Educational Assistance

Getting a higher education was never this easy. Gone are the days when students had to run from one college to another and one university to another to seek admission to the program they are interested in. The world of education has changed forever with the introduction of online degrees provided by accredited online colleges and universities.

Just a few years back students coming out of high school or even working people looking for an additional degree had just two modes of further education open to them – attend physical classrooms at a college or university or go in for a distance education course by post/mail. This limited the options available to student and executives alike and many of them had to forego further education either because of not having enough resources or unavailability of their preferred programs in a college near their home.

All of this changed with the introduction of online degree programs and the advent of accredited online colleges and universities. Slow to start with, the demand for online degrees has increased manifold in the last few years. Within just a decade, the number of students opting for study through accredited online colleges and universities has jumped – from a few thousand in 1994-’95 to more than 120,000 in 2003.

Government surveys reveal that while there were only 84 accredited online universities in the US in the mid 90s, this number has soared to more than 1200 today with almost every major university and college in the country providing online degree programs. Today almost every major course is available online and students can take their pick of programs available. The best part about online degree programs is that a student, if he or she has the ability, can opt for multiple programs simultaneously.

Another major benefit of getting an online degree is the savings that can be made. Most of the time the course fees for an online degree program covers everything from course material to online coaching and examination fees. Moreover the student can conduct all of his/her studies from home with just a computer connected to the internet. As a result, huge savings can be made in the form of commuting expenses. Also online programs are highly flexible and allow the student/executive to study at his/her own time and pace.

With the internet reaching almost every nook and cranny of the world, online degrees and accredited online colleges and universities have come to be accepted across all countries. As a result, the benefits gained by going in for an online course often far outweigh those of regular education.

I am addicted to the Internet. I am a busy working parent and still I find the time to check my e-mail, chat with my friends in Yahoo Instant Messenger, read news, forums and on and on.
I need “to know” and I need “to have” more than ever before. I want to get my latest news. I want to spread the news to my on-line and off-line friends, who, I might add, are doing exactly the same. I need to get a new book or … shoes or … gadget just because it is there and easy to buy, no need to drive and look for parking at the mall. Don’t you love these FREE shipping offers? All this is in addition to already being entertained on the Internet watching YouTube, listening to iTunes etc. Do you do the same?
It is not hard to find out if you’re addicted to the Internet. Do you find that when you get online you’re frequently surprised by the amount of time that has passed? Do you find yourself staying home instead of enjoying a beautiful day outside because you’d rather use the Internet?
A recent study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that more than one in eight Americans show signs that they could be suffering from some form of internet addiction.
How do you cure this problem? Google “Internet Addiction” and log on to a bunch of websites? Instant Message other sufferers? Join an Internet support group? Or buy self-help books from our favorite on-line store (after performing an extensive price comparison)? You might as well offer a drink to an alcoholic trying to cure his addiction.
In China, parents send their children as young as 12 to the first officially licensed clinic for Internet addiction at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital. That is after their kids skip school to spend time playing online games and visiting chat rooms. These kids are admitted suffering from depression, nervousness, panic, fear, agitation, unwillingness to interact with others, sleep disorders, the shakes and numbness in their hands. The daily schedule at the center begins at 6 a.m. and includes electric shock treatment and the administration of intravenous drips to “adjust the unbalanced status of brain secretions”.
This sounds a little extreme to me. How about a gentler American way of approaching this problem? How about using a new high-tech device called SnoopStick?
SnoopStick is a very small USB flash drive device that will allow someone to fully monitor and limit your access to the Internet from any other computer on the Internet. Just run the set-up program on your computer then unplug the device and give it to your trusted friend. Your friend will plug Snoop Stick to any Windows-based computer (in her home or office) and at any time will be able to monitor your Internet use and disable your access to the Internet if needed. You can also specify the times when you will be able to access Internet and SnoopStick will enforce this schedule.
Stay aware, alert, and in control of your Internet with Snoop Stick.

If you are new to the world of personal development and goal setting, then you may be wondering what it is and how to go about goal setting. In this article, you will learn what is goal setting and how you may just be doing goal setting already.
When you awake in the morning to go to work in time, this is goal setting. The process of setting your alarm to get up, washing your clothes the night before, and preparing for work are all part of goal setting.
In the dictionary the term goal means the end of the race or the object of effort. These points are important. Another word we have is set. To set means to put or place in specified position or condition; cause to sit; fix, point, put up; make ready; become firm or fixed, establish; prescribe, allot; arrange while wet, so that it dries in position.
That last point is an important one. If we consider sand and cement, we add water, and it sets, it becomes concrete. This is the essence of what is goal setting. You have an objective, and with the right ingredients, you make a product, your goal.
A goal can be thought of as an end step. What do you want exactly? Answering this question gives you the understanding of what the goal you want to set is. Another term we can call this other than the end step is the outcome. So if you think of a concert. Now the travel is not the end goal, but being in the concert, listening to the band is the end step, the outcome. Literally, you walked steps, and the end step was the concert.
Understanding what is goal setting is pretty much easy. You have a goal. But, what about the setting part of things? To really understand what is goal setting, we must look at the set part.
For many people goals are a part of life. Though there is a big distinction. For example someone wanting to get to work in time, may be doing a form of goal setting, but this type of goal is not what we are thinking about when we say what is goal setting.
So, what is goal setting exactly? There is a big difference, and that difference is either doing it consciously or unconsciously. When you consciously goal set, you are setting goals that you have decided upon. You say you want this, that or other.
This is important as it means you are choosing the direction. Only a small portion of the population does this. Current conscious goal setting is done by only 4-7% of people. And the success rate is approximately 50%. For example out of 100 people 4-7 of them will set a goal, to achieve something, to be something, to get something. Out of that 4-7 people only 2-3 will achieve.
It may seem slim chances. But consider that you have a 50% of a chance of achieving some goal you set, compared to the 96-93% who never set goals. It is the only thing that will give you the greatest leverage to move forward and that is to be consciously deciding on what you want.
The figures don’t stop there however. Only 1% of those 100 people will achieve a financial goal, such as becoming a multimillionaire, and truly prosperous. You may say why goal set. The answer is in what is goal setting. Setting goals is the only way to increase your chances of living the life of your dreams.