Thursday, December 21, 2006
ITT Tech
Well, this flood of well-made TV spots advertising the technical degrees offered at ITT Tech are a great indication of the success of the school. They've got the money to put out these high quality ads, and that money comes from satisfied students of the college!
The fact is that there just might be the perfect, high paying job for you at ITT Tech. But the only way to find out which of the technical colleges are right for you as you set out to advance your career is to visit these schools for yourself!
Good luck brother!
Is College Right for You?
If you want to be a public defender, or a skilled worker in a union, or a police officer, or a veterinarian or a teacher or a writer, and you want it badly enough, then college is right for you. All you need is the drive to make it to your final goal of having the job of your dreams.
The question isn't really whether college is "right" for you or not. The question is, where do you want to go, and will college help you get there? The rest is just a matter of how badly you want it.
College is just four years. That's not a very long time compared to the rest of your life! Put in the time and effort now, and see what new doors and interests anf friendships will open up before you! Because in reality, you'll never know how much you like college until you've experienced it.
Have you tested yourself before? Have you pushed yourself to the limits of how hard you can work, and how far you're willing to go for a dream?
The bottom line is that you need to decide what kind of life you want to live, and then make up your mind to live it.
Straight to College, or Take Time Off?
If you're not sure what subject you'd like to earn your degree in, or if you're not even sure you want to go to college at all, then taking some time off to work or travel can be a great way to gain some perspective on your situation. Perhaps a semester of working and living at home is the motivation you need to decide what you'd really like to spend the rest of your life doing. Or maybe you'd rather put 10,000 dollars down as payment on a some real estate, or toward starting your own business.
There are, however, some benefits to going straight to college from high school. It's difficult for many people to get back into "school mode" once they've been out of it for six months. If you're the type that likes finish a job once you've started it, then perhaps taking time off from pursuing your educational goals is not the best move for you.
Also consider that there will come a time when your friends will have graduated from college, gotten jobs, and perhaps moved into apartments together, and if you took a semester or two off, you might still be taking classes and doing homework.
Ultimately, it's a personal decision that no one but you can make. The safest move might be to try a semester of college and see what doors it opens for you, and what new interests might develop!
College: Worth the Hassle and Expense?
College is worth it, without a doubt.
When I got out of high school, I thought I knew it all. I didn't think I needed college, and I didn't want to pay the high rates of tuition. The exorbitant cost of going to college was something I didn't want to contribute to because I thought it was outrageous and unfair. I'd rather be a self-made man... or so I thought.
I ended up giving college a try at my parents' insistence. I can tell you that you won't know how valuable college is until you go. It's hard to imagine that you'll change all that much by spending four years at college, but you do change. And the change is immense.
You become more independent, more comfortable and eloquent socially, more driven to succeed, and you have a better idea of where you're going in life. But there are other benefits, too.
Do not deprive yourself of the friends you'll make at college! It's difficult to imagine better friends than the ones you already have, but you will make some of the best friends of your life in the dorms and classes on a college campus. And don't forget, many people even meet their future spouses at school!
Lastly, there are the economic benefits. A college degree is a right of passage in today's society, and it's your key to higher pay and a job you'll really love. Go to college and open doors that you never thought were possible. Make the investment and see what the world has in store for you!
Quick Cash with Adsense?
If you have a blog or other website with original content that you're willing to update with your own fresh ideas, then you'll want to include Google AdSense. But before you do, it's important to verify that your page is ready to accept Google AdSense and make the most profit.
Google AdSense will scan your website, and based on the content and keywords it finds there, it will target advertisements based on that content. Therefore, if you have a blog entry with a bunch of keywords that don't really have much to do with the overall content of your website, you're going to have advertisements that aren't really going to target your audience, and therefore aren't going to bring you any profit.
The point is that you shouldn't rush to include Google AdSense on your website just to start making money sooner. In the long run, you're going to make a lot more money using AdSense if you wait until you've developed a solid website with a good amount of solid content. That way, when AdSense scans your page, it's going to come up with advertisements targeted at your audience... and that's money in the bank!
Making Money with Online Surveys
And if you give your email address to the wrong survey site, you'll be flooded with tons of spam. Having to pick through pages of spam to find your real email gets old REAL fast, trust me.
That said, some surveys are actual scams, whereas some are up front about what you have to do and what you'll earn. Usually, what you'll earn are coupons, "prizes" of dubious value, gift certificates, etc. But not cash.
So if you enjoy filling out surveys and would like to earn points toward prizes, then by all means, go for it!
If you're interested in doing surveys for cash, I'd suggest looking into a local marketing or product testing firm. There are legitimate companies out there that will pay you and your friends to try new products like deodorant, shaving products, toothpaste, etc. Normally, you do have to go to the company and try the products there, so they can observe and ask you questions; but they pay quite well, too.
So check your local yellow pages and ask around. You can get paid for trying products, but it's probably not going to happen online.
College Books are DAMN Expensive
People are willing to pay huge sums of money for a good education, and 700 bucks for a few textbooks is hardly noticeable next to the 35,000 dollar a year price of tuition.
That said, textbooks are different from other books for two main reasons:
First, because the purchase price goes toward paying many different authors, all of whom are experts in their field.
And second, because textbooks become outdated so quickly that the publishers have to make up for the loss in revenue by charging exorbitant prices. Basically, a college textbook might sell at 100 dollars for three years, whereas an ordinary book (which won't become obsolete every three years) would sell at 25 dollars for ten years.
The best solution is to identify the books you need by their ISBN and buy online. The online book sellers have the best prices you're gonna find, and they're sure to offer your textbook for way less than any college bookstore.
Just be sure to factor in shipping time so you're not stuck sitting in class without a book!
Going back to School
First of all, you need to sit down and figure out your priorities. As an adult returning to school, we often have families to take care of, jobs to hold down and a wide variety of other obligations. Family comes first, but in order to care of our families we need to make our jobs a priority. This is something you've probably known for quite some time now.
But here's a new priority to add to the list: your education, which will get you a better job, which will allow you to simultaneously take better care of, and spend more time with, your family. This may seem obvious, but it's something that you'll need to remember when the dog needs to be fed, the lawn needs to be mowed or the boss wants you to come in on Saturday. You need to make a real commitment to your education every day, realizing that it just may be the most important thing you could do with your time.
That said, the biggest roadblock to returning to school later in life is getting back into that zone where you have to read, take notes, write papers and study for exams. I know from personal experience that it can be very difficult to sit at the table and study rather than sitting in front of the TV and resting after a long day of work. But as I said, it doesn't have to be a struggle; if you keep your eye on the prize, the school work will be enjoyable.
Every minute you spend rereading a text, going over your notes, getting ahead in your classwork, is money in the bank. It's investing in yourself, building up a wealth of knowledge and experience in yourself that makes you more valuable in the real world. It's like fixing up an old house to turn around and sell: spend the night there, work with joy and enthusiasm knowing that each strike of the hammer brings you one step closer to a better life for you and your family.
Make the commitment, take the plunge, remember why you're there, and you're sure to have success in your educational endeavors!
Online Degrees
What kind of job do you want to get after you earn your degree? What are your skills, interests and aspirations? Deciding which major of study is right for you is a great way to narrow down the vast range of options in online degree programs. Consider not only potential salary, but also what you do in your free time. What are you passionate about? Remember: if you do what you love, the money will follow!
The next decision you have to make is in regard to the type of school you'd like to earn your degree from. Does the prestige of the school's name matter to you? Or do you simply need a degree to advance in your job, and would like to do so as inexpensively as possible?
If you are concerned about earning your degree from a college or university with a recognizable and respected name, then you might consider the stellar Distance Education program offered through Pennsylvania State University (www.worldcampus.psu.edu). Their course offerings are vast, and you'll graduate with a degree identical to that which an on-campus student receives.
Boston University (www.budegree.info/index.htm) offers an Executive Bachelor's Degree Completion Program to those individuals who have at least 64 credits toward their undergraduate degree and would like to complete their studies. If you're willing to pay for the convenience of completing your degree online and would like to do so through a world-renowned institution of higher learning, then Boston University might be the place for you. Again, the degree with which you graduate will be exactly the same as that which an on-campus student would receive.
If an undergraduate degree in a Business program interests you, then your best option is the distance learning program offered through UMass Amhert's Isenberg School of Management. (www.isenberg.umass.edu/underg rad/Online_Degree_Program/). The program itself is highly respected, and you will graduate with a degree that an employer will recognize and value.
If the name and prestige of a school are of no importance to you, and you'd like simply to earn a degree through a credible program as inexpensively as possible, then the options are legion. Any of the programs advertised on the left of this page are worth looking into. Try specifying the degree program and major you'd be interested in pursuing, and search for the right program that way.
You might also try looking over the advice on a resource such as the Princeton Review online. (www.princetonreview.com/col lege/research/articles/distanc e/distance_select.asp). An objective and trusted third party like the Princeton Review is useful when sorting through all the various options for online and distance learning.
The bottom line is that you have to find the program that will teach you what you want to learn, and will get you a degree that the world will respect and value.
Good luck finding the right program for you!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Welcome!
Here you'll find lots of helpful information on advancing your career by attending a technical college!
From how long it will take, to potential jobs and salaries, and even which school you should attend, you'll fin it all at the Technical College blog!
Welcome, and check back often!
Because it's your future!