speaking it well. Some of us may have gone through periods of trying not to speak it because we wanted to speak English better. We may only speak it when we come across someone who needs help in understanding English. We may only remember some sayings of our grandparents or children's songs taught to us by our parents.
You may want to review (or study it for the first time) your Spanish. We could only find one reference for you. It is expensive and is a textbook, not too appealing but complete. Take a look at Nuevos Mundos, Spanish for Native Speakers 2nd Edition, Workbook : Curso de espanol para estudiantes bilingues"
F. Bruce Robinson, assistant director in the National Endowment for the Humanities' division of education programs asks "How does America preserve this important resource of people who are proficient in other languages? Instead of trying to depress the knowledge these students come to school with, we ought to be trying to build on it." (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 2, 1994, page A15)
OUR CHILDREN AND OUR LANGUAGE
We all want our children to speak the language of their heritage. We discount the opinions of those who say that it is better to forget Spanish and to concentrate on speaking English well. These people are just wrong. It does not hurt your English to speak another language; it helps. Spanish is particularly useful to children in their learning English vocabulary. Just today I taught my daughter the difference between vowels and consonants. Knowing Spanish really helped with the idea of the consonants. I told her that the consonants have no voice; they can only be pronounced with the vowels. The con-sonants suenan con the vowels.
But although most of us agree that it is a good thing for our kids to speak Spanish, most kids in the US whose parents were born in Latin American countries do not speak Spanish well.
Even if both parents speak Spanish at home, quite often the kids answer their parents in English. Look around at your Latin friends and relatives and you will see that most give up on teaching their kids to speak Spanish. Chicano and Puerto Rican families seem to have a little better luck than Latinos from other countries with keeping Spanish alive in their barrios but even their younger generation is losing fluency in Spanish.
However, parents who want their children to speak Spanish can go against the current and set the stage for their children to grow up speaking Spanish. It is not easy. Most families fail in their resolve but it can be done. This report will give some hints on how to improve your chances.
REASONS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO SPEAK SPANISH
There are many reasons why it is good for the kids to speak your language. One obvious reason is the advantage that it might be for them in the job market. As long as we live in a world with shrunken distances and growing international trade, someone has to be able to talk with people from other countries.
Professor Francisco X. Alarcón of the University of California at Davis says that "now that we are moving toward a global economy, it's O.K. to be bilingual in the U.S." (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb.2, 1994, page A15)
Another good reason for you to work at your children's learning to speak Spanish is because it will make you proud to hear the compliments of your friends and countrymen because your children are able to speak your language. You grow in prestige as a person who values your roots.
Your children will also be able to speak with their relatives thanks to improved phone service which is entering the most remote villages of our countries. Direct dialing from the United States is economical enough to be able call a few times a year. The thrill of being able to talk to their uncles, aunts, and cousins will get the kids interested in keeping up their language.
They will be speaking to their relatives not only by phone but will be able to visit them. The experience of knowing another culture will put them ahead of their classmates who have no ties to their roots.
Another reason to encourage our children to speak Spanish can be gotten from the history of a previous group of Latin immigrants to the United States, the Italians.
"Some social critics were aware of the consequences of sudden assimilation. Mary McDowell, a social worker, wrote en 1904:
'The contempt for the experiences and languages of their parents which foreign children sometimes exhibit... is doubtless due in part to the overestimation which the school places upon speaking English. This cutting into his family loyalty takes away one of the most conspicuous and valuable traits of the Italian child.' She attributed the lawlessness of some of the immigrant children to their disrespect for their parents and therefore for all authority."
(La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience, Mangione and Morreale, p. 222)
Finally, the ability to speak another language can be a great boost to a child's self esteem. If the child's parents make it clear that they are proud of their language and of their people, the child will feel closer to his parents and to their heritage, customs, and most importantly to their values.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO SPEAK SPANISH
Start early. Try to speak only Spanish to the child. If only one parent speaks Spanish well, that person should always speak Spanish with the child. Do not be afraid of "confusing" the child. Children can identify with different speakers of different languages as they grow up.
1. Read simple stories and fairy tales to the child in Spanish. if you can't find children's literature in Spanish, then make your own translations as you go along. It is not necessary that the translation be perfect. Make up your own stories. It is important for your child to have the memories of hearing nursery rhymes in Spanish.
2. Leave your radio tuned de Spanish language stations. Linguists place a great deal of importance on "passive listening" as part of learning a language, especially for young children.
3. In most areas there is a Spanish language TV station. Put on the Saturday morning cartoons in Spanish.
4. Teach simple nursery rhymes and simple songs to your child. If you don't remember them or if you were not taught any from your parents' traditions, look for them in garage sales, college bookstores, or your local library. Do you remember el patito or pinpón? Look for songs in Spanish.
5. Rent videos in Spanish. They are beginning to be available - and not only in cities with a big Spanish-speaking population!
6. Use proverbs and dichos in Spanish. Some expressions that you would say in English are just as legitimate proverbs in Spanish. Get your child used to hearing them in Spanish. You can do this even if you don't speak Spanish well. For example, say mejor tarde que nunca instead of "better late than never". Little by little, poco a poco, you'll feel at home with more uniquely Latin expressions. They have something of the culture wrapped up in them. They are stubbornly different from Anglo Saxon proverbs.
7. Get used to saying menos mal in place of "just as well". The English expression is "better than nothing"; in many Southamerican countries, the equivalent expression is peor es nada. Find proverbs.
8. Don't correct their Spanish when they speak. Don't interrupt the flow of their conversation. Don't make their speaking Spanish to be another homework assignment. It should be something special, even something "secret" in your family. Kids like the mystery and intrigue of having something special of their own. Their speaking Spanish should be a joyful, non-threatening experience. If they make mistakes in their grammar, correct their errors by using the same expression correctly a few minutes after. Don't come right back at them with the correct form or they will begin to feel conscious of their expression and choke off their freedom of expression.
9. Get a good syllabary to teach them the value of the letters and how to read in Spanish. If your child's first language is Spanish teach them to read Spanish before they learn English. You will be doing them a big favor. They will learn to sound out the regular spelling of Spanish which will be a good base on which to learn how to read in English. You will get the same results as those who spend money on expensive Phonics programs.
10. The best way to get your children to grow in Spanish is to send them to spend some time with relatives or friends where they will only speak and hear Spanish. This works best at around 7 years old when children play easily with one another and when Spanish will just come naturally even to the child who has very little exposure to the language. Another good age for a child to be exposed to a Spanish speaking environment is at around 12 years old. At this age, the child has greater mental development and can observe customs and situations in which certain expressions are used. At twelve years old most kids are still pre-adolescents and are not hampered by the embarrassment, self consciousness, and "feeling different" which hold back teenagers from learning a language or customs different from their own.
Use any of the above methods but start! Your efforts will communciate to your children the importance that you give to Spanish even if these efforts are not always completely successful.
COUNTRY OF MANY PEOPLES
This country,,, (The authors raised their kids in the United States but they believe that their experience can be useful for people in other non-spanish-speaking countries.) This country is made up of people from all over the world. We or our parents came from Latin countries. We now live here. We function in two different worlds, the American world and the world of our parents. All of us live in these two different worlds in different ways. Some of us were born in the countries our parents came from; others of us were born here. This makes a difference in how and how much we live in our two worlds.
COUNTRY OF MANY LANGUAGES
The one thing that is most important in our parents' world is their language which is also ours in different ways. The Spanish language of our parents is an issue to all of us every day. We may be proud to speak it well. We may be ashamed at not speaking it well. Some of us may have gone through periods of trying not to speak it because we wanted to speak English better. We may only speak it when we come across someone who needs help in understanding English. We may only remember some sayings of our grandparents or children's songs taught to us by our parents.
You may want to review (or study it for the first time) your Spanish. We could only find one reference for you. It is expensive and is a textbook, not too appealing but complete. Take a look at Nuevos Mundos, Spanish for Native Speakers 2nd Edition, Workbook : Curso de espanol para estudiantes bilingues"
F. Bruce Robinson, assistant director in the National Endowment for the Humanities' division of education programs asks "How does America preserve this important resource of people who are proficient in other languages? Instead of trying to depress the knowledge these students come to school with, we ought to be trying to build on it." (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 2, 1994, page A15)
OUR CHILDREN AND OUR LANGUAGE
We all want our children to speak the language of their heritage. We discount the opinions of those who say that it is better to forget Spanish and to concentrate on speaking English well. These people are just wrong. It does not hurt your English to speak another language; it helps. Spanish is particularly useful to children in their learning English vocabulary. Just today I taught my daughter the difference between vowels and consonants. Knowing Spanish really helped with the idea of the consonants. I told her that the consonants have no voice; they can only be pronounced with the vowels. The con-sonants suenan con the vowels.
But although most of us agree that it is a good thing for our kids to speak Spanish, most kids in the US whose parents were born in Latin American countries do not speak Spanish well.
Even if both parents speak Spanish at home, quite often the kids answer their parents in English. Look around at your Latin friends and relatives and you will see that most give up on teaching their kids to speak Spanish. Chicano and Puerto Rican families seem to have a little better luck than Latinos from other countries with keeping Spanish alive in their barrios but even their younger generation is losing fluency in Spanish.
However, parents who want their children to speak Spanish can go against the current and set the stage for their children to grow up speaking Spanish. It is not easy. Most families fail in their resolve but it can be done. This report will give some hints on how to improve your chances.
REASONS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO SPEAK SPANISH
There are many reasons why it is good for the kids to speak your language. One obvious reason is the advantage that it might be for them in the job market. As long as we live in a world with shrunken distances and growing international trade, someone has to be able to talk with people from other countries.
Professor Francisco X. Alarcón of the University of California at Davis says that "now that we are moving toward a global economy, it's O.K. to be bilingual in the U.S." (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb.2, 1994, page A15)
Another good reason for you to work at your children's learning to speak Spanish is because it will make you proud to hear the compliments of your friends and countrymen because your children are able to speak your language. You grow in prestige as a person who values your roots.
Your children will also be able to speak with their relatives thanks to improved phone service which is entering the most remote villages of our countries. Direct dialing from the United States is economical enough to be able call a few times a year. The thrill of being able to talk to their uncles, aunts, and cousins will get the kids interested in keeping up their language.
They will be speaking to their relatives not only by phone but will be able to visit them. The experience of knowing another culture will put them ahead of their classmates who have no ties to their roots.
Another reason to encourage our children to speak Spanish can be gotten from the history of a previous group of Latin immigrants to the United States, the Italians.
"Some social critics were aware of the consequences of sudden assimilation. Mary McDowell, a social worker, wrote en 1904:
'The contempt for the experiences and languages of their parents which foreign children sometimes exhibit... is doubtless due in part to the overestimation which the school places upon speaking English. This cutting into his family loyalty takes away one of the most conspicuous and valuable traits of the Italian child.' She attributed the lawlessness of some of the immigrant children to their disrespect for their parents and therefore for all authority."
(La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience, Mangione and Morreale, p. 222)
Finally, the ability to speak another language can be a great boost to a child's self esteem. If the child's parents make it clear that they are proud of their language and of their people, the child will feel closer to his parents and to their heritage, customs, and most importantly to their values.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO SPEAK SPANISH
Start early. Try to speak only Spanish to the child. If only one parent speaks Spanish well, that person should always speak Spanish with the child. Do not be afraid of "confusing" the child. Children can identify with different speakers of different languages as they grow up.
1. Read simple stories and fairy tales to the child in Spanish. if you can't find children's literature in Spanish, then make your own translations as you go along. It is not necessary that the translation be perfect. Make up your own stories. It is important for your child to have the memories of hearing nursery rhymes in Spanish.
2. Leave your radio tuned de Spanish language stations. Linguists place a great deal of importance on "passive listening" as part of learning a language, especially for young children.
3. In most areas there is a Spanish language TV station. Put on the Saturday morning cartoons in Spanish.
4. Teach simple nursery rhymes and simple songs to your child. If you don't remember them or if you were not taught any from your parents' traditions, look for them in garage sales, college bookstores, or your local library. Do you remember el patito or pinpón? Look for songs in Spanish.
5. Rent videos in Spanish. They are beginning to be available - and not only in cities with a big Spanish-speaking population!
6. Use proverbs and dichos in Spanish. Some expressions that you would say in English are just as legitimate proverbs in Spanish. Get your child used to hearing them in Spanish. You can do this even if you don't speak Spanish well. For example, say mejor tarde que nunca instead of "better late than never". Little by little, poco a poco, you'll feel at home with more uniquely Latin expressions. They have something of the culture wrapped up in them. They are stubbornly different from Anglo Saxon proverbs.
7. Get used to saying menos mal in place of "just as well". The English expression is "better than nothing"; in many Southamerican countries, the equivalent expression is peor es nada. Find proverbs.
8. Don't correct their Spanish when they speak. Don't interrupt the flow of their conversation. Don't make their speaking Spanish to be another homework assignment. It should be something special, even something "secret" in your family. Kids like the mystery and intrigue of having something special of their own. Their speaking Spanish should be a joyful, non-threatening experience. If they make mistakes in their grammar, correct their errors by using the same expression correctly a few minutes after. Don't come right back at them with the correct form or they will begin to feel conscious of their expression and choke off their freedom of expression.
9. Get a good syllabary to teach them the value of the letters and how to read in Spanish. If your child's first language is Spanish teach them to read Spanish before they learn English. You will be doing them a big favor. They will learn to sound out the regular spelling of Spanish which will be a good base on which to learn how to read in English. You will get the same results as those who spend money on expensive Phonics programs.
10. The best way to get your children to grow in Spanish is to send them to spend some time with relatives or friends where they will only speak and hear Spanish. This works best at around 7 years old when children play easily with one another and when Spanish will just come naturally even to the child who has very little exposure to the language. Another good age for a child to be exposed to a Spanish speaking environment is at around 12 years old. At this age, the child has greater mental development and can observe customs and situations in which certain expressions are used. At twelve years old most kids are still pre-adolescents and are not hampered by the embarrassment, self consciousness, and "feeling different" which hold back teenagers from learning a language or customs different from their own.
Use any of the above methods but start! Your efforts will communciate to your children the importance that you give to Spanish even if these efforts are not always completely successful.
How To Find The Meaning Of Words As You Read
Vocabulary Building and Reading Comprehension
The meaning of unknown words which you come across in your reading sometimes can be known by their surroundings, that is, their contexts. The context of the sentence can tell us the part of speech of the unknown word. Using the context of the paragraph to define unknown words can also helpful.
Although it takes practice, it is the easiest and most efficient way to identify words. Often, using the context is the only way to figure out the meaning of the word as it is used in the sentence, passage, or chapter.
Consider the word "bar". Bar is a common word. But without surrounding words, you don't know if it describes soap, a place that serves beer, a sand formation at the beach, a way to lock the door, or...
Readers often have trouble because they identify the literal but incorrect meaning of a word when they should identify the way it was used in the passage. The following sections will give you more explanation and some exercises on how to get help on the meaning of unknown words by checking their part of speech and their place in context.
A. Using The Part of Speech of the unknown word as a help in reading.
One consideration in using the context is to determine the unknown word's part of speech. The words around the unknown word give you clues. Once you know if the word is a noun or if it is an adjective, it often is enough for you to continue reading intelligently without having to stop to look up the meaning of the word. After coming across the word a few more times, you will know its meaning more firmly than if you had just looked it up.
In the following sentences, identify the part of speech of the italicized words by writing N if the word is a noun, V if the italicized word is a verb, Adj if the italicized word is an adjective, or Adv if the italicized word is an adverb.
Example: She liked to wear red and always wore jewelry made of carnelian. Ans. N
1. The dirty old man gave the young woman a salacious look.
2. The president prayed for the sagacity to make the right decision in the face of many alternatives.
3. The man looked at the rusty old gadget and wondered how its mechanism worked.
4. The dying man designated his son to receive his property.
5. The brindled dog barked loudly.
6. The father caressed his crying child with great tenderness.
7. "Don't patronize us; we are not children!" said the angry indigenous leaders to the politicians.
8. John was a good emanuensis, always taking dictation correctly and typing up all of his employer's correspondence.
9. The boy was disappointed by the paltry amount he received as an inheritance when his grandfather died.
10. The young boy ran clumsily down the hill with his arms and legs flapping all over.
B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE TEXT ITSELF
Knowing the part of speech of the unknown word is not the only way to figure out its meaning. There are other clues to the meanings of unknown words. They are found directly within a sentence, paragraph, passage, or chapter. Being able to recognize these clues helps you define new words in context. These clues are found right in the text and can be words or punctuation marks or specific words or phrases.
You use them to compare words or to identify unknown words that mean the same or the opposite of words you already know. The clues can also be used to define unknown words that are examples of a group.
There are five other clues that will help you: 1. Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3. Contrast clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Example clues.
Of these types, the most important are the Contrast clues and the Comparison Clues. The other clues are very obvious and are given here just for the sake of completeness. The reader should concentrate on the Contrast and the Comparison clues.
The five text based clues are useful but the most powerful tool is the Framework based clue. This is the use of information from your own experience, common sense, and the context in which you find the difficult word. There will be examples of this tool at the end of the paper.
1. Punctuation Clues
Punctuation clues are given when the unknown word is set off by commas, parentheses, brackets, or dashes. The information contained within the punctuation marks sometimes means the same or nearly the same as the unknown words. Or, the unknown word might be set off from its meaning by punctuation marks. Information set off by punctuation marks may clarify rather than define the word. Finding these clues is not foolproof.
Example of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless and oily drug in tobacco, stains the teeth of chain smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a colorless and oily drug in tobacco-define nicotine .
Punctuation Exercise: Underline the punctuation clue that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.
1. The soldiers advanced down the small deep-sided gulch (a narrow valley) into an ambush.
2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism (the separation of mind and body).
3. Metamemory -knowledge about one's memory processes-is helpful in helping us store and recall information.
4. Adjunct aids-techniques used to assist students' comprehension of reading materials-have been found to be quite useful.
5. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened to drown the little town.
2. Definition Clues
Definition clues join the unknown word with the word(s) that rename it or tell its meaning. The clues precede or follow words that are or act like linking verbs. A linking verb shows no action but indicates being.
Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is, or resembles.
For example: The mansion's piazza resembled a large uncovered patio. Explanation: The word resembled joins piazza with its meaning so it is a clue that lets us know that a piazza is a large uncovered patio.
Definition Exercise: Use definition text-based clues to find the meaning of the italicized word. Underline the word (or words) that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.
1. The art, science, or profession of teaching is called pedagogy.
2. Divergent thinking is generating many different ideas in order to solve a problem.
3. Conservative behavior involves cautious or conventional actions.
4. The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia is a monsoon.
5. Criterion means a standard or rule by which a judgment is formed.
6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North Africa.
3. Contrast Clues
With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information to determine the unknown word. Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but, while, and although join the unknown word with another word that is its opposite.
Example of Contrast Clue:
My sister is extremely neat in appearance while she is slovenly in her housekeeping.
Explanation: The word "while" indicates that slovenly means the opposite of neat. Thus, slovenly means sloppy or messy.
Contrast Exercise: Determine the meaning of the italicized word by using contrast text-based clues. Exercise Example: Although the patron asked for a solemn poem, the poet wrote doggerel.
1.The tumor was benign; nevertheless, the doctor decided to treat it as if it could injure the patient.
2.Some business disputes can be settled out of court; on the other hand; others require litigation.
3. At first the labor union leaders and the factory owners argued about pay schedules and benefits; however, they finally came to a compromise.
4. Gina's leg muscles continued to atrophy because of her injury, but she exercised to build up their strength.
5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane's demands instead of standing his ground and defending his viewpoint.
4. Comparison Clues
Comparison clues indicate that two or more things are alike. A comparison is possible because the known and unknown words have similarities. Words like similarly, as well as, both, and likewise show you that comparisons can be made.
Examples of Comparison Clue:
Miss Johnson is a prim, modest woman; likewise, many of her friends are very proper.
Explanation: Likewise is used to compare prim to proper. Proper means respectable. Thus, prim has a similar meaning.
1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly, the Roman lamp was also of a translucent, white stone.
2. Taking out the garbage was an onerous task; likewise, washing dishes can be a hard job.
3. Repartee, as well as other kinds of humorous conversation, kept the talk show from becoming boring.
4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and reptiles lay eggs that hatch outside of the body.
5. Both accountants and CPA's are necessary for a large company's financial office.
6. The old chair was protected by both handmade antimacassars and other coverings.
5. Example Clues
Example clues tell you an example of an unknown word follows. You derive the meaning of the unknown word by determining what the examples have in common. Example clues are usually introduced by the following words and phrases: such as, such, other, for example, and like.
Example of "Example" Clue: Potentates-such as kings, queens, and emperors-are very powerful and wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens, and emperors are the rulers of countries, potentates are rulers.
"Example" Clue EXERCISE: Underline the words that explain the italicized words.
Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles, are good pets.
Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums, are found in cities.
Various means of conveyance-for example, cars, subways, and ships are used worldwide.
Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of legal tender are used to purchase goods.
Many people enjoy eating mollusks, like clams and snails.
Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were chosen to manage the young heir's money.
Framework Based Clues
To find meanings from text-based clues (like contrast clues, comparison clues, definition clues, example clues), you looked for clues in the sentence itself. A second kind of clue does not rely on specific words or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind of context clue is called framework-based
Your knowledge of the meanings of surrounding words helps you discover the meaning of a word or of a sentence. The background information you find in these frameworks helps you get the meanings of new words. Common sense and your knowledge of the parts of speech also help in defining unknown words. You combine your experience with what the text contains to determine meaning.
Framework Based Clue Example: The angry driver shouted vehemently during his fight with the other driver. What does vehemently mean? You know what angry means, and you know how people feel when they argue. From this, you can figure out that vehemently has something to do with strong emotion or intense feeling. This is an example of using framework-based context to find the meanings of new words. The meaning you find comes from your personal experience.
Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to puzzle out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. In such cases, you must draw conclusions based on the information given with the word. Asking yourself questions about the passages may help you make a fairly accurate guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Each of the sentences below is followed by a question. Think about each question; using your common sense and asking yourself a question about the sentence you should be able to know the correct meaning of the italicized word.
1. A former employee, irate over having been fired, broke into the plant and deliberately wrecked several machines. (What would be the employee's state of mind?)
2. John always praised his bosses; he always agreed with what they said. He said he was just a good employee but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What behaviors were his friends describing with the word they put on John?)
3. The car wash we organized to raise funds was a fiasco -it rained all day.
(How successful would a car wash be on a rainy day?)
The first sentence provides enough evidence for you to guess that irate means very angry. Sycophant in the second sentence means sweet-talker. And a fiasco is a complete disaster. (These are not exact dictionary definitions of the words. But by using context clues, but you will often be accurate enough to make good sense of what you are reading. And the good thing is that you save time in your reading because you don't have to look up every word!)
Try to answer the question that follows each item of the list on the other side of this page. Then use the logic of each answer to help you circle the letter of the meaning you think is correct. Note that some of these sentences have been taken from college textbooks. This should prove to you that your new skills in reading will help you in your college studies. In the future you will be able to make up your own questions to help you.
1. Jamal didn't want to tell Tina the entire plot of the movie, so he just gave her the gist of the story. (What would Jamal say to Tina?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
2. The lizard was so lethargic that I wasn't sure if it was alive or dead. It didn't even blink. (How active is this lizard?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
3. After the accident, I was angered when the other driver told the police officer a complete fabrication about what happened. He made it seem that I was the only person at fault. (How truthful was the other driver's information?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
4. The public knows very little about the covert activities of CIA spies. (What kind of activities would the CIA spies be involved in that the public wouldn't know much about?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
5. Whether or not there is life in outer space is an enigma. We may never know for sure until we are capable of space travel or aliens actually land on our planet. (What would we call something to which we have no answer?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
6. Suicide rates tend to fluctuate with the seasons, with much higher rates in the winter than in the summer. (What happens to the suicide rate from season to season?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
7. Human beings are resilient creatures-they can often bounce back from negative experiences and adjust well to life. (What point is the author making about the nature of human beings ? Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
8. A major accomplishment of the field of sociology is dispelling the myths and prejudices that groups of people have about each other. (What would teachers of sociology do to "myths and prejudices" that could be considered a "major accomplishment"?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
9. When he first heard the news that he had lost the job, Peter showed a pugnacious attitude. But later when other alternatives were explained to him, he became less hostile. (What attitude would you feel when you lose your job?
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
The meaning of unknown words which you come across in your reading sometimes can be known by their surroundings, that is, their contexts. The context of the sentence can tell us the part of speech of the unknown word. Using the context of the paragraph to define unknown words can also helpful.
Although it takes practice, it is the easiest and most efficient way to identify words. Often, using the context is the only way to figure out the meaning of the word as it is used in the sentence, passage, or chapter.
Consider the word "bar". Bar is a common word. But without surrounding words, you don't know if it describes soap, a place that serves beer, a sand formation at the beach, a way to lock the door, or...
Readers often have trouble because they identify the literal but incorrect meaning of a word when they should identify the way it was used in the passage. The following sections will give you more explanation and some exercises on how to get help on the meaning of unknown words by checking their part of speech and their place in context.
A. Using The Part of Speech of the unknown word as a help in reading.
One consideration in using the context is to determine the unknown word's part of speech. The words around the unknown word give you clues. Once you know if the word is a noun or if it is an adjective, it often is enough for you to continue reading intelligently without having to stop to look up the meaning of the word. After coming across the word a few more times, you will know its meaning more firmly than if you had just looked it up.
In the following sentences, identify the part of speech of the italicized words by writing N if the word is a noun, V if the italicized word is a verb, Adj if the italicized word is an adjective, or Adv if the italicized word is an adverb.
Example: She liked to wear red and always wore jewelry made of carnelian. Ans. N
1. The dirty old man gave the young woman a salacious look.
2. The president prayed for the sagacity to make the right decision in the face of many alternatives.
3. The man looked at the rusty old gadget and wondered how its mechanism worked.
4. The dying man designated his son to receive his property.
5. The brindled dog barked loudly.
6. The father caressed his crying child with great tenderness.
7. "Don't patronize us; we are not children!" said the angry indigenous leaders to the politicians.
8. John was a good emanuensis, always taking dictation correctly and typing up all of his employer's correspondence.
9. The boy was disappointed by the paltry amount he received as an inheritance when his grandfather died.
10. The young boy ran clumsily down the hill with his arms and legs flapping all over.
B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE TEXT ITSELF
Knowing the part of speech of the unknown word is not the only way to figure out its meaning. There are other clues to the meanings of unknown words. They are found directly within a sentence, paragraph, passage, or chapter. Being able to recognize these clues helps you define new words in context. These clues are found right in the text and can be words or punctuation marks or specific words or phrases.
You use them to compare words or to identify unknown words that mean the same or the opposite of words you already know. The clues can also be used to define unknown words that are examples of a group.
There are five other clues that will help you: 1. Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3. Contrast clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Example clues.
Of these types, the most important are the Contrast clues and the Comparison Clues. The other clues are very obvious and are given here just for the sake of completeness. The reader should concentrate on the Contrast and the Comparison clues.
The five text based clues are useful but the most powerful tool is the Framework based clue. This is the use of information from your own experience, common sense, and the context in which you find the difficult word. There will be examples of this tool at the end of the paper.
1. Punctuation Clues
Punctuation clues are given when the unknown word is set off by commas, parentheses, brackets, or dashes. The information contained within the punctuation marks sometimes means the same or nearly the same as the unknown words. Or, the unknown word might be set off from its meaning by punctuation marks. Information set off by punctuation marks may clarify rather than define the word. Finding these clues is not foolproof.
Example of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless and oily drug in tobacco, stains the teeth of chain smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a colorless and oily drug in tobacco-define nicotine .
Punctuation Exercise: Underline the punctuation clue that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.
1. The soldiers advanced down the small deep-sided gulch (a narrow valley) into an ambush.
2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism (the separation of mind and body).
3. Metamemory -knowledge about one's memory processes-is helpful in helping us store and recall information.
4. Adjunct aids-techniques used to assist students' comprehension of reading materials-have been found to be quite useful.
5. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened to drown the little town.
2. Definition Clues
Definition clues join the unknown word with the word(s) that rename it or tell its meaning. The clues precede or follow words that are or act like linking verbs. A linking verb shows no action but indicates being.
Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is, or resembles.
For example: The mansion's piazza resembled a large uncovered patio. Explanation: The word resembled joins piazza with its meaning so it is a clue that lets us know that a piazza is a large uncovered patio.
Definition Exercise: Use definition text-based clues to find the meaning of the italicized word. Underline the word (or words) that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.
1. The art, science, or profession of teaching is called pedagogy.
2. Divergent thinking is generating many different ideas in order to solve a problem.
3. Conservative behavior involves cautious or conventional actions.
4. The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia is a monsoon.
5. Criterion means a standard or rule by which a judgment is formed.
6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North Africa.
3. Contrast Clues
With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information to determine the unknown word. Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but, while, and although join the unknown word with another word that is its opposite.
Example of Contrast Clue:
My sister is extremely neat in appearance while she is slovenly in her housekeeping.
Explanation: The word "while" indicates that slovenly means the opposite of neat. Thus, slovenly means sloppy or messy.
Contrast Exercise: Determine the meaning of the italicized word by using contrast text-based clues. Exercise Example: Although the patron asked for a solemn poem, the poet wrote doggerel.
1.The tumor was benign; nevertheless, the doctor decided to treat it as if it could injure the patient.
2.Some business disputes can be settled out of court; on the other hand; others require litigation.
3. At first the labor union leaders and the factory owners argued about pay schedules and benefits; however, they finally came to a compromise.
4. Gina's leg muscles continued to atrophy because of her injury, but she exercised to build up their strength.
5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane's demands instead of standing his ground and defending his viewpoint.
4. Comparison Clues
Comparison clues indicate that two or more things are alike. A comparison is possible because the known and unknown words have similarities. Words like similarly, as well as, both, and likewise show you that comparisons can be made.
Examples of Comparison Clue:
Miss Johnson is a prim, modest woman; likewise, many of her friends are very proper.
Explanation: Likewise is used to compare prim to proper. Proper means respectable. Thus, prim has a similar meaning.
1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly, the Roman lamp was also of a translucent, white stone.
2. Taking out the garbage was an onerous task; likewise, washing dishes can be a hard job.
3. Repartee, as well as other kinds of humorous conversation, kept the talk show from becoming boring.
4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and reptiles lay eggs that hatch outside of the body.
5. Both accountants and CPA's are necessary for a large company's financial office.
6. The old chair was protected by both handmade antimacassars and other coverings.
5. Example Clues
Example clues tell you an example of an unknown word follows. You derive the meaning of the unknown word by determining what the examples have in common. Example clues are usually introduced by the following words and phrases: such as, such, other, for example, and like.
Example of "Example" Clue: Potentates-such as kings, queens, and emperors-are very powerful and wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens, and emperors are the rulers of countries, potentates are rulers.
"Example" Clue EXERCISE: Underline the words that explain the italicized words.
Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles, are good pets.
Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums, are found in cities.
Various means of conveyance-for example, cars, subways, and ships are used worldwide.
Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of legal tender are used to purchase goods.
Many people enjoy eating mollusks, like clams and snails.
Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were chosen to manage the young heir's money.
Framework Based Clues
To find meanings from text-based clues (like contrast clues, comparison clues, definition clues, example clues), you looked for clues in the sentence itself. A second kind of clue does not rely on specific words or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind of context clue is called framework-based
Your knowledge of the meanings of surrounding words helps you discover the meaning of a word or of a sentence. The background information you find in these frameworks helps you get the meanings of new words. Common sense and your knowledge of the parts of speech also help in defining unknown words. You combine your experience with what the text contains to determine meaning.
Framework Based Clue Example: The angry driver shouted vehemently during his fight with the other driver. What does vehemently mean? You know what angry means, and you know how people feel when they argue. From this, you can figure out that vehemently has something to do with strong emotion or intense feeling. This is an example of using framework-based context to find the meanings of new words. The meaning you find comes from your personal experience.
Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to puzzle out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. In such cases, you must draw conclusions based on the information given with the word. Asking yourself questions about the passages may help you make a fairly accurate guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Each of the sentences below is followed by a question. Think about each question; using your common sense and asking yourself a question about the sentence you should be able to know the correct meaning of the italicized word.
1. A former employee, irate over having been fired, broke into the plant and deliberately wrecked several machines. (What would be the employee's state of mind?)
2. John always praised his bosses; he always agreed with what they said. He said he was just a good employee but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What behaviors were his friends describing with the word they put on John?)
3. The car wash we organized to raise funds was a fiasco -it rained all day.
(How successful would a car wash be on a rainy day?)
The first sentence provides enough evidence for you to guess that irate means very angry. Sycophant in the second sentence means sweet-talker. And a fiasco is a complete disaster. (These are not exact dictionary definitions of the words. But by using context clues, but you will often be accurate enough to make good sense of what you are reading. And the good thing is that you save time in your reading because you don't have to look up every word!)
Try to answer the question that follows each item of the list on the other side of this page. Then use the logic of each answer to help you circle the letter of the meaning you think is correct. Note that some of these sentences have been taken from college textbooks. This should prove to you that your new skills in reading will help you in your college studies. In the future you will be able to make up your own questions to help you.
1. Jamal didn't want to tell Tina the entire plot of the movie, so he just gave her the gist of the story. (What would Jamal say to Tina?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
2. The lizard was so lethargic that I wasn't sure if it was alive or dead. It didn't even blink. (How active is this lizard?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
3. After the accident, I was angered when the other driver told the police officer a complete fabrication about what happened. He made it seem that I was the only person at fault. (How truthful was the other driver's information?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
4. The public knows very little about the covert activities of CIA spies. (What kind of activities would the CIA spies be involved in that the public wouldn't know much about?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
5. Whether or not there is life in outer space is an enigma. We may never know for sure until we are capable of space travel or aliens actually land on our planet. (What would we call something to which we have no answer?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
6. Suicide rates tend to fluctuate with the seasons, with much higher rates in the winter than in the summer. (What happens to the suicide rate from season to season?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
7. Human beings are resilient creatures-they can often bounce back from negative experiences and adjust well to life. (What point is the author making about the nature of human beings ? Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
8. A major accomplishment of the field of sociology is dispelling the myths and prejudices that groups of people have about each other. (What would teachers of sociology do to "myths and prejudices" that could be considered a "major accomplishment"?)
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
9. When he first heard the news that he had lost the job, Peter showed a pugnacious attitude. But later when other alternatives were explained to him, he became less hostile. (What attitude would you feel when you lose your job?
Answer the question:
Meaning of the word:
How to Deal With College and University Exams
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.
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.
How to choose the right online university
Formal education is getting very important in today's competitive world. Proper education and reputed college degree can help one grab better job opportunities and demand higher salary from employers. But owing to certain circumstances or due to lack of funds one is usually restrained from getting a college degree. Online universities present a lucrative option for people with time constraints. Amount of benefits achieved from completing online courses greatly depend on the reputation of the online university. An erroneous choice of online training institute results in your wasting precious time and invaluable money. Hence it is very important to choose a competent university that provides maximum knowledge with minimum cost and time involvement. Factors governing the choice for online institution of higher education are-
Accreditation of institute
Genuine accreditation of institute is a prime factor while determining its creditability. Being accredited from regional authorities renders universities a higher reputation. Students graduating from these places stand a better chance to obtain higher salaries and better jobs. Also eligibility towards student loan gets higher if concerned authority accredits the enrolled institution. Inter course student loan transfers are possible for transfers within similar regional universities.
Research the quality and relevance of course offered
Learning anything that is irrelevant in today's scenario would result in useless accumulation of knowledge that does not turn to be fruitful. An enquiry about the university's capability of adaptation towards changing technologies is important. Analyzing the syllabus offered by proposed university by comparing it with other online institutes presenting similar coaching would help determine whether the curriculum is exhaustive or not. An examination about the course being suitable to one's capabilities and interests is again very important.
Cost involved
Online universities offer personalized education program for adult learners. Hence at times they might occur to be more costly. A considerably low fee charged by online university is a matter of concern as that may be due to low quality education imparted by them. Untalented faculty members are available at low costs and that may be a reason behind reduced fee structure. Sometimes even if the cost of education is higher it is worth the effort as availing student loans is easy. Expected increase in money earned after completion of the course would help repay the loan amount.
Admission requirements
Formalities and academic qualification that are essential to enroll for a particular course are indicative of the universities standard of education. Imparting admission only on the basis of money payment capacity should lower the credibility of the university. As certain minimum academic qualification must be mandatory prior to enroll for graduate courses. Not having any such restrictions results in accumulation of unworthy students who would latter be one's fellow mates.
Investigate the faculty and alumni
Enquiry about the faculties, educational qualifications are indicative of the online universities competence to impart training. Also the university must have technological infrastructure to carry out the distance-learning program. Usually Students are required to log in for minimum number of times during the week. Although timings for logging can be adjusted in accordance with one's comfort.
Accreditation of institute
Genuine accreditation of institute is a prime factor while determining its creditability. Being accredited from regional authorities renders universities a higher reputation. Students graduating from these places stand a better chance to obtain higher salaries and better jobs. Also eligibility towards student loan gets higher if concerned authority accredits the enrolled institution. Inter course student loan transfers are possible for transfers within similar regional universities.
Research the quality and relevance of course offered
Learning anything that is irrelevant in today's scenario would result in useless accumulation of knowledge that does not turn to be fruitful. An enquiry about the university's capability of adaptation towards changing technologies is important. Analyzing the syllabus offered by proposed university by comparing it with other online institutes presenting similar coaching would help determine whether the curriculum is exhaustive or not. An examination about the course being suitable to one's capabilities and interests is again very important.
Cost involved
Online universities offer personalized education program for adult learners. Hence at times they might occur to be more costly. A considerably low fee charged by online university is a matter of concern as that may be due to low quality education imparted by them. Untalented faculty members are available at low costs and that may be a reason behind reduced fee structure. Sometimes even if the cost of education is higher it is worth the effort as availing student loans is easy. Expected increase in money earned after completion of the course would help repay the loan amount.
Admission requirements
Formalities and academic qualification that are essential to enroll for a particular course are indicative of the universities standard of education. Imparting admission only on the basis of money payment capacity should lower the credibility of the university. As certain minimum academic qualification must be mandatory prior to enroll for graduate courses. Not having any such restrictions results in accumulation of unworthy students who would latter be one's fellow mates.
Investigate the faculty and alumni
Enquiry about the faculties, educational qualifications are indicative of the online universities competence to impart training. Also the university must have technological infrastructure to carry out the distance-learning program. Usually Students are required to log in for minimum number of times during the week. Although timings for logging can be adjusted in accordance with one's comfort.
How Distance Learning Offers Flexible Opportunities
The opportunities for continuing education are incredibly
diverse, thanks to the technology of distance learning and
elearning. Because of the sheer number of people who are
looking to improve themselves, it was inevitable that a
large number of colleges, universities and businesses set
out to fill that need.
The result is that people are learning new skills, honing
talents and reaching goals, all while going on with their
lives. For many people, furthering education and attending
classes are limited because they are already involved in
their adult lives. Jobs, family obligations and other
responsibilities limit the amount of time many people have
available to devote to their own education.
Distance learning allows thousands of people to achieve
degrees from programs hundreds of miles away. In this day
of convenient travel options, it might be tempting to say
that anyone can attend college or classes anywhere. Despite
our mobile economy, many people simply don't want to move
and don't have the time to travel great distances to attend
classes. That means that their opportunities are limited to
the programs that are offered nearby. Until distance
learning and elearning became so widely available.
Briefly, the difference between distance learning and
elearning is a matter of how the course is structured.
Distance learning requires that the student attend classes
at a prearranged time on a regular basis. An instructor who
is actually teaching in another facility (across the state
or across the nation) lectures makes assignments and
teaches just as normal.
The students in the satellite facility have the opportunity
to interact with the teacher through two-way
communications. The major advantage is that students are
attending class right in their own neighborhoods, at
community colleges, universities, schools and even public
facilities instead of traveling to the site where the
teacher is actually conducting class.
Compared to distance learning, elearning is even less
structured. Typically, students work at their own pace
through online courses. There may be pre-recorded lectures,
worksheets, assignments and tests, all viewed and completed
online.
The major advantage here is that students have an even more
flexible attendance policy and can choose to work through
the material as quickly or as slowly as they want, though
some courses do have time limits for completion.
When you add it all up, both distance learning and
elearning offer opportunities that simply wouldn't be
available any other way. People who would otherwise be
"stuck" with no way to further their educations now have an
option.
===========================================================
Find out why distance learning lets anyone go back to
school. Discover what you need to look for in a distance
learning program, and what you should avoid. Click
http://www.distance-learning-exclusive.com/
diverse, thanks to the technology of distance learning and
elearning. Because of the sheer number of people who are
looking to improve themselves, it was inevitable that a
large number of colleges, universities and businesses set
out to fill that need.
The result is that people are learning new skills, honing
talents and reaching goals, all while going on with their
lives. For many people, furthering education and attending
classes are limited because they are already involved in
their adult lives. Jobs, family obligations and other
responsibilities limit the amount of time many people have
available to devote to their own education.
Distance learning allows thousands of people to achieve
degrees from programs hundreds of miles away. In this day
of convenient travel options, it might be tempting to say
that anyone can attend college or classes anywhere. Despite
our mobile economy, many people simply don't want to move
and don't have the time to travel great distances to attend
classes. That means that their opportunities are limited to
the programs that are offered nearby. Until distance
learning and elearning became so widely available.
Briefly, the difference between distance learning and
elearning is a matter of how the course is structured.
Distance learning requires that the student attend classes
at a prearranged time on a regular basis. An instructor who
is actually teaching in another facility (across the state
or across the nation) lectures makes assignments and
teaches just as normal.
The students in the satellite facility have the opportunity
to interact with the teacher through two-way
communications. The major advantage is that students are
attending class right in their own neighborhoods, at
community colleges, universities, schools and even public
facilities instead of traveling to the site where the
teacher is actually conducting class.
Compared to distance learning, elearning is even less
structured. Typically, students work at their own pace
through online courses. There may be pre-recorded lectures,
worksheets, assignments and tests, all viewed and completed
online.
The major advantage here is that students have an even more
flexible attendance policy and can choose to work through
the material as quickly or as slowly as they want, though
some courses do have time limits for completion.
When you add it all up, both distance learning and
elearning offer opportunities that simply wouldn't be
available any other way. People who would otherwise be
"stuck" with no way to further their educations now have an
option.
===========================================================
Find out why distance learning lets anyone go back to
school. Discover what you need to look for in a distance
learning program, and what you should avoid. Click
http://www.distance-learning-exclusive.com/
How Distance and Open Learning has Changed my Life
When I was approached to write a piece on open and distance learning education, I came up with this piece. After reading it through, I have come to the conclusion that my life has changed completely because of it. I didn't realise how much until I wrote about it, and got half way through proof reading it. This is what I wrote:
'When I got married I quit my job in the legal profession. Eighteen years on, and three children later, I decided that there had to be more for my future. I had the time to spend on anything I wanted, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I looked through the courses that Oxford College ODL offered by open and distance learning, and realised that this mode of education was a very good place to start. I had picked out the characteristics of education that I didn't want to bother with, and there were quite a few! Examples of these were not sitting in a classroom with younger students that would show me up, stringent rules and class times that had to be adhered to, and cramming for and worrying about exams that were taken in large halls full of these again, young students. Oxford College ODL through their distance learning and open learning courses was offering me what I wanted, all that was left to do was to choose where I wanted to start.
I decided to start with two courses that were completely different, so I enrolled in one that I thought would help me understand the world around me, and one that would help me with confidence and my relations with my children. The first came in the form of a sociology diploma, and the second in a diploma in life coaching. I knew I was taking a lot on, but this was just for me, and I could take five years to complete them! It hasn't taken me anywhere near that long to complete them both. I have completed my diploma in sociology with distinction, and I am on my penultimate assignment for my life coaching diploma. I have been able to put a lot of time into my studies, but it has only been shy of two years now and I have accomplished more than I thought I would have been able to.
My plans are to move onto a diploma in psychology next which my background in sociology has given me a deep interest in, and for myself rather selfishly, I am going to enrol on the English Literature program which I believe will give me the confidence to enjoy the writings and works of those that spent their lives composing pure and quality entertainment. I couldn�t have done all this if it wasn�t for the distance learning and open learning courses offered.
Through me, my children have gained confidence. My education in life coaching has given me the ability to support my children without interfering which gives them confidence. My son has since started his own business with my support, and my daughter is studying through distance learning as I am, whilst she trains in distance running. She has realised, as I have, that there are many ways to get a quality education, and it doesn't have to get in the way of other ambitions.'
Distance learning and open learning have changed our lives greatly, and there are many reasons to study this way. I have come to learn that education is not something to be scared of, it is something for everybody, and it is something that you should be able to take at your own pace. Distance learning has done this for us along with show us that education is not just there for those who want to further their job prospects, but it is also there for people to simply gain knowledge in subjects that they are interested in and through this it is impossible to describe the feeling of confidence that is achieved. I had always thought that further education was for those that had to make more money to support themselves and it was just a tool to further their job prospects. It is much more than that and has opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. It is for me, it is for my children, and it is for everyone. Distance learning doesn't discriminate. It is a gift.
'When I got married I quit my job in the legal profession. Eighteen years on, and three children later, I decided that there had to be more for my future. I had the time to spend on anything I wanted, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I looked through the courses that Oxford College ODL offered by open and distance learning, and realised that this mode of education was a very good place to start. I had picked out the characteristics of education that I didn't want to bother with, and there were quite a few! Examples of these were not sitting in a classroom with younger students that would show me up, stringent rules and class times that had to be adhered to, and cramming for and worrying about exams that were taken in large halls full of these again, young students. Oxford College ODL through their distance learning and open learning courses was offering me what I wanted, all that was left to do was to choose where I wanted to start.
I decided to start with two courses that were completely different, so I enrolled in one that I thought would help me understand the world around me, and one that would help me with confidence and my relations with my children. The first came in the form of a sociology diploma, and the second in a diploma in life coaching. I knew I was taking a lot on, but this was just for me, and I could take five years to complete them! It hasn't taken me anywhere near that long to complete them both. I have completed my diploma in sociology with distinction, and I am on my penultimate assignment for my life coaching diploma. I have been able to put a lot of time into my studies, but it has only been shy of two years now and I have accomplished more than I thought I would have been able to.
My plans are to move onto a diploma in psychology next which my background in sociology has given me a deep interest in, and for myself rather selfishly, I am going to enrol on the English Literature program which I believe will give me the confidence to enjoy the writings and works of those that spent their lives composing pure and quality entertainment. I couldn�t have done all this if it wasn�t for the distance learning and open learning courses offered.
Through me, my children have gained confidence. My education in life coaching has given me the ability to support my children without interfering which gives them confidence. My son has since started his own business with my support, and my daughter is studying through distance learning as I am, whilst she trains in distance running. She has realised, as I have, that there are many ways to get a quality education, and it doesn't have to get in the way of other ambitions.'
Distance learning and open learning have changed our lives greatly, and there are many reasons to study this way. I have come to learn that education is not something to be scared of, it is something for everybody, and it is something that you should be able to take at your own pace. Distance learning has done this for us along with show us that education is not just there for those who want to further their job prospects, but it is also there for people to simply gain knowledge in subjects that they are interested in and through this it is impossible to describe the feeling of confidence that is achieved. I had always thought that further education was for those that had to make more money to support themselves and it was just a tool to further their job prospects. It is much more than that and has opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. It is for me, it is for my children, and it is for everyone. Distance learning doesn't discriminate. It is a gift.
Home Study: What Life-enhancing Skill do You Learn?
---------------------
Home Study: What Life-enhancing Skill do You Learn?
---------------------
You're already doing unofficial home study when you research a project online. Study in class has its place, but...
Up to date I've done many courses in classrooms but only two were very useful. I've learned most of the useful stuff from books or the Internet.
-----------------------
What will help you most in life?
-----------------------
The most valuable thing you learn at school is to write an essay. Essays help you organise your thoughts. An essay helps you convince people. Your
feedback in a home study course will mostly be essays. This will encourage you to write a good essay.
Many years ago I read about Electronics, and took a correspondence course on the subject, and made electronic gadgets for where I worked.
Then I decided to study Electronics at college. Unfortunately the nearest I could get to it was Physics with Electronics as the main subject, so I qualified in Physics.
The lecturers were shockingly out of date. One of my classmates and I spent a lot of time instructing the lecturers. We'd learned modern stuff from books and practical use.
It has been said "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." What this means is that lecturers sat through lectures and passed exams. They go on to teach what they learned in these lectures - which is already out of date. That's the first benefit of home study.
-----------------------------------
Three advantages of classroom study
-----------------------------------
1. You can get recognised certificates when you
pass exams
2. You can get a useful plan for what to study
3. Facilities for practical work
You'll have noticed that although I learned more from my home study course, I still did a four-year course at college. I couldn't get recognised exam certificates from correspondence courses. That was the main benefit.
If you want to study genetics and you don't even know what a gene is, you obviously don't know enough to plan a syllabus for your home study.
You get a useful skeleton outline from your lectures. Using my book about exams you will learn how to improve on the skeleton, but you need one
to improve on!
At home you don't have a chemistry laboratory or a machine shop or volunteers to practice dentistry.
Apprenticeships let you learn about real life from an employer. Schools and colleges have labs and workshops for you to do your practical work.
Lecturers don't know as much about practical work as an employer would. I hated doing chemical titrations because they took such a long time.
Then I noticed that one of my classmates took about a quarter of the time, with greater accuracy. He worked during his holidays at a chemistry lab. He showed me the tricks and I was soon flying through my titrations too.
Even if you do have a machine shop at home, you'll be taught safe working procedure in a conventional course. That could save you from being a cripple for the rest of your life.
----------------
Instant Feedback
----------------
When I was about to hold a chunk of metal with a rag wrapped round my hand to give me extra grip, my lecturer yelled a warning. That probably kept me from losing my hand.
Even if you're learning something safe like oil painting, you can learn faster with instant feedback from a lecturer strolling around behind the students.
Oh, you could take a digital photograph of your oil painting and shoot it down the line to an instructor, but she could be having a meal, or even be asleep if she is on the other side of the world. So you still won't have instant feedback.
Writing essays works fine.
----------------------------------
Conventional courses for abilities
----------------------------------
It seems that conventional courses win out when you want to develop an ability, unless your parents already have that ability to pass on to you.
-----------------
Knowledge courses
-----------------
Of course, there are knowledge courses such as English, Philosophy, History, Anthropology where you don't have a practical syllabus. These are
ideal for home study, and perfect for using an essay as a tool.
More and more Universities offer online courses. You can get recognised certificates with home study. You just need to be good at writing an essay (see my free report) and a few other exam techniques to succeed.
Even technical courses have lots of theory. University extension courses allow you to study the theory online. Then you just go to college for your practical work.
------------
Distractions
------------
A friend of mine refused to be distracted by girls or parties or sport until he completed his degree as a dentist.
I don't think I could have overcome these distractions. If you do home study you don't have any distractions.
Conclusion:
I prefer home study any time that it is available. However you can't learn to sing, or karate, or dentistry without a teacher, so conventional study is often needed to supplement home study. Essay writing is particularly useful in home study.
Home Study: What Life-enhancing Skill do You Learn?
---------------------
You're already doing unofficial home study when you research a project online. Study in class has its place, but...
Up to date I've done many courses in classrooms but only two were very useful. I've learned most of the useful stuff from books or the Internet.
-----------------------
What will help you most in life?
-----------------------
The most valuable thing you learn at school is to write an essay. Essays help you organise your thoughts. An essay helps you convince people. Your
feedback in a home study course will mostly be essays. This will encourage you to write a good essay.
Many years ago I read about Electronics, and took a correspondence course on the subject, and made electronic gadgets for where I worked.
Then I decided to study Electronics at college. Unfortunately the nearest I could get to it was Physics with Electronics as the main subject, so I qualified in Physics.
The lecturers were shockingly out of date. One of my classmates and I spent a lot of time instructing the lecturers. We'd learned modern stuff from books and practical use.
It has been said "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." What this means is that lecturers sat through lectures and passed exams. They go on to teach what they learned in these lectures - which is already out of date. That's the first benefit of home study.
-----------------------------------
Three advantages of classroom study
-----------------------------------
1. You can get recognised certificates when you
pass exams
2. You can get a useful plan for what to study
3. Facilities for practical work
You'll have noticed that although I learned more from my home study course, I still did a four-year course at college. I couldn't get recognised exam certificates from correspondence courses. That was the main benefit.
If you want to study genetics and you don't even know what a gene is, you obviously don't know enough to plan a syllabus for your home study.
You get a useful skeleton outline from your lectures. Using my book about exams you will learn how to improve on the skeleton, but you need one
to improve on!
At home you don't have a chemistry laboratory or a machine shop or volunteers to practice dentistry.
Apprenticeships let you learn about real life from an employer. Schools and colleges have labs and workshops for you to do your practical work.
Lecturers don't know as much about practical work as an employer would. I hated doing chemical titrations because they took such a long time.
Then I noticed that one of my classmates took about a quarter of the time, with greater accuracy. He worked during his holidays at a chemistry lab. He showed me the tricks and I was soon flying through my titrations too.
Even if you do have a machine shop at home, you'll be taught safe working procedure in a conventional course. That could save you from being a cripple for the rest of your life.
----------------
Instant Feedback
----------------
When I was about to hold a chunk of metal with a rag wrapped round my hand to give me extra grip, my lecturer yelled a warning. That probably kept me from losing my hand.
Even if you're learning something safe like oil painting, you can learn faster with instant feedback from a lecturer strolling around behind the students.
Oh, you could take a digital photograph of your oil painting and shoot it down the line to an instructor, but she could be having a meal, or even be asleep if she is on the other side of the world. So you still won't have instant feedback.
Writing essays works fine.
----------------------------------
Conventional courses for abilities
----------------------------------
It seems that conventional courses win out when you want to develop an ability, unless your parents already have that ability to pass on to you.
-----------------
Knowledge courses
-----------------
Of course, there are knowledge courses such as English, Philosophy, History, Anthropology where you don't have a practical syllabus. These are
ideal for home study, and perfect for using an essay as a tool.
More and more Universities offer online courses. You can get recognised certificates with home study. You just need to be good at writing an essay (see my free report) and a few other exam techniques to succeed.
Even technical courses have lots of theory. University extension courses allow you to study the theory online. Then you just go to college for your practical work.
------------
Distractions
------------
A friend of mine refused to be distracted by girls or parties or sport until he completed his degree as a dentist.
I don't think I could have overcome these distractions. If you do home study you don't have any distractions.
Conclusion:
I prefer home study any time that it is available. However you can't learn to sing, or karate, or dentistry without a teacher, so conventional study is often needed to supplement home study. Essay writing is particularly useful in home study.
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