The LEED Certification is the new gold standard for construction and architecture in the new century. This is good news for those considering or currently attending architecture colleges. It means that the designers on new construction are aiming for a higher set of energy and efficiency requirements that are optional, but are also built to impact long-term costs to the communities that will use the facilities.
Why it’s a good idea
Beginning in the mid-2000’s in many urban cores, the LEED standards began impacting communities and their new construction projects in positive ways. It’s positive because the LEED list of certifications is based on saving energy, using renewable resources and materials, and engineering creative solutions. Now in 2009, technical schools, colleges and universities and architecture schools are incorporating the LEED standards into the curriculum.
What the technology is called
The technology that is leading the way for CAD Drafters, Architects and Construction Manager graduates alike is something called BIM (Building Information Modeling). BIM training software has been formulated as a sort of shorthand for the complex merging of computer-aided-design and construction databases.
BIM helps architects, engineers, and construction planners design more efficient, cost-saving and greener facilities for roughly the same cost as normal buildings. By stressing cooperation across multiple occupations early in design, BIM also provides a new way to learn engineering, civic planning and architecture skills at technical colleges across the country.
How you can take advantage
One interesting aspect of the focus on LEED certifications is that now construction companies and civic engineering boards are on the hunt for certified LEEDS Compliance Specialists. This job certification is becoming somewhat of an elite class of consulting for drafting, engineering and civic planning businesses around the country. So if you begin your drafting, engineering or architectural training now, you can specialize in LEEDS certification standards as a way to enhance your marketability.
USCollegeSearch.com can help you find a school near you that covers the new LEEDS standards in their curriculum. Get started on a useful specialization for your college degree today!
Ask anyone in the nation about the current job market and what kind of opportunities lay within it, and you’ll likely be pointed in thousand different directions about what sectors to explore. True, while many industries have been seeing upturn within the last 3 months, and with layoffs receding for the fourth month in a row – a lot of companies are finally opening their doors to the myriad of job seekers who’ve been pelting resumes and cover letters at them since last November.
However, the nation’s overall job market is still quite a challenging environment – even for a qualified job seeker. So we had to ask here at USCS – what kind of blue-chip industries should one consider when deciding what to go to school for?
The answer might surprise you, but truck driving and transportation is one of the most fundamental industries that our nation has been built upon.
Although CDL requirements different on a state-by-state basis, getting trained and employed as a truck driver may be one of the quickest and simplest answers to landing a great paying job in a tough economy. For instance, in most California truck driving schools you can get enrolled and graduate with CDL training in a little as 2 months. Texas truck driving schools even allow 18 years old to take the exam, provided they do not cross out of Texas state lines. Either way, this a great career to begin training in as the salary expectations are well above the national averages – and the work is often both exciting and new.
There’s an old saying in the trucking industry – If you bought it, a truck brought it – and these few words hold great importance for those considering going to school to start a new & rewarding career – you’re always very likely to have a job.
The costs of college are on the rise – increasing at a rate faster than inflation. Yet education is still very important, especially in this day and age – seems that everyone is preaching the worth of college and how it can affect your future. But the rising cost of college tuition can make it harder for some people to afford the education they’re looking for.Not all colleges cost the same but some state-sponsored schools have tuition rates that are close to $18,000 a year. With 4 years at that state school, students can see their tuition bills reach over $80,000.The New York Times has a handy-dandy tuition calculator and I have crunched the numbers for tuition costs at university in my home state and career college. Here are my findings:
• Cost of earning your Bachelor’s degree as a full-time, in-state student at a state public university with housing fees for 4 years with a 4% tuition increase each year totals over $56,000.
• Cost of earning your Associate degree as a full-time, in-state student at career college for 2 years without housing fees totals a little over $13,000.Those values will differ depending on where you’re from and type of college you want to attend.
But, one has to think that in this economy, you want to get the most for your dollar. And in some cases, that career colleges can offer you a degree for less money and similar outcomes. So when choosing where to go to school, why not look at a career college in your area? You might be surprised!
Did you take an SAT or ACT prep course in high school? Do you think it helped? A new report says probably not … at least not as much as you’d like to think.
Tamara Keith from American Public Media reports that preparing for the SAT is a good idea, but you’d probably get the same benefit from a $30 at-home study guide as a multi-thousand dollar test-prep course.
David Hawkins from The National Association of College Admissions Counseling says “There needs to be a buyer-beware notice for students and families who are thinking about commercial test preparation.” The group pulled together a report that says the average score increase as a result of prep courses is only 30 points. Out of 2,400.
Hmm … while that might be enough to make or break an Ivy League acceptance for a few people, it’s probably not worth it to the rest of us.
Whether you took an SAT prep course or not, what if your score didn’t turn out quite as high as you’d like? Don’t worry! Standardized tests aren’t for everyone – we know that.
Not all schools require an ACT/SAT score for admission. Schools that don’t often offer a more targeted education, building practical skills rather than general knowledge. Career colleges and technical schools around the country realize that your priorities are different – that test scores don’t matter to you as much as starting a stable career.
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