All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

careers

What Are the Career Options for Students with a Law Degree?

 

law degree

When your child goes to college, there may be times when he or she becomes uncertain about their career path.  This is a common predicament, and should not be met with major concern.  After all—choosing what you want to do from nine-to-five for until retirement at eighteen can feel overwhelming.  Sometimes, it is best to open up opportunities to them that they may not have realized in their degree.  If your student is pursuing a law degree but is unsure whether they want to become a lawyer or judge, luckily there are a vast array of career options they may have not considered.  Below are some career options for students with a law degree.

Entrepreneur

A legal education is an excellent platform to enter the world of business.  Whether your child is inspired to jump into a large business investment, or a small business niche, a law degree will give them an advantage that other business owners will not have.  Other business owners will have to hire professionals or spend a lot of time reading up on the subject of business law, tax law, and a host of other local, state, and federal laws to make sure they are staying within their boundaries. Education in law will also sharpen your child’s critical thinking and creativity skills so that your child can navigate through potential obstacles in the future.

Enrolled Agent

If your child has a special interest in tax law or working for the IRS, then becoming an enrolled agent may be the perfect avenue for them.  Certified enrolled agents are granted unlimited rights to represent on behalf of clients before the IRS.  Enrolled agents specialize in tax law and work with clients to resolve or settle tax issues.  To become an enrolled agent, you do not need a college degree.  In the event that your child wants to take a break between undergrad and graduate school, becoming an enrolled agent will utilize their skills while giving them valuable experience.  To become an enrolled agent, your child has two options: work for the IRS for a number of years, or take the enrolled agent exam.  The EA exam takes hours of studying, but your child can aid themselves by pursuing the best EA review courses, which include resource materials and practice exams.

Real Estate Agent

The arena of real estate is once again becoming an appealing choice for those looking for a lucrative career.  With the real estate market on the rise, more young people are entering the job market in this field.  There is a required exam to gain a licensure, but your child will already have the advantage of understanding law practices, which will give them the knowledge to stay within legal boundaries of real estate.  The analytical skills they will gain will also help them analyze the housing market and how to gauge pricing with both buyers and sellers.

Non-Profit Manager

Your child might have a passion for a fulfilling job related to human rights, saving the environment, immigration, or other venture.  In this circumstance, your child might be thrilled to know that they can work for a non-profit.  As an attorney, your child can gain a leadership position to help the non-profit direct through legalities.

Politics

If your child is pursuing a law degree, they likely have a mind for debate.  He or she may love debating you at the dinner table—much to the chagrin of your family. Help them channel their passions into a life in politics.  A deep knowledge of law and history, coupled with critical thinking and creative problem solving, will give them the understanding they need to enter politics.  Many of our presidents including one of our most acclaimed, Abraham Lincoln, had law degrees.

If your child is pursuing a law degree, help them peruse the variety of career options available.

online learning, study tools

7 Ways to Boost Your Grades by Studying Online

 

studying online

The concept of learning has changed; students are often using an online learning platform to improve their grades. The online platform is now a tool for students to further their education. Everyone can get free information about any course from the online school system.

For efficient studies, students should make a habit of studying on a daily basis. Here are 7 solutions to boost your grades studying online to prepare for exams effectively and also perform better on the exams when you are actually taking them.

1. Find online tools

As we endure to grasp technology, the traditional trend of learning from textbooks are becoming obsolete. Online learning has become more user-centered and fluid. Sometimes, students can’t get benefit from textbooks because they can’t fix text into their minds until they find the best real tools for that syllabus which can guide them step by step. For example, Udemy, BookRags, Hippocampus, Bookwolf, Pink Monkey, Study Stack, Quil and much more are valuable tools to study online to improve your grades in that selected subject. Even you can get courses at negotiable prices from these websites, some of them are free. Grab these courses to enhance your grades.

2. Go to websites

 

There are various websites which are specially designed to help the students study every topic. Grab these opportunities and enhance your learning with free websites such as, Coursera (to make education available to anyone), Udacity (for brainy types), Open Culture (educational media and top-notch quality cultural), Ted-Ed (the powerhouse of amazing lectures), Memrise (education based on science and community), and Learnist (an interactive platform just as Pinterest).

3. Find an online tutor

 

Another way is to find an online tutor who will help you with assignments and problems. Online tutoring sites have gained more popularity around the globe. Online tutoring is a valuable solution for students as it can be executed at home on a PC or mobile. Students can get experienced teachers by searching online. You can find a tutor at homework help today.

4. Join online forums

 

Online forums provide a high-quality education for everyone. The panel allows learners to collaborate in an online learning environment. If students can’t find the solution for a given assignment or solving any course question, then they can join these forums to get the required answers from experienced, educated persons. Students can get multiple answers to their queries by just posting a question in the forum.

5. Online test prep

 

You can take online quizzes to prepare for your tests or final exams according to your subjects. It helps with evaluation and text preparation. There are practice tests available for free in many subjects, including standardized tests.

6. Use search engines

 

Another solution to boost your grades is use search engines to get more help, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. One of the second leading search engines is YouTube which provides a wide variety of knowledgeable videos with bountiful information on every topic. The mentors in these videos explain each and everything in detail e.g explanation of math solutions in depth, programming step by step, mechanics and many more other subjects.

7. Use social media

 

Students can organize themselves into study groups and pages by using social media. Social media provides a new way of learning through educational groups and pages where they can discuss study tactics and options on any subject.
Bonus Tip. Try to get at least one A each class or semester. This A will change your perspective for future classes or semesters and will change how you think about yourself.

study abroad

5 Things To Check Before You Plan To Study Abroad

 

study abroad

Education, as a sector, has brought down the walls of geographical confinement that marred the industry as well as the growth of students and academics in general. However, now is the time to consider foreign education, because it opens up the world for you to enjoy the best educational infrastructure and career opportunities. That said, your planning for foreign education must be accompanied with due diligence on the course to choose, the universities to apply to, the finances involved, the timelines involved, and a whole lot more. Let’s tell you more about the five things you need to check as you get on with the phase of making preparations for foreign education. 

The three most important considerations for any foreign education decision are – the timing, the course and university, and the costs.

Understanding Timings and Planning accordingly 

Firstly, determine which semester suits you the most ; for instance, weigh the opportunity of working for a few months and earning something before joining a foreign course, or joining early and budgeting additional 4-5 months for job search after course completion. Note that most foreign institutions have students-intake in either the spring session or the autumn session. Institutes invite applications up until 4 to 5 months of session commencement. Also, the joining date is generally close to two months prior to the beginning of session.

Identifying The Most Suitable Courses and Universities 

Secondly, shortlist the courses that align well with your skills, interests, and aspirations. Once done, check which universities that offer the best Bachelor degree programs in Law, for instance, Business, Information Technology etc. in the course, and the course structures. 

Questions to be answered are:

  • How good are employment opportunities relevant to the course?
  • In which region is the industry concentrated? 
  • What’s the duration of the course? 
  • How relevant will the degree be in your home country? 
  • What is the research and employment specialization of the university you’re considering? 

The Critical Question of Expenses

Thirdly, plan and prepare a budget for the expenses that will be involved in your foreign education. Note that apart from course fees, you need to plan for expenses related to lodging and living (check if the university offers on-campus lodging), travel expenses (some courses necessitate International or domestic travel, so check if that’s sponsored or not), and course material (some universities don’t include course material costs in course fees).

Scholarships and part time jobs are highly relied upon by foreign students, because these help them reduce the load of hefty expenses. Teaching assistance programs, internships, and small project with stipends – all are significant financial aids for students in nations like USA and UK. Apart from these, students can explore options such as freelancing and paid online surveys etc. to earn a decent income stream and keep finances under check. 

Language Exams, Certificates, and Forms

Most foreign universities follow standards and norms to enable students to apply and enroll without problems. However, you need to be aware of aspects such as English (or any other language) exams you need to undertake to be able to apply for a course. TOEFL and IELTS are among the most commonly accepted English language tests. Apart from these, you’d do well to understand other specific concern and requirements from the university, in terms of forms such as medical history, police verification, and net worth certificate. Procuring these forms is time consuming, so plan well in advance.

Scholarships 

We briefly mentioned scholarships, now is the time to explain them. International students can apply for and seek scholarships from the institution, the government, and private institutions that offer scholarships and fee waiver programs. Among globally renowned scholarships are The British Commonwealth Scholarships, Fulbright Fellowships and Rhodes Scholarships.  Students can significantly reduce the costs of foreign education by targeting scholarships, although this needs due diligence, academic brilliance, and the ability to research and find information. 

We’ve tried to cover five of the most important factors that you need to understand and plan around to make your foreign education decision a success. Be smart, be aware, work hard, and you will make it through and enjoy great success riding on a coveted educational degree from a sought after foreign institution.

essays

Typical Essay Mistakes to Avoid

2 Comments

 

essay mistakes

Whether you actually enjoy it or not, writing essays must be done! It’s almost a rite of passage no matter what level of schooling you are currently at. Writing a good essay is hard work, so it’s worth it to get it right the first time around.

To stand out from the rest and make your work the best, you’ll want to avoid these typical essay mistakes when writing an essay.  Efficient writing is no more a dream!

Not Proofreading

The biggest mistake people make after writing an essay it doing nothing! You write it and you’re done right? No!

To make your essay be good, it shouldn’t have any grammatical or spelling errors. No awkward or run-on sentences either. The absolute best ways to take care of these things is

  1. Make sure your spell check tool is on
  2. Read it out loud to yourself and you’ll hear the edits you need to make
  3. Have someone look it over if possible

Whatever you turn in or keep for yourself should be error free.

Not knowing your audience

Who are you writing for? A typical mistake made is the writer not setting the correct tone or using the right language according to who will be reading the essay. Make sure you get this accept right or the whole piece will be off.

Not answering the prompt

This may seem obvious, but many essays tend to get off topic. It’s important to always refer back to what question you are answering or what statement you are discussing. Don’t go off on a tangent.

The easiest way of making sure you stay on track is by tactfully connecting the point you’ve made in your paragraph back to your thesis.

Formatting

  • Are there specific requirements for the essay?
  • Are you meeting them?
  • Are the citations correct in text and on the citation page according to the style?
  • Is it in the right font?

These are all considerations that must be taken into account. These very simple mistakes will affect you in a negative way, and all it takes is some extra time and care to fix them.

This list should give you the start you need in avoiding some typical mistakes. The things that are overlooked are often what need to be reassessed! Pro tip: Create a checklist of these items to use with each essay you write and it’ll ensure that there aren’t any more mistakes!

Well, if you still feel weak, check the best custom writing and get your essay done in a wink!

_____________________

Our guest blogger, Lucy Adams, is an outsourcer from edublogawards.org. She’s a diligent author who never refuses fruitful collaborations with websites that adore guest blogs. Lucy provides deep research on most burning and exciting topics. Feel free to share your ideas with the blogger and get a high-quality paper in return in no time!

college books, Sponsored posts

Textbooks Made Easy

1 Comment

 

This post is sponsored by Barnes & Noble. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.

textbooks

When my first child went to college, I almost died when I got the bill for her textbooks. Some of them cost close to $200, and the total cost for all her textbooks the first year was close to $1,500. I was not prepared for this added expense. At the time, students were forced to buy books from the bookstore without many other options available. Even used textbooks were pricey and some professors used new books that weren’t available used, but the times have certainly changed.

Students can now purchase new and used textbooks at huge discounts or rent them with flexible rental periods. Once they are done with the course, they can sell the books for cash and recoup some of the cost. With the help of Barnes & Noble’s textbook program, it’s a win-win for parents and students.

Below is a screenshot of an art history textbook. As you can see, when you click on the book’s title, you’re given three options: new, used, or rent. In addition, you have the option of purchasing the book in the marketplace from users who are also selling it.

textbooks

New Textbooks

It’s a shock when your student’s professor decides to use a new textbook and you see the cost. New textbooks can be pricey, but Barnes & Noble has a large selection of new textbooks available. They offer low prices, so you can get the most for your money. Their textbooks are listed up to 30% off sticker price, plus they offer free shipping on all new textbook orders over $25. Check out their huge selection of new textbooks here.

Used Textbooks

Used textbooks are your best bargain when available, and Barnes & Noble sells only the highest quality used books. It’s just like purchasing a used car: you aren’t paying the high sticker prices, but you’re getting a high-quality book at a great price–some up to 90% off. You can search for used textbooks here.

Rented Textbooks

Why buy when you can rent? It makes sense, especially since the book will only be used for one semester. My daughter chose to save only the books that applied to her major and renting would have been an excellent option for those required courses that didn’t interest her. At Barnes & Noble, there are thousands of textbooks available to rent with flexible periods up to 130 days. Your student can extend the rental period or opt to purchase the book at any time. Once they are finished with their course, they can ship it back for free! Check out their selection of rentals here.

Selling Your Textbooks

Even if you must purchase a new textbook, you can sell it back if it’s in good condition to Barnes & Noble and recoup some of the cost. They provide prepaid shipping labels. For details on which books they will accept and what type of condition they need to be in, click here.

When it comes to paying for college, most parents plan for tuition, room and board. It’s added expenses like books that can put a strain on your budget. By using these available options, you should be able to cut textbook costs and use some of that money for more important things like a plane ticket for Parents’ Weekend!

test prep

Parents Guide to the SAT and the ACT

1 Comment

Wouldn’t it be great to have all the test dates AND registration deadlines in one place, along with tips on how to support your high school student during testing season? Magoosh thought so too! They created the Parents Guide to SAT and ACT Testing.

Below is an infographic with “everything you need to know about standardized tests but were afraid to ask”. Also, check out their High School SAT & ACT blog: https://magoosh.com/hs/ with resources there for both parents and students to help them learn more about the SAT and ACT, how to prepare, and what to expect on test day.

 

parents guide

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Green Mountain College Offers $200,000 Sustainability Scholarship

1 Comment

 

sustainability scholarship

Green Mountain College Announces $200,000 Scholarship Award to Help a Student Pursue Sustainable Education

The most pressing challenges of our time await your innovative solutions. Green Mountain College, the nation’s number-one college for sustainability based education, wants to empower you to make a better world. Today, the college is announcing a new First in Sustainability Scholarship Award for one student who is passionate about ensuring social, economic and/or environmental sustainability. The winning student will receive free tuition, room, board and fees for all four years at Green Mountain College—a total value of $200,000.

sustainability scholarship

Recognized more than any college for its leadership in sustainability, Green Mountain College of Poultney, Vermont provides a personal, practical and purposeful education that prepares graduates to “do well by doing good.” The college offers 22 academic majors and 32 additional minors and certificates, all built on its core sustainability focused general education curriculum. Students also gain extensive practical experience, from working at a community farm to building a solar garage that charges an electrical tractor (a student project), which gives them a leg up in the “green jobs” market. Ninety-seven percent of graduates are employed or in graduate school and ninety-five percent of graduates are satisfied or very satisfied in their work.

“More than twenty years ago, Green Mountain College became the first college in the nation to dedicate its curriculum to sustainability. Now, the imperative to take meaningful action is stronger than ever. We hope this scholarship will help catalyze today’s students to ensure a more sustainable world for generations to come,” said Robert (Bob) Allen, President, Green Mountain College.

[ctt title=”Green Mountain College Offers $200,000 Sustainability Scholarship to High School Seniors” tweet=”@greenmtncollege First in Sustainability Scholarship $200,000 value: https://ctt.ec/ec9H9+” coverup=”ec9H9″]

About the Sustainability Scholarship

Get a head start fulfilling your life’s purpose! Any high school senior applying for admission to Green Mountain College’s class of 2021 is eligible for this scholarship award. Applicants are required to submit an additional essay, describing what change they would like to make for a better and more sustainable world. The piece (up to 800 words) should address these two topics:

  1. This is what you would change.
  2. This is how an education at Green Mountain College will prepare you to make the change.

All First in Sustainability Scholarship Award applications must be submitted online and received by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on February 15, 2017. One winner will be announced April 15, 2017.  The online application form can be found at greenmtn.edu/sustainabilityscholarship.

Green Mountain College offers rolling admissions. To apply for next year’s freshman class at Green Mountain College, please visit discover.greenmtn.edu/applynow/inquiryform. For additional information about the scholarship award, please email Karen Martinsen Fleming at flemingk@greenmtn.edu.

About Green Mountain College

The nation’s number-one college and curriculum for sustainability, Green Mountain College prepares students seeking to build meaningful careers pursuing social, economic and environmental sustainability. The college’s holistic sustainability based education, built on a core sustainability focused general education curriculum, enables students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our rapidly changing world. Benefiting from a purposeful, personal, and practical education, 97 percent of Green Mountain College alumni are employed or in graduate school and 95 percent of Green Mountain College graduates report satisfaction from their careers. The college also offers online master’s degree programs, and a three-year B.S. degree in partnership with The Killington Resort. For more information, please see www.greenmtn.edu.

 

back to school

Don’t Let Your Student Leave for College Without These Essentials

 

college

 

Every parent knows just what a big deal it is when their child goes to college. Months, if not years of work go into getting the grades their specific college desires. You will probably find that the last few exams are fraught with tension as your teenager knuckles down for that final push. But once result day comes round, all that uncertainty disappears. Half of the torture is the not knowing – and chances are if your teenager studied hard, they will have no problem getting into the college of their choice. It might seem that at this point, the whole family has a chance to relax, right? Wrong! Once the results are in, the hard work is only beginning. Getting your child prepared for college involves a lot of different things, from mental preparation right down to the books they will need. It can sometimes seem that the checklist goes on forever – and you’re still bound to forget SOMETHING. To make things easier, here are a few things your child won’t be able to manage without at college, so make sure you pack these first!

Notepads, pens and more pens

Let’s face it: it’s college, and your kid is going to be taking a LOT of notes. At least, you hope they are going to be taking lots of notes! With most of their time filled with lectures and seminars, they will need to make sure they are writing down and memorizing all the correct information they need to pass their classes. Forget memorizing it – it might sound like a good idea at the time, but it simply isn’t going to happen by watching one PowerPoint presentation. Getting your soon to be student prepped with a lot of writing equipment will act as a good incentive to make them take their college lectures seriously. In order to make it easier, buy stationery online so it all arrives in one big package.

Rugs, cushions, and bedding

It is important to prepare your teenager for the reality of college life. Their dorm is unlikely to be anything like the sumptuous bedroom they have enjoyed at home. College dorms can be notoriously bare and depressing, as well as being cold! So make sure your child takes plenty of soft furnishing to make the place feel like home. A fluffy rug for them to put their feet on when getting out of bed doesn’t sound like that big of a deal – but it’s the little things like that which can make all the difference.

parenting

Are You Raising a “Snowflake”?

1 Comment

 

snowflake
PHOTO: MARTIN KOZLOWSKI

I don’t often editorialize here, but I feel it’s important to address this topic. College preparation is more than academics, essays, volunteering, and extracurriculars. Parents should be concerned with the overall child—do they have the tools to become independent adults, make good choices, and embrace diverse opinions.

Unless you’ve been hibernating under a rock, you know “snowflake” is a term being used to describe college students who can’t seem to cope with life. Apparently, we are now in the “snowflake generation.” The term was one of Collins Dictionary’s 2016 words of the year — today’s young adults, viewed as being less resilient and more offense-prone than previous generations.

The Financial Times defined it as “a derogatory term for someone deemed too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own, particularly in universities and other forums once known for robust debate” and noting that the insult had been aimed at an entire generation.”

It’s clear. We are coddling our young people. We, as parents, have made it our business to protect them from life in general. This has become especially clear in the university environments where they should be challenged to think, debate, and be open to exploring all theories and opinions.

Colleges are now notifying students that the content of a lecture might upset them. Events and activities are cancelled because they might offend someone on campus. Safe spaces abound for students to deal with their emotional pain. If disappointed, they are allowed a “pass” for class or a retake of a test.

How did this happen?

Unfortunately, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have taught our children that the world is a dangerous place. Parents go to great links to eliminate all risk from their children’s lives. Games like dodgeball are no longer allowed in schools. Safeguarding has become a top priority in every aspect of our children’s lives. Parents interfere with teachers, coaches and all types of authority, to keep their children from suffering any consequences of their actions.

Author Simon Sinek explains that as a result of social media and bad parenting strategies, people born after 1984 are entitled, narcisstic, self-interested and lazy. In a viral video he said: “They were told they were special all the time. They were told they could have anything they want in life, just because they want it… some of them got As not because they earned them but because teachers didn’t want to deal with their parents. They got participation medals for coming last. Then they were thrust into the real world and in an instant found they were not special, their parents can’t get them a promotion, they get nothing for coming in last and can’t have it just because you want it. In an instant their self-image is shattered.”

The Spectator summed it up in a recent article: Generation Snowflake—how we train our kids to be censorious cry-babies. “We — adult society — have created this generation. We protect children from criticism and suspend our critical judgment in order to massage their self-esteem. We scare them rigid by ‘catastrophising’ an endless list of fears. We make them hypervigilant about potential abuse from adults and their peers. We encourage them to equate abusive words with physical violence. And we have, in short, shaped our own overanxious, easily offended, censoriously thin-skinned Frankenstein monster. We created Generation Snowflake.”

How can we change this pattern?

Act now! Make it your goal to teach your college-bound teenager how to self-advocate. Teach them life skills like coping with disappointment, facing consequences of their actions, being financially responsible, and thinking freely and forming their own opinions. When they fail don’t rescue them. When they succeed because of hard work, acknowledge them. Don’t reward poor behavior or laziness just because they “tried”. Teach them the world doesn’t owe them anything; it’s their job to earn respect, success and independence.

Get this book: Toward College Success: Is Your Teenager Ready, Willing and Able? Read it and apply its tactics. When your student goes off to college they will be prepared for the real world which can sometimes be cruel; but a learning environment preparing them for adulthood.

scholarships, test prep

Scholarships and the ACT: How to Apply and What to Score

ACT

 

For students who are juniors or seniors in high school, it’s time to start thinking about ACT scores and possible scholarships.

How to Find and Apply For Scholarships

While getting a top score on the ACT isn’t easy, it is simple. Or at least, the process for taking the ACT is simple compared to the process of hunting for scholarships.

Finding the right scholarship is complicated because scholarship money comes from so many sources. And of course, every scholarship foundation has different application requirements. When it comes to finding the right scholarships and figuring out how to apply for them, it’s hard to know where to start.

Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help you on your scholarship hunt. For one thing, many scholarships are specific to one university. Every university you apply to has a scholarship page on its website. This page will include a full list of scholarships just for students at that school, complete with eligibility requirements and application instructions.

There are actually a lot fewer state and national college scholarships, compared to the number of single-school scholarships. Still, larger-scale scholarships can be a significant source of college funding too. One of the best tools for finding larger scale scholarships actually comes from the “other” university entrance exam provider. That’s right, I’m talking about the college Board, the maker of the SAT. If you look at the College Board’s Scholarship Search website, you can find all sorts of state and national scholarships. The site’s custom search tools help students find scholarships that match their personal eligibility. This search portal can be used to look up both SAT and ACT score requirements for specific scholarships.

And while we’re talking about other college-related tests, be sure to look into National Merit Scholarship options. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that national Merit Scholarships are only connected to PSAT scores. This scholarship network also gives out extra awards to students who have top scores on both the PSAT and the ACT. (Top SAT scores are useful too!) For more information, check out the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website.

What ACT Scores Do you Need for Scholarships?

Now that’s the big question, isn’t it? There’s really no one answer to that question. If an ACT score is good enough to get someone into a university somewhere, it’s good enough to get them some kind of scholarship.

Still, for the biggest, best selection of scholarships, you’ll want to aim for an ACT score of at least 30. And the higher above 30, the better. The most competitive scholarships tend to require an ACT score of 33+.

To get that top score and get access to as many scholarships as possible, you’ll want to study, study, study. Preparation is everything when it comes to ACT success and scholarship readiness. That’s where a site like Magoosh ACT can really help you. Go to Magoosh to read up on important ACT Math topics, tips for ACT English, ACT Reading, and ACT Science, and advice about the ACT Essay.

_________________________

Today’s guest post is provided by David Recine of Magoosh. Magoosh is an online test prep company that offers affordable study programs and apps for the standardized tests.