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The campus bookstore is a familiar sight every semester. Students stand packed in line, their arms crowded with almost more books than they can hold.

But the future is changing.

Electronic book readers are really starting to pick up steam.  Instead of waiting in line and hauling a dozen books around, with ebook readers, students will be able to download the books instantly, and carry their entire semester’s worth of books on a single, lightweight device.

It’s already starting to happen.  This year, Penn State Universities Libraries and the English Department are beginning a project using the Sony Reader Digital Book, testing how useful having electronic book readers can be in a higher education setting.  And Plastic Logic has announced a new, larger electronic reading device that might just be perfect for academic textbooks!  Even library books are now becoming available electronically.

So this semester, go ahead and buy that backpack.  But who knows?  By next year, it might be out of style!

CNN Money has just released an article on how to get out of the minimum wage trap - where it feels like every penny you earn goes for expenses that keep increasing and even getting to work starts to look doubtful because of rising gas prices.

And it’s no surprise that the first two things on their list is education!  That by choosing an accredited school with a solid program - either at a local campus or online - you can increase opportunities.

Remember, even though programs can seem expensive at first, many schools offer plans to help make it more affordable. Financial aid may even be available for those who qualify.

So if you’re stuck in a dead-end job and trying to find your way out, you know what to do.  Look for the education.

Source:  http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/24/pf/saving/toptips/?postversion=2008072416

My collegiate experience is something that I will never forget: the feeling of freedom, new friends, late nights, and not to mention hard work! The work I mention goes without saying when you consider college coursework, but I also had to work outside of my duties for classes.

I personally found a way to turn in all my assignments, attend a multitude of social events, and yes, make a little money while in college. I did encounter a few bumps in the road while trying to balance both school and work. Let me assure you, as I had to discover for myself, that everything works out in the end. Here is my equation for balancing work and school.

Finding a Job
I looked for jobs that worked with my class schedule and not the other way around. Remember, you are at college to get an education. One job I had while in school was at a local sandwich shop. It was a great arrangement. I set my schedule to come in a few days a week after all my classes were finished for the day. I would come in around 4:30 and work until 10. This allowed me time to go home and finish up any remaining school work, make it out with some friends, or hang out and relax.

Studying at Work
As things slowed down after the dinner rush, I would simply ask my manager if I could do a little school work as long as there were no customers needing help. I did not pull out my laptop and loads of notes to write my mid-term paper that was due the next day. I brought a couple of textbooks and a highlighter. Work is the perfect place to knock out a few chapters to keep up with all of the reading. Trust me, there will be plenty.

Missing the Fun
There are going to be times when your work schedule is going to conflict with something fun like a party or the big game. One of the most important things to establish with your manager before you work your first hour is your time off. It always seemed to me that everything fun happened when I had to go to work. This was not the case. I always made sure I had a weekday night off and a weekend night off that was devoted to enjoying the social side of college. Making time for yourself and friends will make balancing school and work seem a little less stressful.

Remember …
Find a schedule that works for you. This is the best way to create a successful and awesome experience at college. Find a job that works with your class schedule
and a manager that is willing to acknowledge that you are in school. Getting school work off your list while working your job leaves you more time for the fun stuff at school. Make time for yourself – those are the times that truly make the college experience.

I found out about this really cool program in Spain. 

Basically, Pueblo Ingles is looking for young folks to participate in their Teen program this July.  They want people who are available to spend 8 days in Spain. 

What’s the catch?

Well. You have to speak English and be between the ages of 13 and 18. No problem! I got that covered. The down side of this great offer is that you have to pay for the flight to Madrid. But, after that you get to spend 8 days at camp filled with group activities, skits and games. Where do I sign up?!

I thought why would a program pay for me to spend 8 days in Spain. So, here’s the answer why!

Pueblo Ingles wants to provide a fun environment for Spanish teenagers to practice their English speaking skills. So they created this camp so you can help people in another country all the while experiencing the Spanish culture. As a volunteer, you’re just responsible for being yourself, hanging out with other teens and talking. Which really – should be pretty easy.

So here is the 411 on this program!

US College Search has come a long way since we took the site over a year and a half ago. The design is one of the most notable changes. You can see parts of the old design at archive.org:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070819151829/http://www.uscollegesearch.org/

We have also been adding a lot of usability upgrades to the site in the last few months. The next thing coming to the site is video. You should see curriculum specific video on the site within the next couple of months.

Beyond that we would like to hear some of your feedback. What information do you need to find that perfect college? What would you like us to change on this site? What features would you like to see?

We appreciate your input, and we take your ideas seriously.

Finding that perfect college can be a drag, but with the clever use of technology you can save time and frustration.

1 – Google Domain Restriction Queries:

If you are doing a search and only want to pull up lists of colleges you can actually restrict your search to weed out other types of websites. The way this is done is with Google’s site: operator. For instance, if I want to pull up schools offering MBA Programs I would use the following query:

“site:.edu mba programs”

This query produces these results. This is a pretty clean set of results and can make your search much easier.

You can also use this restrictive parameter to search within a site that you like. Let’s say you want to search only US College Search for “florida business schools”, but you want to use Google’s search technology. The query would be:

“site:uscollegesearch.org florida business schools”

This query would yield these results.

2 – Use an RSS Aggregator to Collect Feeds

Blogs are no longer just an interesting new technology, they are a necessity. Today, most major web sites have blogs on them. They are nice, but to take advantage of this new technology you need an RSS Aggregator. These tools keep you from having to keep going back to blogs to check on updates. When the blog updates, your RSS Aggregator updates as well. Some popular aggregators are:

• Google Reader
• BlogLines
• Netvibes
• Newsgator

How do they work? You just need to set up an account, and then when you are on a blog you will see words like “RSS” or Feed.” You might also see an orange RSS symbol (square with white stripes).

Click on these links and you will be able to add that blogs feed to your feed reader. Once you have some feeds added you can go into your reader and it will show you all the latest headlines from your favorite blogs. This makes consuming blog content much easier. Now, when you find a site that has a blog you like, just add it to your reader. These may be school blogs, or just blogs about education search in general. It’s a huge time saver.

3 – Use Social Sites to Research Lesser Known Schools

Social sites like Yahoo Answers can weed out the polished PR speak many schools feed to the masses. The use of social sites can give you the low down on less known schools that are more difficult to research.

These social sites can also be a great way to fine tune your search by finding out more specific information. Maybe you know about a school, but need more information about a specific program and the quality of the faculty. Some great social sites to help you with your research are:

• Rate My Professor
• Yahoo Answers
• Facebook

A great tip for Yahoo Answers is to use their RSS features. If search for questions about “business colleges,” there will be an option to grab the RSS feed for this query. Then, any new questions about business colleges from other users will be piped into your RSS Feed Reader.

Another great way to use social sites is to find people that went to a school you are looking at. Sites like MySpace and Facebook have tons of information on who went where. Do a few searches on these sites to find people who have been through the program and shoot them a message.

Looking back on my first semester of college, what do you think is the first thing that comes to mind? Parties? Late-night study sessions? Um, yeah. For me, it’s a bright orange parka.

Every morning that first semester, I’d get up before the sun rose to bundle up in that neon orange parka and walk a mile to my job on campus. (No, I’m not completely stupid; the buses just didn’t run that early!)

First, a little background about that parka:

• I used to be an “eclectic” and unique dresser in high school. I didn’t dress freakishly. But I was willing to take a risk, considering the tiny and conservative town I lived in.
• The parka wasn’t really that warm. And it was ORANGE. Not just regular, old, everyday orange. Hunting gear orange. And it didn’t even fit that well!
• Why did I still choose to wear it? At the time, I was very easily influenced. I’d let the opinions of others affect the clothing and style I wore. I think I became a bit more boring as a result. This orange parka wasn’t boring, so it was a bit of the real me hanging on to…well…me. Oh, and I didn’t have another jacket.

Okay, so the point is this: All American kids go through the entire secondary education thing by law. College, though…that’s a matter of choice. You’re choosing to attend, and you’re choosing to do your best to succeed and achieve whatever goal you might have. Along the same lines, I obviously chose to go to college. I chose to wake up at a ridiculous hour every day to work for only an hour and a half. And I chose to wear that stupid orange parka to stand out.

And maybe I’m reaching a bit with this, but I really think those frigid walks led me to understand the extent of my choices more fully. I was finally on my own and in control of all of the consequences of my actions – whether it was some extra spending money or extra hours of sleep.

So what if people are blinded by your jacket? You need to do what’s best for you and what will take you to where you want to be. As for slipping on ice as you walk in the dark…well, that’s why it’s good to have the jacket. Easier visibility!

Feel like trading the cash you saved for that Prada bag to combat poverty?

No? What if you only lent the money for a few months, then got it all back in time for your next shopping spree? You’re probably thinking, “That doesn’t sound like charity.” It is, but it ain’t. It’s better. It’s a system called Kiva.

Microcharity on a budget – you really can help!
Just because your main meal is ramen noodles doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. There’s a new form of charity in town and it’s designed for students who want to help but live on a budget! You donate just a little, but help change a lot! And best of all, you can watch the story unfold as your money slowly makes its way back to you.

That’s right – your money comes back to you. In essence, Kiva.org allows you to take the place of a bank as a lender, then recoup your “losses” as the money you lent out gets paid back to you within months.

What is this?

This is a new process called microcredit. You may have heard about it recently. The Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2006, Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, earned the reward for globally applying his system of microcredit. Yunus constructed a way to successfully empower poor people by using his bank to secure microloans for people who would never traditionally qualify for them. By allowing these people to make small and irregular payments back to his institution, his system has become a standard for financing in the Third World.

Not only has it become a globally recognized system, but it has also become quite lucrative for banks and financial institutions to invest in! The best part is, anyone can participate!

What do I do to start microlending?

• You can visit kiva.org and have a look at people who need microloans. Perhaps pick someone whose interests or attitudes align with your own.

• Use the form on the site to send a loan using your credit card or a paypal account.

• Kiva.org directly transfers the funds you send to the local representative office of the business you choose.

• Over time, this revenue office collects small repayments from the entrepreneur you choose and sends you an update on their progress.

• When the microloan is paid back in full, the business person may apply for another with their updated microcredit rating and kiva.org gives your original money back to you electronically.

• You can withdraw your money and deposit it in your bank knowing you did your part, or you can keep the returned money in the holding account and shop for a new business to help!

How did this come to be?
Simply put – it was made possible by the advance of technology. The practice of microlending is now cost-effective due to the spread of cheap communication devices like cell phones and the internet. What used to be expensive and slow because charitable sponsorship traditionally relied on mail and courier services to do business, is now inexpensive and instantaneous. Lending is easier and more people are able to use the service. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

How is this making a difference?
The World Bank estimates that there are now over 7000 microfinance institutions serving some 16 million poor people in developing countries. The total cash turnover of MFIs world-wide is estimated at U.S. $2.5 billion and the potential for new growth is almost unlimited.

Who else is helping out?
Thousands of people. People like Lisa from Tennessee who’s helping a man from Kenya run a store. People like Janice who is helping 16 people make better lives, because she remembers when she needed a helping hand.

Do you work to pay for school? Why not get your work buddies involved? Get your work group to pick a person in need who is trying to build a business like yours. Companies like Beauty Schools Directory donated to 8 lucky ladies across the world who were trying to start salons and beauty stores of their own. All you need is a few bucks and a computer and you’re on your way.

Put the Prada on hold for a few months – you can pay it forward and feel great!

The healthcare industry is booming! As the baby boomer generation enters retirement, more and more jobs will be required to fulfill their medical needs. As the opportunity for entering a booming sector presents itself, it’s daunting to think of changing professions or going back to school.

However the opportunity for a part-time work is available and with good pay! CareerBuilder.com published an article on Today’s Best Part-Time Jobs. With a little training you could have a part-time job that is flexible with exceptional pay.

Dental Assistants
Dental Assistants keep a dentists office running smoothly. They assist in procedures; take x-rays and care for patients. Many dentist offices are open part-time or carry regular business hours making it easy to accommodate a busy schedule.

Average pay: $14.53/hour

Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy Technicians help prepare prescriptions for patients in hospitals, medical facilities or retail pharmacies. Because there are so many places pharmacy tech’s can work, there are a wide variety of schedules available from daytime to graveyard shifts.

Average pay: $12.32/hour with the opportunity for higher pay for different shifts and certifications.

Physical Therapy Assistant
Organization and support is the key to running a successful business. Physical Therapy Assistants provide support for physical therapists during appointments. They also offer patient support during therapy sessions. Some facilities only schedule appointments during normal business hours; several others make appointments available during the evening and weekend hours.

Average pay: $10.61/hour

Home Health Aides
Home Health Aides assist elderly, ill or disabled patients at their homes or in assisted-living facilities. They ensure the patients home or living environment is accommodating their daily needs. Working hours are often based on the patients need. Those working out of a patient’s home may only require a few hours per day.

Average pay: $8.54/hour or higher with experience

If you are considering going to college or considering going back to college, the reasons are plentiful. Maybe you want to get a more enjoyable job. Maybe you want to fulfill a desire to earn your degree. Or maybe, just maybe, you want to earn some more cash.

According to an article on PRWeb , the U.S. Census Bureau states that people with a Bachelor’s degree earn over 60 percent more on average than those with only a high school diploma. Over a lifetime, the gap in earning potential between a high school graduate and someone with a B.A. (or higher) is more than $1 million.

According to the same site, only 21 percent of adults over the age of 25 have college degrees. Why is this? Some people drop out of college before graduating. Some people enter the workforce immediately after high school, either because they don’t want to go to college or they can’t attend for some reason – finances, lack of scholarships, etc.

So if money is such a powerful motivator and people with degrees make that much more than non-college graduates, why don’t more people try to get college degrees? There is a number of excuses not to get a degree, but each of those excuses has a feasible counter-argument.

Some people would argue they must maintain their full-time jobs to pay the bills and support their families. They say they wouldn’t have time to go back to school. There are many ways around that hurdle. Many colleges and technical schools offer night classes, online classes, television classes and weekend classes.

Some people say they can’t afford to go back to school. This may be true for some, but there are avenues that can be searched. Scholarships may be available. Financial aid is out there. Banks issue student loans. Some employment offices offer tuition reimbursement. And since having a degree offers such a higher earning potential, isn’t it a wise investment to get that degree?

Finally, some people are afraid to go to college. Maybe they didn’t perform as well in high school as they would have liked. Or maybe they have been out of school long enough to be nervous about going to class with younger students. Well, you’ll never know what kind of success you can have if you don’t try.

College can be a very rewarding experience, both financially and personally. And with such a higher earning potential for college graduates, and such a low number of graduates over the age of 25, the people who go back to school sooner will have a great deal of opportunities to earn satisfying, well-paying careers.