Education and Study Guides Tips about education, how to study and improve study skills

Top Seven Study Abroad Myths

Posted on 17 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Despite the ever-growing numbers of students headed for study abroad, there are many who skip the opportunity, owing to misunderstandings about study abroad programs. Make sure you have your facts right and don't miss out.

MYTH #1: Language majors can benefit from the study abroad programs

Irrespective of what you major in, students generally don't find it difficult to fit a study abroad program to their academic requirements. Limiting one's choice of destinations to countries like England, Australia and Ireland can do away with language barrier as a problem. Even countries where English may not be the native language, have universities where teaching is done in English.

MYTH #2: Study abroad is only for the rich

It is not necessary that study abroad would be costlier than the programs at home. The tuition fees in sponsor universities can frequently remain at par for the study abroad programs as well as home institutions. What's more, often federal and state financial aid can be applied to a semester abroad too. Then there are a number of scholarships for students who wish to avail international opportunities in academics.

MYTH #3: It takes more time to graduate in study abroad

Care in planning can ensure that when you study abroad, you are able to finish your program in duration of four years. Both winter and summer interim have study abroad opportunities for all students with majors often having the option of study abroad for a whole year and at the same time, graduate well on time.

MYTH #4: Courses taken abroad are not useful back home

The payoffs from study abroad are most pronounced in the promotions by American schools, helping students adjust credits from abroad universities to their own courses. Be well informed before applying to study abroad. Find out about the syllabus of every class, seek the advice of your advisor on the kind of credit that can be earned and ensure that you have it in writing. You need to be assured of getting credit for all your efforts abroad.

MYTH #5: It is unsafe to study abroad

Caution is certainly advised for travels abroad but merely associating the term overseas with certain danger is absurd. Students are notified by study abroad offices on matters of safety and health well before departure along with stringent guidelines and course of action for the safety of the students.

MYTH #6: Studying abroad is beneficial just for juniors

Universities are making efforts to ensure study abroad programs suit a widely diverse student population, both graduate students and freshmen, with many of the programs scheduled for the winter or summer interim.

MYTH #7: Study abroad is for further studies after graduation

Having started life in the real world, professional financial, and personal obligations make study abroad a remote possibility. Study abroad is unique for living out a culture, which as a tourist is very unlikely.

Therefore if considering study abroad, stick to the facts and avoid assumptions.

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Deciding on Your Distance Study Course

Posted on 16 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Just deciding to give distance study a go is a huge first step, especially if the whole idea of study is new to you. The next step is deciding exactly what you want to study. This is likely to be a much easier decision. After all, you will probably have some ideas about what you are interested in.

However, if you have many interests deciding which one to pursue can be a bit of a nightmare because every second course may sound fascinating and valuable. If this is you, I've listed some points below that will help with your decision.

Is Your Focus Business or Pleasure?
Why do you want to study? Are you the type of person who will study purely for personal reasons? For example, are the fascinated with European History and would love to learn more about it through a distance study course simply to expand your knowledge?

Alternatively, are your reasons for studying more practical? You may want to study to enhance your business skills and get you that promotion you've been chasing.

Deciding why you want to study will make it easier to decide what to study.

Brainstorm a List of Distance Study Courses
To get yourself thinking about what you would like to study jot down a list of subject ideas that you'd like to study. This can be anything and everything, even if you think you are unable to find a suitable course on the subject. From there you can start researching online for the distance study courses that are available. This is your first step on the road to fulfilling your aspirations.

Don't Rush Your Decision
You may be excited about the prospect of commencing study but give yourself the time and space to make your choice of distance study course. Even if you have found a course that you think is the right one, don't rush into enrolling just because the deadline for enrolment happens to be next week.

In most cases your chosen distance study course will commence at least twice a year and sometimes more often than that. It will be better for you if you take your time and wait until the next intake so you can have a good look at the course and any others you are interested in. With that extra research time you may find an even better course that you would have missed out on had you rushed to make your decision.

What if you Choose the Wrong Course?
If you find, after starting your course, that it's not the right one for you, don't despair. Take a step back and look at the other distance study options you were considering? Changing your course is not the end of the world.

Distance study is about personal growth. Even if you feel you've made the wrong choice and you want to withdraw from the course, think about the positives you can take from what you have learnt.

Focus on the experience and what you have achieved in beginning the course. You can then continue to move ahead and find another course that better suits your goals. Make sure you use the experience to ask questions of the course coordinator for the next course to ensure it is right for you. There is sure to be a distance study course out there that suits your needs.

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Here Are 10 Effective Study Habits To Make Your Life Easier

Posted on 15 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Whether you're in school or not having good set of study skills is important to have. Having at least 10 effective study habits and using at least one of them consistently will put you at the top of the class each and every time.

Whether you want to improve your grades or learn something new at work having a study regiment that is effective will help in all aspects of your life.

Being smart in the use of your time when it comes to studying will propel you to better grades and more money at your job site. So let me identify 10 key points of study habits you should employ to make a better life for you.

1) Every chapter of a book should be paraphrased in your own words. This will force you to recall what you've just read. Even if it's only a couple of sentences the act of remembering and writing down what you've just read will reinforce that information.

2) You've done all that work the night before and are rushing through the morning. A simple but yet vital thing to do is to put the homework you've finished in a binder. Remember to put your hard work into that binder and don't forget to bring it to school. This sounds like an obvious action but there are people that do forget this simple but important step.

3) Communicate with the teacher. With internet access available from middle school on up email interaction with teachers is available. If you misunderstand homework assignments go ahead and shoot an email to the teacher to clarify the situation. You don't want to write up a homework piece and come up wrong when all you had to do is ask the teacher about issues you had about it.

4) Study in the same spot at home. This will form the habit that certain areas in your home is for study only. You will develop that area for studying and once there you will be able to concentrate on the homework.

5) Preparation habits. Rest and relaxation is the dominant thought here. You put in your homework time, you did the assignments and now you're ready for that chapter test. Being rested and going over the material the morning of the test will do wonders for your memory in recalling what you need to know.

6) Understand your learning style. Some people like music blaring, some people like quietness during study times. Whatever it takes to set up the environment for studying needs to be created. This will make your mind at ease and allow you to be creative to understand the material you're studying.

7) Draw pictures of notes. Most people take notes with words instead of being creative. Draw a big circle that will represent the main idea in it. Then you can draw spurs from that circle and have supporting ideas. Those spurs can be in the form of anything you want. You can draw houses, horses, cars, clouds or whatever you want. This make note taking and note reading so much more fun.

8) Fight Procrastination. Don't put off what you can do now. If you need to follow up on that one homework assignment then do it now. Get it out of the way and the momentum will carry forward towards the completion of the rest of the homework assignments.

9) Keep healthy. Making sure that you get enough exercise is important to study habits. Eating nutritious foods will also help you study better. Sure you have a lot of homework but if you're physically dragging your body to read then you won't finish and you certainly won't be able to get any type of a good grade.

10) Organize yourself. Knowing where extra sets of pencils, pens, paper, erasers will cut down the hunting time. A lot of time can be wasted just looking for basic supplies that you need. Get yourself a couple of shoe boxes and put all that you need into those boxes. That way you know that what you need is in one of those boxes.

Implementing just one of these techniques can make a difference between good grades and passing grades.

That right there should be enough incentive for you to at least see if it works for you. Once you get the study habit down with one of these techniques everything else will fall into place.

It doesn't matter how old you are and what you intend to do with these study habits. You will get better grades, earn more money and be happier with yourself once you find yourself on the road to success.

Knowing 10 effective study habits can help you go a long ways in life. The difference could be from barely passing to the top of the class if you employ some techniques that are outlined in this article. Don't waste a minute and learn some tricks that will help you jump to the head of the class.

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Ace Your Midterm Exams - Study Tips For Guardian Temperaments

Posted on 13 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Reliable, pragmatic Guardians usually take school very seriously. There are 4 distinct types of Guardians; Supervisor, Inspector, Provider and Protector. Following are a few study tips for each Guardian type that will help to maximize study time and ace midterm exams.

Carlos, a Guardian Supervisor, has a common freshman complaint; his first term grades were much lower than the grades he typically earned in high school, which he blames on tougher courses. College courses are more difficult, but study methods also play a big part in maintaining your GPA. As a new student, Carlos might be studying more on his own; Supervisors do best when they study in groups. Another Supervisor reports his study group focused on one question, "What do we think will be on the test?" As a group, they were able to identify at least 80% of the test questions. Supervisors also excel by taking detailed notes with examples, a skill that may not have been necessary with easier high school classes. It helps to underline relevant passages in your texts, and even copy key definitions; writing it down helps you to remember the most important points. Supervisors also cement the concepts by talking things over with others, then putting the information into their own words.

Shaway, a Guardian Inspector, needed study tips for a history class, since she liked numbers better than facts about people. Inspectors study best in a quiet place. Too much noise of any kind can hurt their ability to concentrate, making them more inefficient. If an Inspector doesn't understand something, he will ask a friend, or the instructor. Most Inspectors find it useful to highlight or underline key elements in their texts and notes. The night before the test, ask, "What do I think will be on the test?" This helps to identify and focus on key study points; otherwise, you may be exhausted from trying to cram too much information in your head. Also, Inspector students who get a good night's rest do better than students who stay up late to study.

Jeannie, a Guardian Provider, was a junior who found more challenging upper division classes more interesting as she got deeper into her major. She wondered if improved study habits could help to raise her GPA. A commuter student who lived at home, Jeannie's father insisted that she study in her room, alone, with no noise to distract her. Provider students do best if they combine group study with individual study time. Provider students learn a lot from talking with others; they are more likely to discuss examples of the material when discussing it with friends. Jeannie's grades went up when she incorporated studying with friends into her study routine.

Sergei, a Guardian Protector, needed a system to help him organize his thinking. Knowing he needed a quiet place to study, he designed a series of questions to help himself to study for any test. He asked himself: What information is most important? What did the teacher emphasize in class? Are there specific dates or definitions to learn? What are some examples of how to use the material? Sergei asked himself these questions both at the beginning and at the end of each study period, for checks and balances; his test grades improved once he organized his studying process.

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Things to Do Before Studying Abroad in Asia

Posted on 12 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

I've talked to many students who ask me if a study abroad in Hong Kong program is worth it. My answer to every one of them is an astounding yes. Even if the standard of education in your current school or university is excellent, it still can't compare to the educational experience a student will enjoy when they study abroad in Asia.

A study abroad South Korea program is a fun yet amazing experience. So many students dream of leaving the country, but a study abroad Asia program is your chance to just that. However, these programs are more than getting on an airplane and arriving.

Here are a few pieces of advice you should think about before signing up to study abroad Hong Kong:

Your visas, passports and official documentation - It doesn't matter if you are part of a study abroad Asia program or signing up for a school-sponsored exchange program, you will need a valid passport as well as specific documents mandatory for certain countries. I recommend visiting the U.S. Department of State's travel portal for a list of documents you'll need in order to study abroad in Asia. It's a good idea to apply as early as possible for a visa if you don't have one already.

Currency exchange rate - It doesn't matter where you are going to study abroad in Asia. You better know what type of cash you'll need. Look up the exchange rate for that specific country and try to get a basic understand of what their currency is worth compared to the U.S. dollar.

Stay safe - Be sure to check out the U.S. Department of State's list of travel warnings for Americans abroad. It provides information about potential threats to Americans overseas. True, you won't need to worry to much when you study abroad in Hong Kong but you still don't want to wander in or near an unsafe area. My rule of thumb is to avoid any political demonstrations while you study abroad in Asia, even if your inner activist aches.

Living arrangement - I know a study abroad Asia program takes up a lot of your free time with classes or a enjoying a fun night out on the town, but you're still going to need somewhere to sleep at night. Some schools provide residence halls, but pay attention to their rules and restrictions. In some instances, you'll be staying with a host family. Pick a dictionary and maybe learn a few of their some basic phrases and sayings before you study abroad South Korea.

Keep in touch with family - You're going to want to stay in close contact with your family and friends during your time study abroad Korea and sometimes e-mail just doesn't cut it. Talk to your school or search online for international cell phones and plans. Before you leave find out if your cellphone can be used overseas and what types of fees will be charged.

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