Textbooks can claim an enormous outlay of cash. One way to lower the cost a bit is to buy e-Books. The new Amazon Kindle can display text books and pdf formatted documents, which can offer a great way to save time and money.
Check out the new kindle and mobile reader apps from Amazon.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Another Alternative to Financing an Education
With tuition increasing across the board at practically every college and university and student loans becoming harder to secure, is there an alternative way to finance an education.
For those seeking degrees online, the answer is absolutely.
You are already familiar with navigating the web so you have some know how in the areas of posting to the web. You should also not be intimidated by the necessities to use a computer in this day and age.
Multi Level Marketing (MLM) systems have been around for a long time but there is now an alternative that truly leverages the power of the Internet. Almost everything is accomplished online, from retailing and recruiting to training and securing payments for products.
If this sounds intriguing and you are interested in earning up to $1500 a month part time, then you owe it to yourself to visit Online Business Systems
For those seeking degrees online, the answer is absolutely.
You are already familiar with navigating the web so you have some know how in the areas of posting to the web. You should also not be intimidated by the necessities to use a computer in this day and age.
Multi Level Marketing (MLM) systems have been around for a long time but there is now an alternative that truly leverages the power of the Internet. Almost everything is accomplished online, from retailing and recruiting to training and securing payments for products.
If this sounds intriguing and you are interested in earning up to $1500 a month part time, then you owe it to yourself to visit Online Business Systems
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuition Increase
One of the uncertainties of attending college is the inevitable tuition increase. Tuition increases are an annual occurrence at many colleges and universities; whether online or brick-and-mortar institutions.
I received a message from the college that I attend stating that my tuition will go up about $400 per term starting in January. I am not happy with the situation but I will deal with it. If you are in a similar situation, you may want to looking into adding methods of financing your education. If you are inclined to write than you may consider HubPages.com.
I received a message from the college that I attend stating that my tuition will go up about $400 per term starting in January. I am not happy with the situation but I will deal with it. If you are in a similar situation, you may want to looking into adding methods of financing your education. If you are inclined to write than you may consider HubPages.com.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Research Accreditation
I have seen plenty of debate in the recent months regarding the accreditation of online colleges and universities. Many disgruntled students and former employees of colleges and universities will do anything they can to discredit the institution that they feel did them wrong.
In some cases, these complaints are valid and in some cases they are simply rantings to vent anger. The Internet empowers people to make anonymous claims, whether valid or not and whether ethical or slanderous. Personally, I feel that the right to vent such anger is guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Therefore, when researching a particular college or university, online or not, perform due diligence research to determine the true accreditation status of the Institution.
An article written about the debate can be read by navigating to the link in the title of this post.
In some cases, these complaints are valid and in some cases they are simply rantings to vent anger. The Internet empowers people to make anonymous claims, whether valid or not and whether ethical or slanderous. Personally, I feel that the right to vent such anger is guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Therefore, when researching a particular college or university, online or not, perform due diligence research to determine the true accreditation status of the Institution.
An article written about the debate can be read by navigating to the link in the title of this post.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Program Participation Requirements
Program Participation
Most degree programs include attendance and participation components for the learner to demonstrate acceptable academic progress. Attendance shows that the learner is involved and may or may not be a graded activity. Participation, on the other hand, is normally graded.
The author has pursued degrees from three different online universities and each of those universities requirements are reflected here.
The University of Phoenix weights participation from 25 to 50 percent of the final grade depending on the facilitator. Learners must participate in course-room activities by answering discussion questions and responding to the answers of other learners. The participation requirements may vary by institution and by degree level.
Bachelors’ Degree
The Bachelor’s programs at the University of Phoenix require learners to answer from three to five discussion questions per week. The word count may vary by facilitator but typical answers must contain from 300 to 500 words. Learners must respond to the answers of four other learners and the responses must normally contain a minimum of 300 words.
Facilitators also vary the requirement to use references and citations. Some facilitators require using references and citations, and some do not. When in-text citations are required, the learner must typically provide three to five of each.
Master’s Degree
On line institutions somewhat lower the participation requirements at the graduate level. Capella University requires learners to answer one to two discussion questions per week and respond to the answers of two other learners. There were few word-count requirements for answers or responses and the response requirements varied from class to class.
PhD
The PhD program at Northcentral University does not include discussion questions as a participation requirement. Typical classes at the PhD level include one learner. The learner is assigned a mentor for each class and the mentor guides the learner through the course learning objectives. The PhD program is highly project driven.
Most degree programs include attendance and participation components for the learner to demonstrate acceptable academic progress. Attendance shows that the learner is involved and may or may not be a graded activity. Participation, on the other hand, is normally graded.
The author has pursued degrees from three different online universities and each of those universities requirements are reflected here.
The University of Phoenix weights participation from 25 to 50 percent of the final grade depending on the facilitator. Learners must participate in course-room activities by answering discussion questions and responding to the answers of other learners. The participation requirements may vary by institution and by degree level.
Bachelors’ Degree
The Bachelor’s programs at the University of Phoenix require learners to answer from three to five discussion questions per week. The word count may vary by facilitator but typical answers must contain from 300 to 500 words. Learners must respond to the answers of four other learners and the responses must normally contain a minimum of 300 words.
Facilitators also vary the requirement to use references and citations. Some facilitators require using references and citations, and some do not. When in-text citations are required, the learner must typically provide three to five of each.
Master’s Degree
On line institutions somewhat lower the participation requirements at the graduate level. Capella University requires learners to answer one to two discussion questions per week and respond to the answers of two other learners. There were few word-count requirements for answers or responses and the response requirements varied from class to class.
PhD
The PhD program at Northcentral University does not include discussion questions as a participation requirement. Typical classes at the PhD level include one learner. The learner is assigned a mentor for each class and the mentor guides the learner through the course learning objectives. The PhD program is highly project driven.
Reply to Vanessa
Vanessa,
I would be happy to include a segment on coping with stress. If you wish to write the segment, I will be happy to post it.
I would be happy to include a segment on coping with stress. If you wish to write the segment, I will be happy to post it.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Expect some Stress
Today is Sunday October 24, 2010 and I have a paper due on Tuesday. I have not yet received a grade for my first paper in this course, which I submitted over two weeks ago. My schedule as an IT instructor places me in a classrioom 11 hours a day four days a week and another 4 hours on Friday.
I accomplish most of my writing on the weekends because I have virtually no time during the week. As any online student will tell you, time management is a very necessary skill to develop if you pursue an education online. However, circumstances at times make applying self management skill more difficult than necessary. I do not know yet how my mentor grades, which makes writing this next paper more difficult than normal. I also have to juggle time between work and family responsibilities.'
Jus what I need: more stres.
I accomplish most of my writing on the weekends because I have virtually no time during the week. As any online student will tell you, time management is a very necessary skill to develop if you pursue an education online. However, circumstances at times make applying self management skill more difficult than necessary. I do not know yet how my mentor grades, which makes writing this next paper more difficult than normal. I also have to juggle time between work and family responsibilities.'
Jus what I need: more stres.
PhD - A Higher Level
I have taken my education to a higher level. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Security. This particular program concentrates more on the administration side of InfoSec. I have obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in Information Technology. Both programs concentrated on the technical or nuts and bolts aspects of IT. I am now attempting to learn more about the mnagement and administrative areas.
The Ph.D. program is an intense program with numerous courses in Business Administration and Information Security. The course that I am presently pursuing delves into the areas of the ethical and legal considerations of Information Technology. Each week concentrates on a diferent area. I am now finishing up the third week and am writing a paper that discussess the organizational considerations of computer addiction and cybercrime on information asssets.
The Ph.D. program is an intense program with numerous courses in Business Administration and Information Security. The course that I am presently pursuing delves into the areas of the ethical and legal considerations of Information Technology. Each week concentrates on a diferent area. I am now finishing up the third week and am writing a paper that discussess the organizational considerations of computer addiction and cybercrime on information asssets.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Journal Entry for August 19, 2009
Two hours working on the answer to a discussion question and two hours reading earlier today. The routine has settled down somewhat after 4 years of attending universities online. I still must decide whether or not to continue for a Ph.D.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Journal Entry for August 18, 2009
I am presently studying Risk Management and am in the act of developing a website to test my awareness.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Achieving Balance
Unless you thrive on punishing yourself, you will need to learn to balance your academic, business, and personal lives. This may not be easy to accomplish, especially for those who work full-time and have families. Hopefully you are already in control of the time you spend at work so the concentration of effort to balancing your life will be spent between academics and family obligations.
I made a decision when I entered graduate school that I would not put my family through the extreme absence of my time like they endured when I was an under-grad. To that end I dropped to half-time beginning with this quarter and will continue this schedule until graduation. This measure has afforded me the opportunity to spend more time with my family. Yesterday we took the morning to travel to another town to check out a house because we really wish to leave the town of our currant residence. Today, my daughter spent the morning and afternoon playing putt-putt, and riding go-karts and bumper-cars. I was still able to complete my assignments and discussions for the week and all the submissions were on schedule.
The total time spent on course-work for this week was about 24 hours. On a full-time schedule that would have more than doubled and I would not have had the opportunity to spend the quality time with my family. We would also not be able to move if I was participating in a full-time schedule. As it stands, in order to move I will need to complete my course-work for that week by that Friday in order to have the weekend off.
I made a decision when I entered graduate school that I would not put my family through the extreme absence of my time like they endured when I was an under-grad. To that end I dropped to half-time beginning with this quarter and will continue this schedule until graduation. This measure has afforded me the opportunity to spend more time with my family. Yesterday we took the morning to travel to another town to check out a house because we really wish to leave the town of our currant residence. Today, my daughter spent the morning and afternoon playing putt-putt, and riding go-karts and bumper-cars. I was still able to complete my assignments and discussions for the week and all the submissions were on schedule.
The total time spent on course-work for this week was about 24 hours. On a full-time schedule that would have more than doubled and I would not have had the opportunity to spend the quality time with my family. We would also not be able to move if I was participating in a full-time schedule. As it stands, in order to move I will need to complete my course-work for that week by that Friday in order to have the weekend off.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Journal Entry: Sunday July 6, 2008
Class starts tomorrow so I am taking the time to set up my schedule for the coming 10 weeks. I started by logging into the classroom and checking the on-line calendar of events. The university supplied me with a planner and each quarter they send out a set of stickers to annotate due-dates in the planner. This class requires at least one writing assignment each week, due on Sunday, so I will be spending plenty of time writing.
Most of the reading should be completed the first or second day of each class-week to permit time to participate in the discussions and complete the written assignment for the week. My normal routine is to complete the reading on Monday and Tuesday, complete the initial posts to the discussions on Wednesday through Friday, and work on the written assignments on Saturday and Sunday. The assignments are due by Sunday night midnight local time.
This will be the most intensive class to date and I will not get much sleep over the next 10 weeks. I will actually begin my reading today and post my bio tomorrow. I make sure and post a discussion on the first day of class to lock in the participation requirements for financial-aid (Participation is closely monitored.)
The time spent on course-work today will include about three hours reading and a half an hour setting up my calendar.
Most of the reading should be completed the first or second day of each class-week to permit time to participate in the discussions and complete the written assignment for the week. My normal routine is to complete the reading on Monday and Tuesday, complete the initial posts to the discussions on Wednesday through Friday, and work on the written assignments on Saturday and Sunday. The assignments are due by Sunday night midnight local time.
This will be the most intensive class to date and I will not get much sleep over the next 10 weeks. I will actually begin my reading today and post my bio tomorrow. I make sure and post a discussion on the first day of class to lock in the participation requirements for financial-aid (Participation is closely monitored.)
The time spent on course-work today will include about three hours reading and a half an hour setting up my calendar.
Friday, July 4, 2008
A New Class Begins
Today is Friday, the 4th of July and a new class begins on Monday the 7th. I received access to the course materials today and began perusing the contents. Early access to the materials permits the student to form a completion strategy before being thrust into the actual day-to-day routine. My method of preparation comprises the following:
- Login to the class to ensure availability; any problems gaining access would prompt an immediate contact with learner support
- Read all email and announcements posted by the professor to determine specific course requirements and the professor’s preferences
- Browse the assignments and discussion questions to determine the course load
- Read the syllabus for an overview of the course
- Print the course calendar to reinforce due dates for DQ postings and assignments
This class will require the completion of at least three Discussion questions and one assignment per week and a course project will start in the second week to be completed by the end of the course. Comparing this course with the previous 26 I have taken in my online academic career shows this to be a relatively heavy class load.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Journal Entry: Saturday June 21, 2008
Today is the 23rd anniversary of my 30th birthday and I have had an easy-going day, for a change.
I have now completed six of the twelve required classes for my MSIT program. I elected to take two extra classes to receive a certification from the NSA so at the end of next quarter I will have completed half the program. I am also planning to petition for credit for another course that is required for the NSA certification. Network Technologies has been my life for about the last 15 years so the petition should be granted.
Class ended last Friday at 6PM and I submitted my final two projects 15 minutes before the published deadline but I am still waiting for the grades for those projects. All other grades have posted but those projects are worth 35% of the course final grade. I can afford to loose five points on each project and still receive an A for the class. This is the longest I have waited for a grade since I started graduate school.
I changed my program completion plan to drop to half time beginning this next quarter. Working full time, participating in a full time class schedule, and raising an eight-year-old daughter is just too much of a burden. This will push my graduation date up to the winter of 2010.
I have now completed six of the twelve required classes for my MSIT program. I elected to take two extra classes to receive a certification from the NSA so at the end of next quarter I will have completed half the program. I am also planning to petition for credit for another course that is required for the NSA certification. Network Technologies has been my life for about the last 15 years so the petition should be granted.
Class ended last Friday at 6PM and I submitted my final two projects 15 minutes before the published deadline but I am still waiting for the grades for those projects. All other grades have posted but those projects are worth 35% of the course final grade. I can afford to loose five points on each project and still receive an A for the class. This is the longest I have waited for a grade since I started graduate school.
I changed my program completion plan to drop to half time beginning this next quarter. Working full time, participating in a full time class schedule, and raising an eight-year-old daughter is just too much of a burden. This will push my graduation date up to the winter of 2010.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Move to Graduate School
Deciding to continue your education beyond an undergraduate degree can most certainly be difficult for a person of advanced years. My decision was actually made before I completed work on my undergraduate degree. Making the decision to continue on to graduate school was a natural one to continue my quest for knowledge. The time spent working on my Bachelor of Science demonstrated that you could fill volumes with what I do not know; I wish to shorten the length of those volumes.
I am continuing my education using the online format once again. My first class was in September and I am now into my second quarter. The work load is heavier than at Phoenix but that is to be expected in a graduate program. I am attending Capella University on a full time basis but will drop back to half time in the summer. I have decided not to rush my studies in the pursuite of a MS and be fair to my wife and daughter. Time management is a real ordeal and I must achieve ballance once again.
I am continuing my education using the online format once again. My first class was in September and I am now into my second quarter. The work load is heavier than at Phoenix but that is to be expected in a graduate program. I am attending Capella University on a full time basis but will drop back to half time in the summer. I have decided not to rush my studies in the pursuite of a MS and be fair to my wife and daughter. Time management is a real ordeal and I must achieve ballance once again.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
How I Started
While I was a network engineer I learned that my director was pursuing a MBA through the University of Phoenix. I had answered some advertisements from some online universities and spoke to a few enrollment counselors. The University of Phoenix was the first university I found with a program that fit my needs. I would, however, recommend doing a little more research than I did in the beginning because there are more institutions offering online programs than I initially realized.
When I made my decision I worked with an Admissions Counselor who helped me through the application process. I later worked with an Academic Advisor to complete the process of transferring credits from prior coursework at other institutions. When I started the process with the UoP, I was intending to begin classes in the fall term. To my surprise, I started my first class less than one week after starting the application process. Looking back I think I should have waited until I was certain of the status of my financial aid application.
When I made my decision I worked with an Admissions Counselor who helped me through the application process. I later worked with an Academic Advisor to complete the process of transferring credits from prior coursework at other institutions. When I started the process with the UoP, I was intending to begin classes in the fall term. To my surprise, I started my first class less than one week after starting the application process. Looking back I think I should have waited until I was certain of the status of my financial aid application.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Initial Expectations
One of the claims that drew me to the online environment of distance education was that you can work at your own pace. This statement is somewhat misleading, though. I was led to believe that I could start a class and take as much time as I needed. The reality is that the classes do have set timeframes with starting and ending dates.
The high side is that you do have the ability to adjust your schedule so you can do the work when you have time. You do not have to commute to class to be present in an actual classroom. When you do your work is entirely up to you if the environment is asynchronous. If your program is synchronous you will need to participate in activities, such as lectures, at specific times. Either way you still save the commuting time.
Some distance learning programs permit students to take as much time as necessary to complete a program. Most of these programs are correspondence type courses where students correspond using the postal service.
The high side is that you do have the ability to adjust your schedule so you can do the work when you have time. You do not have to commute to class to be present in an actual classroom. When you do your work is entirely up to you if the environment is asynchronous. If your program is synchronous you will need to participate in activities, such as lectures, at specific times. Either way you still save the commuting time.
Some distance learning programs permit students to take as much time as necessary to complete a program. Most of these programs are correspondence type courses where students correspond using the postal service.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
I am in the act of migrating this blog over to my own domain. The url for the new location is http://education.cheytechdesigns.com
.
Blogger will redirect requests to that address when I have completed the migration. If you have bookmarked Journey Into Online Education you may wish to change your bookmark and any links you have saved when the redirects begin.
This is taking a little more effort than I had hoped. Therefore, my posts will be somewhat lacking until this task is complete.
.
Blogger will redirect requests to that address when I have completed the migration. If you have bookmarked Journey Into Online Education you may wish to change your bookmark and any links you have saved when the redirects begin.
This is taking a little more effort than I had hoped. Therefore, my posts will be somewhat lacking until this task is complete.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Alternative Search Engines
One of the problems I experienced when researching topics online is the way some of the most well known search engines present the results of a search. In this day of E-Business on the web, many companies are buying their way to the top of results pages produced by some search engines. The implication is that instead of finding the information on a requested topic, the results page produces commercial sites promoting products classified by the key words entered for the search.
Do not become too frustrated; however, all that advertisement on the web helps maintain the accessibility of information for everyone. You just need to look for alternative sources. Listed here are 10 alternative sources to help you on your way:
Noodle Tools is a site that you can use to help search specific directories by the type of information you are looking for. You can scan down the site and find a castigatory for the information, for instance “science and technology”. You will then see a number of links to search engines that may produce the best results.
The Library Spot links library resources in a convenient location and may provide useful resources for research. This is also a good site to browse for enjoyment.
Finally, one excellent resource to use to locate other alternative search engines is About: Web Search. This site presents a listing of 100 search engines and categories for search engines.
You should have little difficulty locating information online using these resources. This is just a small sampling of what is available.
Do not become too frustrated; however, all that advertisement on the web helps maintain the accessibility of information for everyone. You just need to look for alternative sources. Listed here are 10 alternative sources to help you on your way:
Clusty
Ujiko.com
KartOO
ixquick
grokker
Beaucoup
CrossEngine
Noodle Tools is a site that you can use to help search specific directories by the type of information you are looking for. You can scan down the site and find a castigatory for the information, for instance “science and technology”. You will then see a number of links to search engines that may produce the best results.
The Library Spot links library resources in a convenient location and may provide useful resources for research. This is also a good site to browse for enjoyment.
Finally, one excellent resource to use to locate other alternative search engines is About: Web Search. This site presents a listing of 100 search engines and categories for search engines.
You should have little difficulty locating information online using these resources. This is just a small sampling of what is available.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Contingency Plans
Murphy's Law states that if something can go wrong, it probably will. When computers are a part of your life, you should plan for the unexpected and avoid neglect.
Online educational programs require access to a computer. Students should make prior arrangements to continue their work after disaster strikes. I once experienced the adversity of a system board major meltdown on the day a final assignment was due. I was able to revive the system in a couple of hours by replacing the system board with a spare that I had on hand. This situation would have been much worse for someone lacking the ability to repair a PC.
Most facilitators of online classes will classify the excuse that your system was down somewhere in the relm of "my dog ate it." Make sure you know how you will deal with the situation before the necessity arrives. Some suggestions are to gain authorization to use a PC at work or make arrangements with a family member or neighbor. You may also check with your local branch of the public library. Note, however, that some institutions have minimum system requirements and there may be some settup necessary. This may pose challenging if you try to line up a PC to borrow.
Online educational programs require access to a computer. Students should make prior arrangements to continue their work after disaster strikes. I once experienced the adversity of a system board major meltdown on the day a final assignment was due. I was able to revive the system in a couple of hours by replacing the system board with a spare that I had on hand. This situation would have been much worse for someone lacking the ability to repair a PC.
Most facilitators of online classes will classify the excuse that your system was down somewhere in the relm of "my dog ate it." Make sure you know how you will deal with the situation before the necessity arrives. Some suggestions are to gain authorization to use a PC at work or make arrangements with a family member or neighbor. You may also check with your local branch of the public library. Note, however, that some institutions have minimum system requirements and there may be some settup necessary. This may pose challenging if you try to line up a PC to borrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
