Intelligence Transmission

Online versus Traditional Classes: Making Your Choice

What many students are finding is that a combination of online and face-to-face classes gives them benefits over taking all classes in one type of classroom or the other. So, which classes are better to take online and which ones are best taken in person? There are a few considerations to make for each individual class.

Times when an online class is probably best:

When you need a flexible schedule for work or family obligations, online classes usually permit you to work at your own pace.
When you need more time to study and absorb a subject, online classes are perfect. Work at your own pace and take your time learning new information.
If money is really tight, you don’t need gas money to take online classes.
Many online classes do not require a textbook. This is another way you might save money taking classes online.

Times when a traditional classroom is probably best:

A subject you need a lot of help in might be best to take on campus. Having an instructor on a daily basis, as well as classmates to help you, can get you through those tougher classes.
A course heavy on visual material is usually best completed on campus. Anatomy, speech and other hands-on classes are good examples.
If you are just starting your college career, meeting new people is an important part of it. Take enough classes on campus to meet and get to know your fellow students. It would be a shame to miss out on meeting your classmate from the Kazakhstan Democracy.

Today, students have more options than ever for completing their classwork. Take all the advantages you can get!

Filed Under: Education

The History of Pharmacy

A pharmacy provides information, guidance and reassurance to people who need medications for various types of illnesses. The term “pharmacy” dates back to the 15th century when the word “pharma” referred to general medical advice given to people by professionals of that time. When did this field of study get started, though?

Providing Care

Employment for pharmacists today requires extensive training and preparation. In the past, people who had even basic knowledge of medicine became the dispensers of medications. As a science, though, the history of pharmacy is very new. However, treating conditions with medications is not.

Research indicates the oldest pharmaceutical vessel dates back to the 7th century BC.

Artifacts dating to the Middle Ages indicate that some worked to collect medicinal herbs and supplied them to ill people.

Chinese history, including some of the oldest medical treatments, involved the use of medicinal products. Traditional herbs and other natural aids became the first medications used.

In some Romanian museums, there are artifacts dating back hundreds of years that show that some people worked as pharmacists by traveling from city to city selling medicines. They did so out of a portable tote.

Learning the history of pharmacy is a fun way to look at this scientific field but it also provides information about the foundations of some of the world’s oldest healing methods. Individuals can learn about Ancient Chinese and Egyptian treatments for various ailments. Some of these are a part of traditional Chinese medicinal treatments still used today.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Health, Pharmacist, Pharmacy

Use Online Learning to Manage Multiple Majors

Image by ajagendorf25 via Flickr

Taking multiple college majors is a challenge only meant for self-driven individuals. However, even if you’re a highly dedicated student and extremely self driven, heavy course loads can still, at times, seem unbearable. If you haven’t yet tried online learning to more effectively manage multiple majors, this may be the solution to your time management dilemma. Here are a few reasons why this choice can be so effective.

Catering to Busy Schedules

As a student, you wear many hats. Not only must you remain focused on passing courses, you also likely work a part-time job to afford tuition while trying to maintain a social life. With this busy schedule, you need options to balance your responsibilities. Online learning is great since you can complete coursework when it fits in your schedule rather than attending class at a specified time each day.

Avoiding Productivity Lapses

Since you must be highly motivated to manage multiple majors, you simply can’t afford to miss a day of studying. When you’re able to schedule online courses around your schedule, you’ll be less likely to suffer from productivity lapses and will stay on top of daily assignments.

Graduating with multiple majors can lead to the best jobs and a high salary. However, when you’re in the midst of studying for multiple tests while managing intense homework assignments, it’s difficult to remain focused on why you working on multiple degrees. By using online learning, you can create a more manageable schedule and become more productive. This will reduce your stress and avoid burnout.

Filed Under: Careers, Education Tagged With: E-learning, Education, Time management

Deciding Between Public Vs. Private Colleges

Image via Wikipedia

When deciding upon a higher-learning institution many struggle between the decision of public vs. private colleges. While both have their perks, there are some major difference between the two.

Public universities offer public financial aid and/or grants, while private colleges often have less financial aid options and sometimes don’t have any at all.
Generally public universities are more cost-effective then public colleges.
Private colleges offer a more close-knit community within one’s major; while public universities often have larger class sizes and less personable learning environments.
For private colleges, dorms may be more expensive; while public universities offer a variety of housing for all types of income levels.

These are just some of the many difference between both public and private higher learning experiences. Deciding between public vs. private schools essentially is a personal decision. After all, you can also transfer to another school if you’re not happy with your current higher earning environment. You’re never stuck and no decision is permanent when it comes to learning.

If you’re curious about different schools, contact them directly for more information or for a campus tour. Many schools offer you the chance to stay in the dorms, so you can get a feel for what you can expect for life if you’re a student at their school. These practical tours are a great way to see what feels right for you. Ultimately, you will gain a great educational experience from either setting, but finding something that works best for you is important. This decision will allow you the ability to succeed to your biggest potential.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: College, Higher education, Public university

4 Must-Have Tech Gadgets for College Students

Whether you’re sending your kid off to college, or you are that kid, there are four pieces of technology that should be considered essential to the college experience. While it might have been fun to eschew certain technologies in the past, the scene has changed. Without these four, college will be more challenging than necessary.

Smartphone. Navigating from class to class is about a zillion times easier when you’ve got a portable GPS unit telling you where you are, and where you’re headed. Just be careful: with perfect campus navigation in your palm, you’ll have few reasons to be late to class or meetings!
Kindle. Do away with the stacks of heavy college textbooks on the way to your bachelor degree and read those that are available right in the palm of your hand. With smooth page turns, you need not even worry that noisy page flipping will wake up your sleeping roomie as you study.
Noise canceling headphones. Ear buds are fine for certain situations, but when it’s noisy and you need to concentrate to get your ‘A game’ going, there’s nothing as calming as a pair of over-the-ear headphones. Especially when, with the flip of a button, everything around you becomes substantially quieter. Put on some Bach and get your studying on!
Laptop. Tech predictors suggest the laptop will be obsolete in a few years, but in the meantime, it’s a lot easier to type your term papers on a nearly full sized keyboard.

Start the college experience right with these essentials. With these in tow, you can worry about the little things such as toothbrushes, some other time.

Filed Under: Computers and Internet, Education Tagged With: Noise-cancelling headphones, Smartphone, Textbook

How to Effectively Use a Payday Loan

Payday loans are easy to get, making it a great option in some situations. If you’re considering a payday loan, you should know when to use them, and how to use them.

If you need emergency cash fast, you can visit sites like Payday One for a short application process. These loans are great in emergencies when you have to pay a bill when it comes due.

Many people use payday loans for car repairs. In order to make the most of your payday advance loan, you should consider if the situation is an absolute emergency. If the repairs can’t wait until payday, then you should certainly consider applying for a payday loan, especially if your car problems will prevent you from commuting to work. The great thing about payday loans is that the money is transferred to your bank account fast, so you don’t have to wait long to schedule an appointment with a local garage.

People also use these loans in order to pay for medical bills. If you need to pay off a medical bill, you can use a payday loan to take care of it before it starts to accrue interest, making you owe even more.

Using the extra money you receive from your loan can also help you pay for overdraft or late fees. Although these loans, like any other type of loan, acquire interest, you may be saving money in the long run by avoiding overdraft fees. This situation may not be an emergency, but your payday loan will actually help save you money.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Financial Services, Loan, Payday loan

Tips to Qualifying for a Short Term Loan

Image via Wikipedia

There are many different reasons why you might need to get a short term loan. You might have some unexpected medical bills to pay, car repairs, or even immediate tuition costs. These are all things you can’t wait to pay for, even if you don’t have the cash on hand to do so. That is why there are companies who are willing to give loans to people who need immediate cash, but will be able to pay back the loan in a short amount of time.

Most people qualify to get short term loans, even if they have a bad credit score, but some do not. Here are some tips to help you qualify:

Make sure you provide accurate information on your loan application. Supplying the wrong information can lead to delays and possible denial.
Turn in your most recent pay stub with your application. This helps determine the amount of money you qualify to receive. Your loan can be denied if you can’t prove you have a job.
If you don’t make very much money from your job, you might be able to qualify with the help of a co-signer. This is someone who is willing to vouch for you in the event that you are unable to repay the loan.

If you need money for an immediate need, look to short term loans as a solution. All you have to do is a pay a minimal fee and you’ll have the cash you need to cover your immediate expenses. The process is simple and it makes your life a whole lot easier.

Filed Under: Computers and Internet, Education Tagged With: Business, Credit history, Loan

What is a Double Major?

After deciding you want to go to college and applying and being accepted to school, you must now determine what you will study. While the decision doesn’t have to be made immediately (you have many basic requirement classes to take prior to getting into specialized study), it is important to determine your intended path of study as soon as you can.

For those who simply cannot decide or have a few different career path desires, a double major may work best. It’s important to realize that the amount of work associated with a double major often requires additional semesters to achieve a degree and also, additional money to finance one’s degree. If both these things seem feasible for your specific situation, then by all means, go for the double major.

Essentially, a double major means that a student is concentrating on two separate paths of study which may or may not relate to each other. A major is generally a specialized program that has many requirements (anywhere from 20-40 credits). However if one chooses 2 majors that are related to each other, many classes may overlap for both majors’ program requirements. This is an efficient way of getting more for your money in terms of a college degree.

Ultimately, for those that simply don’t know what they want to do with their life, a double major allows them extra time to decide while they’re pursuing the ambitious task of a double major. Not only does it show determination and hard work to future employers, but allows you freedom of switching careers in the future if your intended career path wasn’t what you were looking for.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Academic degree, Academic major, Education

Dealing With College Expectations

Congratulations, you’re a high school graduate. As a graduate, you’re preparing for your first semester in college. The anticipation may have you nervous and unprepared, however here are some helpful tips on how to deal with college expectations.

Talk to those you know who have already completed the transition. While the transition will be different for everyone, it can be a valuable experience to ask others how they transition and what helped them the best.
What many students are surprised to find out is the amount of studying required in order to stay afloat, thus creating a relaxing study space can help you buckle down and hit the books.
Have a set study schedule of when you will complete your assignments. While of course, things do come up, it’s important that you have some sort of schedule in place where you will be working on assignments or if you’re caught up, working ahead on reading or preparing for papers/projects. This will keep the stress level down.
Talk to your teacher right away if you sense you’re finding behind. It’s a responsible action to take in order to address your problems. The teacher may offer extra study sessions or even point you in the direction of an on campus university tutoring service.

Ultimately, success in college is determined by one’s determination to succeed and williness to sacrifice in order to stay on top of assignments. Once you have a schedule in place that allows you to work on tasks little by little, the workload and expectations won’t seem as daunting anymore. College after all, is supposed to be a fun experience. Go enjoy it!

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: College, Education, High school

Are Minors Important For College Students?

For many students, deciding upon a college major is enough hard work, but determining if they want to puruse a minor, is even more daunting. A major is essentially one’s direction or intended path of study. A major requires a set amount of credits (most public universities require 120 credits of basic math, english, science and social studies as well as an entire courseload of classes pertaining to one’s major).

A minor can be a great way to specialize one’s own degree. For example, if one is going for an educational degree, a minor in History would allow the student to gain more knowledge in that subject and thus, have more experience to teach it in the future. For those pursuing a Journalism degree, a minor in Political Science will help a student who would like to do political reporting or commentary. The options are endless.

A minor generally requires a certain set of credits (anywhere from 20-40) and can often be incorporated with one’s basic requirements, so there is no additional (or very minimal) schooling. This allows you to have various concentrations for nearly the same amount of time it takes for an average college student to graduate and also, should cost about the same.

A minor also allows you to learn about something you’ve always had a passion for, but you’re not sure you want to pursue as a career. When deciding a major, you may want to study something completely unrelated such as Biology & Women’s Studies, however customizing your own educational degree or concentration is a great way to have a fun, educational experience that inspires you to reach for the stars.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Colleges and Universities, Education, Student