Education | Science Impact

Attend College On a Budget With Online Education

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If you would like to go to college, but the price tag looks like the balance information from somebody’s life savings, you’re not alone. The cost of higher education has been a source of worry; the fact that most parents save money from the year their child is born to come up with enough to pay for two to four years of college should say something about how ridiculous the price tag is. For those unfortunate enough to have had parents who either didn’t plan for college or could never scrape up enough money to put any aside, the cost is an outright canceling factor in ever getting a degree.

College won’t get cheaper any time soon, so perhaps it’s time to forget any plans of going to a college campus…and instead focus on the education itself. Most of the cost of higher education is for superfluous things like a fancy campus and a fancy name you can brag about. If you’re less into snobbery and more into actually knowing what you’re doing, a little poking around online reveals quickly that you can get degrees–even a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree–without ever attending college in person at all.

Don’t read this the wrong way–you’ll still have to study and it’ll still cost something! Online education is a completely legitimate and official way to earn a degree. The cost of attending college entirely online, however, is extremely competitive when compared to traditional in-person higher education. You study for the same number of years, study the same subjects, and get the same degrees in the end, without all the cost and hassle of attending college on a campus. Even hopeful college students to be will be spoiled for choice of which college to attend, with sites like onlineeducation.com and online degree options from colleges across the entire country at their fingertips.

Filed Under: Advancements, Education, Technology Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Higher education, Online degrees

Online Education: Tips for Switching from the Classroom to the Chatroom

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If your past education experience has taken place in a live classroom, make sure you do your research to figure out if online education is right for you. The benefits of taking an online class may seem endless: work in your pajamas, complete assignments at home, work whenever you want to. However, keep the following things in mind when you debate making the switch to the internet classroom.

1.) You’ll have to teach yourself.

While some professors may post video lectures, you won’t get to ask questions. They won’t see if the class is struggling with something. Prepare to spend extra time with your course materials to ensure that you really grasp each concept.

2.) No one is there to remind you of deadlines.

In class, a professor will often remind you of upcoming deadlines or ask how projects are going. With an online class, it’s easy to forget them until it’s too late. Utilize a calendar to keep track of all of your due dates. Electronic calendars are especially useful, as you can set periodic alarms and reminders to help stay on top of things.

3.) You’re not there to make friends.

It’s easy to strike up a conversation with the students sitting next to you in a classroom. It’s also easier to band together and ask for an extended deadline or review of a lesson. While you may have an online forum to discuss things with fellow students, it won’t be the same as being physically near them.

4.) Expect monotony.

The nice thing about live classrooms is that while you may meet at the same time every week, each session is different. Someone may invoke a professor’s rage when their cell phone rings. Someone may make you laugh. Two students could have a heated argument. Without a set class time, your online class may not be as lively.

If you’re okay with these four things, go ahead and enroll in online classes.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Classroom, E-learning, Education, Educators, Internet forum, Student

Early Childhood Education: Craft Projects for a Rainy Day

Looking for more early childhood education crafts? These craft ideas are great for a craft time project or to supplement a lesson plan.

1.) Pinwheels.
For this craft, you’ll need a bendable straw, a sheet of construction paper, a hole puncher, safety scissors, and two beads. First, punch holes in each corner of the paper and put one hole in the center. Next, have each child fold their construction paper in half. Instruct them to fold it in half one more time. Unfold the paper. Tell each child to carefully cut on their folded lines until they reach the center, but to stop before they get to the hole in the center. Have the students thread the bead through the small bendable portion of the straw, stopping before the straw bends. Now, have everyone thread the straw the construction paper on the straw before the bead. Take each corner and thread it through the straw as well. Thread the final bead onto the straw so the construction paper is sandwiched between two beads on the small part of the straw. Voila! You’ve got a pinwheel. This craft would be great for units on wind, elements, or motion.

2.) Ladybugs.
You’ll need safety scissors, paper plates, brass fasteners, and craft materials to decorate your ladybugs (crayons, markers, glitter, pipe cleaners for antennae, etc.). Have each child cut a paper plate in half. These will serve as the ladybug’s wings. Instruct the children to color each plate piece like a ladybug’s wings. Have the students color a second plate black; this will serve as the ladybug’s head and belly. Take the brass fastener and pierce the corner of each wing so the two halves almost form a full circle. Take the fastened wings and attach them to the black plate. Each set of wings should be fastened about an inch from the top of the plate so a head is showing.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Child, Early childhood education, Education

Medical Education: Residency Interviews

You’ve done three years of medical school on top of four to six years of previous schooling. You’ve taken your first (and hopefully your second) USMLE exam. You’ve polished your personal statement and now you’re finally getting those prized residency interviews. Your residency interviews are a huge milestone on the path to becoming an M.D. By preparing yourself in advance, you’ll avoid becoming overwhelmed when interview season starts.

1. Get your application done early.
There’s no way to stress this enough. Since your application was submitted early, schools won’t have already filled their interview slots. You’ll have much more time to space out your interviews, instead of doing the last minute trek to Boston-Atlanta-New York City-Baltimore interviews in a week. Plus, if you get two or more interview offers for the same date, you’ll have more time to reschedule your interviews. If you get the dreaded wait-list status, there will be more opportunities for something to open up.

2. Keep track of your letter of recommendation letters.
You’re not done when you click submit on your application. Make sure the people you’ve asked to write your letters of recommendation are completing their letters of recommendation in a timely fashion. Many schools won’t look at your application until all of your letters of recommendation are submitted.

3. Strongly consider any recommended hotels.
Some programs will put you up in a hotel free of charge. If not, your best bet will usually be found when a residency program pairs up with a nearby hotel. The hotel is usually a leading hotel in the area who has (oftentimes severely) discounted their rate. Many hotels will offer a shuttle service to the hospital or university you’ll be staying at.

4. Do your travel research.
Many schools will provide travel information, but don’t be afraid to do your own research. Does the recommended hotel charge outrageous valet fees? Is it near public transportation? Read traveler’s reviews, too.

Filed Under: Education, Science Tagged With: Education, Health, Interview, Medical school, Medicine, Recommendation letter, Residency

Medical Education: Making Your Personal Statement Shine

If you’re a fourth year medical student, chances are you’re stressing about your personal statement for your residency applications. Relax. You’ve got other things to worry about (like USMLE exams) besides one page-long essay. You survived English Composition in undergrad, right? These tips may make the process a little easier.

1.) Be realistic.
No doctor is going to believe that your entire view of medicine changed because of one event. Don’t wax poetics like, “The moment after I rescued Mrs. Smith’s cat out of the tree, I knew I wanted to become a doctor because I wanted to help people just like I helped Mrs. Smith.” You didn’t decide to become a doctor in one instant, so why pretend you did?

2.) Be concise.
Medical journals may rely on ten-cent words, but you shouldn’t. This isn’t scientific writing. Residency programs are curious to see you, not your vocabulary. Besides vocabulary, avoid “fluff” words like useless adjectives or adverbs. Go through your statement at least three times and cut out all unnecessary words. Writing concisely is difficult, but it will vastly improve your paper’s readability.

3.) Outline first.
You’ve heard it a thousand times from past English teachers, but this is one piece of advice that’s worth following. If you make an outline and stick to it, you’ll ensure you have a solid paper from introduction to conclusion.

4.) Proofread, proofread, proofread.
Find that English major in your friends and family and beg them to look over your work. Any grammatical mistake will look sloppy and careless. They’ll also probably give you tips on how to improve the structure of your paper, too.

5.) Be yourself.
Personal statements are goldmines for interviewers. Don’t assume no one will read it. Chances are, every single person you interview with will mention something out of your personal statement and ask you about it (unless your statement was bland and lifeless). Make sure everything in there is true and real.

Filed Under: Education, Science Tagged With: Education, Health, Medical school, Medicine, Physician

Saving Money on Education: Get Your Associate’s Degree and Transfer

If you’re looking to get your bachelor’s degree without spending a fortune in student loans, one of the smartest decisions you could make is deciding to get your associate’s degree first. Your first two years of undergraduate education will mainly revolve around attaining general education credits, and most universities will clear all your general education requirements when you transfer with an associate’s degree, no questions asked. You’ll usually start out with a brand new 4.0 GPA and all you’ll have to do is keep it. Best of all, the credit hours at a local school or community college will be much cheaper than a typical four-year university.

If you’re a fresh high school graduate, chances are you’ll be living off-campus if you opt not to stay at home. You’ll arrive at your four-year college with real-life experience since there was no cafeteria or dining hall to feed you and no pre-paid rent. If you have a high-enough paying job, you may be able to pay off your each semester’s tuition as you go.

If you’re an adult student, rest assured that your classes at a community college will have plenty of older students with similar lifestyles. Many professors will be more understanding of your obligations due to your career or family.

Some argue that associate’s degrees can be easier than a traditional university’s, but this argument really depends on what classes and professors you choose. If you’ve got your heart set on getting the four-year traditional college experience with roommates, dining halls, and shared showers, this may not be the ideal option for you. Keep in mind that you’ll find friends and a like-minded community wherever you go to school, even if you don’t live on campus. The main thing to remember is how much money you’ll save by getting your associate’s degree. When it comes time to pay your student loans, you’ll be so glad you did.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, High school

Life Skills Education: Start at Home

With so much curriculum and funding being cut from public schools, chances are your child will not be taught solid life skills in high school. You’ve got to take up the reins at home if you want your child to be prepared for adulthood. While you may not want to accept the fact that your preteen or teen is growing up, they’ll thank you later for helping to foster their independence. Consider starting Life Skills 101 courses at home in the following areas:

1.) Laundry.
It’s become a clich that college students don’t know how to do laundry, and it’s a sad clich. Your child can start doing laundry earlier than you think. Really think about the steps in doing laundry: it’s not that complicated, is it? You may need to remind your child when it’s time to do laundry, but they can certainly handle the process themselves.

2.) Cooking.
Cooking should be one of the easiest skills to learn if you start your children helping in the kitchen early. Make it fun. Start young children off with safe jobs, like washing vegetables or tossing salads. As they grow older, teach your children how to chop, stir, preheat, deglaze, flamb”-anything goes. Consider making family-style cooking a weekly or daily activity. You’ll be surprised at how much they pick up on.

3.) Balancing a checkbook.
The most important lesson to teach your children before they leave the nest is to live within their means. Sit them down and show them how to budget. Teach them to save some with every paycheck, if at all possible. Explain why it’s not good to blow your bank account; after all, if you spend everything on a big trip and get a flat tire on the way home, what are you going to do?

Sure, your children may roll their eyes and complain. Just remember they’ll be thanking you for making them independent when they’re older.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Child, Education, Life skills

Education and ADHD/ADD

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While education has come a long way to understanding the needs of some of the special needs students there is still work to be done when it comes to ADHD and ADD students. Most of the teachers in the educational world today have a decent understanding of what needs most of the ADHD and ADD children need there are still areas that need to be worked on. Communication between the parents and the educators is vital to the success of the students. While this is primarily accomplished with regular parent teacher conferences there is the occasion where added communication is beneficial to all parties involved.

Children with ADHD and ADD require continued attention and support in an effort to keep them focused and on task. This can be difficult for teachers when they have 20 other students in their class also biding for their attention. One way to accomplish this goal is by allowing parents to help more with class work. Home work that is geared toward the student’s difficulties will go a long way to helping them achieve their goals. Parents can help by spending time with the children going over this work and by having a good understanding of the classroom expectations. This will enable the parent to work with the children at home to reach goals in class.

Education for ADHD and ADD children is not impossible and teachers should not just take a stance of acceptance. Assuming that the child is going to do poorly simply because it is how they are is not going to benefit the child in the long run. It is important to challenge the child and make education vital to them. Children with ADHD and ADD simply learn different than other children. Their mind works in a different manner than most people. Therefore they simply need the education handed to them in a different manner.

Filed Under: Education, Science Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Child, Education, Health, Parent, Student, Teacher

Education Tips for ADHD/ADD Students

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Individuals with ADHD/ADD often have difficultly fitting into the standard manner of learning. This can be a challenge for the student, teacher and parents. Learning how to help an ADHD/ADD student cope with the issues faced while gaining a useful education can be overwhelming to everyone concerned. There are several things that can be done at home to help the ADHD/ADD student manage their education. The most important thing is to understand that ADHD/ADD students can be very smart individuals who simply learn differently. Once this has been understood the rest is a matter of setting systems in place to create a platform for success.

Schedule is everything when discussing ADHD/ADD education. Individuals with this challenge rely heavily on routine and schedule. Setting a schedule for homework and studying in the home is vital to a successful education. Set up a study area with few distractions and schedule a study and homework time every day at the same time. Allow the student to work for a set amount of time giving scheduled breaks. Take the time to go over the assignment prior to starting the study time. This ensures that the assignment expectations are understood by both the parent and the student and that the information is fresh in the student’s mind.

Organization is another vital requirement for success in education for ADHD/ADD students. Having a place for every item is important to keeping distractions to a minimum. If the student knows where everything is that they need such as pencils and paper, and know where those items should be return to, they will have a smoother time working through the assignments. It can be very distracting for a student trying to get an education to be thinking about the disorganization of the work area. It is important that there are as little distractions for an ADHD/ADD student as possible.

Filed Under: Education, Science Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Disorders, Education, Health, Homework, Learning, Mental Health, Student

Helping Those with ADHD and ADD Succeed in Education

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Individuals with ADHD and ADD may need extra help getting through their regular school work and education and much of this help can come by way of organization. Teachers and parents alike can help students who are challenged with ADHD and ADD by helping them to get and stay organized with their studies. This is something that may need to be done on a regular basis and not just once as ADHD and ADD challenged individuals do not always remember these things from one moment to the next. That is part of the challenge.

Setting up systems for individuals with ADHD and ADD to succeed in their education is the key to a successful school year for these students. This can be as simple as setting up specific work areas for the student to study in at home free of distractions or as complicated as adding extra work for them to work on difficult subject for them such as reading. These individuals may need to work a little harder then the other students and do the extra work to keep up with the other students. This may include such work as repeating processes over and over until they become second nature to the student.

The teachers of ADHD and ADD students may need to help these students by supplying them with private learning areas to complete their assignments on some of the harder days. Like everyone else, ADHD and ADD students have good and bad days and they may need some extra assistance by way of eliminating distractions during the bad days to get through their education with success. In addition, keeping a notebook with a check list of important yet simple tasks through the day can be very helpful. The ability to go to a reference is of great help when these students veer off track.

Filed Under: Education, Science Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Child, Disorders, Education, Health, Individual, Mental Health, Student