Local Educator

So you’re ready to earn that degree now, right? Even if it’s an online degree, you’re still going to be living the life of a student and trying to keep costs manageable. Whether you’re attending an on-site school, or an online college, you’re still going to have to live somewhere and it is possible to save money without having to live in a dive. Enter the college roommate. Splitting your accommodation costs in half can mean the difference between being able to successfully finish your degree or living off of instant noodles in misery.

There is an endless stream of roommate resources available online and some are of course better than others. A few of the more popular sites are;
RoommateNation.com
Roommates.com
Roommate Express
Roommate Locator

Just because you have the resources you need, don’t think your work is done. You are looking to potentially share your personal space with a stranger so you’ll need to do a little homework to choose which site is going to work best for you. Try them out; see what questions they ask in order to make up your profile. Does it give you sufficient room to clearly state what you are looking for? The more information that they require to complete your profile means that you are far more likely to find a compatible roommate while you are getting your degree. The main things to keep in mind when looking for a roommate are;

-Use common sense when meeting anyone in person and if possible, speak to other clients from the site to see what their experience was like.

-Make sure that your new roommate’s lifestyle is compatible to yours.

-Whether you’re looking to fill a vacancy in your place or looking for a room elsewhere, be sure that you are very clear about your expectations. Shared chores, bills or household responsibilities need to be clearly laid out and mutually agreed upon.

A roommate can be a great experience if you put some effort into finding the right one for you.

Let’s face the facts, college isn’t cheap. Granted, attending an online school or online college can take some of the bite out of the cost, but even an online degree can set you back more than a few of the old green bucks. No fear though future professionals, your dorm room can still look swanky, even on a student budget. Less money just means that you need to be more creative. Don’t panic if you’re not a crafty sort of person because here are a couple of room changing ideas using nothing more than bed sheets and pillow cases. No sewing skill required!

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The quickest way to brighten, freshen, or change a room is color. Painting the walls a fun shade seems obvious but if you’re living in a dorm, chances are that painting walls is off limits. There are other ways to infuse color into your room though, and all relatively cheap and easy. Instead of spending fifty or more dollars on a brightly printed duvet cover, check out the store’s selection of sheets. Most often you can buy flat sheets by themselves rather than as part of a set and if you get it one size larger than you need you have just created an inexpensive bedspread. Sheets also tend to come in a wider selection of patterns, colors, and styles than actual duvet covers, and at a fraction of the cost. Add a couple of bright pillow cases and you’ve already given your room a whole new vibe.

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Pillow cases can also be used to create bright cushions for your couch or chairs. Just fold the excess material inside, and as they are also most often sold as separates, you can mix and match the colors and patterns. Bed sheets can also make excellent window coverings without that tacky “towel pinned to the wall” look. If your window doesn’t have a curtain rod, you will need to buy and install one. They are very inexpensive, easy to install and can be picked up at any hardware or department store. Bed sheets of course only come in predetermined sizes whereas windows do not. Take the wide hem (the one that would be at the head of the bed) and cut just enough of the stitches along the side of the hemmed part to fit the curtain rod through. If they are too long for the window, simply let them drop as it will give your windows the appearance of being larger than they are. Getting two smaller sheets to cover a window is a far better idea than a single large one as you will have a part in the middle like regular drapes that you can open or pin back. They will have the neatly hemmed and finished look of drapes but again, at only a couple of bucks each!

Color is an excellent way to jazz up a plain room, and at only the cost of a couple of bed sheets, why wouldn’t you?

Once you’ve finally earned that online degree, what do you do with all of your textbooks? Think about it, if your degree took a couple of years, that’s going to equate to an awful lot of books, and a stroll around any book store will quickly tell you that they are anything but cheap. The important thing to remember is that your textbooks become outdated relatively quickly therefore if you’ve made the decision to sell them sooner is better than later. If you’ve got textbooks sitting around from 5 years ago, you’re going to be out of luck however, if you just finished your degree at an on-site or online college then chances are there is a market for your books. If you’ve managed to keep them in good shape, used paper rather than scribbling in the margins, all the pages are intact, etc, reselling your used textbooks can net you a decent amount of money.

There are several routes available, all with their own pros & cons, and checking out your local used bookstore is an excellent place to start. Campus bookstores or free local classified like kijiji or Craigslist are also a good bet. Though they may not have quite as large a volume of traffic as some of the larger book selling sites, you will be saving the re-sellers cut of the profit. The big site’s of course offer sheer volume which will increase your chances of a quick sale and may be worth getting a slightly lower price after their cut. Some of the big sites include;

Barnes & Noble
Amazon
SellMyTextbooks.org
BooksIntoCash.com
Campus Book Swap

These sites let you input your text ISBN number and you know almost immediately whether or not they are interested in that text and how much they will pay you for it. Most sites will then forward a shipping label to you and you receive the cash once they have received the textbook(s). An alternate to selling your book, particularly if you have more schooling ahead of you, is trading. Sites like Bookswap.com let you off load the textbooks that you no longer need, while picking out a few that you do. The market for used textbooks for on-site or online degree programs is huge and definitely something worth checking out. Unless of course you intend to just make a coffee table out of them.

*This is first in a series of posts regarding interview preparation and job seeking tips for recent graduate.

Ever heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”? This could not be truer than in an interview setting. Over half of someone’s initial impression of you is based on how you look. That means at least 50 percent of your time should be spent on your appearance when preparing for an interview. The other time should be spent researching the company, practicing good body language during an interview, and developing good responses and questions to general interview questions.

Below are several tips for males and females when dressing for success:

Females

• Inspect your hair and nails: manicured nails and natural hair

• Natural make-up

• Minimal jewelry and perfume

• No low cut shirts/blouses, miniskirts, tight sweater, sandals, or strappy shoes

• Do wear a solid colored conservative suit with a coordinated blouse

• Make sure your shoes are close toed pumps or loafers

• Silk scarf

• Portfolio or briefcase – leave your disorganized oversized bag at home

Males

• Make sure your outfit is cleanly pressed without holes, tears, stains, scuffs, or wrinkles

• Chose a solid color conservative suit and tie, with a white dress shirt

• Perfect grooming – clean hair and nails

• Minimal after shave and jewelry

• Dark socks and professional shoes

• Briefcase or portfolio

Now that you are perfectly groomed here are some tips on what to you can do before the interview to prepare yourself:

• Research the company – you’ll be surprised how many people do not do this. Make sure you know about the company’s culture, mission etc. (ex: if interviewing for online schools – know what degree programs they offer, and a little bit about each school)

• Practice good posture, eye contact, and firm handshake.

• Rehearse answering typical interview questions (found on any job search site) in a well spoken manner.

• Put Thank You cards and stamps in your glove box- send one out directly after the interview thanking the interviewer(s) for there time and to reiterate why you would be a good fit for the position.

Now you that you have a perfectly polished professional look and demeanor, walk in with confidence and blow them away!

You’ve graduated! The job that you just started is great and you love your new apartment. It beats the dorm life, right? Now you ask yourself, “What’s next on the agenda?”

Then it hits you – tackling your student loan debt.

Most students graduate with some amount of student loan debt. According to Finaid.org, the average student loan debt among graduating seniors is $19,237. Does this sound familiar? If so, let’s look at some ways to deal with student loans and discuss a few tips on paying off the debt.

Consolidation

The most common method of repaying student loan debt is through consolidation. This process involves combining all of your outstanding loans into one new loan. The new loan usually has a lower fixed interest rate and replaces your old loans. Instead of paying several different companies, you can now pay a lower payment to just one lender. This allows you to save money while focusing on other debts and responsibilities. Consolidation is widely available for federal student loans and some lenders are now making more programs available for private loans since both types are usually done separately.

Deferments and Forbearance

You can breathe a little easier after graduation because your student loans are likely to have a grace period during which you don’t have to start repaying the loan for a few months. However, lending companies know that all graduates aren’t able to get a job right after graduation and it may take some borrowers longer than the grace period to gain employment. You may qualify for a deferment or forbearance if you are not in a position to make payments on your loan when the time comes. A student loan deferment allows payments to be postponed for a period of time, such as while you are in school or unemployed. Forbearances can temporarily postpone payments, extend the timeframe for making monthly payments or even reduce the monthly payment amount for a short time.

Other Tips For Paying Off Student Loans

Here are some ways to efficiently reduce your student loan debt and the time that you spend repaying it:

Pay “ON TIME” – There is nothing than a lender hates more than late payments and they will prove it by applying fees to your account. Pay on time to avoid this and improve your credit rating.

Use Automatic Withdrawal – Lenders usually reward borrowers that use this method with a lower interest rate.

Pay More Than The Minimum – The general rule of debt repayment is to pay more than the minimum payment required. This will reduce the principal loan balance quicker and speed up the time in which the debt will be paid off.

Earn Extra Income – In other words, get another job!

So, the next thing on your agenda should be to review the options above and come up with a plan to eliminate your student loan debt!

With summer fast approaching “back to school” season, it’s time to put some serious thought into whether or not you could benefit from starting a college degree program, or finally finishing a degree you’ve already started. There is no yes or no answer, since everybody’s situation is different, but there are some very compelling reasons to get your degree as soon as possible if your schedule allows.

The U.S. Census Bureau calculates that over an adult’s working life, high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million; associate’s degree holders earn about $1.6 million; and bachelor’s degree holders earn about $2.1 million. The sooner you earn your degree, the sooner you can start cashing in on a higher salary, and better job satisfaction. If your highest level of education is a high school diploma, it might be time to get on with the next step of your education. The difference in lifetime earnings is .9 Million Dollars, and assuming you are 20 now, and plan on retiring at 65, that ends up averaging $20,000 per year that you are leaving on the table.

With the costs of many community colleges, trade school colleges, and online universities averaging around $6,000 per year, the case for getting a degree is pretty strong. Almost all economists agree, the individual rate of return on investment in higher education is sufficiently high to warrant the cost of tuition and opportunity costs of the time you give up to attend class.

Beyond the increased income you can expect, college graduates gain additional benefits of even higher value. Degree holders have better personal and professional mobility, increased levels of savings, higher quality of life for their children and families, and higher economic and job security. There is also a strong correlation between higher education and lifelong health, for both the degree holder and their entire families (probably due to the better benefit packages available with better paying jobs).

While the reasons for getting a degree are pretty strong, it’s all a matter of if an individual student is ready to take the plunge. Certainly personal obligations can delay the start of your educational path, but far too many students let their professional obligations dictate this decision. This is especially shortsighted when viewed against the fact that once a student has their degree, they can earn so much more than they did at their old job, even if they stay with the same employer.

My best advice is to sacrifice anything that won’t have lifelong repercussions (job, place you live, free time) to attend college as soon as possible, since the benefits you receive with a degree will last a lifetime.

Recently I was asked by a soon to be college student in my family what I thought about a certain online college which offered courses in AutoCAD drafting which she was interested in taking. Her dilemma was between taking a more traditional course of study in literature, philosophy, and other courses that she wasn’t particularly interested in, or taking online courses of a more technical and career specific nature.

I thought that the question was particularly pertinent, and it boils down to the difference between intellectual students, and career focused students. Rather than pursuing the course of study that best pleases whatever intellectual whim they may be interested in, career focused students make a calculated decision pairing their innate skills with what the economy will demand far into the future. I personally think this is the better choice.

Subordinating one’s intellectual interests for more specific job training is something to be admired, and indeed is a more classical and practical approach to education. No less a figure than Meriwether Lewis left his formal education at age 18 in order to instead learn how to manage his family farm. While his Latin may have suffered, he learned at an early age the management skills he would need to be a successful explorer.

Similarly, students of today can get ahead on their careers by studying technical and professional subjects that don’t have a lot to do with philosophy, but will provide skills which are in high demand in our technological economy. HVAC technology, aircraft maintenance, construction management, and CAD are some of the areas of study in which economists are predicting strong growth for the next twenty years.

Students who prepare themselves with formal education in high demand occupations will be insulated from the uncertainty that can come with shifts in the job market. Each student has to make this choice about what to study on their own. While a traditional liberal arts education may be right for some, it is a good bet that the more strategic approach towards career focused education will be a better choice in the long run.

One of the most difficult decisions to make regarding a Westwood College education is whether to attend classes at one of their seventeen campuses, or to take them online. This dilemma is a fairly new phenomenon, unique to 21st Century students.

The most important factor to consider is your own availability. If you have a highly variable work schedule that can be out of your control, or your commute time to get to a campus for class would be too long, the flexibility of an online program may be much better suited to your needs. Still other students find the traditional classroom environment the easiest to work in, and if they live within commuting distance of any of the 17 Westwood campuses throughout the nation, this is a very good learning option.

Westwood College’s core focus is career focused degree programs, and part of this is the fundamental understanding that many of their students are working professionals at the time of enrollment, and will remain employed full time throughout their studies. This understanding has lead Westwood College to offer a large selection of evening courses in a variety of courses of study at their campus locations. Visit Westwood College’s site to find out what specific programs are offered in your particular area.

If you cannot locate the particular program of interest at a regional campus, Westwood Online offers a large selection of degree programs that can be taken from the comfort of home, even a Master’s in Business Administration!

Whatever your field of interest, financial situation, or geography, Westwood College has an option for you. Take a look at the available educational options, or call an admissions agent at 866-234-4934 and see why Westwood College was ranked in the top ten professional colleges.

Founded in 1953 in Denver, CO as the Denver Institute of Technology, Westwood College has expanded into 19 campuses across the US and over 12,000 students.

Westwood College of Colorado has three campuses in Colorado – Denver North, Denver South, and Redstone College: Denver.

The Westwood College – Denver North campus is located in Westminster, a suburb of North Denver. Just minutes away from major professional sporting events and Denver’s great nightlife there is never a lack of social opportunities. And with the mountains a stone’s throw away there are always fun outdoor recreational activities to participate in. Westwood College – Denver North campus has a very diverse range of degree programs to cater to the wide array of students attending. The School of Design, School of Technology, School of Business, School of Justice, School of Healthcare and School of Industrial Services provide students with 26 different degree programs ranging from Animation to Interior Design to Business Administration and Automotive Technology.

Westwood College – Denver South campus is located in the southwest side of Denver, and is a great location for students in Denver, Lakewood, Englewood, Littleton, Aurora, Parker and other suburbs of Denver. Denver South campus also has a wide range of degree programs including School of Design, School of Technology, School of Business, School of Justice and School of Healthcare. With three student lounges on campus, internet labs, and the wide range of social events, students attending the Denver South campus will receive a well rounded, career focused education.

Redstone College – Denver campus was founded in 1965 to give students Airframe, Powerplant, Avionics, Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Construction Management training. Redstone College offers lifetime alumni retraining which includes auditing a class previously taken, attending updated courses, and learning about new industry related equipment and software. Redstone’s Career Development department offers lifetime job placement assistance. Students attending Redstone College – Denver not only get an excellent education, but help in finding a job and assistance through the rest of their career. Located in Broomfield, students are situated close to the mountains and to Downtown Denver, which provides countless social activities.

Attending Westwood College of Colorado provides students with countless career opportunities in some of Colorado’s finest cities. With their dedication to providing students with career necessities and life lessons, the educational track at Westwood is top notch.

Westwood College is continually going above and beyond to create an ideal learning environment for their students, and their recent launch of a new student powered online magazine is yet another example of how Westwood is doing this.

Westwood recently announced that they have created a magazine designed and produced by Westwood Online students and faculty within each program of Westwood’s School of Design: Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Web Design & Multimedia, Animation, Game Arts, and Interior Design – one of the first Design Education magazines of its kind.

This magazine is a great opportunity for prospective students to see work that graduates have completed and where the degree from Westwood College can lead them. Written by students that graduated in March or May of 2008 and earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, Westwood’s Admissions Department can use this magazine to give prospective students a sneak peek into what they can expect and learn a bit more about the other departments at Westwood. If students are worried about what their professors will be like, have no fear – with a section on outstanding faculty members, they can learn all about them before they even step into the classroom.