When the time comes to plan your future beyond University you’re usually faced with three options. Either, you go into the big scary world of work; you take some time out to “find yourself” and go travelling around the world; or you go on to further education which can involve studying for a postgraduate degree, (known as a Masters), or studying in a different country altogether.

image via http://www.studyabroad.pk/

This third option lets you combine the chance to travel around the world and also to gain recognized qualifications that will help to set you apart from all of the other candidates who apply for the position you want so badly.

However, some courses are obviously rated as better than others, just like the Universities are in the UK or USA for instance, so it pays to study in the institutions ranked higher up the list of “top Universities in the world.” The question remains, however, how do you find them? After all, just because you want to study at one University doesn’t mean that studying at a different one, within the same country, is a bad thing.

Here are just five of the best countries you could study in to help kick start your career and allow you to see the world your way:

United States

With 30 of the world’s top 50 Universities spread across the nation, most people looking to study abroad opt for the United States. If you’re good enough and have the grades, then you’re most likely to look for the best of the best, Harvard for example is globally renowned for being one of the best in the country; but there are plenty of others that will be on the lookout for successful, ambitious students and many will offer scholarships.

United Kingdom

British Universities, particularly those based in London, are popular among foreign students looking to obtain well-regarded qualifications before returning home or making a career for themselves in the UK. Tuition fees are often the only stumbling block with Universities now able to charge as much as £9,000 each year.

Sweden

Sweden is attempting to become one of the most modern countries in Europe, and a lot of students are looking to take advantage of the innovative companies that have been born in the country. The likes of Volvo, Ericsson and Ikea have all grown from Swedish roots and students have looked to obtain the finishing skills in the area before moving into a career with these major firms, or taking work experience back to a similar career in their home country.

Israel

If you choose to study abroad in Israel, you might get a few raised eyebrows from friends and family who couldn’t even point to it on a map. However, the education you can receive from choosing an Israeli University is just as well respected as any you would receive in the US or UK, with IDC currently ranked the top institution in the country.

Switzerland

Despite its size, Switzerland is one of the European superpowers. Four Swiss Universities have made the top 30 for teaching international students and the picturesque country, quality education and everything else it has to offer in terms of its close proximity to the rest of Europe makes it an ideal country for anyone looking to study and travel around Europe.

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Matt Rawlings is a UK-based writer who has studied abroad and across Europe, including Switzerland, France and Spain.

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It’s not like the “corner.”  A reading nook that will encourage your kids to read at home should not be a place that they associate with something that happens when they get into mischief.  It has to be a fun place where they can have their own adventure whether from the stories that they read or from stories that they create themselves.  An age-appropriate reading nook will make it easier for your children to develop the love for reading and learning.

For toddlers and pre-school aged kids, your reading nook should have padded floors and walls.  You can have a book rack with all his favorite books.  Make sure that your reading nook furniture pieces do not have sharp corners.  Better yet, you can have throw pillows on the floor where you and your little one can cuddle up for reading time.  Some reading nooks have puppet stages or doll houses where the characters of the storybook adventures can come alive.

bookstore reading corner

Older kids who can read by themselves should already have an organized reading nook.  They would need to have their own reading chair.  Parents should still have their own spot in their child’s reading nook to allow him to be with his child when he wants to have company while he reads.  For families with more than one child, having a small table with a few chairs around can accommodate kids who want to spend reading time together.

Teeners are a little bit of a challenge to build or designate any space for.  Some teeners would opt to isolate themselves in their rooms while they read and do other things.  You can still find a way to give your teen his own reading spot while at the same time giving him some privacy.  He can actually have his nook inside his room.  Or, if you don’t want him staying in his room all the time, you can give him his own corner in the den or build him a comfortable reading perch out in the yard.

Unlike adult reading nooks, children’s reading nooks are often more colorful.  Relaxation is often not the goal when kids go to their nooks.  Mental stimulation and stirring their imagination is the goal of reading.  A children’s reading nook is therefore often a fun and exciting place.  When they have such a space where they can let their imagination run wild, kids will surely go from one book to another without much coaxing.

photo by Supergail – http://www.flickr.com/photos/12387001@N00/

The ability for a teacher to empathise with their students is something that can either be an innate talent or the result of years of experience in classrooms. Whatever the route that needs to be taken to gain the quality, it is essential for teachers with pupils of all age groups to be able to understand their students’ concerns and worries.

When it comes to young adults, this can be an even more acute problem. Fortunately there is a wealth of great literature that not only gives a great insight into what people of that age might be going through but is also very popular with the target age group.

Here are three books aimed at young adults than can help you and them deal with relevant issues:

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Good for: teaching about learning difficulties, acceptance and social problems

The book is narrated in the first-person by Christopher, a 15-year-old boy who describes himself as “a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties.” The exact condition of the character is not explicitly referenced in the text, however, Christopher has Asperger syndrome (AS), a form of high-functioning autism that is sometimes called ‘savant syndrome.’ The book follows Christopher as he investigates the murder of a neighbour’s black poodle.

This 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon is a great work for delving into issues regarding learning disabilities. The book has won the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

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Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Good for: teaching about emotional development, growing up and adolescence

This coming-of-age novel is narrated through a series of letters written by Charlie, a high school freshman. With a cult following much like that of Catcher in the Rye, the narrative takes the form of a series of letters from the protagonist written to an anonymous person. The story deals with social issues and struggles of fitting in, sexuality, suicide, abuse and falling in love.

The book was written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky and in 2012 it was adapted into a film.

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Title: Go Ask Alice

Author: anonymous

Good for: teaching about drugs, substance abuse and peer pressure

Although written in 1971, this based-on-fact story about the life of a troubled teenage girl remains relevant to issues surrounding substance abuse today. Written in the form of the diary of an anonymous teenage girl who became addicted to drugs, the title is taken from a line in Jefferson Airplane’s hit song from the 60s White Rabbit.

The story caused a sensation when published but remains in print as of 2012. Revelations about the book’s origin have caused some doubt over its authenticity and factual accounts to arise, and the publishers have listed it as a work of fiction since at least the mid-late 80s. Still published as a work of fiction today, it often appears under the byline “anonymous” but is widely considered to be the true life story of its editor Beatrice Sparks.

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Jane Parkinson writes on behalf of Randstad Education, a UK based education recruitment company who recruit for all subjects from maths to music. 

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One of the more fascinating fields of consumer research is the study of consumer behavior. This field is relatively young and based on the work of Abraham Maslow and Arnold Mitchell at the Standard Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA. Consumer psychology masters programs introduces students into the math, science and behavioral factors behind consumer behavior.

Companies, large and small, use consumer psychology to design, engineer, package and market products to subgroups of consumers they’ve identified using different types of primary research and classifying the results using sophisticated statistical analyses. This type of research is also called psychographic research.

image via http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Although measuring the reaction of consumers to new products and ideas is one of the most complex types of primary research, it’s also the most rewarding in terms of applications. Learning the science and art behind consumption patterns is a large part of consumer psychology masters programs.

Psychographics allow companies to delve deeper into product preferences than just segmenting using demographic information. On the surface, two people may have similar demographics, but widely different product preferences. Consumer psychology explains the reasons.

People tend to respond to products based on what the product says about them. Consumer psychologists have developed systems that measure the reactions that subgroups have to the message that the product conveys. They develop quantitative techniques to classify the broader population into different segments, making it easy to target well-defined subsets of consumers.

Products and services appeal to people for different reasons. Some groups strive for buying and using demonstrably unique and authentic products, while other groups stick with more tried and proven brands that give them a sense of approval and belonging. It’s the role of a consumer psychologist to uncover those motivations, quantify the size of the group and determine their purchasing power.

When companies uncover the forces that drive consumers to their products, they understand what prompts people to buy them. This information helps them either build stronger brand loyalty or reach out to a broader market by simply changing the product a bit to appeal to another consumer segment.

Consumer psychologists use a constellation of factors to cluster characteristics about people based on their reactions to different issues that drive their values.  These psychologists also use a battery of demographics about the population to further define their subgroups.

Working in the field of consumer psychology typically requires an advanced degree, since it’s a complex field requiring excellent written and verbal communication skills, analytical abilities and research experience. Nearly all the research done in the field of consumer psychology is applied to commercial or business ventures in some capacity, and enjoying interacting with clients could be a significant component of the role of someone working in this field.

Although the barriers to entry are high, the rewards are great. People who are intellectually curious and who find creative problem-solving enjoyable thrive in this branch of market research. The product applications could be as simple as positioning paper clips to attract an environmentally conscious consumer to complex industries, as designing, building and marketing cars and homes.

An advanced degree helps build credibility with the clients that use psychographic data, since the results could be applied to their strategic planning, design and development programs. The research itself is more expensive to administer and deliver, and the execution of the findings could alter a company’s course for years to come.

It’s the one field of research that delivers clear results with an eye toward implementation. Companies who apply the results to their business usually see demonstrable results, since the point of the research is to provide a concrete direction and road map for the future.

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First there were e-books, now there is Audible. Life is certainly getting better for all the bookworms out there. There is no reason to miss out on the latest bestsellers when one has an e-book or audio book that enables users to access their favorite novels and texts while on the go. But one must admit that the audio books get the upper hand when it comes to reading convenience. Avid readers can simply play the books on their gadgets and listen. This allows them to “read” while traveling, multi-tasking, or even with their eyes closed.

Bookworms who want to get access to a wide selection of audio books can simply visit the Audible site and take their bestseller picks. Audible is a subsidiary of amazon.com that sells a wide selection of audio books online. Consumers can simply purchase and download books from the site anytime they want. iPhone and iPad users get the added convenience of having the Audio Books from Audible app available for their gadgets. This application enables users to transfer books to any compatible device via wi-fi. Readers can also enjoy basic features of book marking, chapter navigation, variable narration speed, sleep mode and button free mode, update friends on your current read through facebook and twitter, keep track of your listening habits, and earn badges. The latest version includes a Whispersync for Voice which allows users to easily switch between listening and reading. Unfortunately, the new version also has flaws like the absence of volume control and skip button which disappointed their old time users.

The best way to spend idle time is to enrich the mind. Listening to an audio book is the most effortless way to feed one’s mind and cultivate the imagination. Even with the flaws in the Audible app, there are users who still find it handy for enjoying books while on the go.

image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/11271667@N08/2376539888/

Aside from reading a wide array of newspapers and tuning in religiously to news channels on the television, people can still remain updated through their friends in social networks and websites that feature the latest news from around the globe. The Internet keeps people informed about anything under the sun round the clock including Hispanic current events  and the latest occurrences that can very well affect their lives one way or another. But people need to be wary of the things that they see and hear because there are those who take pleasure in spreading false information to gullible fools out there. It is important to be aware on things that gives negative vibes and bring us down.

And that is why in searching for what is true and what is real in different areas of life, people should use their ability to filter out useful information from those that do nothing to enhance their knowledge about the world and life in general. They need to use all of their natural senses and their logical reasoning as well so that they can fully comprehend and understand the things that are happening around them. Only then will they be blessed with knowledge and information that can turn their life around for the better. 

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Leila Rice graduated with a degree in Psychology from a prestigious university and is nowworking for an established publishing company. Aside from reading books as part of her long list of responsibilities at work, she also organizes fund-raising events to help the troubled youth around her community. She lives in the bustling city of Los Angeles but she plans to retire someday back to her hometown. 

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- Lower toxic emissions
- Minimize exhaust fumes
- Online access to college services
- Reduce gasoline use

Increase Student Enrollment

Online classes increase college enrollment without adding to operation orenergy costs. Students taking classes off campus do not use common areas like student lounges, cafeterias, and libraries. When studying at home, off-campus students consume less electricity by not sitting in a campus classroom. Fewer students on campus decrease greenhouse emissions that cause environmental climate changes.

image via web.gcc.mass.edu

Used and Digital Textbooks

Textbooks and printed material require reams of paper to print them; however, college students can reduce the need for paper used by making a few changes. When possible, buy digital textbooks instead of hard copy versions.

Digital textbooks eliminate the need for printing, storing, and transporting books. Although many printers use soy-based inks, there are the costs for printing, shipping, and storing textbooks. A campus bookstore has to pay for heating and cooling the sales floor, administrative area, and storage room. Bookstore staff shelves, moves, and rotates stock. Reduce energy waste when there are less hard copy textbooks in campus bookstores.

However, if a paper textbook is the only option, buy or buy a used one. By doing so, it reduces the number of hard copy textbooks and saves on printing new editions. According to the Nature Conservancy, it takes 60 to 70 percent less energy to produce recycled paper.

Used textbooks help to complete the cycle by reusing, reducing, and recycling, and multiple students get to use the same book. In addition, when students take advantage of textbook buyback programs, they receive money and another student is able to rent or buy the textbook.

Printed Material

It is true that paper is recyclable; however, paper made from virgin pulp requires more than double the energy than using recycled pulp for reclaimed or recycled paper. In order to go green, print as little as possible and read class information and digital textbooks from a computer. To avoid eyestrain, get a text-to-speech program with a natural voice that reads back notes, online text, digital textbook information, and text from word processing programs.

Before hitting the print button, decide if the information is worth printing. For example, only print the syllabus and weekly to-do lists for each class. Before turning in a printed paper, ask the instructor for permission to turn in a paper electronically. Students save time submitting papers this way and they get an electronic date stamp. The instructor skips printing altogether, makes comments directly in a word processing document, and sends it back to the student electronically.

Printing less material saves toner or ink and paper. If printing is necessary, use recycled paper, ink, and toner cartridges. Recycle used cartridges through the printer manufacturer or a third-party recycling center. Make notebooks from printed pages instead of purchasing them constructed from virgin pulp.

Take notes using a laptop or tablet. Create shortcuts or macros and format lecture notes in an outline format that is easy to navigate using a word processing program.

Study Area

Students enrolled in online classes do not use campus facilities such as libraries, cafeterias, student lounges, and classroom space. In addition to that, students studying at home help colleges go green and save energy. Make sure computer equipment is Energy Star rated and use energy saving LED light bulbs.

Colleges have online access to their libraries where students check out digital information, perform searches, and reserve books. Even when they have to pick up their reserved books from the library, they do not spend time and gas only to find out a book is unavailable. Better yet, reserve material online from the local library and receive a voicemail or text message as soon as it arrives.

Technology helps enhance students’ online experiences.

- Adviser, support, and tutor services
- Buy textbooks
- Earn degrees
- Register for classes
- Student admission

A college lessens its impact on the environment when making green choices.

Author Bio

TorchBrowser is the youthful face for web browsing and downloading in the hi-tech world. Sarah Anderson is guiding young adults and professionals with TorchBrowserstwist on prompt web surfing.

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Currently, it is not only important for you to have your undergraduate degree but it is essential to get a master’s degree and even a doctorate degree. This reason for this is the job market is becoming more and more competitive with each passing day. So in order for you to remain relevant, you have to go for further studies.

If you have aspirations of taking any degree including a human resources degree, you should consider getting a human resources online degree. This is because there are various benefits of getting an online degree.

Online Programs Are Less Expensive

photo via www.edukal.com

Most online classes for different degree programs are usually much cheaper than their on campus counterparts. This is because the student is not utilizing any campus facilities when they attend online classes. The only University or College facilities that they may use may be the reading materials that the lecturer may post online and the cost of their examinations.

Other than this there are likely to be no other costs that the University may be incurring in offering the education. In addition, when you attend classes at a campus, you may also incur other incidental costs for things such as gas, parking, health fees and miscellaneous purchases. You can easily avoid these costs by getting a degree online and not having to go to the campus.

Schedule Flexibility and Convenience

Enrolling for a degree program at a local campus can be quite cumbersome especially if you are working and/or have a family. If you do, you require all the flexibility you can get when it comes to class attendance. When there are pressing responsibilities, it may be very hard to find adequate time to be attending sessions at the University.

By enrolling in an online program, you can easily fit your class time into your schedule by “going to class” whenever you can, and wherever you are provided you have internet access. This way you will not have to sacrifice anything in the process.

Diversity

Interacting with new people from all over the world is the experience you can get by getting a human resources degree online. The students who may have registered for the online program are very likely to be from various parts of the world, whereas the students who attend a campus are more likely to be local. Thus, it gives you the opportunity to interact and learn from people of various cultures. This interaction will go a long way in broadening your knowledge about how to interact with different people.

Ease of Access to Study Materials

Learning new things can be quite challenging especially if what you are learning is very technical. With e-learning you can have access to audio, video and text materials for use.

In addition, it makes reading much easier since you can easily revisit lectures, assignments and other online materials. Instead of trying to scribble down notes when attending a lecture, you will have necessary information in easy to read documents.

On Campus Equivalency

A human resources online degree is as good as a degree that a person may get after attending classes at the campus. This is because there is nowhere in the transcript, result slip or certificate that indicates your degree was an online one.

The gains attributed to getting a human resources online degree are many. Getting an online degree is cheaper, offers more flexibility and convenience, will expose you a wider variety of culture and diversity, and it will give you equal footing with a person who got the same degree but more expensively at the University. 

Denielle is responsible for a wide variety of tasks at her company. She is always willing to take on extra tasks and does so with a smile. She enjoys spending time with her family as much as possible and loves hosting BBQ’s for everyone to get together.  

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graduates (http://www.schweppesaustralia.com.au)

Take a look at this guide if you’re on the brink of starting a career in PR.

During school:

1.Select a degree that you like: While it is true that there are a large number of English and Marketing Communications graduates in this field, it does not necessarily mean that the best PR people have these degrees. I find that many of the skills you need to do well in PR are things you learn while doing the job. You are much better off focusing your studies on an area that you are interested in. This will make it more likely that you will get good grades, which carries much more weight than they type of degree you get.

2.Stay with one job: Like any other profession, PR work can be difficult. You need to be able to show that you can face challenges and ride them out and stay with your job. I find it much more impressive to see that a person has worked all through school at a shopping market than someone who jumped around from job to job for years.

3.Three words – writing, writing, writing: At the centre of any PR job today is writing. Take advantage of your time in school and get all the practice writing that you can. I’m not talking about the essays you have to write for classes but writing that is published. Take the time to get involved in the school newspaper, write a blog or guest write on someone else’s blog.

4.Don’t worry about work experience in PR: Working at a PR firm when you are on break for a few weeks really adds nothing to your experience. Odds are the tasks you get assigned are not very meaningful and you won’t learn much about the industry in short time spans like that.

Upon graduation:

5.Work on creating a quality CV: Having a CV that is well organised, clear and formatted properly makes a big difference. Try to keep it under two pages. Highlight any meaningful achievements you had during school. You should also be precise about all the dates included, specifically the month and year when you started and left each job you have had. Begin your CV with a brief introduction outlining your abilities and what has drawn you to PR work..

6.Your cover letter is important: Just write a brief letter of two paragraphs stating why you are a good fit for the job and some highlights of what you have achieved. Make sure your letter has perfect spelling and grammar.

7.Target every possible employer you can: Limiting yourself just to places where you have seen advertisements is not the way to go. Go after every agency out there. Sure, we get a lot of applicants just looking for an opening, but they usually are not very good. If you have a standout letter and CV, you will get noticed.

8.Tailor your CV and cover letter to the potential employer: Compile a list of potential employers and change your application so it suits each one. Check out their website, any social media they may use and you can target them specifically by telling them how much you want to work there and how much they need you there. I sent out over 100 CVs when I tried to find my first job in the industry. It can be arduous and discouraging, but it is worth all the time and effort.

9.Use recruiters to help you: Look around and find some of the great PR recruiters who will help place you in potential jobs. Some agencies only like to hire directly, so don’t use recruiters exclusively or you may miss out on potential job leads.

At the interview:

If you followed this strategy and have an excellent application, you are likely to get an interview. You want to leave them with a good impression:

10.Be smart and attentive: Get to the interview right on time (you don’t even want to be early). Forget gum, mints or anything else in your mouth. If the weather looks iffy, be prepared with an umbrella. Don’t show up looking like you fell off a boat.

11.Do your homework: Research the company thoroughly. You can use what you know casually as it comes up in conversation.

12.Be optimistic. No one wants to hear a complainer.

13.Have samples of what you have done: Bring hard copies of anything you have written or published.

When the interview is done:

14.Make sure you follow up: Always be sure you send a note via e-mail to the interviewer, thanking them for the time they spent with you. Tell them you were happy to meet them and look forward to hearing from them about the job.

It’s a tough road to that PR job you desire – stay the course, persevere and good luck.

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Heather Baker CEO and Founder of TopLine Communications, a B2B PR, social media, video and SEO consultancy based in London. She is also editor of The B2B PR Blog.  

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People who are experiencing job transition today are finding it harder to land coveted positions due to increased professional competition and more stringent job qualifications. Sometimes a degree or two is just not enough, which means actual job experience in the field or industry has become just as relevant as a good education. Some jobs are just hard to find and have applicant waiting lists that stretch for months and even years. Employment opportunities that sponsor volunteer or internships range from simple humanitarian tasks, such as cooking and serving in homeless shelters, or teaching kids citizenship skills through volunteering work with the ACF, to non-paid positions in the core science fields, such a geology and paleontology, or a stint with a prestigious publishing firm.

Whatever aspect of volunteer work you are interested in, you are sure to find that it will reward you in many ways other than financially. It could be your “in” to the best job you’ll ever have.

image via http://mycharity4kids.org/

The Search

Like all jobs, a search for a volunteer position starts with visiting the classifieds and magazines which are announcing the acceptance of volunteer positions. The time to act is immediately upon finding such ads, since they can be very popular, depending upon the company name and brand. Make note of the hour requirements or days per week that is needed, deciding if it meets with your constraints and time schedule. If you already have a full or part-time position, you can volunteer for a few to a dozen hours a week, provided you fill the employers time slot. If you have a special job in mind you have only to call up the business and inform them of your desire to work a prescribed number of days or hours in the week to enhance your on-time job experience. Be sure to fill out your application and list prior experience in the related field, just as though you were applying for a paid position.

Ethics and Image

Working as a volunteer means putting forth a professional effort. Arrive at the workplace early, fully prepared and with a positive attitude. Take on difficult assignments and see them through to the end. Take responsibility for errors or mistakes, learn by them and try to avoid them in the future. Show courtesy to the staff and customers by showing a willingness to go above the required job tasks. Follow up on any leads or potential sales, making pertinent job-related notes. Treat the job as you would a fully paid position. Thank your employer for the opportunity and never be afraid to advance your knowledge by asking questions.

Goals and Perks

Volunteer CV positions and internships are an excellent way to get you into that dream job without waiting or competing with peers. Employers love and appreciate volunteer workers since such positions speaks volumes about faith and loyalty. Such positions are also the short-cut to obtaining true on-the-job training, following the employers direct work ethics, program, production quality and scheduling. Your resume will include up-to-date experience and new learned skills. You’ll be able to network and learn from the professionals in the field who have their finger to the pulse of the industry. All of your invested hours will be treated and recorded as professional employment. Of course, the day will come when you have proven yourself and obtained that paid position, only because you were not afraid to act and volunteer your services.

This article was written by Aaron Whyte. He has volunteered all over the world, from working in a monkey sanctuary in Borneo to feeding starving children in Ethiopia. Aaron is currently volunteering with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight ACF .