College textbooks are expensive for the same reason that college itself is 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And second, because textbooks become outdated so quickly that the publishers have to make up for the loss in revenue by charging exorbitant prices.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!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Going back to School
Adults can be successful in returning to school no matter what their age. It may not be easy, but it will certainly be worth it; it can even be fun, as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure success and happiness.
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!
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
There are so many options for online degrees that it can be difficult to find the program that's right for you. So the first step you have to take is to decide what you'd like to accomplish by getting your degree.
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!
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!
Hello and welcome to the Technical College blog!
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!
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!
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